Want to walk for exercise - how much is ok?

I put weight on sooo easily, and am worried my already overweight body will keep growing while I recover! Everyone says walking is best ... Bit how much is ok? I am taking small walks each day but get so tired and ache afterwards. Doing nothing is not good - but how do I know how much is 'good' ?!

How small are your small walks? I think if you ache afterwards, you have gone too far. Really short walks, little and often are the way to go with lots of rest in between. My motto was always to stop before I started feeling any pain.

hi there sister....first i would like to say please concentrate on healing and leave body issues until body is strong enough to do something more than walk ...what good is being skinny if we r sick?....what i did was try to walk a little more each day ...like first day five min out and then turn around ...next day 6 min out...so on and so on....take care love and hugs

I agree with phillies. You only get 1 chance to properly heal so please handle your body with care. I also have been doing little walks and at first was at a snail's pace, I can move faster now but still not my normal speed. Tired is normal, even achey is normal but you might want to gear down if you know it is from your walks. Perhaps more walks for a smaller duration? Helps with the dreaded gas, too!

I agree with the others. Don't rush things and try not to over do it. Listen to your body.

Take short walks around your house at a slow pace a few times a day and then rest in between. You will find your strength & endurance gradually increasing.

But, now is the time to be a total princess and let your body heal. There will be plenty of time to get back into exercise after you are cleared by your doctor. It doesn't take long to build your muslces back up as well as endurance once you are able to exercise normally and regularly.

I can gain weight just by looking at food, lol. So, in recovery I'm trying to keep low calorie, lower carb, but not strict low carb, and higher protein since I'm not as active. So far, I'm maintaining and I'm happy with that. I gained some prior to surgery from stress & comfort eating, but once I'm cleared by my doctor to workout, I'll concentrate more on stricter dieting & exercise, but right now I'm taking full advantage of recovery.

You know, my Dr told me a week post-op, "Dont worry at all about dieting right now/losing weight and instead focus on healing". That is so true. Now, I am healing in a healthy way (eating healthier and doing my short walks and resting)...everything else will come afterwards.

Wellagain,
We both had a TAH within days of each other..I have slowly worked my way up to 2 miles. I move slow and take my time. It takes me more than an hour, but that is where I am. I haven't been too able to just sit- and try not too. I am also VERY concerned about what this recovery will do to me weight wise. I try to eat smaller meals throughout the day. Trying to keep up me metabolism. Drink lots is water and try to walk in the am. It will start your body burning, it's cooler out, and then you can properly rest throughout the day. Although I do very much agree that healing must be your first priority, I feel your pain about the fear of potential weight gain. I have found that my weight fluctuates ALOT right now as well.
Good luck and only do what is comfortable.

Thank you ladies. It is now night time for me and today I went for two short walks (first about 1mile the second a lot shorter) along with visiting my nephew for an hour for his birthday. I have done too much as my tummy is really sore! You are all right. Tomorrow I will concentrate more on 'small steps' and allowing myself more time. Thanks for your support x