Episode 9: Navigating Exercise & Body Image After Weight Loss Surgery

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hey, Steph.

(00:01):
Hey, Hannah.
Welcome to another episode of Bariatric Bander podcast.
I love it.
Super good.
We're still here.
We're doing it.
We haven't quit yet.
We haven't got scared by the video.

(00:24):
We've not.
I know we're still on video and I'm not going to lie, Steph watched me do like the most
like ratchet two second, slap it all on makeup job.
And then I said, this doesn't match at all.
And I wiped it all off.
It's real life.
Okay.
It's real life.
Guys, look, the palest of the pails for those who watch us, like I wiped it all off on my
I'll wash this.

(00:45):
But I was like, this looks terrible.
And we have to record a podcast, you know, but you're getting the genuine, real authentic
us, right?
Makeup free pale as can be.
This is it.
All right, trying our best here, guys, to look classy on this podcast.
And for those who watch the video, I know a lot of you listen on audio and you're probably

(01:05):
like, I have no idea what they're showcasing right now.
I'll post a picture on the Instagram of that, that I wiped all my makeup off on.
You look great.
I looked two toned.
So now, now I look okay.
You look great.
I'm loving the ponytail, by the way, Steph's rocking a ponytail.
Getting used to it.
I'm used to, I for, if you don't know me, I used to have very, very, very short hair.

(01:27):
This is the first time in a long time that I've had long hair.
So getting used to the no bangs and the ponytail.
It's exciting.
I got rid of the bangs as well.
It must be like a weight loss thing where I was like, it's okay, we can show my face
now.
Yeah.
It's definitely a security blanket for me.
It always has been.
It was very nerve wracking to cut them off and have everything exposed and just there.

(01:49):
Yeah.
Well, cause I always had like, I mean, I still have a round face, but I had that like very
swollen like, I know we said we'd poke holes in it.
We'll post pictures.
I promise this week we'll actually post like the pictures of my face and Steph's face, but
like it was so swollen.
Like the biggest change I noticed was in my face first.
And I would constantly post like face photos.
And my mom was like, it's the same face.

(02:12):
You look the same.
And I was like, mom, I'm not looking for the mom answer right now.
Like look at how good my face looks right now.
But I would not wear ponytails at all because I couldn't look cute.
You know those slicked back ponytails?
No.
I was like a fat Draco Malfoy, but like people who could like rock these super cute high
ponies and I was like, why do I look like this?

(02:34):
Like it was not a good look.
No, it was just like a big bubble.
Oh my God.
My ears stuck out.
Like thanks dad for those.
But like my ears stuck out, my head, my face, like it was, and I had like, I was so obese.
I had the rolls that would kind of come at the back of your head.
And I was like, Oh no.

(02:54):
Like you could see them.
It's a security blanket for sure.
Yes.
Yeah.
And I just remember thinking, no.
And then I don't remember when it was, but I started putting my hair up in ponytails
and I went, Oh, is this what they're supposed to look like?
Like I have a neck.
Like what is, I can do this.
Like I don't know what this is, but I can see these things.

(03:15):
I was like, yeah, I could see a clavicle.
I can see a collarbone.
You can see the shape.
Like there's, there's a shape now.
Like I can see my chin now.
I can have, I can see my jaw now.
I can see a little bit.
I have HN singular.
I don't have to contour anymore because I'm actually getting a little bit of a natural
like, yeah.
I know.

(03:35):
It's like my dimples are back.
I had them and they went away when I was really swollen and fat, but like it was just, yeah,
listen, it's little things like this that like when you're formerly obese makes your
life awesome.
And so I was telling Steph like, rock that ponytail looks so good.
I'm going to wear a ponytail in the next.
That's what I'm going to do next week.
We'll switch in the next one.
That's what I'm doing.

(03:56):
But yeah, it's just little things like this that might seem silly, but we have insecurities,
major insecurities.
And I worked, I tried to work out, but wouldn't put my hair up in a ponytail.
I'm not kidding.
I'd go, I'd go like this with my hair down.
And I remember my trainer would be like, you want to put your hair up?
And I was like, no, no fuck I do.

(04:17):
Nope.
It does not look attractive.
Yeah.
And then like, I would go work out in, I remember having this conversation with, uh, with my
trainer at the time.
And I would go to work out in like long pants and like long sleeve shirts.
And he would be like, what are you doing?
Like aren't you dying of sweat?
Yeah.
Yeah, I am.
Yep.

(04:37):
But that's what you're getting.
And I remember I wore a t-shirt to the one session and I remember I opened the door and
he looked at me, but he didn't say anything.
And then I brought it up and he was like, oh my gosh, he was, I'm glad you said something
because I wanted to acknowledge it, but I didn't want to put you even more out of your
comfort zone.
And, uh, but that's like, that's how we lived our life.
That's how we live our life, which kind of rolls nicely into in this week's episode,

(05:01):
episode nine.
Oh my goodness.
I should know this y'all episode nine.
Crazy.
We're going to be talking about exercise.
So we are going to talk about how we exercise, um, what it looks like, you know, we are very
different in our path.
I am two years.
Oh my God.
I'm two years, uh, as of the 13th of this month.

(05:23):
And Steph is four months.
Yep.
Yep.
So that's going to look very different.
Uh, what our exercise goals are.
Like do we have big plans, big goals?
Do we have a little bucket list on like why we're doing it?
What's the recommendation from the clinic for exercise and like just in general, what
our recommendations are.
There'll be a hot, hot take minute where we talk about personal trainers.
Shocking.

(05:44):
We don't agree in the best way.
We're still friends, but, um, that's what we're going to talk about.
This week.
Cause we do get a lot of questions about, yes.
Are you following an exercise plan?
Do you do HIIT?
Do you do CrossFit?
Are you training for this?
Are you training for that?
I openly share all my training on Instagram.
We've had a lot of listeners like, Whoa, fill me in.
Like, how'd you get started?
And it's like, Oh, I'm trying.

(06:05):
Yeah.
And a lot of people follow Steph and Steph is constantly posting her workouts there.
And you'll notice like our workers are very different from each other, but still follow
the fundamental training we've been told to follow.
And I'd say Steph, you and I talk about exercise several times a week with each other.
I was going to say probably every other day, every other day.

(06:26):
It's also a learning process, right?
And things are different.
Like I said to you today, I, um, cannot lift in terms of free weights.
I cannot lift right now what I was lifting before surgery.
And you have, it's a learning process post-surgery of what works for you, what you want to do,

(06:46):
what feels good.
So we're messaging each other regularly about, I did this, you want to do this.
I'm trying this.
I want to try this one day.
How do I do this?
Yeah.
I think I broke an arm.
I can't lift more arms.
What did I say to you today?
I think I had a heart attack.
No, I just pulled a muscle.
It's a big learning curve.

(07:07):
Exercise post-surgery is very different, not very different, but it's different than exercise
pre-surgery for sure.
Yeah.
I think the world is more open to you post-surgery.
So that's brand new.
There are things that you're going to be able to do that you never could do before.
And so that's also exciting and terrifying and kind of what we touched on in the beginning

(07:27):
of this podcast.
You have self-esteem issues and it's going to take a while for them to go away.
I have major self-esteem issues.
We'll do a whole episode about that.
I still have crazy self-esteem issues, guys.
Don't look at myself when I pass a mirror, struggling to date because I'm worried what
they're going to think when they see me.
So it doesn't go away.
Now that the world is open to me for exercise, I feel even more like a fucking fraud.

(07:49):
Sorry, trying to work on the swearing.
But I do because now I feel like at least when I was obese, that was an excuse to be
like, well, she's never done it before.
Look, she's trying.
Bless her heart.
Now it's like this person doesn't know what they're doing.
No, I don't.
Because I can't wear a billboard that says I used to be 320 pounds.
I'm learning this for the first time.

(08:12):
Not that in any way I get judged more than someone who's obese.
I think it's insane how much they get judged for going to the gym.
Are you kidding?
They're bettering themselves.
They're trying harder.
They're putting in the effort.
Who gives a shit what they look like or what they're doing?
They're learning.
And I do not get judged more than them.
I'm not saying poor skinny person.
But it's like they just think you're an idiot and that you should know what you're doing.

(08:36):
So I almost will avoid things now because I feel like, oh, I look too much like an idiot.
I'm not doing this.
I can't.
And before it was, I'm too fat.
I'm not doing this.
So it never leaves.
But no, the fear of judgment is still there.
Always there.
And I think part of it too is the confidence is there.
But there's a lot of times where, at least for me, and again, I'm only four months out,
so curious with you two years out.

(08:58):
I'm sure it's the same.
But you forget.
I still have a lot of weight to lose.
Don't get me wrong.
But I've lost a significant chunk.
But my brain still goes to my old self first.
And I still think of myself in that old body.
And even when I'm trying to do new movements and I'm trying new things, instantly before

(09:19):
I even try it, I still go, oh, I can't do that because I couldn't do it before.
So there's things that I can kind of do now or that I can do now, but I'm still stuck
in that old view of myself.
It stays.
This literally happened at the gym on Sunday.
I go with a neighbor.
We were in the free weight section and she kind of dipped through two machines to get

(09:43):
to another one.
And I hesitated.
Like I went up to the two machines and went, oh.
And I kind of thought as I'm turning, I can't do this.
And then I was like, yeah, you can just walk right through this.
Like I look like an idiot standing there with my arms up because it just sticks with you,
right?
And I'm not trying to, this is definitely not a humble brag.

(10:05):
Like listen to Hannah say she didn't have to turn to walk through.
No, no, no.
I walked straight up to it, then stopped walking and went and like start turning my body because
I'm like, all right, how am I?
And then I stopped and went, oh yeah.
I don't have to do this anymore.
Just walk right through this.
Cool.
And then it came up at work.
We're going to some conferences and stuff.

(10:25):
Hey guys, I need your sizing for clothing.
And I immediately, immediately I got really flushed and like we were on a call and I was
like, I don't want to tell people what size I am.
And then I went, oh, wait, wait.
So I was like, are these like unisex, women's?
Like I have options now.
I would send out the swag emails like we're sending you swag.

(10:46):
I never wanted to tell them.
There's no document with your size that everybody can see when they open it.
So, cause I used to have to say, I'm going to need an extra large men's or, you know,
cause the women's sizing wouldn't go up to what I needed.
That's the biggest size we have.
No, or then I tried to pick like a vanity size.
Cause I was like, whatever, just pick a large.
And then it's like, oh, this doesn't fit, won't come down.

(11:07):
And now I have to email HR and be like, I know you sent me all this stuff and I'm now
going to need to tell you.
So I picked a medium this time because I got real scared that if I, I was like, well, I
have small tops, but I was like, don't do it.
Don't do it.
I'm going to go down this PTSD rabbit hole.
So I just said medium, medium women's is great.
And that's what the girl messaged me was like, you're good with a medium?

(11:28):
And I was like, yeah.
She's like, I can order you like a medium and a small.
And I was like, nah, that's cool.
We'll go medium.
I don't want it to be tight.
It's totally fine.
Thank you so much though.
Really love that.
That boosted my ego.
But like I just emailed you the other day because my work did, did the email.
We got the email that there's new swag coming out and I was like, oh, okay.
And I immediately thought to swag that we got last time that I got from work.

(11:50):
And if my work is listening, which they may be, I remember saying I like spun it that
I wanted a bigger size because Devin always steals my sweaters.
And that's so, that's a good one.
Even though Devin is not Devin has lost like a hundred pounds in the last year.
Good for him.
That's not even true anymore either.
But that's how I would try to spin it because I would get a bigger size, right?

(12:11):
So I'd be like, oh, wait, Devin can wear it too.
And so we got really nice zip up jackets from work last year and I put it on now and it's
way too big.
Which was awesome.
But I remember now thinking, okay, we're going to get swag.
I'm going to need to wear it to client sites.
I want it to last.
So I remember messaging me like, I don't know what size to get.

(12:33):
I remember we had a huge debate about it because I was team don't order that.
Get the small size.
Like Rainn immediately went to, oh, I need a 2XL.
And that's what I started typing.
And then I was like, no, you don't.
You don't.
No, you don't.
And we had that debate.
You were like, I don't know though, Hannah.
Like what?
And I was like, well, the other thing was you were booking it well in advance of travel

(12:56):
too.
Like there would at least, I said, are you, when are you going?
You said, well, at least a month and a half to two months out.
And I said, there will be a significant change in your body in two months, especially this
soon after surgery.
I was like, that's the other thing where there's a catch 22.
I would never want you to wear something too small that makes you feel uncomfortable.
But when I was losing weight, what became a really big hangup for me was putting on

(13:19):
the baggy stuff and feeling frumpy and overweight and feeling like, oh, I don't like this feeling
either.
It's almost like you can't win when you're in between sizing until you, like, especially
when you're coming from, I was like a 22, sometimes 24.
So like when you're coming from like, I don't know, 12 to 10.

(13:40):
Okay.
So you're coming from 24 to 18.
Huge, huge difference in that size.
And you don't want to be wearing size 22 shirts because it's like, I look, people judge you.
I look unkempt.
I look messy.
I look slovenly.
It's hanging.
Yeah.
It's not fair.
It's not fair that we, that's what we associate with overweight people.

(14:02):
It's a whole thing that I wish we could change in society, but it's still a thing, right?
Where it's like, if you're wearing something sloppy, you know, it's because you're overweight
and you're a slob and I hate, hate that because most over, like plus size clothing is a tent.
Crap.
That's what I was just about to say.
It also doesn't help that plus size clothing is ugly and ridiculous and cut like a box,

(14:23):
which is all another, yeah, we'll go through a whole podcast on plus size clothing.
Don't you worry.
But it's just like, there's no issue.
It's this weird in between where you don't want to wear things that are skin tight because
it makes you feel very self-conscious.
You're not used to it.
But then you don't want the oversized and work.
Okay.
I promise we'll get to exercise in a minute.
Work makes it a bit challenging because it's like, I have to go to these things.

(14:45):
I have to look professional.
I just sent a message to the event manager being like, Hey, like what's dress code for
this conference I'm going to.
And she's like, what do you mean?
I'm like, I assume like leggings are probably a no-go jeans or a no-go.
Like do I have to go buy khakis?
I was like, I don't have dress pants.
She's like, you don't have dress pants.
And I was like, uh, no, I said through my weight loss journey, I've thrown a lot of
things out and my life around leggings.

(15:07):
You don't want to be a new clothes until you're at a set.
Like I haven't bought any new clothes.
I'm wearing, I'm like, that's the lie.
I bought maybe three shirts, but like I haven't bought any new pants.
I haven't really bought new shirts.
I'm still wearing my two X, my 22 pants.
I still have.
I luckily found a pair of eight teens in the drawer that were like my one day pants.

(15:31):
Oh yay.
So I don't have to look so frumpy, but I haven't bought any new clothes yet because
that's the thing, right?
You're in this middle phase.
You don't know what's comfortable.
You don't want to buy things because you don't know where you're going to be in a month.
You're trying to look good and proud of your changes.
But like I said, you don't want to wear the tight clothes.

(15:51):
It's such a weird space to be in.
We should do a whole podcast on body, body image, buy in clothing.
For working out today, Denise, if you're listening, I wore shorts.
Good for you.
I wore shorts every day this week and now I was not in public.
However, I wore tight biker shorts with a tank top.

(16:15):
So here's what we're going to do.
The weather's getting nicer at the end of March.
We're going to go for a walk at Rim Park.
We're not going to tell people when because now they can come find us, but we will commit.
Maybe we'll wait till April.
It's Canada.
But we will both try to go for a walk because I don't wear tank tops because that way it's
like-
No, I don't wear them either.
Maybe that should be a goal that we can take a picture of for the podcast that we will

(16:37):
go for a walk in shorts and a tank top.
You're really pushing that one.
Maybe we should do shorts or a tank top.
For me, it's the tank top that's the issue.
For you, it's the shorts.
No, it's both for me.
It's both.
It's the arms, the flatty.
I only own... I'm wearing an undershirt tank top.
I don't own an actual tank top that you would wear in the summer.

(17:01):
The only pair of shorts I own are these biker shorts that I bought probably six months ago
as a goal to wear them as a working out.
I do not own a pair of in-public shorts.
This will be our goal.
You know what?
If we can push our audience to do some things that scare them, then this will be our goal
for the summer.
Sometime this summer, we're going to try to go for a walk in biker shorts and a tank top

(17:24):
and just be like, we're good with it.
It might be a short walk.
Real 10 minutes.
Speaking of walks, finally talk to people about exercise.
The question we get asked all the time, exercise is a big part of this program.
It's really funny because I think I said it on a podcast last week or maybe it was just
in a voice memo to Steph, but exercise is almost more important than the diet part of

(17:49):
this program.
Almost, not quite, but almost.
The diet is important, but they really hammer home the exercise point.
It's not even like it's an afterthought.
They consistently, okay, well, how much are you working out?
How much activity are you doing every week?
Are you getting your strength training in?
What type of activity are you doing?
Okay, I need to know.
They want it all.
Are you walking?
Are you moving?

(18:10):
Are you?
Yep.
Oh, and it starts the moment you go home, by the way.
They don't expect you to be laying in bed and recovering for weeks.
It's like, so you should be up and moving around your house and within the end of the
week you should be able to go for a five or 10 minute walk.
Don't push it too far.
Stay in your neighborhood because you might get lightheaded.
But your goal is to get up to 30 minutes a day, minimum.

(18:31):
They told me my goal should be, unless you're napping and sleeping, but every half hour
to get up and at least, this is like from the day you came home from the hospital.
Every half hour get up and at least do a lap of your main floor.
Do your kitchen.
But I think by, I was home Saturday, by Monday I was doing laps outside.

(18:53):
Luckily we had good weather still at the end of October.
I was doing outside laps of my driveway.
Same.
Yep.
Same rules.
Walk the kitchen.
That's for blood clot reasons.
So after you have surgery, if you are at rest, blood clots can form and stick.
So if you keep your body circulating, you keep your blood going, it doesn't pool, can't

(19:14):
form blood clots.
But also, because you have to get moving.
This is not a surgery where you get to have surgery and then give up on exercise.
By I think the second day I was walking outside.
Now I didn't go far.
The worry is more just that you are going to get lightheaded because you don't have
enough of your system.
You're not eating.
And that makes total sense.
So I would go to the mailbox and back and I'm the type of person, stuff's going to be

(19:37):
like, oh, big surprise.
I'm the type of person where I will just push past what I've been told that I can do.
You want me to sit?
Yeah.
Don't listen.
Hey pneumonia.
So I definitely was pushing it.
I remember my mom being like, Jesus, stop doing this.
But I'd be like, I went for a 20 minute walk today and like, boy, she lectured me up and
down to like, take your time.

(19:58):
So I do encourage you to not listen to me and take your time because the worst thing
you want to do is have an injury or even just have an anxious moment where you feel very
faint and you have to sit down because that can deter you from ever going out again.
And you're not putting a lot of fuel in your body.
You have to remember you're having like one ounce sips of clear liquid.

(20:18):
So you don't have the energy to do this.
No.
So it's for safety reasons that we're saying go slow.
But then by the end of your first month, when you are finally beyond clear liquids and you
are getting more protein intake, like they just expect it, let's get going.
So 30 minutes minimum a day, they expect you to be walking.

(20:40):
Now they never come right out and say you need to be running or cycling or rollerblading
or I don't know, climbing a tree.
You need to walk 30 minutes.
Minimum.
And they do stress walk at a brisk pace.
Like it's not, hey, what's up.
You need to get your heart rate up.
Yeah.
Not to cardio levels.
You should be huffing and huffing and out of breath, but enough that your heart rate

(21:02):
is elevated.
Yeah.
There's a little sweat beading wherever it beads.
Everywhere?
Yeah.
Upper lip for me.
That's what I was trying to showcase.
But you should have a little sweat going.
You should have a little heart going a little.
So they don't want intense if you want too good, but they are recommending walk 30 minutes
and then strength training.
This was huge.

(21:23):
This was consistent.
This is where we had different, we were given different guidelines for this.
Very different because it was like beat over the head with me that I absolutely needed
to be in strength training.
And this might, I might have a theory on why, but I was beat over the head with strength
training, strength training.
You need to be doing it two times a week Hannah.
Why aren't you doing it?
So I started doing Pilates and I remember her being like, we're going to be very honest

(21:43):
with you.
Pilates does not count as strength training.
And I was like, I was like, damn it.
I don't want to get a gym membership.
Like I just want to do outdoor walk.
But they were very much like in order to build muscle and to negate how much loose skin you're
going to have, you must do weight training.
And also you can't have muscle loss.
Having major surgery, not being able to move the way you used to move, not being able to,

(22:06):
oh, for the first six months, you can't lift heavy things.
Three months, you can't lift heavy things.
They say, treat it like you had a C-section.
You could get a hernia, you could tear something.
They don't want you out there week two, like, you know, deadlift in.
And they said, if you're going to lift weights, you will sit for the first two months.

(22:27):
Like I don't think I started strength training until after the first month I wasn't cleared
just due to needing this to heal.
But anyway, I digress that strength training was beat over the head for me.
I constantly, constantly asked what my strength training routine was, how long was it, what
weights were I lifting.
They were very big on loose skin with me and muscle training.
Yeah.

(22:47):
Yeah.
And I was so, it was funny because I was told initially in the program, same things, walking
first, building up strength training, no lifting for a while.
And I was told, I don't remember the exact timeline, but I'm pretty sure I was told no
lifting weights until minimum three months.
I'm pretty sure it's three months, not six, like I said, I'm pretty sure it's three.

(23:09):
And I was like, okay, that sucked.
I really wanted to get back to the gym, all this kind of stuff.
And then I went for my one month post-op with the surgeon.
And I asked her because she was saying everything was looking so good, da da.
So I said, okay, so just to confirm like three months for our weights, right?
And she goes, no.
And I kind of looked at her, I said, what?
She goes, you can start today.
And I said, oh, I was told three months in, I said sitting the whole bit.

(23:31):
And she goes, no.
This program.
She goes, I do a lot of hernia repair.
She goes, and that's the main concern.
She goes, but you just listen to your body.
So of course she said, start light.
She goes, don't be going grabbing the 20 pounders and just go and attack.
She said, start light.
She goes, you'll feel kind of silly.
Do the two pounds, do the five pounds.
Yeah.
He said, by all means start today.

(23:53):
And then she said, if something starts to hurt, obviously stop.
Yeah.
She cleared me at four weeks to jump right in.
Like, I mean, did I start before three months?
Yes.
Is anybody surprised that Hannah didn't follow the rules?
Absolutely not.
Hi, buddy.
But I was told like, you have to sit to lift weights at the beginning.

(24:16):
You have to wait three months.
You are at a high risk for hernias.
You're just like, don't risk it.
You are at a high risk.
So it is funny that like who you saw was like, who cares?
You're good.
My doctor was like, absolutely not.
I said, yeah.
She goes, then go.
Yeah.
I started lifting weights early, but I was working with a personal trainer.
So I wasn't just out there trying to free ball it and hope for the best.

(24:36):
So I just went to town.
But you were fine.
You're good.
But strength training is big.
My theory, and it's just a theory because whatever, my theory is that I ended up losing
like quicker than they expected, which happens.
It's not a brag.
There are people who lose quicker and then taper off.
There are people who lose more, but take longer.

(24:57):
Like you will all fall into a category.
It doesn't mean one is better than the other.
Eventually we all end up at the same place.
It's just, oh, are you kind of like quick and pass the goal post or what?
So they did say you are losing more than we expected.
Like your percentage is past where it should be.
I think that they had a very big concern about super loose skin, about this really catching

(25:21):
up with me because I was, oh shit, you know, like she's past where she's supposed to be.
That's a good thing.
I think they're happy about it, but I think that's why it, for me, every single frig and
call with the nurse and dietitian, every time, oh, you're walking great.
Oh, wow.
That's far distances.
Love the walking.
Anyway, strength training, strength training.
What are you doing for strength training?

(25:42):
Sure guys.
Like, and I will admit I was so bad with strength training.
Even now it's something I immensely struggle with.
Just talk to Steph about it.
This today.
I love it today because I was like, Steph, I think I really need to start strength training
more.
I'm not doing this, like my loose skin is starting to pile up.
But I'm just, I'm really into cardio.
Cardio is my exercise routine.

(26:03):
I love it.
It's great.
I did weights before and I don't know if it's that that's all I could do when I was obese
with strength training and mass moves mass.
And I'm not trying to offend anybody by saying that, but it's easier.
It was easier for me to lift heavier weights before surgery.
Like I could bench press and deadlift like a beast.

(26:24):
Like I'm talking like 125 pounds.
Yeah.
At one point I have a photo of me at the personal trainer way before surgery and I'm not even
kidding.
Like I'm, I'm curling 80 pound dumbbells.
And I was like, it was great.
Like we have a leg press video where I'm at like three something mass moves mass.
So post surgery, there's like a video of me with like a five pound weight shaking.

(26:47):
Like I'm going to pass out.
Like it's hard.
I just did like lap pull downs and I did some chest flies on Sunday and I literally thought
my arm was going to fall off.
And I did, I said to Steph this morning, like I think I thought I was having a heart attack.
It turns out I pulled a muscle.
I was lifting 20 pounds, but I sat at the machine.
I put it on 60 and I stood up and I couldn't move it.

(27:10):
And I was like, this is really embarrassing.
And I had to put it back.
I go to do a workout and I go to grab like the weights I would normally grab.
Yeah.
And I didn't even get one rep in like today.
I, and it's so, I love how opposite we are because you're so cardio loving and I'm so
weights loving and we're so like opposite on this.
It's great.

(27:30):
Oh, it's really funny.
It's for great conversations.
Um, well like today, I, one of the, one of the, the exercises in my workout routine today
was triceps and we were doing, um, tricep kickbacks.
Oh God.
And I had to grab the two pounders and I was so like, what the hell?
Cause I went to grab my eights and my tens and I was like, okay, this is not like everything

(27:55):
shakes and you're like, I couldn't even get one, one rep in.
No.
And I just sat there and I was like, mate, like it's humbling.
Oh, super humbling.
You, I, my heaviest weights, like I was telling Hannah, my heaviest weights right now that
I use on a regular basis.
I have like twos, twos, eights, tens, twelves and fifteens.

(28:15):
And then I have a couple kettlebells, but those are my dumbbells.
And then I have a 35 and a 30 downstairs.
I don't even touch my 30 and 35 right now.
That used to be light, but 25 was light.
My 15 is now my heavy.
So when she says, or when they say in any of my, my body workouts, when they say get
the heavy dumbbells, I get the fifteens.
But it's not like it's the same for me.

(28:36):
And I have this moment of just like defeat and I know, yeah.
And I know that it's going to take time and I know it's going to get back up there.
I know I'm only eating 700 calories.
It might not.
Like our new bench line might be that 35 is heavy.
Right.
But I just, I chuckle when she says, get the heavy dumbbells and I get my fifteens and
I'm like, okay.

(28:57):
Whatever builds muscle builds muscle.
Doesn't matter what that weight looks like.
But as long as, and I feel it, I know it's working.
I know it's doing its job and that's what's important.
I feel it.
But it's a, it's a humbling experience.
So protect yourselves and be careful for all of you that might be really into weightlifting
and heavy weights.
Like you got to go, you got to remember, like you're on a two week liquid diet.

(29:21):
Then you're on at least a month of like a liquid low eating.
Like you, you will have at least two months before you can get back to lifting.
So two months off as someone who just had to go through two months off has completely
reset me.
Oh my gosh.
And I know muscle memory is a thing and it will kick in for me.
I'll get into this in a minute, but just remember you will have two months off where your muscles

(29:42):
will kind of stop working.
Do not go back to your regular training routine.
I went to body pump and I was like, Oh, I was a body pump queen.
Like I was stacking them weights and squatting.
Oh my God.
At one point I just used the bar because I was like, I think I'm about to die.
Like any of the things where they're holding weights, I was like, come out.

(30:05):
There was a lunge track where I was like, I just stood there with my hands on my hips.
He's like, come on Hannah.
And I was like, don't, don't, don't say my name, Justin.
Justin at good life.
Do not say my name.
I'm embarrassed enough.
I love, by the way, if you live in Kitchener, Justin, the good life trainer is like the
best good life trainer.
Love that man.
Um, but no, it was so humbling to be back at body pump and I couldn't move for days

(30:26):
after.
Um, couldn't, couldn't sit on the toilet.
I couldn't move my legs up and down afterwards.
I went like, I had to go pee and I had to hold onto the bathroom counter beside the
wall.
Yeah.
I could hold onto the counter and the bathtub and like brace as much as I could because
it was so painful, but you just have to give yourself grace.
And what matters is that you're putting in the effort and you're showing up.

(30:47):
Exactly.
You have to know it's not going to look the same.
I keep reminding you.
That's okay.
Right.
It's only four months out.
I've only been back at it for two months.
I'm only eating seven calories a day.
You're already crushing it.
You're like a, like, if you don't follow Stefani on Instagram, I recommend it.
We work out completely differently, but like crushing it, literal crushing it.
So I'd follow us if you want to just see what it's like, cause it's very raw and real, but

(31:13):
it is, it's going to be different.
I think the other big thing is you're different.
So this is where we'll get into exercise routines.
Like what are we, why are we exercising?
Do we have goals and what does a normal day look like for us?
And this is where it's really exciting and challenging.
You no longer have to work out like the old you.
A, you don't have to do it in secret.
B, you don't have to just do what your body can own.

(31:35):
Like now your body can do so much more and it can feel overwhelming at times and a little
scary on like, I don't even know where to start.
Start with walking.
That is always my advice.
If anybody wanted to know like, well, Hannah, what was your workout routine?
Like I had surgery in March.
I walked until June.
Usually would walk between five and 10 K. So during the day, during the week, I would

(31:57):
try to walk five K three times a day, just get out, put my little headphones on.
There was like a whole stretch in the summer where I did it every day.
Cause just felt like it, my work schedule aligned, but at least three times a week minimum,
I would try to do five K had my little route, put my little music on, like really love being
out in the sun, kind of challenged myself to walk quicker here and there.
And then on the weekends I would do a 10 K. So either Saturday or Sunday, I went to a

(32:19):
different trail, rim park, and I just did like a huge 10 K and I was like, this is dope
as hell.
I lost majority in bulk of my weight walking.
I wasn't, you know, it wasn't going to body pump a ton.
I wasn't doing spin classes.
I was not a runner.
I wasn't going to hit classes or lifting weights.
Don't tell the Dariashir Clinic.
I was doing Pilates and walking.

(32:41):
And I will say Pilates was great, like mental and relaxing.
I would attribute my weight loss to walking, not Pilates, just so you guys know.
But I just recommend walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.
That's what they recommend.
It's so un-nukated guys.
That's their number one.
They didn't tell me to do anything else but walking.
So if anything, just start walking and don't start at five K. Don't be like Hannah walked

(33:01):
five K five days a week.
I need to know you don't start small.
Like I did not just wake up and go, it's a good five K day.
Let's go.
No, I started doing like two K. What's two K feel like?
I'm feeling pretty good.
I could probably keep going.
All right.
What's two and a half K?
I feel up because your body's never done this before.
So work yourself up and see how you feel.

(33:23):
But I cannot stress walking enough, especially in the spring and summer.
Get a great audio book.
I found audio books better than music because I would then get really hooked into it.
Close my eyes and be like, yeah, I'm done.
I would have special podcasts that I would save just for my lunch time walks.
And I could only listen to them on my walks.
It was my favorite murder.

(33:43):
Love those girls so much.
Oh my God, if they listen.
Mine are all murder podcasts.
Hello, murderinos.
I love my favorite murder.
Or how did this get made, which was like the funniest best podcast in the entire world.
Or I'd get an audio book and that would be like the thing.
Music's great too.
It's just fine to groove.
For me, it's that.

(34:03):
Okay.
So I said I walked till June.
Now we can talk about what my exercise looks like now.
Oh, I should say, sorry.
I walked for a year until June of 2024.
So I didn't just walk a couple of months and then switch to what I'm about to tell you
guys.
I was in the program for a year after a year of weight loss and walking and feeling great.

(34:27):
I decided I just felt like I needed something more on my walks.
Every now and then I'd kind of jog a little.
Then I'm like, I kind of like this.
Okay, maybe I want to try running.
So in June of 2024, I decided I was just going to go like full ham and a cardio and I was
going to be a runner.
Also don't recommend doing what I did.
I had a teacher once say, you don't wake up one day and say you want to write a book.

(34:49):
I was like, why not?
So I woke up one day and said, I'm going to be a runner with little to no training.
I put on a pair of shoes that I now learned are not running shoes.
And I just kind of went out and said, I'm going to try to run.
So I started in June training to be a runner with a goal of a 5K.
Oh boy, this paints Hannah in a very hilarious picture.
With a goal of a 5K for September, end of September, like basically beginning of October.

(35:15):
But I was like really convinced I could do this.
Running is no joke.
Running is humbling as all hell.
So I could barely run 30 seconds.
And this is after a full year of weight loss and walking my butt off barely, barely run.
That is a whole different ball game.
Could barely run.
So from June till September, I basically just tried to run for a minute straight.

(35:36):
Like I just kept adding 30 second intervals till I got to being able to run for two minutes
without being dead.
And then I'd walk for a minute 30.
And that's all I did.
Jeff Galloway method.
I love it.
I recommend it.
But I followed his method of run, walk, run, walk, run, walk.
And I competed in my first 5K at the end of September.
I did it in 35 minutes, which is a really good time for my first ever 5K.

(36:00):
I ran, walked, ran, walked, ran, walked.
So I would run for two minutes with an interval timer and then I'd walk for 45 seconds.
And then I'd run for two and then walk.
Got really hooked on running and decided I'm going to run a half marathon in October.
So now I'm training for a 10K at the end of this month.
I'm running the around the Bay 10K.

(36:21):
But then I got pneumonia in December and I've been off training all of December, all of
January and most of February because I got pneumonia.
I wasn't cleared from pneumonia till the end of January.
Then they thought I might've had a heart issue from pneumonia.
So I had to get a ton of heart testing done.
Turns out my heart's fine.
I have no lingering side effects, but they just weren't sure.
So I couldn't run for February.

(36:42):
So now I'm back training and I have four weeks to train for a 10K.
I don't got, I'm going to die.
But my training schedule, it's not.
You don't have to set a new PR.
You just want to finish.
I just run and I run for me.
So there's been a lot of hate that I've gotten judgment.

(37:02):
My mom, if she's listening to this, is going to lose her shit on me this weekend.
There's been a lot of judgment that I should not be running.
It's not fair because my brothers who are not overweight, they run and they've never
gotten this before.
But my family has chosen to lecture me that I should not be running.
Running is going to kill me.
I'm going to have a heart attack.

(37:22):
I'm going to die.
Heart disease does run in my family, but I've been through cardiac testing twice now before
surgery because we were worried because I had high blood pressure.
And then literally last month because they thought maybe pneumonia was something wrong
because pneumonia can cause heart disease.
So they said we need to test and just see that it's your lungs that are sore, not your

(37:46):
heart.
And I've been cleared.
My cardiologist has cleared me.
She has said, there's absolutely nothing wrong with you.
Your heart's imperfect.
Blah, blah, blah.
My family has said running will kill you.
You shouldn't be running.
You should just be walking.
Why do you need to do this?
This is absurd.
You shouldn't be at the gym every day.
And so I've gotten a lot of shit for this.
I love running.
It makes me crazy joy.
It's so I hate it.

(38:07):
I hate it.
And I love it.
And I get out there and when I'm running, you've never seen a bigger smile on my fucking
face.
Like I'm exhausted.
I don't want to push another kilometer.
My legs hurt.
And then I'll just be out there like, I got this.
I'm running because I was never able to do this.
I never got to do this.
I was obese my whole life.
And I love it.

(38:28):
So when I go to races, I don't go to race.
I'm not out there.
I told my mom, who do you think I am?
Like trying to set a marathon record.
You think I'm trying to, you know, set a pace for Boston.
I just go for me.
I go to jog.
And there's nothing wrong with exercising every day.
Okay.
Nothing.
I'm not at the gym six hours a day.
I go for me.

(38:49):
So my exercise routine, two years post-op is this.
I run three days a week, usually Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, Sundays.
One is a speed drill.
One is an easy run.
One is a long run.
So a speed drill is usually three kilometers.
It involves like, can you get your pace up quicker?
Okay.
Can you go from walking to jogging to running to back to walking?

(39:10):
Like it's all about trying to get my pace quicker.
Can you, you know, hill sprints, which kill me.
The easy run is, hey, here's a 6K, go at your own pace, do whatever you want to do.
And then the long run is usually over 10 kilometers because if you go over, it makes the 10K easier
in the long run.
So I'm not there yet.
I'm pacing.
So my long run this weekend will be eight kilometers, but eventually I'll be doing 14K

(39:35):
in preparation of the 10.
But I do it at my own pace.
So it's not, hey, here's Hannah breakneck speeding it at five, five minute miles for,
you know, 16 kilometers.
Run walk, run walk, run walk, run walk.
That's awesome.
Take your pace, set your time.
I have successfully done the 10K in one hour, 16 minutes run walking outside for my test

(39:57):
lap.
So it's all great.
Not dying, not having a heart attack.
In between the three days that I run, I am trying to do two days of strength training.
It's not HIIT classes.
It's not CrossFit.
It's not something that's killing me.
It's going to the gym.
And for one day I'm doing upper body.
So I'm doing lat pull downs.
I'm doing some biceps.
I'm working on the upper muscles because as you run, these get tense and tense up and

(40:20):
you get stitches and they hurt.
So I'm working on loosening these for running.
And then the other day I do legs.
So I'm working on building muscle and making me stronger so I don't get an injury so that
I can go further for longer.
Those are my two strength training days.
Outside of that, I walk my dog.
So him and I go for three walks a day, one long walk and two short walks.

(40:43):
And he is old though.
So I will always do them with him.
Now I don't do crazy long walks on run days, but on other days, yeah, why not?
We're going to go for our walks because walking is great.
That is my exercise routine two years post-op.
I don't see it changing much with the exception of after my 10K, I roll into half marathon

(41:04):
training.
I don't think I'll ever do a marathon.
I have no desire to do that, but I really want to do a half marathon.
But running brings me stupid crazy joy.
I don't know why at all, but I stupidly fucking love it.
When you're obese, you never ever think you can do.
You always want to.
I remember there's so many days in my life, I would love to run.

(41:27):
I would love to be a runner.
I would love to say, I'm just going to go for a run.
It's so fun.
There was no way in hell that was ever going to happen.
Even a walk alone was enough of a huff and a puff.
I got winded going to the garbage, which is beside my unit.
That joy of doing something that you never thought was possible.
Not only doing it, but succeeding at it and getting better at it.

(41:49):
Right?
Hitting those goals.
That's what someone said, my aunt, who I really hope isn't listening to this.
But I think she said something to my mom along the lines of, is she okay?
My mom was like, yeah, she's fine.
No, no.
Is she mentally okay?
She's at the gym every day.
I see her posts on Instagram.
Is she okay?
I was like, where was all the concern when I was 320 pounds?

(42:13):
Where were you guys talking about, is Hannah going to die and have a heart attack while
she's sitting around doing literally nothing?
Now that I'm two years post-op, it's not even like I'm a month out pushing myself.
Now that I'm two years post-op with a super healthy relationship to exercise now where
I'm going to say again, I'm only at the gym for an hour.

(42:33):
My runs are typically an hour, an hour and a half.
I'm not spending five to six hours a day exercising.
I'm not working out three times a day, like once a day.
Once a day.
Now that you're putting yourself first as a priority, enjoying your life, taking care
of yourself, being in healthcare, doing things for your mental health, now the concern.

(42:54):
Now it's an addiction.
Now she's obsessed with it.
So I do have a therapist and I said to my therapist, is this bad?
Is my love of running?
She was like, oh my God, this is not addicting.
And she was like, no, this is normal.
And so it made me angry because most people I know go to the gym or work out once a day.

(43:14):
It's very normal.
My brother out west is running a 10K and a half marathon.
He does the climb the stairs stuff and well, he's a firefighter.
Okay, heart disease runs in the family.
Do you think it skips him because he's a firefighter?
Like has he had a cardiac workup?
Has he done blood work recently?
Like I had a literal cardiologist say, you are good to run.

(43:35):
And yet it's not enough.
Then you run.
So I run because mentally it makes me feel so happy and so good and no one's out on that
run with me.
I'm not running five minute miles.
My pace now post pneumonia is like nine minutes, nine minute kilometers.
Like I'm going slow because I'm not, I'm way out of shape for having two and a half months

(43:58):
off.
My ultimate goal is to get back to seven minute kilometers.
Like even my goal speed, normal, that's called average.
That's a jog.
So it'd be different if I was maybe doing this eight hours a day and I was trying to
set a three minute kilometer and people were like, Hannah, we're worried about you.
That's all you were doing.
Then there would be, there would be.
So anyway, so thank you for joining my Ted talk.

(44:20):
That's my exercise routine and Steph, I would love to hear yours.
Four months post-op.
It is way simpler.
It's okay, you're four months post-op, right?
Remember mine was super simple.
It was walking for a year.
Oh yes, it was walking.
So pre-surgery.
So the further, oh my gosh, past two years, maybe a year and a half.

(44:43):
I have been doing what was formerly called beach body.
Now it's called body.
Yeah.
Mix of strength and cardio, Pilates, yoga, the whole bar, you name it, tried it.
So it was a mix of that and then when the weather is nice, I started incorporating lunchtime
walks along with that.

(45:03):
So it was either the gym in the morning or the body workouts at home at some point throughout
the day and then lunchtime walks.
That was five days a week, sometimes six, usually five days a week.
And as I said, it would rotate from most of the programs or workouts I did were strength
training mixed in with cardio or you'd have a push day, a pull day, a leg day, and a cardio

(45:27):
day and then a mix, mix-met day.
And then you'd have your two rest days where you could do the rest or you could just do
whatever you wanted.
I'm really excited to get the lunchtime walks back in now that the weather is good.
But then surgery hit.
During Optifast, during the two week shakes, I just did walks.

(45:49):
I just didn't feel like doing my workouts.
So I did walks for the two weeks and then post surgery, it was the walks.
We talked about started small laps of the driveway, built those laps up and then started
going to the end of the street, to the school, downtown, we lived in a small town and started
bumping it out until I got back to my hour long walks.

(46:13):
Then I went through that one month follow up with the surgeon and she basically was
like, dude, just lift weights if you want to.
Love it.
Which was amazing because I really missed it.
I am the opposite of Hannah.
I hate cardio.
I hate it.
No, I get it.
I used to hate it too.
I would love to run.
It is a goal that I want to get to as I lose more weight and my joints can handle it and

(46:34):
all of that.
Exactly.
I want to get there.
I am not anywhere near that yet because I don't like cardio.
Yeah, give it time.
Give it a year and a half.
It just kicks in at one point.
So after that four week checkup, then I went back into weights and I started super like
I looked for programs that were a mix of strength training, cardio and body weight or like resistance

(47:01):
bands were a big thing I used at the beginning instead of dumbbells and weights.
I used a lot of resistance bands.
They're phenomenal for that kind of stuff.
So I just looked at programs that incorporated that and I just made modifications.
That was a big thing for me is don't be afraid to modify.
It doesn't mean you're any worse.

(47:21):
It doesn't mean the people who are doing the full out advanced moves are better.
Just modify.
And then I went into weights.
So now I'm still doing the same thing.
I'm still doing my body workouts.
I'm doing programs that are very similar that are strength mixed with cardio, but they usually
have at least one or two cardio days built in.

(47:44):
And then as I said, now that the weather is getting nicer back to my hour long lunchtime
walks as well to get the cardio in even more.
But my workouts are probably between half an hour and 45 minutes a day.
And I still do about five days a week.
That's awesome.
Five days is my goal, sometimes six.
And it's being flexible, like you said.

(48:05):
Yeah.
If you need to take a rest day, take a rest day.
Yes.
Oh my God.
Yes.
And don't be afraid to go the smaller rates.
I'm definitely using lighter weights than I was before, but I highly recommend resistance
bands for anybody who wants to start with strength training and hasn't, or if you've
had the surgery and you're looking for a way to work your way into it, get a set of resistance

(48:27):
bands.
They are also underrated.
Very.
And you can be so many.
Like I'll be on a call for work at my desk.
And if I don't have to be on camera, I'll do resistance band work while I'm sitting
at my desk.
Why not?
Right?
Why not?
I also had a walking pad.
There's lots of little things you could do, but it doesn't have to be anything crazy.
Yeah.
And that's the thing.

(48:48):
So it's just take your time, small increments.
You're not going to set out and do what everybody does.
I think my biggest advice, Stats heard me rant about this a little, but it's not the
personal trainer thing.
We'll cover that in another podcast.
Personal trainers, worth the money or not.
It's that again, we always kind of recommend watch for you follow.

(49:09):
But there's a lot of people that had bariatric surgery that we've both kind of said they're
not doing anything.
I think when you're starting out, start slow.
There is no, there's no rule being held over your head.
Get a walking pad.
They're amazing.
Put a walking pad under your desk and walk during meetings.
Like just add up your steps.
It's awesome.
I just-

(49:29):
Or in the evening while you're watching TV instead of sitting on the couch.
Yes.
The walking pad or pull out the resistance bands while you're sitting there watching
TV.
Yeah.
Playing video games.
There's so much cool stuff you can do.
Take your time.
You will find your niche eventually.
So like I did not find running until a year and a bit in.
Like I did not just wake up after bariatric surgery and be like, Oh, I'm a runner now.
You'll find your thing after maybe it's swimming.

(49:50):
Maybe it's spinning.
Or doing aqua thick too.
Yeah.
Aqua thick kickboxing.
But like-
And I love it.
The coolest thing is the world is your oyster guys.
You can actually do like, I, you can rock climb now.
Like just things that like I rode a horse for the first time and then was like, maybe
I'll get really into this.
Like it's just cool to finally have the door open where like weight is no longer an issue.

(50:11):
It's not holding me back from doing what I want to do.
Maybe I'll join a soccer league.
Maybe I want to start playing baseball again.
You just, you have options, but just take your time, try things, see what works.
But I cannot stress enough that you need to exercise.
I'm not sure why some people give it up after bariatric surgery, but it's not, it's like
a non-negotiable.

(50:31):
You do need to do something every day.
Even if it's as small as a 30 minute walk, you have to be consistent and you need to
exercise.
Take rest days.
I take time off to go home.
I take time off for vacations.
There are definitely days where if I'm not feeling it, I'm not pushing my body.
Watch the slippery slopes.
Uh, cause I've been off for two months.
Obviously pneumonia has done something to my body as well, but just being benched for

(50:54):
two months has completely set me back to the beginning of running.
Like I'm barely able to do two minutes now.
You know, I have to rebuild myself up.
So slippery slopes, you build momentum, build us, you know, build your plan.
But if you stop doing it, it's almost like you have to restart and are you really going
to restart?
It's hard to restart.

(51:14):
Just do what you feel comfortable with.
Do what makes you happy.
Sometimes you got to do the hard things.
I hate cardio to me when I look at my app of what, what the workout is saying.
It says cardio yay.
I literally am like, I don't want to do it.
And I hate it, but I feel so much better when I'm done.
It's for my body, for my mental health.

(51:36):
My mood is so much better when I work out.
And like I wrote, I think I said on another episode too, I had a, I did a bootcamp with
the trainer who always said to us, your body recognizes movement, not exercise.
Yeah.
Well, just move your body.
Another one, I was at my retreat this weekend, the one lady, she's a registered massage therapist

(51:57):
and she kept saying all weekend, motion is lotion, motion is lotion.
She's not wrong.
That makes sense.
Because we were doing yoga and everybody was at a different level.
And then instructor said, just do what your body can do and what feels good and what is
in your comfort zone.
Just move, motion is lotion.
Just get it going.
Start small.

(52:17):
Don't set yourself up to fail, but just get up and do something.
Consistency though.
Steph and I have said this often to each other.
It's not about motivation.
So if you're waiting to wake up after surgery and feel so motivated to just work out every
day, it's never going to come.

(52:38):
You have to be disciplined.
It's discipline that gets you up and gets you working out every day, but she's nailed
it.
You do not feel as bad after you feel really good after, because you're no longer working
out with 300 extra pounds that is really taxing on the body, requires a very long recovery
period.
You are lighter, fitter, your joints don't hurt, your legs don't hurt.

(52:59):
You feel good after working out, but it's consistency.
So make no mistake, I don't wake up full of sunshine and motivation every day to run three
days a week and to push for this 10K and to, even the day of the 10K, I'm probably going
to be like, oh my God, I don't want to do this whole thing.
It's discipline though, because I know I'm going to feel really, really good and accomplished

(53:20):
when I finish.
I know that I'm accomplishing something I never thought I could do in my life.
And so that's what someone said to me.
Wow, I really like following your running journey.
You're so disciplined.
And I was like, thank you.
That is a compliment.
Thank you so much.
It is.
I try to stick to my plan.
I have the plan laid out and before pneumonia, I didn't miss.
I was the three days a week running, the two days a week strength training.

(53:42):
Didn't miss, was there, even though I didn't want to some days, dragged myself out of that
house kicking and screaming.
So you don't just magically fall in love with this stuff, but when you make it part of your
life, it does become a little easier.
Like the-
It becomes part of your routine and your habit.
And it just becomes the new norm.
The dragging is not as much.
Yeah, it's the new norm.
And I always tell people, it's the first five minutes, that's the hardest.

(54:06):
If you can get over the first five minutes, you're fine.
And I've had people say, if you get into that five minutes and you still can't do it, then
okay, that's cool.
Maybe today's not your day, but 98% of the time, once you get through that first five
minutes, you're into it, you're in the groove, you're feeling good.

(54:28):
You can make it through the rest.
Yeah.
And that's, I wholeheartedly agree with that.
Like if you're feeling the groove, if you're feeling it, you know, go with it.
And there's a saying I found like early on in my journey when I was just walking, but
I don't know, came up on Instagram, but it was never, ever, ever let your mood dictate

(54:48):
your movement.
So you can't make a decision until you get moving.
Because like your mood and your thoughts are always going to try to convince you not to
do it.
So never, ever, ever let your mood dictate your movement.
Get out the house, get going.
And within five minutes, if that, you know, that voice, that nag, if that disappears and

(55:09):
you're okay, go for it.
And I was very honest in my first year of, like I would post my walks and I would say,
I didn't want to do this.
I was in a really bad mood today and exhausted.
I started the walk.
I was 10 minutes in and I was like, 5k is too much.
I'm not going to be able to do 5k today.
I'll just do like 20 minutes.
This is horrible.
Ugh.
And then my legs kept moving.

(55:29):
My body kept going.
The next thing you know, I was at the three kilometer mark.
And I was like, Whoa, okay, guess I'm going to turn around and do six, like go home and
finish with six kilometers done.
So she's right.
Move, move before you make the decision not to do this because after about five to 10
minutes, it gets way easier.

(55:50):
You're golden.
Yeah.
And if not, then that's your sign that today is just not your day.
And that is okay.
You showed up and you tried and that's what matters.
You did more than most people.
So yeah, that's our advice.
That's our exercise routines.
Follow both of us on Instagram.
You can see Steph's, you know, very big into the weight and she's four months.

(56:11):
So you can see what it's like lifting weights at four months and doing weight training and
strength training.
And she has really cool programs that she follows.
So it's kind of cool to see that.
And you always post your Apple watch.
People will be able to see like a calorie she burned in her activity level.
I post all my running stuff.
So if you want to see somebody try to run a 10k with very minimal training and you want

(56:34):
to see what it's like for someone who's never run a day in her life to literally try to
figure this all out on the fly, follow me.
I also post my watch and my stats and you know, I'm pretty on it.
We're both pretty honest about our exercise and our workout when it sucks, when it's good,
what we like, what we don't like.
So follow us on Instagram and we're more than happy to share our journeys there.

(56:56):
But thanks for listening about exercise.
Thanks for the good questions about exercise.
We hope we answered them all, but keep them coming because we would love to do this topic
again.
And maybe even bring on some people that can talk about personal training or training journeys.
But yeah, we love chatting to you about exercise.
Next week, we're going to talk about the other half of surgery.

(57:17):
So we'll finish part two of our surgery journey.
Love it.
Thanks guys.
Well, like always Steph, thank you for joining me.
Thanks Hannah.
Bye everybody.
Bye guys.

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Episode 9: Navigating Exercise & Body Image After Weight Loss Surgery

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