Weight loss in a wheelchair?

lambchop429

So my situation is that I have muscular dystrophy and not too long ago was able to walk. Now I can't walk and use a power wheelchair to get around, can't do practically any exercise without assistance or assistive technology and really need to lose weight.

If anyone has any experience with this or has any tips they would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

lemonlionheart

Hi there

Sorry I can't really relate to your situation, but I will try to give a good reply since nobody else has yet

To lose weight, you need a calorie deficit. You don't technically need to exercise, just make sure that you are taking in less calories than your body is burning. You could use online tools to calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) at 'sedentary', as well as your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is what your body would burn if you were in a coma. Because of your situation, your TDEE might be a little less than the typical person who is 'sedentary' but still walking to the car, up and down the stairs etc, but the number would still be higher than your BMR as you are expending energy constantly digesting food, breathing, moving your arms to pick things up etc. I would highly recommend speaking to your doctor or a registered dietitian to get advice/an estimate of how many calories your body is using as the online calculators may not be reliable for you. Then you can also discuss weight loss and what would be healthy and realistic.

What is your current height/weight? What do the online calculators say when you calculate your TDEE and BMR? Do you know how many calories you are eating at the moment?

Try this calculator: iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ and iifym.com/bmr-calculator/


Good luck!

ana3067

As lemon said, it's all about a caloric deficit. I don't really like IIFYM calculator thouhg, I much prefer this one:
exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

or this one:
health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

(Some find the latter estimates too high, the first one does estimate lower).

Then you'd subtract 20% from the number for a good, reasonable deficit. And adjust up/down after a few months if results are not ~4lbs/month.

Is your condition related to your weight, such that once you lose weight you'll have an easier time rehabilitating your legs? If so then you can include exercise at that point. If losing weight won't change your ability to walk, then you can still just rely on diet. Exercise just increases your energy needs so you can eat more food. I wonder if swimming once you've lost some weight would be feasible? since you would be floating, can have a lifeguard present for safety, etc.

Liftng4Lis

Caloric deficit will get you the weight loss part. You can start with chair exercises.

Mediocrates55

I'm in for calorie reduction too. And, just to point out, there's a guy at my gym with MD. He's there every day, rain or shine, in his wheelchair. He focuses on upper body workouts from his chair. He's an inspiration to me every time I see him. I may have a day when I go in with a bad attitude or my quads are killing me or I'm tired. He puts a smile on my face every time I see him and renews my sense of confidence and drive. I don't know the extent of your disability though, so that may legitimately not be an option for you.

SmartAlec03211988

I've been in a wheelchair since birth and I've lost 80 lbs so far, with nearly no exercise and just a slight calorie deficit.

You can definitely do this!

simplydelish2

Remember that weight loss really revolves 90% around what you eat - control your calories and you can lose weight. Do any exercises you can - even just moving your arms and legs as much as you can. Your results may be a bit slower - but you will get them.

Good luck!

leannems

To echo some previous comments - I can't relate - I am not in a wheelchair - but I thought I could give you my personal perspective.

I work out like a beast. A BEAST. But I don't consistently eat right or log my food. While I have noticed some benefits from the working out (losing inches, getting stronger, better blood tests) I only lose weight when I log my food, eat properly, and make sure I'm hitting that caloric deficit. So, from a personal experience - weight loss starts in the kitchen; my work outs will never be as effective until I'm honest in my diary.

ShinyFuture

My son has the FSHD form of MD. Part of his treatment is physical therapy, so he gets assisted work outs and does as much of the moves as he can at home in between PT sessions. Weight is becoming more of an issue for him, so he's also more careful about what and how much he eats. He has found that if he makes the effort to eat more nutrient dense food he can more easily eat less. But for him, it's not just the weight, he wants to be able to move as much as he can for as long as he can so the exercise is a big deal for him.

We are looking into chair exercisers as his upper body is the most affected and the weights/pulleys set up of the chair exercisers look like they will be useful.

helaurin

I understand you have muscular dystrophy and can't walk. Are there seated exercises that you can do? Even lifting low-weight hand-hand weights, with controlled breathing and tightening up the core stomach muscles as you lift and lower can help add to the calorie deficit. While you may not have the strength to control/walk on your legs, if you are able to use resistance bands, you might be able to loop the band at your ankle, and then pull up with your hands to help stretch the leg out and still work your arms. You know your body and your limitations best; think creatively on what you can do, not on what you can't do.