Injury affecting my relationship with my body image :(

ARGriffy

Sigh.


I've been on this journey 3 years now. I've been at target weigh for nearly 2 of those and it's literally only in the last about 6-7 months I've FINALLY accepted and learn to love my body. I'd stopped picking at the "faults" and was loving being active and getting nice lean muscle and generally feeling awesome.

Then I snapped my arm clean in two and now Im unable to work /exercise /drive/*kitten* dress myself and it's like I'm watching it slip away. Worst is how it's affecting my mind.

So Ive been consoling myself with food yes, but still being mindful. I've not gained any physical weight (according to the scale) and two months in I thought that was pretty good as I've been less than inactive.

BUT, my jeans don't fit. For the first time since losing the weight. Ahh it's like my self image crashed around my feet with those *kitten* jeans. Now I feel huge even though I weigh the same and hate how I look without my lovely muscles and am fighting the urge to just lose weight to "look better" again even though that would take me lighter than I really would need to be if I was working out.

The fight between my logic and my body image is driving me mad AND I have minimum another month to go

Rant over

vespiquenn

Because it's your arm, could you do lower body lifts like leg lifts, resistance bands shut in a door, etc? Getting some form a light exercise may help with the mindset.

I know where you are coming from though. I'm currently dealing with a bad knee which makes me unable to run or cross train (despite running a half and making it 30x worse; my fault). It's been going on since July for me, so it's definitely frustrating.

But simply remember, this is temporary. Even the negative changes can be reversed when you're healthy again. It's hard to think that way in the moment, but sometime it's the only thing to keep you going. I hope you heal soon!

ARGriffy

Thanks for that @vespiquenn I hope you heal fast too! I'm not able to do much other than verrry slow squats and lunges really and that's very, very carefully as I'm still pretty delicate!

25lbsorbust

Know that, if you treat your body right while it heals, it will bounce back and you will fit into those jeans again. Everyone will go through ups and downs, and the most important thing you can do is be kind to yourself while the bone repairs, sleeping when you're tired, eating healthy foods when you're hungry, and getting any exercise you can (even if it's calm walks around the city, or vigorous walks around a shopping mall before it opens!) Your body will bounce back, it's just a matter of time! In the mean time, buy some new jeans that make you look good, and rock them until they're too loose to wear!

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ARGriffy

25lbsorbust wrote: »

Know that, if you treat your body right while it heals, it will bounce back and you will fit into those jeans again. Everyone will go through ups and downs, and the most important thing you can do is be kind to yourself while the bone repairs, sleeping when you're tired, eating healthy foods when you're hungry, and getting any exercise you can (even if it's calm walks around the city, or vigorous walks around a shopping mall before it opens!) Your body will bounce back, it's just a matter of time! In the mean time, buy some new jeans that make you look good, and rock them until they're too loose to wear!

Thank you that's very kind! I do go for short walks but as I have a neck sling I get pretty bad neck ache from the weight of my arm hanging off my neck for too long. It's my mind, I know that deep down. It's just I spent sooooo long working on my body that to have to be calm about losing all my muscle tone and gaining a little jiggle (we are talking little, you can still barely pinch it but you know how tiny changes are huge to ourselves!) Is tricky. It does however, highlight the amount of activity I clearly used to do and how important it is to my personal maintenance!

Thanks all I posted this when I was feeling really low and you lot helped me to put the self pity cake down and remember I eat well to FEEL well, not just look well and I feel better already xxxx

sijomial

I faced something similar when a dozy car driver smashed one of my knees when I was 31.
3 months on crutches, massive muscle loss, a Doctor telling me "you're disabled - get used to it".

Really messed with my head and my self-image. Don't make the mistake I made of comfort/boredom eating.
I let my weight balloon upwards.

Control your calories and do whatever you can to stay active. It's a temporary blip and having got in shape you will find you get back into shape quickly. Stay strong!

ARGriffy

sijomial wrote: »

I faced something similar when a dozy car driver smashed one of my knees when I was 31.
3 months on crutches, massive muscle loss, a Doctor telling me "you're disabled - get used to it".

Really messed with my head and my self-image. Don't make the mistake I made of comfort/boredom eating.
I let my weight balloon upwards.

Control your calories and do whatever you can to stay active. It's a temporary blip and having got in shape you will find you get back into shape quickly. Stay strong!

Cheers dude, I hope your knee is ok now xx

tulips_and_tea

Injuries are tough to deal with. I agree with @25lbsorbust though. Healing time and patience is crucial so that you don't have a long-term, nagging pain forever. Sounds like quite a severe break so as hard as it is give yourself time to heal.

The good thing is after you have completely healed you have a much better appreciation for your body and what you are capable of. I had a hip injury years ago that put me on crutches for six weeks. Now whenever I start to get lazy I remember what it felt like to not be able to be active and that usually gets me going.

marikaCL

I understand your feelings, I broke my leg last week, and am highly frustrated with not being able to do as much. I hope that it heals fast for you

Neanbean13

Remember a few months out of a lifetime lifestyle is just drop in ocean. It will heal and u will work again. I tore adductor so did core n upper body what i could. Then straight after tendon damage wrist for 4 months did core n lower body lol. I spent that time investigating my weaknesses and body imbalances within what i could manage to help eleviate the mental struggle. Plus i did that before i used mfp so was twice as anxiety driven! Try googling things to do without arms. Be surprised whats out there.

lorrpb

Weight management happens in the kitchen more so than the gym. Even though you can't work out as much, you can still manage your eating habits, try new food, new recipes, all with an eye toward your long term plan.

goldthistime

Are you going to tell us what happened? I can't imagine the kind of force needed to snap your arm clean in two.

Would one armed rowing or elliptical be an option in the coming weeks?

ARGriffy

goldthistime wrote: »

Are you going to tell us what happened? I can't imagine the kind of force needed to snap your arm clean in two.

Would one armed rowing or elliptical be an option in the coming weeks?

@goldthistime Uhh... arm wrestling! No joke! Spiral fracture of the humerus... Google it if you like and look for an xray where you can see daylight through the break and that's what mine looked like!!

goldthistime

http://www.vice.com/read/its-easier-than-you-think-to-break-your-arm-while-arm-wrestling-325

I have a friend who used to be a champion arm wrestler. I've heard lots of arm breaking stories.

Hope you heal quickly!

Oishii

How long have you been injured? My son snapped his arm in two at the start of the summer, and while he was stuck on the sofa for a few days, he could go for walks pretty soon and by the end of the holidays he was back to proper hikes. His sling was excellent. I wonder if a better sling would help. They also gave him a range of different light casts (just bandages, half cast, full but light cast). What type of cast do you have?

ARGriffy

Oishii wrote: »

How long have you been injured? My son snapped his arm in two at the start of the summer, and while he was stuck on the sofa for a few days, he could go for walks pretty soon and by the end of the holidays he was back to proper hikes. His sling was excellent. I wonder if a better sling would help. They also gave him a range of different light casts (just bandages, half cast, full but light cast). What type of cast do you have?

I just have a material brace with some boning.. It's unable to be in a cast because of where is it (close to elbow) so I had to stay nice and still as gravity was basically the only thing keeping it straight.. I even had to sleep sat up! It's 9 weeks in now and it is finally binding enough that I can do gentle exercise, and lots of stretching without it hurting like hell. I'm still hating the loss of muscle but I know there's nothing I can do about that right now. Xx

ARGriffy

goldthistime wrote: »

http://www.vice.com/read/its-easier-than-you-think-to-break-your-arm-while-arm-wrestling-325

I have a friend who used to be a champion arm wrestler. I've heard lots of arm breaking stories.

Hope you heal quickly!

Cheers, yeah it's apparently really common according to the a&e guy, they still sent me to have a dexa scan anyway but my bones came back as totally normal so that's good to know!

ARGriffy

Oh and if you read that article, the way he describes the "sickening snap" was exactly what happened to me. We all heard it go, my husband has likened it to a broom handle snapping over your knee (and he still is having nightmares about THAT sound..) it's a pretty horrific thing to happen. Please, if you are thinking of showing off and arm wrestling someone, please don't it's so easy to do. I wasn't even trying, we literally took up the slack and it went straight away! !