I am disabled and unable to exercise....

sally7378
sally7378 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 13 in Fitness and Exercise
Help! I am disabled and bedridden and can only walk like 5 minutes at a time and stand only about 5 minutes at a time. I am morbidly obese and need to lose 140 pounds (I just lost 10) - It was not water because I take lasix everyday for unexplained edema, so the water weight is totally under control.
I truly do not believe that I will be able to lose weight, especially 140 pounds WITHOUT EXERCISE. Any kind of exercise is painful. Ive had 3 back surgeries (I sleep or rather sit at an angle about 21 hours a day. I am eating less than 1200 calories a day, so why have I only lost 10 pounds in 5 weeks? Is there anyone out there that is losing weight but not able to exercise?

HELP???? TRAPPED IN MY OWN BED!!!

Replies

  • liznotyet
    liznotyet Posts: 402 Member
    congratulations on your first ten pound loss. yes it sounds like you have been through a lot. as Richard Simmons used to say, when you carry extra weight you can use your own body for resistance. every extra stretch and lift you can muster is moving towards strength.
    if you're eating food that makes digestion sluggish you might consider adding some fermented foods as well.
    stay connected with mfp - you are not alone!
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    This guy started in a worse place than you are.

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jesse-shand-the-incredible-shrinking-man.html

    I like how he describes the transformation as a series of baby steps, which I think is much more realistic than say, The Biggest Loser.
  • frantzcr
    frantzcr Posts: 129 Member
    You could try a detox since toxins are stored in fat. Also while you may not be able to do hard exercise yet, you can start working those muscles by using 5lbs weights in bed and do bicep curls or easy arm exercises. If you can only walk 5mins maybe try to get up more frequently to do 5min walks during your waking hours. If you are only getting up twice a day try to get up 3-4x and build your way up from there. If you have a physical therapist try working with them on what is appropriate for you to do it. Results come from daily actions. Congrats on your progress and while it may seem to be coming slowly at least it is happening!
  • TorontoDiane
    TorontoDiane Posts: 1,413 Member
    Sally I am no expert but you need medical intervention to help you .. that is a team of specialists to get you on the right track

    dieticians, nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, exercise teams.

    I couldn't walk for a year due to a severe leg fracture. I did what I could .. sitting and laying down.. there are free weights you can put in your hands and move.. for that 5 mins you can walk.. make a goal to yourself to try a minute or two extra every few days.. when you start to make progress, you will believe in yourself.

    Do not think of the amount of weight you have to lose, be proud of the fact that you have lost 10 pounds. When you have a great deal of weight to lose, every little bit adds up to a lot over time.

    I have lost 57 pounds .. 37 of it since the beginning of May... I am not very active. But what you can do is look after what you place in your mouth. Making healthy choices to take care of your body, is the first step

    Much luck to you
  • TorontoDiane
    TorontoDiane Posts: 1,413 Member
    you are probably eating way too little calories as well.. this needs to be addressed. Everyone thinks eating less calories will help you lose weight. Yes it does, but I am eating 1500 calories a day. Your body needs fuel and eating healthy will help you burn off those pounds.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,329 Member
    Congratulations on the start you have made. The good news is you can lose weight simply by eating less calories than your body burns. In fact, while exercise can help, generally if food consumption is not controlled, even lots of exercise will not result in fat loss. You can do this. I agree with a previous post, in your particular situation, doing this should be done with a team of people to help you including your physician or better yet someone who specializes in dealing with obesity, a registered dietitian, and likely more. You can do this.
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
    Firstly, congrats on losing 10 pounds. That is 2 pounds a week so a sensible sustainable loss.

    Dieting is for losing weight. Exercise is for stamina and fitness. So focus on eating within you calorie goal and eat as healthily as possible but do not restrict yourself too much this can counterproductive. Put your statistics into MFP and eat the calories that it gives you.

    As for exercise anything you can do will be good for you, just try to do a little more each time. Even just lifting your arms up and down while you are lying there will help.

    If you google exercises for the bedbound or bedridden you should be able to find some mild exercises that you will be capable of doing.

    I do agree with Torontodiane when she says you need medical supervision to help you deal with all of this so I hope you are getting some appropriate help.

    Stay on MFP this is a fantastic tool that will help you keep focused on your diet and health. I really do wish you all the luck in the world. You can do this, you have to do this for your health.
  • slivesey77
    slivesey77 Posts: 2,450 Member
    DDP Yoga might be something to consider. High cardio, low impact. Using your own body weight and dynamic resistance so you don't require weights or equipment, though you may want to use a chair for stability assistance to start. Very adjustable for whatever level you're at. There's lots of videos on youtube for it. There's been a number of people in poor condition either from injury/disability or from being overweight that have done quite well with it. It's an option to consider.
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
    You've lost 2 pounds a week for 5 weeks - congratulations!
    For a start - you could keep on doing what you are doing, that is clearly working.
    And don't get discouraged, losing weight is going to take time, especially when you aren't able to move much, that makes it tough.
    I agree that getting some individualised advice would be a very good thing - if you don't already have them, ask your doc for a referral to a physiotherapist and dietician.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    TorontoDiane wrote: »
    Sally I am no expert but you need medical intervention to help you .. that is a team of specialists to get you on the right track

    very this, especially if you've had back surgery. even for able-bodied people, exercise isn't usually the big key to weight loss.

    10 pounds in 5 weeks is two pounds a week, which is about right for most people. especially if you feel sure that none of it is water, it sounds like you're pretty on track in that sense.

    so it sounds like you're doing pretty well, actually. don't give up.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    frantzcr wrote: »
    You could try a detox since toxins are stored in fat. Also while you may not be able to do hard exercise yet, you can start working those muscles by using 5lbs weights in bed and do bicep curls or easy arm exercises. If you can only walk 5mins maybe try to get up more frequently to do 5min walks during your waking hours. If you are only getting up twice a day try to get up 3-4x and build your way up from there. If you have a physical therapist try working with them on what is appropriate for you to do it. Results come from daily actions. Congrats on your progress and while it may seem to be coming slowly at least it is happening!

    ^ Not this. "Detoxes" are complete bunk and don't do anything whatsoever beneficial for anybody. All they are is a waste of money.
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    sally7378 wrote: »
    Help! I am disabled and bedridden and can only walk like 5 minutes at a time and stand only about 5 minutes at a time. I am morbidly obese and need to lose 140 pounds (I just lost 10) - It was not water because I take lasix everyday for unexplained edema, so the water weight is totally under control.
    I truly do not believe that I will be able to lose weight, especially 140 pounds WITHOUT EXERCISE. Any kind of exercise is painful. Ive had 3 back surgeries (I sleep or rather sit at an angle about 21 hours a day. I am eating less than 1200 calories a day, so why have I only lost 10 pounds in 5 weeks? Is there anyone out there that is losing weight but not able to exercise?

    HELP???? TRAPPED IN MY OWN BED!!!

    First of all 10lb in 5 weeks is brilliant, that's 2lb a week, you're obviously doing something right.

    Next activity, a year ago I had 140lb+ to lose and could barely walk across the room without crutches. Atm you can walk for 5 minutes, is that once a day or could you manage 2,3 or more times? Can you push yourself to take an extra couple of steps a day? It's not unfeasable that as you lose weight your pain levels will reduce. My pain is caused by a life long joint condition (hypermobility) and there are still mornings when I wake in agony but overall as I've dropped weight my pain levels have reduced and so I've become more active, a bit of a snowball effect.

    Do you have a physical/physio therapist? If so can they help you with some goals and exercises that are within your own limitations? If you don't have a physio then it may be an idea to see one. The Oedema could well also be linked to your excess weight and activity, it may (or may not) improve with a little more activity and a little less weight.
  • Misssynth
    Misssynth Posts: 179 Member
    I think people have covered everything i wanted to say, so just popping on to say well done for you first 10lb. As you get lighter you'll be able to move more. Soon it will be 10 minute walking, then 15... Just make sure you push yourself a little bit (safely, im sure your doctors can advise). Getting some hand weights would be a great idea, and maybe one of those bicycle things that are just like pedals on the floor so you can sit in your normal chair and peddle away.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Well done for making the decision to start this journey. You don't need exercise to lose weight, you only need a calorie deficit.

    Set up MFP with your weight and set activity level to sedentary and eat to your calorie goal.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Do you have access to a registered dietician? You can lose weight without exercising but a dietician can help you ensure you're meeting all of your nutritional needs while eating at a caloric deficit.

    You mentioned you can walk for about 5 minutes. Even short sessions will help with cardiovascular health and as you lose weight you can try adding a minute to your walks every few weeks (you have to judge for yourself what is appropriate).

    It's not going to be easy but you sound determined!
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    Congratulations on starting your weight loss!

    You don't need to stand up to exercise, start where you are. Look up youtube videos of exercises you can do in bed.

    If you eat less than you burn you will lose weight even without exercise. But if you are trying to gain fitness, you can start with movements that don't require standing or walking, and move ahead from there.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited November 2016
    sally7378 wrote: »
    Help! I am disabled and bedridden and can only walk like 5 minutes at a time and stand only about 5 minutes at a time. I am morbidly obese and need to lose 140 pounds (I just lost 10) - It was not water because I take lasix everyday for unexplained edema, so the water weight is totally under control.
    I truly do not believe that I will be able to lose weight, especially 140 pounds WITHOUT EXERCISE. Any kind of exercise is painful. Ive had 3 back surgeries (I sleep or rather sit at an angle about 21 hours a day. I am eating less than 1200 calories a day, so why have I only lost 10 pounds in 5 weeks? Is there anyone out there that is losing weight but not able to exercise?

    HELP???? TRAPPED IN MY OWN BED!!!

    Why not? Weight loss is about CICO. You just need to eat at the appropriate calorie amount for your weight loss goals. I lost 50lbs no problem, without any sort of exercise. Now several years into maintenance I continue to control my weight by how many calories I eat.

    Just make sure you're accurately measuring out your food on a food scale, set to grams, and are tracking everything that has calories. You'll also need to re-run your info every 5-10lbs lost, because your calorie intake will decrease as you lose weight.

  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
    This man started out barely able to walk between the rooms in his house. He lost 312 lbs.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1103164/3-yrs-312lbs-lost-1yr-from-bodylift-and-maintenance/p1

    This woman was confined to a wheelchair in the beginning, then to a wheelchair/braces after she lost weight but before she got knee replacements. She lost more than the 118 lbs mentioned in this post.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1346553/before-and-after-photos-requested-by-an-mfp-sister/p1

    They both began to exercise after they lost a good chunk of weight, but exercise is never required. Only a calorie deficit is.

    If these people can do it, you can too. Be patient, stick to your calorie goal, and don't give up!
  • mustangnash
    mustangnash Posts: 1 Member
    You have come along way. Keep up your motivation.
    Same as some of the shared links above. This internet Troll was motivated by one of the guys he hated on. He was challenged to start just by moving his hands and arms in the air for a few minutes at a time. That in itself would burn so much calories that it would motivate him to do more later. Since you do not want to aggravate any of your injuries you may want to add resistance bands later on and pull or push against them to gain muscle and increase your rate of weight-loss.

    https://www.google.be/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi0iMfBmavQAhVFWBoKHXYqD3EQyCkIHTAA&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpy1FlGKYz0&usg=AFQjCNHWECkMgfKcGs0F6pRPB3YPL2GBXQ&sig2=4iPUK-YB79_6HnoYxucmJA&bvm=bv.138493631,d.d2s
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    sally7378 wrote: »
    Help! I am disabled and bedridden and can only walk like 5 minutes at a time and stand only about 5 minutes at a time. I am morbidly obese and need to lose 140 pounds (I just lost 10) - It was not water because I take lasix everyday for unexplained edema, so the water weight is totally under control.
    I truly do not believe that I will be able to lose weight, especially 140 pounds WITHOUT EXERCISE. Any kind of exercise is painful. Ive had 3 back surgeries (I sleep or rather sit at an angle about 21 hours a day. I am eating less than 1200 calories a day, so why have I only lost 10 pounds in 5 weeks? Is there anyone out there that is losing weight but not able to exercise?

    HELP???? TRAPPED IN MY OWN BED!!!


    Just about everyone else has covered 99% of what I'd say - including congratulations on your first loss.

    Regarding the part I bolded - could you, maybe, just get up for a minute, then sit back down? Rest for a couple of minutes, then do it again? Perhaps a few times a day, where you simply get up, take a few steps if you can, then sit and repeat could help you start?
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
    edited November 2016
    Just to say I agree with the above. You HAVE lost 2 lbs a week. Great job. You can walk 5 minutes a day. Try it twice a day. You can stand 5 minutes a day. Try some bed exercises. Try some bed yoga. Keep up the good work.
  • sally7378
    sally7378 Posts: 2 Member
    WOW, so much information to take in. THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH, I am truly humbled that people care and that you took the time out to reach out to me. I now feel truly Blessed. Thank you again!!!!!

    SAlly :)
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    I want to challenge your thought process just a little bit...if you're just purely talking about weight loss, there's nothing really magic about exercise except that it increases your energy expenditure. (It has lots of other benefits, of course, but but I'm deliberately not addressing those right now. Those can be questions for a future time). So all you need to do right now is to look at ways to increase the amount of energy you use throughout the day. Stop thinking about dedicated exercise time right now, and start thinking about increasing your energy expenditure.

    If you can walk for 5 minutes, that's awesome! Do that. In an hour or two, whenever you're ready, do it again. Don't overdo it and hurt yourself, because you need to be able to do it again tomorrow. After a week or two, can you walk for 6 minutes? If so, that's wonderful! You just increased the time you're able to spend being active by 20%. (And if not, that's okay too. Go back to 5 minutes, and try increasing it again next week if you're ready).

    While you're resting, can you lift one arm slowly straight overhead and lower it back down? Great! Try doing that 10 times. If it's too easy, do both at once if that feels okay. Anything you can do to use a little more energy throughout the day is going to be your "exercise."
  • chunkytfg
    chunkytfg Posts: 339 Member
    AliceDark wrote: »
    I want to challenge your thought process just a little bit...if you're just purely talking about weight loss, there's nothing really magic about exercise except that it increases your energy expenditure. (It has lots of other benefits, of course, but but I'm deliberately not addressing those right now. Those can be questions for a future time). So all you need to do right now is to look at ways to increase the amount of energy you use throughout the day. Stop thinking about dedicated exercise time right now, and start thinking about increasing your energy expenditure.

    If you can walk for 5 minutes, that's awesome! Do that. In an hour or two, whenever you're ready, do it again. Don't overdo it and hurt yourself, because you need to be able to do it again tomorrow. After a week or two, can you walk for 6 minutes? If so, that's wonderful! You just increased the time you're able to spend being active by 20%. (And if not, that's okay too. Go back to 5 minutes, and try increasing it again next week if you're ready).

    While you're resting, can you lift one arm slowly straight overhead and lower it back down? Great! Try doing that 10 times. If it's too easy, do both at once if that feels okay. Anything you can do to use a little more energy throughout the day is going to be your "exercise."

    This is the answer to everything you need to know/do. You don't need to go to a gym or go for a run to use more calories you just need to do something to get that heart pumping a bit more. As I have always said 'Eat less, Move more' is all that you need to do.

    10lb is fantastic and you deserve congratulations for what you've achieved so far. Keep it up and before you know it you'll be walking round your house all day wondering what you did with your coat hat and scarf because you want to go out for a walk!!


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