Knee Injury recovery?

littlebuffbiddy

I injured my knee somehow.. so I am going to call an orthopedic Monday and lay off working out until I can get in. It hurts to put any weight on my leg. My question is, assuming the worst and I can't workout for awhile, how do I maintain my weight besides not eat junk. I'm assuming I need to decrease my caloric intake considering I won't be burning much at all, and that my RMR will likely decrease too. Any advice? I'm so bummed and hoping I don't sabotage all of my hard work

littlebuffbiddy

Wow that was so hard to get that edited to fit in everything I typed. An emoji kept making it not change!

glassofroses

You basically stop eating your exercise calories and eat the calories your body needs to maintain its weight after that. So eat an exact number of calories every day for a week (your 'sedentary' calories), if you gain, lower it by 100cals, if you lose, add another 100cals until what you eat in that week neither loses or gains you any weight.

Sometimes people find it beneficial to eat slightly above maintenance to add the healing process. You end up gaining a bit of fat but it does help your body. I wouldn't recommend staying in a deficit, it's too much stress on the body. It needs to be able to mobilise proteins for healing and if you're not giving it enough it will struggle.

If you've been on your journey a little while you know what works and doesn't work for you and if you're not being honest with yourself about your intake. Just be aware and you'll be fine. I hope you get better soon! Are you RICE-ing it at all? Is there any bruising? Take Tylenol over antiflammatories because the latter can impede healing in the first 48 hours. Same with heat. Stick to ice and then bring in the heat.

Anya_000

I tore my ACL, and was knocked out of commission. I was a dancer. Prior to surgery, I couldn't use the leg, then I had surgery, then lengthy rehab. It was nearly a year before I could dance on the leg again. What I did to cope was develop a different work out program. I knew I'd get depressed if I didn't do something. With the blessing of my MD and PT, I started with the stationary bike for quads, and then I did lots of weight lifting for upper body. I developed really strong abs and back. I trained really hard, so by the time my leg was rehabbed, I was in the best shape of my life. It's strange, but that awful accident has lead me to be the strongest I've ever been. I'm back dancing, but I continue with my weightlifting. I wish you good luck. There are ways to work around an injury, just clear it with your ortho. As a side benefit, now that I have more muscle, I can eat more food :-)

WallyAmadeus

I would echo Anya's comments: You can work out, you just can't work out in the same way. I've injured my knees with 1) improper weight training form 2) not wearing supportive enough shoes 3) not stretching my hamstrings (I've injured my knee a lot!), and I was still able to do upper body and recumbent bike.

The upside is that I learned how to have proper form, wear supportive shoes, and stretch my hamstrings!

littlebuffbiddy

I should have added that I am just coming back from a shoulder injury that I have been rehabbing. I didn't see an ortho for that because it seems the exercises I was doing were working to heal it, and took time off of upper body to avoid additional stress. SO, even though it seems to be back in check, I am fearful to re injure myself in my shoulder. I am curious to see what the ortho will say is possible, and hoping it's not as bad as I'm worried it is.

I did do RICE at first, but now have read mixed reviews on whether it's actually beneficial. The only time I take ibuprofen is at night to help the pain from keeping me from sleep.

I am honestly wondering if it was my shoes? I just got new shoes right, and have been strength training legs in particular for a long time now. And I never had a moment where I knew I injured myself. I honestly felt a sharp pain when I shifted all my weight onto the knee as I was brushing my teeth that morning. And any time I shifted all my weight it was a sharp pain. And it's just gotten worse since. I am thinking (and kind of hoping) it's meniscus because I have injured that before and know it's possible to recover from.. But I'm not sure. The pain is really odd because it doesn't seem to stay in the same exact spot. And when I wake up in the morning, the pain is completely gone. It's like once my muscles are relaxed I have no pain. I am honestly at a loss.

Thanks for all the tips ladies!!

WallyAmadeus

I do a towering running event every year (54 flights) and every year before this last one, I had to see an orthopedic surgeon and get shots in each knee cause by the time I was at the event, my knees were killing me. My gym had a free session with a trainer and what she recommended was this: Stretch your hamstrings every day before you work out, and work out the "back" of your body as well as the front. So, I began alternating on the elliptical trainer going forward for x minutes, then backwards for x minutes.

This year: No knee pain before the event, no knee pain afterwards.

I don't know if this would work for you, but just passing it on.

littlebuffbiddy

WallyAmadeus wrote: »

I do a towering running event every year (54 flights) and every year before this last one, I had to see an orthopedic surgeon and get shots in each knee cause by the time I was at the event, my knees were killing me. My gym had a free session with a trainer and what she recommended was this: Stretch your hamstrings every day before you work out, and work out the "back" of your body as well as the front. So, I began alternating on the elliptical trainer going forward for x minutes, then backwards for x minutes.

This year: No knee pain before the event, no knee pain afterwards.

I don't know if this would work for you, but just passing it on.

I have a good feeling I tore my meniscus. Not positive though, but I tore something! From what I've read it makes the most sense. So I will def start incorporating that once I get the okay from my doc (after I get to see one!) That makes sense. I used to do that when I did elliptical work. Now I do primarily weight training and focus heavily on my legs (both quads and hamstrings and some booty, too) with two HIIT cardio days which is either on the treadmill or some sort of circuit work.