exercise

mclong1977

Hi I am 40 nearly 41... at the moment I am off with sciatica and slipped disc. So exercise is limited. The physio I do is limited. I also have a massive appetite. Which has hampered my recent weight loss. I was doing really well. Not so much these days. Any advice on gentle exercise or motivation to do more is welcome. Thank you all.

rsclause

Drink lots of water and keep some raw almonds around for a quick snack. I find the fat content of tree nuts helps settle my food cravings. The back issue I would check with your doctor but walking is what I would attempt.

tulips_and_tea

Is there any sort of activity you can do? If not, and you certainly don't need to, you'll just need to reduce your calorie intake. You can work on lessening your appetite. It takes time and consistency, but you can do it. Hope you heal up soon.

mclong1977

Hi BZAH10 thank you. I do a few stretches here and there. But even that can cause more pain. I have always had a large appetite for most things really. Its either all or none lol. I try to cut back but it is hard. ☺

concordancia

I find that when my back is out of commission, I end up eating junk because I can't stand long enough to cook and eating more out of boredom.

I changed that to eating more cold foods: yogurt, fruits, raw vegetables and better prepared foods, like lean cuisine.

I also found more engaging tv (documentaries, instead of sitcoms) and lots of time online posting on forums to combat the boredom.

Have you asked your physio about pool exercises? I could only do deep water aerobics at my worst (and getting out of the pool was not easy). I once threw my back out doing regular water aerobics, I was so fragile.

COGypsy

You might check out some of the volume eating threads. Lots of tips and tricks for getting more food for the calories. This is one of the long-running ones: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10563959/volume-eaters-thread/p1

MelanieCN77

I'd focus on the food intake - you're not going to be able to make a huge dent in your deficit with exercise at the best of times, never mind that you are impaired right now. If you are seeing a therapist for your physio, they'd be the best judge of what kind and level of exertion you'd be safe to get started with outside of sessions.

missysippy930

Weight loss is mostly about eating less calories than your body burns. Exercise is great for overall health, but is not necessary to weight loss. Are you able to walk? If so perhaps take several short walks during the day. You say you have a large appetite. Are you actually hungry, or could it be boredom? Try drinking water or eating raw veggies. They take a while to chew and are pretty low calorie. Good luck to you. It is hard when you have a lot of pain to overcome.

mclong1977

Thank you all. A lot of great advice there. Thank you so much.

1BlueAurora

When I injured my back two months ago and couldn't exercise, I ate more because I was bored out of my mind. Since I was watching more TV, I snacked throughout every show and movie I saw. Ugh! So I completely relate.

Eat something quick to make and filling. Try scrambling 2 eggs (74 calories each), grate a little cheese on top, put on a couple of tablespoons of salsa. Yum. Or eat something that takes forever, like having to shell some pistachios instead of mindlessly scarfing down handful after handful of almonds or potato chips, or slicing an apple as you go instead of all at once. Drink some water any time you're feeling the munchies to help you fill up before you reach for that snack. Then have some hot tea or something you can sip on. Or make a batch of air popped popcorn.