Injury preventing exercise

afflatushead

Hello, through diet and exercise I've lost 20 pounds in the past 3 months (woo!). I'm very proud of the progress I've made. Unfortunately a week ago I fell down a staircase and was pretty seriously injured. Can't do any high impact sports for at least a month. It's my spinal bones so basically all moments that I would normally do from rowing, biking, elliptical, strength training are impossible to do at this point. I only gained a pound from my week in bed and now im trying to hit 12,000 steps a day and really watch my diet so that my progress, even if it doesn't continue, doesn't reverse. I'm basically panicking though because I feel like nothing will compare to my hours at the gym. Is there hope for me?? Anyone have injuries that kept them of exercise they were able to work through? Also thanks in advance for not suggesting exercises that I can't do. I can only walk at this point.

happytree923

Have you seen a doctor about the injury and can they refer you to a physical therapist? They would be able to show you exercises that are safe and help you heal faster. It's important to not rush back in no matter how anxious you are. I had absolutely brutal shin splints, which are not nearly as serious as what you're describing, but I was in quite a bit of pain even just walking or moving my legs. They got that bad because I kept ignoring them and not taking enough time off, they would have gotten better a lot faster if I had just listened to my body to begin with. I ended up doing two months of only no impact exercise and I still lost weight during that time.

musicfan68

Most weightloss is done through diet, not exercise, so it shouldn't impact you that much if you watch your calories.

mbaker566

2 options-well three
1-give up
2-eat at a deficit-no exercise-continue to lose weight
3-eat at maintenance till you recover

i have found things like yoga help build muscle and awareness of proper alignment

mulecanter

You will be fine. 80% of weight loss is diet anyway so keep on plan. If you can walk then you are golden. Just walk for now and ensure you are healed before diving back into gym work. FYI, a good podcast can make a walk very enjoyable.

zcb94

I haven't been in your exact shoes, but I am currently trying to let a wound heal (if it even will!) while I fight with having regained EVERY LAST OUNCE I'd lost and then some (because I needed very high protein to start mending, which automatically shot me up to 1200 cals easily-waaay too many for my puny and half-paralyzed four foot seven self, grrr!) and the need to get it off STAT due to literally morbid obesity. When I was new here, I plugged into our AdoptANoob initiative as soon as I could and my mentor had advised seeking to maintain weight (but I sadly never learned what my ”number” for that goal/temporary stop would be and was told to keep losing anyway so I could more easily prevent relapse/move myself more easily) during healing, because broken bodies need strength/energy, aka calories, to self-repair. Unfortunately for my poor body, even one calorie above my limit (a number that I can't say due to MyFitnessPal policy) literally destroys my efforts as I immediately backslide and need to restart the entire ”path to 150 (goal lbs).” The doctor/team who I hope you have treating you know your body pretty much better than you do, so the best answer to your concerns would be to get them to thoroughly look you over as you pledge to be completely honest/frank about what hurts and how you were living beforehand. I am not out of the woods yet, but am listening very carefully to my ”doc-in-a-box”/Nurse Practitioner and treating her insight as law because I don't want to be the reason I'm stuck, and neither do you. Good luck!