Injured, weight dropping like a stone
NorthCascades
Posts: 10,968 Member
I've always been a very active person, I have strong cabin fever and I enjoy a lot of types of outdoor exercise. I work form home, so I normally spend my lunch hour riding a bike, and often go for an after work ride. I walk a lot. Weekends are for long hikes, I did 30 miles this past Saturday. In the winter when cycling is less appealing, I ski cross country. I also lift 3x per week.
I don't do any of this for weight loss reasons, I do it to make me happy, but for most of the year I raise my TDEE by about 1,000 kCal per day. Which isn't as much as it sounds like when you're 6'1" and 240 lbs.
Now I'm injured and can't exercise. I can barely walk. (I have a broken rib and some other injuries, my lung collapsed but is recovering. Doctor told me the fact that I exercise so much is helping my recovery.)
This is a situation a lot of people are afraid of finding themselves in. I see on the forums pretty often that you shouldn't use exercise to raise your TDEE because there will come a time when you can't exercise, and how will you deal then? Because this is a common, recurring theme, I thought I should share my experience.
I just don't feel like eating. Without exercise, my appetite is way down. Pain probably doesn't help the appetite either. I'm still eating, mind you, and paying more attention to nutrition since I'm eating so much less.
Moral: it's ok to exercise and eat more, you can cross the "what if" bridge when you get to it, and it won't be as hard as people make it out to be.
I don't do any of this for weight loss reasons, I do it to make me happy, but for most of the year I raise my TDEE by about 1,000 kCal per day. Which isn't as much as it sounds like when you're 6'1" and 240 lbs.
Now I'm injured and can't exercise. I can barely walk. (I have a broken rib and some other injuries, my lung collapsed but is recovering. Doctor told me the fact that I exercise so much is helping my recovery.)
This is a situation a lot of people are afraid of finding themselves in. I see on the forums pretty often that you shouldn't use exercise to raise your TDEE because there will come a time when you can't exercise, and how will you deal then? Because this is a common, recurring theme, I thought I should share my experience.
I just don't feel like eating. Without exercise, my appetite is way down. Pain probably doesn't help the appetite either. I'm still eating, mind you, and paying more attention to nutrition since I'm eating so much less.
Moral: it's ok to exercise and eat more, you can cross the "what if" bridge when you get to it, and it won't be as hard as people make it out to be.
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Replies
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You wreck the bike? Sorry to hear about your injuries.
Glad it isn't worse. Heal quickly!2 -
Oof, I'm so sorry to hear about your injuries. I'm glad you walked (limped) away from whatever it was. I've found the same thing. When I've been too injured/sick to exercise I eat WAY less.2
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Yeah, I never really get that either. My appetite seems to coincide pretty well with my activity. Move more, bigger appetite...move less, smaller appetite. I'm still pretty active, but I'm not doing as much right now as I've done in previous years...only riding about 40 miles per week vs 100+ and have been doing body weight exercises this summer vs going to the weight room. I've maintained my weight easily with less activity. I've actually basically been doing 16:8 IF most of this summer because I just haven't been all that hungry in the mornings and have skipped breakfast most days. When I was super active, I was always stomach growling hungry first thing in the morning.3
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That sounds painful. I'm sorry to here about your injuries. I have also found that I eat a lot less when in pain.2
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I'd like to click "insightful", too, but under the circumstances, I went for "hug".
Hang in there: Sending wishes for fast healing (and not too much cabin fever along the way)!3 -
I'm sorry to hear about your injuries...I hope you heal quickly.
My husband has had some significant injuries over the years, and he always loses weight during recovery. I'm not sure what it is...he doesn't seem to eat any less. With his longer-term recoveries, I think some muscle loss accounted for it, unfortunately. Hopefully, your recovery will be short enough that you won't have that problem.
Be sure to eat enough to help your body heal, even if you don't feel like it. Recovering from injury is not the time to be losing weight.2 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »You wreck the bike? Sorry to hear about your injuries.
Glad it isn't worse. Heal quickly!
Thank goodness, it was the car not the bike. Totaled. I would be much more devistated to lose the bike, I selected almost every part based on my riding style, the car is like a million others. Plus, even though it was the seatbelt and airbags that messed me up, I'd probably be brain dead without them. The bruise on my belly from the seatbelt looks like it was painted on.17 -
Ouch. Sorry to hear about your accident but good thing for the safety features on the car.
A few years ago I dislocated a few ribs and severely strained my chest and obliq muscles. Unfortunately, I too lost too much weight during that time because it was too painful to breath, let alone eat.
Rest, be patient and I wish you a full and speedy recovery.2 -
Sorry about your injury. Good wishes for a full recovery.
For me, I eat less when I exercise (although I have never been an intense activity type). Injuries, illnesses, and recovery from surgery are some of the most common reasons that I have gained weight through the years.1 -
Hope you GWS soon.
It can have an emotional aspect too when you can't do the activities and exercises that you clearly love, personally I find it really depressing when "my body lets me down".
Personal experience with ribs broken in a warm up game of so called non-contact rugby was that getting the area professionally taped by a physical therapist made it far less uncomfortable. Fingers crossed you avoid sneezing!!
Like you I normally have a very high exercise volume but I've been struggling with injuries too for the last four months. Also like you I've lost weight, not because my appetite is suppressed it's just that I've transferred some of the focus that I normally apply to my training to dieting instead. If I can't train to get more powerful right now I might as well improve my power to weight ratio the other way.
"Moral: it's ok to exercise and eat more, you can cross the "what if" bridge when you get to it, and it won't be as hard as people make it out to be. "
Yep and yep, good insight.
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The coffee shop told me not to come back until I'm healed. Every morning I call them on the phone, and they bring a latte to my front door. Pastry too, but those are mostly too sweet for me and I've been giving them to neighbors. They're not even charging me.
The silver lining here is how incredible people are.
The only wine I like is called Community Red, with a beautiful story about coming together in bad times. I have to drive 200 miles each way for a bottle. I'm going to bring them a bottle when I can carry it. Probably some photo prints too.13 -
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Ouch, so sorry this has happened to you.
Are you able to get out for ‘light’ walks in green spaces while you are recovering?
I worry about you if you get house bound as I remember so well how you reacted to the forest fires in the PNW and not being able to do your normal activities- Caged mountain lion.
Maybe if you get a bit antsy you could post a photo hikes in review thread. Honestly, I say this with no self interest.
I’m a good self regulator, food wise, too. I think it can help having a good idea of your base cals and activity cals just in case self regulation/loss of appetite doesn’t kick in though.
Cheers, h.3 -
Get well soon!
PS. I visited the North Cascades NP this last weekend, I have never been there before. You live in a very beautiful part of the world.2 -
Aw man I'm sorry to hear about your accident, but thank God you're still alive. It sounds bad. I hope you heal as quickly as possible! Maybe make a "Why am I eating so much?!" thread after you heal up!3
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Hoping your recovery continues smoothly with no major long term issues.
When I badly broke my leg late in 2016, at first I dropped weight like crazy too - I had been working out pretty hard and fairly active before that, and I went to hardly moving. Between atrophy and appetite loss, I lost a lot of weight.
In my case, the issue was, my appetite finally returned long before my ability to workout returned - as in a good 6+ months before. I ate - it was a choice, I knew I would put the weight back on, but eating and joining friends out was one of the few things I enjoyed doing during that time, so I did it knowing I'd have to lose the weight again.
Back to losing the weight after doing my best to regain what muscle I could, and the workouts now make losing easier.
So I can see the point people make, but anyone who enjoys activity and has gone through weight loss will understand the implications of their choices if they are at all self-reflective.2 -
On the lighter side...use this as an opportunity to get hooked on an incredibly stupid reality TV show!
While my husband (who is NOT into reality TV normally) was injured, he somehow got hooked on that Honey Boo Boo show. I was like "I didn't know you also had a head injury..."
For you, I recommend "Alone" on the History Channel to learn wilderness survival skills like how to cook squirrel intestines.
With the broken ribs, just be sure not to watch anything funny.6 -
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SuzySunshine99 wrote: »While my husband (who is NOT into reality TV normally) was injured, he somehow got hooked on that Honey Boo Boo show. I was like "I didn't know you also had a head injury..."
It hurts to laugh, but I can't help it!3 -
My boss asked me this morning "do you not have sick time or something?" They're letting me work from home, so I came back to work the day after the hospital released me. I'm stuck at home either way, and it's better to focus on tech details than on how much I hurt or how things could have been worse. I've never had a full time work from home job before and I want to be hired back after my contact expires.5
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Its good to know you are indestructible. Being in good shape really helps in recovery, it really pays to take care of yourself. So sorry this had to happen. Take care. Hope the contract is extended.2
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NorthCascades wrote: »The coffee shop told me not to come back until I'm healed. Every morning I call them on the phone, and they bring a latte to my front door. Pastry too, but those are mostly too sweet for me and I've been giving them to neighbors. They're not even charging me.
All of my condolences because ugh what a spot you're in. That said, I'm glad that you have such a good community of people around you.2 -
NorthCascades wrote: »My boss asked me this morning "do you not have sick time or something?" They're letting me work from home, so I came back to work the day after the hospital released me. I'm stuck at home either way, and it's better to focus on tech details than on how much I hurt or how things could have been worse. I've never had a full time work from home job before and I want to be hired back after my contact expires.
I found being able to work also helped me retain some sanity while being laid up. from 12/3/16-9/26/18 I went through 4 different surgeries plus dealing with an infected plate in there, and took a grand total of 3 days off work the entire time LOL. I could work from home more often than not (only had to go in to the office once or twice a week), and it gave me something to do and stay focused with while laid up.2 -
Whoa, nasty stuff. Glad you made it out relatively intact. Glad you have some good support. Take care.1
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Geez I'm so sorry. This really might be super hard for you. When a person is super active and has to sit on their *kitten* it can be the worst punishment ever.
Good luck with quick healing and getting back to the trails. 🙂0 -
NorthCascades wrote: »Moral: it's ok to exercise and eat more, you can cross the "what if" bridge when you get to it, and it won't be as hard as people make it out to be.
Yep ... my experience as well.
Get well soon!
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