Broken Fibula

Okaynoomer

I fell down the stairs and broke my fibula 9 days ago. I've still been weighing myself daily with a leg cast on. My weight has been almost stagnant since the injury happened though. I'm only down one pound.

My question is, could the pain and swelling be causing me retain weight?
I went from 1200 calories a day & walking 12,000 steps a day to 900-1000 calories & completely sedentary. I'm so worried that I won't keep losing while I'm laid up for several months

harper16

I'm so sorry for your injury, but the minimum a sedentary female should be eating is 1200 calories a day. Please up your calories. Your body needs to heal. Focus on that right now, and don't make weight loss your priority.

AnnPT77

Healing inherently involves inflammation, which causes water retention.

But the advice to eat at maintenance while you're healing is really, really, REALLY good advice. Put the priority on healing, over weight loss. You can go back to weight loss afterwards.

Avidkeo

You need to heal. Please eat at least 1200 calories minimum, but preferably what ever MFP has suggested.

And scales suck. Especially with an injury. Your ankle is swollen, and has a lot if inflammation. Just concentrat on healing please.

Also, were you not eating back your exercise calories or something? Cause walking 12000 steps a day, that puts you very active so you should probably be on more than 1200 calories a day.

HeidiCooksSupper

You definitely should not be cutting your calories and looking for weight loss while your bone heals. While inflammation will probably cause water retention, the bone healing itself requires extra calories to heal and a nutritious diet. https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/osteo-fracture-diet

Bone healing takes additional calories. Studies have shown that a broken femur needs a 20% increase in calories to heal. https://ultrarunning.com/features/nutritional-support-for-sport-injuries-eating-your-way-to-recovery/

Okaynoomer

I fell down the stairs and broke my fibula 10 days ago. I've still been weighing myself daily with a leg cast on. My weight has been almost stagnant since the injury happened though. I'm only down one pound.

My question is, could the pain and swelling be causing me retain weight?
I went from 1200 calories a day & walking 12,000 steps a day to 900-1000 calories & completely sedentary. I'm so worried that I won't keep losing while I'm laid up for several months

Edit: I had gastric bypass surgery in 2003. I lost over 100 lbs & kept it off eating far less than 1200 calories per day for 10 years. I gained all of the weight back plus more though, from poor food choices but mostly through liquid calories. I've been sober now for more than 3 years & am now trying to get this weight back off without surgery this time. My bariatric doctor says I should be having 900-1000 calories a day, I can go up to 1200 with exercise.

Also, although I'd love to not worry about losing weight and concentrate on healing now, I don't have that luxury. I have a severe ventral hernia that requires surgery. It is currently scheduled for 10/7 but may have to be pushed back a couple of weeks due to my ankle. My surgeon has told me over & over that I must lose as much weight as possible by surgery day in order to make the operation safer & recovery successful.

Now that I've explained that part, my question is, does having an acute injury like a broken bone with swelling cause you to weigh more (extra fluid or whatever?) Could I be losing fat still but the scale not show it because I'm injured?

harper16

You might be better off asking your doctor for advice.

ninerbuff

Healing of any type will usually cause water retention. Just even strenuous exercise alone will do this, which is why many people who start a training regimen will "swell" up all the muscles they use to an extent.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Mouse_Potato

Yes, your body will swell and retain water, but that is not the most important consideration here. Your body needs fuel to heal. Do not do as I did. Five years ago, I broke my wrist. For the first six weeks I was in a cast, I continued to eat at a deficit, hoping not to delay my progress. When I went to see my doctor and have x-rays taken, we found that my wrist had not healed at all. Not one bit. I was not providing enough calories for the bone to repair itself. I ended up in a cast for 19 weeks!!!

StevefromMichigan

I think, given your situation, and your low daily calorie requirements, you really need to be working with your doctor through this. They will be able to give you much better advice than anyone on MFP will be able to give you.

So sorry to hear about your injury...hope you get better soon!