Injury - Keep the deficit or maintain

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wunderkindking
wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
edited July 2021 in Health and Weight Loss
I was going to just do a search, but I couldn't get it to work well for me and I trust the community here.

Monday I tweaked my ankle pretty badly (one ligament got torn in half, the other one tore off the bone and took a chip of bone with it).

Recently I've been doing a really small deficit (150-200 calories) below my slightly active activity level calories + exercise. I am already within a healthy BMI 140 pre injury, (142 now but between time of the month and my ankle looking like a softball, I'm not fussed by that), and 5'5"

I dropped my activity level to sedentary. Frankly I might be below that level for now and into next week - probably going to be sedentary for another month or three. (I'm doing some resistance stuff still, but nothing cardio like. Some, not a lot. I am currently medicated and do not wish to drop a weight on my face).

So, all that information out there back to the thread title? Eat at maintenance or carry on with my .5ish lb a week deficit? What's the advice here? I don't mind the deficit and would like to still lose 8-10lbs, but also I'd like to heal in this decade. I AM SO BORED.
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  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,164 Member
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    I think maintenance for a while, at least, and prioritize nutrition. If it were me, knowing what I know now **, I'd commit to at least a month at maintenance, then assess the healing level periodically to decide how much further to continue that.

    ** I had my gallbladder out during the thick of weight loss, stayed in a deficit. It wasn't a great idea. Fortunately, my body prioritized healing, so things like energy/strength level suffered. It was dumb, in retrospect . . . and laparoscopic GB surgery is not even majorMajor on the "needs healing" scale.

    Unfortunately, you seem to have done a moderately effective job of injuring yourself. I had an ankle injury that involved part of that, or something similar - the bone chip pulled off part - and it was more of a healing process than the GB surgery (but it didn't happen during weight loss; it was before).

    I'm so sorry this has happened to you! Wishing you fast healing!
  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
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    awesome and thank you both for good advice and sympathy.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,960 Member
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    In February I had a Grade II ankle sprain.

    Just let me say first of all - it really sucks.

    Do you have to have it surgically repaired or is it wait-and-see at this point?


    I have been at Maintenance for years, but it was nearly impossible for me to stay at my calorie goal. For 6 weeks I was only moving around the house, no outside exercise and it was torture. I did buy a really functional lace up with velcro "brace" that is awesome, I just stopped using it a couple weeks ago. The brand is ASO, made in U.S.A. - amazon has them, "Med Spec ASO Ankle Stabilizer"

    https://www.amazon.com/Med-Spec-264014-Stabilizer-Medium/dp/B00TZTO0VM/ref=asc_df_B00TZTO0VM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309744535176&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13975366395570079930&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9052182&hvtargid=pla-405661507568&psc=1

    About $26
  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
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    cmriverside wrote: »
    In February I had a Grade II ankle sprain.

    Just let me say first of all - it really sucks.

    Do you have to have it surgically repaired or is it wait-and-see at this point?


    I have been at Maintenance for years, but it was nearly impossible for me to stay at my calorie goal. For 6 weeks I was only moving around the house, no outside exercise and it was torture. I did buy a really functional lace up with velcro "brace" that is awesome, I just stopped using it a couple weeks ago. The brand is ASO, made in U.S.A. - amazon has them, "Med Spec ASO Ankle Stabilizer"

    https://www.amazon.com/Med-Spec-264014-Stabilizer-Medium/dp/B00TZTO0VM/ref=asc_df_B00TZTO0VM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309744535176&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13975366395570079930&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9052182&hvtargid=pla-405661507568&psc=1

    About $26

    Awesome, thank you. Shouldn't involve surgical repair unless I do something to displace things, which is good. I will definitely be checking that brace for later. It looks really comfortable and ... lacking in irritating features. I like the laces a lot.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,960 Member
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    Bob and Brad (physical therapists) on YouTube has good exercise and massage techniques. My ankle is fully functional again, but it was a long process and when I'm doing something that may be strenuous I still wear the brace, it fits under shoes just fine.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,960 Member
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    Bob and Brad were the ones who recommended that brace. They used it and one of their daughters use it.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,898 Member
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    My recollection of previous threads on this topic mirrors the advice already given - eat at maintenance.

    Best wishes for speedy healing!
  • xrj22
    xrj22 Posts: 197 Member
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    wunderkindking wrote: »
    I was going to just do a search, but I couldn't get it to work well for me and I trust the community here.

    Monday I tweaked my ankle pretty badly (one ligament got torn in half, the other one tore off the bone and took a chip of bone with it).

    Recently I've been doing a really small deficit (150-200 calories) below my slightly active activity level calories + exercise. I am already within a healthy BMI 140 pre injury, (142 now but between time of the month and my ankle looking like a softball, I'm not fussed by that), and 5'5"

    I dropped my activity level to sedentary. Frankly I might be below that level for now and into next week - probably going to be sedentary for another month or three. (I'm doing some resistance stuff still, but nothing cardio like. Some, not a lot. I am currently medicated and do not wish to drop a weight on my face).

    So, all that information out there back to the thread title? Eat at maintenance or carry on with my .5ish lb a week deficit? What's the advice here? I don't mind the deficit and would like to still lose 8-10lbs, but also I'd like to heal in this decade. I AM SO BORED.

    A healthy diet with 100 -400 cal deficit really shouldn't inhibit healing. In fact, a HEALTHY diet with calorie deficit would still have a lot more nutrients than a Standard American Diet with plenty of calories. Just make sure that you avoid deserts and splurges, which can really pack on the pounds while you are sedentary. If you are worried about nutrition, add some lean protein (white fish, white chicken/Turkey, soy, protein powder) and take a multivitamin. But, again, supplements really shouldn't be necessary if you are eating healthy. Also, I strongly recommend staying in the habit of MOVEMENT even if you can't do your usual exercise. Try a rowing machine, stretching exercises, light hand weights, stationary bike with one foot, etc.. it will give you some benefits, keep you in good habits, and help your mood.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,637 Member
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    At current maintenance **or as close as reasonable**. You're flirting with sedentary under 3000 steps a day or equivalent. But hoping on one foot is probably more strenuous than just walking! So don't completely write off lightly active as a possibility when injured. Get well soon👍
  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
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    I never bothered to look into the threshold for lightly active, but if it's really that low then - yeah, I am still lightly active. Probably explains the weird 'too high' calorie estimation for me in other times, in general.

    Thanks!
  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
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    Also it DOES make sense to me that a small deficit would make no enormous difference with a generally healthy diet, but since I'm so ambivalent about losing more right now anyway, I'm just... gonna not care and focus most on not boredom eating. I'm solidly 10lbs below my original goal weight, so. Whatever, honestly, with more loss.
  • naomi9271
    naomi9271 Posts: 127 Member
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    Are you on crutches? If so, been there. Best advice is don’t rest your weight under your arms. Let your biceps take the toll.. Kinda like horse riding, where your legs take the weight from your backside. Hope you feel better soon!!!
  • alexmose2
    alexmose2 Posts: 208 Member
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    I have honestly done this both ways with the same result: maintaining my weight, despite deficit or maintenance and frankly occasionally a bulk b/c sadness from inability to exercise much. Granted, I was never injured for more than 8 weeks.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,960 Member
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    How's the ankle today? Still grapefruit? It seems like it took a very long time for the swelling and bruising to go down for me. Start on gentle stretches and massage. I kept it wrapped and did the whole RICE thing religiously for a long time.

    I had never had a sprain that was so bad. Great, right at the height of covid deaths, dead of winter, oh - and my washing machine broke that same week. I survived!
  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
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    cmriverside wrote: »
    How's the ankle today? Still grapefruit? It seems like it took a very long time for the swelling and bruising to go down for me. Start on gentle stretches and massage. I kept it wrapped and did the whole RICE thing religiously for a long time.

    I had never had a sprain that was so bad. Great, right at the height of covid deaths, dead of winter, oh - and my washing machine broke that same week. I survived!

    Much better. There's still some residual swelling but it's not so localized. Bruising is pretty impressive looking, and it's definitely not stable but it's better - and weight bearing (no crutches inside a walking boot), so I think it'll take a while with some support and being careful with it and building it back up and supporting it but I'm feeling much more optimistic about things overall now.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,960 Member
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    Oh, that's good. It's scary at first with all the bruising and the huge swelling. I didn't use crutches either. Just elastic wrap and massage and stretches. Did you look at Bob and Brad? Love those guys.
  • Speakeasy76
    Speakeasy76 Posts: 961 Member
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    That sounds awful! It sounds like you've got a good plan and are being realistic about recovery. I'll be one of the first to say to take it easy, don't do too much too fast...but I've also been known to completely ignore those myself when I've hurt myself (even in a minor way).

    I have to admit I'm a bit terrified if I ever do seriously hurt myself, as one of my first thoughts would be "How will I exercise and/or will all my muscle atrophy?" I actually hurt myself coming down the stairs and thought I had broken 1 or 2 toes (on my way to exercise) and my 1st though was "how will I exercise now?" and was actually more mad than anything. Fortunately, it sounds like you don't have my kind of attitude about it!

    I hope your recovery goes smoothly. Is is something that would warrant a bit of PT?
  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
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    Honestly, it hasn't slowed me down too terribly much. Yeah, yeah, there's less intensity but my steady state is fine. I'm a fussy, move-y, fidgety person and I'm weight bearing as long as I'm braced, so. No running but still plenty active.

    So much so that I'm going to need to bump my activity level if I'd like to stop losing. Not a huge deal and 'scale is lagging indicator' for me, but I'm actually approaching where I'd like to stay ANYWAY so I'm going to have to do some math in another pound or two.

    Still kind of generally bored and missing more... active activity. Another couple/few weeks and I can get back in th saddle - literally - and add my hiking back. May well be fall before I get to really run again but as long as I can MOVE I'll beokay.
  • AlexandraFindsHerself1971
    AlexandraFindsHerself1971 Posts: 3,106 Member
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    wunderkindking wrote: »
    cmriverside wrote: »
    In February I had a Grade II ankle sprain.

    Just let me say first of all - it really sucks.

    Do you have to have it surgically repaired or is it wait-and-see at this point?


    I have been at Maintenance for years, but it was nearly impossible for me to stay at my calorie goal. For 6 weeks I was only moving around the house, no outside exercise and it was torture. I did buy a really functional lace up with velcro "brace" that is awesome, I just stopped using it a couple weeks ago. The brand is ASO, made in U.S.A. - amazon has them, "Med Spec ASO Ankle Stabilizer"

    https://www.amazon.com/Med-Spec-264014-Stabilizer-Medium/dp/B00TZTO0VM/ref=asc_df_B00TZTO0VM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309744535176&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13975366395570079930&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9052182&hvtargid=pla-405661507568&psc=1

    About $26

    Awesome, thank you. Shouldn't involve surgical repair unless I do something to displace things, which is good. I will definitely be checking that brace for later. It looks really comfortable and ... lacking in irritating features. I like the laces a lot.

    They are AMAZINGLY comfortable. They don't hold you up so much as they keep you from moving in any direction that you aren't supposed to. They fit very well and invisibly in a tennis shoe, and they wash pretty well. The laces keep the brace on your foot. The real support is the figure 8 tapes and the ankle cuff. Between the two they lock your ankle down and don't let it move sideways at all. I have several ankle sprains and weak ligaments, and I'm a huge fan.

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