Hip problems! I need a workout I can actually do.

MelodyD18

I'm hoping someone can help me find a good workout for weight loss that's easy on the hips. I have a screw in my left hip and osteoarthritis in that same hip. I am 28 years old and needing a hip replacement 🙄. So my goal is to lose weight to see if that will help my hip instead of getting a hip replacement. I rarely eat and I know I need to change that but I'm just not hungry and when I do eat it's usually right before going to sleep and alot which has made me gain alot of weight that and I had a baby 1 year ago and still haven't lost that weight. As a result of not eating so much I now have anemia. So if anyone has tips for that as well would be great. Since I'm not usually hungry can I just have protein shakes for breakfast and lunch and then force myself to eat dinner ? Lol

ciaoder

@MelodyD18

Do you have a specialist advising you about treatment for your hip? I have a couple thoughts to share, but you really need people you trust guiding you through this.

I needed double total hip replacement in my early 40's and put off addressing it for far too long setting myself up for a lot of pain and struggle I didn't need to if I had been wiser. You should have orthopedics and physical therapy people. I very much wish I had been with a physical therapist pre-operation.

Non weight bearing exercise is in order if walking gets too difficult, but you really want to be walking if you can. The bike is good but you can do full body stuff in the pool if have access to one.

I supplement with glucasamine/chondroitin and also type2 collagen. I'm not saying you should run out and buy a bunch of supplements The science backing them is really pretty weak, but for me I feel like they are a benefit and are not cost prohibitive. Maybe look them up if supplements fit into your sensibilities.

There are many on the boards here better qualified to address your questions about diet and I'm happy to defer to them.

I wish you the very best.

MikePfirrman

It's quite amazing how much better your joints will feel after you lose weight.

I was near the top of my weight (260 or so) when I completely blew out my right knee at 41. Was told by the knee surgeon that it was the worst knee catastrophic accident he had seen that year. I didn't have an ACL and was coaching BB ball and the knee separated and shredded the meniscus off the bone. Under the knife, he couldn't bend the knee without it dislocating again.

Because I was so young for a knee replacement (41 was considered too young back then, I'm 57 now), they decided to repair the ACL and just drill holes (microfracture surgery) hoping some of the meniscus would grow back. It took a year to walk again with intense therapy.

I literally started exercising with one revolution on the stationary bike. That and bearing weight again (because I couldn't walk). Over time, I managed to walk with a severe limp. I eventually got to walking 3 miles every day at lunch. 3 years later, I was running (albeit slowly) 1/2 marathons on trail races.

I'm 57 now and I still have the same crappy knee. I can't run any more but I row seven miles a day on a machine. I also lift 3X a week and I've been in maintenance for over 10 years. I lost 90 lbs originally and I've gained back around 15 to 20 in muscle after aggressive lifting for years.

First of all, you have to believe you can exercise, even if it's just turning a stationary bike or walking or moving in a pool. Your joints like movement. My right knee doesn't hurt. The only time I really notice it is in the AM. We live in a two story with a long staircase. When I walk down in the AM, sometimes I have to walk one stair at a time with the good knee if I'm stiff -- but that's usually when I've been eating bad or worked out too hard the day before. I can actually do squats, lunges, Stairmaster machine and, of course, rowing machine now. It's quite amazing to me still till this day but just do what you can every single day and track your calories!

What concerns me most about your post is the "I rarely eat" part. You wouldn't be overweight if you didn't eat. You're eating too much for your activity level. That is a scientific fact that's tough for all of us to accept initially. But the sooner you accept that, the better off you'll be.

Xellercin

I have major hip problems that haven't been repaired yet (delayed due to covid), so I have to do a lot of careful, modified exercises. It's not hard though, I have an excellent PT who designs my exercises for me. Are you not followed ongoing by a PT?

That said, none of my weight loss comes from exercise, I cannot exercise at an intensity that would make much of a difference in my weight, so I just don't depend on it. I have never had a problem losing weight with just diet alone.

I was obese when I graduated from my doctorate and lost down to a very lean healthy weight with virtually no exercise beyond just working on me feet some of the time and going for leisurely walks (back when I could walk).

When dealing with disability, you kind of have to lean on diet a lot more for weight management, but once you figure out optimal eating for your body, it just becomes autopilot, so it's actually a lot easier once you get the hang of it.