So you want to lose weight from a wheelchair

bubbabushido

The first thing to remember is that weight is not the only measure of health. It is important to focus on eating less processed foods. I am not saying that you need to eat raw or vegan, or anything like that, but that bag of neon-colored cheese puffs needs to go.

Next, be realistic about your calorie intake. It is a fact, that you will not burn as many calories as someone who is walking around during their daily activities.

More likely than not, you will also have trouble with something as simple as leaving the house. When these factors combine, it can seem almost impossible to affect change in your health. As someone with a degenerative neurological condition, trust me, I can relate, but I'm here to tell you that you can do it. There is no reason for you to watch your body waste away, and in my case, this was a lesson that took years to learn.

Finally, the crux of the matter:

In a wheelchair, everyday is upper body day. If you are not living an active lifestyle, don't fret, there is a simple way to burn 250-450 calories per workout. Find the greatest incline that you and your wheelchair can handle. Wheel forward down the incline and then reverse up the incline. Turn your wheelchair around, reverse down the incline, and wheel forward up it. Proceed to do this for 15-30 minutes with no breaks. By the end of the activity, you will be sweating, breathing heavily, and ready to go in, but you will have burned as many calories as a jogger in the same time period.

I perform this activity up to 4 times a week, in my own driveway. Sure, people stared when I first started, but once they put it together, I became like any other active neighbor. I like to listen to the radio while I do my activity, typically via my iPhone's iHeartRadio app. Jay Mohr Sports on AM570 Fox Sports LA is great entertainment for any of you sports fans out there!

Good luck, be well!

erickirb

Good work at getting out there and being active regardless what others might think, and it being more difficult, Kudos to you!

I would 100% agree and say you will not burn as much as someone with the same stats that is walking if you are in a wheelchair. But I will point out that even in a coma, not just a wheelchair you would burn much more than 1500 cals/day given your stats. So instead of BMR x1.2 to be sedentary, your calculation may be BMRx1.1.

What it could be if you think you maintain on 1500 is that you are actually eating more than you think you are or your BMR is much lower than someone with similar stats. If you are not weighing your food with a digital kitchen scale and measuring all your liquids with measuring cups and spoons you are probably taking in 10-50% more than you think you are.

marlown

That is freaking awesome and inspiring. Thanks for sharing. I have friends and family members confined to wheelchairs that I will share your ideas with. I will now say to myself and everyone else who can walk around with two good legs (or prostheses), what's your excuse for not working out? Kudos to you!!

stukawife

I hadn't thought about using my ramp as my workout room. But what you describe is a great idea.

bryannakay

THANK YOU so much for this! I have a coworker who is in a wheelchair and always like to hear new ideas! Great post!

Lonestar5775

I work with someone in a wheelchair and he uses a recumbent bicycle with which to exercise. He is so good he actually competes regionally and his upper body is ripped. Thanks for sharing your advice.

bubbabushido

I would 100% agree and say you will not burn as much as someone with the same stats that is walking if you are in a wheelchair. But I will point out that even in a coma, not just a wheelchair you would burn much more than 1500 cals/day given your stats. So instead of BMR x1.2 to be sedentary, your calculation may be BMRx1.1.

What it could be if you think you maintain on 1500 is that you are actually eating more than you think you are or your BMR is much lower than someone with similar stats. If you are not weighing your food with a digital kitchen scale and measuring all your liquids with measuring cups and spoons you are probably taking in 10-50% more than you think you are.

Good work at getting out there and being active regardless what others might think, Kudos to you

My measurements are accurate, typically I err on the side of underestimating, so in that regard I would still be under the BMR for a healthy individual of my size, weight, and age. As I stated, I also have a muscle-related degenerative neurological condition. I am just stating my personal experiences, thank you for the concern. I will edit my original post in the interest of harm reduction.

jdhcm2006

This is an awesome post!