Disability makes it tricky

vonnywaft

I've been unsure how to set my profile to be as accurate as possible. I'm a double leg amputee so I can either go by my literal height, or the height I was 26 years ago when I lost my legs - neither would be accurate for the puposes of MFP. I originally just "guesstimated" it to make myself into a really short person, but MFP has decided that if I'm that small I only need 1220 cals a day to tick over but still says I have to net 1200 and therefore can lose precisely no weight per week with a projected weight loss of 0.2 lbs by January.

I have just found a site where I was able to work out my BMI using percentage approximations for how much body weight a lost limb would represent and was quite surprised to find I have a BMI of 22, which is bang in the middle of healthy, so that's good. I thought I wanted to lose about another 10 pounds but probably don't need to lose that much at all. I used the height I think I was at age 19 to calculate this but actually I'm not that sure now how tall I was!

I guess I'm a bit of an unusual case! Anyway the good news is that I've lost 13lbs doing MFP already and if that leaves me with an approximate BMI of 22 then I probably don't really need to worry too much about the maths!

Justjoshin

BMI is a poor indicator of health.

You know you're body better than any website or calculations do.

Use your best judgement on how you feel. If you feel like you could stand to lose 10lbs, go ahead and lost it. If you feel healthy and want to maintain, do so.

Consulting your physician, may put you on the right track as well.

BarbWhite09

Oh wow, I never even thought about how you'd have to find your BMI & whatnot. Good job on the loss!

cofakid

Given your circumstances, its possible the projected weightloss its giving you is completely wrong and you might actually loose a lot. If you've lost 13lb with mfp what calorie intake were you using to do that? because if you've lost 13lb then thats probably a good calorie limit to set yourself. or maybe trial and error. change your calorie goal and give it a go for a few weeks and see how u go, adjust it if your losing too much or not enough.

darrcn5

Good job on your loss! If at all possible, I would meet with a nutritionist who may be able to guide you a little better. Your situation is definitely unique. But since you are losing weight, I would keep doing what you are doing.

lunglady

BMI is a poor indicator of health.

You know you're body better than any website or calculations do.

Use your best judgement on how you feel. If you feel like you could stand to lose 10lbs, go ahead and lost it. If you feel healthy and want to maintain, do so.

Consulting your physician, may put you on the right track as well.

Good advice.

deadstarsunburn

A doctor or dietitian can tell you exactly how many calories to consume, your BMI all that. Don't use the charts and such it will be off. My best friend is a dietitian and I was studying with her and she showed me the formulas they use to calculate those things based on if someone is an amputee.

vonnywaft

Thanks for the advice. I suppose the thing is I lost that weight in the first 3 months on 1200 cal and 4 workouts (wheelchair basketball and swimming) a week and then I've just plateaued. My metabolism is a bit screwed up due to PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) too so I tend to stick to a lower carb intake. Maybe a nutritionist would be a good step as I have a wheat intolerance too - I really am a bit messed up diet-wise aren't I?! And I often don't manage to eat the full 1200 but if i eat more I gain weight really quickly even when I am exercising a lot. And because I don't fit the standard charts and calculations it's all just that bit harder to work out what to do for the best. But thanks, I'll think about your advice.

shakybabe

Its difficult, I'm wheelchair user but not amputee, but I don't know how many caloreis I would burn self propelling myself around shopping centre for 4 hours I'm sure it be more than person walking round as it sure is harder work, then on top of that I have mild involuntary movements so not sure whether that would equal an extra hours exercise by the end of the day or just count it as NEAT (like fidgeting)

I'm set at sedentary as a wheelchair user and have 1200cals. .. I didn't seem to be losing if I went over that until I dropped carbs so can eat more of fruit, veg, meat etc but nothing with flour/wheat in... I do use gluten free bread a couple of times a week for toast though.

OutiR

Great to hear that MFP has worked on you too! I have learnt so much new things and ways to approach weight management challenges here during these 2 months just by reading other people's posts. Though your situation is a bit different, I bet you can benefit from these informations and experiences as well since all we have to do the very same thing: try different things to see what and how would help ourselves.

Now you are already in the healthy weight; i guess a special doctor can advice if it's better with your kind of disability to be in the lower or upper side of that range. If (s)he thinks current weight is perfect already, maybe just focus more on exercise and especially strength training to get more toned and maintain the achieved weight easier.

Just for curiosity - and perhaps someone else here needs this info - where can you check the calories burnt in sports you mentioned and others suitable for persons in wheelchair? Or is the only reliable way to use HRM?

Good luck and congrats! :-)

vonnywaft

Well the calories burned for wheelchair basketball was already in MFP, so I guess someone's already looked that up, although i know from my own training that no two sessions are the same in terms of intensitiy so what you might burn in one session one week might be very different in a similar length session another week, then with the swimming I just put it in as slow paced breaststroke as I think although my arms have to work harder, I don't think that's equal to the big leg muscles most people use to propel themselves in the pool. I'm not sure whether I agree with shakybabe about pushing round the shops, I think on the flat in an indoor mall in a wheelchair you build up momentum and can coast a bit, which walkers can't do, they have to work those big leg muscles the whole time, however, if it's outdoor shopping round town then definitely we work harder (try telling my husband that though, he thinks I have it easy sitting down all day!!). I've set my basic level as sedentary as I do sit down all day, and as a psychologist I'm not exactly on the go physically - it's more mental effort! I wonder if I should get a HRM and really check out what I'm burning at rest and at play. i do know I'd like to be lighter as that makes being a wheelchair user much easier - pushing around, transfers etc are all a lot easier if your light.

shakybabe

I have Ataxia so my movements are quite jerky, so even pushing on flat gets exhausting for me and forever stopping and starting looking around shops or to prevent people falling over me cos they haven't seen me! .. usually takes me 2 days to recover from an afternoon shopping.

As its really hilly in my village I have to use mobility scooter around here anyway so don't get daily practice at pushing long distance, I use power chair for some indoor jobs where seat riser function is needed but even when resting I'm not completely still for any length of time so its hard to guess really.. as my condition affects everything I try to do with arms, legs or even speaking gets tiring.

I can get on and off floor and use balance board and do floor exercises and games like Wii Tennis and boxing, an some of wii fit but I'm usually out of breath.. out of proportion to the exercise I am doing if someone without Ataxia was playing same game... simply for the physical effort it takes me to do them and trying to control my movements to that degree. .. I guess Wii Fit to me is like equivalent to the 30 day shred to most people on here!! :laugh:

If I'm having day when everything seems to be a huge effort and seem constantly hungry I do eat more than usual, I figure its my body telling me its not getting enough food for the amount of energy it needs to get through the day! .. so I try and snack every few hours and add 330cal Ensure plus drinks too so some days I'm way above what MFP has predicted for me but still managed to lose 2 stone??

vonnywaft

That's the thing isn't it, we're all so different it's hard to say what'll work for any particular person. Sounds like your condition helps by burning extra calories for each bit of effort you put in. I have good use of my upper body and have played wheelchair sport for many years so in a way i'm too efficient at pushing my chair so a trip round the shops isn't that much of a workout for me! I suppose to some extent we have to listen to our own bodies, use some common sense and modify what apps like MFP can do for us to help out.

shakybabe

yeah its difficult sometimes.. I have passive trainer bike too.. I usually burn about 600 cals mark in an hour but I'm not sure how accurate the trainer is or whether my actual burn would be more, though I'm just sat in chair with legs been pedalled by machine, but like on wii fit where I'm using energy also getting on and off board, on and off floor on top of actions needed for games I imagine I maybe higher than the number it gives me, yesterdays workout was 500cals according to Wii Fit.

so I weigh every couple of days, if its going up too much I lower cals if it starts dropping too fast I up them but have to readjust alot more often than every 10lbs as I was told previously.