How am I supposed to succeed if I cant exercise??!

danifriend
danifriend Posts: 8 Member
edited September 21 in Fitness and Exercise
I have been walking my dogs twice a day, mowing my yard and the rental yards as much as possible, and doing activity groups at work. Yesteday I threw my back out. I called the doctor because I was in serious pain and she CHEWED ME OUT for doing too much. She says I cant go from a sedentary lifestyle to that much activity without doing serious damage.

But she is the one who gave me the ultimatum to lose 40 pounds by September 20th or we do gastric bypass. How am I supposed to lose weight if I cant exercise?? Or even bend over right now??

I am so frustrated that I want to scream and then I want to climb into bed and cry.

Replies

  • AmandaB4588
    AmandaB4588 Posts: 655
    As frustrating as it is, the last thing you want is to seriously injure yourself. My dad had emergency back surgery last summer (he also hurt himself doing too much) and is now in pain every single day. Listen to your doctor and slow down!!
  • AnneElise
    AnneElise Posts: 4,206 Member
    well i have heard that loosing weight is 90% diet and 10% exercise.... maybe you can lower the exercise some for awhile and build your way back up?
  • Stasha83
    Stasha83 Posts: 39
    I'm interested in the answers to this - I can do zero exercise due to a knee injury. I guess calorie counting and sticking to your allowance is the only option? I miss the 800 calories I used to earn at the gym!!! :sad:
  • ZebraHead
    ZebraHead Posts: 15,207 Member
    I have been walking my dogs twice a day, mowing my yard and the rental yards as much as possible, and doing activity groups at work. Yesteday I threw my back out.
    Are these all things you normally would be doing? (Except for the 'throwin' your back out thing :wink: )
  • Holton
    Holton Posts: 1,018
    You CAN lose weight without exercising, so please don't use that as an excuse to stop trying. Keep your caloric intake down at the MFP recommended level to lose 1-2 pounds a week based on your stats and you will lose weight. Once you are able to exercise, your ability to lose will only increase. Stick with your lower caloric intake! Don't give up! You know, you can lift small arm weights while you are watching TV.
  • PJilly
    PJilly Posts: 22,167 Member
    You can definitely succeed by changing your eating alone. Use the MFP tools to calculate what your calories should be for a reasonable weight-loss goal, taking into account your level of activity. I'm sure it's frustrating to have gotten injured right off the bat, but you can rest the injury AND lose weight. Then, when your injuries are healed, you can increase your activity (and, as a bonus, increase your calories as well). I'd encourage you not to try to do too much too fast with your eating. It may be tempting to eat fewer calories than what MFP tells you, but that can actually set you back farther (kind of like doing too much exercise too soon can be a bad idea).

    Hang in there, and don't give up!
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    Honestly have you checked other doctors?

    I have lost weight both ways, its just adjusting calorie intake to your activity level
  • sherry12carlson
    sherry12carlson Posts: 5
    Glad you were so motivated to work that exercise in. I'm new to this so I don't know how to do the calories vs. exercise thing, but it looks like if you do exercise you can eat more, and if you are unable to exercise, eat less. Yes, I've already felt the hunger pangs too. Hope you asked your doctor these questions you posted here. Might be worth a phone call back into the office when you are feeling more in control of your emotions. When she gives you the go-ahead to exercise, you might want to look into some back-friendly exercises, such as swimming if you can get access to a pool or floor exercises to strengthen your back. Everyone has been telling me Pilates is good for core strength, but I know it is difficult to hold those positions. I vote to ask the doctor for exercise recommendations. Don't give up. Use some of that inner strength and energy from your frustration to propel your success. A good scream and cry is okay too. We are cheering for you.
  • schnarfo
    schnarfo Posts: 764 Member
    stick to your calorie allowance and you will lose weight. doesn't matter if you cant exercise you will still lose weight.
  • Adkins_Sherri
    Adkins_Sherri Posts: 14 Member
    well i have heard that loosing weight is 90% diet and 10% exercise.... maybe you can lower the exercise some for awhile and build your way back up?


    I totally agree with this statement!
  • AmandaB4588
    AmandaB4588 Posts: 655
    well i have heard that loosing weight is 90% diet and 10% exercise.... maybe you can lower the exercise some for awhile and build your way back up?


    I totally agree with this statement!

    Me too!
  • danifriend
    danifriend Posts: 8 Member
    Update:

    I called the doctor to ask about the weight loss and exercise concerns. She told me to cut out all sodas (I am working on it), watch my calorie count (doing that), and start out with slow walking and maybe some short balance exercises on the wii. Start out really slow on the exercise because we knew that my back was a problem (I injured it in high school and the weight isnt helping it.) and work harder on my sodium levels (someone remind me of that one regularly.) She was pleased with my current weight loss so far and just reminded me that the idea is to make me healthier and it wont happen overnight. And too much exercise can be as hard on the body as no exercise.

    Ok, I feel a little better and I will stop by the store after work for more slim fast shakes. (They are still the quickest and easiest breakfast.)

    Thank you all for your support.
    Danielle Friend
  • brwneyes71
    brwneyes71 Posts: 89 Member
    Have you tried doing water aerobics or just doing light swimming? swimming has less impact on the body but helps you burn more calroies the longer you can do it.
  • F4play
    F4play Posts: 21
    You cant out run your mouth so diet is key as most have said so far. Excercise makes you fit - Eleveated heart rate burns calories, so when your feeling a little better try anything that makes you puff marching on the spot, stairs etc


    Good luck with it
  • spitfire1962
    spitfire1962 Posts: 347 Member
    I am recovering from a back injury myself. I was very concerned because I had just started to lose weight. I was motivated to workout and felt great. Then my back went out. I had to stop all activity until my back healed enough. I started out again with stretching exercises. Then small short walks. Now I'm in the pool threading water. I was getting bored so I thought I would mix it up a bit. I love kick boxing, so I started doing kick boxing moves in the water, attempted to run in the pool, marching with exaggerated steps, jump rope, jumping jacks and anything else to get my heart racing. Make sure you follow your doctors orders. Give your back time to heal. Watch your calorie in take. I got rid of all bread, pastas, and fried food in my diet. I started adding more protein and fiber to all my meals. Good luck with your recovery and weight loss. Isabel
  • michiganderrdh
    michiganderrdh Posts: 151 Member
    well i have heard that loosing weight is 90% diet and 10% exercise.... maybe you can lower the exercise some for awhile and build your way back up?
    Ditto.
    Are you able to use a stationary bike at all?????
  • kwannabee
    kwannabee Posts: 15
    I spent over 6 months on bedrest due to a high risk pregnancy, so keeping my muscles toned was a challenge. I'm still feeling the effects of it even though my baby is almost 5, but i was encouraged by my doctor to at least keep my muscles warmed up.

    If you google bedrest excercises you may come up with some ideas...even though you're not on bedrest the excercises would be meant for people who can't exert themselves or have a physical issue...

    just a thought...hope you feel better soon! :happy:


    www.ehow.com/how_2285905_exercise-bed-rest.html
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