So Freaking Depressed

I feel you. I had two surgeries this year (in April and May). Afterward, I was nauseous a lot of the time and barely had an appetite. So, imagine my surprise when, a few days after the second procedure, they weighed me and told me that I had gained 14 pounds! BUT, they said it was a normal response for my body to have after the sudden cease of activity that recuperative resting required.

So, I trusted them and, while hospitalized, I ate healthy meals, drank lots of water and limited snacks to occasional fruit, yogurt and, okay, baked cheetos ( a girl's gotta' have some fun ). I started physical therapy as soon as permitted and got up and moved around as much as my health and energy level would allow. I have lost 13 of those pounds! Now, I am continuing my effort by journaling here and reading others' posts to learn how to make better and better (and more delicioius) food choices.

It is frustrating but you have to make adjustments during a time of healing. For a while, that has to be the priority over weight loss. But, as you heal, your ability to control the factors that impact your weight will increase. You will get past this. I did. You can too!

I can only imagine how you feel. My exercise has suffered a little this week due to minor surgery, and even that is driving me nuts. Hang in there.

Don't give up on yourself! I know you can do it. I thought I could not lose weight for a long time. I just had surgery on my stomach to decrease my hunger, because I was almost to 500 pounds. I had the Gastric Sleeve Surgery three months ago in June.

But I never gave up and I had a little inspiration to lift my strength and my courage up, and now I am doing all I can to lose weight. I'm now down to 292.2 pounds and I feel lighter, healthier, and stronger. I know you will lose weight, but it will just take a little time. However, it's all up to you to make the effort in your weight loss.

Stay strong, be positive, and live a healthy life! Maybe we could be friends one day.

Hey! No surgeries here, but yes to arthritis & tendinosis in multiple joints. It sucks. I'm often jealous of people who can just oh I don't know, run for the bus, no problem. It is super frustrating not to be able to engage in physical and even social activities in the way you'd like, which is the way 'everyone else' does & can. High pain / low mobility days are the worst, so isolating... I have spent many months angry with my stupid body and with the doctors who haven't helped.

That's been the most annoying: accepting that this body that I'm living in has these problems and I can't just get away from them. Like, I love dancing, so much. Now I can only do it for a little while (like 1 hour of very limited movements - with breaks - vs 4 hours of being a maniac on the floor). Even today, I saw a sign for a new recreational rowing league, and for a second I was like - crap YES all about it. And then I remembered that nope that's a bad idea for me right now.

BUT a new focus for me (really new, like a couple of weeks) has been committing to rehab/prehab, in a serious way. That is my new goal: to get to the highest level of function I can.

I just started physical therapy with someone I trust. Man, both were hard to come by, the PT and the trust.

I did a lot of reading around my issues, and discovered that there are many, many misinformed rehab professionals out there. (There have been developments in research in some areas, and some of those folks were trained in older models.) Then there are those who just don't care to stay up to date on best-evidence treatments, because patients give them money for doing whatever, anyway.

So after all that reading, I had a ton of questions for prospective PTs. I wanted to know they a) understood my problems really well and b) they'd use the most appropriate treatment for them.

And after a long while, I lucked into finding someone really great! I am optimistic about what she can do for me. That helps, too, after feeling disappointed so often. When I'm done with this, I'll be moving onto Pilates.

I guess my advice is, 1) try to accept your new limitations, with a view toward reducing them as much as poss, and 2) fight as hard as you have to to be your own advocate.

I really feel you on this. In 2004, I had an accident where I broke one leg, and sprained pretty much everything that could be sprained in the other. (Note to fellow MFPers, do not try to go down 3 flights of stairs on your butt, your butt will lose.) I was juuust under 160 at the time, and feeling so happy because it was the lightest I'd been as an adult.

As you can imagine, when you don't have a good leg to stand on (har har), there really isn't much you can do in terms of mobility, and the depression that came with it wasn't treated, just the injuries. Ben and Jerry became my best friends, and here I am, 9 years later, still dealing with the consequences of eating 4-5 pints of ice cream a week.

It will get better, but make sure you talk with someone about any depression you feel so you don't end up keeping it down with food like I did. :flowerforyou:

Yes

You can walk - walking will burn calories and also strengthen your legs and back. It is your only weapon right now. Do not confuse your injury with food intake. Calories out - calories in definitely works. You must find your maintenance level then make sure that you are under this each day. The depression is making you want to give up. Fight it.

Yesterday I only ate 500 calories, and tested the weight loss - it works everything else is bull**** - you can lose even with your injury so why not get back on the wagon and try again. I had to and now I am back losing. Walking will get you back on the road to recovery.

Just remember - no junk foods, no sweeteners in drinks - log everything very accurately measure portion size. it is just for you no-one else. The sooner you start the sooner you can be the new person - back to your spirit body. I know that you will do this.

Good Luck
Elsdon

I had a serious problem with my right hip (serious overuse injury) which caused me to have sacroiliac joint problems and a lot of pain.

The blimmin thing took well over a year to come right. Spent a fortune on physio & osteopath. Couldn't run, couldn't cycle, couldn't lift, couldn't walk hills, could just about swim...

I ate... a lot. I ate the same portions I could get away with when I was very active and piled on 40lb.

It only made recovering from my injuries worse as there was more strain on my joints from the added weight.

Try to stay positive. Do what you can... walk, swim, pilates... Don't "comfort" eat... it's an obvious misnomer! It won't bring comfort and you'll hate yourself for it.

Be strong. x :flowerforyou:

Then almost exactly a year to the day after surgery, I was hurt in a work accident, which isn't easy considering I work in IT.

Slipped disc in February 2009. No surgery (I refused it). It's taken until now to be able to live for any period of time without pain. I have restarted yoga and lifting (dumbells only) and even started running again this week.

It will come, but it will take time. Do not push yourself too soon, as I did. You will just set yourself back.

Glad you're feeling a bit perkier. :flowerforyou:

Glad you are feeling better. Look at the physical therapy as a learning experience. Someone is going to walk you through the exercises you can do without reinjuring yourself. Exercises you can do in the future on your own with more frequency. It does get better. Trust me.