Ankle surgery...how can I maintain weight loss!?

aliciaeve79
aliciaeve79 Posts: 31 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
HI everyone,
I have been up and down with my weight over the past couple of years. I ruptured my achilles tendon last summer and after almost a year of limping etc the hospital has decided to operate to fix it next Tuesday.

So my dilemma......I will obviously be pretty sedentary for a while, so I am really confused as to how much to eat to maintain weight loss!

My TDEE is 1825 with the setting set at 'desk job' (20% off gives me 1460). Should I eat this amount or cut back more due o inactivity?

Really confused and grateful of any advice!

I have already put on almost 2 stone since my original injury last year as I cant run or do any kind of activity on my feet other than light walking. I need to shift that 2 stone whilst recovering from surgery!

Thanks in advance! Feel free to friend me if you like! :happy:

Replies

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Listen to your docs as to what physical activity you can & cannot do, of course.

    What is your BMR? Perhaps while confined to extreme light duty, eat at your BMR and that should give a slight deficit. Look into upper body activities, perhaps a hand cycle? It won't burn a huge amount of calories I imagine - but any extra activity would add to your deficit.
  • aliciaeve79
    aliciaeve79 Posts: 31 Member
    Thanks Staci! Thats great advice!
    I was thinking of doing the seated cardio workouts on YouTube!
    My BMR is 1520.
  • aliciaeve79
    aliciaeve79 Posts: 31 Member
    Bump!
  • arvidsonc
    arvidsonc Posts: 4 Member
    Try pilates
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    There's a good chance (after the stitches are taken out) that you can swim, which will be excellent for joint and muscle repair.

    You can get a serious burn from a good swim.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    Thanks Staci! Thats great advice!
    I was thinking of doing the seated cardio workouts on YouTube!
    My BMR is 1520.

    You can do some weight training. But weight loss is all in a calorie deficit.. exercise is fitness and gives you the ability to eat more. If your TDEE is 1800 calories, set your account to 1400 and macros around 35% carbs, 30% protein and 35% fats. This should help you achieve 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass. Also, when recovering from injuries you don't want to over cut calories as it can affect your recovery and make it slower.
  • rides4sanity
    rides4sanity Posts: 1,269 Member
    When I had my Achilles repaired I had two young kids (4&6). A friend suggested I look in the iwalk free. It looks kind of strange, but it was a life saver. It takes some getting used to at first, but after a week I could get around quite well. I could even carry my 4yo up the stairs to bed. I'll change my profile pic for a bit to show you...

    I could walk, I could go to the gym and lift. It was a little annoying to have to take it off to do bench work, BUT... Have a plan, gather all of your weights first and then take it off and do your workout.

    Hills are tough, but maybe the new model is easier. Check it out. http://iwalk-free.com/

    Bonus: it is one hell of a core workout and is a great accessory to a pirate outfit.

    Downside: Not covered by insurance, BUT there are a bunch on ebay... I bought and sold mine for the same price.
  • SusanaLdn
    SusanaLdn Posts: 121 Member
    Thanks Staci! Thats great advice!
    I was thinking of doing the seated cardio workouts on YouTube!
    My BMR is 1520.

    You can do some weight training. But weight loss is all in a calorie deficit.. exercise is fitness and gives you the ability to eat more. If your TDEE is 1800 calories, set your account to 1400 and macros around 35% carbs, 30% protein and 35% fats. This should help you achieve 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass. Also, when recovering from injuries you don't want to over cut calories as it can affect your recovery and make it slower.

    It seems unwise to me to suggest anyone to eat below their BMR - that should be your absolute minimum a day! As for percentages I am no expert, seems ok. Good luck!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    Thanks Staci! Thats great advice!
    I was thinking of doing the seated cardio workouts on YouTube!
    My BMR is 1520.

    You can do some weight training. But weight loss is all in a calorie deficit.. exercise is fitness and gives you the ability to eat more. If your TDEE is 1800 calories, set your account to 1400 and macros around 35% carbs, 30% protein and 35% fats. This should help you achieve 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass. Also, when recovering from injuries you don't want to over cut calories as it can affect your recovery and make it slower.

    It seems unwise to me to suggest anyone to eat below their BMR - that should be your absolute minimum a day! As for percentages I am no expert, seems ok. Good luck!

    Keep in mind the one posted is an estimated BMR... it's not a hard and fast number. Additionally, the presence of high protein diets and weight training has been proven to maintain metabolic functions even when eating in larger deficits. The deficit I suggested isn't very large, which it shouldn't be an issue. Now, if the OP started to increase exercise, I would suggest increasing caloric intake or if the OP's weight loss is greater than expected, it would be suggested to minimize the deficit.

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