Working out injured?
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LTKeegan
Posts: 354 Member
So I messed up my knee mountaineering about 3 months ago. Sprained ACL, Syndesmosis sprain, Torn superior tib fib ligament (the one in my knee not in my ankle). I'm walking and doing physio but I'm going nuts. My physio says I can work out as long as it doesn't hurt my knee.
I'm trying to stay active but I'm having a hard time. I'm gaining weight (likely because I've been "bored eating") and I've put on about 10lbs since the injury. I'm struggling to eat within my calories and as a result haven't been logging consistently.
I know you can't out train a bad diet, but I need to exercise more so I can eat more!! I'm used to exercising almost twice as much as I am now. And eating 1600 calories is hard when you're used to eating more like 2000.
I need help and I'm not totally sure how to describe the help I need. I guess I need help with ideas for exercising and if anyone has the knowledge/expertise, I need help figuring out food. I've been eating CRAP, I already know that. But I need help going forward. (I'm pescatarian due to food allergies).
Exercises I know I can't do (from trying):
Bicycling (well I can bike about 10 min before my knee hurts)
Running
Stairs
Squats (I do 1/4 squats as physio)
I've been rock climbing one legged and doing some basic arm exercises (pull ups, push ups, etc). But I get tired rock climbing after 20-30 minutes where I used to be able to do it for over an hour!
Help!
I'm trying to stay active but I'm having a hard time. I'm gaining weight (likely because I've been "bored eating") and I've put on about 10lbs since the injury. I'm struggling to eat within my calories and as a result haven't been logging consistently.
I know you can't out train a bad diet, but I need to exercise more so I can eat more!! I'm used to exercising almost twice as much as I am now. And eating 1600 calories is hard when you're used to eating more like 2000.
I need help and I'm not totally sure how to describe the help I need. I guess I need help with ideas for exercising and if anyone has the knowledge/expertise, I need help figuring out food. I've been eating CRAP, I already know that. But I need help going forward. (I'm pescatarian due to food allergies).
Exercises I know I can't do (from trying):
Bicycling (well I can bike about 10 min before my knee hurts)
Running
Stairs
Squats (I do 1/4 squats as physio)
I've been rock climbing one legged and doing some basic arm exercises (pull ups, push ups, etc). But I get tired rock climbing after 20-30 minutes where I used to be able to do it for over an hour!
Help!
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Replies
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Swimming an option?
That's bummer with knee, not much to do when that's not available.
About only lower body iso lift that won't use it is the hip machine for extension and flexion, I guess calves too.
Then all upper body stuff.
But yeah, that's not going to burn as much during the session nor in repair since the muscles aren't as big, excepting for glute on hip machine.
Swimming can be decent calorie burn.
Was biking done with proper 90 cadence or higher, tension low enough to support that, no standing?
You may have to revise that eating plan to leave more calorie where you want them.
If activity has gone down, then body doesn't NEED the extra calories, though you personally may still WANT them.
Is work first thing in morning? Can you skip breakfast or make it much smaller if not actually active?
Can pre-workout snacks be smaller since workout isn't as much?
This is indeed what happens every winter when I can't do the level of cardio as easily as I love doing.0 -
Swimming is sort-of an option. I can swim for 15-20 minutes before it starts to hurt
Biking was done on an actual bike outside on the lowest gear, neither the crossfit gym nor the climbing gym has a stationary bike.
I tried a row machine (one legged) today at crossfit which KILLED my good leg, I was wobbling while walking after that. So thats a new option.
As for food, I do work first thing in the morning. I can skip breakfast or wait, I never used to eat breakfast at all, but my doctor yelled at me to eat breakfast because apparently skipping breakfast is bad for you. (I guess it increases your risk of diabetes even in healthy people?!) But I doubt I'll become diabetic if I skip breakfast for a few months.
Pre-workout snacks can shrink for sure. My main problem is late afternoon crash! I get so hungry/tired around 3pm and I just want to eat all of the food. I keep granola bars in my desk for this, but they're like 200 calories. Are any of the 100 calorie packs of things actually good? I've tried having fruit but that just makes me more hungry for some reason. Or is there a better food for this?
Thanks!!0 -
I'd be curious what study your doctor is thinking of regarding breakfast skipping and diabetes. I would think that if breakfast skipping gives you better dietary compliance it would be the way to go.
I'm not convinced that skipping breakfast is inherently bad.0 -
I did a quick google search but can't find anything on pub med. webMD and other such sites state a link between not eating breakfast and insulin resistence in women.
I will try having 1/2 my usual breakfast (making it 1/2 glass of milk + 1scoop of protein powder)0 -
To getting a 3 pm crash after having lunch, and fruit making you more hungry.
Maybe there was a reason your Dr was talking pre-diabetic stuff. Sure there wasn't some concern there? If not, old info may be getting relied on.
Do you eat protein and fat with each lunch? And have you tried eating the protein and fat before the carbs in the meal?
Those 2 reactions just sound like standard low blood sugar from too big an insulin response from a meal with too many carbs. For you.Insulin does too good a job lowering blood sugar below where desired before it's backed off and glucagon is released.
You weren't really hungry, you didn't really need to eat, but with low blood sugar you'll sure feel hungry.
I rarely eat breakfast now - always used to. Never a problem making it to lunch at noon, or even 1-2 pm if conference calls at wrong time.
Now, I do eat dinner late at 7-8 pm usually, and a snack before bed late at 11 pm. So my time between meals is tad more than 12 hrs. If your last meal is 6 pm and no snacks, I could see being hungry and needing something for breakfast.
Even a glass of milk is decent ratio of carbs/prot/fat.
And I like the Balance on Zone bars for a mid-afternoon snack (since not only is dinner late, workout may be right after work). 200 cal and good, well, balance of macro's. For me. 40/30/30. Even if that's not rest of my diet.
What does the swimming hurt, knee? That may not be good use of legs if that's the case.
When you saying biking lowest gear, you mean easiest gear, right? I guess that's no good, though, you do need some pressure so not just empty spinning too easy.0 -
You could do bodyweight upper body circuits for cardio - dips/pushups/pullups and variants thereof.
If you're at crossfit I'd look into using this time on improving your gymnastics skills. Get your technique nailed down on the rings etc.
Also there's a crossfiter that I saw on instagram that was doing a **** ton of one legged/modified stuff to work around an achilles injury but I can't remember her name. You might be able to find her through googling and draw some inspiration.0 -
To getting a 3 pm crash after having lunch, and fruit making you more hungry.
Maybe there was a reason your Dr was talking pre-diabetic stuff. Sure there wasn't some concern there? If not, old info may be getting relied on.
Do you eat protein and fat with each lunch? And have you tried eating the protein and fat before the carbs in the meal?
Those 2 reactions just sound like standard low blood sugar from too big an insulin response from a meal with too many carbs. For you.Insulin does too good a job lowering blood sugar below where desired before it's backed off and glucagon is released.
You weren't really hungry, you didn't really need to eat, but with low blood sugar you'll sure feel hungry.
I'm not sure, as far as I know I have very little risk of diabetes which is why I was scarred! I'm not overweight (5'6" 140lbs) nor have I ever been overweight, I don't really have a family history of it, one grandma was diabetic but she was overweight and didn't really take care of her health.
I also never ate breakfast at all from when I was a kid all the way until I moved in with my boyfriend two years ago.
UGH I've been so bad about eating too many carbs and not enough fat/protein. I'm going to try going "gluten-free-ish" so that I stop eating so many simple carbs and start getting carbs from more complex sources/ more protein and fat. I say gluten free-ish because I'm not going to cut out gluten just to replace it with a gluten free equivalent and I'm not going to worry about gluten in things like sauces. I'm just going to try to avoid bread and pasta for a while. See if I can't figure things out that way.I rarely eat breakfast now - always used to. Never a problem making it to lunch at noon, or even 1-2 pm if conference calls at wrong time.
Now, I do eat dinner late at 7-8 pm usually, and a snack before bed late at 11 pm. So my time between meals is tad more than 12 hrs. If your last meal is 6 pm and no snacks, I could see being hungry and needing something for breakfast.
Even a glass of milk is decent ratio of carbs/prot/fat.
And I like the Balance on Zone bars for a mid-afternoon snack (since not only is dinner late, workout may be right after work). 200 cal and good, well, balance of macro's. For me. 40/30/30. Even if that's not rest of my diet.
Yeah, I used to be like that, I'll try getting back to not eating breakfast and see how that goes. Or just have some milk. I'll have to try the Balance on Zone bars, do you get them at a grocery store? or do you need to go to a health food store/GNC?What does the swimming hurt, knee? That may not be good use of legs if that's the case.
When you saying biking lowest gear, you mean easiest gear, right? I guess that's no good, though, you do need some pressure so not just empty spinning too easy.
Swimming hurts both my knee and my sciatic nerve (In falling down the mountain, I also smashed the base of my sciatic nerve).
Yeah, on my bike I mean the easiest gear (lowest gear ratio). Although spinning on it was not easy. Its really depressing. I used to have such strong quads and now even the easiest things are hard!
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You could do bodyweight upper body circuits for cardio - dips/pushups/pullups and variants thereof.
If you're at crossfit I'd look into using this time on improving your gymnastics skills. Get your technique nailed down on the rings etc.
Also there's a crossfiter that I saw on instagram that was doing a **** ton of one legged/modified stuff to work around an achilles injury but I can't remember her name. You might be able to find her through googling and draw some inspiration.
I've been doing upper body circuits this whole time, I'm getting some strength gains but I'm getting bored with them. Though this might just be the only things I can do
I just started back at crossfit last night, so I will try to improve my gymnastic skills. That sounds like a good idea.
http://therxreview.com/jenny-labaw-turns-injury-into-inspiration-during-2013-crossfit-open/
Is that what you were thinking of?0 -
Yeah, I used to be like that, I'll try getting back to not eating breakfast and see how that goes. Or just have some milk. I'll have to try the Balance on Zone bars, do you get them at a grocery store? or do you need to go to a health food store/GNC?
You are in one difficult mess. I hope you can cope while you heal so that doesn't have to be drug out or repeated again to any level. Ugh.
Yep, Target has decent selection and their own brand of them, Walmart just depends on the store since they stock what sells, and that can vary.0 -
Yeah, its a big mess.
Great! I'll check out target!0 -
Do you have access to a rope trainer or something similar?
You can get in some serious HIIT workouts with those....I am DYING by the end of it. You can get a killer cardio workout in with just that and it's all upper body. Pullups, pushups, dips, and core work all done at a rapid pace or tabata style with keep your heart rate up too.
I have knee issues as well and have had to abandon heavy squats.
Depending on my pain level, I will do hip thrusts, straight leg deadlifts, and back extensions for lower body. Some days I can get in a really good leg workout with minimal knee pain by not always.
Wishing you a quick recovery!0 -
Do you have access to a rope trainer or something similar?
You can get in some serious HIIT workouts with those....I am DYING by the end of it. You can get a killer cardio workout in with just that and it's all upper body. Pullups, pushups, dips, and core work all done at a rapid pace or tabata style with keep your heart rate up too.
I have knee issues as well and have had to abandon heavy squats.
Depending on my pain level, I will do hip thrusts, straight leg deadlifts, and back extensions for lower body. Some days I can get in a really good leg workout with minimal knee pain by not always.
Wishing you a quick recovery!
No I've never seen a rope trainer before (I just did a quick google search) that thing looks perfect!!! I want one!! Maybe I'll try scaling things back and doing tabata style for a more cardio work.
I'm at a point where carrying around a backpack (laptop + lunch + notebook) is too heavy. So I'm extremely limited in terms of lower body. I'm really really really hoping that things get better soon.0
