Motivational help after an injury

jpanderson9
jpanderson9 Posts: 11 Member
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm having a really difficult time after a severe ankle injury. I slipped on a patch of ice and dislocated my ankle and fractured it in 3 places. I needed 3 screws and a titanium plate to secure it in Feb 2011. In December my dad was diagnosed w/ stage 3 bladder cancer. He's doing great though, surgery soon! With the family stress on top of my injury, I've put on 20 lbs on top of the 5 I had gained back before the injury. I know, excuses, excuses! :smile: I'm now back up over 200 lbs and completely frustrated.

Anyone else had to recovery from a serious injury?

SW - 185
CW - 209
GW - 170

Replies

  • bmontgomery87
    bmontgomery87 Posts: 1,260 Member
    kyle_lifting-580x435.jpg

    There's always someone who has come back from an injury thats even more extreme.
    Sorry to hear about yours, I know it can be hard to find the motivation, but you'll feel much better once you get back to it.

    I'm the opposite and have trouble not working out while injured.
    I fractured my metatarsal last year and didn't want to stay off of it long enough to get better, caused more trouble in the long run.
    Had shoulder trouble early this year, it was hard to take a week off.
  • jpanderson9
    jpanderson9 Posts: 11 Member
    Thanks! Loved the Henry Rollins quote too! :smile:

    The hardest part is staying off things long enough for them to heel properly. My physical therapists have taken to setting limits for me since I won't set them myself! My brothers are national athletes, I grew up pushing myself like one of the guys!
  • lindalou4850
    lindalou4850 Posts: 217 Member
    I had surgry on my right thumb10 days ago.For me cardio is ok but I can't do weights.Right now I can't even lift a small bottle of water w/my rt hand.It is depressing.i hope you get better real soon. feel free to add me as a friend.:flowerforyou:
  • StefBeeney
    StefBeeney Posts: 32
    I am nearing the end of recovering from shoulder surgery... just remember that you can do it... Going to physical Therapy for my shoulder was good motivation for me... they reminded me that I had to keep comming until I could "hit my targets"... the same can be applied to anything we are working on... just ste the targets and work to hit them
  • ktanderson05
    ktanderson05 Posts: 207 Member
    kyle_lifting-580x435.jpg

    There's always someone who has come back from an injury thats even more extreme.
    Sorry to hear about yours, I know it can be hard to find the motivation, but you'll feel much better once you get back to it.

    I'm the opposite and have trouble not working out while injured.
    I fractured my metatarsal last year and didn't want to stay off of it long enough to get better, caused more trouble in the long run.
    Had shoulder trouble early this year, it was hard to take a week off.
    That is truly amazing!!!
  • jojoworks
    jojoworks Posts: 315 Member
    I posted this on a similar thread earlier today, hope it helps:

    Pain and illness can be very tough to work through and to not allow them to sap you. You may feel your strength being sapped from you and you may feel angry at the workouts you missed or can't do or need to change and it can feel like a big block in your road. You can take a breath and let go of the things you're mad about and find a new path that lets those obstacles stay on the old path. You may need to focus on eating healthy and not worry about working out for awhile. Losing weight is more about what and how you eat than about exercise. I am NOT advocating for no exercise. But I know first hand about not being able to because of injury. I've had to focus my efforts almost entirely on food and nutrition. I'm in physical therapy now and I hope to be able to walk 20 minutes twice a day in the near future. That will be a huge accomplishment for me.

    Let Go. Refocus. Eat Well!
  • robertf57
    robertf57 Posts: 560 Member
    Dude! I am exactly there! Broke my ankle a year ago and put on the lbs. I am now taking it off with good eating and (low impact) exercise.

    Good luck. You CAN do it!
  • bmontgomery87
    bmontgomery87 Posts: 1,260 Member

    The hardest part is staying off things long enough for them to heel properly.

    This is always hard for me. I hate sitting around waiting to get better.
  • TrulieS
    TrulieS Posts: 2 Member
    I started using this website just this week, for similar reasons. I was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 years ago. I went through many surgeries and finished my chemotherapy in May 2009. During my illness I lost a great deal of muscle strength. I hadn't gained weight, in fact I lost weight. I was put on tamoxifen, which blocks estrogen, but it can also thin your bones. (I had tried an aromatase inhibitor, but it caused pain in my muscles and bones.) The doctor monitored by bone density and it was fine. Unfortunately, I didn't take my Vitamin D and calcium supplements very often. They were such big tablets and I thought I was fine. Well, over the last two years, I gained 20 pounds. I was happy to be alive and my hair was growing back, so I enjoyed food like I hadn't been able to do during my illness. Anyway, long story short, when I finally decided to start exercising to regain all my lost muscle strength and lose those added pounds, I found myself with stress fractures in both of my feet. Exercise would be tough for a couple months while my bones healed. So, I decided to go drastic on my food intake. I started Atkins Induction and I finish the 2 week phase on April 21st. While I have lost 7.5 pounds since I started I don't like all the saturated fat in the diet or the lack of fiber. I want more veggies and less red meat, and I know I need more cancer fighting foods than the Atkins diet allows. So, I'm switching to South Beach on April 21st. I will start at Phase I, even though my carb cravings have already disappeared, thanks to Atkins. I just don't know if I will gain weight initially when I switch. I haven't found any data on the subject. So, I would like to suggest that while you are recovering from your injury, take a look at the South Beach Diet or another similarly structured plan. The quick results at the onset are a powerful motivator. If you decide you like a plan, prepare your pantry and fridge as recommended before you start. That's what I'm doing right now. It's harder to cheat when bad food is not available. I might also suggest that you find a support system to help you cope with your dad's illness. I lost my mom suddenly in 1992 (aneurysm). Therapy (and antidepressants) were very helpful. Individual counseling or a support group can do wonders! Best wishes to you and your family.
  • jpanderson9
    jpanderson9 Posts: 11 Member
    I started using this website just this week, for similar reasons. I was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 years ago. I went through many surgeries and finished my chemotherapy in May 2009. During my illness I lost a great deal of muscle strength. I hadn't gained weight, in fact I lost weight. I was put on tamoxifen, which blocks estrogen, but it can also thin your bones. (I had tried an aromatase inhibitor, but it caused pain in my muscles and bones.) The doctor monitored by bone density and it was fine. Unfortunately, I didn't take my Vitamin D and calcium supplements very often. They were such big tablets and I thought I was fine. Well, over the last two years, I gained 20 pounds. I was happy to be alive and my hair was growing back, so I enjoyed food like I hadn't been able to do during my illness. Anyway, long story short, when I finally decided to start exercising to regain all my lost muscle strength and lose those added pounds, I found myself with stress fractures in both of my feet. Exercise would be tough for a couple months while my bones healed. So, I decided to go drastic on my food intake. I started Atkins Induction and I finish the 2 week phase on April 21st. While I have lost 7.5 pounds since I started I don't like all the saturated fat in the diet or the lack of fiber. I want more veggies and less red meat, and I know I need more cancer fighting foods than the Atkins diet allows. So, I'm switching to South Beach on April 21st. I will start at Phase I, even though my carb cravings have already disappeared, thanks to Atkins. I just don't know if I will gain weight initially when I switch. I haven't found any data on the subject. So, I would like to suggest that while you are recovering from your injury, take a look at the South Beach Diet or another similarly structured plan. The quick results at the onset are a powerful motivator. If you decide you like a plan, prepare your pantry and fridge as recommended before you start. That's what I'm doing right now. It's harder to cheat when bad food is not available. I might also suggest that you find a support system to help you cope with your dad's illness. I lost my mom suddenly in 1992 (aneurysm). Therapy (and antidepressants) were very helpful. Individual counseling or a support group can do wonders! Best wishes to you and your family.

    Thank you so much for your input! Cancer sucks! My family has been a great support system and I'll start looking into online support, thanks for the suggestion!! Zoloft has been a godsend, I haven't tried therapy yet. I'm a pretty motivated person normally, it's very difficult to have to "follow the rules" and heal up when all I want to do is hit the gym and go for a vigorous run. And I definitely need to prepare my pantry/fridge, I know that despite the fact that beer is delicious, it's empty calories and best enjoyed in moderation! Good luck in your continued recovery! :)
  • TrulieS
    TrulieS Posts: 2 Member
    Red wine was my empty calories. But, by emptying my wine rack and using a strict 2 week induction, I didn't miss it after the first day. Also, with South Beach, it will forgive when you have a bad day and guide you back on to the right track. Wine and spirits are allowed, but not beer, I'm sorry to say. My husband loved beer, but switched to a nice single malt whiskey. He's enjoying it very much and doesn't miss the beer. (Even though he used to brew some very good dark beers at home!) Glad you found my post helpful! It was my first.:smile:
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