Need desperately to lose but am very limited in exercise

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I need to lose about 75 lbs. I am eating about 1400 calories a day and usually staying a little under that. My problem is exercise. I have injured my shoulder real bad and have lost most of the function in that arm. This makes upper body very limited. Cant lift with the arm or raise it much over chest height. My permanent restriction is no lifting ore than 25 lbs and no higher than waist high. Any suggestions on an exercise regimen? Would appreciate any help I can get.

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  • Spreyton22K
    Spreyton22K Posts: 323 Member
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    Walking is great, perhaps a spin class, but before doing anything engaging the expertise of a physiotherapist to give you some guidelines might be helpful. Hope you heal well good luck.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
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    Are you getting medical help for your shoulder? Physiotherapy?


    - Walking

    - Interval cycling. Holding the frame involves (I think) isometric movements. I don't work my arms out at all (shoulder & wrist problems) but I think I am getting a teensy bit of a benefit from this. I don't know if your shoulder would be too challenged with even this, though. If I were you I'd want to be careful and would just not use my arms at all to hold on, I'd fold them instead (I do this sometimes when my wrist gets cranky).

    - Bodyweight lower-body movements: glute bridges, leg raises when you're lying flat on your back, step-ups, squats, lunges.

    - Cable glute kickbacks

    - hyperextensions on a roman chair

    You should see your doctor, though. It sounds like your shoulder's in real trouble.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
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    also the stairmaster
  • davisma1956
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    My shoulder is permanent. I injured it over a year ago and after 2 surgeries and a year of physical therapy this is as good as it is going to get. I have not heard of Physiotherapy. I will have to check into this. Thanks.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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    Exercise can speed up weight loss a little, but it's mainly for conditioning and physique. Stick to your calorie deficit, do what you can exercise-wise, but you'll lose weight even without exercising.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
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    My shoulder is permanent. I injured it over a year ago and after 2 surgeries and a year of physical therapy this is as good as it is going to get. I have not heard of Physiotherapy. I will have to check into this. Thanks.

    Ah, sorry. Physiotherapy is just another way to describe physical therapy.

    I'm really for what you've been through. Can you swim, or is that right out? What did your physical therapist say you could do? I would go back and ask them to come up with a safe plan for you, for fitness, working around your shoulder.
  • candacefausset
    candacefausset Posts: 297 Member
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    Cardio is going to be a good bet for you. Even swimming, you could probably tread water. You could walk, run, spin class, etc. Just moving at all is going to burn more calories than sitting and doing nothing. And it all comes down to calories in, calories out. As long as you are burning more calories than you are taking in, you will lose weight. Any addition of cardio is going to help you out if you can't do much upper body.
  • r5d5
    r5d5 Posts: 219 Member
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    first off, I wish you a speedy recovery!! I can imagine your day to day activities must be more challenging....
    second, weight loss is more based in a calorie deficiency than in exercise. Of course exercise helps, but you can't out work a bad diet!
    So, if 1400 is what you need to eat to lose, than do so! You should, over time, notice results.

    As for exercise, I would suggest walking. Even better if you have a treadmill and can walk with an incline. Can you still do squats and lunges, even with the shoulder injury? You should be able to stabilize your arm...
    You might be able to do leg lifts and similar floor exercises too!
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Do some walking and cut back the calories. Cutting calories has much much more to do with weight loss than exercise does.