After ACL rehab/surgery

diontre840 · February 2015

Hello, my name is DionTre and im 17 year old male. I tore my ACL abd had surgery and I am almost done with theraphy. I was 165 before I was hurt. Now im 212.6. How can I cut down my body fat and weight.

Alyssa_Is_LosingIt · February 2015

Sorry to hear about your torn ACL - I know that had to be rough. How did it happen?

If you are an athlete and were very active before your injury, you were probably used to eating a lot of food and not gaining weight as a result. Now that you're in a bit of a slump (which you will get out of!), you're recovering and probably a lot less active. You do not have to exercise a lot to lose weight, but your caloric needs have likely gone down. Start here: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ to figure out how many calories you need to maintain. At your age, I would probably try to hit right at or just under maintenance, especially if you know you will be back on the horse once you're fully recovered. It is important to properly fuel your body since you are still growing and your body is trying to repair itself.

If you need help figuring out how to track your calories, this is a great thread full of tips: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1

Good luck, and I hope that you make a speedy recovery!

Kelll12123 · February 2015

I tore my ACL when I was 16 and didn't get it fixed until I was 18. I ripped up a lot of meniscus and two years later I still have issues occasionally.
I gained a lot of weight after surgery, mostly because I made excuses for myself. I run now, but I only used the elliptical for a while because it's gentle on the joints. You're probably doing some strength training in therapy, but keep at that. My best advice is to not make excuses because of your ACL and keep working hard.

diontre840 · February 2015

Thanks for the advice, I will use it. I was playing basketball and I fell on my leg when it was extended all the wsy back.

Alyssa_Is_LosingIt · February 2015

diontre840 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, I will use it. I was playing basketball and I fell on my leg when it was extended all the wsy back.

Yikes, that sounds rough! Good luck to you, OP!

sofaking6 · February 2015

Heya I tore mine, ignored it for years and then finally it snapped in half on the ski slopes. Good times, good times.

How is your rehab going? What kind of repair did they do? One thing that's really important (as long as your doctor clears you for it) is to get that knee bending and stretching to keep from getting stiff in the long run. And also strength training around your quads and hamstrings to support it for the future. The replacement will never be as strong as the original but it can be just fine. Oh and I use a knee sleeve for working out, it keeps me stable and helps my form, so I recommend that as well - not a brace or anything just a soft sleeve. Or use an Ace bandage.
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Good luck, there are a lot of us around

esjones12 · February 2015

Listen to your therapists for rehab. You can lose weight through diet alone. It sounds like you are active, so as your body and doctors allow you can start adding exercise in. Even then you will need to focus on your net calorie consumption. Welcome to measuring food, logging it, and figuring out calories burned through exercise! Are you familiar with how MFP works? There are some good topics on here that explain it.

Best of luck!!!

Snip8241 · February 2015

My son torn his ACL in football. He too gained weight. Now..he finds the elliptical a good cardio workout that is not hard on his knee. Tip: do everything exactly the way your rehab people tell you and work on the exercises religiously. Your quads and calves will be weak. I am sorry for your injury but it is possible for you to lose the weight with diet. He did.

AshC1023 · February 2015

My horse fell on me when I was 16, I didn't get mine fixed (saved the ACL but the meniscus was f'ed!) until I was 21. I didn't really pack the weight on until the surgery, where I became very sedentary.
Rehab is pretty crucial. Always go, no matter how miserable it is. I always dreaded it. If something hurts beyond the "stiff sore muscle" department, tell your therapist. That was one of my major mistakes for both surgeries I've had, is that I just flat refused to go because it sucked. Don't do this.
I was also used to being very active and eating a lot! Then, I got lazy, but didn't curb how much I was used to eating. I learned the hard way you can't sit on your butt and eat 3 large meals a day and stay the same weight. So definitely, what was said above about cutting the calories and how much you're eating until you're recovered fully and cleared to go back to your regular activities.

After ACL rehab/surgery

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