ACL injury and losing weight?
bree3462
Posts: 24 Member
Hello everyone. I recently tore my ACL in May and haven't had surgery so I cannot run or bend it very good like before I walk fine but was wondering if I can still lose weight and what kind of exercises are good. Obviously I can do sit ups etc like that but just asking. And also would love some good recipes or tips. I really need to buckle down and lose these 60 pounds. Please help 
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Replies
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Exercise is not required for weight loss.
Enter your stats into MFP, set it to lose ~1-1.5 lbs per week (based on the 60 lbs to lose in your profile) and eat what it tells you to eat. If you exercise (walking or something), log it and eat back maybe half of your exercise calories.
It doesn't have to be complicated - losing weight is simple (although it can be hard at times). Just continue to eat the foods you enjoy, but less than what you ate before.0 -
Yes you can. Just eat at the deficit mfp tells you to. The calorie goal for the day is based on no exercise.0
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A (fit fanatic) friend of mine did the same and was told cycling was about the only safe exercise she could do at the time. Hope u recover soon!0
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When you don't have the wiggle room exercise can give you, and you need to eat less, it helps to try to work out the most fullness bang for your calorie buck. Try out different macronutrient ratios. Also be sure to get micronutrients in to support healing.
But the stuff I've read is that your body needs calories (and nutrients) to support various healing processes, so it's important to eat well. I think in your shoes, I would probably aim for a slow rate of loss until I was healed up.
Do you have access to physiotherapy?0 -
I'm supposed to be signed up for physical therapy but haven't yet. Having 3 kids I'm busy as it is lol.0
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Is there any recipe tabs or any meal plans that mfp has to follow??0
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I'm supposed to be signed up for physical therapy but haven't yet. Having 3 kids I'm busy as it is lol.
It's not optional.
Go to PT, do PT, get functional again.
I had the same injury ten years ago. I never did have surgery, but I did 6 months of hard physical therapy, 6 months of less intense therapy and I continue to do the special knee exercises. Alternating high and low-impact workouts helps in the long run.
I still baby it a bit, but other than running long distances, it doesn't limit me much.0 -
azulvioleta6 wrote: »I'm supposed to be signed up for physical therapy but haven't yet. Having 3 kids I'm busy as it is lol.
It's not optional.
Go to PT, do PT, get functional again.
I had the same injury ten years ago. I never did have surgery, but I did 6 months of hard physical therapy, 6 months of less intense therapy and I continue to do the special knee exercises. Alternating high and low-impact workouts helps in the long run.
I still baby it a bit, but other than running long distances, it doesn't limit me much.
I'll hopefully do it soon. My summer is busy enough. Surgery is definitely happening for me in fall. If I didn't have 3 toddlers I'd be at physical therapy everyday0 -
Fin
Getting a babysitter is what I struggle with. You can't take kids everywhere you go lolazulvioleta6 wrote: »I'm supposed to be signed up for physical therapy but haven't yet. Having 3 kids I'm busy as it is lol.
It's not optional.
Go to PT, do PT, get functional again.
I had the same injury ten years ago. I never did have surgery, but I did 6 months of hard physical therapy, 6 months of less intense therapy and I continue to do the special knee exercises. Alternating high and low-impact workouts helps in the long run.
I still baby it a bit, but other than running long distances, it doesn't limit me much.
I'll hopefully do it soon. My summer is busy enough. Surgery is definitely happening for me in fall. If I didn't have 3 toddlers I'd be at physical therapy everyday0 -
azulvioleta6 wrote: »I'm supposed to be signed up for physical therapy but haven't yet. Having 3 kids I'm busy as it is lol.
It's not optional.
Go to PT, do PT, get functional again.
I had the same injury ten years ago. I never did have surgery, but I did 6 months of hard physical therapy, 6 months of less intense therapy and I continue to do the special knee exercises. Alternating high and low-impact workouts helps in the long run.
I still baby it a bit, but other than running long distances, it doesn't limit me much.
I'll hopefully do it soon. My summer is busy enough. Surgery is definitely happening for me in fall. If I didn't have 3 toddlers I'd be at physical therapy everyday
You were looking for workouts to help you lose weight, though - you have time for those, but not PT exercises? You could go to your PT once a week, or even once a month, get your exercises and do them at home.
I completely understand being way more motivated to lose weight and fit into great clothes than to do PT exerciaes. (Believe me, I know - I hate doing them myself, nothing more boring). But if you don't take a proactive role in your joint health, you're not going to get the kind of outcomes that will allow you to do real workouts later. Or to *fully* participate in other activities you care about that make life worthwhile. Or even just routine activities at home and work. I would try to avoid limiting options for your future self as much a possible.
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Fin
Getting a babysitter is what I struggle with. You can't take kids everywhere you go lolazulvioleta6 wrote: »I'm supposed to be signed up for physical therapy but haven't yet. Having 3 kids I'm busy as it is lol.
It's not optional.
Go to PT, do PT, get functional again.
I had the same injury ten years ago. I never did have surgery, but I did 6 months of hard physical therapy, 6 months of less intense therapy and I continue to do the special knee exercises. Alternating high and low-impact workouts helps in the long run.
I still baby it a bit, but other than running long distances, it doesn't limit me much.
I'll hopefully do it soon. My summer is busy enough. Surgery is definitely happening for me in fall. If I didn't have 3 toddlers I'd be at physical therapy everyday
That sucks. No family to help out?
It is really worth prioritizing, if you can manage it.
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I hope you schedule surgery sooner than later. I tore my ACL and waited 3 years till I had a job with insurance, by then the acl was long gone and a lot of damage to the cartilage. They took a piece of my patella tendon or what ever lies on the front over my kneecap to fix it. Wow what a horrible recovery, still can't kneel, but I must say I was playing softball in 6 months. OK flash forward 20 years, it was slung too tight albeit very stable, and it realigned my lower tibia causing much arthritis and damage. Keep you quads built and balance good hamstring stretches. I wish I could run without the pain. Best of health, recovery and luck to you!0
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roadmapmaker wrote: »I hope you schedule surgery sooner than later. I tore my ACL and waited 3 years till I had a job with insurance, by then the acl was long gone and a lot of damage to the cartilage. They took a piece of my patella tendon or what ever lies on the front over my kneecap to fix it. Wow what a horrible recovery, still can't kneel, but I must say I was playing softball in 6 months. OK flash forward 20 years, it was slung too tight albeit very stable, and it realigned my lower tibia causing much arthritis and damage. Keep you quads built and balance good hamstring stretches. I wish I could run without the pain. Best of health, recovery and luck to you!
I'll be doing it early this fall. Thank you. I'm very nervous.0 -
azulvioleta6 wrote: »I'm supposed to be signed up for physical therapy but haven't yet. Having 3 kids I'm busy as it is lol.
It's not optional.
Go to PT, do PT, get functional again.
I had the same injury ten years ago. I never did have surgery, but I did 6 months of hard physical therapy, 6 months of less intense therapy and I continue to do the special knee exercises. Alternating high and low-impact workouts helps in the long run.
I still baby it a bit, but other than running long distances, it doesn't limit me much.
I'll hopefully do it soon. My summer is busy enough. Surgery is definitely happening for me in fall. If I didn't have 3 toddlers I'd be at physical therapy everyday
You were looking for workouts to help you lose weight, though - you have time for those, but not PT exercises? You could go to your PT once a week, or even once a month, get your exercises and do them at home.
I completely understand being way more motivated to lose weight and fit into great clothes than to do PT exerciaes. (Believe me, I know - I hate doing them myself, nothing more boring). But if you don't take a proactive role in your joint health, you're not going to get the kind of outcomes that will allow you to do real workouts later. Or to *fully* participate in other activities you care about that make life worthwhile. Or even just routine activities at home and work. I would try to avoid limiting options for your future self as much a possible.
I've got ACL exercises off the net that I'm doing at home. A physical therapist in my area isn't going to do anymore than that for me.0 -
I had surgery a few years ago. I was doing okay with exercise, now arthritis has settled in that knee, constant pain and I can barely walk. All that works for me is swimming.0
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I'm supposed to be signed up for physical therapy but haven't yet. Having 3 kids I'm busy as it is lol.
I've torn my ACL's twice. I'll tell you this: putting off surgery and PT is not in your best interest. The longer you wait, the worse it gets. And the longer the recovery will be.
With that being said, you need to make PT your priority. If you need to get a babysitter, go to care.com and find one. Do whatever you need to do.0 -
azulvioleta6 wrote: »I'm supposed to be signed up for physical therapy but haven't yet. Having 3 kids I'm busy as it is lol.
It's not optional.
Go to PT, do PT, get functional again.
I had the same injury ten years ago. I never did have surgery, but I did 6 months of hard physical therapy, 6 months of less intense therapy and I continue to do the special knee exercises. Alternating high and low-impact workouts helps in the long run.
I still baby it a bit, but other than running long distances, it doesn't limit me much.
I'll hopefully do it soon. My summer is busy enough. Surgery is definitely happening for me in fall. If I didn't have 3 toddlers I'd be at physical therapy everyday
You were looking for workouts to help you lose weight, though - you have time for those, but not PT exercises? You could go to your PT once a week, or even once a month, get your exercises and do them at home.
I completely understand being way more motivated to lose weight and fit into great clothes than to do PT exerciaes. (Believe me, I know - I hate doing them myself, nothing more boring). But if you don't take a proactive role in your joint health, you're not going to get the kind of outcomes that will allow you to do real workouts later. Or to *fully* participate in other activities you care about that make life worthwhile. Or even just routine activities at home and work. I would try to avoid limiting options for your future self as much a possible.
I've got ACL exercises off the net that I'm doing at home. A physical therapist in my area isn't going to do anymore than that for me.
Have you been to see one, though? They tailor exercises to the person and injury. You might have other imbalances that need correction at the same time, for example. (Like glutes usually come into play, sometimes the IT band.) Which is very possible, given you've had this for a few months, so have probably been walking funny and introducing compensations in some places, and getting weaker in others. Over the long haul, that can not only make your current injury worse, but make you more prone to getting NEW injuries.
They can also show you proper form, and observe you doing the exercises, so you know you're getting them right.
I've had times where for various reasons I couldn't see my PT as often as would have been ideal. I just went less often. But the consultation and exercise prescription are definitely worthwhile.0 -
I tore my ACL in April and just had reconstruction last week. Feel free to add me if you want a buddy who's doing the same thing. I would really suggest making the apt with the physical therapist. I did a bunch of strength training before surgery and I think it was really worth it. Good luck!0
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I've torn my ACL 3 times, have had surgeries except for the third time because it was going to be career ending athletically (and in many other ways) for me if I did. All 3 were done by contact mechanisms.
I'm also an athletic therapist and a strength conditioning specialist and I've kind of become a knee guru when it comes to therapy.
You need to strengthen to support your knee. Especially before surgery. If you don't, your surgery recovery will be harder than it needs to be and of course, all your bad habits and compensations will follow and become much harder to get rid of once all is said and done.
Feel free to add me and I can help you or answer any questions. There's a lot to explain for sure. Some people have some good points on here and others are somewhat questionable.
In regards to therapy.... Make it happen! Even If it's once a week and find a therapist that you actually like. Not one that is just going to put you up on a pain relief machine and leave you be. The benefits are huge and it will save the other structures of your knee/total knee health in the long run. Otherwise you become one of those "my knee has never been the same since injury" person.... My biggest pet peeve.0 -
Do you need surgery to fix your ACL, or is PT going to take care of it? I have a different kind of ACL injury; my ACL is fine, but it tore the bone where it inserts. I did not need surgery. Along with following my doctor's instructions about rest and permissible exercise, I've been having rapid improvement with these exercises.
http://www.knee-pain-explained.com/knee-strengthening-exercises.html#quads0 -
When I tore my ACL, I ended up getting in the best shape of my life through PT. If you're working hard at PT and eating at a deficit, you'll do great.0
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I completely torn my ACL and it's gone so I have scheduled my surgery and it's August 14th. Wish me luck! And thanks for all the tips and advice
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azulvioleta6 wrote: »I'm supposed to be signed up for physical therapy but haven't yet. Having 3 kids I'm busy as it is lol.
It's not optional.
Go to PT, do PT, get functional again.
I had the same injury ten years ago. I never did have surgery, but I did 6 months of hard physical therapy, 6 months of less intense therapy and I continue to do the special knee exercises. Alternating high and low-impact workouts helps in the long run.
I still baby it a bit, but other than running long distances, it doesn't limit me much.
I'll hopefully do it soon. My summer is busy enough. Surgery is definitely happening for me in fall. If I didn't have 3 toddlers I'd be at physical therapy everyday
You were looking for workouts to help you lose weight, though - you have time for those, but not PT exercises? You could go to your PT once a week, or even once a month, get your exercises and do them at home.
I completely understand being way more motivated to lose weight and fit into great clothes than to do PT exerciaes. (Believe me, I know - I hate doing them myself, nothing more boring). But if you don't take a proactive role in your joint health, you're not going to get the kind of outcomes that will allow you to do real workouts later. Or to *fully* participate in other activities you care about that make life worthwhile. Or even just routine activities at home and work. I would try to avoid limiting options for your future self as much a possible.
I've got ACL exercises off the net that I'm doing at home. A physical therapist in my area isn't going to do anymore than that for me.
That's really not a great idea! I hope that you aren't making things worse.0 -
azulvioleta6 wrote: »azulvioleta6 wrote: »I'm supposed to be signed up for physical therapy but haven't yet. Having 3 kids I'm busy as it is lol.
It's not optional.
Go to PT, do PT, get functional again.
I had the same injury ten years ago. I never did have surgery, but I did 6 months of hard physical therapy, 6 months of less intense therapy and I continue to do the special knee exercises. Alternating high and low-impact workouts helps in the long run.
I still baby it a bit, but other than running long distances, it doesn't limit me much.
I'll hopefully do it soon. My summer is busy enough. Surgery is definitely happening for me in fall. If I didn't have 3 toddlers I'd be at physical therapy everyday
You were looking for workouts to help you lose weight, though - you have time for those, but not PT exercises? You could go to your PT once a week, or even once a month, get your exercises and do them at home.
I completely understand being way more motivated to lose weight and fit into great clothes than to do PT exerciaes. (Believe me, I know - I hate doing them myself, nothing more boring). But if you don't take a proactive role in your joint health, you're not going to get the kind of outcomes that will allow you to do real workouts later. Or to *fully* participate in other activities you care about that make life worthwhile. Or even just routine activities at home and work. I would try to avoid limiting options for your future self as much a possible.
I've got ACL exercises off the net that I'm doing at home. A physical therapist in my area isn't going to do anymore than that for me.
That's really not a great idea! I hope that you aren't making things worse.
Well the only thing physical therapists in my area do is print off exercises for you to do at home. So I'm doing the same thing they would. They didn't help my mom at all when she went to physical therapy.0 -
azulvioleta6 wrote: »azulvioleta6 wrote: »I'm supposed to be signed up for physical therapy but haven't yet. Having 3 kids I'm busy as it is lol.
It's not optional.
Go to PT, do PT, get functional again.
I had the same injury ten years ago. I never did have surgery, but I did 6 months of hard physical therapy, 6 months of less intense therapy and I continue to do the special knee exercises. Alternating high and low-impact workouts helps in the long run.
I still baby it a bit, but other than running long distances, it doesn't limit me much.
I'll hopefully do it soon. My summer is busy enough. Surgery is definitely happening for me in fall. If I didn't have 3 toddlers I'd be at physical therapy everyday
You were looking for workouts to help you lose weight, though - you have time for those, but not PT exercises? You could go to your PT once a week, or even once a month, get your exercises and do them at home.
I completely understand being way more motivated to lose weight and fit into great clothes than to do PT exerciaes. (Believe me, I know - I hate doing them myself, nothing more boring). But if you don't take a proactive role in your joint health, you're not going to get the kind of outcomes that will allow you to do real workouts later. Or to *fully* participate in other activities you care about that make life worthwhile. Or even just routine activities at home and work. I would try to avoid limiting options for your future self as much a possible.
I've got ACL exercises off the net that I'm doing at home. A physical therapist in my area isn't going to do anymore than that for me.
That's really not a great idea! I hope that you aren't making things worse.
Well the only thing physical therapists in my area do is print off exercises for you to do at home. So I'm doing the same thing they would. They didn't help my mom at all when she went to physical therapy.
PTs don't just "print off exercises from the internet". They do an assessment first to see exactly which exercises your particular body & ACL need.
Saying that, there are better and worse PTs, that's true.0 -
Prioritize your health. Young people don't get the long term damage they do by not taking care of problems just so they can maintain their daily routines. In 20 years you are going to try to find a time machine to go back to now and kick your own @ss.
Get a Dr. Go to PT. Put in the work, make it better.
I say this as someone who made some of these very mistakes.0 -
Looks like some of you need to find yourselves a good physiotherapist/athletic therapist (or athletic trainer if you're American).
Don't let one bad health professional ruin it for the rest of them. Some of these comments are pure bs.0 -
I have a torn ACL (for about 6 years now because I'm too chicken for surgery) but I will say there are things I still do, but with caution and a knee brace. I love Zumba but have to watch some of the leg work and just modify it a bit. There are still times just turning in my chair in my office I push wrong with my leg and my tibia snaps out of place and back in. It's mostly when you pivot and push your leg. I personally stay away from too much jumping as well. Walking is fine. Cycling is supposed to be the easiest on it. As you move forward you will gain your own sense of stability to feel what you can or can't do. (I apologize if I am rambling- I just woke up with a headache lol) just be careful0
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325dragonflies wrote: »I have a torn ACL (for about 6 years now because I'm too chicken for surgery) but I will say there are things I still do, but with caution and a knee brace. I love Zumba but have to watch some of the leg work and just modify it a bit. There are still times just turning in my chair in my office I push wrong with my leg and my tibia snaps out of place and back in. It's mostly when you pivot and push your leg. I personally stay away from too much jumping as well. Walking is fine. Cycling is supposed to be the easiest on it. As you move forward you will gain your own sense of stability to feel what you can or can't do. (I apologize if I am rambling- I just woke up with a headache lol) just be careful
Thank you. My surgery is on August 14th. I tore my ACL in may. So it's only been 3 months for me. I'm already getting shooting pain and signs of arthritis in it. I can't imagine waiting 6 years! I'm very nervous for my surgery. Hopefully it goes okay.0
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