spinal stenosis + bulging disc = 20 pound weight gain

drabbits2 · November 2015

I need some help here--about 18 months ago I was on here and lost 20 pounds--I am 5'8", 45 years old and got to about 138 and I felt and looked great--I was swimming, walking and doing hot yoga (I know yoga doesn't burn calories, but it helped with balance and flexibility). Now since June I have had lots of back problems--no idea what from--I haven't been in an accident or had an injury or anything. I was diagnosed with sciatica and it got worse and worse--like, tingling all down my leg, pain, foot falling asleep, then the weakness spread to my hands and the other leg. So since June my working out has dwindled down to nothing--I live two blocks from the lake and I used to walk for 90 minutes at a crack, now I cannot even get the two blocks away TO the lake, forget walking for that length of time. So now I am up to 155+ pounds. I had an MRI three weeks ago and it revealed spinal stenosis, a bulging disc, facet arthropathy, and osteoarthritis in my lower back. So my question is this--how do other deal with the depression and disorientation that comes from not being able to be active/work out and with the weight gain associated with it?? I see three more docs in November to make a plan, so presumably this is a temporary situation, or at the very least manageable and I should be able to get active again, but in the meantime--help. What do others do to stay positive in the face of NOT being able to stay active? I am watching my diet but at age 45 I am no longer able to just maintain my weight with diet alone--I have to be active and I was, but it's just too painful. I can barely get through my workday (I teach junior high) and have to take so much tylenol/aleve/ibuprofen throughout the day that my stomach is a wreck too. It sounds like I am whining but I guess I am hoping to hear how others cope with temporary set backs for whatever reason. This pain has just thrown me for a loop.

seska422 · November 2015

drabbits2 wrote: »

I am watching my diet but at age 45 I am no longer able to just maintain my weight with diet alone--I have to be active and I was, but it's just too painful.

I know it's not what you are used to doing, but you can maintain your weight (and even lose) with diet alone.

I'm very near your age and have back problems as well. Some days I can barely move, let alone do any exercise. I'm below what's generally considered sedentary by online calorie calculators. My weight loss depends entirely upon tracking my calories closely and consuming fewer calories than my body uses.

Carefully weigh and log your food. Adjust your macros until they work for you if your calorie allowance doesn't keep you satiated. Prepare your lunch the night before so that you can weigh everything and enter it into your MFP food log.

I know it's hard, but you can do this!

MKEgal · November 2015

Weight loss/gain is all about calories.
Fitness is about exercise.
So yes, without exercising you'll lose some fitness, but you can also lose weight.

As for dealing with the change in body image... I really don't know. I haven't been through that.
Garden-variety depression, even SAD, that I can talk about.
Temporary setbacks? Realize they're just that: temporary.
I got careless over the summer, regained some weight, am working on it again.
Last year I dealt with a broken bone in my foot. Granted, I could still do some exercise, though it was clunky.
Your 'temporary' will probably be longer than my 'temporary', but keep the mindset that you will get past this.

blankiefinder · November 2015

With spinal stenosis, I am guessing that you will probably be looking at surgery. My mother had spinal stenosis plus a severely pinched disk last year and had to have emergency surgery to prevent permanent paralysis, as well as parts of one disk removed. I'd love to say that she is back to normal, but she will never be the same. On the upside though, she is out of her wheelchair, and can at least walk, and is not paralyzed!! She is also in a lot less pain, though it is not gone entirely.

blankiefinder · November 2015

I just wanted to add, weight is determined solely through calories. Get a food scale and eat to what MFP tells you. Set your goal to .5 pounds per week with only 20 lbs to lose, and it will be easier to stick to.

rleider · November 2015

I live with several compressed and bulging disks in my back from an accident when I was in the military. While surgery can help, the weakness to your back is now forever there. You need to do things differently from now on. It's temporary to be in that amount of pain (with surgery) but even so, you need to change your habits with exercising to avoid more problems.
I've lived with my chronic pain and issues with my spine for the past 9 years (I'm now 29). It's not something to downplay for yourself. With the kind of pain you are experiencing, even if there's only one disk with issues, there is no corrective surgery forthe disk. Only for the pain. I have surgery in 09 and they took about 1/3 of my L4-L5 out. The pain was reduced so drastically, and my commander and the military Physical Therapist kept telling me basically that I was fixed, so I gradually worked all the way up to running again. It was the worst possible thing to do. That same disk is reherniated along with 4 others. My case is much more drastic than yours so I'm not saying this to scare you. I just want people to know that even a 21 year old can become disabled from not treating your body right after a spinal injury.
Just be careful is my main message. Even post-op, post-physical therapy, be sure to protect your spine. It's not worth the chronic pain.
As some said above though, focus on the control you do have left. You can't control your pain. You can't control your exercise. So control your intake. When I get down about things and want to just eat eat eat, I tell myself that "I'd rather be thin" (just a phrase I use to avoid being negative and saying "I don't want to be fat"). In fact, I want to eat right now but it's almost midnight haha so I'm drinking water instead.
As far as exercise: do the exercises the doctors give you. Be slow, controlled and thoughtful as you do work out, even if it's just stretching or walking. Every movement is good, calories are burned and your metabolism can stay active.
All I do is stretch and walk by the way, and because I am in control of my intake I have been able to still lose the weight I need to lose. So it's hard but not impossible.
As someone who was injured at a young age I can't explain the losses and anger I've felt over the years. I know I don't have it all that bad, but I did lose a lot. But I think after all of this time I finally have come to terms with it all. I'd rather not be angry.
Everyone handles it differently. I hope some of what I said helps!

blankiefinder · November 2015

rleider wrote: »

I live with several compressed and bulging disks in my back from an accident when I was in the military. While surgery can help, the weakness to your back is now forever there. You need to do things differently from now on. It's temporary to be in that amount of pain (with surgery) but even so, you need to change your habits with exercising to avoid more problems.
I've lived with my chronic pain and issues with my spine for the past 9 years (I'm now 29). It's not something to downplay for yourself. With the kind of pain you are experiencing, even if there's only one disk with issues, there is no corrective surgery forthe disk. Only for the pain. I have surgery in 09 and they took about 1/3 of my L4-L5 out. The pain was reduced so drastically, and my commander and the military Physical Therapist kept telling me basically that I was fixed, so I gradually worked all the way up to running again. It was the worst possible thing to do. That same disk is reherniated along with 4 others. My case is much more drastic than yours so I'm not saying this to scare you. I just want people to know that even a 21 year old can become disabled from not treating your body right after a spinal injury.
Just be careful is my main message. Even post-op, post-physical therapy, be sure to protect your spine. It's not worth the chronic pain.
As some said above though, focus on the control you do have left. You can't control your pain. You can't control your exercise. So control your intake. When I get down about things and want to just eat eat eat, I tell myself that "I'd rather be thin" (just a phrase I use to avoid being negative and saying "I don't want to be fat"). In fact, I want to eat right now but it's almost midnight haha so I'm drinking water instead.
As far as exercise: do the exercises the doctors give you. Be slow, controlled and thoughtful as you do work out, even if it's just stretching or walking. Every movement is good, calories are burned and your metabolism can stay active.
All I do is stretch and walk by the way, and because I am in control of my intake I have been able to still lose the weight I need to lose. So it's hard but not impossible.
As someone who was injured at a young age I can't explain the losses and anger I've felt over the years. I know I don't have it all that bad, but I did lose a lot. But I think after all of this time I finally have come to terms with it all. I'd rather not be angry.
Everyone handles it differently. I hope some of what I said helps!

The surgery I guessed at wouldn't be for the disk, it would be for the stenosis, which is the more serious issue in my opinion. If the stenosis is encroaching on the spinal cord, causing the numbness and tingling, then it is an urgent concern. Agree with everything else

putabirdonit46 · November 2015

I have 2 bulging disks in my neck. I'm reducing my calories because i cant exercise. It's been a year and I'm looking into doing pilates at home. No more cardio walks or runs. Its depressing.

ewfleming99615 · November 2015

drabbits2 wrote: »

I need some help here--about 18 months ago I was on here and lost 20 pounds--I am 5'8", 45 years old and got to about 138 and I felt and looked great--I was swimming, walking and doing hot yoga (I know yoga doesn't burn calories, but it helped with balance and flexibility). Now since June I have had lots of back problems--no idea what from--I haven't been in an accident or had an injury or anything. I was diagnosed with sciatica and it got worse and worse--like, tingling all down my leg, pain, foot falling asleep, then the weakness spread to my hands and the other leg. So since June my working out has dwindled down to nothing--I live two blocks from the lake and I used to walk for 90 minutes at a crack, now I cannot even get the two blocks away TO the lake, forget walking for that length of time. So now I am up to 155+ pounds. I had an MRI three weeks ago and it revealed spinal stenosis, a bulging disc, facet arthropathy, and osteoarthritis in my lower back. So my question is this--how do other deal with the depression and disorientation that comes from not being able to be active/work out and with the weight gain associated with it?? I see three more docs in November to make a plan, so presumably this is a temporary situation, or at the very least manageable and I should be able to get active again, but in the meantime--help. What do others do to stay positive in the face of NOT being able to stay active? I am watching my diet but at age 45 I am no longer able to just maintain my weight with diet alone--I have to be active and I was, but it's just too painful. I can barely get through my workday (I teach junior high) and have to take so much tylenol/aleve/ibuprofen throughout the day that my stomach is a wreck too. It sounds like I am whining but I guess I am hoping to hear how others cope with temporary set backs for whatever reason. This pain has just thrown me for a loop.

ewfleming99615 · November 2015

Hi there. In May of 2008 I was in a car wreck and for over six months went through hell with a synovial cyst at L5 S1. I know what you are going through. I had two cortisone injections and all of a sudden in January of the next year the pain was gone. The best thing is that I finally went back to the weight room and got on the squat bar and my back feels better than it has in years. I am 58 now.

spinal stenosis + bulging disc = 20 pound weight gain

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