Can you still lose with a disability?

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MaryLuvsTheLamb
MaryLuvsTheLamb Posts: 98 Member
in Motivation and Support
Ok, so, I'm 52 and have pretty serious rheumatoid arthritis in my legs, knees and feet, also my hands. I can usually walk around my apartment, although it hurts, but anywhere else I require a wheelchair. I have been using MFP for 6 weeks and have lost 12.6 lbs. The only exercise I can really do is some light walking. I use a step counter and try to do at least 1,000 steps. I have been a disabled couch potatoe for 3 years, so that's huge for me. Is it possible to keep losing while only doing the CICO method? I've already dropped my blood pressure from 142/97 to 110/79, so that's good. I'm just so afraid that I can't get this weight off. My first mini goal is to lose 50 lbs. My ultimate goal is to lose 100 lbs. Can you lose without exercising?

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  • jessdvr1
    jessdvr1 Posts: 7 Member
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    Yes its very possible! Just stick to your calories that MFP gives you
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,368 Member
    edited July 2016
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    90% or more of the weight loss comes from diet, so yes, CICO will help you lose the weight.

    eta - I would also point to this thread as an example of losing with a disability:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10427351/handicapped-guy-9-months-lifting-progress/p1
  • MaryLuvsTheLamb
    MaryLuvsTheLamb Posts: 98 Member
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    jessdvr1 wrote: »
    Yes its very possible! Just stick to your calories that MFP gives you
    ccrdragon wrote: »
    90% or more of the weight loss comes from diet, so yes, CICO will help you lose the weight.

    Thank you so much for the words of encouragement! I actually feel "hope".
  • phrunch
    phrunch Posts: 115 Member
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    Mary, what you're doing is a HUGE step and I hope you give yourself credit for it.

    You can absolutely lose weight without a lot of exercise. Be sure to really watch your calories. If you're entering food, don't eyeball or guess at amounts. You have a little bit less room for error since you won't "make up" for miscalculation with exercise.

    Don't get discouraged along the way! If you're taking predisone, your weight is more likely to bounce around but know that once you taper, everything will even out.

    I know you can do this. The fact that you get out of bed and you work in those steps through the pain tells me that you can watch what you eat and do whatever you set your mind to.
  • LaceyBirds
    LaceyBirds Posts: 451 Member
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    I live in a small apartment that I don't leave much due to chronic illness, and if I were any more sedentary I would be dead. My high weight was 238, started trying to lose at 230 by sort of starving myself for nine months on and off (not good), found MFP at 209, have logged every bite and sip since then (April 2015), and am down to 148 pounds. No exercise. I'm 60 and still use the 1200 calorie goal, averaging about 1150 calories a day (OK at my age and sedentary status). It can be done, but it will take a while, so you need patience, persistence and discipline. I weigh my food, log it all, weigh myself every morning, drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, and have struggled on and off along the way, but no matter what, I start each day fresh and don't beat myself up for messing up (this had to be learned along the way, but now it usually works). I am off two blood-pressure drugs, a statin and am no longer pre-diabetic. As many of us say, if I can do it, you can too. :)

    Hope that helps. :)
  • MaryLuvsTheLamb
    MaryLuvsTheLamb Posts: 98 Member
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    LaceyBirds wrote: »
    I live in a small apartment that I don't leave much due to chronic illness, and if I were any more sedentary I would be dead. My high weight was 238, started trying to lose at 230 by sort of starving myself for nine months on and off (not good), found MFP at 209, have logged every bite and sip since then (April 2015), and am down to 148 pounds. No exercise. I'm 60 and still use the 1200 calorie goal, averaging about 1150 calories a day (OK at my age and sedentary status). It can be done, but it will take a while, so you need patience, persistence and discipline. I weigh my food, log it all, weigh myself every morning, drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, and have struggled on and off along the way, but no matter what, I start each day fresh and don't beat myself up for messing up (this had to be learned along the way, but now it usually works). I am off two blood-pressure drugs, a statin and am no longer pre-diabetic. As many of us say, if I can do it, you can too. :)

    Hope that helps. :)

    Omg!!! I can't even tell you how encouraging that was to read. Thank you so very much and a big congrats @LaceyBirds!!!!!
  • STEVE142142
    STEVE142142 Posts: 867 Member
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    Simple truth to lose weight you don't have to exercise. To lose weight you have to eat less calories than your body Burns daily.

    Exercise has additional benefits. Those benefits include physical mental and spiritual. This is my opinion and this is what happened to me as I lost the weight the aches and pains I had in my body gradually decreased. To give you my perspective I've had a double hip replacement bone on bone arthritis knee and an arthritic shoulder that needs to be replaced.

  • MaryLuvsTheLamb
    MaryLuvsTheLamb Posts: 98 Member
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    STEVE142142 wrote: »
    Simple truth to lose weight you don't have to exercise. To lose weight you have to eat less calories than your body Burns daily.

    Exercise has additional benefits. Those benefits include physical mental and spiritual. This is my opinion and this is what happened to me as I lost the weight the aches and pains I had in my body gradually decreased. To give you my perspective I've had a double hip replacement bone on bone arthritis knee and an arthritic shoulder that needs to be replaced.

    Bless your heart! I'm so sorry! Thank you for your words of encouragement @STEVE142142.
  • LaceyBirds
    LaceyBirds Posts: 451 Member
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    I'm glad it encouraged you, and thanks. :)

    Good job on losing those 12.5 pounds, you're doing great! Keep in mind that you lose quicker the higher your weight, and it will be natural for your rate of loss to slow down as time goes on. I only lost about 5 to 6 pounds per month when I started, then it slowed to about 4 to 5, then about 4, so don't let that discourage you. Also, there are lots of posts here talking about how weight loss isn't linear, meaning that your weight will fluctuate up and down, due to water retention, too much sodium one day, or just because your body wants to mess with your head. :smiley: So, when you've been perfect in your logging and staying under your calorie goal for a week, and you get on the scale and see you've gained a few pounds, don't believe it and don't get discouraged - it will go back down again. I don't track the gains - lots of people here do though, so they can see the trends.

    Also, I kept my mini-goals at 10-pound increments - that seemed attainable, and not overwhelming. I also try to work in a treat every day - whether that's a donut, or a Skinny Cow Chocolate Truffle ice cream bar (really good at only 100 calories), or some fast food - I just make sure that I make it fit into my calories for the day. That keeps me from feeling deprived, and I think has helped me a lot.

    I still read the Success Stories first thing every morning, while I eat my breakfast. My favorite threads to read are:

    community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1275030/whats-your-most-recent-nsv/p1

    community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10087100/what-nobody-tells-you-about-losing-weight/p1

    community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10047153/55-65-year-old-womens-success/p1

    (I know you're only 52, but the last one is a very inspirational thread). :smile:

    Anyway, keep at it, you're doing great!
  • beckgirl73
    beckgirl73 Posts: 1 Member
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    I'm in the same boat. I am in the recovery phase and am gaining wait from not being on the go!! I just started using this app a couple weeks ago and am keeping my fingers crossed. I am hoping that my physical therapist can help me ride a stationery bike by the end of next month! Baby steps but we can do this!
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    Sure! I was bedridden when I started losing weight. For a while, all that I could do was swim...very slowly!

    Just do what you can, when you can and try not to compare yourself to healthy people.

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