Recovering from a leg injury and obese - help!

Options
dawnwhitty
dawnwhitty Posts: 5 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hi I am a very close to 47 year woman. In my younger years (30 and under), I was fit and in pretty decent shape. I was really happy with how I looked. Then I got married, had two kids and let myself go. Even so, I still didn't think I was too bad. In the past 19 months, I have been sick on and off with a very severe leg infection that almost killed me and has come back twice since (not as bad thank goodness but still put me in the hospital). I have been uaing the excuse I can't exercise because of the pain but in truth I am being lazy. I am 5'9" and weigh 266 pds. I hate the way I look and feel. I need help. I need to be motivated and I need to stop feeling sorry for myself. I want ME back! Please help! Thanks for reading.

Replies

  • henrycrib
    henrycrib Posts: 18 Member
    Options
    I have been where you are with health issues. My health is ok then bad and so on. I also have a bad knee so I gained over 100 lbs in about 2 1/2 years. When I hit 235 in January I decided that was enough. I used to weigh 124 and I am 5'5". I am now 51. I downloaded this ap and started writing down everything I ate. I am suppose to have 1200 calories a day and I was around 800-900 so I was told my body was in starvation mode. So now I try to eat 1200-1300 calories a day. I have lost over 30 lbs. I try to walk three times a day. I started out at 2 mph but I walked for a minimum of 30 minutes. My Achilles tendinitis was acting up so I found "socks" for that my knee is a problem and I wear a brace on it. I decided to solve my problems as best I can and I do the best I can. I have been at 201 for a month. Frustrated so I worked out really hard and I gained four lbs. haven't worked out in a week and I lost the four lbs. if you fall off the wagon don't beat yourself up. Take a short break and start again. Start with what you can do. No excuses. Then add a little every week. Always keep your diary. I'm here for support.
  • dawnwhitty
    dawnwhitty Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    Thank you! It's just so frustrating! I hate the way I look and today my doctor told me I must lose weight in order to help my overall health. Just starting so it will be challenging but I will try to not beat myself up too much! Lol. Good luck to you to!
  • SueSueDio
    SueSueDio Posts: 4,796 Member
    Options
    Good luck, Dawn, you can do this! The biggest thing purely for weight loss is eating the right amount of calories, so set up your profile here with the correct stats, check out some of the stickied posts in the forums, get yourself a food scale, and start logging. :)

    If you'd like to try and exercise, look up videos on YouTube or other sites for people with mobility issues, "chair yoga", and other such things. There's quite a bit out there now for people who have problems doing regular exercises or who have pain in particular movements, and I'm sure you could find something to get you started. Perhaps your doctor might have some suggestions too - listen to anything he/she tells you to be cautious of, and listen to your body too. Some discomfort might be expected if you haven't been active, but you shouldn't be in actual pain.

    Make a list of reasons why you want to do this, to refer to when your willpower and motivation dip (which they will, it's normal), and have at it! :)
  • MamaWalkingBear
    MamaWalkingBear Posts: 49 Member
    Options
    Hi Dawn, I was fit in my 30's and after multiple injuries, was sidelined and gained weight. My job also changed from a very active one to a desk job. The one thing that I find that really helps is taking an aquafit class or just walking in water with water "toys", so I get an upper body work out as well. Check to see if you have any fitness center, high schools or public pools that are open year round and even better if they are what are considered "therapy" pools, which keep the water temperature a bit higher than a regular indoor pool.

    Good luck and add me as a friend if you don't mind. I would love to walk through this process with another person. :) I decided years ago I don't exercise, I do activities that make me feel better, both physically and mentally :)
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    Options
    I'm sorry to hear about your leg infection - These things can certainly set us back so please don't feel guilty for not wanting to exercise. Take baby steps - Start off by keeping an eye on your food intake (Tracking is a huge help!) and come to terms with the food aspect. In time, your motivation will grow but it's important to start slow and prepare yourself for an entire life change. MFP is an amazing tool for staying on track and getting support so don't be afraid to reach out. You most certainly can do this. :)
  • dawnwhitty
    dawnwhitty Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    Thanks for all the positive feedback. Just really need the motivation to eat better and do some kind of moving!

Categories