How do you do this with chronic pain?

speakr5 · October 2016

Is anyone else dealing with chronic pain? I have serious issues with my feet which make exercising very difficult. Throw in a 2 year old and getting out to a pool or cycling are also difficult. The irony is that losing weight will help ease the pain....but exercise is difficult and the pain is depressing which sometimes leads to emotional eating. So if you're in a similar position please I would love to hear how you're handling things..TIA.

seska422 · October 2016

Exercise is great but isn't required to lose weight. You need to consume fewer calories than your body uses in order to lose weight. There isn't as much wiggle room when you can't exercise off a few extra calories so you have a smaller and more rigid calorie budget.

Fuzzipeg · October 2016

As seska says exercise is not required to loose weight. I know pain is a real problem for many. It gets us in our own places. Doing any extra movement will help. Some do upper body movements sitting because of foot and/or leg problems. Working on your posture, standing holding yourself properly for a second or so, could help you feel better in yourself. Specifically for your feet, while in a warm bath you could flex them as you are able this could improve your muscle tone, which could make your pain less, weak muscles can and do hurt. If you have stairs at home you could try an extra climb, say take the ironing up in two trips, simple things like this will help. With a little one I don't think you need to think of weight lifting, you've been doing this for two years, friendly giggle.

The best thing is to do what you can. I have seen housework logged as exercise, it all depends on your personal level of activity. Walking to the shop is exercise. Taking a gentle walk round the block for 5 minutes with your sidekick adds up, better if there is a park near by with more things to talk about. My sister used to take her little one to the pool with her, they had mother and child time near by, so they could play and move in the water together.

The amount of exercise one takes or not, is simply as much as you can, what you feel able, without hurting yourself. All the very best, and take care.

xX_PhoenixRising_Xx · October 2016

I have chronic nerve pain, it effects my face, eye, neck, shoulders and arms. I can't do any exercise that puts stress or pressure through my body, and I'm a personal trainer so you can imagine how much that causes problems.

My advice is that you have to get food under control first. Think positive and do what exercise you can. Some days for me that's hardly anything, and others are much better. But you can create the deficit you need with food. I was maintaining after losing 150lbs but with a major flare up a few months ago I did gain some back. I know how hard it is! But make a plan and set some achievable goals and you can lose weight!

speakr5 · October 2016

Thanks everyone! You've all been so helpful and inspiring. x

amusedmonkey · October 2016

I've had chronic back pain for years following an accident. On my good days I exercise when I can handle it, but there are days when I can't even walk a couple of steps without assistance. On these days I either eat a smaller amount of calories and suck it up or eat at "Immobile" level of maintenance (it's not listed on MFP so I adjust it manually) and go a while without weight loss. It sucks, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Exercise is nice and all, and it does help with dieting, but it's not 100% required for weight loss. be mentally prepared for slower loss though.

Have you considered this hand operated stationary bike thing? There are some cheap compact models you could buy.

H_Ock12 · October 2016

You can lose weight on a calorie deficit without having to exercise. But if you want to exercise, I encourage you to! My method is to exercise in the morning, doing what I can, when I can...and not feeling guilty on days I can't due to overwhelming fatigue or a flare (MS/RA). Have you heard of the spoon theory? If not, give it a "google"!

tcunbeliever · October 2016

I take MSM (4.5g - 3x/day) for my chronic pain, but it's due to carpal tunnel and arthritis, so not sure that would be a workable alternative for all forms of chronic pain. No pain = easy to workout and be active...it does take about a month to start working, just in case anyone is looking to try, it's not an overnight cure.

EmPersson · October 2016

I have rather mild arthritis that keeps me feeling down, but I've found a good way to keep the body moving when it needs it the most is through yoga - slow, thoughtful movement that helps you understand where you body is that day, and being accepting of it. Yoga can be done anywhere, at any time, and should aid in easing pain to help you get back to whatever other exercise you really like to do. And, yes, I agree with the others, lower the calories when you are moving less. But, perhaps focus on anti-inflammatory foods might help, too, like a more Mediterranean meal plan.

SbetaK · October 2016

Am assuming you have sought medical advice and therapy for your feet issues? Without knowing what is causing your problems, here is a great website that covers many different foot issues to look at and see if something might help you. http://www.foot-pain-explored.com/

There are exercise routines that can be found by googling for people who can't walk, such as wheel-chair exercises. Perhaps you could find one of these and adapt some of them to your own needs at home. Get a kid-sized chair for your 2 year old and do them together!

Honiebabe · October 2016

speakr5 wrote: »

Thanks everyone! You've all been so helpful and inspiring. x

Hi! I have was in a car accident about 5 years ago and my heel was shattered,I also have degenerative nerve damage in my back, so I can't do alot of exercises others can do. With that said, I have lost 69.5 lbs, it's been hard and a bit painful at times but here's some of what I've done. When my pain is high, I do chair exercises (lots on U tube) and I just add in hand weights. One of my favs is chair Zumba

shadowfax_c11 · October 2016

I've had chronic knee pain for years. For my issues taking a joint supplement has helped. Also regular chiropractic care, massage and being very aware of the condition of my shoes. I have to replace shoes every 6 months or as soon as they show wear. Unbalanced feet leads to unbalanced body which puts more strain on the joints.

Losing some weight has helped as well but they still get pretty sore when weather is coming. As long as I know that the pain is not a warning of new damage being done I just push through it. If the pain is telling me there is real imminent danger of re-injury I stop or at least slow down.

ElvenToad · October 2016

I have a bulged disk in my back and was told by a specialist that surgery wouldn't help and that I would just have to live with it. That was 10 years ago so I've been living with the pain for quite a long time now. There were weeks where I couldn't even stand let alone walk. Had to crawl to the bathroom, it was horrible. That would happen monthly so combine that with a lifetime of disordered eating habits and feeling sorry for myself. I ate to pass the time and for comfort. I was miserable and felt stuck in my never ending loop of self hatred, and depression. Didn't care enough about myself to do anything other than eat myself into a food coma every single day.

It wasn't until years later that I finally felt desperate enough to make any effort. I found mfp at 268lbs and in extreme pain 90% of the time. It was really tough but I just stuck with walking and weighing/logging my foods.

During the past 2.5 years that I've been here I've lost 140lbs and am now at a healthy weight for the first time in my life. The pain got MUCH better over time and now I am pain free 90% of the time with only a few days here and there where it bothers me. I do have to be very careful though, one wrong move and I can really hurt myself.

Once I got under 200lbs I started jogging in place rather than walking. And I slowly progressed the amount of time each week until I made it up to 30 minutes twice per day. That's where I am now and I'm in maintenance. I fully conquered my disordered eating habits and made a real lifestyle change that is permanent. There is no going back, ever.

My quality of life improved tenfold by losing the weight! I'm sure taking all that pressure off my back from the excess weight helped immensely, and also the daily exercise.

I am very grateful that I stuck with the process and feel like I am finally living my life happy and healthy

cwolfman13 · October 2016

speakr5 wrote: »

Is anyone else dealing with chronic pain? I have serious issues with my feet which make exercising very difficult. Throw in a 2 year old and getting out to a pool or cycling are also difficult. The irony is that losing weight will help ease the pain....but exercise is difficult and the pain is depressing which sometimes leads to emotional eating. So if you're in a similar position please I would love to hear how you're handling things..TIA.

The good news is that MFP's calorie target is based on no exercise...just eat to your calorie target and be as accurate as possible with your logging and you'll lose weight...exercise is awesome, but it's not necessary to lose weight.

Exercise when and where you can...but focus primarily on hitting your calorie targets.

SbetaK · October 2016

And for those of you with knee issues, the foot website I listed above is the sister site to the one I use because I am recovering from a shattered kneecap. Learning to bend my knee again and strengthen my muscles so I can move again. http://www.knee-pain-explained.com/

cooliocat123 · October 2016

So inspiring to read your stories! I have chronic back pain due to a bulging disc, which makes it impossible for me to run, jog, jump rope, or do other high impact exercises. Some days I can't stand. Right now I mainly walk and do gentle yoga, when I can. If I am careful then I can dance.

Spliner1969 · October 2016

I have been in pain to some degree every day of my life since I was about 17 years old. When I was 17 I lifted something I should not have and herniated a disc in my lower back (L4/L5). I got through it then but had pain to some degree for the next 15 years off and on. Then I lifted something else I should not have and managed to cause it to bulge enough that part of the disc had to be removed surgically and I had some permanent sciatic nerve damage to go along with it. After that I gave up, the pain was so horrible I never wanted to experience it again. So I went to work (desk job) every day, went home and sat in a recliner the rest of the evening, and spent all my spare time in those recliners. I did quit smoking as well, so you can imagine the result of that. I ate myself into morbid obesity. In January of 2015 I weighed 305 pounds and was living with pain every day, not to mention had been just diagnosed with high blood pressure and put on medicine for it. Something had to change.

I also folded my right knee sideways about a dozen years back, and have had various broken bones. At the first of January 2015 not only was the high blood pressure getting bad, but the pain in my knees would wake me up in the middle of the night. They just couldn't take the weight and the poor health any more. My doctors tell me I have arthritis, and that I'll probably always have it in my knees and my back. The back though is the main thing, it hurts just about every day to some degree until at least I get up, do some stretches (yay yoga!) and get to exercising. Even with all of that I still have chronic pain and I take Tylenol and Advil to get through most days. I'd say my pain level probably never drops below a 2 on a 10 scale, and some mornings it's as high as 5 or 6 getting out of bed (spinal stenosis has set in).

What I can tell the OP is this. It gets better if you lose the weight. Do what you have to do, it is worth the effort. I even managed to re-herniate the old disc and 2 additional ones walking my first year using MFP (I did it twice in 2 months). I was down for almost two weeks both times (as in I slept on the floor and crawled to the bathroom, and my wife served me dinner on the floor while I popped opiates like candy). I did not give up though. I healed, learned new yoga techniques, and learned how to exercise my muscles without doing more harm. Every day I live with the fact that I may push myself too hard and I may go down again, but if I do, I'll get through it and I'll try again. I also take Osteo Biflex every day which definitely has helped over time with the knee pain. Yoga helps the back, and continuing to build muscle around my damaged joints and bones/cartilage continues to reduce my pain. As other posters have mentioned you don't even have to exercise at first, simply practice CICO using MFP and lose enough weight so that you can exercise more comfortably. You got this. Put your mind to it and off you go.

How do you do this with chronic pain?

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