i have a shoulder injury and need tips how to continue losing weight and exercising without pain.

I am very disappointed. My highest weight was 240lbs. I quit soda when I saw that number and in a week I was down to 234lbs which is when I started to track my weight loss. I was down to 217lbs. I was in a car accident and have a rotator cuff injury. It didn't fully set in until 6 months after the accident, all the time up until then I had been losing weight. I couldn't lift more then 5lbs or my shoulder would lock. My doctor said it sounded like frozen shoulder. It took a long time to get physical therapy, I was a passenger so I had to go through the drivers insurance who was very difficult and took almost 6 months to get treatment! I had spasms everyday in my shoulder going up my neck, I practically stopped using my left arm. I had. Immense pain, even drinking from a glass in my hand was painful. It was too hard to put my hair in a ponytail, sometimes I couldn't take off my shirt my shoulder was that bad. To this day It still hurts to lay on my arm and use my hand for long periods of time. I also have depression so this made me miserable and I really wanted to die. I over used my right arm and then that arm got bad by the time I got physical therapy. I have a moderate to severe shoulder injury and I go to physical therapy 3 times a week. It hurts to run, the swinging motion kills, it feels like a knife pushed into the centre of my rotator cuff. It hurts to do sit-ups, and to extend my arm above my head. I tried to do water aerobics and that hurt. My arm is a lot better than it was before, but my healing feels stuck. I am still in pain everyday, I only get muscle spasms if I'm stressed or lift to much or over use my arm. It is very difficult to live my life, and work in pain constantly. I couldn't exercise due to the pain, couldn't even walk my huskies. I stopped eating healthy and it's been about a year to a year and a half since I've been exercising and eating healthy. This last few months I've been really drinking the coca-cola and as of August I stopped drinking water every day at work and have been drinking any soda. Im now weighting in at 232.6 lbs and I am 5 foot 7 (170cm exactly). I am overweight and I need to get healthy and I am very disappointed as it took a year to get off that 40lbs. I would really like to get back into eating healthier, giving up the soda and the sweets ( really have a sweet tooth lately) and finding any exercise I can do. If anyone with a shoulder injury could give me advice on exercises I could do that would be greatly appreciated. And if anyone could give me some tips to get off the soda and sweets and to actually eat and get healthy it would be fantastic. I really wish my injury would heal, I fear I will be in pain forever. I just turned 21 last week and I need to get in shape and get healthy. Thanks In advance for all your tips, comments, and advice. It's been a rough couple of years and I'm finding it so hard.

Replies

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited December 2016
    Losing weight is about calorie defecit so keep logging ..swap out full calorie soda for diet ...weigh your sweets and log before eating

    As for exercise do what you can and walk lots ..tie dog leads round your waist
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
    Frozen shoulders take time to heal. It will get better if you take care - you won't be in pain forever. I agree with the above about dog walking - a couple of years ago I fractured my shoulder but was able to carry on walking my dog using a lead that fixes around the waist. And you can walk without the dogs too.
    I can't advise about weight loss as I'm trying to gain but the principle applies - log all your food and eat in a deficit!
    Chronic pain is depressing and exhausting and I feel for you but it will get better!
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    edited December 2016
    MissGD95 wrote: »
    I would really like to get back into eating healthier, giving up the soda and the sweets ( really have a sweet tooth lately) and finding any exercise I can do. If anyone with a shoulder injury could give me advice on exercises I could do that would be greatly appreciated. And if anyone could give me some tips to get off the soda and sweets and to actually eat and get healthy it would be fantastic. I really wish my injury would heal, I fear I will be in pain forever. I just turned 21 last week and I need to get in shape and get healthy. Thanks In advance for all your tips, comments, and advice. It's been a rough couple of years and I'm finding it so hard.

    Simple: Dump the soda and sweets cold turkey. Switch to water, green tea, black tea and a snack of an apple a day. We can't help you with that - only you can help yourself. A few days of cravings and you'll get over it. No pain, no gain. You don't need sweets and soda to enjoy food and life, so just dump 'em - and move on to lower calorie things. The sugar highs and lows you have been experiencing (sugar comas) are worth dumping. So there's my advice: just dump 'em all at once cold turkey and move on with your life. I do advocate a square or two of dark chocolate (say 85% - 86% cacao) as a possible snack every now and then.

    In terms of exercise - do you have access to a gym to sit and spin on one of their recumbent exercise bikes? That's what I would suggest as your shoulder(s) can remain immobile while you spin and pedal away to burn some calories, and work your aerobic engine. That would be a lot more pain free for your shoulder's current condition based on what you describe.

    I've been working though a shoulder issue all year (currently still working on it). It still is not up to full mobility and pain free, but I can relate to the pain of combing hair, difficulty dressing and undressing, reaching for the seatbelt in the car, clothes in the dryer, anything overhead, etc... from a frozen shoulder. PT, and lots of work has gotten it better over the months, but it has taken nearly 6-7 months to get to where I am. I can do push-ups again, lift some weights (not all lifts yet), and I have been riding my bike the entire time.

    Best of luck. Dump the sweets. Get on a recumbent exercise bike and burn some kcals.

  • shadowloss
    shadowloss Posts: 293 Member
    I think I can empathize with you a bit. 6 months ago I was in a motorcycle accident that landed me in ICU for 8 days. I broke 5 ribs and my scapula (Shoulder) along with multiple internal injuries. Needless to say it's been a slow recovery. My shoulder still hurts when I left, but I have the luxury of working with some physical therapists. My advise was to start slow, with some resistance bands (not weights) but things like surgical tubing. Just keep moving the shoulder to try and regain some strength.

    As for the pain I just work through some of it. In my case it's not a debilitating pain, but it hurts. In fact, if I sit more than 10-15 minutes and get up, my whole body still hurts from the trauma it went through. I have just come the the realization that it's not going to get better by wishing it away, I actually have to do the work to repair it.

    Again, this is me and I only say I appreciate your situation, but as others have said, only you can change it. There is no magical formula. If the shoulder is still bothering you as you have said, make sure you keep your doctor in the loop so you don't make it worse. I'm sure s/he can suggest some great exercises to start with?

    Good Luck.
  • MissGD95
    MissGD95 Posts: 3 Member
    Thank you all so much for the advice! From where I started out with my shoulder, it's so much better! It's not 100 percent but I'm so afraid it will get stuck where it's too. I have started drinking more water this past week, and been cutting out the Tim Hortons. I'm very glad to hear from people who have shoulder injuries and to see how strong you all are, and to see those who have it worse and are still so positive! I know I'm the only one who can make a change, I was very motivated the first time when I made it down to the 210s. That was the best feeling! It won't be easy but I will put all my will power into cutting out the junk cold turkey! I've actually been keeping water on my night stand and drinking a bit if I wake up. You're all very inspiring, and I will think of you when it gets tough and remember that you all pushed through it and that it takes time!


  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    All good suggestions above. I've had 6 shoulder operations. While in the sling/recovering I was able to to the exercise bike walk, weight machines and bands for the legs.

    Best of luck.