Has anyone gone from completly immoble to walking again?...

emandbri
emandbri Posts: 45
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
I had foot surgery 6 1/2 weeks ago and couldn't put any weight on my right foot at all. I had to spend the last 6 weeks either in bed or on the couch with my foot elevated. I still managed to lose weight by keeping track of what I was eating, the only exercise would get was modified yoga.

I took my first steps last Friday and I'm doing great! I used the crutches for only one day and since then have been walking fine, slow but fine. I'm still resting as much as possible.

I'm trying not to freak out but last Sat I gained 7 lbs in one day. I am not due for AF, it is due in 9 days. I normally wouldn't weigh myself two days in a row but I was curious to see if my weight would be the same standing on 2 feet instead of balancing on one like I have been for the last 4 weeks. I then weighted myself balancing on one foot and it was the same. It has now been 3 days and I'm still 7 lbs up.

I was under my calorie goal Friday and was down 32 calories for the week at the time and ended 16 under. I was 27 under last week as well. I'm on a med called Lyrica and I I forgot to take one Friday but I don't think missing a dose would make me gain, if anything a side effect of the med is gaining weight. I was supposed to take it at 2pm, took it at 5pm and then skipped my 10pm since last time I took two doses too close together it gave me weird muscle twitches.

I'm going to call the Dr. today to see about stopping the Lyrica.

Could it something is screwed up with my metabolism from sitting for so long? I would think walking would make me lose not gain! This is so frustrating!

Replies

  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    is your tom soon? i generaly gain 2-4kg(4-8lbs) whilst before nd during. how is your sodium levels? are you drinking enough water? x
  • abellante_0205
    abellante_0205 Posts: 368 Member
    how long have you been immobile? Usually you lose muscle if you don't use them, and I believe that once you start working out, those muscles come back and it kinda makes you gain weight because muscle weighs more than fat.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    You have a number of variables going on that make it difficult to compare scale weights or even use the scale as a reliable indicator. Forced inactivity can result in some noticeable losses in fat free mass (I'm not talking about muscle only--there are significant fluid shifts, changes in stored glycogen, etc). Weighing yourself standing on one foot could affect things as well, depending on type of scale.

    In short, I think you are going to have to "play it as it lays" for now, to use a golf term. Just accept the numbers and monitor them. Some of the short-term changes might resolve themselves relatively quickly. It may be a temporary setback, but if you are able to get back on the same plan as before, you should be OK in the long run. I know it is discouraging to see the numbers go up, but you just have to believe in yourself and your program and get back on the horse, so to speak.
  • cedarhurst2006
    cedarhurst2006 Posts: 378 Member
    I lost the majority of my weight not being mobile but changing my eating habits. After a hospital stay, I came home using a walker. I couldn't climb a flight of stairs and had physical therapy in my home 2x a week. I gradually moved to a cane and once I gained some strength back, I started walking on a walking path with the cane - got up to about 2 miles. I then joined the gym (with cane in hand) and started doing the treadmill and bike. I tried the elliptical but only could do 2 min. I am now up to 40 minutes. I lost alot of muscle strength and it took a while to gain it back. Try to do a little more each day - whether it's distance, time standing or time walking. The physical therapist used to literally have me walk back and forth across the living room and time me. My exercises were leg lifts, ab lifts while laying on a bed and alternating knee lifts and side leg raises while standing holding onto the back of the chair.

    I have also learned that meds can really play havoc with weight loss. See what your doctor says but just keep moving ahead - I'm sure you will be fine!
  • busywaterbending
    busywaterbending Posts: 844 Member
    I had a complete reconstruction to my right knee, and a displaced left pelvic bone that left me crippled for 6 months. Relearning how to walk, and dealing with the weight gain was not fun.

    It took me 2 years of walking, then running (was told I'd never run again, but that is due to no cartliage), strength training...

    Once I was healthy I started doing things I never thought possible, like jumping, tumbling, surfing, skating.... You can do anything you put your mind to, if you stay focused and have patience. Diet is key. Get on a good diet plan and don't worry that you may be dieting wrong. Diet is about learning what your body needs nutrition wise, and you may want to start researching low glycemic index and the paleo diet.

    Body for Life is a really good book, and an easy read to understand how to properly exercise, a definete must read. Don't get sucked into the supplements advice in that book, focus on the information on how to exercise and recover.

    as for your medicine, you need to understand that all medicine has serious side effects 100% of the time. Lyrica http://www.medicinenet.com/pregabalin_lyrica/article.htm
    has some pretty serious side effects, and depletes your body of your b vitamins. You should up your magnesium intake to some seriously high levels to replace the lyrica, since magnesium alone will do what the lyrica does. for more info. look up angstrom minerals http://www.angstrom-mineral.com/angstrom-minerals/angstrom-calcium-magnesium.html
    Happy training!
  • emandbri
    emandbri Posts: 45
    Thanks all. To answer questions AF isn't due yet. I've been completely immobile for 6 weeks but had limited mobility before that. I hurt my foot last July so I've been dealing with this for a year. Before the surgery I could only be out an hour shopping and such before my foot would hurt.

    I just did a google search on Lyrica and weight gain and found this.

    "Just got off the phone with Pfizer because I too have gained weight especially aroung my midsection and upper belly area."

    I can totally tell that it is in my belly, so it isn't from muscle gain.

    I just find it very odd that I've been on the med for 3 weeks and just now had the weight gain side effect.

    Someone else said they have been craving sweets. I normally crave sweets but I have noticed that I'm craving them more.

    I really think this is the cause of this. I'm hoping the weight will go away when I stop it.
  • busywaterbending
    busywaterbending Posts: 844 Member
    Emandbri,
    It takes a couple of weeks for your minerals and b vitamins to be depleted, but once the b vitamins are gone, the liver goes whacko and your body immedietely goes into trying to put on fat to store minerals mode.

    Hang in there, and please start pumping some water and minerals into you, with good nutrition you will see the weight gained drop right off!
  • emandbri
    emandbri Posts: 45
    I'm drinking tons of water, one of the side effects of the med is being thirsty. I take a vitamin every day, the vit B12 is 12 mcg which is 200% daily recommendation and I don't see magnesium. Is that enough b 12? If I'm stopping the meds do I need to still take magnesium supplements?

    Thanks for the help!
  • emandbri
    emandbri Posts: 45
    Dr. said to wean myself off the Lyrica. 2 today, 1 tomorrow.
  • 8rules
    8rules Posts: 169
    If you are spending a lot of time during the day prone, or laying down, or feet elevated, this is the equivalent to laying down all die on your metabolic rate. Adjust MFP accordingly, I should think.

    When I was a nurse, admittedly very long ago, we learned that someone suddenly become immobile usually means weight gain. You should be commended for keeping it off as well as you have.

    There is an "arm bike" in my gym that provides an absolutely astounding cardio workout if you PUSH yourself. That is the key here. PUSH yourself. I do circuits on that thing that absolutely kill me LOL I mean, there is a puddle under the machine when i am done. And wow, nice shoulder work to boot! And the nice thing about shoulder work for ladies is it helps elevate their bust region by providing that nice tightness across your upper back with sound strong muscles. :) Something often over looked as women tend to focus on chest muscles for this.

    Also, not sure if you can swim, but swimming is absolutely stellar cardio. PERIOD. And usually excellent rehab.
  • 8rules
    8rules Posts: 169
    And if you need motivation:

    http://youtu.be/6fmiwujYBmY
  • emandbri
    emandbri Posts: 45
    Thanks 8rules for the kind words and the video, it was AWESOME! made me cry!

    I did change my settings to lose 1/2 lbs a week and to sedentary. I tried to keep the settings the same for a while but I kept going over and was so discouraged I would eat more stuff figuring I was already over!
  • busywaterbending
    busywaterbending Posts: 844 Member
    swimming is definetely awesome, and upper body weights helped me allot. Good advice from previous poster.

    As for B12, you need all the B vitamins, and 200% is probably not enough if you are depleted. When it comes to solid vitamins, studies prove that you only absorb 7 - 10% of a hard vitamin. so, that means only, at most, you get 20% of what that 200% B12 vitamins says it packs.

    Magnesium is key for being able to utilize vitamins. Minerals are overlooked by doctors and nutritionists all the time *shakes head* With out Magnesium, you can not even begin to absorb and utilize your B vitamins. No B vitamins = tired, weak, poor liver function, and weight gain. Not to mention long term effects like depression and muscle loss.

    Also, up your cardio. Go hard every third day for at least a half hour of so-hard-a-sprint-in -the-pool (or other exercise) you feel like you will puke. Get that heart rate up. You won't die. You have to get that heart rate up. That's the best way to burn calories.

    Best wishes, happy training.
  • emandbri
    emandbri Posts: 45
    It has now been a week and I'm down 2 lbs, maybe the weight is slowing disappearing, I can still feel the added belly weight. I can't bring myself to update my weight, too depressing.

    I went to the dr. and he totally blew me off and said it wasn't the meds, I really do think it was though.

    I'm doing more and more each day and walking better and better. Still really tired though from laying around for weeks.
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