Broken ankle, need help!

liftevenif · July 2021

I'd love to keep working toward my goals while I'm kinda useless from the knee down. Will being in a constant calorie deficit help me lose fat with such minimum activity? Should i focus on high protein?

goal06082021 · July 2021

A calorie deficit is the only thing you need to lose fat, so yes. You will need to eat less while you're not able to move as much if you want to continue to lose, although there is an argument to be made for shifting to maintenance while you heal. Focus on whatever macro split keeps you satiated - if that's protein for you, go for it, but some people find fat to be more satiating and still others like a lower-density, higher-volume diet to feel full (like, a big ol' plate of veggies - you'd have to try very hard to top 500 calories' worth of raw or steamed vegetables, if you need to eat a lot of something to feel full).

SilverJem77 · July 2021

I broke my ankle exactly one year and one day ago (a really bad bimalleolar fracture). Here's my advice: focus on healing and resting!!!

It's a very long, hard recovery and for me it was super emotional. I wasn't active on MFP during that time and while I wish I had been tracking my calories, I was constantly exhausted. Some days just showering was hard enough or even changing my clothes. Be kind to yourself! Eat at maintenance or below. Your body needs all the nutrients it can get healing. There will be plenty of time for exercise later.

I am so sorry you are going through this. ((((Huge hugs)))) I hope you heal fast.

heybales · July 2021

A deficit is the ONLY way to lose fat.

Everything else just aids that endeavor, makes it easier to adhere and sustain to.

More protein can help it be mainly fat lost, perhaps no muscle. That may also fill you up allowing keeping a reasonable deficit easier.
Protein doesn't like automatically cause muscle to be kept though - muscle has to be used or the body figures it's extra calorie burner not needed. Slowly looses it.

Here's the problem though - deficit while healing is HUGE mistake.
Complete axxbackwards to give the body less calories when it's desiring more to heal.
If you want the healing to drag out longer, or be not as good, then go for it. Likely it'll break down sooner and you'll have problems and you'll lose the time anyway.

Plus anytime in diet anyway, body is looking at where it's cutting calories from - and muscle mass is always at risk anyway.
You are going to have muscle you won't even be using while healing - great way to kiss it goodbye.

Yes - I'm try to scare you because it's an awful idea.

I had trimalleolar fracture and in the boot for 3 months, slowly being allowed more range of movement and weight.
The day after I was released I did a 40 mile group bike ride no issue.

Full body resistance training is your friend right now - and eating at maintenance, don't attempt any weight loss.
Do you have access to gym with machines?
Something at home?
Just bodyweight?

I was able to use machine all around, gym folks got used to seeing me hobble around on crutches.
As I was given weight limit and range of motion increases, I'd do leg press machine for the calf with boot on and that weight, and specific calf raises at the weight limit.
When ankle could bend enough to spin a pedal I did spin class non-standing, pushing as much as allowed.

You can do a lot as you are allowed to do more. But please don't make it worse by attempting a diet - just hold steady, keep strong, and that way when you come out of the recovery you'll be strong enough to do more - and that may just aid the diet.

liftevenif · July 2021

Thanks guys! That's great advice. I've already been out of commission 6 weeks, so I think I'm feeling gross and want to get going. But yall are right. Not the best idea right now.

heybales · July 2021

Again - you can get going - as in movement.

Diet is not a good idea for weight loss right now though.

What do you have available to you - gym, home, weights, body weight, ect?

Are you in the type of boot where the Dr sets an angle of movement allowed?
Some progressive adding of range is desired, hope your Dr isn't too old school, or perhaps your ankle break is different than others.

Janele0627 · July 2021

Fitness Instructor Caroline Jordan on Youtube has a lot of excellent workout videos to do when you have an injured foot or are in a boot. I did a lot of chair cardio with her after my knee injury.

HoneyBadger302 · July 2021

Agree with those who say this is NOT the time to focus on "losing" weight - that said, you really shouldn't be gaining it, either

High protein is extremely important for healing - so definitely incorporate more of that if you can (shakes were the easiest way for me to do that).

I had a pilon fracture that had me off my leg for just over 2.5 months. The emotional side of all of that (and the complications after the fact, and the fact that kind of injury left me with - shortcomings - that will haunt me until the day I die or chop it off) was a whole other matter.

As for exercise, anything seated and upper body is obviously a free for all. Going on a "walk" on crutches is a crazy hard workout! A lot of house work on crutches adds a level of unique workout as well (I was - well, still am - single and didn't have that much extra money when I broke my leg, so learning to take care of the house on my own was a requirement - yes, it sucked, big time, especially at first, but I'm glad I was "forced" do to all the things as it made me creative and kept me moving).

If your ortho is cool with it, there came a point my doc was okay with me getting on a stationary bike with "0" resistance too, which let me get that leg moving without impact to the healing bones (or extremely minimal "impact/pressure."

Broken ankle, need help!

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