Determined

Hello, and welcome!

I'm kind of sub-par as an MFP friend, but I wanted to reply with some encouragement: You're doing a very good thing, and making great progress! Be aware that the first couple of weeks of loss can be a little faster, then it can slow down . . . but if you keep chipping away at it, you'll reach your goal.

I, too, have osteoarthritis in my knees, and a least one torn meniscus (one diagnosed by MRI, I suspect the other one's torn, too). Just losing weight made a significant difference for me: So much less discomfort/pain, and so less often, now that I'm at a healthy weight. Also, it gradually improved along the way, which was a help.

I was also told I'd need surgery: Maybe some clean-up inside the knee first, but eventually knee replacement. I've been very lucky: With the weight loss, so far I've been able to continue deferring surgery, am able to do pretty much anything I really want to do, and the discomfort level stays manageable so far. I'm sure I'll need the surgery eventually, but it's certainly further in the future than we thought a few years back (. . . and I'm 66 already . . . 😉!).

As you're discovering, weight loss is really about managing calorie intake: Exercise is great for health, but eating changes can lead to weight loss, even without exercise. If your upper body is OK, you might consider taking a look at YouTube videos of seated exercise: There's quite a range, including some that are pretty vigorous (aimed at wheelchair athletes). I'm very lucky: I've been able to row and cycle, because things with straight-line hinge motions of the knee are doable for me. Sometimes there's discomfort during the activity, but it doesn't make things worse. (I do need to avoid impact, like running, or torque on my knees, like dance-y stuff or fast break games such as basketball/tennis/etc.)

One suggestion: Physical therapy helped me. My orthopedist said it wouldn't remedy the underlying condition, which is true; but I told him I wanted to see if the physical therapist could analyze how I walk and climb stairs, help me to be able to do those basics in ways that put less stress on my knees. That was quite helpful, for me.

Wishing you continued good progress with your weight management goals, and steadily less pain!