airbabygurl

Hello. I'm pretty new to FitDay but I would love some advice from people dealing with the same things I'm going through. I was active and in great shape my whole life then last year (2009) I found something wrong with my back. It was an issue that happened while at work and pretty much disabled me. I have multiple things wrong with my back but most importantly, I stopped exercising. I've gained almost 100 lbs since last June...In March I started Swimming. I've been eating better and counting my calories in here. I swim at least 3-4 times per week for at least 30 minutes to an hour. I've read that swimming really doesnt help you lose weight but I'm hoping in my situation it will. Has anybody else had to go through anything like this? I've see 6 dietitions and nutritionalist and I've been tested for thyroid and all that...everything seems fine just have to find out how to get this weight off! Any replys will be great. Thank you for your time.

By the way: in June 2009 I was 158 pounds- March 2, 2010 I was 245 pounds! It's now April 6, and I'm down to 240
I know about the 3500 cal to lose a pound and anything else a dietition or nutritionalist would tell you! Thanks in advance guys.

RunbikeSki

Wow ABG, so sorry to read about your back issues - going from a go-getter to a no-gettin'-around must have had some serious impacts on pretty much all aspects of your life. I am sure that if I was in your situation I would have gained a bunch of weight too.

Here's the key I keep reading over and over... persistence. You've lost 5 lbs in a about 5 weeks which is about a pound a week - that is really good progress, you deserve to be proud of the accomplishment.

I don't know who wrote that swimming doesn't help you lose weight, but they are misinformed. Hello... Micheal Phelps... 10,000 cal/day in order to just maintain his weight when he was training. One problem that swimmers can have is that swimming makes some people hungrier than any other exercise (it does for me). I think it has something to do with regulating body temperature in water, but Beth ,the resident trainer here, may have a better idea. So as long as you don't find yourself ordering the Macho Nacho platter as a reward for you effort, you should be fine.

You are obviously well informed about what to put in your body, and you have the past experience to know how to expend energy using your body. You just need to adapt that knowledge to your present situation. And here is the hard part... have patience with yourself. A pound a week is really good for women.

I don't know what your prognosis is, but do the best you can to keep your spirits up as well. Its the attitude that can make all the difference. And keep logging in, you have found an amazing group of women here, we are here for you.

Prayers and blessings...
Pam

Lizzycritter

Someone else posted that having a hot beverage (cup of tea?) after swimming can help if you do get the munchies. Anything that burns calories will help you lose weight, as it helps you maintain that calorie deficit. Have you done any physical therapy or consulted a trainer? They'd be able to tell you what's safe and what isn't for your back, maybe there are some strengthening exercises or stretches you could do to help your back? When I was first diagnosed with my multiple arthritis and tendonitis issues, the PT was MUCH more effective than anything else, particularly for the sciatic pain I had in my right leg. Bad ileosacral joint-where the pelvis meets the spine-pinching the sciatic nerve caused me shooting pains into my foot and sometimes the whole leg would just give out. Since strengthening those muscles, that problem only rarely flares up now, and haven't fallen down in ages

jdw1969

I have had back issues for years. I had just put on weight through the years after kids , etc . I had multiple injections until I had the discectomy last year. I still have a few very bad discs.
I was already overweight by then and just couldnt get it off. I have been weight training since 3 months after the discectomy. I had pain from the recovery and just now I am alomost 100% healed on the area. I have found that proper nutrition along with excercise is working, but I only want to lose body fat so 2 pounds a week is the maximum.
To some it may sound extreme, but I gave up all processed foods basically. I don't add salt anymore and if I do it is tiny.
I eat 6-8 smaller meals a day. I am having a hard time just eating 1800 calories per day. It seems like I eat all the time, but I am never hungry. I do get cravings sometimes, but I am so full most of the time it goes away very quick.
I will allow myself to enjoy a meal here and there on a occasion an not worry about calories or processed food.
also if you do the same exact excerise for over 12 weeks your body adapts and doesnt burn as much calories. maybe water aerobics? or other water activity that burns calories?
When I was a swimmer in school I was in the best shape ever. Swimming is a great excercise.
There are so many factors to losing fat that are individual and otherwise. I have learned so much by reading stuff on the internet.
Strength training and core training have helped my back a lot, but I am careful as to what I do not to hurt it any more.
You have to give your body a rest every 12 weeks or so, but recovery is important . If you have more muscle on your body you will burn more fat. Weight doesnt always show you how you have improved.
Ps also I weigh 209 so I know how many calories it takes for bigger people. I need about 2000 calories per day to loose weight while I am training. I was eating less and not losing fat very well at all. I found at around 2000 of unporcessed foods I lose better and feel better too. It is a lot of eating!!
PS also if you are working your body out like for an hour you should eat a pre work out meal to support it and then after a post to help your muscles recover.

airbabygurl

Hello again! I didnt expect that much support but it is very appreciated! My diet right now goes like this: I have about 1 cup of coffee, a light and fit smoothie and banana all in 2 hour intervals from 7 to 10. Then at lunch I usually have a lean pocket or left over dinner from the night before. (I try cooking dinner for my husband then I eat it the next day at lunch so I eat bigger earlier in the day and smaller at night) then I have a snack (usually nuts or yogurt) every 2 hours until dinner. I eat right when I get home from work (around 4:30) then I go to the pool. Swim until about 6 and then enjoy a McDonalds fruit and nut Parfait (yummm) while my friend enjoys a big mac! LOL I've been doing this since about March 2. And like others, I do enjoy a "not so good" meal every once in awhile but I still look up the calories and fat and add it to FitDay! Like for instance last week we went out to Applebees I had a pasta and boneless buffolo wings (my weakness) but still was under almost 500 cal for my day~! So impressed! I'm now down to 235! I was 245 on March 2! I have Spondylolisthesis, DDD, arthritis, bulging disk, pars defect, and sciatica! I have been to Physical Therapy, Chiropractic, Nuerosurgery and Pain mang. I'm about to undergo pain injections in a few weeks So I'm a little scared about that but.....I'm trying.

I do appreciate the support and hopefully we all can have the weight loss we want! I'm not giving up so you guys better not either! I try to stay under at least 1800 cal a day and even when I eat every 2 hours I usually stay under 1500! However when I go out to eat~ sometimes I hit 1800-2000 but my report on here says I burn about 2600 cal a day without exercise so as long as I stay at least 500 cal away from that number- within a week I should have weight loss! Dont stop writing...I do need the support to keep doing this because it is a life changing experience and I've never had to watch these things before, when I was active and in great shape!

RunbikeSki

Hi ABG,
You have impressive resolve! At least many restaurants are increasingly aware of the tons of calories a typical meal contains and are starting to offer some healthier alternatives. Not so only a couple of years back. I got so sick of ordering salads made of pathetic iceberg lettuce that I all but stopped eating out. It is a little more enjoyable now.

Yikes! what a difficult hand you have been delt with your back. I hope the pain injections work. Certainly dropping a few pounds can't hurt, but obviously there are a bunch of physiological things going on that are out of your control. 10 lbs is great! keep up the good work. It sounds like you have a super ruitine that is working.

Pam

airbabygurl

Hey Pam~ Yeah the ruitine is great...but it's still hard! I know what you mean about the restaurants! I loveeee southern food (from SC) and I'm a huge fan of Ryan's and waffle house and checkers and (I could go on and on) but now I'm cooking alot more and luckily my husband is an amazing cook so I lucked out there! I will def stick with. I will not give up! I'm hoping to be like 160 by this time next year...it's a long term goal of mine. My short term goal is to be below 200 by July when I go home. I got 35 pounds to go and only 3 more months to get there but if I'm close to 200 I'll be happy! Thanks for the support and keep on posting!

Jaybrodz

Hi I had to do a search to even locate anyone with disablities. I originally joined this site in May 2007 when I lost down to 247 for my son't wedding from 293.5. I am a female that is 6'1", but I am also a double amputee beneath the knees. I have asked my prosthetist how much energy I exert just walking as tables and charts are of no use to me because of the lack of weight at the bottom. I kind of have to guess the amount of calories that I can eat to lose weight and even to maintain once I get to my goal weight. Although there is a need for me to exercise on a regular schedule, I tend to start and stop again. The last time I did Leslie Sasones one mile DVD and the first day I was able to do a whole mile. I got up to 2.25 miles but as usual, I quit.

The point in this long story is that I understand your delimma. From the last time I was trying to lose weight, I decided that if I didn't feel comfortable with continuing for a time, I would at least maintain. That's what I have been doing for the last few months and obviously since I am back on here, I am back at it. I tend to change my eating programs a lot out of boredom and this one, I am trying a fiber loaded one to see how that works once I get up to the daily recommended requirement.

I do excellent during the day, but in the late evening, I go off the deep end on most days. But I was reviewing and I had forgotten that three of my medications that I take, cause you to feel hungry and I take two at night. Go figure! How could I have forgotten something so important and I remember, now, that I made a conscientious effort to disregard the pangs in the evening the last time I lost weight for my son's wedding.

Anyway, that might be something that you might want to have your physician check or you can google it online--medication that causes weight gain. Also swimming is very good for you. I can still remember the one and only time I braved the pool after my operations. It's raises your mood and is definitely exercise. It's funny one comment mentioned hunger after. I had forgotten that. I swam all the time as a child and do remember feeling hungry sometimes afterward, but then it might have been because I hadn't eaten and stayed for hours in the water. You can imagine how good it felt for me to get back in a pool.

Perhaps you can go On Demand if you have cable and go to the fit channel that offers different routines for free. There is a program on public TV, I think, called Sit and Be Fit. Look online for back exercises for injured back and maybe combine the search with exercises that improve the core.

Hope this helps@

Jaynie

MollySue2

Hi Airbabygurl,

I'm sorry to hear about your troubled back!
I suffer from Spondylolisthesis as well and I found swimming to be a great exercise. I switch between breast- and backstrokes in order to avoid a stiff neck and found biking to be a great devise to reduce pain. Walking and dancing are great as well. I also tried Zumba and found that I'm absolutely painfree after a workout. Those are all exercise that do not put too much pressure on your discs, other than running for instance. I wouldn't necessarily recommend sports that force you to contord or overstretch your body - I was sure that yoga would help me, but instead I was in huge pain after I tried it. Oh, and wrist and ankle weights also affect my back in a negative way. Hope this helps...

Molly