Bummed

I'm SO aggravated! I'm almost 5 months out and have a work related injury so I can't exercise. I was injured in December and after the MRI and x-rays, it shows that I have a torn ACL and rotators cuff. The doctor says  no exercise because I can cause further injury.So now I'm depressed because I only lost 45 pounds and my weight is fluctuating. I called my NUT she says to concentrate on eating protein first, I'm like how many calories and carbs should I be eating. She said not to concentrate on that right now. I feel I should worry about that because I keep fluctuating between 10 and 11 pound gains/losses. I'm really aggravated that they don't have set eating plan for their patients. I've been winging it these past few months. I'm really scared that I will gain all the weight I've lost pus some. I'm already dealing with stress eating and depression eating. Sorry for the rant!

I don't exercise (except for gentle yoga) because of chronic migraines, and the weight did come off.  It is definitely doable.

 

I'm so sorry you're in pain.  It is depressing, that's for sure. But you can do this. 

 

Hugs.

Your NUT is actually right -- as long as you're eating appropriate portion sizes, lean protein should be your primary focus. Maintaining your lean mass and especially recovering from surgery requires quality protein.

As far as the stress eating and depression eating, that's the biggest challenge for any of us. I've had to find new coping mechanisms; it's not easy to break a lifetime of bad habits. Trust me on this. . . but you'll make it. So make sure you're truly hungry when you feel driven to eat (easier said than done). Focus on protein, focus on getting your injuries resolved so you can add exercise back into your routine. But do not give up! You'll get there!

Just keep chugging. We have quite a few sucessful members here who do not exercise due to health issues and also quite a few who do not count carbs.
Lots of us deal with stress eating too. I keep my mouth occupied with chewing gum. It works most of the time for me.

 

• These are the rules I followed/follow:
•  
• *Drink 64 ounces Liquids daily (drink up to a meal, wait 60 minutes after a meal) (I add 2 packets sugar free drink mix and 1 teaspoon Benefiber to 2-32 ounce water containers)
• *Must eat at least 60 grams of Protein a day (80 or more grams beginning at 1200 calories a day)
• *Eat dairy products that are no fat/low fat
• *Eat simple (dairy, fruit) and complex (beans, vegetables, whole grains) Carbohydrates (I do not count daily grams)
• *No more than 15 grams of Sugar per meal (more grams if able to tolerate-I allow myself up to 30 grams Sugar per meal from Simple and Complex Carbohydrate sources and also from Dairy products that are no fat/low fat because I do not seem to dump on Sugar)
• *Eat 3 main meals (B, L, D) no further than 5-6 hours apart
• *Eat 1 protein snack at 1200 calories a day at least 2-3 hours from breakfast
• *Eat 4-5 protein snacks at Maintenance calories a day at least 2-3 hours from B, L, D
• *3-6 Months After Surgery: I ate 600-700 calories a day
• *6-9 Months After Surgery: I ate 800-900 calories a day
• *9-12 Months After Surgery: I ate 1000 calories a day
• *12-24 Months After Surgery: eat 1200 calories a day (I ate 1200 calories a day until 15 months when I reached my goal weight)
• *24 Months after surgery (or when goal weight is reached before 24 months): Maintenance calories (BMR/RMR & Activity Level) (Malabsorption of calories lasts approximately 18-24 months) (I eat 1800-2000 calories a day to maintain my weight loss of 200 pounds at a weight of 131 pounds. My height is 5'4")
• * I do not participate in a formal exercise program due to Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis. I do move around a lot more and do a lot more walking.

 

This is awesome!!  I just printed out a copy.  Thanks!!

Thanks everyone. I tend to be a little dramatic! Lol! That's what my husband says. He doesn't realize that there's a lot of people expecting me to fail and I want SO bad to prove them wrong. I used to weigh 437 lbs. and I'm absolutely terrified to go back up. I'm weighing in at 256 right now but I go up and down. Today it's 256 tomorrow it might be 261. Grrr!!! I know I need to cut out all of the junk food, so I set out all of food for tomorrow already. I just get kind of discouraged because I have a hard time getting my dense protein in. I can drink protein shakes and get them in, but when it comes to chicken, turkey, or beef, I can only get about 4 bites. Then I'm stuffed. Thanks for all the advice and encouragement. I know I can do it! Thanks for the support, I really appreciate it :)

"but when it comes to chicken, turkey, or beef, I can only get about 4 bites"

What's wrong with that? How many oz is "four bites"?

I was only getting in 2 oz at 5 mo out three times a day. I can now eat 2 wings, or one thigh, a half cup of ground beef. Turkey still fills me up quickly. As you move forward you'll get more dense protein in.

Nix the junk food. Think about what you put in your mouth. My questions are why am I choosing this? what is it giving me for my health? I do not eat "perfect" I have a treat most days, might be one sugar free sugar wafer, might be 4 spice drops. But I only have that after I've gotten in all my protein for the day 60g min. and only after I answer my questions. If I'm eating it because I'm mad, sad, depressed, emotional, etc. I don't eat it. It's the best thing my therapist has taught me after surgery.

You can totally do this! I still supplement my protein with one or two shakes a day. but two meals I eat dense protein however much I can without becoming over full. I measure and never eat more than I'm allowed but there are times I can't get it in, "small pouch days".

 

I was told the same thing by my nutritionist!  I asked her how many grams of protein to aim for, she said just eat your protein first.  No calorie suggestions.  Nothing!!  It is frustrating.  The only info I've gotten has been here on this site.

Good luck to you and I hope you recuperate quickly!