Help! My body is backsliding!

[Sajijoma 1,324]

I'm still pre op, but I've been working hard walking, doing resistance bands, fitball exercises, and basic floor exercises like leg lifts and pelvic tilts, etc. I aim for 30 mins 5/6 times a wk and I've been at this routine for about 4wks I think. This past week, my body has gone into full rebel! It started with a nagging shoulder that pops and grinds, but I pushed on. Then my knees were getting too sore to stand so I quit walking as long and tried "resting them" by doing short walks around the house when it seemed even walking to the end of the block was causing severe pain. NOW as of last night my feet and legs are swelling up to the knees and I start having leg cramps just trying to do little things. I thought I could do a little floor stretching and it would all be fine, but to my surprise, I can't lift my leg up from the floor. The pain it sends into my hip and knees is insane! What has happened to me?!? I was doing so good and was making some great progress and now I feel like I've been pulled back to square one! I was so desperate to log exercise last night I did my hand weights sitting in a chair! I don't have access to a pool or time/money to go to one for that matter, so I'm super dependent right now on exercises I can do myself from home(for free). What can I do and does anybody know why it's all going to hell now? Weeks ago I would have accepted this, but now it's just not fair! I've worked so hard to get where I was!

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Reality is reality.

The #1 rule of exercise is (or should be): Do not hurt yourself.

That requires patience and for some of us a very gradual increase in intensity.

And after you've hurt yourself you have to stop hurting yourself.

So rest.

Drink lots of Water, too.

Have patience. You didn't get to this point overnight. It's about the long haul.

Best!

[AngelaWilliamsMD 290]

Your body is trying to tell you something is wrong. I second that you should rest for now and heal. Hope that you feel better soon!

[Debbieduck4 399]

I agree with the others... Your body isn't backsliding, it's trying to send you a really strong message! It needs time to recover and restore. Drink lots of Water which is good for recovering muscles and take a day or two off from working out. Then slowly try to ease back in. But when something hurts, stop. Pain is the message... listen to it. And don't worry, you will get where you want to be in soon enough time. I can just hear the motivation in your post!

[Babbs 14,680]

Do you like to swim? Would you be comfortable finding a pool you can swim in? I think that would be perfect, low impact excerise for you! Yes, you're pushing tour body too hard. Give yourself a break, and then try to find some nice, low impact ways to move your body

[peaceout 273]

One of the biggest things I'm learning on this journey is to listen to my body. It will tell me when I'm full. It will tell me when I need more fluids. And it will tell me if I need to dial back the workouts a bit. It sounds like yours is telling you to slow down a little. It's awesome that you're trying to get a jump-start on things, but just take it as slow as you need to, and try not to get too frustrated when things aren't progressing the way you think they should.

Edited August 27, 2015 by WingFan55

[Babbs 14,680]

@

I love that, and you are so right. I am actually learning to listen to the hunger signal. There have been days I've been STARVING, and craving a certain protien like Peanut Butter. When I decide to give in and not fight it and actually eat until I'm satisfied, it never fails, I'll lose weight the next day. I think I'm finally getting the hang of knowing the difference between head hunger and actual physical hunger. It's a work in progress

[WL WARRIOR 690]

It sounds like you are overdoing it quite a bit. I lost 140 pounds in 8 months by following the bariatric diet and walking an hour a day. I'm just now signing up for a membership at the YMCA so that I can start doing strength/resistance training. I'm not a huge fan of lifting weights, but I know it will help tone and strengthen my body.

Start an exercise routine that is simple and enjoyable. Well, enjoyable enough that you will actually stick to it. During your pre op stage, you might want to start out slow (swimming, walking, biking) and work your way up. It's difficult to do high impact exercise when you are morbidly obese, but nevertheless, its still very important to get some type of exercise in. Try to keep your body in motion throughout the day by taking the stairs or parking your car far away so that you are forced to walk more. They say things like walking around Wal-Mart doesn't count, but it's still better than sitting in one of those mobile carts while grocery shopping.

[Threetimesacharm 1,400]

For most of us who are overweight or obese just carrying around our body is taxing on our joints; having said that it does sound like you are just doing too much. I agree start with walking which is good for your heart, brain, lungs and endurance. Remember that weight loss is 80% food and 20% exercise; don't think that exercise will break the bank on weight loss, you can gain weight while exercising!!

[Paige Dukes 58]

At this stage in the game for you exercising almost everyday is too much. When we start exercise regimens it is important to add gradually: 2-3 days/week max for those of us who have gone from a mostly inactive lifestyle to an active one. Also, for those of us who are carrying a considerable amount of excess weight, certain exercises can be too taxing or even dangerous for our changing bodies. I would say allow yourself time to heal then stick to a walking schedule a few times a week, then slowly add other light impact exercises and increase your endurance and strength incrementally. I would definitely suggest talking to your doctor about what he or she may suggest for a safe starting workout plan. Explain to them the symptoms you are having/ had had after the type and amount of activity you were doing.

I am a RN. I have seen too many debilitating joint injuries that have resulted from a seemingly simple or safe activity. Be safe! We all care about you and want you to succeed without doing any damage to yourself.

[Sajijoma 1,324]

I see what you all are saying, but honestly, what I am doing doesn't even exert me at all at this point. I've been doing this same routine for over 4 wks with no pains and no squeaks and then literally overnight everything began to fail. I think I've discovered at least part of the reason which made itself more clear this afternoon when the rash showed up followed by fatigue so bad I could even get out of the chair in the school room before passing out. I have lupus and have enjoyed it being in remission for several years while I was pregnant and usually by now, I'd be pregnant again after having a baby so it's just been keeping the lupus at bay and now without being pregnant, my lupus is out of remission and making up for lost time. I put in a call to my dr and hopefully can get back on some medications to keep it under control. Funny thing about Lupus. It sucks!

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I am so sorry that your Lupus has reappeared. Definitely talk to your doctor. I hope they can help you feel much better soon.

[Sajijoma 1,324]

I am so sorry that your Lupus has reappeared. Definitely talk to your doctor. I hope they can help you feel much better soon.

thanks I have an appt tomorrow morning. I just hope it doesn't come with a huge weight gain. The meds always made me gain and I have been doing so well in my 90 day program and don't want to lose any of that loss.

[FocusOnMeNow 599]

If you are getting cramps, please eat a banana, have a low sodium V-8 etc and get some potassium. Most Vitamins have NO potassium. Even my potassium supplements from whole foods have only 3% of the USRDA per caplet. If your joints (ankles, knees) are getting swollen and sore then please also soak yourself in epsom salt bath (which in addition to being soothing also absorbs magnesium via your skin). Finally, it sounds like you are doing a lot but did not specifically mention how you are stretching. Stretching and myofascial release (via massage or roller) really helps to ease some of the pain and swelling. I personally am too heavy to do foam roller (I cannot balance 250+ lbs on my tiny wrists), but you can get something that is like a "roller stick" from target for like $20 and roll your own muscles. Knee issues also possibly IT band syndrome issue. Custom orthotics while expensive make a tremendous difference. I also have "Vionic" slippers which have built in orthotics. They are expensive but I spend more time going up and down the stairs in my house than I ever could in any workout. And as other posters have said...GET SOME REST. Maybe try stretching every other day instead of doing your strength training and gradually add more strength training as you go. And some days you might want to just take an off day altogether. Last but not least, SALONPAS Patches are dirt cheap at Walmart or Target. Slap one patch on each knee before bed at night and wake up to a lot less swelling. BUT do NOT do this two weeks pre-op without checking with your doctor first. There is an aspirin derivative in SALON-PAS, which maybe something they want you to discontinue pre-op. Maybe also ask them about Biofreeze which is pure menthol and helps with joint aches pain and swelling. Again, I'm not a doctor so it could be that NEITHER of these is ok for pre-op but these are "topical" medications that might not have the same side effects as systemic NSAIDs (or they might so please check with your Dr. first). Good luck. Keep up the good work. Be kind to yourself. Rome wasn't built in a day;-)

[Sajijoma 1,324]

I went to the doctor today and he confirmed I'm most definitely having a lupus flare up. My face has the classic butterfly rash and all my joints are swollen and so are my lymph nodes in my neck, and armpits and my eyes and apparently throat are both red and swollen too(I didn't notice the throat, but it's also allergy season and i have post nasal drip 24/7). I also have huge red bloody scabs all in my scalp like a bad chemical treatment. I had those when I first got diagnosed years ago. At this point, I haven't exercised in nearly a week except for 2lb hand weights in a chair. Just lots of Epsom salt baths. The only thing that may be "exercise related" he thinks is my shoulder which is grinding like it may have a tear and he wants me to follow up with orthopedic to see if I have some kind of issue there. I did notice it was getting "crunchy" so probably "something" there that inevitably will be on my "you're too fat for surgery come back when you lose weight" list. As for the lupus, I got a few shots and a sack full of drugs from the pharmacy and told to keep moving as much as I can, but don't overdo because it will get worse if I do nothing or too much(which I kinda already knew). It's like arthritis on crack. It's kind of a damned if ya do dammed if ya don't situation. The fatigue is so bad I had to take a nap this afternoon from just going to the doctor. Hoping that in a few days once everything kicks in, I'll be feeling better. On the bright side, I did buy a new hot pink exercise ball to Celebrate my 20lb loss and it arrived today so can't wait to get to use it! (Keep positive, right?)