[zerocool]

I hurt my back! A week ago Tuesday I jumped on the elliptical machine to do my 5 K warm up and about 10 min into it my back started to hurt. I stopped and switched to the bike, after about another 3 min I realized that was not helping. I want home took a hot shower and lay on the floor with a book. I could not get up. The pain was debilitating. After the second day of calling into work I had to give in to my wife's relentless suggestions, I went to a doctor. They took x-ray's, sadistically pounded on my back , gave me pills and the name of a back specialist. Days later I saw the specialist (my back was feeling quite a bit better-magic pills ). He said it was just a pulled muscle and suggested I loose some weight (duh why else would I have been at the gym). The bad; I put back on some weight being sedentary for over a week. The good (maybe); I purchased a fitness thing from an info-mercial on one of the days I was hold up on the couch. It shipped yesterday, I'll let you know how it is.
My weight loss plan seams to be centered around exercise. If I take that out of the equation the weight comes right back. Any suggestions on what to do while incapacitated?

[haleysmommy5402]

i have no help on what to do til you can get back to working out .. but i just wanted to say i hope your back gets better quickly and you can back into routine

[bargoo]

Exercise is good but exercise AND diet together is better for losing weight.

[nods]

Oh crap. This is my worst nightmare.
The only thing I can think of is swimming or water aerobics. And if your gym doesn't have a pool, that might be tough. Maybe see if you can sign up at a local Y or rec center, or university/college.

Other than that...you should send all me all your back pills since they'll just make you hungry...he he he. Just kidding. But that would make for a nice weekend marathon of watching Lost with my friends.

[autumns19]

I agree with nods. I think swimming might be a good idea. I hope your back gets better soon!

[JayEll]

Don't try to exercise until your pain is lessened. Use ice packs. Take anti-inflammatories like aspirin or ibuprofen. Follow your doctor's recommendations. You could try some mild stretches IF your doctor OK's it!

You're not alone. A lot of overweight folks launch themselves into a heavy exercise program and find their back, knees, feet, etc. can't handle it. Try to do less strenuous forms of exercise once you are better. Perhaps you are doing too fast or too heavy a level on the elliptical. That's really not necessary for weight loss.

Don't lay around and eat! Weight loss is about 80% food and 20% activity. I'd say, concentrate on your food plan--you have some time to plan it out--and just go for maintaining until you can exercise again.

Good luck! Take it easy!
Jay

[madys momma]

Drink more water and try to eat lots of fruits and veggies...try to keep pre-occupied with non food related activites...maybe get a Sodoku puzzle book or something of that nature...

[MaddiesMom]

Something similar happened to me as well. I pulled a muscle in my lower back picking up my daughter at a funny angle. It's taken over 6 weeks to get better (not sure if you had a similar injury) and now I'm finally started to feel better. I couldn't sit, couldn't walk, couldn't even stand up straight. What I found to help with the weight (since I couldn't work out) was concentrate on my eating habits. I couldn't snack as much as I wanted (mostly because it hurt too much to get off of the couch!), and I began writing down everything I ate. Just with changing my diet, I've lost 14 pounds. Maybe start working slowly on your diet and adding the exercise again when you're feeling better?

Feel better soon!

[Numina]

Oh, ouch, Zero! How frustrating!

It is hard to imagine any exercise that wouldn't involve your back, although the warm water with swimming might be good. I think I would check with my doctor before I started.

One kind of far-out idea is to visualize an exercise routine. For example, play an exercise video and imagine yourself doing the routine; visualize each movement as clearly and as strongly as you can -- but DON'T actually move those muscles. Several suites of research have shown that people actually can increase muscle strength doing this. It sounds flaky but it is the only thing I can think of that won't affect your back.

Hope you are all healed up and back in the gym really soon!

[Bee20nine]

I feel your pain literally. I hurt my back monday at the gym. I tried doing serious weight lifting for the first time in awhile, and I thought I was going light on myself. I think what did it was the 140lb leg press which I have done in the past, and I didn't calculate that to be over half my body weight this time around. I have been consistently going to the gym before this and doing some free weights, and a good bit of cardio. I had it in my mind that if I can do 40 minutes of cardio and carrying my 265lb butt everywhere why couldn't I do 140lb leg press. Silly me, and now I am paying for it literally I am going to the doc in an hour.

[Randi]

Oh wow - I am so sorry you hurt your back. Definitely listen to your doctor. But, in the meantime - like others have suggested, check your eating.

Once your back stops giving you grief, I would look at swimming (good idea Nods) and walking as options to easing back into the exercise.

I know when my Dad hurt his back really bad - he went to a Physical Therapist that gave him specific exercises to strengthen his back.... is it possible for your doctor to recommend one that you could go to so that maybe you could prevent this from happening again... I know my dad's PT worked on form and other things with him as well.

[lalique]

I hope you feel better soon! Be careful!

[recidivist]

My weight loss plan seams to be centered around exercise. If I take that out of the equation the weight comes right back. Any suggestions on what to do while incapacitated?

Don't eat so much. The only reason you are gaining weight is because you are consuming too much salt, or calories. Exercise is nice, but it's not was causes weight loss...eating less is. You need to know what your maintenance calories are and then stay below that if you want to lose. Doesn't matter if you are sedentary or into extreme sports. You jsut find your maintenance level and stay below that.

You can do it if you want to.

[TJFitnessDiva]

I would focus more on what you are eating too...esp for while you can't do any exercise. Rest up and focus on that

I hope you feel better soon!

[cfmama]

Yep. Turn your focus to your eating for sure. It might take a bit to get used to but you can do it!

I hope your back feels better soon *hugs*