So... I've always been a big girl...
I had fractured my ankle and walked on it for over 5 years before I was able to get it fixed (I now have two screws in it and cannot do the side to side motion on my foot) my weight blossomed due to not being able to do more then walk for work without severe pain and during that timeframe I also got pregnant. My surgery has been less then a year ago for my ankle but I'm still scared of messing it back up again as o can't afford not to work and it laid me up for 6 months straight after surgery of not being able to walk..... Any low impact suggestions for exercise? I have sweating to the oldies on DVD and several Wii games including zumba and just dance and country dance one and two. Would these help me build up to more weight loss? The less I weigh the less amount of pressure is on my ankles and I would feel better about myself too.

Did you ever go to physical therapy? Do you have any access to a gym?

I lost 70 lbs in 3 months with a busted knee (basically strained ligaments) and I could barely walk. I did upper body weights, careful lower body weights and recumbent exercise bike during that time.

Weight loss is mostly dietary restriction but getting in some exercise will help.

Leslie Sansone walking workouts are very low impact and easy to modify although they have a lot of lateral movement but you can modify.

But, yea, exercise helps with weight loss over time, but is largely a function of diet.

Hello fellow fusion!!! Mine was in '01. Fell down flight of stairs and when I reached the bottom the sole of my foot was on my calf....crushed my tib and fib ...all metal now with some flexion and extension. I spent ooodles in PTand orthotics and I am VERY heavy, so here is my suggestion to you as I am not a DR.... just enjoy playing it with my hubby You need support and the best shoe for this is new balance 623. The next is to gain strength in that ankle so you can excercise, stand on a step with a handrail for saftey and place both feet on the step so the edge of the step is just past the ball of your foot almost 2 the arch and do heel lifts 10 times then ice a total of 3 reps. ....take a long towel and spread out lenght wise, sit down and use your toes to scrunch the towel under your foot...the whole length of it 3times.
This came to me from a sports dr. I took one of my kids to and he saw my limp and said point blank " you wanna fix that?" PLEEEESE IM me if need be but keep me up on how it works...takes some time but it did help