21 replies to this topic

[titaniumwheels86]

A while ago I read some posts regarding some individuals feeling uncomfortable in their physical appearance from gaining weight and being unable to lose it.

Currently I am finding myself in the same situation. I can exercise my arms but that's about it. I am a T6 paraplegic with a spinal fusion. I don't know what I can possibly do to lose weight and I definitely have a much more noticeable belly. That is where my weight has primarily accumulated. My arms and legs are in shape, it is just the torso section of my body.

Have any of you found any successful methods of losing the weight or at least controlling it? Controlling it is somewhat obvious, simply watching what I eat and greater output, but loosing it would be great.

Have any of you gone straight to liposuction, although I know it is expensive depending upon your budget? It is something I have considered for a while now, although I would still need to save up.

I am not too confident in regards to diet pills, I believe the real secret is exercise and nutrition although in my case that presents a problem.

I have also considered trying out the new FDA approved diet pill. Some of you may have heard of it, it is called "Alli" (not sure why this name was chosen). Anyway, it prevents some (only some not all) of the fat that is in your food from being digested and absorbed into your body, meaning you will have to get rid of it when you go into the bathroom. This will result in an oily discharge, and apparently some people who have tried it have already had some accidents because the discharge can also occur if you pass gas naturally.

Below it the website where you can order it, but I am still considering it. I would much rather find an alternate plan to loose the weight, although I know that my chances for loosing the weight will probably depend on surgery or some sort of prescription medication.

Although the added weight does bother me in how I am seen by others, it is also a negative issue in regards to mobility. I don't want to continue gaining weight because it will make my ability to get in and out of the chair or car, or many other things much more difficult. I am already a paraplegic, I don't want obesity to become an issue.

Any suggestions and/or opinions would be great. Thank you! By the way this is my first post.

http://www.drugstore...brand=50307#how

[Kev-O]

titaniumwheels86, on Aug 8 2007, 02:35 AM, said:

A while ago I read some posts regarding some individuals feeling uncomfortable in their physical appearance from gaining weight and being unable to lose it.

Currently I am finding myself in the same situation. I can exercise my arms but that's about it. I am a T6 paraplegic with a spinal fusion. I don't know what I can possibly do to lose weight and I definitely have a much more noticeable belly. That is where my weight has primarily accumulated. My arms and legs are in shape, it is just the torso section of my body.

Have any of you found any successful methods of losing the weight or at least controlling it? Controlling it is somewhat obvious, simply watching what I eat and greater output, but loosing it would be great.

Have any of you gone straight to liposuction, although I know it is expensive depending upon your budget? It is something I have considered for a while now, although I would still need to save up.

I am not too confident in regards to diet pills, I believe the real secret is exercise and nutrition although in my case that presents a problem.

I have also considered trying out the new FDA approved diet pill. Some of you may have heard of it, it is called "Alli" (not sure why this name was chosen). Anyway, it prevents some (only some not all) of the fat that is in your food from being digested and absorbed into your body, meaning you will have to get rid of it when you go into the bathroom. This will result in an oily discharge, and apparently some people who have tried it have already had some accidents because the discharge can also occur if you pass gas naturally.

Below it the website where you can order it, but I am still considering it. I would much rather find an alternate plan to loose the weight, although I know that my chances for loosing the weight will probably depend on surgery or some sort of prescription medication.

Although the added weight does bother me in how I am seen by others, it is also a negative issue in regards to mobility. I don't want to continue gaining weight because it will make my ability to get in and out of the chair or car, or many other things much more difficult. I am already a paraplegic, I don't want obesity to become an issue.

Any suggestions and/or opinions would be great. Thank you! By the way this is my first post.

http://www.drugstore...brand=50307#how

i know what you mean i am in the same boat. I have really been trying to lose some pounds to. What i have found to work is i actual eat one meal a day i know its not healty but it makes your stomich smaller which makes less food fill you up. and for that one meal i try and eat healty.

[wheels5894]

Well, Titaniumwheels86, I'd say there was quite a lot you could do to lose weight. Of course it will depend on what yu like to eat but give the idea a go.

You will need to measure what you eat and count the calories in it. Reducing the amount you eat is just one side, but it is is very important. 1,000 calories a day should do it. To get down this far, you are going to have to eat lots of fruit and veg. My wife is doing this at the moment and lunch always includes a home-made veg soup with vegs like carrot, courgette (zucchini) in the States. For snack, have banana or an apple or have some grapes. Eat three meals a day and drink lots too.

Second is exercise. Push those titanium wheels along. Have 20 minutes so of pushing each day and try hard to go faster. Try swimming too. I can't push myself to this presently as the idea of getting in cold water doesn't appeal with this very cold summer we are having in Scotland. Exercise that gets you a little breathless will be getting your metabolic rate up a bit and the effect lasts several hours so is wel, worth doing.

Finally, there is no easy way to do this. Pills are not going to help as we would all be thin as rakes if they did. Surgery is only going to the most extreme problems and will only be temporary. What ever you do, you are going to have to get more active and eat less too and that has to be permanent as a change in lifestyle to remain with less weight. Of course, you will improve your general health at the same time!. Oh, and watch alcohol - full of calories in the alcohol and no nutritional value.

[titaniumwheels86]

I have been trying to reduce my food intake of anything harmful, but eating more veggies and fruit, I tell you though it ain't easy. I have also been drinking a lot more water. As for exercise I have been trying to push my chair, and I do lift a set of free weights but although I have noticed my endurance has increased I just don't see it doing much help with the added weight to my torso. I will still keep at it though, I understand that even if it does work it will also take longer either way because of a slower metabolism.

Thanks for all your input, hopefully greater research will go into dealing with this issue most of us seem to face.

[wheels5894]

I know what you mean about slow; my wife has been with Weightwatchers for ages and is comes off in the odd pound per week! I do the measuring and cooking for her diet though which I think helps as she finds doing the measuring gets boring and starts to guess = a sure fire way to eat more!

As far as exercise is concerned. I did what I could until I got a rigid chair a couple of years ago from the wheelchair service. The I started to use it to go in and out of town. Now it is only a little over a mile but we live in an estate of house on the top of a hill and the town is built on n adjoining hill so the journey is down a bit and then up at the other side. It took ages to start with but worked at it and worked at it and brought to trip to about 10 minutes or 30 mins to get something urgently from town and bring it back. that exercise worked well as on holiday last year I found I had to climb a quite large hill a number of times and it was no problem.

I think the exercise bit is very important but it can be hard to do when we have a summer like we are having in Scotland where it is rain rather too often! It is worth trying asnd pushing the wheels is the best way as it also gives us better mobility and independence which can't be bad. If nothing else, find a local Mall and push round it a few times including ramps.

Oh and I have my new chair now; the one shown as my avatar a Quickie Ti. I've only been shopping by car so far but I am back to hard work with it tomorrow!

[hockeydahc]

I was always a heavy kid. I started to excersise and eat healthy and it dropped, so i would say it is as simple as that.
one, drink only water. cut out soda. Diet soda too! juices have loads of sugar too. fast food is hardly food, quit that as well if you haven't already. cut back on desserts. we all know how to eat healthy, its a matter of actually doing it.
my suggestion instead of one meal a day, which does shrink the stomach, eat more meals a day, but make a normal plate(start using the luncheon plates vs dinner plates) and make it a goal to eat slower. you'll enjoy your food more, and should get full sooner, maybe even to the point you can't eat a full platefull. The more smaller meals you eat keep your body working to digest it all day, and it keeps your metabolism higher. for foods, more raw veggies and fruit, lean meat. you need carbs, but cut back on them in the evenings(veggies don't count as carbs, fruits count a little, but the fiber is good) eat breakfast. it IS the most important meal.

excersise is great. more lean muscle helps burn calories. so keep lifting.

sounds like you're doing things right.

forget teh pills and the procedures. once your body adjusts to the new eating plan, and excersise, it'll hop on board and start getting with the program.



one visual. horses always lean. they eat all day.

bears are fat. they gorge

eat like a horse and snack all day.

[wheels5894]

That's good advice, hockeydahc! you mentioned something I forgot though so perhaps can expand on the topic f fresh foods. Any prepared foods you can by will have all sorts of things added to them. We need not bother with preservatives but often flavour enhancers MSG (why? If I casserole some beef it doesn't need and flavour enhancing!)sugars and fats are added too.

Now, if you can find the time and develop the skills buying just fresh meat and fresh vegetables and cooking these can make for a very healthy diet and one in which you an control the amounts of fat easily. make vegetables soups - fills you up and if you chose low calorie veg like carrots, zucchini and the like you don;t get much nutrition which helps with weight loss.

Finally, hockeydahc, I ought to say the I am not like you at all. At school I was tall and thin = very thin = and was opften called 'lamppost'! This is obviously something which helps with weight control now I am paralysed. I prepare weight watchers points meals for my wife and eat the same as she does. Oh, well, maybe a few other things during the day and the odd beer

[hockeydahc]

Yea, I have a bit of experience in this area. I've got a little flab in my thighs and rear, and lovehandles. that's where it is stored first and comes off last. It really doesnt get a workout like it should, so I have to increase my awareness of how I eat.

[Texaswheelz]

I think most of it has been touched on already. The one thing I wanted to add, eating 1 meal a day=bad. You'll actually lose weight much slower that way. If your body isn't being fed, it starts storing every little bit you do eat and burning less calories when you exercise. The best way to do it is to eat something, even if it is just a hand full of nuts or a apple/banana or something small every 2-3 hours all throughout the day. It keeps your body with something to digest all the time so it constantly burns calories instead of going into fat storing mode. Also it is good to eat as soon as possible when you wake up. The sooner you eat the sooner you start burning calories for the day.

Optimum effect would to wake and eat a decent breakfast, you have all day to digest it and burn it off. Then a couple of house later have a hand full of nuts, same thing a couple of hours after that. Now at lunch have something small, but more then a hand full of nuts of a piece of fruit. Maybe a small piece of meat with some veggies. Then go back to eating something small every few hours again. About 3-4 hours before bed eat a small and light dinner. Don't eat anything else before bed. Your digestive process and metabolism slows down when you sleep, so eating right before bed normally leaves that food to sit in your stomach most of the night, which isn't good. The goal of course is to burn more calories through the day then you take in, I've read some where, but can't remember at the time, that eating early like that and then small things often will have you burning a lot of calories just from you body digesting those foods all day long then if you only eat once. Then your body is going to suck in and hold on tight to anything you put in it.

I got this from a weight loss website about burning calories
"There is some evidence to suggest that eating small, regular meals will keep your metabolism going faster than larger, less frequent meals. There are two reasons why meal frequency may affect your metabolism. Firstly, levels of thyroid hormones begin to drop within hours of eating a meal, and metabolism slows. Secondly, it may be that the thermogenic effect of eating several small meals is slightly higher than eating the same amount of calories all at once.

Provided your small meals don’t degenerate into quick-fix, high fat, high sugar snacks, eating little and often can also help to control hunger and make you less likely binge."

[itsjustme]

Hi titaniumwheels86,

Just wondered if you've read through the Spinal Cord Injury and Weight Loss / I'm losing weight! thread on this same forum?

I've lost 60+ pounds and 20 inches around my waist since Christmas simply by following the basic Weight Watchers food plan (and I am a T2 paraplegic / electric wheelchair). I also don't pay or go to meetings. Two very nice ladies sent the information to me. When I started I targeted 24 points a day and now I do about 18 and even though my weight loss has slowed down, I'm still losing weight and I am actully eating more food now than I was when I was doing 24 points simply because as I've worked the program I've learned how to fill my diet with more filling 0 point foods, like fresh tomatoes, baked or broiled tomatoes, grilled asparagus, steamed broccoli and cauliflower (all 0), fresh corn on the cob (7" ear 1 point), along WITH my baked potatoes, protein of choice like beef or chicken, and I've been on a cold sweet watermelon binge this summer.

Also in that post Simon added a link about SCI and weight loss which basically outlines the same sort of food plan targeted for SCI people. Shop the perimeter of the grocery for fresh food, not boxed, packaged or processed foods. If you fill up with the vegetables and you learn the right portion size of the things that do count, you cannot go hungry and you will lose weight. Round it out with whole grains and lots of water.

I do crunches in bed faithfully every night. Who knows I may have a 6-pack hidden underneath the fat! But besides lifting weights, that's the one other thing that I can do. I can do crunches. I just keep thinking that the fact that I do it must help something.

One more plus for this WW food plan as far as I'm concerned is the fact that we traveled this weekend and ate every meal out except one big family reunion dinner! And, I did fine. With WW I knew how much of what I could have. I didn't carry measuring cups or scales with me but when you get real with yourself about portion size you know and I enjoyed our trip and socializing with family just the same as ever.

Please feel free to email me if I can be of any help to any of you.

Edited by itsjustme, 14 August 2007 - 02:14 AM.

[wheels5894]

Well done, Itsjustme! you are obviously doing well at this diet. Like any other diet, it is just a matter of eating less calorie filled foods and more fresh veg which hardly have any calories. [It is thought that the effort of eating celery sticks exceeds by quite a bit the energy derived but I don't really like celery!]

Anyway, keep up the good work.

[itsjustme]

Hi wheels5894,

Thanks for your words of encouragement but trust me, there hasn't been one celery stick or raw carrot in my mouth in the last 6 months. I'm not a rabbit and don't eat like one!

It is finding ways to make vegetables taste good. Now my blood pressure tends to run pretty low so I do use salt to season my foods and that's very satisfying to me, in addition to other spices that I've been experimenting with to see what I can find that I like.

One of my favorite combinations is a baked potato with butter eaten with steamed broccoli and cauliflower. Some people like the veggies left crunchy. I like them a bit softer. I used to cover them with cheese and do I miss cheese? I went 43 years of my life thinking that I didn't like cheese and then my boyfriend at the time convinced me to take a bite of his grilled cheese sandwich. I should never have found melted cheese. So yes I miss covering it with spicy melted nacho cheese but we're talking about finding foods that you like, you can have a lot of so you aren't hungry and you end up satisfied and you lose weight. I salt and pepper the veggies and with the potato that has some butter on it, it tastes good to me and with my new found love of fresh tomatoes all of those vegetables in your stomach along with the things that you really have to exercise portion control with like the potato and butter are still satisfying.

I've never liked asparagus but, spray it with Olive Oil flavored Pam cooking spray and grill it on the Foreman grill and I like it better for a change. Grilled veggies are big here in the U.S. at least at cook-outs and bar-b-ques and lots of restaurants. My cousin and I were talking this weekend about salad dressing and we had both hit on the same idea. I was eating my salad one night and I was near the bottom where the moisture from the greens had thinned the dressing a bit and I thought, why not thin my thick French Dressing a little to begin with. It's like getting more dressing. It covers the salad better and tastes the same. My cousin says that she even sprays here popcorn with Butter Flavored Pam. I haven't tried that. Doesn't sound good to me but then I haven't tried it either.

I do not like "low fat" or "no sugar" kinds of processed foods. If I'm going to eat something, it's going to taste good and be the real thing. I'd rather thin my favorite dressing just a little than eat some "low fat" version that doesn't taste good and isn't satisfying to my palate. That's another great thing about the particular food plan I'm living on now. There are built in flex points or extra calories that you can have once a week or broken up and used through the week, however you might wish to do it. I told my cousin this weekend when everyone was sharing a birthday cake that I absolutely have the cake. I had plenty of points built into my food plan to have the cake and ice cream. I chose not to because I am a "sugarholic". It doesn't satisfy me. It only makes me want more. I don't want a piece of cake and a scoop of ice cream. I want a fork and a spoon and to go hide somewhere and eat every bite until it's gone. So I chose to abstain from my trigger but for anyone else, you have so much flexibility and you can generally feed your craving if you just plan for it whether it's a dessert or a trip to McDonald's.

I sat in various restaurants this weekend, looking at the food that "normal" size people were eating, plates full. Even people who I considered very skinny were eating way more of the portion control foods than I knew that I could have. And my post wheelchair doesn't really have much to do with the problem. I've struggled with my weight all of my life. So, people "like us", wheelchair or not, just have to deal with the fact that we do have to eat differently than many other people. You have to live with yourself honestly and be mature in your choices if you honestly want to lose the weight.

There's no magic pill and I have so many friends who went the gastric by-pass surgery route who have simply managed to stretch their stomachs back out and regained their weight after putting themselves through all of the misery of the procedure and recovery. I'm sure that my last 6 months has been much less painful to say nothing of the fact that I eat good satisfying food everyday whether I am at home or we are eating out, than their first 6 months post surgery.

Just as a P.S. Check out http://www.recipezaa...m/recipes.php?q[]=weight+watchers+&ls=re, type in Weight Watcher, click on search and look at the kinds of foods that you can eat on a Weight Watchers type food plan. It's not celery sticks!

Edited by itsjustme, 14 August 2007 - 06:30 PM.

[mrznickjonas]

hi i am a recent SCI and i have the acai weight loss pills everyone says they dont work. they work wonders! thats how u lose weight.

[paula0407]

These are great suggestions on how to loss weight. Paralyzed or not weight loss is so difficult... I have gained quite some weight and I am so ready to loss it. Thank you to everyone for the posting =D

[MrBump]

simple equation.

1. Less food and more exercise, unfortunately we can't exercise as well as AB's so we need to watch what we eat more carefully.
2. Have your bigger meal at either breaky or lunch, not dinner.
3. water water water
4. Patience

[Scooby Gimp]

Eat cucumber salads and other plants. I lost 20 lbs of belly fat and returned to my swimsuit figure (not) after 3 months of salad eating.

[Big E]

Kev-O, on 08 August 2007 - 04:45 AM, said:

titaniumwheels86, on Aug 8 2007, 02:35 AM, said:

A while ago I read some posts regarding some individuals feeling uncomfortable in their physical appearance from gaining weight and being unable to lose it.

Currently I am finding myself in the same situation. I can exercise my arms but that's about it. I am a T6 paraplegic with a spinal fusion. I don't know what I can possibly do to lose weight and I definitely have a much more noticeable belly. That is where my weight has primarily accumulated. My arms and legs are in shape, it is just the torso section of my body.

Have any of you found any successful methods of losing the weight or at least controlling it? Controlling it is somewhat obvious, simply watching what I eat and greater output, but loosing it would be great.

Have any of you gone straight to liposuction, although I know it is expensive depending upon your budget? It is something I have considered for a while now, although I would still need to save up.

I am not too confident in regards to diet pills, I believe the real secret is exercise and nutrition although in my case that presents a problem.

I have also considered trying out the new FDA approved diet pill. Some of you may have heard of it, it is called "Alli" (not sure why this name was chosen). Anyway, it prevents some (only some not all) of the fat that is in your food from being digested and absorbed into your body, meaning you will have to get rid of it when you go into the bathroom. This will result in an oily discharge, and apparently some people who have tried it have already had some accidents because the discharge can also occur if you pass gas naturally.

Below it the website where you can order it, but I am still considering it. I would much rather find an alternate plan to loose the weight, although I know that my chances for loosing the weight will probably depend on surgery or some sort of prescription medication.

Although the added weight does bother me in how I am seen by others, it is also a negative issue in regards to mobility. I don't want to continue gaining weight because it will make my ability to get in and out of the chair or car, or many other things much more difficult. I am already a paraplegic, I don't want obesity to become an issue.

Any suggestions and/or opinions would be great. Thank you! By the way this is my first post.

http://www.drugstore...brand=50307#how

i know what you mean i am in the same boat. I have really been trying to lose some pounds to. What i have found to work is i actual eat one meal a day i know its not healty but it makes your stomich smaller which makes less food fill you up. and for that one meal i try and eat healty.

Bad idea, not really a good way to do it. I understand the problem, 2yrs ago. I was a lean muscular bodybuilder, then the accident. Now I am a complete paraplegic and not dealing well with it. I have lost a lot of muscle and gained a huge amount of fat in my midsection. But, as I was a personal trainer and nutrition expert, I can tell you that one meal a day will only slow your metabolism and teach your body to store more bodyfat. In a sense, you are putting your body into starvation mode so it must learn to store extra body fat for fear of starving. Several small healthy meals per day is the real way to go. Of course, you have to be able to burn more calories than you take in to lose body fat and I know what a problem that is for us paraplegics, so I definitely don't have all the answers,just a few thoughts.

[Murray]

Hello titanium, et al - My apologies if this is redundant - didn't read the entire thread. My suggestion: Get ahold of a handcycle. I've been riding for a few years. Did a little racing, but prefer the recreational riding. Leaving the racing to the young bucks. You'd be amazed how much core work you get. Helps keep the belly in check. If you live in an area with some decent bike trails, great! If not, roads work fine, provided they've got ample room. Shop around. I think Intrepid Equipment of San Diego, CA has the best price for the bike. There are plenty out there, but many tend toward the racing bit and you can spend a chunk without trying. I'm T6, so have some sense of what you're up against. Good luck with whatever you do.

[Jeanette]

I was injured may 5 2010 had surgery to remove severe compression on my spinal cord on sep22 2010. I have lost 38 pounds since July 21 2010. My goal is to loose 18 more pounds by July 21 2011.
Basically pain and food don't agree with me
I have increased my water
I have cut out chocolate
I have cut out soda pop
Because I am not really hungry when I am in pain, my stomach is smaller and I get full faster.
I have reached a great milestone, I am proud to say I am under 200 pounds. I started on July 21 2010 at my highest of 231. I was a size 22.
Last week at my primary care doctor office, I weighed in at 195 minus 2 pounds for clothes

Before the accident I had built up to usingg the Wii sports for 45 minutes I got the Wii for birthday aprill 22 2010 accident happened 13 days later. And I could do nothing on thhe Wii.
I'm sad about that but it is amazing because I have NEVer been able to wear name brand jeans but last week my hubby bought me two pair of Gloria VanDerBuilt jeans and they are size 16 though one pair is way big on me! I will just have to have to get the smaller size


I have lost roughly 30 inches so far.

Going back to the basics is what helped me loose the weight so far. Determination will help me get the last 18 pounds off.

Think basics and keep it simple.
Someone told me that I am burning more calories with my injury than before it.
Good luck
Jeanette

[xmotocrossbum]

I used to be in really great shape ant the major tool I used was a swimming pool I don't have the use of a pool any more and slowly I have gained weight I'm trying get use of a pool again I thought I could stay in shape trying to do other exercise's but it has not worked.

[Srihari]

What type of work should i do to reduce belly. bellow my hand is paralyzed. give your views

[Maltese Cat]

anything you can possily do that gets your heart rate up will help work off the fat, along with eating less. Targeted body area exercises help tone specific muscle areas, but don't get rid of specific fat areas. cardio exercise is the way to lose fat, and your body will decide where it loses fat from first (it is usually not where you want it to go from first though!)