How to Lose Weight After Being Stuck in Bed with a Chronic Illness | Disability

The time has come to lose the extra weight and inches I’ve gained from having many chronic illnesses, being disabled, having had surgery and not having enough physical activity from being stuck in bed. But how will I do it? And why is this crucial for my health? What’s my game-plan? I share all this and my progress through a monthly diary.

I’ve created a table of contents here which should make it easier for you to navigate this (possibly) long post in which I give you insights into the what, why, how and the results.

Here’s a video version of this post, but if you prefer to read, then just scroll through:

The Background & Why I Must Lose the Weight

I have always been someone who has managed her weight well. I’ve been very careful to not gain weight because I was diagnosed with PCOS and endometriosis when I was 11.

I was made aware of the importance of remaining fit to help my hormones, bone health and help maintain my sugar levels as my gynaecologist had warned of insulin resistance or becoming pre-diabetic / diabetic (type 2) from having PCOS if the inches around my stomach increased.

But in October 2015, I had a major health crash and my legs gave way. I was eventually diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and went from being invisibly disabled to visibly disabled.

I use walking sticks as my balance is weak and mobility is poor.

Read here for

• Being Diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
• How I Accepted My Mobility Aid
• Treatments to Manage Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

As I write this post, it’s now November 2020 and it’s been five years since that health crash. Also, in September 2019, I went through major surgery – endometriosis (excision surgery). This was an extensive and painful surgery and since I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, I am also a slow healer – this means that my recovery from this surgery is taking longer.

So yes, I am still recovering from it, but now in a space where I can actually think of exercising again.

Well, actually a slow build-up to my exercising and strengthening should have begun earlier, but we’re stuck in a pandemic and seeing my physiotherapist hasn’t been possible yet.

But now, I really do need to lose the weight.

 

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A post shared by Shruti Chopra (@footprintsnoboundaries) on Jan 4, 2019 at 7:04am PST

What are my weight-loss goals?

Before I share ‘how’ I will lose weight, I need to share two quick things:

The first, an important disclaimer: please remember that I am not a medical professional and neither am I providing any medical advice. I am sharing my experiences and what I plan to do based on my health. If you wish to figure ways to lose weight then please consult your doctor, physiotherapist and a nutritionist/dietician for your needs.

The second: I think it’s important to share where I stand today in-terms of inches to help understand my goals.

I am not overweight to the regular person looking at me. As of November 11, 2020 I weigh 57kgs (125.6Ilbs / 9 stone).

But, I should be at 53 kgs, so I have 4 kgs to lose (8.8lbs / 0.6 stone).

This may not seem like a lot but when you’re on medication, your mobility is poor and a new flareup is just round the corner, then yes this is quite a challenge because one mistake can easily set me back by many weeks if not months and then that again would mean that I will be stuck in bed, gaining more weight and inches.

Also, I need to lose 4 inches (10cm) off my stomach too for me to help my body not become insulin resistant as mentioned earlier.

There are other goals, but these two are the main ones. If I manage these two then the others of strengthening my legs, back, abdomen and arms should happen by default.

How Will I Lose Weight? My Game-Plan:

As I post this, it’s November 11, 2020 and even before starting, here’s my plan.

Please note: I will keep updating this as I learn more about the challenges my body will go through.

Some Chronic Illness Rules for Exercising:

1. I will use hot water bags at the end of each exercise session to help reduce the possibility of sudden flare ups.

2. I promise myself that I will never try to fight through the pain and instead take breaks whenever needed.

3. If needed, I will break down my exercise sessions into two parts in one day so that I do not do too much in one go.

4. I will aim to start exercising 4 days a week and eventually get it to 6 days a week. The amount of days could vary based on my health and I will be good with understanding that.

5. I will continue to be aided by my bandages and taping sessions so to help reduce my pain levels as I exercise. If you would like to see a video how my taping is done, then you can here.

6. Most importantly, I will enjoy the process.

Now my exercise plan:

1. Walking: I plan to start by walking 10 minutes every day for a week before I increase it to 15 minutes. I will look to continue this gradual increase until I don’t hit the goal of a 30 minute walk in one go.

I will be taking the support of my walking sticks, the taping or bandaging of my legs to help maintain stability.

2. Pelvic Floor Muscle Therapy & Pilates: Over the last few years, my physiotherapists have taught me the pelvic floor muscle exercises and pilates that I can do, so I will begin by doing two set of 10 each for two weeks before I look to increase the sets and repetitions.

I will also be following exercise videos and advice of Jeannie Di Bon (I have her book, ‘Hypermobility Without Tears’ which I’ve been reading too). Jeannie is a Movement Therapist and has Hypermobile-EDS herself – so I see her advice on how to understand and limit the hypermobile joint range as very important for me to be able to exercise and reach my goals safely.

3. Resistance Bands: My physiotherapist has given me specific upper and lower body exercises that I can do with the resistance bands, so again, I’ll begin with two sets of 10 for two weeks, before I increase the sets and repetitions.

4. Yoga: I will continue the Yoga techniques explained in this earlier post of mine to help improve and maintain proper breathings and sleep patterns.

Read here for:

• My Yoga Challenge: Can Yoga Help Treat Chronic Illnesses?

5. Stretching: It’s very easy when you’re hypermobile to believe that you’re always well stretched. Instead, this belief can stiffen the muscles. So keeping the fact that my joints hyper-extend, I will stretch my entire body at the beginning and end my sessions with a gentle foam roll.

6. Diet: I follow a diet that caters to my endometriosis and EDS issues. I will link that post so that you can understand what my limitations are. I also have a plan laid out by my dietician which I follow and will continue to do as that currently does not require any reviewing, although I do need to increase protein in my diet which I have to find ways of doing without adding lean meats. I’ll keep you posted about that!

Read here for:

• My Diet for Endometriosis & Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
• My Endometriosis Diet Friendly – Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding Recipe

Weight-Loss Diary

Goal Reminder
– Lose 4kgs (8.8lbs / 0.6 stone)
– Lose 4 inches (10cm) off my stomach
– Time frame: 12 months.

This may seem like a lot but I am giving myself the opportunity to pace it, reduce the chance of flare ups and also, enjoy the process as promised.

December 2020: How did the first month go?

Watch this space for an update

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If you’re a social media person, then you can follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or YouTube.

I have a podcast too. You can check them out here along with their transcripts or if you don’t wanna read them then they’re available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts too.

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Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. I am a patient and have created this platform to share my experiences. This is all purely informative and in no way am I providing medical advice. Please consult a medical professional.