Trying to lose weight after lower back surgery

[Anthony45]

I had a l5/s1 fusion january last year and was of work for 5 months and now trying to lose some weight as i am not as active as i was, i suffer with numbness in my left leg and foot but trying to get back to normal.

[Gary Turner]

Ouch! I hope you recover quickly!!

Hopefully the medical team will help with the numbness, and allow some feeling to return. How are the nerves themselves - are they intact?

Mobilisation is a key thing for weight loss. I don't mean bashing it out at the gym every night or signing up for a marathon, although obviously they are good - exercise stimulates adrenaline and noradrenaline which are fat burning hormones (amongst alot of other stuff too!) - just general natural movements as much as possible. Even looking to stand up more can have massive health benefits.

To lose weight, whereas exercise can really help, time to set your body for fat burning rather than fat storage. (Please note - losing weight is NOT about eating less and exercising more! Its about setting the right environment in your body for fat burning.)

Look to minimise the action of the hormone insulin - this has the job of taking excess carbohydrates and storing them as fat, and keeping it there. Simple carbs create a high insulin response, complex carbs lower, protein nominal, fat negligable. (Don't be afraid of fat - saturated fat is NOT bad for you but essential, and DOES NOT lead to heart disease nor cholesterol - that is a perpetuated myth! It is also hard for fat to be stored as fat, unless in the presence of carbohydrates).

Look to eat foods low on the GI. These produce a slower blood sugar reaction and reduce the production of insulin. If you exercise look to exercise in a fasted state - in other words, first thing in the morning or at least a couple of hours after eating food, and don't eat for an hour after exercise. These actions will help you to burn fat whilst still eating food.

Listen to your body to ensure it has what it needs. Eat only when hungry. Stop eating when no longer hungry, not when full. Drink ONLY when thirsty. Your body knows what it needs - allow it to tell you. This way you will easily lose the fat and allow your body to revert to how it should be.

Hope this helps!

[Gary Turner]

Also listen to your body in respect to your condition.

Pain is a signal to pay attention to something. As a generalisation:

Sharp pain is STOP!! Now!!!

Constant pain is looking for you to immobolise that area.

Throbbing pain is looking for you to pay attention and maybe mobilise it differently.

Get in touch with an exercise rehab specialist and seek expert advice in what you can and can't do, in a way that doesn't aggravate the injury or produce imbalance as a result.

Oh, and any pain that lasts longer than 6weeks, without the injury getting worse or being aggravated? That probably sits at the psychological level, and a skilled psych worker will be able to help release it.

Be careful, yet get mobile!