Weight Gain and Joint Disease

First of all I am not picking on people that are over weight, I have much compassion for them. Extra weight is such a burden mentally, physically and financially. I want people especially newly diagnosed people to recognize the dangers of weight gain associated with joint disease and how to avoid it. If you are already over weight there are still ways to lose the weight and become healthy even when you are in the process of dealing with pvns. 

Due to not working and restricted activity from surgery I gained 10 pounds in three months. You may be thinking 10 lbs is nothing but my self esteem was plummeting and I was feeling worse every week. I knew that I had no right to complain if I wasn’t willing to change my situation. I found myself with two options... accept my own excuses or find a way to overcome the obstacles. 

I discussed with my doctors and physical therapist what I could have done differently and how to correct it, while being in the midst of dealing with limited movement and pain in my knee and back. First they corrected my misguided assumptions. My mistake was thinking there wasn't anything I could do about the weight gain, fatigue, deconditioning and the increased pain, (which rapidly takes place when you quit moving) until I recovered.,. I said, “but I’m in so much pain and I don’t have the energy.” The docs reply was “muscle pain and body aches increases dramatically if you are not moving enough and you lose energy when you become deconditioned.” Secondly,  The truth is that I knew what would happen if I didn’t adjust things to my new activity level but I didn’t care enough, was unmotivated and just being lazy.

These negative effects can be prevented this by knowing the risks of gaining weight and how quickly it occurs with joint disease. Talk with the doctor of how to maintain cardivascular health with an excercise program preop and post op. My doctor and physical therapist created a plan and will work with me to loss the extra weight, tone and get cardiovascularlly healthy again. The only way out of this situation is to decrease calories and increase movement.  I have gone from wanting to feel good to needing to feel good about my body again and that is the difference. I will not accept my own excuses and it feels good to take the control back. Don't wait or you will continue to gain weight.  With that being said, talk with your doctors before making any changes.