How To Maintain Weight While Injured

If you are recovering from surgery or have injuries that are preventing you from sticking to your exercise and healthy eating routine, there are things you can do to maintain your weight.

The most important part is that you focus on recovery, this will already be taking most of your body’s energy, so you have to be a patient, even if you are a patient.

Don’t worry, you also don’t have to sit back and watch how your body expands; there are certain things you can do to prevent weight gain while recovering or receiving hospital therapy.

You might not realize it, but this is a great way to challenge your body. You can do exercises that your body is not accustomed too and try different approaches to exercise that might even help you in the long run.

When you are fully recovered, your body will have to work much harder than it did before, so the best way is to ease yourself back into exercise slowly, and not overwork yourself or your body.

Alternative Exercising

If you are used to doing 40mins of cardiovascular exercises each day, you might feel rather lost after a knee injury.

This might be the perfect time to start practicing yoga or pilates. This will enable you to strengthen your core muscles, and you would be surprised at the amazing full body workout.

Before you start with a new form of exercise, consult your doctor to prevent doing more damage.

If you are stuck in hospital with other diseases, don’t just stay in bed. Try to walk through the corridors regularly, set yourself goals that you want to achieve.

Request Your Gifts

This might sound rather strange, but if you tell your friends and family beforehand that you don’t want them to bring you sugar loaded treats and chocolate while recovering, this will help a lot.

Tell them to bring you an inspiration magazine instead of a box of chocolates.

Since you aren’t able to drive to the nearest shop and binge on sweets, not being around them will count in your favour. If you do have sweet tooth, limit yourself daily and walk more.

Start Something New

If you are recovering at home, try to include a new healthy habit into your daily routine. Even if you feel like you are craving loads of comfort food, try out new healthy recipes.

This will challenge you, and you will feel you have accomplished something if you serve your family a healthy homemade dinner. This will also take your focus away from your recovery and what you aren’t able to do.

Choose Protein

Most hospitals have a variety of meals to choose from. Even though they might not taste as great as the food that you are used to, use these options to your advantage.

Opt for meals with a high protein count, this will feed your muscles and make you feel stronger.

Complex proteins will also take longer for your body to digest, which will make you feel fuller for longer.

The last thing you want to do in the hospital is snack every hour, choose your main meals wisely, this will make a big difference.

Don’t Forget The Fibre

The hospital might be a rather uncomfortable area for digestion, but this is very important when trying to maintain your weight.

Your body needs to stay in rhythm and therefor you have to make some changes to be sure that everything will function properly.

Try to eat dried fruit as a snack and opt for high fibre meals. If you are having a takeaway meal, ask that they substitute the chips for salad.

Lend a hand

Helping someone else recover might be more rewarding than you think. If a patient close to you is recovering from a back surgery, they probably have to walk daily, why not offer to help them with this.

Not only will you walk as well, but supporting another person will help you to bond with others as well as get in more exercise.

When recovering you can feel rather lonely, and helping another will give you purpose. Even if this is just keeping you away from snacking 24/7 it will be great.

It’s not easy to make healthy food choices when you are feeling rather vulnerable after surgery or when recovering.

Give yourself a few days to adjust to your current situation, but plan ahead. If you start early by getting in exercise and choosing the right food, you might even speed up your recovery process.

Whatever methods you decide to use to maintain your weight while recovering, remember to consult your doctor first.