How can I lose weight with back issues?
NOTE: Please Read: I am aware this is lengthy, and that there likely aren’t any medical professionals on here. If by chance there are any that can help, I’d highly appreciate you taking the time to read this.
*WARNING: THIS WILL BE A LENGTHY POST ABOUT SEVERAL MEDICAL ISSUES INCLUDING EATING DISORDERS.*
Okay. So. I am 23 years old. I am VERY obese. (I am female, 5”1, and 254 lbs.) I struggled with an eating disorder in middle school and high school. I struggled with restrictive dieting and purging. My lowest weight was about 110 lbs. after treatment, I began binge eating. When I was fifteen and in the best shape of my life (in tumbling, color guard, ran constantly, and had an eating disorder) I tore a muscle in my back and had to go to physical therapy. It’s been a recurring problem since, but after physical therapy, I could manage the pain with stretches , medicine, and heat. Now with the weight gain, I can not walk without being in severe pain afterwards. I had an MRI (if anyone would like to see the results, I’ll happily provide them) last year for the back pain in which my doctor discovered I have hyperreflexia and clonus (no idea what those mean) and was referred to physical therapy again, but I was unable to go.
Next, I had COVID in December in which I ended up having a short ER trip with difficulty breathing and ended up needing an inhaler. I already struggle with breathing due to my weight, but after having COVID, I really can’t walk far at all.
I also struggle with walking in general. I was premature, and didn’t walk until I was 18 months. I’ve been told I have a strange gait, and I tend to walk on my toes and roll my ankles a lot.
Due to all of this, I’m really struggling to exercise and lose weight. Every time I try walking, even just for a few minutes a day, I end up waking up unable to move and needing help from my parents to get out of bed. I have no idea what triggers my back pain, and most of the time it’s manageable, but right now, it’s killing me.
Any advice?
*WARNING: THIS WILL BE A LENGTHY POST ABOUT SEVERAL MEDICAL ISSUES INCLUDING EATING DISORDERS.*
Okay. So. I am 23 years old. I am VERY obese. (I am female, 5”1, and 254 lbs.) I struggled with an eating disorder in middle school and high school. I struggled with restrictive dieting and purging. My lowest weight was about 110 lbs. after treatment, I began binge eating. When I was fifteen and in the best shape of my life (in tumbling, color guard, ran constantly, and had an eating disorder) I tore a muscle in my back and had to go to physical therapy. It’s been a recurring problem since, but after physical therapy, I could manage the pain with stretches , medicine, and heat. Now with the weight gain, I can not walk without being in severe pain afterwards. I had an MRI (if anyone would like to see the results, I’ll happily provide them) last year for the back pain in which my doctor discovered I have hyperreflexia and clonus (no idea what those mean) and was referred to physical therapy again, but I was unable to go.
Next, I had COVID in December in which I ended up having a short ER trip with difficulty breathing and ended up needing an inhaler. I already struggle with breathing due to my weight, but after having COVID, I really can’t walk far at all.
I also struggle with walking in general. I was premature, and didn’t walk until I was 18 months. I’ve been told I have a strange gait, and I tend to walk on my toes and roll my ankles a lot.
Due to all of this, I’m really struggling to exercise and lose weight. Every time I try walking, even just for a few minutes a day, I end up waking up unable to move and needing help from my parents to get out of bed. I have no idea what triggers my back pain, and most of the time it’s manageable, but right now, it’s killing me.
Any advice?
