Help me unearth the svelte person that I really am!

October 1, 2008 1:20 PM

How can a vegetarian lose weight with arthritic knees?

I have let my weight creep up astronomically over the last few years because of a stressful working situation that led to me overeating and lacking time for exercise. The stress is now tailing off (I have a permanent job at last) but I now weigh over 250lbs, not good for a 5'7" female in her mid-50s. I recently discovered that I have osteoarthritis in my knees, which is making it very painful to exercise. I can't walk more than a few hundred yards.
I need to lose serious weight, to relieve stress on my knees, avoid type II diabetes, and lower my blood pressure. I am looking at diet as a separate issue (I am a vegetarian with a tendency to eat comfort foods). For now, please advise me how to get some exercise with arthritic knees. What types of exercise can I do without injuring myself and hurting overmuch, to build up strength and lose weight?

posted by sgmax to health & fitness (17 comments total)

Swimming?
posted by phoenixy at 1:23 PM on October 1, 2008

Swim. No stress on your joints, quick gains in aerobic capacity.
posted by notsnot at 1:25 PM on October 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

swimming is great. an elliptical may be a gentle source of cardio once you've brought your weight down a bit and have built up some strength.

it would be worthwhile to get your doctor to refer you to a physical therapist at a sports medicine clinic. they can show you how to exercise without harming your knee.

the thing with questions like these, we can tell you how to do stuff, but without someone really checking your form, you can do it wrong and make things worse.

swimming, though, is pretty foolproof.
posted by thinkingwoman at 1:27 PM on October 1, 2008

Swimming.

You can also get one of those devices wherein you pedal against varying amounts of resistance to help build your upper body strength, which will help with your abs.

Stretchy-band & giant ball exercises. These are low-impact exercises done with fairly inexpensive equipment (I've actually bought these cheaply at Ross) which help to build your core and provide resistance training for your muscles.

Some yoga can be done with bad knees. Get a very comfy pad and do any exercises that don't have you kneeling or otherwise stressing your knees.

Chair dance. Hold onto the chair to stabilise yourself while dancing standing up, or sit down and go nuts.

Finally: can you get into a physical therapist? They can give you tons more advice tailored to your condition and goals.
posted by batmonkey at 1:29 PM on October 1, 2008

on pedal device: meant to specify you do it with your hands.

ask your doc before using elliptical...if your knees are too far gone, they'll say no, or to at least wait 'til you've got some weight off.
posted by batmonkey at 1:30 PM on October 1, 2008

Aqua aerobics! Check your local YMCA - the one where I live has 3 classes a week. It's fun and a good workout.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 1:32 PM on October 1, 2008

As both a vegetarian and someone with arthritis, I join the chorus of voices calling for swimming. Of course, when starting any plan of diet and exercise, always consult with your physician. Who will tell you to go swimming.
posted by el_lupino at 1:34 PM on October 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

Swimming is a good choice. My dad swims for exercise to avoid shocks to legs and feet. The downside to swimming is that it's harder to get exercise swimming. It takes more time and more technique than running.
posted by grobstein at 1:35 PM on October 1, 2008

Swimming is great.

Make sure you are doing some strength training as well-maybe grab a pair of adjustable dumbbells, and do whatever you can?

Also, cycling- no impact on the knees, though you are moving them a lot. From the way you've phrased the question, I'm not sure whether weight-bearing/impact exercises are the problem, or just anything involving the knees.

Yoga might be excellent.

Tai-Chi might also be worth looking into. Helps with coordination, many find it therapeutic, and you would burn a few calories, at least.
posted by HighTechUnderpants at 1:43 PM on October 1, 2008

you need to look at diet is the main issue, not as a separate issue. The two go hand-in-hand, with diet being the far more important factor.

Swimming is going to be the best exercise for you, but honestly, If you swim for 30 minutes a day, you're still just going to burn 300 - 400 calories.

If you really want to lose weight, focus on your diet. It's going to be the #1 thing in determining whether or not you lose weight, and the #1 thing that helps you maintain a healthy weight.
posted by unexpected at 1:45 PM on October 1, 2008 [2 favorites]

Swimming isn't exactly the best exercise for loosing weight, this page has a decent overview of the relevant literature and it's interpretations

Dramatically increasing your omega-3 consumption is going to be the best way to deal with your arthritis, diabetes and weight gain.
posted by zentrification at 1:48 PM on October 1, 2008

Swimming is good. I'd definitely talk to a doctor, though, 'cause I suspect that strength training would really help your knees.

Agreed with unexpected. The problem, IMO, is that if you're on a really effective diet, it's hard to summon the stamina for sustained aerobic exercise. Personally, I can diet OR exercise, but not really both.
posted by paanta at 1:53 PM on October 1, 2008

Just to temper some of the other advice coming in:

Swimming's benefits to the arthritic go way beyond just burning calories. Keeping your joints moving and giving them a break from supporting you are HUGE pluses to keep in mind.

Cycling is not a good idea unless your doc specifically recommends it. Although it seems gentle, it's a lot of work for the narrowed soft-tissue area in your joint to deal with.

Yes, your diet is a big deal if you really want to lose weight. Good point. If you can get in to see a nutritionist, that's a good idea. You may also want to get allergy tests that include food allergies, because allergies are often a hidden impact when it comes to diet AND many people with OA are actually enduring constant inflammation which diet can worsen.
posted by batmonkey at 1:56 PM on October 1, 2008

My doctor told me that diet is far more important for losing pounds than exercise, which is more about building strength and resilience.

Being a carnivore, I went to a low-carb diet and dropped 20 pounds in a few months. It'll be harder for a vegetarian, but if you can eat eggs, cheese, and nuts along with vegetables, and you can cut out a lot of sugar, you should see some weight disappear.
posted by Doctor Suarez at 3:28 PM on October 1, 2008

Thanks for all the excellent advice, everyone. I did not want to make the question too complicated, so I am saving a request for diet suggestions for a future question ... :-)
posted by sgmax at 3:59 PM on October 1, 2008

Weightlifting. I have a seriously bad hip (I'm having surgery later this year), and I was starting to get weird pains in my back. My doctor and I were worried that it might be autoimmune arthritis spreading, or just shitty mechanics from a destroyed hip. On my own initiative I started lifting weights again, just not doing squats (my hips can't take those). I do a standard upper body routine with a small bench and some free weights (which incidentally, I acquired this time for free on craigslist) along with a few calf and abs exercises. I lost weight and tightened up everywhere and my back pain went away, without changing my eating habits. I grew up vegetarian and lean strongly towards a vegetarian diet these days.

If you aren't used to lifting weights, buy a book and start with soup cans. They're super-light, and you will feel less overwhelmed. But keep ramping up the weight whenever you think you can.

I've also noticed that vegetarians who go vegan tend to lose weight pretty effortlessly, as long as they don't go crazy with processed flour products and sugar substitutes. Start increasing your vegetable servings every day, and eat them before eating anything else on your plate.
posted by tejolote at 9:11 PM on October 6, 2008

i've always struggled with exercising, and i've found that for me, taking classes in something has been a lot easier to follow through on vs. going to a gym. it's really easy to say eh, i don't feel like going to the gym tonight vs. when i'm paying for a class and i know i'm losing money if i don't go.

out here in seattle there's a nonprofit yoga studio that specializes in classes for people who have various physical problems. a lot of yoga exercises can be modified for people who have a specific injury or health problem. i've also heard that tai chi is really great for people who are older and don't have an athlete's figure since it's slower movements and puts less strain on your body.

so if you can afford it, i'd advise trying to find classes that are made for people with a health problem or a personal trainer who's willing to work with you to come up with something that won't hurt you. there are also gyms here where you pay a flat monthly fee and they have a trainer work specifically with you 3-4 days a week to come up with a nutrition plan, exercise plan, etc.

similarly, i'm a vegetarian who often doesn't eat all that well, and i've found that throwing money at the problem helped me. when left to my own devices, i tended to eat a lot of pasta and grilled cheese sandwiches. i like cooking but have often been working 60-70 hours/week plus school and am just too tired. there's a local place here called http://www.luckypalate.com that delivers meals once a week. they're mostly vegan and are heavy on the vegetables. they're also quite delicious.

ideally you'd just have the time/energy to cook healthy meals yourself and work out at home. but if you don't, i still consider it worth it to pay people to do these things for you. it can be expensive, but cheesy as it sounds, i consider my health more valuable than money.
posted by groovinkim at 12:36 PM on November 25, 2008