What was the difference? Movement!
This week’s weigh-in brought great news—I lost 2.5 pounds!
What made the difference? Movement!
For the past six months, I’ve been navigating injuries that have significantly impacted my ability to stay active. I’ve never been a gym enthusiast; instead, I get my exercise by walking my 55-pound puppy. On average, I’d walk 4-5 miles a week. But six months ago, I tore a ligament in my knee, which sidelined me. I worked hard in physical therapy to rehabilitate my knee properly, and just as I was getting back to my walks, I broke my foot.
The setbacks didn’t stop there. After I got my walking boot off, I had to rehab my knee again, as the compensation for my foot injury aggravated my knee and revealed a hip injury.
The Weight Connection
Here’s where the silver lining comes in: Less weight on my joints made movement easier. Anne Margaret Perry, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, shared a fascinating fact with me: losing just one pound of weight removes four pounds of pressure from your knees. That means my 37-pound weight loss has taken 160 pounds of pressure off my knees—amazing!
Staying Focused During Recovery
Despite these physical challenges, I remained committed to my journey. I shifted my focus to what I could control:
Nutrition: I emphasized fresh, nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy oils, while avoiding processed foods and those high in sugar, fat, and salt.
Portion control: I paid close attention to serving sizes and avoided sugary temptations.
When it came to movement, I got creative. While I couldn’t walk or engage in high-impact activities, I found alternate ways to stay active:
Chair yoga
Swimming
Gentle strengthening exercises
Finding Joy in Movement Again
This week marks a turning point. For the first time in months, I’ve been able to walk at my normal pace with minimal pain. Not only am I back to my regular exercise routine, but I’ve even picked up some dog walking jobs for clients—just in time for my Women’s Wellness Retreat, where hiking is on the itinerary!
While I don’t yet have a full range of motion, I’m closer than ever, and I owe so much of my progress to the incredible support of Anne Perry and the community of GLP-1 clients at Altranais Wellness.
To anyone struggling with injuries or setbacks: don’t lose hope. Find what you can do, no matter how small, and stay committed to your goals. Movement, no matter how gentle, can make a world of difference.
Gratefully,
Kristen
(GLP-1 user and Altranais Wellness client)
