There is no doubt obesity is on the rise. According to the NHS website obesity affects 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 5 children. Not only can it have an effect on musculoskeletal pain, but significantly increases your risk of diabetes, coronary heart disease and cancer!
Patients will often say that they have put weight on because the pain they are experiencing has reduced their ability to exercise, makes sense right! The real conundrum here is that many musculoskeletal conditions are affected by weight gain and if you are really overweight it can prevent you from having the surgical treatment you need until you lose weight! Of course its understandable that patients will then say; “well I can’t lose weight as I can’t exercise” so around and around we go in a vicious cycle.
Ever heard the phrase “a six pack is made in the kitchen not the gym?” well its true! Of course you can put weight on if your exercise ability is reduced… but here is the truth:-Calorie surplus is what causes weight gain not lack of exercise. Of course the more you exercise the higher threshold for your calorie surplus will be. Therefore the balancing act is to reduce your calorie intake to balance the level of exercise you can do. Although this is a simple fact, its far more complicated to execute for a number of reasons, which may be psychological or be linked to an underlying medical complaint. If you are really struggling with weight, you should see your GP for professional help.
The key to weight loss is knowing exactly how much you eat and drink each day including alcohol, which is a huge source of hidden calories. In fact 1 pint of beer can contain the same calories as a chocolate bar!
you can find your calorie deficit point by multiplying your weight in pounds by 10, this is a rough guide however. If you track your food and drink daily by using an app such as MY Fitness Pal, it will help you to understand where you are. Often people feel they eat well and the portion size or the unknown calories in each food is the issue. Hopefully by doing this you will lose weight and you never know, your pain may naturally improve! Remember no matter what diet plan you choose, whether it is keto, 5:2, intermittent fasting, slimming world, weight watchers; Track your calories and watch the weight fall off.