How I Maintained My Weight Loss During 3 Months Of Surgery Recovery
When I found out that I needed surgery, I knew I wasn’t going to try to lose weight during that time, I just didn’t want to gain any if I could help it.
I wasn’t going to be able to walk for months, and everything about my routine was going to change.
I didn’t want to undo the weight loss progress that I had made, even during a time like this.
What Happened
About two years ago, I decided I wanted to start exercising and bought a treadmill. I had been pretty sedentary for years, so I quickly increased my steps and within about a week and a half I ended up with a serious ankle injury.
After over a year of physical therapy and seeing several different specialists, it only got worse, and eventually it was decided that I needed surgery.
After surgery, I was in a cast and then a boot for months (actually longer than the three months that I anticipated originally). I couldn’t walk and spent most of my time with my foot elevated. I needed help with everything, even basic things and I was more sedentary than I had ever been before.
What I Saw After Almost 4 Months
After a little over three months of barely moving, I was able to get weighed. I was healed enough to stand on my own two feet for about one minute, which was painful and hard, but I was able to see where I was.
I wasn’t expecting to have lost weight, I just didn’t want to gain.
The good thing is, I maintained my weight. I actually lost one pound.
This surprised me, even though I was very happy and relieved.
I was nervous to get on the scale and even mentally prepared myself for what would happen if I gained back all of the weight I had lost. While it wouldn’t have been ideal, I was at peace knowing I really did try during this hard surgery recovery. I decided that I would not beat myself up and would commit to losing it again. Thankfully, when I got on the scale I was relieved.
More than anything, it just allowed me to breathe knowing that I didn’t gain weight and undo the progress that I had made.
What I Thought Would Matter
With a goal like this I knew that I would need a plan. I couldn’t just hope I wouldn’t gain weight, while being non-weight bearing. I had to prepare for it, the best way I could.
Before my surgery, I tried to prepare as much as I could.
I cooked and froze a variety of meals, so I would have options and that would be easy for my husband to warm up for me. I made sure that these meals were balanced and portioned in the portion size I would eat them. I separated things out, vacuum sealed them, and made sure I had enough food ready that would last for at least 3 months, so I wouldn’t have to think about it later.
Going into it, I thought that having a lot of different meals would be what helped me stay on track. I assumed I would need variety so I wouldn’t get bored or feel like I had to eat out all the time.
I also thought that I would need to be pretty strict with my eating habits during this time to avoid gaining weight, especially since I wouldn’t be moving pretty much at all.
But after I had the surgery and was actually in it, that’s not actually what played out and ended up mattering.
What Actually Helped Me
1. I decided on my meals ahead of time
The biggest thing that helped me was deciding on food ahead of time.
Because I had already cooked and portioned meals before surgery, I didn’t have to figure out what I was going to eat while I was tired, in pain, and mentally drained.
Preparing meals ahead of time made a big difference.
2. I kept eating the same meals
Even though I had a freezer full of different meals, I didn’t rotate through them in the way that I thought I would.
I found a couple of meals I really enjoyed and just kept eating those.
For me two of those meals were:
- Crispy turkey tenderloin with potatoes and zucchini
- Vegetable curry with shrimp and chips on the side.
And for breakfast, it was usually something simple like:
- A simple breakfast, made by my husband. Eggs, toast, sausage or freezer pancakes, eggs, and sausage.
- or 2 IQ protein bars
Looking back, I think this mattered more than the variety.
The meals were easy, filling, and I didn’t have to think too much. I knew I liked them a lot, so there was no mental back and forth about what to eat each day.
3. I didn’t eat perfectly, and that didn’t mess me up
I definitely didn’t eat perfectly during this time.
I ate out maybe 10 times over the three months. There were a few days where I had things like full chocolate bars, and I had my husband go to my favorite bakery once.
Those times didn’t turn into habits though. I knew that couldn’t happen.
I didn’t let one day turn into a week, and I didn’t feel like I “messed up” when something wasn’t perfect.
I just moved on and went back to what I had already been doing.
4. I switched things up when I needed to
There were also times where I adjusted things slightly to make meals interesting.
For example, I bought store-bought coconut shrimp, which is something I wouldn’t normally do because I don’t love the ingredients in them, but they helped me change things up just enough without feeling like I needed to eat out. I would just add a portion to my tenderloin meal and it made it feel like a new meal. Small things like this really helped me.
That small shift made it easier to stay consistent without overcomplicating things.
What This Made Me Realize
Looking back, maintaining my weight during this time didn’t come from being strict or doing things perfectly.
It also didn’t come from having a freezer full of different meals like I originally thought it would.
What actually made the difference was much simpler than that.
I had a few meals that I found out I truly loved, and kept going back to them over and over.
They were easy, filling, and balanced. I wasn’t constantly trying to figure out what to eat or debating between options. For the most part, I just ate the same things each day.
I also realized that consistency didn’t come from avoiding certain foods or trying to be perfect.
There were days where I ate out or had things I wouldn’t normally have, but those days didn’t turn into weeks, or months of bad habits.
This experience taught me, more than anything, that I don’t have to be perfect in order to stay consistent.
It showed me that the simpler I keep things, the more likely I am to stay on track.
I Don’t Think About Being Consistent The Same Way Anymore
I didn’t go into this thinking I would learn anything. I was just trying to get through without going backwards.
But looking back, I did take something away from this.
This experience changed how I think about what actually matters when it comes to staying consistent.