Sometimes life has a way of changing your plans.
This time, it was my foot.
Weight loss while injured is something I hadn’t really thought much about until now. I’ve hurt my foot, and for the next couple of days I need to stay off of it as much as possible. That means my normal daily activity is going to drop considerably.
And that presented me with a question.
What happens to my weight-loss plan when I suddenly can’t be as active?
Weight Loss While Injured
I’m currently trying to lose about 1½ pounds per week. Normally, my activity around the house helps determine how many calories I can eat while still working toward that goal.
But sitting with my foot up is definitely not my normal activity level!
For the next few days, I may be much closer to sedentary.
That’s where our Weight Loss Calorie Calculator became especially useful.
Instead of guessing what I should do, I can change my activity level to sedentary and let the calculator give me a new calorie target.
I Can Look at My Options
One thing I really like about the calculator is that I don’t have to make this an all-or-nothing decision.
I can set my activity level to sedentary and see approximately how many calories I would need to eat to continue losing 1½ pounds per week.
Then I can change my goal to 1 pound per week and see that calorie target, too.
That gives me a choice.
Maybe I decide that I still want to aim for 1½ pounds per week.
Or maybe I decide that while my foot is healing, one pound per week is a more reasonable goal.
Either way, I have information I can use to make that decision.
My Plan Changed. My Goal Didn’t.
This is one of those situations that could easily throw me off track.
I could think, “Well, I can’t do my normal activity, so there goes this week’s weight loss.”
But that’s not necessarily true.
My activity level changed. That simply means I may need to adjust my calorie target for a few days.
That’s very different from giving up.
And I’m certainly not going to keep walking around on a sore foot just so my activity calculator will be happy with me. 😂
Right now, resting my foot is more important.
Sometimes Rest Is Part of the Plan
There is another side to this that I think is important.
Getting injured isn’t a reason to drastically cut calories. Our bodies still need good nutrition, especially when they’re recovering.
So I’m not looking at this calculator and asking, “How little can I eat?”
I’m asking, “What is a reasonable calorie goal for my current activity level?”
That’s a much better question.
For me, the answer may even be to temporarily slow my expected rate of weight loss.
A few days at a different calorie target aren’t going to ruin everything I’ve been working toward.
This Is Why I Like Having Tools
When we created the Weight Loss Calorie Calculator, we thought of it mainly as a way to determine a calorie goal based on weight, activity and desired rate of weight loss.
Now I’m finding another use for it.
Life changes.
Our activity changes.
Sometimes we’re busy and moving all day. Other times, a sore foot puts us in a chair whether we like it or not.
Having a tool that lets me change those numbers helps me adjust my plan instead of abandoning it.
That’s really what this journey is about.
I don’t need a perfect week. I just need a plan that can change when life does.
And for the next couple of days, apparently my plan includes putting my foot up.
I suppose my chair won this round. 😂
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