Discouraged by Weight Gain After Injury?
August 12th, 2011 | 
Author: Q:
Hey Lauren,
My teammates recently told me to check out your site and I’ve been so inspired by coming here…thank you so much.
I’ve struggled with a hamstring injury and a labral tear in my hip for a long time now, and I always felt like I was the only person struggling with such long-term injuries. My question is actually about weight gain after an injury.
I’m about 10 lbs above my target weight thanks to these injuries, and I feel so discouraged in everything I do. Have you had to drop weight coming off an injury before, and if so, how did you tackle that extra obstacle to recovery?
Thanks again for everything,
Elle
A:
Hi Elle,
When I injured my navicular in 2008, I went from 125 to 140. Yikes.
I totally know what you are going through right now. Coming back to running in a heavier body is not only sucky and hard, but it is an emotional let-down because for months all you’ve wanted to do was run, and now running doesn’t feel anything like what you remember. When you are at your ideal weight, you feel like you are meant to run…like you could go forever. That is the feeling you are probably missing most right now.
I’ll tell you two things from my experience (that I’ve been able to see in retrospect) that might help you out in your transition:
1. Spending time injured and then at a heavier weight had unintended benefits for me:
- I got my period regularly for the first time in two years, and its been regular ever since. It restored my hormone and metabolic balance and filled up my mineral and vitamin stores. My blood tests looked healthier than ever. It was almost like hitting a reset button after years and years of hard training.
- When I eventually got back to my previous weight, I was stronger and more powerful as a result of my muscles adapting to the larger load from before. (It was like I had been training with a really heavy sweaty weight vest for several months!) My drills and weights have more pop, and my finishing kick is better than ever now.
- I learned that I never want to gain that much weight again, and the next time I was injured, I only gained seven pounds, which had all the benefits but was easier to bounce back from.
2. Training while heavier required a different approach that made me feel connected to other runners:
- If you start running as a kid, you never understand how “hard” running actually is until you try to comeback from injury for the first time. Now I get it.
- It is valuable to experience the struggle to “get back in shape” now, while you have powerful motivation. Think about all the adults you know trying to “get back in shape.” We’ve been hearing about it all our lives, which tells me it will probably become a theme of our adult life when the structure of competitive sport is done. How do you want to handle this challenge as you grow older? This is the first test run…its an opportunity. Take notes.
When you are getting down on yourself, and you feel like you are breathing like a gorilla in heat while lumbering through the park, try to laugh about it. This is just a temporary thing. You WILL get better. Think of your athletic body as a diamond covered in bits of moss and lichen and clay and sediment. None of those things actually penetrate through the diamond; they just need to be chipped away at a little bit at a time so you can sparkle.
Thanks for your kind words and for writing in!
Lauren
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Hi Lauren! I have a follow-up question. Did you find that the extra weight just “dropped off” when you started getting back to your regular training regimen again? Or did you also follow a nutritional plan to help the process along? I know this can be a tricky subject as the concept of following a nutritional plan can be easily misinterpreted as simply restricting calories/less calories = better, which is certainly not healthy…I’m just wondering if you worked with a nutritionist to figure out what sort of meal plan would best support training but also help with the weight loss. Or maybe you waited to train intensively until you’d already lost the weight via running.
My experience has been that the extra weight goes away on its own after a few months of proper running. I never altered my food intake. And I agree that it is a valuable experience to know exactly what you have to do, and how, to get back to where you want to be.
I really like your positive take on the good things weight gain did for you. I’m pregnant, so I tell myself all the time while waddling around with my extra 30lbs that my muscles are going to be so much stronger as a result (seriously, just getting up the 3 flights to my apartment feels like a heroic achievement) – good to have backup on that previously random and unsubstantiated bit of positive self talk!
You will definitely be uber-tough after pregnancy, I’m sure! Congrats!
I’ve never been one of those athletes that has the weight just “fall off” with training. I’m way too interested in food, and my appetite tends to rise in sync with my energy demands, keeping me at a consistent weight. The only exception to this is when I’m doing a lot of speed and VO2 Max training in my peak season; I’ll lose 3 pounds or so without trying at that time of year.
For me to lose weight, I have to adjust my diet, and I have to eat less than I burn. If you go extreme with this, its obviously really bad for your health, but I’ve had success picking a 4-6 week period where I a focus on eating lots of vegetables and high iron protein sources (beef, clams, oysters, dark meat from chicken and turkey), avoiding sugar, avoiding processed flour, and passing on alcohol and dessert 5-6 days a week (and the other day, having it sparingly.) I focus on staying hydrated and getting in vitamin and mineral packed foods, making the smaller amount that I eat count for a lot more nutritionally. I boost my calcium supplementation as well. Mentally, I expect to feel a little bit of hunger now and then.
When its time to lose a few, a lot of times I have a few false starts on this diet before I get into the groove. I’ve discovered that the biggest factor in succeeding at this is attitude. If I approach the “diet” with negativity about my body, then its a lot more of a struggle day to day. If I instead look at my body as a work in progress that is already fabulous but that I just want to maximize it for a particular purpose (running fast), my attitude toward food during these times is positive, thinking about how healthy I can be, rather than having a deprived negative attitude toward food.
Final thought: putting a time limit on a restricted diet is important in my opinion. My number one priority is my mental health, and I’ve always felt it would be dangerous to be restrictive for too long. What starts as a temporary diet could become a permanent obsession, which I have no interest in. I’ve been told in the past that my “diet” is really just healthy eating that one would benefit from year round, but when I imagine my ideal future life, there will always be guest appearances of sweets, alcohol, and fettuccine alfredo. If I die at 76 instead of 79 as a result, it will have been worth it!
Question out of curiosity – at what point in your season do you picky that 4-6 weeks? When you just start training? Or in the 4-6 weeks leading up to a big race?
I haven’t been actually injured since the age of 12 (knock on wood and by actually injured I mean in a cast and having to take time off), so I haven’t had that whole experience. However, what I did like in this post was the part where you mention how “hard” running is when you’re coming back. I picked the whole running thing up at 23 and it was extremely frustrating because sports usually came so easily for me (but I guess they do when you start them all out of diapers – ha!), and running was very, very hard. The whole running thing has been a really good lesson in sticking with something, struggling through something, setting goals and seeing results — probably more so than any other athletic endeavor I’ve done in my life, mostly because I’m older and have a greater appreciation for every little success, I guess. So, I guess, if I do get injured ever, I’ll have to remember how hard running was to begin with when I get back into it.
Great perspective MBS.
Great question and great answer. Both are pretty close to home, as I am still recovering from hip surgery (the surgery was a success but the return to running is a slow process). Immediately after surgery, when my exercises consisted of lying on the floor and squeezing muscles to activate them, the weight gain was horrific. I realized that I had to eat differently, and it made a big difference. I reduced my carb intake and focused more on non-starchy vegetables and started drinking green tea. A lot of nutrition seems to be habit more than physical need, so I had to learn to listen harder to what my body said and not just go through the motions I was used to when shopping for food and preparing food and especially when ordering food. I also paid more attention to portions. I was used to needing large portions to fuel the run, so I gave myself smaller portions and let myself wait a little while before getting seconds if I needed it. I basically learned a lot about nutrition during that time, though it is an ongoing process. It was somewhat empowering in that I had always thought that if I couldn’t run that I would balloon back up to my pre-runner body, but that didn’t happen. Now I feel better about being able to control nutrition and use it instead of the other way around.
As for what it’s like getting back into running, it is definitely challenging. I’m bigger and slower and feel like I need to run wearing a sign that says, “this isn’t the real me!” But that’s silly, because it is the real me, as I am right now, working hard to get back into something I love. We all know that running has a lot to do with what’s in your head, and I’ve been very pleased to find that that part is not injured. I run the pace of a mid packer but have the mental stamina, determination, strategy, and skills of a modest front packer. I generally value attitude over ability (Lauren is amazing for excelling at both!), so I am proud of what I still have that took so long to build up.
Muna, I love your comments. Awesome stuff. In particular, your comments about nutrition are EXACTLY what I discovered after my first injury when I needed to lose a little weight:
“A lot of nutrition seems to be habit more than physical need, so I had to learn to listen harder to what my body said and not just go through the motions I was used to when shopping for food and preparing food and especially when ordering food. I also paid more attention to portions. I was used to needing large portions to fuel the run, so I gave myself smaller portions and let myself wait a little while before getting seconds if I needed it. I basically learned a lot about nutrition during that time, though it is an ongoing process.”
Great advice!
Hi Lauren!
I just went on the NYRR website and saw that you are making your marathon debut in NY!
I live in NY and have run the marathon here 7 times….IT”S AWESOME! I’m so psyched for you!
CONGRATS!!! I’m rootin’ for ya!!!
I am just a middle of the pack marathoner but I’ve done several in several different cities and NY rocks!
I also just browsed around your website…lotsa good words of advice and encouragement. You’re very inspiring!
Congrats on being one of the chosen four to make their marathon debut!
GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK!
Karen
Thanks Karen! I’m going to need some tips on the course!
Thank you so much, Lauren, and thank you everyone for the comments! Muna– I know exactly what you mean by wanting to “wear a sign”, haha. I appreciate this advice so much!
Another post with a lot of wisdom, but I’m especially impressed by your comment about using the struggle of post-injury weight loss to prepare for the challenge of (seemingly) inevitable weight gain later in life. I think you could also apply that thought to injury itself, as in: If I have trouble dealing mentally with a hamstring/foot/calf/etc injury that keeps me from running, how the hell will I deal with some injury or illness at some point that is truly devastating? (It doesn’t take much imagination to conjure up a host of horrible examples that seem all too prevalent.) That thought often crosses my mind when I’m dealing with some running-related problem, and though I definitely have not found any wonderful perspective or “calm center” yet, I find it worthwhile, in an existential sort of way, to try to grapple with it–if only briefly.
Meanwhile, I’m really looking forward to posts about your transition from mid-distance training to the marathon. I’m sure you’ll have lots of profound–and hilarious!–things to say about preparing for your debut in NYC.
Hi Lauren,
I discovered this site last summer. I’ve never commented but there’ve been so many times when I wanted to—I would read certain posts and think “Yes!” because they were just so true, and the advice was so good. I always feel a little awkward with the idea of making professional athletes role models, I but have so much admiration for you—your outlook on injury, healthy eating, and life in general. Thank you for keeping up this blog/Q&A. I really, really enjoy and appreciate it.
When I read this post, I started crying. (I swear I’m not actually emotionally unhinged…just injured). I could’ve written Elle’s question word for word—I’ve been dealing with a labral tear/surgery and related setbacks for a year now (although I’ll take the 10/15 lbs and raise it to 25—from 130 to 155. I don’t know what’s worse—the fact that it happened, or that I’m almost okay with it). I lost some of the weight, but I’m in the middle of a major setback now and I have restrictions on my cross-training and I somehow managed to gain all the weight back. I’m not looking forward to the month+ that it’ll take for running to feel decent again—I just got out of the phase of feeling like a lumbering gorilla and crying almost every run because running felt so awful and unnatural. I definitely wanted a “this isn’t the real me!” sign. (I used to break out the soccer shorts and basketball tshirts and go undercover). I never have a problem eating well when I feel like an athlete; it’s almost like there’s a switch.
I don’t feel comfortable talking about my weight gain with teammates because this is something that is clearly my fault and I should be able to control, and I don’t want to create eating disorders or be the girl who complains about her weight all the time (oops…sorry for all the complaining on here).
I guess I really wanted to say Elle, you are definitely not alone, and Lauren, I too thank you for everything : )
Preach on,
Sarah
Sarah, I count three of us commenting on here who have/had hip labral tears. Weird. Too bad we can’t all be Nick Willis!
You sound like you are being pretty hard on yourself. The weight gain is not necessarily all your fault. There can be a lot of reasons why your body is out of whack after surgery and related setbacks that can affect your digestion and therefore nutrition. One thing I found had a big effect was the sudden loss of vitamin D. I went from being outside a lot to surgery and rehab and almost everything indoors, and a supplement really helped. Also, any surgery will require antibiotics, which can kill some of the good stuff in your digestive tract. Replenishing that with probiotics can really help your digestion. Being able to absorb the nutrients means you’ll get the benefit of the food and not be as hungry or have as many cravings all the time. Going low carb for a while (healthy low carb — lean meats, fish, non-starchy veggies, healthy oils) can satisfy without adding a lot of calories so you can lose without suffering. Keeping some carbs in there is important, too, and berries, green apples, and citrus fruit in reasonable quantities can be good. Don’t blame yourself — so many body changes being forced on you can have a dramatic metabolic impact, and of course the psychological impacts leave you vulnerable and more susceptible to poor decision making. Lauren healed and is doing better than ever, and if we stick with it, it will happen for us too. Good luck!! Sending good thoughts your way.
Hello. I am glad I found this site. Ok here is my situation. I am 30 years old and 3 years ago I was at my highest weight of 188. Thanks to my friends support an encouragement I was able to lose 40 pounds. I was able to keep the weight around 145-150 the past year. However I injuried my back, a lumbar sprain, 2 months ago. I go on 20 mins walks, thats all i can handle. Do my stretches. I still eat the same, healthy. And now I am 156. This may not seem like alot of weight gain but I am very discouraged and would like to know if this weight gain is normal? How can I lose the weight? Is walking 20mins a day enough? I really need your advise. Thank you.
I’m a little late to this party, but wanted to chime in here. Apologies on the length, but I have lots to say on this!
I had labral tear surgery back in December and want to offer you all some hope. I’m running around 60 miles per week at this point, training for a fall marathon, and loving running pain-free and being back down around race weight again. Mad props to my surgeon, my PT, and a runner friend who’d had the same surgery and was kind enough to answer my million questions.
I actually joined Weight Watchers a month or two before surgery and stuck with that plan until I was back to running again. I knew my body wouldn’t be the same after all those months off, but I wanted to at least keep the number on the scale stable. I found the record-keeping and the meetings weirdly comforting. The routines felt familiar to me. I tracked points instead of miles, and went to a weekend meeting rather than a Saturday morning long run. And I had the same sense of community I’ve always loved about my running club and my group runs. It gave me something to do, something measurable to think about. It filled the gap that running left, and I learned a lot about nutrition.
I know from talking to fellow WW members at the meetings that they were intrigued by the idea that an athletic person within the “normal” weight range would have to work so hard to stay at weight during an inactive period. I think a lot of them had concluded that thin people were just naturally that way, and they expressed a lot of surprise that someone my size was struggling, too.
I hit a high of 125 pounds (which is a lot at 5’3) but remained relatively steady at 118. I didn’t LOOK like a runner by the time I started running again, and I FELT like the Tin Man, but it helped just to know my experiences were normal, and that I was going to have to ride the pain and awkwardness curve back to full running strength. There were a lot of fits and starts. (Honestly, if my friend who’d had the same surgery hadn’t described to me how the comeback felt, I’d have concluded at times that my surgery hadn’t been successful; some setbacks are to be expected, and you have to work through them.) I’m now down around 112 and am aiming to be sub-110 for my fall race. I’m no longer doing WW, but I’ve given up alcohol and restaurants, and I’ve kept the miles up, and the rest seems to be taking care of itself gradually.
My advice to those of you dealing with labral tears: Start going on long walks as soon as you have the all-clear; it’ll make the transition back to running less abrupt. Do EVERYTHING your PT tells you to do. Wean yourself from the meds as quickly as you can, within reason. Find something goal-oriented to do during your off time to scratch that itch that running normally takes care of, whether it’s Weight Watchers or finishing your novel or creating a blog. Find something that inspires you. (I listened to a “Once A Runner” audiobook while pool-running and watched three whole seasons of “The Biggest Loser” to put my weight-related challenges in proper perspective.) Make sure your family understands your goals; get the support you need to eat right, cross-train, and not be too hard on yourself as you’re coming back.
Good luck!
Clover, Can you tell me more about your labrum tear and surgery. I’ve been a runner all my life and after a recent marathon was diagnosed with a Labrum tear. I’m devastated and I live in Florida where here are really no experts in the area. Can you tell me if you first tried a conservative route before surgery became the obvious answer? I am very nervous about surgery as I’ve heard that it’s not at all a guarantee that you’ll be able run again. Were you able to cross train before surgery and what was your recovery like?
Please feel free to email me Lissa4@comcast.net
thank you!
[...] you are injured, you will get back to a better place faster if you eat mindfully! Here is a great article written by one of my idols, professional runner Lauren Fleshman, about dealing with weight gain [...]
Hi Lauren. I’m a sophmore in high school and this is my second year in track/xc. I love running, but this year has been so difficult. Last year I made varsity as a freshman and won league finals for track in 2nd place, and moved on to city finals. The last month of trak I suffered from shin splints and calf aches. After track season, I ran occasionally, swimming more often. Xc saeson this year was suprisingly difficult. I ran most practices and meets with my knees feeling wobbly and my thighs feeling weak. My left leg feels especially weak. It’s like the right leg does all the work. I am scared for track season this year because I know I can go faster, but my leg won’t let me. My coach expects me to win the city title for the 2 mile. I have also had to gain weight this year, because of my doctor’s and nutritionist’s orders. In addition to this, this is my first year taking AP classes, so I have been relly busy, so I haven’t been able to do my push-ups and abs. I have lost muscle and ab strength. How did you manage to get everything done in high school? Oh and I just wanted to tell you… I know Jaclyn Bauer. She is my therapist and she told me about you because she knows I love running! You are amazing and I admire you so much <3
Alice