The Case of the Treacherous Sofa-- NEED HELP!

[librarydiva]

Hi, All--

Well, I guess it's really not as bad as I made it seem, but I do need HELP! I broke my foot Thursday evening-- well, really, mostly just my pinky toe and the bone connecting it to the rest of my foot-- but the dr. said it will be 6 WEEKS before it is healed!! 6 weeks with NO WORKOUTS???? Yikes, I'll be as big as a house by then! Please help me, I'm desperate! Anyone have suggestions as to what I can do to try to stay in shape as much as possible for the next 6 weeks?

My chief fear is weight gain (did I mention I used to be about 70 lbs. heavier than I am now), but I also would like to minimize fitness loss as much as possible. Luckily, it's my left foot, and I'm right dominant. I figure I can probably handle upper body strength training without too much trouble and many even some lower body training as well if I'm careful not to put too much weight on the foot. I was thinking I MAY even be able to modify Butts and Guts and Legs and Glutes and include them in my rotation.

But what to do about cardio conditioning? I don't have access to a gym, although there is a fitness room here at the apt. complex (mostly weight machines and stationary bikes). I think stationary bike is out, as it will probably put too much stress on the foot. Maybe rowing machine?? (Oh, Lord, I'll die of boredom....)

Has anyone been through this and been able to use any of Cathe's cardio workouts, or even been able to work out at all? Step is out, but maybe I could do kickbox if I'm careful??? Obviously, I won't be doing boxer shuffles, but I might be able to handle some combinations if I take the jumps out.

Any and all suggestions welcome!! I've been doing 4DS, with a long cardio on day 5, so 4 short cardio and one long cardio per week; I also was trying to get in either Butts and Guts or Legs and Glutes once a week too.

For those of you interested in HOW, it was just a really, really dumb accident. I'd cooked dinner and we were about to watch a movie with dinner and while I was bringing plates into the living room, I smacked my bare foot into one of the cunningly concealed feet of the chaise attached to my sectional sofa. Causing me to volubly inform the world at large, "I AM IN SERIOUS PAIN HERE!"

The funny thing is, that yeah, it hurt, but truthfully, I was mostly upset at the possibility of having ruined a brand-new pedicure!! Upon closer examination, my pinky toe (nail polish intact, I'm happy to report) was found to be pointing away from the rest of my foot at approximately a right angle. Hoping it would just pop back into place, I gave it an experimental shove, which accomplished nothing except for causing an agonizing pain in the offended digit.

At that point, I was absolutely disgusted, as it was clear a visit to the Urgent Care was unavoidable. Oh, and the food was at absolute peak perfection, too, and I'd worked so hard on it all afternoon, and I was so hungry! I was sorely tempted to wait until we'd eaten to go, but my boyfriend took one look at my bizarrely sticking-out toe, and proclaimed, "That ain't right. Baby, we're going." And away we went. We just made it to Urgent Care before they closed. The dr. didn't even need to look at the x-ray to know what was wrong.

In case this ever happens to you, it is called an "angulated fracture" and will require the services of a qualified medical professional to get the toe realigned. The dr. numbed the toe, (which, although excruciating, made me feel much less squeamish about the thought of having my little piggie manipulated) and put it back in place, and then they buddy-taped it to its nearest neighbor. They also gave me a rigid-soled "post-op" shoe to wear, and some serious pain meds, though I haven't needed them.

My boyfriend has been having fun calling me "Franken-Foot." Will this nightmare ever end? And will I be able to successfully work out over the next six weeks? Tune in to see what advice our Cathe-ites have for solving The Case of the Treacherous Sofa.

Thanks so much in advance for any advice y'all can offer!

Cheers!

-Karen

 

[spyrosmom]

Ouch - so sorry

Sorry to hear about the broken piggie-toe. I would think for strength you could still do floor work, inner/outer thigh and leg lifts/butt on all fours. Also maybe some standing work with no wieghts maybe the leg toning section from KM? If you are just taped up can you swim for cardio and just re-tape when you're done? You can prob still ride a bike, just put your foot a little further on the pedal. And maybe a rowing machine? Most importantly, take it easy and let it heal. You won't gain 70 lbs back in 6 wks (congrats on that, too). You will lose a bit of cardio conditioning and strength but it will come back quickly, I promise. You'll probably have to spend some time with lower impact cardio as well when you are able to workout again. Maybe spend this time figuring out a lower impact rotation and treating yourself to some new DVDs. (But honey, I'm huuuuurrrrrrt, new DVD's will make me feel better)

Nan

 

[librarydiva]

Thanks!

Thanks, Nan! Your suggestion about the stationary bike is a good one, I'll give it a try. I don't have access currently to a pool, but am thinking maybe I should think about trying to get to one, just for the next couple of months. And-- NEW VIDEOS!! What a excellent suggestion! Thanks much!

Cheers!

-Karen

 

[LaughingWater]

Well, Franken-Foot... (I love that . When I had my breast biopsy done, I was Franken-Boob) ...I think I'd stick with whatever weight training you can manage, and perhaps B&G floorwork. I'd also watch the calories a little more carefully.

I'm not sure about the cardio aspect of things ~ be careful you don't aggravate and then prolong the healing process. The good news: Cardio comes back fast, so once you're back on 2 fully functioning feet, it won't take you long to recover any ground you may have lost in 6 weeks.

In fact, if you're into periodizing cardio, you could consider this 6 week period as a little shift in your workout program. You're not sidelined ~ you're just beefin' up the weight work. When it's time to do cardio again, your body will respond enthusiastically to the change!

Feel better!

 

[librarydiva]

Franken-Boob, I love it!! Ouch, that is cruel! I remember back in the old days one of the VF regulars posted that her sister had christened her "ScarBooby" for the same reason... she said the name made her feel like a pirate for some reason-- avast, mateys!

Thanks so much for putting things in perspective. I like that: I'm not slacking off on cardio... I'm enhancing my strength training program! Sadly, the cardio keeps my appetite at bay, so I am going to have to watch it on the intake, which is easier said than done with 2 male-types to cook for. Thanks so much for the encouragement. I'll just have to do the best I can-- that's all we can expect of ourselves, anyway! I'll keep y'all posted.

Cheers!

-Karen

 

[dragonf1y]

I am so sorry to hear that you are hurt. Sending you best wishes for a quick recovery and congratulations on a BF who cares more about you being hurt than the awesome dinner you prepared.
Do not let fear control the next six weeks. Concentrate on healing, and use the time to reevaluate your goals. I often find that forced time off from exercising allows me energy to research nutrition and new recipes to improve the diet side of things. I know that anyone with the discipline to lose 70 pounds can keep the weight off for six weeks, even without as much cardio as you are used to.

 

[cheval]

Sorry for your accident. But there's lots and lots you can do. Just imagine if you had a broken ankle and a broken thumb at the same time?

I am still a week away from weight-bearing. Still in a cast on my thumb, too. I have been doing floor work 3 times a week.

Butts and Guts is wonderful!! I use the Floorwork and Abs premix. I do the warm-up sitting on my 12" high step. I do the upper body motions same as Cathe and the girls, using a dumbbell instead of the ball. I do toe reaches for the squats with my legs a little wide. In the leg section, I use my 12" high step instead of stability ball. Gives the same leverage to the motion that Cathe is trying to get without the instability of the ball. I just got my HS, but before that, I just did the exercises on the floor.

I also like the Timesaver #5 that has the floor work from Legs & Glutes. I do some of the standing work, like the one-legged squats (on the good leg) and standing outer thigh raises and then the floorwork.

Some non-Cathe workouts that I picked up to give me more variety is Karen Voight's Great Weighted Workout and a couple of the Firms. I like The Firm Parts Sculpted Hips & Thighs with Tracie Long.

I do a workout 3 times a week. Have to give the body time to recover between workouts.

And since you can do upper body, too, you have lots of options for seated upper body work. You can get 5 workouts in a week, no problem.

I'm a cardio junkie, but I'm doing pretty well so far. I am using Cathe's nutrition site to keep my diet balanced and under control and I haven't gained any weight.

You'll do great!

April