Thread: In desperate need of some advice.

Hello, all.

I recently hit the internet in search of information that might be useful to me in organizing a proper diet as well as figuring out how much cardio I need to be doing to help me lose weight. The problem is that there is so much information on the net that it makes my head spin, so when I came across this site I decided to just post the information about my situation and ask for opinions from other, more experienced members.

My situation is a bit of a difficult one. In late 2005, I ended up going to the hospital to have an MRI done on my spine, because I was beginning to suffer from serious back pain. When I came out of the MRI, I was hardly able to walk. I had to crawl out of the room and lay on a bench, on my side, for nearly 20 minutes before I could get up and leave the hospital.

When my results finally came in, my doctor informed me that I had two herniated discs, and that I was in need of major surgery to correct the problem. Unfortunately, I was uninsured and unable to come up with the money needed to rectify this problem. Back surgery is a very expensive procedure. My doctor informed me that I could no longer wrestle, no longer take part in martial arts, and that boxing probably wasn't a good idea, either. So the three activities that I really enjoyed pretty much went up in a hoof.

Just for reference, here are the "Conclusions" from the copy of the doctor's report that I brought home with me:

1. Very large central disc herniation at L4-5 causing severe spinal stenosis with extreme cauda equina compression.

2. Moderate sized right paracentral disc herniation at L5-S1 causing moderate right lateral recess stenosis and right S1 nerve root compression.

3. Mild facet hypertrophic changes at L4-5 and L5-S1.

4. Surgical cons recommended.

Between September 2005 and January of this year, I found myself depressed a lot of the time. I began to put on weight. Now I've always been a big guy, but I've put on some serious weight. I now clock in at around 500lbs.

I'm in serious need of weight loss. I've noticed over the last couple of months that my back hasn't been hurting me nearly as bad as it has in the last couple of years -- it was getting so bad midway through 2006 that I could hardly get out of bed, and in fact I was contemplating suicide as a result -- and I've started getting up and walking around more often.

Nine days ago, a friend of mine brought me an exercise bike. I've spent the last eight days on the bike, doing as much cardio as I can. I've started eating less, and my original plan was to try and put in between 30 and 40 minutes on the bike, six days a week.

But I've seen a lot of conflicting information on the internet about how much I should or should not be doing. The doctor told me it's probably not safe to lift heavy weights, and I can't do many of the activities I enjoyed doing before my injury.

Apart from the exercise bike and walking, what other cardio exercises can I do that won't endanger my spine? How much cardio should I be doing each day, and how many days of the week should I be doing it?

More importantly, what sort of diet should I look into? Right now, I'm just trying to count calories and keep my intake at around 1,500-2,000 a day. I'm planning on upping my intake of vegetables, and I'm planning on making turkey and tuna my primary meat sources. I've also taken to eating dried and fresh fruits.

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.


Edited to Add: I apologize to the staff if I've placed this thread in the wrong forum. I couldn't decide between here or the General Health & Awareness section, because the thread is directly related to my need to get a good diet in place as well as my weight problems.

Thanks for the link. I'm off to read it now.

Here's what I'm thinking of for the diet. I've not implemented it yet, I'm still gathering information on the nutritional value. Another factor I have to take into account is cost. Since I can't currently work (it's hard finding a job due to my injury, because I can't do major physical labor, which is mostly what I've done up 'til 2005) and even in an office setting, I'm an insurance liability) I'm on an extremely tight budget.

Breakfast:
One bowl of Special K breakfast cereal in skim milk, with a bit of dried fruit.

Snack #01:
Either an Apple or a Banana

Lunch:
One turkey or tuna sandwich, comprised of two slices whole wheat bread, lettuce, green peppers, black olives, radishes, and a dab of mustard. A serving of Baked Lay's.

Snack #02:
Either an Apple or a Banana

Dinner:
I'm thinking one or two veggie sandwiches, both on whole wheat bread, both comprised of lettuce, green peppers, black olives, radishes and a dab of mustard. No Baked Lay's.

I'm horrible with working out the nutritional value of something, and at the end of the day it's the high intake of vegetables at lunch and dinner that I'm banking on helping me the most. It's a boring, repetitive menu, but I think it'll come in at just around the amount of calories I need to keep my body from going into starvation mode and allow for me to do cardio over the course of the day, and it'll help me build an eating routine.

But I'm very bad at working out an effective diet, and while I don't want to under eat, I'm terrified of over eating. I'm also terribly unimaginative, which is why I opted for things like veggie sandwiches.

To be honest, I find it easier, mentally, to exercise than to set up a healthy but lean diet. Thankfully, I don't have the money to buy a lot of sweets or sodas these days, so what I keep stocked to eat is what I'll be eating. There's very little chance of cheating.

On the shopping list that is at that link you provided me, I notice that black olives and radishes aren't on it. Are they just not as healthy as the others, or should I avoid them entirely? I'm glad Crystal Light is on that list as well. The Crystal Light single packs for bottled water is what I've used to phase out soda over the last four or five months. I drink pure water when I'm on the bike, but I do like the Crystal Light when I'm not pedaling or walking.