Weight loss encouraged after joint replacement surgery

Posted by walk12 @walk12, Oct 18, 2023

Looking to see if anyone has seen beneficial results from achieving weight loss post joint replacement. Did your doctor recommend/emphasize the need for losing weight post operatively?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Bones, Joints & Muscles Support Group.

I had lost 65lbs prior to my TKR. I do have to say it made a difference before and I'm sure it did after. They said nothing to me about losing after but it's always good to lose weight. It gets harder after the surgery because even a year out my leg/knee area still gets sore and stiff. Feel best wearing jeans as they give compression to my leg and knee an it's supported more (per PT). I've read that even mild weight loss takes several pounds of impact off the knees so I'd say it would make a difference.

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Morning Walk2 - I'm 76 and live in the UK. I've had my implant removed and am hopeful that I'll have a new one sometime next year. In the meantime I have been 10 months with limited mobility. My right thigh where it was removed as expanded sideways and I'm finding it hard to lose weight even though I've limited myself to 800-1000 calories a day. Thankfully my understanding consultant hasn't mentioned losing weight but it needs to happen. Hopefully someone can advise us both. Have you had you op or are you waiting? Good luck either way.

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Before and after too. The only method I've found for a post menopausal woman is keto. Had a consult with Dr. Eric westman at Duke and followed his very simple protocol.

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Hi @walk2, Such a great discussion for a lot of us folks getting older and carry around some extra weight. I would like to add my welcome to Connect along with @cindymattern and @jennycyprus. I had my right knee replaced a few years ago and always knew that it would help if I lost some weight. What has helped me was intermittent fasting along with changing to low carb healthy fat eating along with getting rid of some bad snacking habits. There is a discussion that helped me if you are interested in learning more.

--- Low-carb healthy fat living. Intermittent fasting. What’s your why?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/low-carb-healthy-fat-living-intermittent-fasting-whats-your-why/.

A few months prior to having my knee replaced my surgeon gave me a list of pre and post surgery leg exercises and told me it would help my recovery and other knee if I could lose some weight. I definitely think losing some weight helped my recovery and hopefully prevents future joint problems.

Have you looked into any changes you can make to help with losing weight?

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@jennycyprus

Morning Walk2 - I'm 76 and live in the UK. I've had my implant removed and am hopeful that I'll have a new one sometime next year. In the meantime I have been 10 months with limited mobility. My right thigh where it was removed as expanded sideways and I'm finding it hard to lose weight even though I've limited myself to 800-1000 calories a day. Thankfully my understanding consultant hasn't mentioned losing weight but it needs to happen. Hopefully someone can advise us both. Have you had you op or are you waiting? Good luck either way.

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Check out you tube with David and jen unwin....doctors inUk
And other speakers on Low Carb Down Under. Also Dr. Eric westman from Duke University

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I don't think there's much argument against losing weight if overweight.

I'm trying to lose weight because I have a hip replacement to come. The difficulty is to do so while being advised to cut back on my walking and activities because both are failing and are quite painful.

Going from 2.5 miles 3 times a week to 1-1.5 miles 3 times a week makes it more difficult to lose that weight. Have reduced food intake, primarily carbs, but the weight is being quite stubborn so I need to do more.

Naprosyn is helpful for the pain (non-prescription NSAIDs aren't at all), but I can only go on them for a couple of weeks due to GI issues/bleeding.

Getting chased inside due to weather soon, so I'll move to my exercise bike if the hip allows.

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Cutting carbs, sugar, refined grains....all bodies react differently....of course we all know that. I did best when I cut total carbs to no more than twenty....

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For me it was mostly portion control. I like everything & psychologically I don't like
the idea of denying myself something= too rigid. Then I would have one day a week
where I ate anything I wanted. Journaling helps some women. And movement as much
as you can; I walk around / dance around gently when brushing my teeth & do exercises in
bed before I get up, like lots of different stretches. Good luck.

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If you haven't tried intermittent fasting, I highly recommend it. There is also an app for your mobile device that makes it really easy - https://zerolongevity.com/. For all of those that would like a deep dive into the topic of intermittent fasting, here's an hour long talk by Dr. Jason Fung - Intermittent Fasting - Busting the Myths Lecture:
https://youtu.be/S8AsjlM-nwI

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@cindymattern

I had lost 65lbs prior to my TKR. I do have to say it made a difference before and I'm sure it did after. They said nothing to me about losing after but it's always good to lose weight. It gets harder after the surgery because even a year out my leg/knee area still gets sore and stiff. Feel best wearing jeans as they give compression to my leg and knee an it's supported more (per PT). I've read that even mild weight loss takes several pounds of impact off the knees so I'd say it would make a difference.

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Thank you for sharing. Congratulations on losing 65 pounds. That is awesome!

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