I am twenty one years old. I became a bi-lateral amputee when I was seventeen years old; therefore, I wear two prosthetic legs. My problem is that I spend more time in my wheelchair than I do walking on my prosthetic legs because of weight fluctuations. My weight fluctuates up to ten pounds in both directions. Whenever I gain or lose weight I cannot wear my legs, or if I wear them they don’t function properly because of the change in the volume of my leg. I feel as though I need to see a nutritionist to get on some type of eating plan so that I am able to maintain a steady weight. Would you agree that this is what I should do? – Kristen
Dear Kristen,
We appreciate your writing to us. As I was reading your letter, the first thing that came to my mind is the value of you working with a physical therapist at this time. It sounds like you are stuck in a cycle of inactivity and weight gain due to the amount of time spent in your wheelchair. A physical therapist who has experience working with amputees could teach you some strength training exercises, which would build muscle and improve your overall metabolism. He or she could also assess the problems you are having with your prosthetic legs.
You don’t mention whether you are experiencing eating issues that would be contributing to your weight fluctuations. If that’s the case, then absolutely, I would recommend that you be assessed by a nutritionist (see “Finding a Nutritionist”). But if you feel that you eat well overall, then time spent with a physical therapist would probably be the most beneficial at this point. To help you with setting goals for eating well, you might want to read “A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Weight,” to get some general advice on good nutrition.
My only other question is whether you are on any medications that could be causing fluid fluctuations, which would obviously be contributing to your problems with weight shifts. If so, this is something you should talk about with your doctor.
Blessings to you,
Ann