Download WHEELCHAIR WEIGHTLOSS TIPS February 2014

WHEELCHAIR WEIGHTLOSS TIPS
February 2014
Adults who use wheelchairs face certain challenges when it comes to losing weight. That’s
because fewer calories are used through physical activity. But if you are a wheelchair user
and you are overweight, you can make changes to achieve a healthy weight.
If you have made your own weight loss journey and have great tips that have worked for you or learnt the hard way
what doesn’t work we would love to hear about it. Send a quick email to [email protected] or find your local MDA
Facebook page and make a post!
WHEELCHAIR WEIGHTLOSS TIPS
Many of us eat more calories than we need, and don't do enough physical activity. Over time, this leads to weight
gain. If you're a wheelchair user, you're at particular risk of weight gain, partly because wheelchair users tend not to
use the large muscles in their legs, and so use less energy in day-to-day life.
Being overweight or obese puts you at higher risk of a range of serious health conditions, including type 2 diabetes,
heart disease and certain cancers.
Checking your weight
Body mass index (BMI) is commonly used as a measure of whether someone is a healthy weight for their height.
But BMI is not a suitable measure if you have underlying health conditions that may affect your height or weight. If
you are uncertain about your weight, talk to your GP. They will be able to provide advice on whether BMI is a
suitable measure for you, and whether you are currently a healthy weight. Your GP can also help if you are not able
to weigh yourself.
Why you might be overweight
Being in a wheelchair can make it difficult to gauge how many calories you need to eat. Eating the same amount
that you did before starting to use a wheelchair, or eating the same sized meals as people you live with who are not
in a wheelchair, will lead to weight gain. Any loss in muscle mass will also mean that fewer calories are required to
maintain bodyweight. Some medications are associated with weight gain making it more difficult to maintain a
healthy weight.
Losing weight in a wheelchair
The key to losing weight the healthy way is to adjust your diet and level of physical activity.
To lose weight, you need regularly to use more energy than you consume in food and drink. You can do this by a
combination of eating fewer calories and being more active. However, if your ability to move around is severely
restricted by your condition, then dieting will be the main way that you can lose weight.
Aim to lose weight slowly. Between 0.5kg and 1kg a week is sufficient until you reach your target weight. A healthy,
balanced diet and regular physical activity will help you to maintain a healthy weight in the long-term.
Change your diet
While it is dependent on a person's gender, height and weight, the total energy needed every day with regular
exercise is around 8000-9000 total kilojoules (KJ).
If you are a wheelchair user, it’s likely you’ll need less than these guideline amounts. A GP or dietitian can help you
to work out your daily calorie needs.
While adjusting your diet so that you eat fewer calories, it’s important to ensure that you eat healthily and get all
the nutrition you need.
0800 800 337 | www.mda.org.nz | [email protected]
A healthy balanced diet means eating:
•
plenty of fruit and vegetables – aim to eat at least five varied portions every day
•
plenty of starchy foods, such as brown bread, wholegrain pasta and potatoes
•
some milk and dairy foods
•
some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein
Try to eat just a small amount of foods and drinks that are high in fat or sugar. Eight tips that might help you focus
in the right areas are:
1.
Eat lots of fruit and veg
2.
Eat more fish
3.
Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
4.
Eat less salt
5.
Get active and be a healthy weight
6.
Don't get thirsty
7.
Don’t skip breakfast
8.
Base your meals on starchy foods
Get active
Becoming more active is important to maintaining a healthy weight. This will help you to use more calories regularly
than you consume in food and drink, and this will lead to better fitness and help weight loss.
Being a wheelchair user doesn’t have to mean leading an inactive lifestyle.
If you can, aim to do regular cardiovascular activity, as well as regular muscle-strengthening exercise.
Cardiovascular physical activity is particularly important when it comes to losing weight. This is activity that raises
your heart rate, gets you slightly out of breath and causes you to break a sweat. The MDA has a Feel Good Soon
Exercise programme available. This has been designed for adults with neuromuscular conditions and is designed to
improve general health and wellbeing through exercise. Please contact us if you would like to be sent a copy
[email protected] or 0800 800 337.
Other options include swimming if you can, or wheelchair sports such as basketball, rugby, tennis and boccia.(
Boccia is similar to bowls, in which leather balls are rolled towards a target. It can be a particularly good option for
those whose mobility is severely restricted, such as people with quadriplegia). Although it may not help with weight
loss, simply participating in a team or competitive sport can have a very positive effect on a person’s overall
wellbeing. If you are interesting in joining a sport this website makes finding a local club easy
www.allsportsnz.co.nz/find-sports simply select your chosen sport and a location and a list of clubs will be created
for you.
(The weight loss information has been adapted from the NHS UK website’s information for wheelchair users
http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/disability/pages/weight-loss-wheelchairs.aspx accessed on 15/11/2013).
0800 800 337 |www.mda.org.nz | [email protected]
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