Looking for the geriatric set!

I am 65 with two bad knees. I need weight loss primarily for the knee surgery to be successful long term I really have no other issues like diabetes etc. I just want to unload this baggage, get new knees and move on and regain control over my life and activities. Point is - is this weight loss possible without being a gym rat. My knees won't let me. Will I lose but just at a slower pace? So any older folks out there with physical limits that have had a positive experience? I sure hope so!

Molly in Texas

Hi Molly,
I am 58 with 2 bad knees , I had surgery 5.5 months ago and my knees are better but I am still on narcotics , but not as much , still am bone on bone on the inside part of both knees.
I DO NOT EXERCISE of course my doc want me to have knee replacement "because narcotics are bad ) and exercise is good...whatever !!! I see him tomorrow and am going to lie and tell him I am exercising cuz I just don't want to hear it again. I AM working on strengthening my muscles after sitting in my recliner for 2.5 years
It CAN be done , and it will make knee replacement easier if you choose that in the future

Are you the Ninja Lady from yesterday? Wow!
I think I see where you had a lap band in 2005. I had one in Dec. 2009 - a failure. I said if the band failed I would wait till Medicare kicked in and let Uncle Sam pay for RNY. The big surgery. I paid for the band. Got taken on that one big time. Do you mind me asking how much you have lost in 5.5 months. We are all different I know but anything will help with these knees. I sit in the living room in my chair reading and crocheting and really would rather be at Macys! Or maybe anywhere else.

Molly

Yep I'm the Ninja Lady from yesterday.
I am 5'8" started the process in January 2012 weighing 256 lost 12 lbs before surgery was 244 at surgery and today was 194 , so over all 62 lbs , 50 lbs since surgery ,it has been much slower because of it being a revision.
I am wearing a 14-16 , my goal MIGHT be 175??? I really don't know, I will just have to wait and see where my body and surgery takes me. I look totally normal right now because of how I am built and the fact that I had a TT 11 years ago after loosing 160 lbs on a liquid diet , I kept it of almost 5 years then started gaining weight back , after STOPPING exercise because of getting sick (  one reason I will NEVER rely on exercise to loose weight again ) so I went from 160 to 276 and had the band and lost down to 195 for 10 minutes ( took over 2 years) went on vacation and gained a bit and started having complications. The band sure wasn't what it was sold to me in 05 , I am sooooooo happy to have it gone , feel so normal now ...priceless
I still do a lot of sitting , part of it is habit, part is pain , part is fear, but I can do so much more than I could before surgery !! and I plan on doing more and more

With major knee, ankle, back issues, you have a few easy options:

Using standard food cans, water bottles, detergent bottles, etc. Use these for weights for arm curls, working tricepts, leg lifts, whatever exercises you can perform.

Chair exercises:  DVD's are available to show how to do these properly. This involves using a straight back chair.  Use the chair for stability to stand up to do some exercising.  Sit down in chair to do other exercises. You can work up a sweat from a sitting position, as we got to try this in my Kaiser educational classes. These were initially developed for senior retirement homes to help patients get some exercise.

With some additional cost, you might like joining a gym with a warm waterobic aerobic classes. You weight very little, around 12 pounds in water. This allows less stress on your joints, and a way to get movement from your body that may not be possible at home.  There is one guy in my support group last night that had to lose wt for hip replacments.  He lost the wt, and uses the water aerobic classes 2-3 times a week, even at 3 year post op. He's had a knee replacent and two hip replacments.  His type II diabetes is in remission also.  Dave

I  will be 71 in November. I have lost 94lbs so far. I had both knees scoped in the past few years. After losing weight, I swim 3 times a week and ride a bike up to 15 miles a day on the other days. Before the surgery, I could hardly walk let alone ride a bike. The weight loss may let you do things you never thought you could do again. 

Larrry,
You made my day. I love biking and walking and water walking at the YMCA but right now it is a challenge to hobble to the Tahoe and getting worse. Hubby has to grocetry shop etc. I drive wherever and he runs the errand. So frustrating. Please tell me what it means to have your knees "scoped". I assumed I would need replacements. I had cortisone shots but not much relief there. I feel trapped in this body. Catch 22. Bad knees prevent exercise and exercise facilitates weight loss. Sigh! It is just my time to do for myself. Thanks for the feel good story.