Losing Weight With SMA

When people think about losing weight, they often envision crafting an exercise routine tailored to their body's needs—a regimen that promises to target and tone problem areas. They hit the gym, diet diligently, and expect to see results within weeks. However, for someone like me, confined to a power wheelchair and living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the process isn't that straightforward.

Weight gain leads to other problems

I’ve struggled with weight gain and loss for an extremely long time. When I hit my mid-twenties, I began noticing I was gaining weight in my arms and stomach, and this was hindering my ability to move my body freely. Unfortunately, even the slightest shift in weight can throw our bodies off balance and make everyday activities like brushing our teeth or hair even harder.

My depression was beginning to worsen, and I was often reaching for those comfort foods like soda and chips instead of something a little on the healthier side. It’s something I still struggle with today. Making a healthy choice over a comfort choice. But I’m working on rewiring my thinking and choosing what’s best for my body a little at a time. And that’s okay. Because weight loss or gain, whatever your body may need, is a slow process.

Traditional exercise programs are impractical

I can't run, perform sit-ups, do push-ups, or engage in core workouts. Crafting a personalized exercise plan poses significant challenges due to my limited physical mobility. Even simple tasks like getting dressed take a toll on my body, making the idea of traditional exercise regimes impractical and often unfeasible.

Given these limitations, the traditional approach to weight loss doesn't apply. Instead, I've had to adopt a more nuanced and adaptive strategy to manage my weight effectively and maintain my overall health.

Focusing on calories and healthy foods

When I started getting serious about wanting to lose weight and make healthy choices I decided to do research. It was really disappointing not finding a lot of information out there on how to lose weight living in a wheelchair. However, I did learn that calorie counting and monitoring caloric intake is a great first step for someone with physical limitations looking to lose weight.

You have to choose foods with a high protein and benefit for your body with a low caloric value to make progress. Prioritizing a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables and lean protein is a crucial role in weight loss. I’ve started to eat alot of things that are going to give me energy throughout the date, like protein bars and lean meats.

Do the exercises that are possible

While traditional exercises like running or weightlifting are out of the question, I’ve found value in adaptive physical activities that includes gentle stretching, range-of-motion exercises, and low-impact activities like swimming or stationary cycling. These activities help maintain flexibility, improve circulation, and support muscle function without putting excessive strain on my body.

One thing I’ve found helpful with getting my body moving is a foot bike pedal that’s electronic. I can put my arms/hands on the pedals and use it to work my arms a little bit. Also, using silly slime and working it back and forth in my hands is a great low impact hand and wrist workout for me. Low strength elastic stretch bands are great for stretching too. All of these items can be found on Amazon!

Weight loss with SMA is not just a physical challenge, it’s also an emotional one as well. It’s hard to look at other people and see them set workout goals and get near-instant results. For someone with SMA losing weight is a long slow process, at least in my personal experience it has been. We’ve been conditioned over the years with media and social media to always want to look at certain way too. But for me losing weight is about maintaining my strength and gaining back the mobility I’ve lost.

With everything I’ve had to get creative and find ways that work for me on how to lose weight. I am by no means where I want to be but I’m working on it and that’s all that matters.