The North American Spine Society recommends that you keep within 10 pounds of your ideal weight to reduce the strain on your back. This goal is especially important if you're recovering from back surgery. By losing weight, you will speed your recovery and reduce the chances of further back pain. Patients recovering from back surgery should also know that there is no official diet that they are required to follow after the surgery. A common sense food plan is the best course.
Eating the right foods
The key to losing weight is to eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables and lean meats. It requires avoiding the fast-food drive-through during your lunch hour and skipping that late-night bowl of chocolate ice cream. The American Dietetic Association recommends that people avoid fad diets and instead eat plenty of vegetables. The association also recommends nutrient-rich fruits such as blueberries, apples, oranges and strawberries. Meat can be healthy, too, as long as you're eating lean chicken, beef and fish. By eating these foods, you'll gradually and safely drop unwanted pounds, relieving the stress on your back. And don't worry if you have a pizza slice or an ice cream cone occasionally. It's OK to splurge, as long as you do it in moderation.
Add exercise to any diet plan
Exercise is a key component of any diet plan. By exercising, you'll shed your extra pounds in less time. Certain exercises can even help strengthen the core muscles that hold your spine in place. This, too, can help your recovery from back surgery. Just be careful not to overdo your workouts; that can cause more problems than it solves. And meet with your doctor before embarking on any exercise program.
Keep at it
No one sticks to a diet 100 percent of the time. We all indulge occasionally. The key to successfully losing weight is to make sure that these failures are isolated incidents. Just because you ate two strawberry doughnuts in the morning, doesn't mean that you have to order a double cheeseburger and fries for lunch. If you're persistent, if you don't let your diet failures knock you off your healthy eating plan, you'll greatly increase your odds of losing the weight you need to drop, and of eliminating any undue stress on your back.
