Week 2 of 12: Gained it All Back, Extreme Lower Back Pain

Last Updated on October 15, 2023 by Michael Brockbank

This past week, I gained everything that I lost in week one. That’s what happens when you hurt your back and can barely move while still eating like you can. Needless to say, things didn’t pan out all that well this week.

The silly thing is that I still could have lost weight if I had adjusted my intake. But when you’re in that much pain, you really don’t care much about tracking macros.

How I Gained 4 Pounds Back This Week

As I pointed out last week, I hurt my back that weekend. Instead of healing like it had in the past, my back seemed to have just gotten worse as the days marched on. It wasn’t until about Thursday morning that I was able to roll out of bed without getting stuck crying on the floor.

I bet a big part of why it’s taking so long to heal this time around is because of how bad my bed is at the moment. It’s like laying on a plank of wood with a blanket covering it.

Now comes the part that is completely on me; I could have curbed my eating habits throughout the week while losing weight. Did I do so? Absolutely not. In fact, I kind of pigged out on a few things I really didn’t need for dinner.

For instance, I really didn’t need to send my friend out for Taco Bell or Chic-fil-A. The only thing I can justify spending this week was getting pizza for when my oldest son visited.

Regardless of doing so badly on my dieting this week, I am resisting the urge to restart my fitness challenge. Sure, the data is all screwed up now. But I think I can turn it into a positive, as long as I can stay the course this week.

Today, I’m feeling much better. I’m not 100% healed, but I think I can manage my diet while getting in more than 800 steps for the day.

What’s the Plan for Week 3?

It’s a bit disheartening to see how well I was doing only to lose it all due to sitting at my desk for too long that Saturday. Still, the only thing we can really do is chalk it up to, “shit happens” and move on.

Despite gaining everything back, I’m still confident that I’ll reach some great fitness goals before the end of the year. Part of success is keeping that positive mindset despite the issues and persevering.

So, it’s pretty obvious what I plan to do for week three.

Getting Back in the Green

Although I’m not able to throw myself into a grueling workout just yet, I am still capable of burning a few calories by walking around, stretching my back, and perhaps getting some time in with the Oculus. As long as I can keep my calories in the green, I will be able to lose a bit of weight.

Because I am still on the disabled list, I also plan on eating fewer carbs than normal. Without being able to burn them as I was, I want to give myself every opportunity to lose the four pounds I gained.

Let’s see if I can complete the entire week of maintaining my Net 600 Calorie Diet. As long as I don’t go hog wild on the Halloween snacks and make sure I can move around a bit more, I should be OK. I have plenty of Keto-type foods and snacks here, so there should be no reason why I can’t drop a few pounds this week.

Easing Back Into My Routines

I am trying not to hurt myself further, so that means easing back into my weekly routine. Currently, I doubt I’ll be able to make it to the gym on Monday, but I should be able to get back at it on Wednesday.

I’m not able to walk at my usual pace of 3.5 mph yet. But I can still get the legs moving, which should burn a few calories here and there. Not to mention a few light exercises around the house, such as cleaning the living room or straightening up the kitchen. Every bit of movement is beneficial.

One thing that has helped over the past few days has been getting on the Zaaz (vibration board) for a few minutes throughout the day. It seems to help my back quite a bit, and there are ways you can use it for back pain relief. I just need to look them up. As for just standing there, though, the Zaaz has helped quite a bit.

Today, I’m going to try a few rounds of Fruit Ninja on the Oculus to see if I can play. But as I said, I’m focusing on taking it easy so I can heal faster. I don’t need to be pushing myself as hard as I normally do at the moment.

Stretching More Often

One thing I want to work on this week is to get into the habit of properly stretching in the morning. I have plenty of room in my bedroom, and it might go a long way in preventing something like this from reoccurring for a while.

The hardest part about creating a new habit such as this is remembering and then following through. I often get easily sidetracked or completely forget even when I set alarms on my phone.

Nonetheless, I am sure it’ll make a huge impact on me if I can get into the habit of morning stretching or even evening yoga in the living room. Either way, something has to change.

Let’s Hope for a Speedy Recovery

With any luck, I should be getting back into the swing of things this week. Well, that’s the hope, anyway. I still have a few issues bending over and whatnot, but it’s not as bad as it was.

I can’t really blame this one on age, really. The pain is a result of an injury from when I was 12 years old. I just need to be more mindful when it comes to sitting for extended periods of time. That, and I bet stretching will make a massive difference in the future. Let’s just hope I can make a habit out of stretching instead of hurting myself.

About Author

Michael Brockbank

Since 2015, Michael has put in the effort to lose more than 80 pounds by gamifying fitness and eating proper portion sizes. He conducts extensive research into various health and fitness products to provide the best answers possible according to his own experience and knowledge.

You might also like:

• Sigh...Gained 0.6 Pounds Over 2 Weeks
• Week 4 of 12: Stepping Backward Again
• My Problem With Over Doing It
• Week 3 of 12: Lost 1 Pound Per Week - It's Still Progress
• Week 9: Lost and Gained Throughout the Week

See author's posts