I have about 50 lbs to lose. I am depressed, have fibro, back problems, my legs cramp when I walk, especially up hill. I'm not living life as I should be.
I've tried so many times to lose weight, joined fitness clubs, WW-about 5+ times, South Beach, low carbs/cut out white sugars. It takes me what seems like forever to lose 5 lbs.
I see so many on here who have lost 50, 100 or more. How do you do it? What is your motivation? If you can do it why can't I? I'm frustrated with myself. Do I don't have confidence in myself to do this? Do I feel like it cant' happen, I could never lose?
I need to get healthy. My muscles are like jello. I have no muscle tone. But I hurt when I exercise or walk, or even move sometimes because of the fibro. I've heard exercise makes it better. How do you get to that point?
Argh!!!! I need a good swift kick.
Can ya'll share with me how ya'll did this?
Well, I think "drive" is important but it's also fair to say you have some pretty hard challenges that others may not have. Physical and mental roadblocks do make it more difficult (I can say losing the first time when normal was easier than when I struggled with postnatal depression).
I guess my only starting question is this - why are you stopping your prior plans? Is it because you didn't want to do it? Or did you find it wasn't working? Not fast enough? What was your reason for not continuing?
With me i finally woke up one day and said enough is enough. I have a son i need to be here for and i was becoming very depressed also. I have always known that working out makes me feel better. So that day i just got up off my butt and started working out, I have cut back everything i eat i stay under 1500 calories. The problem i always had was thinking if i mess up once then it messed everything up but that is just not true if you mess up forgive your self and get back at it. I also always thought it was all or nothing as far as my favorite food go but i know i can still have them just not as much as i was having before. The other thing that helped to make it click for me is Bob Harper's book "Are You Ready". Maybe you can read that book and it will help you also! I wish you the very best of luck, Just dont give up! Also as Bob Harper says "Fake it till you make it"
Maybe look for some natural supplements to help with the fibro, cramps, etc. And start exercise small, like walking a very short distance every day. You will probably be able to graudally increase that distance. Look up some cookbooks to find some ways to make your favorite foods with fewer calories/more healthy. Example, pizza with different crusts and ingredients, still add one unhealthy thing like pepperoni to get the pizza taste. Then find something like grilled chicken breasts and add your selected steamed veggies and spices to your own tastes...
I don't know about you, buy my body really has to be jolted to lose weight. I think as I've exercised more and changed my food, my body has changed some. I just found out that I've lost weight over about six months, and I wasn't counting everything I ate or exercising every night. AND it's almost the same amount of weight that I lost over TWELVE months of constantly recording everything I put in my mouth, and doing gym machines average four nights a week. omg. So, if you can get on something consistent, your body may eventually be willing to give up some fat.
Those other diets may be too restrictive for you. I like calorie counting because I can eat whatever I want, within my calorie limit. I track my food and exercise with MyFitnessPal. If even walking is too painful for you, try swimming. Best wishes!
how long is forever to lose 5 pounds? losing 1/2-1 pound or so a week is a reasonable amount...if you lost 5 pounds in 4-8 weeks then you were losing?
try to focus more on just healthy eating. you know the drill, fruit and vegetable based diet - cut out the processed foods, stop eating a few hours before bed. if you are up to it count calories and weigh and measure your foods - but just eating healthy overtime can help you lose weight or atleast maintain and maybe you'll feel better enough to start exercising. it's better to lose 5 pounds overtime than to gain, and you'll need to change your eating for a lifetime, always eat vegetables and there will never be any going back to white sugar foods so you might as well stick to those things now even if it is a slow process.
It is supposed to hurt before you form more muscles!
When you do excersize (any extra activity from what you do daily generally) then your muscles tear up and mend of 38 hours. At the point of the tear the muscle builds up again, but this time with more and fatter cells which have more mitochondria in them. (Mitochondria is the enrgy factory of the cell)
So of course it hurts. But the more you excersize (while giving yourself time and protein to heal) the less the same action will hurt. Then you can move on to harder stuff.
I bet you know most of this already. I just mean to say: Losing weight is painful physically too. There are ways to make it easier, like eating lots of veg to feel full and starting new hobbies to take your mind away from food etc, but it will be painful.
The good thing is: It can't possibly be as painful as being seriously overweight. If you just have 10-20 pounds to lose it is another issue alltogether.
Chubby - I appreciate that you're trying to help, but do you actually know what fibromyalgia is and how it works?
Oh 2 be me, first of all are you sure that it's fibro and not CFIDS? The main difference is that pain is worse with fibro and fatigue is worse with CFIDS, but what will be more important here is that while exercise tolerance is relatively low in fibro, it's even lower in CFIDS, where exercise is actively harmful. It is also fairly common to have both, and diagnosis of either is rather hit and msis, come to that; I've been diagnosed with CFIDS for 15 years and only recently did my GP say that she thinks I have have fibro as well. Either way, don't rely on exercise for weight loss. Consider that something separate, and I'd suggest consulting a good physiotherapist who has experience of working with fibro to see if you can get your muscles into better shape. Just rely on diet for weight loss. I have severe CFIDS and thus can't exercise at all, and I've lost a quarter of my body weight and am nearly at goal, plus there are loads of people on this forum with fibro, so take heart, it can be done.
Depression is a tough one to work with, although I understand that the depression/mental health subforum here is very supportive.
Could you tell us more about what's happened when you've tried dieting in the past? What worked out well, what went wrong, what made you feel better, what did you find difficult? You can build on your experience to find something that fits you better this time.
I know a lot about chronic pain because I have chronic daily migraines. They are of varying degree and I do believe a lot of people wouldn't bother working out in my situation. For me, working out is a life saver. It makes me feel more in control. At the same time, there are days when I simply can't workout. I've learned a lot from people here and have come to understand that it's not about the workouts. It's mostly about diet. Diet is for weight loss. Exercise is for fitness. Sure, it's easier to stick to a plan when you can incorporate exercise, but there are plenty of people here who have lost loads of weight simply by controlling and monitoring their food intake.
You absolutely CAN do this. I am a calorie counter and it's the only thing that works for me these days. I think it's also important to not compare yourself to others here....unless you find it inspirational. I have lost and gained a lot of weight throughout my life and I don't tend to post a lot when I'm off plan. A lot of people don't post when they're not feeling successful, so the ones you see here doing really great are likely a small percentage of the big picture.
Finally, it's all about commitment. Motivation comes and goes, but commitment is longer lasting. Commit yourself to your plan and don't give up, even if results to come in the time frame you expect. Love yourself and nourish your body with healthy foods.
It is supposed to hurt before you form more muscles!
I am not going to discuss the OP because I know nothing about her physical issues - but I will address this point for the benefit of anyone reading this.
Chubbykins you're repeating what many peopole think is accurate. I used to think the same thing myself. Turns out - completely inaccurate. Pain after a workout does not mean you had a good workout - and lack of pain does not mean you had a bad workout.
The best analogy I have heard with exercise is like a suntan. The best way to get a nice tan is not to go lay in the sun for 10 hours - you'll burn to a crisp. The best way is to slowly increase your time in the sun and you'll never burn and end up a nice brown color.
Similarly the best thing with exercise is to take it easy at the beginning and build up your intensity and duration over time. Small increases consistantly will keep your body adapting and keep you pain and injury free.
Again - I am talking about normal healthy people - not the OP.
OP---think of it this way. If you lost 1/2 a pound a week, it might not seem like a lot every week. But add that up over the course of a year...26lbs. That IS a noticeable difference. Even if you only lost 1 lb a month, thats 12 fewer pounds than the year before...when, for most of us, its easy to put ON 12 lbs in a year. I know how frustrating slow weight loss can be but isn't any loss better than a gain?
John - it's really nice when people write like that, as we so often get people who know nothing about our medical conditions telling us what to do! Much appreciated.
OP - I forgot to mention that there's a "Dieting with Obstacles" forum which includes a lively thread for the fibromites, and also a thread on exercising with obstacles. Have you tried the "envelope theory" approach to pacing? It sounds like right now you need to find your base level, rather than constantly struggling to do more than you can. And don't let people guilt-trip you about the exercise limitations with fibro. You absolutely do not need a kick up the anywhere!
I find the Miracle Ball Method (daft name, but basic and affordable therapy) very useful for back pain. Look it up on Amazon, there are loads of reviews. About the only potential drawback is that if you have chemical sensitivities, some people find that the balls arrive reeking of plastic. I don't recall it happening for me, but then I've only got moderate chemical sensitivities by ME/CFIDS/fibro standards. It's a sort of gentle stretching, only you don't really have to do any movement, just lie on the balls, do deep breathing, and let that unknot your muscles for you.
Have you gotten your metabolism and insulin stuff all checked out? When I was in college I was serious about losing weight---I dieted and went to the gym 4-6 days a week, but I could just not lose the weight. I never have been able to.
Almost three months ago I found a doc who would listen to me--a bariatric doctor--and in *his* opinion, my thyroid and insulin were not up to snuff. I've been put on medication and for the first time in my life I've been able to lose a little weight. I hope it keeps up.
Despite the weight loss, I've been more depressed than ever because of the really tough diet I'm on and my attachment to food, along with other life things such as loneliness, boredum, and a general feeling of pointlessness/worthlessness etc.. I can't imagine have Fibro on top of being depressed! The depression is really what is holding me back from exercising.
I don't have much in the way of muscles either, but that's how everyone starts out. Just have to start small and work your way up. Don't overdo it--it's a slow process. Perhaps we can find a gentle exercise and muscle-building routine online that is for very novice beginners. And if you try doing stretches and some exercises to help your muscles grow, and you end up super sore the next day, give your muscles a rest. They need time to heal before you tear them again. Water and potassium help too. Potassium will certainly help your leg cramps, or it should.
You can definitely lose weight!
As someone with fibro, here are my suggestions, based on personal experience:
1) Graded exercise is very good for fibro. You start very small (1-5 minutes per day) with low impact exercise (stationary bike, swimming, walking), and after an adjustment period (2 weeks or so), you slowly add to the number of minutes you exercise per day. Usually like 1-2 minutes per week, depending on what you can handle. If it ever feel that it is too much, go back to a level that is comfortable. Google graded exercise for more information. Also, ask your dr for a referral to a physical therapist, it may be covered by insurance.
2) Yoga/Pilates/Gentle stretching. I find stretching for a few minutes before and after exercise really helps with stiff/cramping muscles.
3) Epsom salt baths every night helps with exercise related soreness.
4) Massage from someone with experience in fibro.
5) Elimination diet. You may have food allergies/sensitivities that are aggravating symptoms (I have had 75% improvement from fibro/migraines from doing this) and making weight loss slow. Google it.
6) Do NOT compare yourself to others. Everyone looses at different rates for various reasons.
7) Record your weight and measurements now. Also, everyday write down how you feel on a scale of 1-10. Later when you are discouraged, you can look back and see how far you have come.
8) If weight loss is slow, only weigh in once a month (seeing a bigger loss all at once is more encouraging). Also check your measurements when you weigh in, oftentimes, the scale might not budge, but inches show a loss.
9) Your goal when you weigh in should be for it to be lower than last time, not a specific number. You are less likely to be disappointed if you do this.
10) Listen to your body. Greatest advice I ever received.
11) Get checked for nutritional deficiencies, low magnesium can cause cramps, low B vitamins can cause depression, etc.
12) Celebrate every pound lost! Even one pound is a success!
As far as diet goes, just experiment until you find something that works for you.
THank you all for responding, for your encouragement, tips etc.
There are several issues here.
1-the pain in my legs is not after exercises, it is during. I have been told it is the 'toxins' causing it, etc, etc. I have found out that it may be from an anular tear in my lower back. I can climb a set of 4 steps and my legs be so cramped by the time I get to the top one, I have to stop a few seconds in order to go on. It's not just a crampy feeling, it's a heavy feeling, like I'm walking thru mud. So I have not idea if either of these reasons are really what it is or is it both or something else? I was given the Walk Away the Pounds dvds, I can't do them because of this.
CFIDS-it is possible. I was told for over a year that I was just depressed, finally my dr realized something else was going on, went to a rhuemy and she diagnosed me with fibro. I have some chemical sensitivities, the Hashimotos is auto-immune, there are times I can't for the life ofme think of the word I'm trying to say. THere are other things too. Low grade fever, low body temp.
My current dr told me a month ago that if I cont feeling lack of energy etc like I have been then we could try the Armor thyroid (the one made from pigs), then she said we'll recheck it in 6 mo. o-kay! Yes, I need to find another dr and plan to.
Why have I quit the times I've tried? I really don't know. Is it maybe I'm afraid of losing weight? Is it that I dont' want the attention that comes along with it? Do I get discouraged and just say forget it, I'll just stay fat?
I dont' know.
I do know that in order for me to see my 50's and enjoy them I'm going to have to do something. I do believe that if I could lose then I would possibly feel better. Maybe, maybe not.
I do know that sitting around doing nothing is not the way to go.
Any exercise is better than none.
I feel better when I lower my carb/sugar intake.
I look at these posts about people who have lost a good amt of weight and I think, were their legs like mine, with all the cellulite, with the fatty knees? And I wonder if I will ever be able to look for shoes i like instead of shoes in my size and actually find them?
I wasn't always overweight. when I got pregnant with my 21 yo son, I weighed 135, I'm 5'8". During the pregnancy, I quit smoking, gained almost 50 lbs, 3 ring sizes, 2 shoe sizes. 2 yrs after he was born I was diagnosed with underactive thyroid. I've not been the same since.
Well, I'm rambling.
Thank you all again for your posts.
Oh, and I never learned how to swim.
If ya'll can lose why can't I?
