[JazzyPeggy]

I was wondering how hard it is for you to lose weight. I am having a tough time not being able to exercise enough to help anything. And Now I am going thru menopause too.

[maryb1215]

I do! I do!
Just joined this site a few days ago - after lurking for awhile. I've been diagnosed for 3 years. Weight loss has definitely been a challenge for me - especially with the fatique. But now I am back on track and feeling really well. I am hoping to continue working out over the course of the summer so that I can go back to school in August a little bit lighter..... All the best

[fitaitch]

Hey Ladies!

I was DXd a little more than 4 years ago. I was always content with putting up with a wee bit of padding in exchange for eating what I wanted and hating excercise. I loved a good walk though. Now that walking's a chore I have to keep my diet in check to keep from getting bigger. That said, I'm trying to get some excercise in to lose more weight and keep my muscles from atrophy. I find that breaking things up and taking long breaks help. I do 5 minutes of yoga to stretch, followed by 10 minutes of random calisthenics and one or two minute spurts of activity here and there throughout the day. It's not much, but it's better than nothing.

Hope this helps a little.

[jet2004]

Hi

[Justwant2Bhealthy]

PEGGY ~ we have many ladies here that have MS; in our PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED thread in this Dieting With Obstacles forum, we have PURPLEORC, VALPAL, and RONNI, who all have MS and have lost a lot of weight despite having challenges. You can drop by our thread or PM them to ask them some questions if you like, as I know they would be glad to offer some advice too ...

[Justwant2Bhealthy]

JET ~ don't be shy ... come on over to our PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED thread. I know PURPLEORC, VAL, and RONNIE would be glad to give you some encouragement concerning your MS; and we would love to have you join us there!

[purpleorc]

Hi

I too have MS and have been diagnosed for 10 years now. I have secondary progressive form of MS. I am not denying it is not easy to lose weight especially when you have extra challenges in life like MS. I am not in my menopause at present but fast approaching the age when this occurs.

I started my weight loss journey just shortly before I joined here. For me the big catalyst to being successful was joining here and reporting in as often as possible. When I started I was 300lbs and at 5ft 8in I was definitely very over weight. Like you I have a battle trying to do exercise so I do what ever I can when my body allows it. Remember though don't push yourself too hard as it is counterproductive with MS and you then are unable to do much for days afterwards. The main form of exercise I have done is short walks with my DH as I do not have the funds to join a gym etc. Overall I have lost 126lbs so it can be done with hard work and determination. My advice is read all the information you can about weight loss and that way you will avoid some of the pitfalls plus find what diet plan is the right one for you. If one does not work don't give in just means that is not the right one for you. Try another you maybe pleasantly surprised that this one is losing weight steadily. I lost on average 1lb to 2lb per week but at the very beginning I did lose big amounts like 5lbs but that did not last very many weeks.

I haven't followed a particular weight loss plan but cut down on the amount of fat and sugar I was eating. Changed to eating more white meat and vegetarian meals. I have wholemeal bread, pasta and brown rice as that is better for me and keeps me fuller for longer. I cut down on my portion sizes and filled up on vegetables and fruit if hungry. Cut down on the amount of carbohydrates I was eating. I have enjoyed trying new recipes from here so my diet is varied but definitely not boring.

Like Justwant2Bhealthy said your quite welcome to join us on the physically challenged thread where there are several of us with MS and other challenges. So we all have experience how difficult losing weight can be when you have challenges whether you where born with them or acquired in later life. So we are able to support each other through these difficulties which other users may not experience.


purpleorc

[Cheriann]

I have MS too, I was diagnosed 11 years ago. And have battled my weight even more during the time since my diagnosis. But I can tell you that by changing my lifestyle to one where I eat much healthier and exercising as often as I can I have lost 34.5 pounds so far. And the symptoms of MS are almost non existant. And now because of that I just had a new MRI to see if there are any changes since my last MRI. And the Dr. has said that if the results show no change that I will be able to reduce the MS medication to once every other week and then a year from now we will do another MRI and if there is still no change I will be able to completely stop the MS med all together. So for me that is motivation to keep following a healthy diet and exercise program the rest of my life. So please feel free to private message me if you have any questions or even if you just need to vent.
Remember just take things one day, one breath and one step at a time. And we are all in this together.
Hugs, Cheryl

[Bows]

Hi everyone! This looks like just the place I've been looking for YAY I'm so impressed with everyone's adaptivity and determination..make the most of LIFE and LIVE IT! I was diagnosed years ago with spino-cerebellar ataxia, which is very similar to MS (my mom has MS). I walk with a walker, and I can't write anymore, so I type everything, and I wear coke-bottle glasses because I have double-vision that's gotten progressively worse. I have managed to get back into my previous prescription of glasses though, after doing some eye excercises that have helped I tire very easily, and when I'm tired, my balance is almost non-existant. Eating low-carb, taking my vitamins and staying away from sugar help my mental clarity as well as my balance *helps a LOT*, and I've found that my emotional state has *everything* to do with my physical state, so I try to keep grounded in His Word and in prayer. God could heal me in a second if he wanted to, so there's a real reason and a purpose for me! He is using me always. I have been doing South Beach since the end of March and have lost 27 pounds. I exercise by walking on my treadmill every morning for 15 minutes...every little bit helps huh? Hubby and I just bought a popup trailer, so we will be 'camping fools' very soon! I'm just a little excited I too, am going through Peri-Menopause. I haven't been formally diagnosed with that, but the mood-swings and body-temp issues sure point in that direction.

I can't wait to get to know you, ladies It's really comforting to have found a group with similar challenges to our weight loss!

Deb

[Justwant2Bhealthy]

to the site, Deb ~ you may want to come over to the PHYSICAL CHALLENGES SUMMER THREAD where we can chat daily with others. This MS thread was a temporary thread and the PC thread is an on-going thread for those with some obstacles in their weightloss journey; however, we prefer to see them as challenges rather than obstacles that stand in our way.

We prefer to look on the bright side and look for ways to overcome our challenges; finding ways around them or through or whatever it takes to succeed. Sounds like you and your DH will have fun camping this summer. We have a trailer too; right now, it is parked on a lot that we are trying to build a cabin on. Maybe someday, we will be able to move it somewhere near water -- that would be nice.

Hope to see you in our thread very soon ...

[ghost girl]

I have MS too and it is very hard to lose weight in fact i have gained 60 pounds since my diagnosis 11 years ago. The toughest times are during
solumedrol IV at least twice a year, my goodness i think i gain atleast 10 pounds, then diet, regain, diet and regain it's terrible.
good luck and you're not alone.

[DCAGirl]

I was diagnosed with MS last October. It has been really discouraging. Before I was diagnosed I had lost 40 pounds on Weight Watchers. I gained back 10 pounds and have been stalling in the same 5 pound range (25 pounds above my goal, which is a weight that brings my BMI into the "normal" range) for months. I've been following my plan and increasing my exercise a lot (I am luckily feeling OK physically) but still no progress

Nice to see some others around who might know what I am going through!!