Hello Ladies,

I am new here too!

I have fibromyalgia, chronic pain syndrome, used to have a trachea (had Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea); which is not there anymore, had the trachea removed and had surgery on my deivated septum (rhinoplasty). I think that is what it is.

I am 58 years old, have diabetes, due to being ill for over 10 years. I was on Weight Watchers, did great (lost 55 lbs in one year, went from a 5 x to a 2 x) ...but come to find out I am allergic to so many foods it is hard now to keep track of them. Presently taking allergy shots, my hands look better. I am allergic to different medicines too.

That is why I have found a doctor who specializes in endocrine problems, metabolism, and diabetes. She wants me to stab my fingers everyday for 9 weeks to see how my sugars are riding.

Anyway, I have been doing exercise in a water tank with the help of a physical therapist. I have problems with standing long and walking. So the pt said it will take a while to get you back to your normal self. Which I told her has been over 10 years since being "normal". I need a buddy to help me.

I can not eat any of these fruits; cantalope, watermelon, honeydew, grapes, raisins, grapefruit (messes with medication too much). Nothing in a box, or can, no condiments, no peanuts, peanut butter, or peanut oil, walnuts, nutmeg, anything with a seed.

That leaves alot of stuff out...must plants or products are from seeds. No syrups, brown sugar, molasses, no sweeteners that are to watch your weight (Sugar Twin, Sweet n Low, etc.)

No lettuce of anykind, use celery in place of lettuce. I can eat spinach, which I love cooked or uncooked). No wheat, rye, white products, no rice, pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes. No to all purpose flours or any flours. No yeast, (I am sensitive to yeast). No cheeses, sour cream, cream cheese, of anykind. NO, is a word I use all the time.

Anything that molds, no leftovers. Have to watch the red meat and chicken (they are sometimes full of antibiotics). I am allergic to anything that has [petroleum product in it). Sensitive to fragrances, perfumes, glycerin, (most medications, toothpastes. etc. anything that helps the stuff slide off your teeth, hair and skin).

Have psoriasis on hands, hair line, and chin. Several of my problems are related to the fibromyalgia and chronic pain. But of course, no doctor is going to say for sure I have it. Not been tested and still so ill...take the cake so to speak.

Am depressed all the time, try to keep busy with volunteering. But have had to stop some of the volunteering I did too worn out.

So maybe one of you could figure out something for me and with my doctor. I am over 300 lbs and that is not good for me or my physical body.

Thank you for listening to me.

Bye now, Cheryl in Virginia...

Hi Alex. welcome aboard!Love the nick name! I love the song... "I like big butts, and I cannot lie............" forgot who sings it, it was back in the early-mid 90's
I would love to be able to run a marathon, and really I do have to get that fit!
And next year is my 10th annivesary as well! Dh wants to go on a belated honeymoon (i was very pregnant when I got married, and with kids the honeymoon just was not an option) I agree on wanting a holiday that I can enjoy, not stress over my size!
Although we cannot afford an around the world trip, I would love to do one, one day!
(once we finish paying off the house, that is my dream!)

I bought my DH a kayak for his birthday and this last weekend it was finally a nice enough day to take it for a maiden voyage! The kids loved it (it has a back platform and we took the kids one at a time out, under the bridge, up the river) it was a blast! Although I truelly thought my arms and back would be really really sore today (the day after) but they are not!. My DH now wants to go out every weekend, so there is an interesting upper body workout for me. (might even get a little tan, I am as white as a ghost!). Also instead of buying the kids computer and playstation games for christmas, this year I bought a huge 14 foot round trampoline with the safety net! the more active I (and all the family can get) the better! I really don't want the kids to get in the same boat as me, If they start being active young, hopefully they will never struggle at having to lose a huge amount of weight.

I would love to have get togethers, but I am downunder! It would be good though to make some really good friends and one day! visit! or have them visit me!If you had friends all around the world, you would see a lot more! (staying with locals, they know more of the area, then relying on tour guides)

Hi Guys, hi Cheryl

I have to say first....

I have lost 4 pounds this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How is everyone else doing?

I started feeling really down and out, but yesterday jumped on the treadmill again (first time in a week) and now I feel like I am back with it all!

I don't know what to say Cheryl, you have it really tough, and I don't envy you, But you still have your life, and you will gain back you health, just one step at a time. I have a friend that is allergic to a lot, and my austic daughter has a restricted diet, but my goal is to keep the foods as natural as I can, I mainly steer away from preservatives and flavourings. But it can be tough.
You need to start looking into the depression first. by feeling better about yourself, you will start to find the keys to help with everything else, depression can be crippling on its own (I know the feeling only to well, I got so bad I did not want to wake up in the morning, a new day was too much to bear, but my thoughts have turned around abit, now i see a new day as another oppurtunity to better myself, and If i have any failures, well there is always a new day around the corner)
They say here in Australia there is a new sweetner coming out, only available in chemists, it is a natural plant product, (not a scientific cocktail) and is supposed to be 20 times sweeter than sugar. Also low in calories. "Stevia Sweetener" It might be worth looking into.
So you have allergies to wheat, dairy and nut, as well as some others. Have you tried finding cookbooks for these? I have seen wheatfree, dairyfree cookbooks?

Remember ONE step at a time! and you will get to where you want to be.

Hey Annie, don't beat yourself up! that all or nothing thing stinks (I fight it all the time, the idea is " i've eaten 1/2 the bag of chips, oh ****, why not eat all of it, plus whatever else I can find"
Yep that is sure hard to get out of ones head! If anyone ever figures it out, for heavens sake pass it on!!!!!! I have been trying to say to myself. OK I can have one slice of the cake, and leave it at that, If I survive it then I think "I did it, I did it!"
But 9 out of 10 times, I cave in and just eat what is there.
It is hard when there in not much choice (I have been trying to empty my freezers out, so I haven't shopped properly for 3 weeks!, apart from milk and bread.)
Annie even when you lose all your weight you will still struggle with self esteem! That does not go away, you just need to try to kick those negative thoughts out of your head.

I need to get into the excercise more, and am tempted to start actually running (outside) I am planning to start slow, ie 5 minute walk warm up, 1 min run, i min walk,etc..... for 15-20 minutes, then a 5 minute cool down. But it is hard to find the time, with 2 kids! And now summer is on its way, during the day is just tooo hot. But that is my goal in the next month, to get out and run.

A friend this morning was discussing africa and one town where 95% of people have aids, and one family where a 17 year old boy, and his 12 year old sister were left to raise 5 younger kids because their parents had died from aids. But the thing that got me was that ALL the kids themselves were born with aids. Yet they pull through each day! Living in a shanty and hardly any food.
I can't get this out of my head! How could you go on in this situation, and these kids all born with death hanging over their shoulders..
We are all sooo lucky to be born in wealthy countries. Makes me feel like I should be doing more with my life.

Having no gain is good! It means you do not have to beat yourself up too much! congratulations on 3 years! the first years are the hardest (I am told) I hit the big 10 year next year, and DH is hoping to finally have a honeymoon! LOL! maybe if I have a beach body! slim, tanned! Then he can convince me to go away to a resort for a week! (its next May! I might make it! LOL!Now I just need to save some money!! LOL! Money is pittiful at the moment! I have been waiting to go back to work, but they haven't contacted me yet! and christmas and kids!Luckily I have all their presents done already,and luckily i ordered Chrisco this year)
How is your job hunting doing? I hope you have found something, or find something soon, or get that hubby out and working!
Trimspa? (don't have it here) yes I am sure your DH will worry more if you lost weight, he will think about all the guys actually looking at you (when you are overweight guys just look past you) but that is something he has to deal with. Just think on how much better you will feel! You would feel like superwoman! you would be a star!
My DH is not to concerned if I lose weight , I have been down to my goal weight about 3 times since I had my last DD (6 years) my problem is keeping down!, although he doesn't comment when I am fat, I think he likes me better when I am normal, because I am more comfortable with myself and then we do a lot more! He loves going to the beach, and hiking and all the outdoors stuff, and when I am feeling like a blimp I just will not go. When I am a normal weight I love going out. He does worry on losing me to other guys, but I think he worries just as much when I am big (who knows why, no one wants a blimp!)

Instead of walking when the kids are at school (summer is almost here, walking in 38-40 deg cel, heat is not on!) I have started walking late in the afternnoon, it is dayllight savings now, so it does not get dark until 8pm, so I make and have dinner then me and a friend go for a walk.

I don't think my weight loss is going to be high this week (I tend to have one high week and one low to normal week) so I know it is only going to be about 1 pound! which does get me down, but I know it is all a step in the right direction.
I have noticed some huge changes in my food preferences! I went to eat a bowl of noodles (the flavoured pre pack ones you add boiling water to and wait) but could not eat more than 1/3 of it, I just couldn't stomach it! so I ended up giving it to the kids and getting an apple. It was a low calorie one, so well within my food plan, but still I just did not want it!

My Dh offers me food ALL the time, he is a big eater! Last night he offered me a bowl with custard, ice cream, canned fruit and chocolate! It is hard saying no, then having him sit next to you and eat it. But I know he is not deliberately trying to sabotage me, he is just naive about diets, and thinks he is being nice. He has never struggled with weight in his life, if I asked him to go out and get me a pizza, he would, and just the same if I asked him to go buy me some watermelon he would, He just likes to know he is needed and likes to keep me happy. I love it about him, but it makes it so easy to cheat myself out of being the healthy person I am aiming for.

I could handle a complete makeover! (If only someone paid for it!!) I would get... (now here's a list!!!)
1 - breast augmentation! (I am totally pear shaped, and a little upper boost might even it out a little)
2 - tummy tuck (that baby flabby tummy, doesn't go away even when you are at your goal weight
3 - lipo on the saddlebags ( MY worst area )

Actually that would be it! ( I can't think of any more , which is something! Maybe I am not as bad as my mind tells me!)
DH actaully watched a show on cosmetic surgery overseas and how much cheaper it is. ($2500 instead of $10000) including airfair, and he actually semi agreed that I could save for the boobs if I wanted! Though in reality he hates cosmetic surgery? so I don't know how he'll re-act if I did do it???)
Maybe for the fun of it I should price it all out and start a savings plan..... ROFLMAO!!!!

cheers
Keep up the positive mindset!!!!!!!!!!!! and do this for YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL! I will make a pact with you! If I win lotto we will both go to hong kong and suffer the pain of a make over together!! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I always lose the weight then look at the belly!! OH BOY!!!!!!!! Its so gross! I can actually tuck it into my pants to hid it!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sometimes I wish I could just cut the lose flap of skin off. maybe I should started saving a little, and if I keep the weight of for a year get it done.

I swear my DH just needs a mother figure too, must be a guy thing, I truelly think he cannot survive without me! I cook for him (he can cook, but only when he could be bothered) I wash, clean.... I have to clean up after him, he will make a sandwich and leave all the stuff on the bench! He forgets it lives in the fridge.... I always say that my MIL did too much for him, she used to do everything for him even when he was 23! Once I caught her folding his underwear, and putting his washing away! I said to her "can't he do it for himself" and she nearlly died! how dare I say that. She used to make his bed (at 23), so I suppose I should have expected to have a dependant , not just a partner. I usually say... GEEZ!! there are 4 people that live in this house and ONE of them does all the work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or I say I have 3 children to look after (not just 2).

It would have been harding losing a mother at 8, but your DH needs to become the father (lead) figure for you daughter. It would be hard all round, I had my DH home for a while (he can't make up his mind on his career, one minute he wanted to be a barattendant, next a salesperson, then a courier...) so there are times between work when he is at home, and it nearly drove me batty! Once (after 6 months at home) I made him dress up, dragged him into the car, I did up a resume on the computer, copied it and copied references, and I drove him everywhere, and made him walk in and ask for a job! I did it for 3 days straight (ALL DAY!) I think we put in over 50 resumes. Yes he got a job, but it always takes me to drag his A** around to look for one..................... LIKE I AM HIS MOTHER!!!!!!
so I do understand.... very well...
Now he is trying to get away from one job (again) and has been offered another and is sitting and ummming and arrrrring about it, I just want to choke him , I have even said "just take it!" what more does he want... really!

OK Enough whinning about the DH!!!!! LOL!!!
I have faired well this week and hope to lose at least 2 pounds. I actually went and whipper snipped and mowed my yard, and since I was covered in sweat surely it burned a few calories. (so I am using that as my excercise today) And tommorrow DH wants to go kayaking again! So time to face the swimwear again! (It is getting easier week by week. I am 5 pounds lighter, should look a little less whale like)

Talking of lipo!!!! my MIL was going to spend $18 000 sucking all her fat out! but luckily the doctor preforming it said "no way" she is diabetic ,gout, and lots of other problems, she is too risky to put under.
I told her I would take her walking every day, just give me the money! But alas she was not happy with that idea. she joined curves but is mad as she hasn't lost anything.! She is not that big 176 pounds (maybe 5 foot 4), but she will not excercise at all. If only I had the spare money!
IT all comes down to money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ps. I love the avator.. It really sums it all up for me!!!! LOL!