Alright, I have a question....
 

I'd like to know, if I am the only one lol

If you weren't over weight, would you change your career to something more physically demanding...

I find that because I sort of sat down and died due to personal trauma and what not... that I only started working as a photographer and digital image specialist because I didn't think I was worth losing the weight.. therefore didn't feel it was worth my time going after a 'dream' that years earlier I had planned to turn into a reality.

I had dreams of being a boxer and a trainer during my teen years... and I bailed out on being a nutritionist about three years ago because I honestly didn't think people would take my word for it being so large...

So I have to ask... anyone else do the same? I'd like to think that my weightloss won't fix my *me* problems.. but that maybe it would open up the possibility of doing what I had wanted to do initially...

Not my career, but definitely my hobbies.

Right now, hubby and I are both on disability. He, due to a degenerative joint condition . At 17, he had his first knee surgery and was told he'd be on disability by age 30. He made it to 35, despite being overweight, but he had VERY physically demanding jobs and all of the weight lifting and movement probably kept his joints working longer than they otherwise would have. Also, his insanely high pain tolerance.

I on the other hand, am on disability due primarily to fibromyalgia. I also have osteoarthritis and autoimmune disease. The osteo is permanent, but the fibromyalgia and autoimmune disease could go into remission at any point. In fact, the autoimmune disease appears to be in remission now (or it just could be doing silent damage to my lungs and sinuses as it did before I was diagnosed). I'm hoping the weight loss will help, though obesity doesn't necessarily cause and weight loss doesn't necessarily improve it (I met a lady in a fibromyalgia support group who only started getting symptoms after she lost 100 lbs). Still, I'm hoping to be able to return to work at some point.

I have my masters' degree in developmental psychology, but I would like to get a degree in dietetics and specialize in weight loss counseling. Our local weight loss clinic at our hospital is fabulous. I would love to work there, or someplace very much like it. The local hospital joined forces and funding to build a YMCA/Physical Therapy Center, so the YMCA is in the same building. Going to work IN a YMCA building, how more convenient could going to the gym be?

Huh. I am a photographer and I think it is a very physically demanding job ... which is one of the big reasons why I got serious about losing weight and getting in shape. And by getting in shape, I don't just mean enough cardio to facilitate my weight loss, but lifting weights and developing strength and stamina. I realized that I couldn't continue doing my job at the level that I'm doing it if I didn't get my act together. I'm 40 now and I want to shoot for at least another 15-20 years.

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Kaplods,

Insanely high pain tolerances are common in my family :) I think it's crazy what we do to our bodies, over taxing them and pushing them to the limit because we can even when it makes us feel like cr*p.

Hopefully your autoimmune disease is in remission! Ha, working at the Y would be perfect :) My friend actually did catch a break from her fibromyalgia after she started getting a bit more active, she did lose quite a bit of weight... so not sure if it was due to her weight loss or bit of exercising... so there has to be hope for you and your fibromyalgia. :)

Positive thoughts right? :)

PhotoChick-

I didn't mean to say that photography wasn't a physically demanding job, just that I was such an adrenaline junky who was so very active that I settled for something that wasn't near what I wanted. I love photography- weddings by far are my fave... but I also do professional retouching, which is 20 or thirty hours a week sitting on my bum well into the night... so regardless of how much I shoot I just feel that I copped out. I think I am only missing it now because I am starting to get more active and remember just how it feels to sweat it out and feel the burn lol if that makes sense...
meant no offense honestly :)

Rach

Positive thoughts indeed!

I am very optimistic that I'll get the fibro and autoimmune under control.

A couple of my doctors (one a rheumatologist when I was in IL, and my neurologist here in WI) told me that weight doesn't seem to play nearly the role in fibromyalgia that exercise does. Although of course, my obesity has made exercise a bit more challenging, as does the fibro itself (when even even having clothing or a sheet on my skin hurts, the thought of exercise is a bit daunting). Still, I have to do what I can, when I can. In the water, I can get a great workout, even by "skinny" standards (getting out of the water is another story). I just needed to find a very easy to get in and out of swimming suit, and street clothes to wear to the pool. The street clothes were easy. I wear slip on shoes and a denim dress, but I'm still trying to find a flattering, affordable two piece swimming suit.

It wasn't exactly pain tolerance that got me into trouble, but something similar "workaholism." I've always worked the equivalent of two jobs (either two jobs or job and school), sometimes the equvalent of two full time jobs. Burning the candle at both ends, and sleep deprivation in general do seem to have a role in fibromyalgia. My neurologist actually believe that fibromyalgia actually IS a sleep disorder (sleep disorders are at least extremely common among people with fibro). If you deprive people of sleep, they get pain, fatigued, and fuzzy headed (classic fibro symptoms). Sleep deprivation studies aren't really done to extremes, because the symptoms get too dangerous. Rat studies show though that severe sleep deprivation rapidly causes death, due to autoimmune and immune issues (makes you wonder, doesn't it?)

My sleep quantity and quality are improving, but for some reason, I don't enter the most restful state of sleep, ever (at least not during the sleep studies I had). There doesn't seem to be any medication or treatment that fixes it, hopefully my brain will eventually regulate itself.

Crazy stuff.

Speaking of sleep though, it's 2:20 am, so I'd better get off to bed.

No no ... I didn't take offense! :)

And being a photographer isn't nearly as demanding as a trainer, as you mentioned. It's just funny because like I said, I consider my job a bit motivator for getting in shape. :)

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Hey, good topic, bettyred!

I wouldn't change jobs--I love my job, even though it's sedentary. I edit books, mostly college textbooks. I'm my own boss, I work at home, and I have steady clients.

When I was younger, I had ideas like becoming a forest ranger, park ranger... But at that time I was on a different track in school. Later on I considered it again, but by then I felt that I was too old for the physical demands. I was also obese. However, now that I'm "only" overweight and much more physically fit, I still don't see that kind of work as something I want to do. It's definitely because of my age now.

Jay

kaplods-

No one is really against exercising in the nude LOL Your home, your body hehe just kidding :) I had a rat, he slept way more than I did lol hehe...
It makes sense to think that the two could be connected, your body is constantly sending you signals- it tells you whats wrong- but for us, we're so used to working through things in order to keep our nice happy little lives that we forget that sometimes figuring out those signals are VITAL to our survival.

I haven't worn a bathing suit in like fifteen years LOL I'm allergic to sunscreen so I have to go fully clothed or go at night which is kind of fun :) lol


PhotoChick-

I think it's great that you are motivated by your work, maybe that's another part I'm missing lol it can be a little embarassing when you have to lay on the ground because your body just no longer bends that way :)

Rach

Haha! No kidding.

Honestly one of the things that got me was when I'd get down on the ground and then struggle (and grunt) as I got up. Equally embarrassing! :)

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I HATED how I struggled to get up -- even from many chairs -- at my high weight!

JayEll-

Does sound like you have a great job! :) It also sounds like you have time to make room for your hobbies :) Which I don't feel like I do- between a five year old and my work- there's no sanity there LOL My workouts are now becoming more than just for my body, which is why I went back to boxing more than anything, it's such a combination of the mental and the physical. That's what got me curious about others... would you have done something different, or would you consider doing something different if you were more physically capable.

PhotoChick-

Hey now- lol can't knock the grunts LOL They have been my friend for many years lmao hehe

Heather-

I think that's the one part I won't miss- chairs that I have to pry myself out of, or sit on the edge of LOL :)

I know this is a little different from a career path, but when I was in college, I was close to 300 pounds, and I purposely sought out physically demanding jobs and activities in the hopes that incorporating them into my life would help me lose weight. I was a waitress (LOTS of running around, carrying trays/plates/glasses, not allowed to sit down at all during the shift), and I joined my campus Habitat for Humanity (applied vinyl siding to a shed, cut and hung sheetrock, etc.).

As you can see, my plan didn't work out :p But I did learn that my weight didn't have to hold me back.

It's really strange reading this because I'm a photography student and really feel scared about going into a business with many models who are all thin and gorgeous :lol: