I am going to loose 10LBs anyone want to join me?

My husband is trying to turn into Arnold Schwarzenegger so he is following a very structured eating plan. He's crazy but his fitness goals are helping the whole family eat better and become more active.

Anyway, some of his trainer's suggestions have really helped me. We eat six meals/snacks a day with dinner being our family meal. We know at least a day in advance everything we will eat. It's prepared and portioned into serving size containers. We've been cooking in bulk about twice a week so most meals are just reheated. It's taking a bit to adjust to this but it actually works. I haven't been grazing at all and I barely have to think about what I am going to eat.

I've always had trouble in the few hours after work. It's too early for dinner but I'm too tired to make anything so I graze or binge. I was eating more calories in those two hours then in the whole rest of the day. Now, I have a small balanced meal waiting for me when I get home.

When we go out, my husband packs his food into a small cooler which originally drove me nuts. Now, I have him pack for me too. I thought our food bill would go way up but it's not. I used to throw away a lot of food because I was too tired to cook, we'd just order takeout. Now we eat at home or bring it with us. Most of the meals taste good hot or cold. It's not fancy at all; just a protein, veggie, and a small amount of carbs (brown rice, baked yam).

Since we started this whole thing for my husband, he helps with the shopping, prep work, cooking, and packaging.

Hi,

I am a newbie to this site, and i find it to be a really informative, and I am really glad I found it, I don't usually join chat groups, but I find I needed this....thanks:)

First pahleese except my apologies for a long note that encompasses more than the subject line, I hope I am not breaking a forum rule...Once I started writing, I realized I have some pent up feelings and finally found a place to feel safe to express what i keep inside.....

I can't believe how much weight I have put on...between menopause, the fibro medications I am on, or have been on..the lack of quality sleep, the extreme fatigue, and a low thyroid, I have packed on an easy 25 -30 pounds, and it isn't from over eating. I have NEVER weighed this much in my life, I am trying not to dwell on it, or beat myself up, although it is hard sometimes to keep the faith... though I am willing myself to.

Today I thought I looked thinner, and felt thinner, but the doctor's scale didn't reflect thinner at all....i don't think the scales in the doctor's offices come from the same planet we live on! I am weighing in at Weight Watchers tomorrow, and will see if they match:)

I am sure a lot of the weight gain is the lack of movement due to pain and extreme fatigue plus all of the medications over the past couple of years that has pushed the scale, but 25-30 pounds?

I don't eat junk foods, no hydrogenated oils,no package foods with chemicals, no high fructose corn syrup etc. yeah...i can get a chocolate craving....and eat some frozen chocolate chips, or no pudge brownies(single size...do you gals know about this 2 tbls of the mix and one tbls non fat yogurt-microwave 1 minute and WA LA....Brownie for one....YUMMY)....
but I really try to eat to keep healthy and to lose weight..I include ground flax everyday, and try to get my 8 glasses of water too....
Anyone else feeling overwhelmed by the weight gain, while you struggle to eat sensibly?

Another thing, I don't understand the logic of antidepressants making folks gain weight, this is an oxymoron...gaining weight makes me depressed! We can send men to the moon, but not make an anti-depressant that helps you lose weight? and I don't mean Effexor....because that one doesn't help everyone lose either!
And another thing...I never felt I was depressed when the doctor's prescribed anti-depressants, although by George between the fibro pain, fibro fog, fibro fat and the crazy making sleep cycles....I could get depressed real soon!

I don't want to try Lyrica because it says "weight gain", not to mention the plethora of all of the side effects.
But I don't think Cymbalta is doing what it could be.
The new medication coming out in a couple of days, Savella I think..it says weight gain too....Oy Vey...Why would I want to try a new med to make me fatter? Maybe I am wrong....Woudn't it be a perfect world if I wasn't wishing for a new med in the first place!

I do have to admit though there is something to the anti-depressants and cessation of some pain...Before I was diagnosed with Fibro, I had just taken myself off of Celexa, as I didn't think I needed it anymore, I was given it for menopausal symptoms. I realized real quick that the Celexa had been keeping the extreme fibro pain at bay,because boy was I hit with a bang, when I stopped taking it....and quickly went on Cymbalta, that was in the fall of 2006...

So I am wondering if after a couple of years have I built a tolerance to Cymbalta, because I really don't feel like myself, I have no motivation, no get up and go, simple chores are over-whelming...Thank goodness I am off work due to a work injury (which they are fighting....which makes the stress go up) so it is really a double edge sword! And thank God, I did have an injury, I couldn't keep up with work and the stress my boss was giving me constantly.I am trying desperately to get better so when I go back I can hang in there. I even have a Meyer's Cocktail at least twice a month, more if I can afford it.

Until Fibro I had an enourmous amount of energy, I could handle stress, and let a lot of stuff roll off my shoulders... I had an extremely high pain threshold, anyone else relate to this? Before Fibro I could juggle more balls in the air than most of the people I knew...before Fibro I had energy and could get up in the morning. Now sometimes I don't sleep all night, and then sleep until 4pm or straight through until the next day...and then I can get up, have a cup of coffee or tea, and fall back to sleep....Although this has gotten better because i stopped taking all the sleep medications I was using...so now I don't fall sleep every day...but I don't sleep at night either....will this ever balance itself out?

Before Fibro I could sleep when it was bed time, and if I didn't get 8 hours I was fine with that....Before Fibro I wanted to hang out with friends, or talk on the phone with them, now I don't, I don't want them to ask me how I am feeling, and not have anything different to say.
Before fibro my house was clean, I mean 5 years ago, I did childcare with 8 kids 10 hours a day, cooked for them, and my family and all that family life entails...and my house was spotless with a teenage boy in tow!...Now I work outside the house, teenager is grown up on his on...and I can't keep the house together...now I put everything in baskets to put away later, and later never seems to come....If I can cook a great or just a mediocre meal and clean the kitchen in the same day...that is something....THIS IS NOT ME....But it is, isn't it....

Also, another thing I don't understand, there seems to be two sides or more maybe when it comes to pain medication, It almost feels like the kinda rivalry that set up moms against each other....you know working moms versus stay at home: there was/is judgement around this for some folks..and society right along the ring side perpetuating the set up against Moms..each creating a myth thinking one was right and one was wrong...

I woudn't be able to get out of bed without pain medication. I will say I began to build up a tolerance, and needed more medication to get the same results, which is what I find the biggest pitfall, and I didn't like that side effect.
So, since I haven't been working, I have dropped down to Norco's from Oxycodone, for break through pain, but I find I still need to take a time released Oxy too,

I don't understand the literature that says narcotics aren't helpful for fibro...do the people who write this jargon have fibro? Tylenol, Motrin, Advil, Ultram/tramadol, doesn't take my pain away. Sometimes I think the FDA and the insurance companies don't want people to be out of pain, I mean the medication is there, but one is made to feel as if they are doing something wrong if they take it. I wish I knew what people meant about getting "high" from pain meds....maybe I would feel good for once! I just don't get it, anyone else find this perplexing?

And please don't get me wrong, I realize that everyone who has fibro is an individual; and as such so are their symptoms, pain control and coping mechanisms. Believe me, I pray for the day I can find an alternative to narcotics, benzo's like Klonopin and xanax, and all the sleep medications one may have to try to get there fibro under control....not to mention all of the supplements I take as well....trying like crazy to stay ahead of the game....or rather trying desperately to stay in the game:)

Well, now this is more than do I want to lose 10 pounds, but by golly I do...
Thank you so much for having a forum I could release some of what I do need to release.

Sleep well all my new fibro friends, I am sending you all goodnite hugs!

Hi Butterflywings and welcome. You come to the right place to write your feelings down and get it all out of your system. And the best thing is we all understand where your coming from. Read the fibro 101 thread, second on first page, it contains lots of great info.

 

Donnaeil, your accomplishments amaze me. You are an inspiration.

 

I did eat a few chips last night, I don't know why but I have been craving the salt and I'm not normally a chip eater. I ate a protein bar that took care of my sweet addiction. So for me I didn't do too bad last night.

 

It is suppose to get up to almost 50 today so Miss Krissy and I will take a walk. I can't go as fast as she would like to go but she loves it out there.

 

Good luck today girls.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Butterflywings, Welcome to the forum & thank you for the post that told us so much about you.  Alot of it I could have written myself.  With Fibro we are all so similar yet so different.  I was in therapy years ago & was told that I had so many plates spinning I was overworked & overwhelmed & still felt I needed to spin afew more.  When I got Fibro all those plates came crashing down & I just couldn't even hardly spin two at the same time so I know what you mean.  My sleeping can be very eradict but my Dr has me on Cyclobenzaprine 20mg & Melatonin 5mg sublingual.  It has helped me immensely.  During the winter months my sleeping schedule makes it impossible for me to make any plans unless it is in the late afternoon or evening.  If I get up too early I will have insomnia that night & then I will have to decide whether to try to stay up until night or sleep during the day.  Either one will really screw up my sleeping & it takes about a week or two to get it back to some normalcy.  You will like the people here & find alot of new information.  This is where I come for the support I need in my life.  I am through with trying to get people to get it.  My family is finally coming around.  I need to lose alot more then 10 LBs but I can do 10LBS but to think of more then that is just to depressing.  It is so nice to meet you.  Hugs, Denise 

Okay, after three days of eating less I'm getting hungry. I was proud of myself last night before I went to bed when I seen a box of vanilla wafers on the counter and didn't eat any of them.

 

I had sweet and sour chicken for dinner, one of the diet dinners, and was hungry a half hour later. Chinese food is like that with me. I still didn't do too bad last night.

 

It's going to take will power til my tummy gets use to not eating as much. But doing it in a group helps.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Hello to all of you lovely ladies, I hope today finds all of you feeling as good as you can! and that you are eating well, and not struggling with guilt, or hunger!

Thank you to Marlee and to Denise, your responses to my email made my day! It is wonderful for me to find a place "where people really do know your name", women I can relate to, and be excepted by those who are walking in many of the same shoes.

Donnaeil, as Marlee I think pointed out, what outstanding accomplishments you have made against the odds, what an inspiration to me, and I think to anyone who reads of your dedication, endurance and commitment to yourself.
I have been reading "Women and Fibromyalgia", and one of the tenets of the book, is that women who tend to care for others, especially more than they take care of themselves; are candidates for FM. Of course this is only a snipit of the books info, even though I am only about 1/3 through the book, I would recommend this for folks to read.

As to my eating, I had a hard day yesterday, my HR dept. from work was really harrassing me, and then I had an appt. with my pain doc. and in the afternoon I had an appt. w/my chiroprator. I also take bio-identical hormones, and i was late in re-ordering them, so I think this added to my stressful day.
So yesterday all I ate was: two of the weight control instant oatmeals in between doc. visits.
By the time I got home it was all I could do to get to my bed, in which I slept until this morning until 10:00am....I needed the sleep,I had my adorable but a handful 3 year old grandson for 3 days w/overnights, that plus the stress of the HR phone call, etc.
I was over my threshold....and I do have sleep issues too, as I am sure most of us do have sleep issues, I will save that for another post.

My problem is since I have to wait an hour after I take my thyroid medication, breakfast can get away from me, and before I know it it is around 1:00, I have a bad headache and want to eat anything.....I did have a handful of my grandson's goldfish crackers, and then made my healthy Whey Protein shake with an added banana, ribose powder and powdered vitamin C.
I decided to add the protein shakes because I don't think I get enough protein, and I know we need protein to heal our bodies.

My pain doctor has me being vigilant against eating anything with high fructose corn syrup in it, and it seems that it can be found in the most insidious places! He also has me limiting the amount of fruit I eat, this of course along with white flour products and sugar. I replaced my "once in a while" diet pepsi's with plain soda water, it gives me the same bubbly quenching feeling in my throat without the chemicals added to diet pepsi...it is working for now:)
I am still feeling a tad hungry after my shake, but i will drink some water and then see if i am really hungry or not!

LeeAnn: You Can Do This! We all can. Although I do think we may have a harder struggle with weight loss; given the FM, medications, and lack of continuous exercise. Given this, we do have the advantage of doing this as a group with group support which is why weight watchers works....So here is a big Hip Hip HURRAY~for all of us!
WE CAN AND WILL DO WHAT WE SET OUR HEARTS UPON!
till next time,
Melanie

I want to lose 10 pounds too!!  I'm watching my portion sizes.  That gets me every time.  Angeline, I am shocked to find that the high fructose corn syrup is in practically everything!  We need to get back to the basics and eat raw, natural foods.  No more processed junk!

 

Good luck everyone!

Hey everyone, I want in on this too. I need to lose betwen 10-15lbs due to meds and fibro pain stopping my normal exercise routine. For those who are finding exercise difficult, you may benefit from these exercise video designed for people w/Fibro. You can purchase them from Collage video http://www.collagevideo.com/searchresults.aspx?type=all&search=fibro

I love this site. They have a ton of videos that aren't available in stores. Before my diagnosis I worked in a gym for yrs as a Personal Trainer. Collage is a great site with many vidoes for a variety of fitness levels. I found it comforting to be able to do some exercise again, although I still have to adjust to the fact that I cannot workout as intensely as I was used to.

There are some great nutrition books out there too. Joy Bauer books ar great. She is a RD and has a sound, balanced approach to eating. Food Cures and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Total Nutrition are two of my favorites. Here's a link to her site.

http://www.joybauernutrition.com/nutritional-planning.html

Good Luck everyone!!

I got so weak and tired yesterday afternoon that I had to add more food last night so I had ceral for a snack. I have some great protein bars with 20 grams of protein but my tummy doesn't seem to want to digest them too well, the gastroparesis thing. I can't eat all the veggies, fruits and meats the rest of you are eating.

 

I did weigh this morning and the needle is already going to the left a little so I'm happy. I know I have given up over a 1000 calories a day by cutting out the Payday candy bars and I have no idea how much fat is in them.

 

Good luck today girls.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Good for you Kelly!!! Your young you will lose faster. There is no way I'm going to count calories, that's too much work. I'm just going to cut out the things I know I shouldn't be eating or at least eat less of them and up the exercise.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

My daughter brought over her Wii last night we played on it for awhile.  She showed me her Wii Fit which is how she exercises.  She stands on a pad & follows her Wii instructor & is doing very well.  She has Fibro, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease & RA.  This Wii is amazing, I wish I could afford one but not in my budget for awhile.  I got on I it measured my Body Mass Index, my weight, my balance & how I stand, my posture.  Anyway, it of course said I was overweight, gave some suggestions on what parts of Wii Fit ti use for fixing my posture & told me my age: 64  I am 58 so not real bad but I need to lose weoght & exercise.  Misty is doing well on it, She does yoga & someother exercises right now.  She started out at age 67 & is now 35 which is her actual age. 

I overdid it though & I am paying for it today.  Head to toe pain all morning. 

My diet is going well & according to the Wii fit I have lost 3 LBS so I have weighed & my scale cooberates it.  YEA!!!!!

Hugs to all, Denise

Marlee...thats it. said simple...cut out the things you know you shouldnt eat, or have less, and excercise. no need to do anything else. < everyone who is thinking this is hard...listen to Marlee!!