Weight Loss & MS

[doni54]

I have a question for you, Quix.  I have tried unsuccessfully for the past 2 years to lose weight.  When I tried the protein diet I lasted about 4 days and had -0 energy.  It seems without carbs I can't function.

Just recently I tried just cutting back on my fat intake and eating lots of salads and veggies.  Same result.

Even though I am undx, only suspecting MS, could my reaction be from MS?  Why can't I cut back without feeling so weak?

If anyone here has found a weight loss method that works, without causing fatique to worsen, please clue me in.

Thanks everyone.

doni

[doni54]

I swear I answered you guys yesterday.............I guess my brain has finally settled in la la land for good!!

Well, anyway, thanks for all your comments and suggestions. Cereal, huh Shell, sounds like a good idea.  I sometimes eat cereal at night when I get the late night munchies, let fattening than chips.  I will remember it for snacks, now.

Deb, congrats on losing the 28lbs, that's great!!  I'm sure you will lose the rest of the weight, sometimes you will stay stuck for a little while and then the weight will start to come off again.  Usually it will be slower than the initial weight loss, but stick with it, and good luck.

Quix, I understand that lack of motivation.  With the fatigue I've had recently, I'm having a hard time, most days,  caring what I weigh.  I'm trying to force myself to move forward and hope part of that will be the strength to lose some of this weight.

Thanks again, hope you are all having a good day.

Hugs
doni

[sllowe]

Hi Doni -

It probably is a combo for you because you are not able to be as active as in the past, so you aren't burning off those calories.  I don't feel well w/less calories either, but like Doc Q says, small adjustments will be easier.  

I really hate diets.  I've done a lot through the years too, and the only one in the past that kept me stable was high protein, low carb.  But, then w/the kidney stone issues, that was out the window years back.  

For the past few years, what I do is have a lot of cereal handy.  I eat all day basically, to keep my stomach from burning, and my energy up (filling in w/handfuls of cereal), but many times I eat things that are kind of empty calories.  I also have my coffee in the early a.m. I then follow with about 16 oz of water.  That really gets the fluid rolling.  I heard a long time ago that water is heavier than fat and you can flush it away....LOL! It's probably the biggest scam going, but that is what I tell myself as I knock back the water. hee/hee  Seriously, if some of it is water, that helps me.

I've been known to pack in a huge meal, but for the most part, I only eat very small meals
which keeps calories down too.

MMMMMmmmmmmmuum I have Capt'n Crunch Peanut Butter Crunch cereal in my work cabinet this morning  - Delish!

ttys,
Shell

[Deb61]

I felt the best on a low carb diet and lost weight, but the first week was torture.  I couldn't even get out of bed for a couple of days when I first started it.  I started on a Thursday, felt okay (a little weak) on Friday, and horrible over the weekend.  The timing was great, because I was fine on Monday, when I started back to work.

I stayed on this diet for about a year (didn't exercise) and lost 28 pounds.  However, I grew tired of the food selection, and quit.  Since then, I've gained it all back!   I also was discouraged with being stuck at the same weight.

What do you do about being stuck?  I lost the 28 pounds during the first few months and stabilized.  I wonder if going off a diet for a few days (three days or so) would help jump-start the metabolism . . .

I also have trouble exercising because of MS, the climate here, the pain in my feet, and limited energy level (put all I've got into work).

Deb

[Quixotic1]

As an advocate of low carb eating (which I having been following recently) The first three days involve a switch over in how your body utilizes energy.  It is often called the "sugar withdrawal."  Those days certainly can be difficult and involve headache and no energy.  I recommend trying it for a week befor egiving up.  Make sure that you are not limiting your calories at the same time.  Frequent small snacks are much better.

When I was following the low carb regime, it became second nature.  I took off 50 pound and held it off for 3 and a half years.  But, last summer in a fit of depression and self pity that this disease had robbed me of EVERYTHING I enjoyed, I ate "goodies" shamelessly and knowing put about 30 of those pounds back on.  I'm finding it hard to get back into the swing of eating right.  It would be so much easier to walk and move around without the poundage.

I recommend that you make some minor adjustments first, then start it and resolve to give it more time, before calling it quits.  Exercise is good, but all of the exercise that is available to me (Health Rider, stationary bike) increase the strength of my leg extensors and thus increase spasticity.  Walking is not possible because I live on a mountainside and I can't manuever the hills.  Also, I cannot handle the outside right now.  So I am doing some resistance band work, but that is not very aerobic.  I don't have a good comprehensive plan , nor the motivation right now.

About MS working against weight loss.  It certainly can, because of increased inactivity and a difficulty adjusting our intake from the days when we were very active.  The disease itself    doesn't prevent the loss, but the effects of it do.

Quix

[doni54]

Thanks for all your great ideas.  I've never been one to follow the latest diet trends, myself.  I always try to eat healthy, but being from the South, most of the foods I love are fattening.  I don't eat any kind of fried foods, but I do like my beans and cornbread...ha...ha....

I have at least 40lbs to lose, but would like to lose 60.  I will try what you say about exercising first thing in the mornings.  I have a lot of trouble walking for the first hour or two when I get up, but I could try some kind of floor exercise after that.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Good luck tomorrow and I hope you will be successful with your weight loss.

doni

[wonko]

Hi, I also have no diagnosis, and have similar goals of improving my health through lifestyle.

I agree with the above remarks that activity level does so much more than diet alone.  I know too how exercising through symptoms is no fun.  For me, I do not get particularly weak, and so of course that is a huge advantage.  I do enhance my tingling and burning, and my vision problems when I exercise, and it can be unpredictable, so I use care.  I work out at home.  

This helps me to feel safe and in control.  I have fans in my workout area.  I take a cool shower (being extra careful of slipping, as though I don't get weak, I can get kinda uncoordinated) as soon as I am done.  I drink lots of cold water.  If you can exercise at home, you can test out how you do and what measures can make you the most comfortable.

I often feel the worst in the morning, waking up to lots of symptoms and weird stiff feelings.  I've found that morning exercise actually helps with this.  If I sleep in and don't exercise in the AM, I feel awful.  This is a good motivator for me.

I know another post awhile back talked about how a short period of time during which you exert a lot of energy is not the same as being super active all day long, and I also really like that line of thinking.  Of course we feel the need to conserve energy when we have symptoms, etc, but that does not mean that you can't exercise.  It just may take some experiments and extra measures.

In terms of diet and what to eat, I view that as a deeply personal choice.  It's my opinion (and nothing more) that any "diet" or "plan" that you go on or off is not a good strategy to lose and keep weight off in a healthy manner.  But I have a long history of overeating and over-indulging on really bad foods, so my point of view is affected by the fact that I need to lose so much weight.  

MedHelp has these things called "Trackers."  I have one for my weight that also lets me add info about working out, journals, and probably more that I haven't bothered to explore.  You can set it to private, though I found it kinda freeing to just let go of the (very BIG) number.  If you go to your own profile and look around, you'll probably see how to add one.  It's really helped me.  My regular weigh-in is tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have good news to track!
  
Good luck, to you and me both!

[doni54]

Andie:  Thanks, for the suggestions.  I like rice cakes with natural peanut butter!!! I also use the whole wheat pasta, I love it.  Before my symptoms got so bad (last summer), I was very active.  I couldn't run anymore, but I would walk 2 or 3 miles a day.  My husband is a home builder and I would work on the jobsites with him, too.  Now between the fatigue and wonky legs I don't get much excercise.  

Jensequitur:  Hi, thanks for the ideas.  I love fruit and salads, too.  I have salad 3 or 4 times a week, but if I don't eat regular meals I get so weak I can't function.  That is one of my biggest problems, with trying to cut back on my calorie intake.  

I'm not much of a TV person, mostly I'm on the computer doing research, reading, or when I am feeling up to it, working in the house.  I am a dog owner, a bloodhound named Sadie!  She usually walks me, but I haven't been walking very good lately so my husband takes her outside for me.

Thanks again to both of you.  Hope you are having a good day.

doni  

[jensequitur]

I've found that it's very difficult to lose weight without activity.  I used to run three miles, three times a week, and lift weights.  Now I'm doing good to get thirty minutes of cardio, three times a week.  When I was doing all that exercise, keeping the weight off was no problem.  Now it's a desperate struggle!

I've had the most success with the "lots of salad" diet.  I used to eat a huge salad every day, with a vinaigrette dressing.  I was getting lots of leaves and green crunchy vegetables.  Then our in-house cafeteria at work had to close down, and I haven't gotten to do that since!  I also recommend lots of fruit, too.  Bananas are actually pretty high-calorie, but apples and oranges are anywhere from 40 to 80 calories, and they fill you up.  They also give you an energy boost.  You're better off eating an orange rather than a glass of orange juice, because not only are you getting the vitamin C, but you're also getting the fiber and other nutrients from the orange.

We just got a dog recently, and I've found that the pants that used to be a little too tight are now a little loose.  Yay!  So I recommend dog ownership - it'll force you to go outside and move around when you really don't want to, and it gives you something to do besides sit in front of the TV.

[Wobbly]

ummm.... well, I lost about 20 lbs... but I didn't feel good.... I ate veggies, fruit.. rice cakes... low fat stuff... lf cream cheese on the popcorn rice cake...(I know YUK)...heheh

alot of people have told me that...but it fills you up...I use the rice cakes instead of bread.  

I only use Whole Wheat pastas...and things like that...just watch the sodium lables and I buy the low sodium tomatoes etc...see my hubby is pre diabetic and we have to watch for him as well.

I do have more weight too lose, but seem to be stuck where I am...I can't seem to lose anymore...it's been like 6 months, it just stopped...

good luck...
andie