weight gain

[floridamom2]

Hi everyone!  I was just reading the "leg shaking" thread by Johnny and I realized that we all have these involuntary muscle actions everyday and yet I have gained 20 pounds since this whole thing started.  My thyroid has been checked (TSH w/ Reflex to Free T4) and was normal.  I have only taken the Medrol dose pack once so no real Prednisone weight.

Anyone else have this same problem?  I am starting the South Beach Diet today since it has worked well in the past for me but just wanted to see if anyone else has gained significant weight since symptoms started?

Thanks guys!
Have a nice day!
Kristin

[AussyRose]

Hey, I do have weight gain...but maybe that has more to do with the fatigue and not being able to get off my butt and exercize!!  I recently started ice skating again (I fall a lot more now, but it is more productive to exercize in the cold.  I always feel like I am going to pass out at the gym).  I went on the SB Diet once.  It worked for me too...until my Girl Scout cookies came in!  I should go on it with you.  Wanna do biggest loser contest?  I need motivation!!!

I want to turn my +20 to - 40!!!

Aussy

[grannyhotwheels]

I have also gained weight.  My doc thinks part of it is the meds and the other part is from no exercise.  Since I've been in PT I've started exercising more.  I hope this will help.  Lyrica is one of the biggest culprits.

I'll be praying,
Carol

[TonkaSpirit]

Yes, I am getting way chubby!!!  I have gained  approx. 15 pounds within the last 5 months.  I want to do the biggest loser, that sounds great fun, fun, fun.  Do we weight ourselves every week?  I think mine is from fatigue and no motivation.  I am taking no meds.  By the way, I went to the doctors today and am having a bunch of bloodwork to rule out stuff, and 2 MRIs on thursday.  Let me know how we can play the biggest loser.
Terrie

[AussyRose]

Well, first off...I don't think we should announce our initial weight.  I don't want to advertise that to the whole forum (especially anyone who might be thin...that would just ruin our friendship ;0) lol)  However, we could say we would like to lose x amount of pounds...or we could go by body weight % for the contest so it would be fair because the more you have to lose, the more you can lose, you know? (weight watchers goes in 10% weight loss incraments)  I would like to lose 35 pounds, maybe 40...  And then I would still not be skinny, but normal and within weight range.  

Can somone tell the trick-or-treaters to come early to get rid of all this candy in my house?  My husband, who actually has will-power, opened the bag and I feel like I grab something every time I walk by it!  I will have to buy more on Halloween!

[AussyRose]

I can't believe I spelled exercise "exercize"...I would much rather not realiZe when I make spelling mistakes.  

[Momzilla]

Hi Roze!
I love the spelling with the 'z'!

Z*

[floridamom2]

I am definitely in!!  It can't involve too much thinking or I will not make it but I think your ideas are great!  I too would like to lose 30 pounds.  I like the motivation of doing these things with someone it always helps to keep me on track when I have some sort of accountability and support!  Yeah, my husband has will power too, it makes me sick!  He can actually have just 3 Oreos and stop!!!  There has to be something wrong with him! LOL  

I have had to go on Birth control pills to try to see if the estrogen drop was causing me to flair up each month but since then I am still having these flairs and just got fatter while I shaked!  

We need a Club name to know that the post is about us trying to lose weight.  How about Team Limbolanders?  or maybe the Virtual Losers . . . .  .

OK - so it's me, Aussy, Terrie,  . . . .  . any other takers?    Go Team Go or should I say Lose Team Lose!!!!

I am going to go have some sugar free hot cocoa with ice!  
Kristin

[AussyRose]

I LOVE "Virtual Losers"  That's great! As "Limboland" may sound too exclusive...what about those not in Limboland?  They wanna play too!

Every other time I diet it has to be on the 1st or the 15th or 4 weeks exactly from a certain date or on a Monday.  I am going to start tomorrow!!!  Tuesday the 23rd, how about that for will power?

Weekly check-in?  Anyone can join at anytime?

[AussyRose]

Hey!  I juzt zaw that.  You think you are zooooo funny!!! LOL

[Super_sally888]

Sounds good!  I still have 20 lbs to go!  :)

[fishyfish]

Allright allright....*sigh*  I hate to admit it.  I lost about 45 lbs last year.  I just stepped on the scale this morning...I've gone up 20.  EEEEEEEK.  Okay, I'm in.  My goal will be 15 pounds...20 would be too skinny for me, and impossible to maintain.  15 is doable, I think.  Better go dust off the exercise equipment.  Wonky legs, don't fail me now!

Fishy

[Momzilla]

Hmmmm.  We don't have to give up Quix's virtual ice cream, do we?

Oy!  I am sort of going through a bit of a mild depression, I think, with this lingering diagnostic limbo.  I don't know if I'm up for trying to lose weight right now.  I DO have about 20 lbs. I should lose to be at my ideal weight, though.  My doc wants me to exerciZe.  Have been walking every other day (and trying to recover from it every OTHER day, know what I mean?)  

I shall give it a go.  But my heart is not in it.  How's that for a good ole Hypo Gamma Chondria gal?  Tee Hee!

Zilla*

[BondyinOz]

Zilla, I have to say I'm with you on this one at the moment. I have put on 10kg this year only since symptoms started, which is a LOT, but I just don't think I could do it right now. I have to say that I think I am getting a little bit too much on the bummed out side of life right now coz of the constant waiting... might need to watch that.

So get this, yesterday I finally decided to drop back to part time (3 1/2 days/wk) and then I found out that I had won a 3 week almost all expenses paid study scholarship to Germany... not great timing!! It would be from Dec 30 to Jan 22 and would get me back in time for the new school year but I'm a bit concerned about how I'd go with all the walking I'd be doing.

I told my boss this morning and he wasn't happy. Even though it's in the school hols and my own time he pretty much told me I shouldn't be doing it. No well done or congratulations, just you shouldn't be thinking about going. Then I told him I needed to go part time and the disapproval was palpable. He said 'what, even after our discussion last week?' during which I'd decided that I could last out the term without going part time. Grrr... I am so annoyed at him right now - he doesn't believe I'm sick and refuses to accept that I'm getting worse and cannot possibly go on. Oh well.. if he continues this kind of treatment then I might turn around and take the rest of the term off. HA!

Mel

PS - I'll just have to remain a lil fatty at this point, but good on y'all! :-)

[TonkaSpirit]

OK, lets do this!  Virtual Losers!  I love it.  They keep food diaries on Biggest Loser, so should we try it?  I'm going to keep mine separate from my symptom.  I will write down everything I consume.  Here is some advice for everyone, don't eat High Fructose Corn syrup (its in almost everything now, even wheat bread), regular sugar is better for you as your body cannot digest the processed stuff.  Any ideas or advice, lets post.  And gooo TEAM!  Should we do a weekly weigh in?  
Terrie
Of course we need to keep Quix's virtual ice cream.

[grannyhotwheels]

You all are really gonna have to help me on this one.  I can keep a food diary with no problem.  It's what goes in it that's the problem.lol

We need to vote on a (team captain) Someone that knows a little about dieting and what we need to do to start and when to start.

I need to drop 30 lbs.  I'm exercising about as much as I can right now.  I can tell that some of my flab has turned to muscle so it is helping.  My tummy is my "biggest" problem.

Okay, someone please volunteer to be captain and lets get started.

I'll be praying,
Carol

[floridamom2]

I nominate Terrie for captain - she sounds like she is the most on the ball when it comes to this stuff!

Any seconds?

Kristin

[AussyRose]

I second.

Tonka - we don't have anything with HFCS in it in this house, nor do we have processed food with just fructose, as my 3 year old is intolerant and causes quite a 'mess' if you know what I mean.  That is easy...however....CHOCOLATE is a different story!

I weighed this morning and was a little surprised to see I gained a couple more pounds this week!!!  I hope my scale just needs new batteries or something *wink wink*

[innisfree]

What a good idea, floridamom! As if it isn't bad enough doing the MS shuffle, my couch may be my best friend and I do love to cook/eat. I need to eat less! Having been an athlete, grieving for my balance and strength was a struggle. I am really glad that I am able to continue my work fulltime, though. I am also pretty good at continuing my activities, but it takes longer. I also tend to take on projects--big ones--and then overdo. Then I crash. Eating "good" carbs has been a great approach before, but its getting harder. I think I will shoot for 5 lbs at a time and try to get to 40 all told.

Do we want to do virtual weigh ins?

[fishyfish]

Woohoo!  Just had to add that I used the exercise bike last night, and even though we swung through McDonalds tonight for nuggets for the kiddos, all I got was a diet Coke!  :)  That takes a lot of willpower for me.

Anyhoo, I'll have to work on that journal.  I'm not too consistent with those.

I third Tonka!!

Weigh-in's on Mondays??  Good luck everyone.

Remember, nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!!

Fishy

[Quixotic1]

Okay, while I'm unable to concentrate on real stuff.  I have lollygagged around here and put 30 of the 50 I lost 3 years ago back on.  I even led a group on eDiets for 2 years.  I had sent my sis to the store to buy some non-virtual icecream when she got the call about my parents' accident.  I have to take this new weight back off cause I can barely walk.

Now you get my diet advice.  

ASPARTAME (as in Diet Coke) has been medically and irrefutably shown to stimulate insulin release and thus casues  rebound hunger; it also contributes to insulin resistance.  I would recommend avoiding it like the plague.  It is almost as insidious at sabotaging weight loss at high fructose corn syrup (which blocks the hormone that signals that you are full, so you never get the "enough" message)

I'm in!  Low carb/low glycemic is my method!!

Do we have to post our weights and everything???  It makes me so ashamed.  This is the first time I ever lost weight and then regained it.

Quix

[Super_sally888]

Quix, Don't be ashamed.  You've got so much going on.  Shame is wasted energy.  Save it for other stuff.  Like doing something about it. :)

Quix, I agree 100+% with you about the asparatame.  

And it has been shown that low fat doesn't work.  Better to eat regular fat and regular sugar products knowingly.  All research has also shown that people actually eat less calories when eating the regular products.  Lower carb seems to work well for most. Though nearly anything works if it includes some calorie restriction.

Build up to a minimum of 30 minutes physical activity daily. Even starting with 5 minutes several times a day if this is what you can manage.     This can be just walking .  For people who can't walk maybe stationary bike (or even one of those cheap arm pedal things you can do sitting down),  even just moving a bit.

I also get to look at food diaries for my team-mates...... start first just recording for the first week. Don't try to change (though you may change a little, just cause you're writing it donw).  At hte end of the week, do a review.... See what are the easy things you can do to change.  For example: swap soda with water, tea, diluted fruit juices.  Reduce portion sizes of sweets, or limit to one serve a day.  Replace some of the pasta, potatoes, rice, etc. with vegetables....

  (oh, I was an occupational therapist in my past life....)....  (sorry getting into lecture mode here)...

That said, lets all support eachother and get on with it.  Managing weight WILL help because there's less to lug around and is better for health etc.  So how do we do it?  

Post a new topic once a week for weighin?  Who'll do that? Terri - the captain?  That would keep the post from getting too long.  

S

[AussyRose]

I say we don't have to tell our weight if we don't feel like it.  I think Monday weigh in is good because it will keep me honest on the weekend!  So, next Monday we can just say how much weight we lost...no need to post initial weight if it makes anyone uncomfortable!  And as far as "low fat" or "reduced fat" I am with you on most things, however SB Diet says low fat cheese and lean meats are the way to go.  No sense in clogging the old CVS.  

We should do weekly posts because of the length, good idea Sally

I am so excited!!!

[grannyhotwheels]

Is the first day of our food journal today or do we start on Wednesday?  It will be a short week since we weigh in on Monday.  So if anyone looses this week that will earn you a star!!!

Let me get this straight, do we do 30 min. of exercises a day?  Because of balance and mobility issues I can't do a whole lot.  Does any body have some recommendations for me?

Another issue is that I have never had to diet in my life.  I was always small and still ate anything but I was very athletic and active.  I guess that helped.  I have no idea how to diet.  Can someone set me up on some kind of plan for food and exercise?  Remember that I am very limited on mobility.  Terry as team captain can you help me out here?  I would love you forever for it.

I am so excited about this.  For the first time in a long time I feel motivated to do something.  You all totally ROCK!

I'll be praying for us all,
Carol

[grannyhotwheels]

One more thing.  I'm a huge tea drinker.  I would probably die if I had to stop drinking it.  Yes it is sweet tea.  I hate lemon sweetener.  I use real sugar.  Anyone have some advice on this one?

Thanks,
Carol