whight loss / exersize ideas / help

[melissabarnett]

hi all  any of you put on the lbs sence ur last flair up and cant get it off due to being so tierd and weak  i have and cant seam to get it off been eating healthy but still a nogo on the W loss  im normaly 140 but sence starting Copaxone and my last flair up ive hit 168 and am not happy cant exersize without being down for aweek and with 4 kiddies cant be down that long not even 2 days so any ideas ????? all will be greatly  helpful  thanks keep smiling and lol  and on the train to wellness

[Mand125]

Hi Melissa

I joined Weightwatchers online several weeks ago. It is definitely the incentive that I need to help me diet.

I wish that I could exercise more and hope that the weather gets better I can at least try to walk more.

Mand

[HVAC]

You have to take everything very slowly. Walk if you are able 10-15 minutes. I started out too fast and had set backs. There is healthy and then there is portion control. I walk at the Mall when it is cold. I eat mostly fresh fruits and vegetables. A little at a time all day.

I have been losing weight over several years. I was a 39 inch waste now I am a 33. I am able to walk for more than an hour.

Alex

[Lulu54]

Mand and Alex both have the right ideas here - take it easy, build up to doing more, find some support for your efforts.

There is a good diet and weight loss community here at MedHelp - it is full of people doing this the right way.

Remember we don't put those extra pounds on over night and they don't come off quickly, either.

Be kind to yourself and set realistic goals.

good luck,
Lulu

[Mustang0064]

I am using the wii fit when i can...

[mayperl]

i cut pasta and dairy, and walk maybe once a week.  I lost 5 lbs last month. I've heard the wii fit is what other MSers use, I really need to try that!

[Fluffysmom]

I've gained more than you, and am slowly working at taking it back off.  I'm starting a gentle yoga for people with MS class this Saturday, and have been trying to eat less of the healthy food I love and the treats I find irresistable.

One thing that had help me lose weight before was keeping a food diary; writing down everything I ate, and the portion size, as well as what exercise I'd gotten that day.  When the fatigue got bad, I didn't have much exercise to record, and I'd just write the food, not how much, then I stopped writing things down all together.

I think I'll grab a notebook and start it up again.  For breakfast I had a whole wheat english muffin with about a tablespoon of almond butter on it.  I need to go to Costco to get a few things, so I'll be able to write down "shopping at Costco" or "walking" and how long I walked around there.

I agree that you have to take small steps in starting to exercise again.  I helped a friend move some stuff this weekend, and it's taking time to get over all that lifting and carrying.

Something that has been helpful to me in the past is to wear a pedometer that measures how many steps you've taken.  Even an inexpensive one can give you an idea of how much you've been doing, and you can work towards putting more steps on over a period of time.  You can try to slowly add more without wiping yourself out.

Back in 2004 I used the Slim-Fast website to help me lose weight before a trip to Hawaii.  It's free, and tailors a diet to your needs.  You don't even have to use their products, really.  They suggest amounts of healthy snacks, and have yummy recipes that are pretty easy to prepare. If you don't like what they suggest, you can choose another snack/meal option.

I just checked out their site, and it seems to be the same.  I might sign up again (real easy to do) and get a meal plan.  It was a good experience before.

Good luck!

[melissabarnett]

Thanks for the info help i was trying the 3 day chemical breakdown diet and it seems to be working i went from a 43 inch waist to a 37inch waist but im not a diet preson i likes me food lol

so when my strength finds its way back to me im going out side for a walk while we still have snow to keep my cooled down  i am eating breakfast now not drinking suger in my coffee and not eating after 6 pm and up my water in take from 5 qurts a day to 7 and i feel like i could float a boat so anyone want to go on a cruse ill suply the water lol just kidding  

[grannyhotwheels]

I have also put on a lot of weight since my illness began.  I was about 115 lbs when I got sick and I'm up to around 160 lbs. now.  I hate it plus I can't really afford to buy new clothes.  Thank goodness for Salvation Army and the Church's give aways.  There are some really good ideas here.  I think that after I've healed from my surgery that I'll try one of them out.

I'll be praying,
Carol

[doublevision1]

Dividing your walks into shorter timeframes, ie: 3x20 min walks a day vs 1x60min walk may be more manageable energy-wise, and may be easier to work into your schedule.  Also, this approach helps to keep your temp in check and not get too overheated like what happens when exercising vigorously for a longer duration.  This was recommended to me at the MS clinic I go to.  If you can manage a few brief spurts of really vigorous walking/running (like a minute or two at a time) during these sessions without overdoing it, this helps increase your calories burned.

I've read studies conducted on MS patients which found that those who exercised regularly were able to reduce their level of fatigue compared to control groups who did not exercise.  

It can be a vicious cycle, you're fatigued so you don't exercise, which makes you more fatigued and even less able to exercise.  I think getting started is the hardest part.

[Udkas]

In my area they have water aerobic exercises for people with MS, even those in a wheel chair can go as they have the water lifts, they organise childcare the lot.  Many people take advantage of it.  Maybe there is something like that in your area.  

I swim and do water aerobics every day as I find that because the water is cooler I don't seem to fatigue as much as I would if I was walking and doing other forms of exercise.

DB has good advice, I try to do some exercise everyday but not over doing it, I had to build myself up gradually.

Drink lots of water, and try to eat loads of fresh fruit instead of the snack type food.

Best wishes for your goals. I think sensible exercise and sensible eating out weights any quick fixes as then you tend to just put the weight back on.

Cheers,
Udkas

[shoshin]

Well, I don't have answers for this. I have better luck with eating healthily, and do all right at that if I'm consistent, but I haven't figured out a way that I can exercise hard enough to get any sort of aerobic (or maybe much of an other) benefit. I just can't walk fast enough or seem to sustain much of anything else.

This is unfortunate as new research seems to show that MS patients who are aerobically fit do better: Exercise Helps Protect Brain Of Multiple Sclerosis Patients, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/179659.php

So if you can figure out a way to exercise effectively, especially aerobically, it sounds like it will help your brain as well as your weight.

sho