Introduction

KeiLemonade

Hello, I'm Kei. I'm 52 yrs old, married with adult kids. I recently became very ill and I could do a lot of strenuous things, walk far or even stairs. I was on steroids for a long time which cause me to gain an excessive amount of weight. Im not use to this and it's very hard to lose the weight. I'm trying so I'm here for tips, info and motivation.

springlering62

hi @KeiLemonade

I had an illness that repeated every few years, but it wasn’t til the last time I had it at 52 that it was finally diagnosed. The last time I had it, it was the worst episode yet. Like you, I couldn’t do stairs (without crawling up them on hands and knees and sliding down them on my butt), needed assistance with toilet, was on a walker for a while, then a cane, residual joint pain. I took steroids the first two times it occurred, and I put on a lot of weight rapidly each time. I refused steroids last three times, which prolonged the “exploding from the inside out joint pain”, as I called it.

I blamed weight gain on the steroids, but, if I’m honest, it was the lack of movement because everything hurt, and eating my weight in M&Ms each time I had an episode, and feeling sorry for myself, because laundry and kids still had to be done, and being in a family business, I still had to go to work in house slippers and sweatpants because my feet and legs were too swollen to wear anything else.

We moved to a home with an elevator for “when I would need it”, because I was obviously falling apart and we needed to plan ahead. I was obese, afraid I’d wake up dead choking on reflux, everything hurt, I was only halfway through a seven year course of painful injections, and I was so freaking tired all the time.

So I know where you’re coming from

One day, age 56, things just converged, and I had had enough. It was stupid to sit around and piss and moan without at least trying to improve things.

I threw or gave away everything in the pantry and fridge I perceived as bad for me. I started making a conscious effort to eat better. It was pathetically ugly first. I’d never in my life tried to eat nutritiously.

I took advantage of a miles-long bike path near by and built up to walking several miles a day. Three months and thirty pounds lost, I had a visit with a dietician who suggested this app.

MFP was life changing. I participated in the boards here, asked questions, read literally every thread, absorbed, learned, made mistakes, figured out who gave good advice, and tried to take advantage of it.

I understand that you're scared and confused. None of us come here knowing the perfect nutrition or knowing that certain things we’ve “heard” all our lives are BS. Friends are happy pile on and give us the worst possible advice, and we hang on their every word. Not because our friends are trim and fit themselves, but because we trust the old platitudes and “new diet advice” they parrot because they don’t know any better than us.

It’s a big step taking on the responsibility of figuring out what’s what for ourselves, but it’s also very freeing once we do. We can let go that “1200 calorie goal”, apple cider vinegar “wisdom”, celery/cabbage soup/“fat burning” and so on diets and eat like we have half a brain, one that respects the rest of our body.

Don’t be scared. You’re going to flounder for a month or two or three til things click into place like they did for me. I started as an (tight) XXXL and have been maintaining as a S for several years now, and I’m more mobile and flexible now than I’ve probably been in my life, and my joint pain is manageable. Heavens allowing, for the foreseeable future I’ve staved off having to take anything stronger than Ibuprofen, with a side of epsom baths, heating pad, and some nice hot yoga to work through some of the worse twinges . It’s a heckuva a lot better place to be in.

I won’t lie It’s an investment in time but will provide returns greater than you can ever imagine. You can be here too. If you’re willing to commit.

I wish that for you, and I sincerely hope you’ll take advantage of the opportunity you have here.

Ask us questions. Tell us what frustrates you. Vent. Stamp your feet and have a hissy fit. Feel free to *kitten* if your knees ache or your feet are swollen. We’ve all been there, we empathize, sympathize, and we can wear you out with advice, lol.

😘