PLease help me believe

NewDavenport · January 2014

Hi my name is Cassy and I am 21 years old, when i was 13 i was diagnosed with Elhers Danlos Syndrome and was told i would be dead by the time im 30, i refuse to believe that but over the past couple of years I have got increasingly worse and was put on medication for pain and other things which i gained weight on, i really wanted to loose the weight so i went to try a gym and tore every muscle in my back, chest and shoulders doctors then told me i was not aloud in a gym because it was too strenuous for my body to accept, i was not aloud to do any form of exercise that was strenuous on my body including walking to fast or running or even cycling too much. please help me believe that it is possible too loose weight without doing strenuous workouts :sad: i really want to believe that i can do this

kamakazeekim · January 2014

Oh sweetie

I'm so sorry! Have you tried swimming?

NewDavenport · January 2014

yes but the pool here is only open for a few months then closed the rest of the year am trying to get a pass for the one in the next town but have to wait for a bit first

blackwidowdancer82 · January 2014

You can do it. I did. The first month I lost 10 lbs and I stopped going to the gym! Instead I focused on a whole foods diet (check out the Paleo diet.) I cut out dairy, grains, sugar, alcohol, and processed foods. I felt so much better, too. I've been doing it almost a year now and have kept the weight off. I do moderate exercise, but nothing strenuous. My weight loss is mostly due to dietary and lifestyle changes. : ) Best of luck to you! You can do it!

yofroyo13 · January 2014

Perhaps it's best if you try to get healthy mostly through diet (weight loss is 80% diet anyways!) ... Have you thought about trying a grain free/paleo diet? My dad cured himself of diabetes that way, and I feel better on it.
Basically you steer clear of processed carbohydrates and grains- rice, pastas, breads, muffins, cookies, etc. and eat meat, veggies, and fruit.
You should research it. Hope this helps somehow!

EyesOnSize8 · January 2014

Cassy - I believe for you!!! I don't think you need to walk FAST to lose...just walk. May I suggest that you turn this back on your doctors? Why not tell them that you believe and you wont take no for an answer. Why not put it ON THEM to help you find the path to a healthier weight! How about telling your doctor, "Don't tell me what I can't do...tell me what I CAN do!"

kamakazeekim · January 2014

yoga might be an option

tenajh · January 2014

It is possible -- it is not an easy road, but a great reward. I have outlived my life expectancy and am very happy to report that exercise helps, both mentally and physically. Best wishes -- you can do this, and we are all here to cheer you on. Maybe start out with a 10 minute stretching exercise, wts with soup cans. Anything JUST to get started and build from there. Swimming would appear to be a good option. Kind of looking at doing that soon as well.

craziwrld · January 2014

My friend lost 100lbs from diet alone, by counting calories, went from 230s to 130s in 11 months. Which inspired me to d diet to lose weight. I also can't currently exercise, I have a torn labrum and really bad tendinitis in my shoulder and back from if, very painful even if I get on an elliptical. I have lost 22lbs since the end of October. You can do it. I tell my son this whenever he wants to give up on something, and now myself,
You will never truly fail as long as you keep trying
If it works for a 4 year it can work for us right lol. Even if we try and don't succeed, we still learned something right? And we'll keep learning something until we finally do figure it out.

OMGeeeHorses · January 2014

Keep your head up sweetie and PROVE THEM WRONG!! Change how you eat and that will help you lose some weight. Also can you do yoga? I don't mean the complicated poses but the squatting and slight stretching poses? Swimming is really great as it's not to strenuous on any muscles or bones. Maybe have your doctor prescribe you to Physical therapy? I know my own PT has a swimming pool and that is how they get people with muscle pains and issues to strengthen up

. Just know even tho you can't use a gym, there are other awesome things you can do for yourself.

apierron01 · January 2014

blackwidowdan I was just about to say the same thing. First, I'm sorry you have to deal with all of that. Second, I have a bulging disc in my lower back so working out for me is limited so I have gone back to the paleo diet. I feel great on it and losing weight is a bonus! There are so many great websites out there that you can find for great recipes and guidance. Good luck to you! Anything is possible if you put your mind to it

Mitzigan94 · January 2014

YOu can lose weight at a sedentary lifestyle. just eat at a deficit.

I did that for like two weeks. I still lost a pound. I've noticed that every mth I lose 2 pounds if I am doing no exercise. But hey.. A pound is greater than losing nothing!

Cheer up!

You can do it!

MsJulielicious · January 2014

Are you able to seek a specialist? I would suggest that to give you advice on what to do next to meet your goals in a healthy way.
The point is not to be "skinny" but to be healthy :-) Seek more opinions if you can.
I wish you the best of luck.
Best wishes to you :-)

HappyMeLovely · January 2014

My best friend has EDS and from what I know, you should be in physical therapy. Besides exercise, as long as you eat at a calorie deficit you will lose weight. Measure your food with a scale, stay within your limits, and eat more veggies, lean protein, and meats. Be careful if you have dietary restrictions. You need to do what works for your body and avoid doing anything that will damage your existing muscle/tendons/ligaments. EDS is a hard thing to deal with, don't compare your abilities to what other people can do. My friend with EDS lost weight by eating lots of soups and healthier foods. The main thing is to stick with it, and understand with your disorder that inflammation may cause rapid water weight gain and losses - so don't let that discourage you. I personally have a connective tissue problem in my lower legs and feet which throw off my knees, hip, and back. I wear orthotics and am limited to very little walking and non-impact exercise. I do my physical therapy exercises and stretches and sometimes ride my stationary bike or do exercise videos (when I'm not in too much pain). We can do this. I'm here if you ever need to talk.

LaurenAOK · January 2014

First of all, I am sorry to hear you're having such a tough time, I can only imagine how hard that must be. You are very strong and determined for still wanting to lose weight and being dedicated to it. The good news is you can absolutely lose weight without exercise! When I first started on MFP, I HATED exercise, and I didn't do it at all. I just tracked my diet with this app and lost weight that way. I eventually did start exercising, but I definitely saw results even without it. You can absolutely reach your goals through diet alone and maybe some light walking just to keep things interesting. Best of luck to you

NewDavenport · January 2014

Thanks everyone for the positive feed back it all looks really good am having a look at the paleo diet, it looks good

thanks for recommending will be an interesting change, I am thankful for all of those who have commented with their situations about non strenuous exercise it makes me feel so much better

Pixt · January 2014

Cassy, please listen to the people here saying that weight loss can be done through diet alone.

I'll admit that I'd not heard of your condition before (thank you Google) ... I'd really recommend that if you want to add activity you work with your doctor to come up with something incredibly gentle to your body. I wouldn't even jump into yoga without your doctor's ok ... putting extra strain on your joints and muscles whether it's from impact or stretching is something you should really only do carefully and with your doctor's guidance -- though swimming sounds lovely, sheesh I wish I had a pool available, it's below zero here and a nice heated pool would be pure bliss.

You've taken a huge step by coming here and joining the community. I'm really sorry that the exercise that so many of us do can't fit into your plans. However, the diet part totally can ... I absolutely second (or third) the folks who suggest taking a look at eating Paleo for a while. I have friends who feel awesome on it.

I know it doesn't have a thing to do with weight loss and might be more woo-woo than most folks here buy into, but have you considered meditation. Being healthy and strong and centered within the awesome person that you are is only partly physical ... at least to me

Demi928 · January 2014

All things are possible. Keep believing!

Dragonslayer183 · January 2014

I know you can do it and your motivation to loose weight totally inspired me! If you can afford it, get a session or two with a personal trainer and have them teach you low impact exercises that you can do. You can also try asking a trainer for a quick tip or two if you ever find one in a gym for free. Have you tried workout videos? Fitnessblender.com has a lot of low impact workouts you could try, with your doctor's permission. Also, try to have someone always with you when you exercise.
You can totally do this by focusing on what you eat too. Walking at a low impact pace definitely makes a difference, and try swimming as often as you can.
Don't loose home and stay strong!

bluntlysally · January 2014

bendie here as well... i'm not severe as your description reads, but here are a few things i can pass along...

- be patient (hard to do, i know).
- track what you eat here, do your research to figure out numbers, and eat at a deficit. <<this really is 80% of weight loss, which will go a long way to feeling better AND wanting/being able to do more
- talk to your doctor about getting a prescription for physical therapy and braces for the joints that are really bad. go to another dr if this one won't listen. (rheumatologist, orthopedic, connective tissue specialist, etc...) until you build up the muscle strength, your joints are just going to keep hyperextending/sublaxing/dislocating as you move.
- def no high impact. most likely no yoga (def not hot yoga - your muscles are already stretched out and don't need the heat to stretch them more = more injuries). pilates, strength training, and water aerobics (all low-impact and controlled movement = recommended). proper form is 1000x more important for bendies than it is for everyone else. modify modify modify.
- listen to your body. it is ok to have slow days. personally, i think walking is a good start for anyone.
- work on pain/sleeping meds. you can't feel any better if you don't sleep. lots and lots and lots of pillows help too.

bluntlysally · January 2014

yoga might be an option

although hypermobile folks tend to flock to yoga (bc they are good at it) - it actually can be bad unless you are able to control your body. most people are trying to get into a pose, where when you are hypermobile, you need to have the control not to go past a pose.

if you are hypermobile, your muscles are chronically overstreched... so stretching them more can be dangerous.

PLease help me believe

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