Polycystic Ovaries and Other Problems

Options
DESeishin87
DESeishin87 Posts: 4
edited January 2015 in Introduce Yourself
Hello! My name is Sarah, and I'm currently 232 pounds, after getting to 217 from around 245. I did Nutrisystem for a while, but I got tired of their samey, processed tasting foods and their scripted support whenever I called them. Not to mention their prices, eyuck! Even with a 40% discount on all their meals, it was costing around 200+ a month including all the other foods that had to be purchased to go with it!

Regardless, I've gained weight again, and starting the new year I want to get back on track and lose the weight again, and beyond. The unfortunate thing is I have a lot of debilitating issues that limit my weight loss, even after getting off of Nutrisystem and learning portion control and other such things.

First off, I have a bad back, and bad knees. I'm sure the knees are from a lack of exercise, but I've had a bad back since I was fifteen years old from a couple of nasty spills I took while riding horses and slipping and falling onto hard tile floors. These issues get in the way of my ability to do a lot of exercises that are suggested to me, and while I try to power through them, part of me finds the pain the following day not worth it.

Second, I live in a bad neighborhood with thugs and gunshots, so going on a jog or even walking my dogs is considered dangerous and not something I entirely want to do. Pack on top of that my social anxiety developed from years of bullying, I really would just rather stay in my house and find a light exercise I can do indoors in limited space due to clutter from my packrat of a grandmother. I just want to find a way to get moving, and Wiifit just gets boring and repetitive (plus that lack of actual space).

Finally... an unsupportive mother. While my grandmother is very supportive and wants me to lose this weight and help me do so (she was the one that paid for Nutrisystem), my mother, who is in charge of groceries and making most meals (which she only does on her days off anyway) doesn't seem to understand that I require the lower calorie foods like light soymilk, lowfat mayonnaise, light dressings, etc. When I ask her for vegetables, she buys me a bag of carrots. When I ask for meats, she buys me the most fatty meats I have ever seen because they're 'cheaper'.

It's frustrating because neither myself or grandmother can get her to understand. And when food goes missing, she's quick to blame me, even though my thinny minnie sister has bouts where she'll just eat a lot of food, especially if it's something easy like a microwavable meal.

So while I do have 'some' support, the support where it matters, the one buying the foods, is the place that I don't have it. And as an unemployed individual with social anxiety who cannot drive, I can't exactly go out and get my own foods.

Thus, I am in a bit of a dilemma, and have a LOT to work around, without any local friends to help me, and with support from only one person in my offline life. I intend to try, because I'm tired of hating myself when I look in the mirror. It's a difficult situation with a difficult solution. Power through it. I'm fine with losing weight at a slow pace, but I don't want to hate my diet, and I don't want to hate getting up and moving around a little.

Replies

  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    Options
    Welcome Sarah :) Changing your eating habits is the most important thing of all in your path toward health! If you have no control of the food that's brought in learn moderation, that's really the key to all of this... you can do this Sarah! ;)
  • msj378
    msj378 Posts: 17
    Options
    Hi Sarah! It's so hard when someone in the house doesn't support what you're trying to do. Don't let that stop you. You didn't mention your age, are you able to get a part time job so that you could purchase your own food? Or, if grandma was willing to purchase Nutrisystem maybe she would be willing to invest that money into the grocery shopping so that you're able to get the things you need (just a thought). Also, don't let the neighborhood stop you from moving around. You can get all the execise you need right in your own home. Youtube has so many workout videos that you could use. Your local library will also have workout dvds. Don't like those options, make up your own rountine! Be it, leg raises, arm curls, jumping jacks etc etc. You have the only exercise tool you could ever really need, yourself! Don't get discouraged, I'm cheering for you! Add me, if you like.
    Good luck with your journey, you can do it!
  • DESeishin87
    DESeishin87 Posts: 4
    Options
    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    Welcome Sarah :) Changing your eating habits is the most important thing of all in your path toward health! If you have no control of the food that's brought in learn moderation, that's really the key to all of this... you can do this Sarah! ;)

    I'll definitely be watching portions since it's the best I can do foodwise right now, thank you!
    msj378 wrote: »
    Hi Sarah! It's so hard when someone in the house doesn't support what you're trying to do. Don't let that stop you. You didn't mention your age, are you able to get a part time job so that you could purchase your own food? Or, if grandma was willing to purchase Nutrisystem maybe she would be willing to invest that money into the grocery shopping so that you're able to get the things you need (just a thought). Also, don't let the neighborhood stop you from moving around. You can get all the execise you need right in your own home. Youtube has so many workout videos that you could use. Your local library will also have workout dvds. Don't like those options, make up your own rountine! Be it, leg raises, arm curls, jumping jacks etc etc. You have the only exercise tool you could ever really need, yourself! Don't get discouraged, I'm cheering for you! Add me, if you like.
    Good luck with your journey, you can do it!

    I'm 27, and with my social anxiety, getting a job and holding it is difficult. There are a lot of other things that factor into me not getting a job like my social security income, which I would lose if I got a job with a high enough pay.

    And my mother is the only one in the house with a job, and buying groceries is kind of her 'earning her keep' since she doesn't have to pay anything else. I've told grandma to consider making her pay electric bills or something, because my sister loves to use the heater all times of the year without bothering to bundle up or wear extra layers. But she said that's not nearly enough. We've tried to get mom to give us the grocery money so we can buy the food ourselves, but she won't even tell us how much she makes.

    This is the type of person that complains how expensive health food is, and then buys herself and my sister a lot of junkfood. I love my mom, but she has some issues, and getting her to understand or care about anything other than herself and my sister is difficult.
  • msj378
    msj378 Posts: 17
    Options
    Wow Sarah, you really have a lot going on. That's ok, you can still do it. I agree with Hearts_2015, portion control! So even if the foods you have available aren't the healthiest items, you can still do it by counting the calories you do consume. That combined with whatever exercise options you decide to do, will work. It may not be the ideal healthy situation you'd like to be in, but it can happen. It still comes down to burning more calories than you're taking in. You can do it Sarah, even with all the setbacks of the unhealthy food and neighborhood, I still believe it can/will happen!
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    edited January 2015
    Options
    DESeishin87 wrote: »
    Hello! My name is Sarah, and I'm currently 232 pounds, after getting to 217 from around 245. I did Nutrisystem for a while, but I got tired of their samey, processed tasting foods and their scripted support whenever I called them. Not to mention their prices, eyuck! Even with a 40% discount on all their meals, it was costing around 200+ a month including all the other foods that had to be purchased to go with it!

    Regardless, I've gained weight again, and starting the new year I want to get back on track and lose the weight again, and beyond. The unfortunate thing is I have a lot of debilitating issues that limit my weight loss, even after getting off of Nutrisystem and learning portion control and other such things.

    First off, I have a bad back, and bad knees. I'm sure the knees are from a lack of exercise, but I've had a bad back since I was fifteen years old from a couple of nasty spills I took while riding horses and slipping and falling onto hard tile floors. These issues get in the way of my ability to do a lot of exercises that are suggested to me, and while I try to power through them, part of me finds the pain the following day not worth it.

    Second, I live in a bad neighborhood with thugs and gunshots, so going on a jog or even walking my dogs is considered dangerous and not something I entirely want to do. Pack on top of that my social anxiety developed from years of bullying, I really would just rather stay in my house and find a light exercise I can do indoors in limited space due to clutter from my packrat of a grandmother. I just want to find a way to get moving, and Wiifit just gets boring and repetitive (plus that lack of actual space).

    Finally... an unsupportive mother. While my grandmother is very supportive and wants me to lose this weight and help me do so (she was the one that paid for Nutrisystem), my mother, who is in charge of groceries and making most meals (which she only does on her days off anyway) doesn't seem to understand that I require the lower calorie foods like light soymilk, lowfat mayonnaise, light dressings, etc. When I ask her for vegetables, she buys me a bag of carrots. When I ask for meats, she buys me the most fatty meats I have ever seen because they're 'cheaper'.

    It's frustrating because neither myself or grandmother can get her to understand. And when food goes missing, she's quick to blame me, even though my thinny minnie sister has bouts where she'll just eat a lot of food, especially if it's something easy like a microwavable meal.

    So while I do have 'some' support, the support where it matters, the one buying the foods, is the place that I don't have it. And as an unemployed individual with social anxiety who cannot drive, I can't exactly go out and get my own foods.

    Thus, I am in a bit of a dilemma, and have a LOT to work around, without any local friends to help me, and with support from only one person in my offline life. I intend to try, because I'm tired of hating myself when I look in the mirror. It's a difficult situation with a difficult solution. Power through it. I'm fine with losing weight at a slow pace, but I don't want to hate my diet, and I don't want to hate getting up and moving around a little.

    I'll be honest, I see a lot of excuses. I've bolded them^.

    Many people here have debilitating health conditions. Personally, I have Crohn's disease. I have insulin resistance and hypoglycemia which make weight loss extremely difficult. I also have supra-ventricular tachycardia, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and exercise-induced pre-syncope… all of which get in the way of exercising at times. I have horrible knees after being a competitive gymnast and cheerleader for 10+ years. I fractured BOTH of my patellas TWICE and have osgood schlatter and chondromalacia patella. Bottom line- You don't need to exercise to lose weight. All you need is a caloric deficit.

    If you live in a bad neighborhood and don't want to put yourself in danger, why don't you go for a walk during the day when it's light out? Or join a gym if you are really that worried. Some gyms cost as little as $10 a month.

    Why is your mother buying you food? You are 27 years old. You are capable of buying your own groceries. Your mother is enabling you (and feeding your anxiety) by purchasing food for you.

    Lastly, get help for your social anxiety. It is literally controlling every aspect of your life. I was diagnosed with severe anxiety and panic disorder my junior year of HS. I couldn't get out of bed some mornings. I missed a ton of school. I couldn't drive without having a panic attack. I couldn't go into restaurants, the mall, the grocery store. I didn't have a job because I constantly felt like I was going to pass out or throw up. Or I had a terrible headache, blurry vision, dizziness/vertigo, racing heart, etc. The only thing that helped me is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). I highly suggest looking into it and finding out if there is a psych practice in your area who offers CBT. My anxiety no longer controls my life and it is a great feeling.

    I can assure you that staying in your home because you are too nervous to leave is not helping anything. In fact, it's making it worse. You are teaching your mind (and body) that it is dangerous to leave your home (fight or flight response). The only way to get over your social anxiety, is to face your fears. You need to step out of your comfort zone or nothing will ever change. Do you really want to live like this for the rest of your life?

Categories