Losing weight whilst battling illness?

I have a very unusual illness called chronic ideopathic pacreatitis. Most people have acute pacreatitis and most frequently they are alcoholics. I have the pain always with acute attacks of severe pain. Noone knows why.
I have also survived three lots of cancer. Uterine thyroid and melanoma.
So yeah I know what it feels like to battle an illness and keep in trying to lose weight. It's hard, really hard, and no one will ever understand that but you. But you know what? You can do it and those bad days will still be bad but at least you are defying that illness and doing something to be proud of.
For a long time I felt that I WAS my illness. I was defined by my symptoms and pain by so very many people that I started to see myself that way too.
But I am looking forward to defining myself as that seriously buff woman in the mirror, with a new profession (I had to quit my old one) and a great life forever how long that may be.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/typical-american-diet-can-damage-immune-system
I cannot access the whole article or find the names of the scientists. Even so, I find this intriguing.
There is evidence that we can benefit from eating whole foods . . . cook at home.

FOOD FIGHT: The body's bacterial community helps train the immune system to recognize and fight off invaders. New evidence suggests that those helpful microbes don’t care for fatty, sugary or salty foods.

My gp has me on a daily probiotic.

I have COPD, which has me gasping for air, sometimes just walking from one room to another. But reading here, I am reminded that I'm fortunate just to be able to walk. I have about 130 pounds to lose, but have taken off 23 pounds since March and can see a small difference in my breathing, so I'm motivated. My niece downloaded MFP for me only a week ago and I love it!! I take Prednisone and wasn't aware that it could stoke hunger, so that's another thing I've learned here. Don't feel so alone, now that I found you all.

I have budd chiari syndrome which is a blood clot blocking the vein in my liver. It was most likely caused by polycythemia vera a rare type of chronic blood cancer.

About 2 years ago i found out i was pregnant and decided i need to live better in order to set an example to my future child.
I did prenatal yoga.
I added veggies to my diet (which is huge in my world)
Started taking vitamins daily.
Cut out red meat.
Cut out white flour, pasta, bread.
I try to incorporate new foods and foods i have always found gross like aspargus and mushrooms, weekly
I make smoothies.
I eat oatmeal damnit.
I premake meals for the week.
I freeze fresh foods before they expire.
Im trying to eliminate proccessed foods from my home (thats tough i also have a disgruntled teenaged stepson that needs processed food to survive).
I go to the gym as much as possible but i should go more.

Its frustrating being tired all of the time. Wanting to do things but napping instead. If i do what i want i lose the next day and maybe even the day after that too.
I take medication that helps but also makes me tired on top of tired.
Eating better has made the biggest difference in my health and attitude.

I thought weight would fall off just by changing my diet...nope...not an ounce.
So now i am logging my food. Hopefully this will help.
I am blessed with a husband that is supportive of the changes. Its gotta be rough on him when i say things like, "tonight we re having butternut squash and spinach lasagne"
But he knows he is benefiting from the healthy clean eating, whole foods diet.
I know things will happen once i lose weight
1. i will feel less pain and 2. The doctor's will have to stop blaming my weight and do thier damn job lol 3. I will be able to climb on park structures and go down slides with my kid and not feel like a whale of a mother that could possibly break the whole damn thing.

And yes the spoon theory is the best way to describe daily life.

NerdyNix wrote: »

annanavis wrote: »

I am not my diagnosis. I am not defined by what or how many doctors I see or how many pills I take a day.

This is an awesome way to view things. I am not defined by Lupus. I may start chanting that to myself!

I've begun to understand that there's more to it than this--in a good way! Yes, I'm more than Alport Syndrome, but I'm also a face of Alport Syndrome. I am the face of hearing impairment, renal transplantation, and mental illness. What I do tells the world what I'm capable of. My medications have become part of my body, just like the foods I eat. My body is made from what I am and what I do. I can't reverse a genetic mutation, but that doesn't mean I can't become a person who represents the potential of every human.

It sounds so silly and metaphysical, but most of my friends are disabled. I know paraplegic yoga instructors, hearing impaired singers, dyslexic academics, and a MD who happens to have Cerebral Palsy, and that's just scratching the surface. I'll be more than okay to join their ranks as "inspirations" if being a face of disability means helping people who aren't okay with it yet.

85kurtz wrote: »

I have a very unusual illness called chronic ideopathic pacreatitis. Most people have acute pacreatitis and most frequently they are alcoholics. I have the pain always with acute attacks of severe pain. Noone knows why.
I have also survived three lots of cancer. Uterine thyroid and melanoma.
So yeah I know what it feels like to battle an illness and keep in trying to lose weight. It's hard, really hard, and no one will ever understand that but you. But you know what? You can do it and those bad days will still be bad but at least you are defying that illness and doing something to be proud of.
For a long time I felt that I WAS my illness. I was defined by my symptoms and pain by so very many people that I started to see myself that way too.
But I am looking forward to defining myself as that seriously buff woman in the mirror, with a new profession (I had to quit my old one) and a great life forever how long that may be.

My 18 year old brother has that too! It is so bizarre and doctors don't have the faintest clue what to do with him! He also has some of the worst C. Diff ever seen which has never been able to be controlled, one super enlarged kidney and the other kidney is extremely undersized, liver functions that are through the roof...the poor kid basically lives in the hospital. They said they can't do any more stints in his pancreas without it totally shutting down.

My illnesses are no where are severe but they do effect my weight loss efforts. I have PCOS, endometriosis, and am hypothyroid. I also deal with depression and anxiety. In the past 18 months I have lost over 135 pounds!

I have Fibro and am currently undergoing cardiology investigation for very low pulse rate after being on beta blockers for most of my life due to a heart defect I was born with. At the moment exercise is a no go for me except for gentle walking so I am just trying to do as much of that as my body will allow. It is possible to lose without exercise, just frustratingly slow. Half the battle for me seems to be staying positive and believing it though and that for me is where this site comes into its own. As long as you can be bold enough to post on the rough days there is always someone about to give you a positive to look at

I also have Lupus and have actually had it for almost 20 years now. It took me a couple years to come to accept this disease. I have been lucky tho, as it has only affected my joints. Listen to your body and if you wake up and it's hard to move or get around, then just let it rest. I find that my exercise of choice has been yoga and just walking! The drug that I am on is called Plaquenil. I have only been on this site for 10 days now and really find it helpful!

I have Lupus. Took years for a diagnosis. Been in remission for about 7 months now. Just had a baby 5 months ago. Trying to use this period of being steroid free to get my weight down. Also have Fibromyalgia.