POTS (or other invisible illness) and weight loss

Oh my goodness. I just found your post and I almost can't believe that someone else is dealing with something that sounds like I wrote it. I have PCOS, diagnosed with POTS a long time ago but never had any follow up on it after a few months from diagnoses. But the whole "everything makes you feel dizzy/pass out" is what truly got me.

I've never been diagnosed with Fibro, but a gut feeling I've had for years tells me not to dismiss this. I suffer from days where even holding my own head up is so utterly exhausting and almost painful that I felt like I was dieing. Walking in a store when my husband will tell me out of the blue to go find a place to sit down because "all color has drained from my face and I look like I'm about to pass out." This has happened so often that sometimes I think my brain blocks the warning signals from me and puts me on auto. It's like I know it's happening but I'm not fully aware. Some days I can walk around quite a bit, I suffer no set backs.. everything is great and I feel healthy and fine.

It's the bad days that remind me that the rainbow doesn't always have a pot of gold at the end of it, but instead a bed of fire and nails. Between the brain fog, anxiety, weight, and a million other things that it feels like... loosing weight is the hardest battle I have worked on. I finally decided enough was enough on Sept. 5th of last year.. I weighed 308 lbs, and before that I was 320. Loosing only to 308 due to sickness. So I found MFP, completely changed my diet (still working on that at times but it is a good work in progress) made some friends here, and started my journey.

As of to date I have lost 31 lbs and am sitting at 276. I just got back to this weight I was before christmas and I'm quite happy about that. I have discovered that lowering my carbs/sugar intake and removing a LOT of gluten foods from my diet has helped massively. I have never been diagnosed with anything that requires this, but self diagnostics and a WHOLE lot of extensive research and trial and error has lead me to this path. I just feel better. I'm not cured by any means, I still suffer... but I don't suffer as often.

There are still days that energy is my mortal enemy and refuses to give me any. But I refuse to let it get me down... sometimes as a pick me up I read the success stories that are here, and remind myself that this is not a race. I don't need to find the finish line as quickly as I can, I just need to get there. I doubt I have the healthiest diet, or way of loosing and it's not a 1 cure for all. But it is working for me, in its own way. I have found that doing exorcises that allow me to sit down, work the best for me.. Those bikes at the gym that let me sit down and peddle (look like a rowing machine almost but peddles instead, not the normal upright bikes) are great. If I start to feel dizzy I slow down, lower my head a moment, take a drink of water and give myself time to ease up.

I also sometimes do a bit of weights.. laying down or sitting/leg weights. I don't push myself because I find straining too hard will either raise or lower my bp. I can actually feel/tell when that happens. If it starts going too high I get very red in the face, my hearing gets quieter like there is a wall blocking some of the sound, and my head pounds a bit (not to the point of headache but it's uncomfortable) If it starts getting too low, I start to feel shaky, my hands get very gold and will not warm up. The color drains from my face and everything starts to feel like I'm moving through molasses.

I am on medicine and while it does help, it doesn't stop the symptoms I have. It is possible to loose weight. And there is a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. I am proof that this is a possibility. I know I will have ups and downs but I want to let you know that there are others out there and your not alone. If you like you can friend me, and I would be happy to cheer you on or lend an ear to talk. I always say I am great at motivating everyone but myself. But for me, helping others helps me because it truly makes me happier.

I have Crohn's. Autoimmune diseases suck

One thing i wanted to add, the NA and NUUN supplements where the best calorie to carb/sugar ratio that I could find. Still seeing if it's possible to improve the ratio.

I've got POTS , sjogrens and blah blah blah....how am I supposed to lose weight while taking all me meds AND not being able to exercise hard?

julbo wrote: »

I've got POTS , sjogrens and blah blah blah....how am I supposed to lose weight while taking all me meds AND not being able to exercise hard?

Weight loss is controlled by calories. Exercise increases calorie expenditure. Depending on the severity of POTS, start with some mild body weight programs and extend the time between moves.

Hypothyroidism and recovering from major back surgery after a fracture and a ruptured disc. I couldn't do much for a year and had to quit my very physically demanding job. I've gained 20. I get to start tomorrow with PT from the surgery.