I gained a loss in one year

NNestad · June 2016

One year ago today, My journey began on My Fitness Pal after being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and rehnauds phenomenon. One of the instructions my doctor gave me was to begin a food journal, to see if my fibro flares were caused by food or caused by stress. I figured since paper eventually gets lost, I decided to try the My Fitness Pal app to journal my daily food intake. What I never ever expected, was the transformation it did for my life. My Fitness Pal helped me make time for me. Although it currently shows that I am on a 240 day streak, I actually have not skipped one day on this app since June 2015. My phone glitched out back in October 2015, which caused my streak to begin at day one again. At first I was upset, but then I said to myself "it's just a number". I also believe that when it comes to the numbers on the scale...its just a number. If I am truly being honest with my food, water and exercise journal, then success with comes so why worry about a number. Well my one year on the My Fitness Pal anniversary is today and I am happy with my success of a 77.5 pound weight loss and going from a very tight size 18 to a healthy size 8-10. I honestly never expected any of this. I started this to help control my fibromyalgia symptoms and gained a weight loss from it as well.

capaul42 · June 2016

Way to go!

Jerome1549 · June 2016

Awesome!!!

nowine4me · June 2016

Love it!

normalicia11 · June 2016

You look great!

amandak822 · June 2016

What an amazing story! Great job!

buzz3d269 · June 2016

Fabulous work, fantastic dedication!

My ears pricked up at "rehnauds phenomenon" - I also have this, but suspect my weight loss triggered it somewhat - I've had it for a couple of years, but it's only in the past 2 years that it has become considerably worse, coinciding with my 30kg weight loss. Have you found the weight loss to affect it at all?

yasef13 · June 2016

Awesome transformation!! WTG!
I, too suffer from fibromyalgia and Raynaud's among a few other things. So naturally, I'm very curious as to how your phenomenal weight loss affected your conditions.
Care to expand on this? Pleeeeease!

NNestad · June 2016

Hi yaserf13! As I shared, I was diagnosed one year ago. My weight loss has not made it worse or better. What had made my symptoms better/under control is the food I have restricted myself from which can flare up fibro flares. I stay away from any foods that cause inflammation, all night shade foods, any food that contains gluten (there have been studies linking gluten to fibromyalgia), I don't drink alcohol (antihistamines promotes fibro flares) and have decreased my dairy intake to almost nonexistent (dairy intake also linked fibro flares). I know it is a lot of things I eliminated, and I am certain the list will grow as I continue reading and learning, but it's important to me cause I don't want to feel the way I did. It is still a daily battle everyday how I am going to feel waking up. Thank God I am strong willed and have the "don't quit" attitude. Thanks for your encouragement

NNestad · June 2016

Hi buzz3d269! Thanks for your great question on rehnauds phenomenon. Unfortunately, this is a disease I am still stumped on and continue to learn about. I do not believe my rehnauds was triggered by weight loss because I was diagnosed a year ago prior to this weight loss. I also do not have a handle on the symptoms and unfortunately, suffer during the winter. This is when the majority of my suffering is. The best remedy for me, is wearing good gloves at all times during winter conditions (sometimes adding those heat pack inserts). I also sometimes have no choice wearing gloves to bed. I would rather do these methods and work through the winter months, than to be put on blood pressure medication (which currently is the only medication they administer to rehnauds patients). The side effects are worse taking blood pressure medication (develop heart problems). I believe the food restrictions that I partake in for the fibro, Also help with the rehnauds. Thank you for your encouragement and good luck with your health.

buzz3d269 · June 2016

It is a learning curve, attempting to get decent information on rehnauds, isn't it?! Thanks for your insight. I'm currently on amlodipine for the rehnauds, because I also have slightly high blood pressure, and the dr thought it may help both. It doesn't seem to have made any difference to either condition, so I am heading back to the dr to do something different for the BP, and will continue with the socks/gloves method for the rehnauds!

It's mid winter here (I'm in Melbourne, Australia), and I am suffering more this season (generally have a 2hr 'attack' of a morning, and sometimes at night too). One thing that I've become inseparable from are my knee high ski socks and snow boots (it doesn't snow here) - they've made such a difference in keeping my feet warm at least. I also found that if I can keep my core body warm with thermals etc, it lessens the chance of attacks.

NNestad · June 2016

Hi buzz! Knee socks are my life

NNestad · June 2016

Hi buzz! Knee socks are my life. I also sleep with a heated blanket because the air conditioning affecting rehnauds. Best of health to you. I also sent you a my fitness pal friend request so we can keep in touch with our success and trials

Mingle71 · June 2016

Wow!!! You look fabulous!!!! Congrats on your loss!

35dollars · June 2016

buzz3d269 wrote: »

Fabulous work, fantastic dedication!

My ears pricked up at "rehnauds phenomenon" - I also have this, but suspect my weight loss triggered it somewhat - I've had it for a couple of years, but it's only in the past 2 years that it has become considerably worse, coinciding with my 30kg weight loss. Have you found the weight loss to affect it at all?

@buzz3d269 , @NNestad

I've experienced the same - my Raynaud's kicked in once I'd lost about 40 pounds. Having said that, my daughter has had it most of her life, and I had it at least part of my childhood as well

Seems to be a known issue - see, this for example: