GERD + Trapped In The Yo-Yo Effect
JKC_29
Posts: 3 Member
Hello everyone!
I'd like to start by introducing myself. My name is Joshua. I'm 25 years old, and a graduate of Video Broadcasting. For the past couple of years I've had a lot of health problems. It started off as pain in my abdomen. It wasn't long after that I started getting heartburn one to two times a week. After about a year I started having heartburn everyday. Just last week I had to go to the hospital from work because I was having trouble breathing. Turns out, all of this was because of chronic acid re-flux.
Within these last few years I've also struggled with the yo-yo effect. Part of the reason behind my chronic acid re-flux is my weight. When I lost weight, the symptoms disappeared. I've managed to get myself down to a healthy weight 2-3 times now, but always seem to fall back into bad habits. Truthfully, I believe the way I went about losing weight was not correct. I gave up a lot of my happiness to be healthy, but eventually I was so unhappy I became unhealthy again. It's sort of a paradox.
I believe what I need to do in order to be healthy, is to find a happy medium. I can't give up the things that make me happy just to be healthy or I will forever be trapped in the yo-yo effect.
The things I enjoy:
-Beer
-Energy Drinks
-Sweets
-Eating Out
-Video Games
-Movies
I would like to come up with a plan that would allow me to still drink beer, energy drinks, have sweets every so often, go out to dinner with friends and family, and also have time for video games + movies.
Beer:
In the past I've had to give all of this up, and I was a mess. I accomplished my goal but I was really not happy. I am not a big drinker, I mostly enjoy drinking on the holidays with family + friends and on special occasions (like my birthday part, which is next weekend.)
Energy Drinks:
I've had a lot of success in the past losing weight just by adjusting and carefully watching how much calories I intake. So I could just switch to sugar free energy drinks.
Eating Out:
As for eating out, I find this one to be the hardest to accomplish. I'd love to hear what others have done to fit this into their lifestyle (I don't look at losing weight as a diet, but rather a lifestyle change.)
Video Games and Movies:
Video Games and Movies always seemed to clash with going to the gym and working out. As it is currently I have a gym membership that I won for a year but it's about a 30 minutes bus-ride from my apartment. I do all the cooking around the house + I have a lot of other responsibilities (my partner would kill me if I stopped with the upkeep.) I'm in bed by 8:30-9:30pm (tonight is an exception, a lot is on my mind and I can't sleep.) I'm up for work by 5:20am and don't get home till around 4pm/4:30pm. Every other weekend I go home to see my dad, my mother recently passed away so we've been spending a lot of time together. I used to work in a restaurant which meant always on my feat walking and lifting all day but I work in an office now, so I'm a lot less active. If anyone has suggestions on how to fit in a little exercise to make room for a little bit of sweets in my life that would be awesome.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION - PLEASE READ
Also, I should note I'm on a very tight budget. We don't have a lot of money, still paying off student loans. We only have a budget of 40$CDN biweekly for groceries. We typically spend half of that on meat for the week (and it's discounted) the other 20 goes towards eggs, milk, cheese etc. I cannot afford anymore than this, we are living paycheck to paycheck. So while some suggestions may be helpful to others they may not be realistic for me so I ask that you keep this in mind.
I'd like to start by introducing myself. My name is Joshua. I'm 25 years old, and a graduate of Video Broadcasting. For the past couple of years I've had a lot of health problems. It started off as pain in my abdomen. It wasn't long after that I started getting heartburn one to two times a week. After about a year I started having heartburn everyday. Just last week I had to go to the hospital from work because I was having trouble breathing. Turns out, all of this was because of chronic acid re-flux.
Within these last few years I've also struggled with the yo-yo effect. Part of the reason behind my chronic acid re-flux is my weight. When I lost weight, the symptoms disappeared. I've managed to get myself down to a healthy weight 2-3 times now, but always seem to fall back into bad habits. Truthfully, I believe the way I went about losing weight was not correct. I gave up a lot of my happiness to be healthy, but eventually I was so unhappy I became unhealthy again. It's sort of a paradox.
I believe what I need to do in order to be healthy, is to find a happy medium. I can't give up the things that make me happy just to be healthy or I will forever be trapped in the yo-yo effect.
The things I enjoy:
-Beer
-Energy Drinks
-Sweets
-Eating Out
-Video Games
-Movies
I would like to come up with a plan that would allow me to still drink beer, energy drinks, have sweets every so often, go out to dinner with friends and family, and also have time for video games + movies.
Beer:
In the past I've had to give all of this up, and I was a mess. I accomplished my goal but I was really not happy. I am not a big drinker, I mostly enjoy drinking on the holidays with family + friends and on special occasions (like my birthday part, which is next weekend.)
Energy Drinks:
I've had a lot of success in the past losing weight just by adjusting and carefully watching how much calories I intake. So I could just switch to sugar free energy drinks.
Eating Out:
As for eating out, I find this one to be the hardest to accomplish. I'd love to hear what others have done to fit this into their lifestyle (I don't look at losing weight as a diet, but rather a lifestyle change.)
Video Games and Movies:
Video Games and Movies always seemed to clash with going to the gym and working out. As it is currently I have a gym membership that I won for a year but it's about a 30 minutes bus-ride from my apartment. I do all the cooking around the house + I have a lot of other responsibilities (my partner would kill me if I stopped with the upkeep.) I'm in bed by 8:30-9:30pm (tonight is an exception, a lot is on my mind and I can't sleep.) I'm up for work by 5:20am and don't get home till around 4pm/4:30pm. Every other weekend I go home to see my dad, my mother recently passed away so we've been spending a lot of time together. I used to work in a restaurant which meant always on my feat walking and lifting all day but I work in an office now, so I'm a lot less active. If anyone has suggestions on how to fit in a little exercise to make room for a little bit of sweets in my life that would be awesome.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION - PLEASE READ
Also, I should note I'm on a very tight budget. We don't have a lot of money, still paying off student loans. We only have a budget of 40$CDN biweekly for groceries. We typically spend half of that on meat for the week (and it's discounted) the other 20 goes towards eggs, milk, cheese etc. I cannot afford anymore than this, we are living paycheck to paycheck. So while some suggestions may be helpful to others they may not be realistic for me so I ask that you keep this in mind.
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Replies
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I suppose there's not a lot of people who've suffered from chronic acid re-flux / the yo yo effect? Was hoping to meet some people with similar problems who've overcome these obstacles. Oh well, I tried.0
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I think you just posted at a bad time, maybe with too many restrictions. I have suffered both GERD and weight swings.
The things you enjoy should have little impact on your weight loss goals. Just eat less. Be militant about measuring and accurately tracking your food. Try cooking a big batch of something healthy and have it available for during the week. Less cooking during the week means more time to exercise. You dont have to eat any special foods either. The yo yo "effect" is just from eating too much.
I have gotten completely off of GERD meds thru strict lifestyle changes, some I didn't like but now they are just routine. Worth it. I think you just have to prioritize. I would first focus on learning about GERD triggers if you haven't already, and get that under control. Avoid mint, caffeine, etc. Your energy drinks might not be helping this right now. Do not eat or drink within 4 hours of lying down for bed. Prop the head of your bed up. Do not get too full for dinner. Being free from pain should come first. Once you lose some weight, try the occasional GERD treat. Dark chocolate is one of my triggers. I am OK with it now as long as I don't eat it too often, or eat it on an empty stomach. I now drink water pretty freely before bed, but still avoid being full.
Eat and do what makes you happy, just avoid reflux triggers and eat less than you burn. Get some cardiovascular in to help -- walking for 30 minutes early in the day is great. Find the time. While you do not have to exercise to lose weight, it helps you to feel good, will help your digestion, and helps you burn more calories. I use exercise also to be able to eat more. One rule I try to follow is that I can't sit down in front of the TV unless I have exercised. I walk outside or use free online exercise videos. I also have a little 'desk cycle' so I can pedal while sitting. Good luck to you.
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CorneliusPhoton wrote: »I think you just posted at a bad time, maybe with too many restrictions. I have suffered both GERD and weight swings.
The things you enjoy should have little impact on your weight loss goals. Just eat less. Be militant about measuring and accurately tracking your food. Try cooking a big batch of something healthy and have it available for during the week. Less cooking during the week means more time to exercise. You dont have to eat any special foods either. The yo yo "effect" is just from eating too much.
I have gotten completely off of GERD meds thru strict lifestyle changes, some I didn't like but now they are just routine. Worth it. I think you just have to prioritize. I would first focus on learning about GERD triggers if you haven't already, and get that under control. Avoid mint, caffeine, etc. Your energy drinks might not be helping this right now. Do not eat or drink within 4 hours of lying down for bed. Prop the head of your bed up. Do not get too full for dinner. Being free from pain should come first. Once you lose some weight, try the occasional GERD treat. Dark chocolate is one of my triggers. I am OK with it now as long as I don't eat it too often, or eat it on an empty stomach. I now drink water pretty freely before bed, but still avoid being full.
Eat and do what makes you happy, just avoid reflux triggers and eat less than you burn. Get some cardiovascular in to help -- walking for 30 minutes early in the day is great. Find the time. While you do not have to exercise to lose weight, it helps you to feel good, will help your digestion, and helps you burn more calories. I use exercise also to be able to eat more. One rule I try to follow is that I can't sit down in front of the TV unless I have exercised. I walk outside or use free online exercise videos. I also have a little 'desk cycle' so I can pedal while sitting. Good luck to you.
Thank you, I do cook a bunch of food Sunday for the whole week every week, I k ow exercise isn't necessary for weight loss it just make more room for more food. As for triggers, it's been about 14 hours since I ate last and I still have heartburn even after medication
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CorneliusPhoton wrote: »I think you just posted at a bad time, maybe with too many restrictions. I have suffered both GERD and weight swings.
The things you enjoy should have little impact on your weight loss goals. Just eat less. Be militant about measuring and accurately tracking your food. Try cooking a big batch of something healthy and have it available for during the week. Less cooking during the week means more time to exercise. You dont have to eat any special foods either. The yo yo "effect" is just from eating too much.
I have gotten completely off of GERD meds thru strict lifestyle changes, some I didn't like but now they are just routine. Worth it. I think you just have to prioritize. I would first focus on learning about GERD triggers if you haven't already, and get that under control. Avoid mint, caffeine, etc. Your energy drinks might not be helping this right now. Do not eat or drink within 4 hours of lying down for bed. Prop the head of your bed up. Do not get too full for dinner. Being free from pain should come first. Once you lose some weight, try the occasional GERD treat. Dark chocolate is one of my triggers. I am OK with it now as long as I don't eat it too often, or eat it on an empty stomach. I now drink water pretty freely before bed, but still avoid being full.
Eat and do what makes you happy, just avoid reflux triggers and eat less than you burn. Get some cardiovascular in to help -- walking for 30 minutes early in the day is great. Find the time. While you do not have to exercise to lose weight, it helps you to feel good, will help your digestion, and helps you burn more calories. I use exercise also to be able to eat more. One rule I try to follow is that I can't sit down in front of the TV unless I have exercised. I walk outside or use free online exercise videos. I also have a little 'desk cycle' so I can pedal while sitting. Good luck to you.
Thank you, I do cook a bunch of food Sunday for the whole week every week, I k ow exercise isn't necessary for weight loss it just make more room for more food. As for triggers, it's been about 14 hours since I ate last and I still have heartburn even after medication
I am sorry you are still feeling bad for so long. I know how badly it sucks. I went to the ER twice from it.
You get heartburn from acid leaking out of your stomach and up into your esophagus from a) physical pressure: eating/drinking too much so it actually stretches your stomach, lying down with a full stomach, drinking a lot of carbonated beverages, any combination of these puts pressure upward on your LES (the valve between your esophagus and stomach), even wearing pants that are too tight, or jumping around or running; and/or b) eating foods/drinks that relax the LES like mint, chocolate, caffeine, garlic, tomatoes, acidic, spicy foods, and alcohol. http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/triggers So, what did you eat?
I ate pretty bland foods while trying to get my GERD under control. Chicken, rice, vegetables, fish. NO spicy, garlicy, tomato-based sauces. Tomato sauce is still hard for me to live with.
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Hi, I am suffering from this too. I have now stopped drinking coffee - I never thought I could do it, but to feel better, you try everything, right ? So, after two weeks, coffee free, I have just had one cup and bang, I felt really bad again for 2 days. It takes a lot of trial and error to figure out what are the triggers.0
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Tea will do that to me. I am pretty sensitive to tea for some reason (even decaf). I am OK with coffee though, luckily, and I drink mostly decaf.0
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Tips on how to improve your symptoms:
-Avoid eating or drinking anything about 3-4 hours before your bed time.
-Avoid acidic things (tomato based products, OJ, etc.)
-Avoid the overindulgence of alcohol (which doesn't sound like you do)
-Avoid overly fatty foods (this would fall in line with some weight loss goals)
_Avoid overly spicy foods (hot, garlic, onion, etc.)
-Elevate the head of your bed at least 4"
-Sleep on your left side(?), I never remember which side it is to aid digestion.
The only suggestion that I can think of about working out would be try to walk or run to the gym (half hour bus ride could be a great cardio work out) and then do like 15 min of weight training and then return on the bus. This is a long time, but if you're short on time, this would be a great way to increase your fitness time.
You know the weight loss will help so that is always on the list. Just work steadily towards your weight target. You can do it! Good luck!
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I have gerd but it is more related to me having crohn's disease than weight as I am not overweight. I take omeprazole which helps1
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Regarding eating out: we eat out all the time, and I have lost 25+ lbs over the past year, and just have 5 stubborn lbs left to hit my goal weight. We eat at quite a few different places, but they all have healthy options--for example, Panera has a cup of soup for 200-ish calories and a salad for 250 or 300-ish calories, plus an apple as a side, and I can get a decent sized, high-quality, healthy meal for just over 500 calories. Everybody likes to make fun of Applebees, but they have a really good 12-oz slab of sirloin for just under 400 calories and is convenient for hitting a high protein macro. If we go out for Mexican, I get fish tacos or ceviche and a salad. If we go out for Thai, I have to be VERY careful, because I can shovel in the rice and curry, LOL, and it is a difficult food to estimate for calories. So you just have to carefully curate your choices of restaurant....and watch out for the fries, shakes, or whatever your downfall might be.
Since you mentioned you are on a tight budget, be very careful in balancing your restaurant meals with a focus on higher-quality whole foods at home, including frozen or fresh vegetables that fit into your budget. Being disciplined with packing my lunches and snacks has been key so I don't go crazy at the vending machine.
If I happen to be able to watch a movie at home, I am busy either folding laundry or fitting in lifting weights/doing body weight exercises/assorted calisthenics. As a working mom, it is very difficult for me to have the luxury of just sitting on the couch without multitasking.
I am sorry to hear about the loss of your mom. Something you and your dad might enjoy doing together is just going out for some long walks as you spend time together, if he is able. They are good for both the body and the soul. A half-hour walk earns you a beer when you look at the calories. You have to walk a lot longer for a cookie.
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singingflutelady wrote: »I have gerd but it is more related to me having crohn's disease than weight as I am not overweight. I take omeprazole which helps
Interesting news lately about the involvement of a fungus associated with Chrohn's. Hope it leads to better treatments.0 -
Hi JKC! I've had GERD before and what helps me is taking a daily probiotic (as well as limiting amounts of some foods/drinks named above). The "sugar free energy drinks" - that scares me a little. Watch out for artificial sweeteners. They can be so toxic to your body. Maybe look for some drinks with green tea and/or coffee extracts?
For movies... I like to sneak in a little bag of roasted chick peas. I vary the spices, but roast them with olive oil and spices in the oven 400 degrees for 20 minutes (shaking them up a bit as they get crispy). And finally - eating out. I love that too. I've been known to bring a tupperware container in my purse and put half of my meal in it before I even start. If you don't have a big ol purse like I do.. that might not be as convenient.
Good luck to you!0
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