Friends with fibromyalgia

Hi Julia. I'm new to this site... but I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I'm not entirely sure I've been diagnosed correctly... but I certainly have the chronic pain and fatigue going Makes it hard to exercise which makes it hard to lose weight. BUT! We can do it, yes? As long as we take it slow and are patient.

I have Fibro and M.E. and I've always found it hard to loose weight in the past because of how hard it is to exercise.

At the moment I am in a 'good phase' and have been for around six months. I've done graded exercise (it worked for me, but I'm I'm not going to pretend as some do that it can work for everyone) and a high protein/food combination diet. (montignac - but thats not how I'm eating at the moment, so don;t check my diary for ideas!!) The results are good at the moment, but I worry if I'll be able to keep up the high calorie burns, and the pain the day after is always quite intense.

The most important thing is support. I couldn't survive without my hubby to be. At the moment he is doing all the cooking, housework etc so I can concentrate on losing the weight and doing the exercise. Any support we can get here too is great - so please feel free to add me as a friend.

Jodye
xx

I am so glad to find this topic! It is so hard to lose weight with fibro and I really need some advice. Please feel free to send me a friend request, I so need the support!

Just ran across this. I have fibro as well.

Crystal - I crave sugar. Always have, and likely always will. I cut sweets out of my diet almost entirely for a couple months. It helped me gain some control over the cravings, and develop self-control. Hope that helps.

Thanks everyone for the advice on sugar. I find I do tons better when I just keep it out of my diet because I have no stopping sense! :ohwell: That is hard though! Good luck to everyone!!
The main thing I struggle with fibro is the fatigue! Exercise is a killer! But we must just keep truckin on!!

Crystal

I too have fibromyalgia, I was diagnosed in 1998. I also have excess uric acid crystals in my joints, which causes a lot of pain, and as if that's not enough I have sleep apneoa! My weight loss journey will hopefully alleviate some of the symptoms.

I do have gym membership, but i find it a lot better on my poor old joints to do aqua aerobics and swimming rather than going into the actual gym.

If I go into the gym I always come out in some discomfort, usually in my knees or arms, but I find that the water exercise works my whole body overall, and when I do a calorie consumption comparison I've actually used more calories in the water.

A little exercise is better than no exercise at all, that's my motto now!

sounds like a great idea! I was just diagnosed a couple of weeks ago and I am constantly looking for ideas to help alleviate pain and fatigue.

I am new to the website. I have FMA, DJD, DDD, IBS, Diabetes, hypertension, Reynalds, etc. Lived a pretty active life until I had a radical hystarectomy in 2001 and didn't recover well. They thought I had cancer. Endured many tests, and the list goes on. The Diabetes was diagnosed in February after I was out of work for a month with the flu/virus. I've done most everything asked of me to recover - prescriptive medications, dietary supplements, herbal prescription Chinese medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractice, spinal injections, dietary changes and modifications, physical therapy, water therapy, swimming, etc. I should be very fit. But, I'm inconsistent and keep on trying. This new website is one of those new attempts to help me with my reporting to the dietitian and will accompany my charting of my blood glucose levels. I'm not as crippled as I was at the beginning. I had lost the ability to work due to the symptomatic complications and the need for pain management. I've returned to work since the fall of 2008 and still face multiple doctor appointments for various things - pain management, diabetic check ups, lab work, physical therapy, etc. and that's not counting sick days. It's difficult to earn a living when you have to work so hard at staying active.

Oh man! These threads move so fast. I didn't realize there'd been other posts on here

Ugh... I'm sorry to hear of the struggles. I wish I had advice. I've been pretty lucky to be honest. I hurt pretty much every day, but I can function. I work and am often on my feet and moving about. I am always tired... but... I can manage that too with caffeine. It's hard because I know I could do more and be more effective if I just had more energy! But... it is what it is.

I don't think there is any one cure for fibromyalgia or the other conditions mentioned... there are theories and strategies that work for some and not other. I haven't really found anything that helps me... except maybe yoga, which I haven't been doing lately.

At any rate... it's good to know we're not alone, isn't it? Not that I wish anyone misery... just saying.... um... I like the company?

I too have been diagnosed with Fibro recently, but have been dealing with it since 1981. It has been a long hard slog since then trying to cope with the pain and its debilitating effects. I spent a couple of years in a wheelchair back in 2000-2002. It was very hard, because at that time no one in the medical field had a clue what it was. In fact when it was finally diagnosed I laughed at my doctor and accused him of running out of ideas and grabbing the catch all diagnosis to make me shut up. He didn't laugh along. instead he pointed me to several sights on the internet that explained Fibro, and I was educated. I had major battles with depression, gained a ton of weight and felt like I was losing the battle. A chiropractor got me out off the wheelchair, and has been working on me ever since. He does deep tissue work before adjusting, and I have to say it is not enjoyable, but it has helped a great deal. In March of this year I signed up for the gym, doing very low impact stuff. I now have a 4-5 day per week routine that has helped me immensely. It is more aggressive now than when I first started and I make gradual adjustments as I go along. Not always fun, but well wort the effort. For me it has been a fierce psychological battle for many years, but I feel like I am getting on top finally.( I say that as I lay here on my bed, with a stuffy head and no will to push through the pain today. It is a bad weather day for me.) I have occasional set backs, but I know each day brings with it new opportunities. Nice to meet you all, look forward to getting to know you.