derailed by medical bad news...

daydream58
daydream58 Posts: 572 Member
edited October 5 in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone been in the middle of their weight loss journey and had to deal with completely unrelated devastating medical news? If so did you carry on or falter for a week or two or quit or just dig in deeper or WHAT did you do? I feel like I'm going to burst out crying any second over and over all day long (but I never do) so far I just try to force myself to hope for the best and remind myself that anything could happen, people could be wrong, tests could be wrong, outcomes can vary... etc. yadda yadda yadda. I just really want to keep going, I'm at 200 on the dot right now and I worked pretty hard to get to ONEderland, and I want to get there and beyond and I wish I could do it healthy and happy, you know?

How to keep going when the going gets tough - that's what I'm asking I guess.

Replies

  • madameduffay
    madameduffay Posts: 166 Member
    Hi daydream. I've never had this happen, but, it sounds like you can't control the medical issue going on in your life. You can control whether or not you continue your weight lose journey. Maybe focusing on what you can control can help fight the sadness and feelings of helplessness.

    Besides, if you have a fight ahead of you, then let's get you in fighting form physically and mentally : )

    I do hope everything is O.K.

    Hugs,

    m
  • OkieinMinny
    OkieinMinny Posts: 834 Member
    I havent had any specific medical news but I did just have a somewhat major surgery and have not been able to do much but sit on my couch for the past 3 weeks, I do know I was much more conscious of what I was eating and when I went back yesterday I was actually down 4 lbs. Again Im not sure what it is you are dealing with but Im sure through the use of MFP and great support that you can do this it will be harder im sure, juts know that people are here to support you
  • im_blessed
    im_blessed Posts: 74 Member
    well for me, ive seem to notice that prayer works wonders. whenever im down, sad, depressed, or feel like giving up because it seems like its taking forever for me to get to my goal, i pray and i come on this website & read inspirational and success stories from others and it makes me feel that i can accomplish what they've accomplish so dont let anything deter you, keep going strong, keep telling yourself positive and inspirational things everyday and slowly but surely you will start to believe it and whenever you feel like quitting, DON'T b/c something good is right around the corner. you just have to hold on.
  • TWrecks1968
    TWrecks1968 Posts: 138 Member
    it sounds like you can't control the medical issue going on in your life. You can control whether or not you continue your weight lose journey. Maybe focusing on what you can control can help fight the sadness and feelings of helplessness.

    Brilliant! The Stoic Philosopher Epictetus said, "There are some things up to us and some things not up to us." Concentrate on what you can control, what you put into your mouth, for example. As far as exercise, can you do anything?
  • FitRodr
    FitRodr Posts: 353 Member
    I've had the opposite. I started VERY limited, 5 minutes of stretching/yoga was all I could do. But I didn't give up. I kept on doing all I could do. I wanted to quit, trust me I really did. The thing that kept me going was my decision to make a life long change. My promise to do the best I could no matter what. I see it like this... throughout life you are going to have many challenges, our journey will never be easy.

    You may have to maintain during the struggles but NEVER give up. There will be "those" days and you are stronger and smarter than anything, anyone can throw your way. It's a forever thing, forever means even now.

    Take a day to dust yourself off and then focus on your health which includes nutrition & exercise no matter how limited.

    Sending you thoughts of success,
    Cat
  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
    I started having gallbladder issues about a month in and had to have it out last week. Put a stall on my exercise, but I'm still managing to lose.

    Depending on the bad news, your healthy eating and exercise could be that much more crucial to helping you through whatever medical crisis you're having. Unless the bad news prevents working out, I'd keep doing what you're doing.

    I don't know if you watch the Biggest Loser, but a contestant from a few seasons ago, who lost 142 pounds, had a bad accident in September (he fell 50 feet off a fire escape). If he had fallen like that prior to his weight loss and improved health, it is doubtful he'd have survived. His improved health and strength, though, has helped his recovery.

    I hope your news is not terrible and that it's something you can overcome. I would, as much as you can, continue to eat right and exercise. Who knows what impact it will have on your health/recovery?
  • Bonny272
    Bonny272 Posts: 154 Member
    I'm going through that right now. I was on track with my weight loss and had worked up to exercising over an hour a day just to find out that I needed surgery. I was in enough pain the two weeks before I had to stop exercising and now even two weeks later I'm still not able to walk more than about 20 minutes let alone workout. I had to adjust my calories so I could eat and not gain weight. I took my calories down to losing one pound a week. I would suggest taking it down to half a pound. I had trouble keeping up with that. I've managed not to gain weight and I'm slowly getting my strength back. It was hard at first not to be depressed and now I'm having trouble not going stir crazy and trying to do too much before I'm healed. I made sure that I logged my food every day no matter what which was rather embarassing during Thanksgiving. I don't know what you're going through, but don't give up. Diet is 80 percent of losing weight so as long as you continue to eat healthy you'll still lose weight, maybe not as fast, but a loss is a loss. :flowerforyou:
  • Jess5825
    Jess5825 Posts: 228
    Delete
  • teresastrowz46
    teresastrowz46 Posts: 41 Member
    a few years ago i was active and lost maybe 25 pounds. i started working out less and less and of course the eating habits started changing as well. once i stopped being so active, i started noticing pains. one day it would be in my wrist, the next in my knee, the next in my shoulder. this pain just traveled to all my joints. a year of this pain went by and just got worse and worse. it got to the point where i couldn't get off the couch...so of course there was no way i could do anything physical. i started putting the pounds on. i kept putting off going to the doctor because i had crappy insurance. but i finally did...so a year and a half ago i was officially diagnosed with lupus. the pain was awful and it made everyday life very difficult. i started medications which made me gain even more weight. i started to slowly feel better, but now i was left with this body that was not mine. for over a year, even after feeling much better, i put off working out because i was so afraid if i got physical, it would flare it all up again. after seeing pictures of myself in my sister's wedding, i saw how awful i looked and with my own wedding coming in june, i knew i had to take the chance and start exercising again. i joined the gym and got a few sessions with a personal trainer. she got me going slow and it was hard...but no pain! i felt amazing getting back into the swing of things. and now after completely changing my life style, i've lost almost 50 pounds and my wedding dress i bought months ago is way too big! i'm not sure what you're dealing with, but hopefully once you have it all figured out, get proper meds, you can take it slow and keep going. eating healthy and working out (even lightly) can only help. i know it makes me feel 100 percent better. i'd love to be your friend if you'd like. please feel better :)
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
    6 years ago I was on a "get healthy" kick and was doing well. I was using Nutrisystem at the time and doing a bunch of traveling for work. I had dropped around 30 pounds and a couple pant sizes. Everything was going fantastic in my life....until the doctor called. After further tests I had surgery 3 weeks later. During those 3 weeks and the 6 months post surgery I failed miserably. If it weren't for a guy that I had been seeing I would have probably spiraled completely out of control instead of just failing. With his help I pulled myself together while we awaited the 6 month and 1 year post surgical testing. Without him being there for me ... ?? We are still together and I am still testing cancer free.

    What ever it is...I wish you the best! Get counseling, join a support group, reach out to someone. Sometimes we just are not strong enough to go it alone.
  • daydream58
    daydream58 Posts: 572 Member
    Thanks so much MFPers... I got the call while alone and without support and I really was feeling panic set in... but I do know that facing things stronger and healthier and skinnier is going to be better than facing them fat and weak, if for not other reason than I'm actually even convinced I might even get better care as a non-obese person - which I will be sometime next year!!

    Very kind and very wise advice, especially the find a support group part - mission accomplished, panic abating... one day at a time... that's all I need to do. My sister called and told me me not to mourn over it twice because if it goes bad, I will mourn, but why should I mourn before it even goes bad? It's like crying about how sad it would be IF I spilled my milk before I ever spilled it. I get it. I just need to practice it until I'm good at it!

    xoxo Deedee
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