Lucy asked me to share
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momlina
Posts: 22 Member
Lucy asked me to share my letter in hopes it may help others.
Dear Ms. Monroe,
I would like to thank you for initiating the Readers Fitness Challenge. It has already made a difference in my life. I wanted to lose weight, but I couldn’t seem to do it. I have Systemic Lupus Erthematosus, and years of chronic pain and fatigue, not to mention the depression, has caused it to seem impossible. My meds can affect my weight. I often have to stop exercising do to joint pain. No matter how hard I try, I seem to gain more and more. I get lectures from everyone. They tell me I don’t exercise enough, and I eat too much. I miss the 103 lb. girl I once was. She liked to go shopping for clothes. I remember a few years ago thinking that 185 was the absolute limit! Now I’m a 50 yr. old woman who at 5’1” has reached 204 lbs.! I no longer walk I waddle. When my knees hurt it alters my gait and my daughter claims I look like Quasimodo.
For too many years I have dieted. I read all kinds of books about nutrition. I lost 30 lbs. on the carbohydrate addict’s diet, but gained it back. I considered weight watchers but I don’t like to drive by myself, and everything is miles away from me. I finally decided that those who had stomach surgery eat tiny meals. So I began to eat only half of my meals, I even increased my treadmill time from 40 minutes to an hour, only to find years later that I have gained 40 lbs. more!
I was so frustrated I insisted my doctors do all sorts of tests. Why don’t I lose weight? I don’t eat that much. But they claimed nothing was wrong. My thyroid is fine, my hormones are normal, my lupus numbers are good. They could see nothing that caused my weight gain. It has to be due to a lack of exercise and my overeating. I was at my breaking point. My knees hurt. I have trouble breathing. I feared I would have to dust off my wheelchair for when I went out. (My lupus improved and I haven’t needed it in 4years) Last year I had to go physical therapy for foot pain.
In February, I had a checkup. The doctor’s scale said 215! But don’t all doctor’s scales add 10 lbs.? I pleaded again “Help me!” My doctor recommended a 1000 calorie diet. I told him again “It can’t be my eating, I eat half of what everyone else eats. I often forget to eat. I get involved in something and before I know it, its 3:30 and I haven’t eaten all day!” He told me to keep a diary “You’ll see you eat more than you think.” So I cut back more, absolutely no snacks and salads for lunch. I tried Atkins, my daughter lost 15 lbs. but I saw no change.
Then I read your newsletter about Reader Fitness Challenge. I wasn’t really interested in the prizes; I haven’t even looked at them. Take a picture of myself? Not sure I’ll get around to that. I signed up because I felt the universe pushing me to action. I went on the My Fitness website and put in my stats. My doctor said to try a diary and I figured this is the way to do it. I began tracking my calories. Do you know what I found out? I DON’T EAT ENOUGH! I am continuously under my calorie goal! I only eat about 700-750 calories a day! My body has been in starvation mode all this time.
It’s really hard to grasp the concept of eating more to lose weight, but I’m trying. I struggle to eat 1000 calories a day. I feel like I’m stuffing myself. Although I never eat breakfast, I force it down each morning. Sure there are easier ways to eat more calories; sodas, cakes, cookies. I love baked goods but I find high carbs and sugar seem to irritate my condition. So I still need to eat healthy. I began snacking on fruit and veggies in between meals. And guess what? I LOST 7 LBS!!!
So thank you so much. I really appreciate your doing this. I’d like to be able to keep up with others when walking. No more huffing and puffing. I’m afraid of heart troubles. I just want to be healthier. I think your Challenge may just be what saves me.
Sincerely,
Linda
P.S. Forgive me for rambling. I appreciate your effort to help others. I just wanted you to know how you have already changed my life for the better. Seven pounds, it’s only a small loss, but with so much promise. I may not ever get back to 103 (who would want to?) But I hope to lose at least 50. (Even better 75). I often joke that I want to lose so much that I have to eat my way up to my goal weight!
Dear Ms. Monroe,
I would like to thank you for initiating the Readers Fitness Challenge. It has already made a difference in my life. I wanted to lose weight, but I couldn’t seem to do it. I have Systemic Lupus Erthematosus, and years of chronic pain and fatigue, not to mention the depression, has caused it to seem impossible. My meds can affect my weight. I often have to stop exercising do to joint pain. No matter how hard I try, I seem to gain more and more. I get lectures from everyone. They tell me I don’t exercise enough, and I eat too much. I miss the 103 lb. girl I once was. She liked to go shopping for clothes. I remember a few years ago thinking that 185 was the absolute limit! Now I’m a 50 yr. old woman who at 5’1” has reached 204 lbs.! I no longer walk I waddle. When my knees hurt it alters my gait and my daughter claims I look like Quasimodo.
For too many years I have dieted. I read all kinds of books about nutrition. I lost 30 lbs. on the carbohydrate addict’s diet, but gained it back. I considered weight watchers but I don’t like to drive by myself, and everything is miles away from me. I finally decided that those who had stomach surgery eat tiny meals. So I began to eat only half of my meals, I even increased my treadmill time from 40 minutes to an hour, only to find years later that I have gained 40 lbs. more!
I was so frustrated I insisted my doctors do all sorts of tests. Why don’t I lose weight? I don’t eat that much. But they claimed nothing was wrong. My thyroid is fine, my hormones are normal, my lupus numbers are good. They could see nothing that caused my weight gain. It has to be due to a lack of exercise and my overeating. I was at my breaking point. My knees hurt. I have trouble breathing. I feared I would have to dust off my wheelchair for when I went out. (My lupus improved and I haven’t needed it in 4years) Last year I had to go physical therapy for foot pain.
In February, I had a checkup. The doctor’s scale said 215! But don’t all doctor’s scales add 10 lbs.? I pleaded again “Help me!” My doctor recommended a 1000 calorie diet. I told him again “It can’t be my eating, I eat half of what everyone else eats. I often forget to eat. I get involved in something and before I know it, its 3:30 and I haven’t eaten all day!” He told me to keep a diary “You’ll see you eat more than you think.” So I cut back more, absolutely no snacks and salads for lunch. I tried Atkins, my daughter lost 15 lbs. but I saw no change.
Then I read your newsletter about Reader Fitness Challenge. I wasn’t really interested in the prizes; I haven’t even looked at them. Take a picture of myself? Not sure I’ll get around to that. I signed up because I felt the universe pushing me to action. I went on the My Fitness website and put in my stats. My doctor said to try a diary and I figured this is the way to do it. I began tracking my calories. Do you know what I found out? I DON’T EAT ENOUGH! I am continuously under my calorie goal! I only eat about 700-750 calories a day! My body has been in starvation mode all this time.
It’s really hard to grasp the concept of eating more to lose weight, but I’m trying. I struggle to eat 1000 calories a day. I feel like I’m stuffing myself. Although I never eat breakfast, I force it down each morning. Sure there are easier ways to eat more calories; sodas, cakes, cookies. I love baked goods but I find high carbs and sugar seem to irritate my condition. So I still need to eat healthy. I began snacking on fruit and veggies in between meals. And guess what? I LOST 7 LBS!!!
So thank you so much. I really appreciate your doing this. I’d like to be able to keep up with others when walking. No more huffing and puffing. I’m afraid of heart troubles. I just want to be healthier. I think your Challenge may just be what saves me.
Sincerely,
Linda
P.S. Forgive me for rambling. I appreciate your effort to help others. I just wanted you to know how you have already changed my life for the better. Seven pounds, it’s only a small loss, but with so much promise. I may not ever get back to 103 (who would want to?) But I hope to lose at least 50. (Even better 75). I often joke that I want to lose so much that I have to eat my way up to my goal weight!
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Replies
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Thanks so much for sharing, Linda. What I see in your email and have heard from so many other people is this tendency doctors have to dismiss the words of those of us who are overweight and to give faulty advice that ultimately leads to more weight problems rather than fixing them. I gained my last 30+ pounds often eating 1 meal a day. Even on the days it was 2, I'd go long hours between food and did a horrible disservice to my metabolism. We can do this - together - staying informed and believing in ourselves, not the words of naysayers!
Hugs,
Lucy0 -
Linda,
Thank you for sharing your fitness story.
We have it drilled into our heads that extra weight comes from eating extra and not exercising enough. And while that certainly can be a cause, it is not the only cause. It is incredibly frustrating to be cutting back on food and cutting back and again and again while having no weight loss. Or to be exercising and exercising and no weight loss. But I think the hardest thing is having no one who understands where we might be going wrong and getting the same advice over and over. Advice which isn't working.
Yes, I had an apple for breakfast, carrot sticks for lunch and dinner was a salad with tuna fish and red wine & vinegar dressing. Just where am I supposed to cut back?
(I had conversations like that until I met with a personal trainer at my gym and he explained about training the body into starvation mode.) I have an article on my blog about this that I wrote last week in the hope it would help others.
One of the best things about my fitness pal is it allows us to take back control of our bodies, our metabolism and it takes the guesswork out of eating and exercising. And Lucy's Reader Fitness Challenge is a great place to find the support to make those changes!
So glad you have joined us! And I can't wait to hear how you're doing at the end of this twelve weeks!
Love and light,
Debra0 -
Linda, thanks for sharing your story. This is a new concept to eat more to lose. Would love to be your friend to motive and congratulate you on your successes. Of course, I'd love your support as well.:flowerforyou:0
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One can never have too many friends. I am new to this and facebook and I'm amazed how many people there are who want to be my friend! Really, I'm just a boring never do anything interesting person!0
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This was my horoscope for today. The universe seems to be with us on this challenge.
Being among people you respect will provide you with the positive reinforcement you're seeking right now. Your life is definitely on the right track, and you need to fully appreciate that fact. So attending a family gathering, volunteering for a nonprofit or political organization, or just attending a lecture on a topic you feel strongly about are activities you should try. You need to immerse yourself in a group of people who share your spirit.0
