needing some helpful advice / suggestions, etc.

melgcoo
melgcoo Posts: 23
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend with friends / family.

As I stated in a different post last week, I am fairly new here and am looking for some help / guidance / tips, etc.

Currently, I am about 202 pounds, which is the lowest weight I have been in almost 20 years! I have never really "dieted" per say, at least not for any serious length of time. But I am very serious about getting healthy and staying that way! Cancer will do that for you.... it is definitely a wake-up call. :-)

One of the long-term effects of my cancer treatment is that I now have brachial plexus neuropathy, (basically, nerve damage) which is due to the surgeries and radiation treatments that I had to have. My right shoulder and arm hurt constantly, and my arm, hand, and fingers go numb. The symptoms are also starting to go in a "band" about 3 inches wide across my middle back.

I am not telling you this so that you can feel sorry for me. God has blessed me abundantly, and I have a wonderful job as the manager of my church campgrounds. We have youth / church camps all summer long, for about 10 weeks straight, and have weekend events all year long. The problem is that when I am working, etc. the symptoms ramp up pretty badly, and sometimes get so bad that I can't raise my arm over my head. Lifting weights, or extended use of my right arm really exacerbate the problem. Of course, that doesn't stop me and I keep on doing what needs to be done.

I do most of my workouts with my "lower half"... walking, elliptical machine, dancing, etc. I know that I need to incorporate more upper body exercises, but I don't know what to do without making my arm & shoulder worse. Doing weights has not been an option, because even using a 1 pound weight puts me in agony.

I would appreciate any help that anyone could give me.

Have a great day, everyone!

Replies

  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
    Have you talked to a physical therapist? Because there is a medical problem, someone like that might be your best bet. You also have the option of doing strength training on your good side, and just doing the movements without weights on the weaker side.
  • NickPineault
    NickPineault Posts: 22
    I'm no cancer rehab expert (I'm a nutrition coach, actually), but there are a few tips that can help you:

    - Diet is everything. I know cancer treatments are the biggest inflammation inducing medicine there is, so that's what you want to reduce.
    - That means, reduce or eliminate your consumption of grains (even whole wheat), sugar, soy, legumes, dairy.
    - I guess taking systemic enzymes (google it, you'll find some good brands... I recommend AST enzymes personnally) would help you reduce the pain.
    - Continue exercising the way that doesn't put you in pain, you're doing good.
    - I guess drinking fresh organic juiced vegetables twice a day could help you strengten your immune system.

    I hope this helps!

    Nick
  • kkycali
    kkycali Posts: 1
    Have you ever watched the documentaries Food Matters, or one on the Gearson Method those were very interesting and a great eye opener, at least for me. I think the best method for losing wieght for me is to eat as soon as you wake up, never skip breakfast because that is what gets your metabolism going for the rest of the day. After that eat small meals about every 3 hrs, not to exceed your calorie intake at the end of the day of course, which I usually stop eating around 7. Especially if your not that active you dont want to eat late at night. At your wieght I would probably suggest eating around 1200-1500 calories a day. Exercising at least 5 days a week is also very important, that will also raise your metabolism which in turn will help you lose wieght . I always change my exercise routine up everyday so my body gets confused and hopefully I wont hit a plateau. One day you might run, next swim, next wieghtlifting and so on. If you do however hit a plateau that just means you need to change it up a bit, if your lifting wieghts add more wieght or reps, running add and incline or run a little longer, etc. Never get discouraged even if you gain a pound or so, this is a lifestyle change, it will take awhile. If you mess up one day, just try again the next. Never give up! Good luck!
  • DeserveIt
    DeserveIt Posts: 9
    Have you tried swimming and/or aqua exercise classes? I've been told that water exercises are suppose to be the lowest impact. Or maybe the pilates resitance bands? Those doen't require weight and you have complete control on the amount of resistance. You should deffinately enlist the help of physio and/or specialized personal trainers to prevent any injuries.

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