Stress, health issues, need to lose 70 pounds

[2lose2gain]

Hello! I just turned 48 last month and need to lose about 70 pounds. I'm prediabetic, have fibromyalgia, asthma, and narcolepsy to name a few. I had a hysterectomy at 30 due to endometreosis so I went into surgical menopause. I also have a strong family history of heart disease and just about everyone has diabetes, which scares the hell out of me. I lost my dad 6 years ago and diabetes basically raveged his body. I don't want to go thru what he did or put my family thru it.

I'm married and we have two daughters, 19 years and 21 years. They both live at home. My 21 year old has a daughter that will be two next month. My granddaughter lives with us too, which is totally fine. I watch her during the day which is hard on me and tiring. My mom moved in two years ago. We added on to our home to accomodate her, and everyone else. She can take care of herself but she has had health problems as well. We have a boxer. When my oldest moved back in she brought her dog and everything was good for awhile and then they turned on each other. We have to keep them separated now for over two years.  Oh, my mother-in-law lives next door. I would say I have some added stress on top of trying to lose weight.

I would love to have someone to "talk" to , give encouragement etc. and I would love to give that encouragement back to someone.

[SunsetRunner]

You need (apart from encouragement) two things:

Exercise - walking, slow with short distances (even if it's just one city block).

Increase gradually to somewhat faster walking and somewhat longer distances.

Once close to "normal" weight", increase speed to jogging and perhaps running.

Nutrition - complex carbohydrates (grains, vegetables, tubers, fruit, and not

simple sugars) plus some protein (a small portion of meat per day), and don't

use extra fats unless needed. If you do add fat, use good fats like olive oils.

The weight loss (and complements) will give you encouragement.

[daddysgirl]

Bless your heart! I can sympathize for sure!! I have fibromyalgia also, severe migraines, arthritis and now a messed up knee. I had a hysterectomy 10 years ago due to endometriosis. I am 42 years old. I have two daughters, work full time and I am going to school. I need to lose about 50 lbs. I am having a hard time staying on track with eating and exercise due to stress and the pain. I will be glad to offer encouragement when I can! I wish you all the best.  Have a great day!!

[GinaBee]

This should be the poster child for "accept what you can't change"!! 😉 

Start w/small, small changes - breakfast today - what did you have? How can you clean it up for tomorrow or make better choices? Today I had one scrambled egg w/kale, onions and feta - for me, that's a great start - today is the first day w/kale, I usually add spinach. 

Try to make changes w/your food first while adding extra steps but not concentrating on those steps. Park further from the door. I use to park outside my subdivision and then further and further away until I was walking 8 miles. I started slooooooooooooooooooooowly. I would park two houses down and then further and further. I would do this when I HAD to go back out. Usually after I dropped my son at mother's day out. I knew I physically had to walk back to get my car. 

For me - the biggest, biggest thing is planning my meals. Never allowing myself to get hungry w/out a plan, either. I've gotten into a really active stage - last night after yoga I decided to ride my bike w/my children. I had an apple w/pb before the bike ride. Three hours later I went to the grocery store STARVED. I couldn't stop looking at the candy and the ice cream but I resisted. Bought a couple of Lara Bars to put into my car. Then on the way home, my daughter wanted to stop at a new ice cream shoppe. So we did.  I ordered a baby sized cup, ate about half and then threw it away. Six months ago I could have NEVER done that!! I would have ordered a large or super and then seriously considered a second one. 

If I can do this - YOU can do this!! Feel free to friend me!!

[Raviv]

Honestly I think the best thing for you, other than the obvious like trying to get a good night's sleep and eating nutritious food, is finding time to get out of the house and be alone for a bit.

A walk around the block or maybe even a few miles might do wonders for your stress levels.  I think a lot of the time we focus completely on what is good for our bodies, thinking they exist in a vacuum, when often what's good for your head is also good for your body.  Taking a long walk, and scheduling that time in as a "Must Do" kind of appointment that can't be broken, will lower your cortisol levels and also help you sleep at night.  And both of those will help you deal with the stress in your life.