All your advice last time was truly amazing so, I’m back!
My husband keeps saying exercise and diet will make me better but he also thinks I need to loose weight and get fitter (which I do)
How do you start? I have no motivation at all, I can’t seem to do anything.
work tires me out. House work tires me out. How on earth can I then start exercising? Has anyone found a beneficial exercise, how did you get started?
Also, diet. My research has basically found out I can eat lettuce and drink water. - I’m being dramatic but basically cut out everything.
I am trying to get into mindfulness and meditation which I don’t actually know if it is helping.
I am relying on, medication, heat patches, caffeine, salt baths, heat cream and weighted blankets.
My lifestyle is not ideal, I get that and I know I need to be healthier but it’s really hard habits to break specially when I’m exhausted and in agony, not to mention the brain fog!
Thanks in advance. X
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Hi, after stopping working out when it was too painful (just before I was diagnosed with fibro a few years ago) I'd put a couple of stone on and felt really unfit. So earlier this year I started swimming. I increased the number of lengths each time and over a couple of months I'd increased my fitness enough to be able to get back into classes and the gym.
that’s a really good idea, I went swimming with my husband the other week to a lane swim, I could only manage 10 lengths with breaks. He’s was literally doing circles around me. I got really embarrassed that I wasn’t doing much and now I’m scared to go back. I want to start w class of something but I’m nervous/anxious I will embarrass myself. I am not majorly over weight but I certainly carry too much and need to get healthier for myself but it’s so overwhelming xxx
I started at 10 lengths and increased each session until I could do 72 lengths! I've never been a great swimmer, but somehow I could just keep going! I find the first 10 are the hardest as you're warming up, but then they get easier. Stick with it, you'll feel so much better for it. (Make sure you stretch after). You could try spinning too, you control the resistance of your own bike, so you can start off easy.
Don't feel that you will embarrass yourself; you'll be working on improving your physical and mental health and everybody is in their own world with their own insecurities, they really don't pay attention to those around them
You could also see if you can access free weight loss and physical activity programmes through your GP surgery, a lot of councils are offering them now. I did the 12 weeks healthy eating one in an online group and it was really useful.
Hi... Well that was a start... an a great improvement on nothing, so don't beat yourself up. If you're embarrassed, is there a ladies only session you could go to? I loved going swimming before fibro... but now they've put the ladies session at 6 a.m. in the morning instead of 7pm.!! Great, not a lot of help to me. Your gp surgery should be able to refer you for exercise, so do ask about it. I wish I could get rid of the bouts of exhaustion that suddenly overwhelm me.
I don't need someone encouraging me or making me feel inadequate.
Your body is your body, not anyone else's.
Your weight and fitness is dependant on many factors such as your age, body capacity, health, nutrition, work-load and fatigue, amongst others. Not on someone else's opinion.
Comparing, particularly to a male body is erroneous.
hi, firstly can I say that while exercise and healthier eating can help - it may not necessarily lead to 'making you better '
Swimming is a good exercise - and it sounds like you took your time and placed yourself - that is important, because you need to go at your pace, but the pace of everyone around you
Tai chi, yoga etc are also recommended - but again you need to pace yourself, even if that means that you do not complete the full class.
A few years ago I trained to do a 5k for FMA UK. I started off doing 2 minutes on the treadmill - and while this felt like a waste of time going to the gym to start with, within a couple of weeks I was ready to start gradually increasing my time.
Diet wise - unless you are intolerant to a food and its aggravating your symptoms, then there is no need to avoid it in your diet. You could keep a food /symptom diary for a few weeks to see if there are any patterns between food groups /symptoms. Then you can try eliminating food that you think might be causing issues for about a month, then reintroduce. If you feel better not eating the food then avoid it in future, but why restrict yourself just because someone says it helped them xxx
congratulations on doing the 5K that is truly amazing!
You’re message has lifted my spirits, you are correct at doing stuff at my pace. It’s just embarrassing when my husband is like “I’ve done 4 lengths while you’ve resting, come on you’ll get cold” I think maybe going by myself at quieter times might help.
I know bread is awful for me, again with a diet I am trying to eat “colourful” foods.. i see what you mean by if it doesn’t effect my symptoms. I’ll definitely keep a diary to see what happens.
thanks - it's something I never thought I would do - and ended up doing another one, and a 3k the following year.... Saying that, mobility now means I struggle to walk 5 mins let alone 5k (but I askari know that with effort and perseverance I could increase that again)
Would hubby read information on fibromyalgia and pacing? (or let him read this) Perhaps if he realised that by encouraging you to do more, he is more likely to push you into a flare - whereas you doing your own pace and resting in between is more likely to benefit you, and with time you will likely be able to increase how many lengths you can achieve.
I have a few foods that I know will affect my stomach /ibs symptoms, so so my best to avoid them... But avoiding them does not do anything for my fibromyalgia (although if I cheat and do eat them, my ibs symptoms often lead to a fibro flare too)
It's trial and error finding what works best for you, and finding the right balance of activity and rest xxx
My husband reads something if I force him too but doesn’t take anything in. So, it’s just his philosophy that dieting and exercises means you’ll never get poorly or have mental health issue etc.
that’s true, like bread for me is just a no - go simply because I struggle with Ibs then, a flare. Xxx
Hi, have you ever tried a vibration plate? I know some people can't tolerate them but I've used them for years. I find them so good for my muscles,
Start off just standing on it for 3 minutes at the lowest setting then build it up. You can do an intense workout in 3-10 minutes at a higher setting once you're used to it.
Best of all you can do it in your pj's, no gym clothes needed 🙂
I just do everything I can, and I mean everything even if it appears nuts. It stops the 'poor me' in its tracks and has been known to create something useful now and again.
When I started researching diet and exercise to help with my symptoms I too then had very little motivation to push past the fatigue and actually do any of the things recommended! I think when finding a starting point it can be very overwhelming especially with diet I just thought god they’ll be nothing left for me to eat😂
The way I’ve dealt with this is just to focus on one small thing/aspect at a time. I introduced vitamins into my daily routine and once I then took them without thinking I then made small changes to my diet. Focusing on one small thing definitely gave me more motivation and a sense of achievement once I’d been doing it consistently.
I applied this same idea to exercise which I had even less motivation for. There wasn’t any activity I could convince myself I would enjoy, so instead just to start myself off I would walk the longer route to work, then I started walking on my lunch break. Even this small increase in exercise helped my symptoms and put me in a better mindset to possible start something else like swimming or yoga!
I use mindfulness regularly it helps me relax, I can't tolerate the side effects from most medication and I found they don't do much for the pain . I still do light housework but it's with rest in-between. I found tai chi really good I started on a chair worked my way up to standing and travelling the room , near a wall I must admit . I walk dog in park lots of benches and I know every 1 lol . I do aqua 3 days a week and it's so beneficial if I miss a class I really feel it . I'm looking for a yoga class next but I'm unable to get up off floor safely so has to be chair yoga a lot of the classes stopped with covid and hasn't received any funding for more . I put on weight since my back injury due to meds and mobility issues and I can't shift it . Lots of people and medical professionals are full of advice and you feel hopeless and lazy I can swear I rarely eat junk food hate fast food my only vice is coffee no sugar and they want me to stop that lol. I have to increase my protein intake I'm not a vegetarian but don't like meat or eggs I have no idea how to lose weight lol . All I can do is keep moving
I am the same, I don’t eat great amount of junk food, I don’t have take out and I’ve gained so much weight suddenly in 7/8 months I guess due to medication, I’m not sure and now I can’t move it! I live of coffee and heat… but the motivation to get moving is so hard for me as I’ve never been incredibly active but always had really physical jobs and now, I am desk based.. the weight will not move!!! Xxx
My experience is, that if one is hypothyroid there is no point trying to lose any weight until optimally medicated; dieting is not recommended until properly treated. (I used the 5:2 method to lose weight.) Luckily, my fibromyalgia is not too bad and I can cope with the level of pain and muscle weakness even if I am frustrated at my inability to do things.
Having heard about intermittent fasting and its benefits for cellular health, among other things, I started this some months ago and have found it easy to do; weight has come off even though I was not overweight to start with. Dr Mobeen Syed has a YouTube video where he interviews Dr Paul Marik about intermitttent fasting as well as information about IF in autophagy (the removal of damage) ; there’s lots of information on the internet.
Swimming has been a no-no for me as I have a bad back and am unable to swim on my front, I don’t do backstroke, and immerse my head, which is necessary for keeping a straight back, otherwise one can damage ones neck and back. Good for you that you can do this.
Penny, I'm interested in 5:2. I did it back in 2015/16 and lost the weight I wanted to. Then multiple life-changing events happened and I lost even more weight without trying or wanting too. Since life has become more settled I've ended up about 2 stone more than my "happy weight" and I'd love to do 5:2 again. What do you eat on your low days? I used to have egg and salad for breakfast, then a bit of meat and salad again for lunch and meat and veg for dinner. I'd love to hear how others do it too.
thank you for all you advice. I’ve gone from physical jobs to desk based since my symptoms have got more severe and more medication which is piling the weight on drastically and I’m struggling so bad to get it off and it’s infuriating and motivation has just gone completely xxx
Have you looked up intermittent fasting? I have breakfast at 14:00 and finish eating by 18:00; doesn’t have to be that restrictive but it works for me.
Maybe look up Nordic walking UK and see if there is an instructor in your area as they do "Wellness" classes which are outdoors and involve stretching and balance.
You could build up from there. Nordic walking do gentle walks as well as the more strenuous stuff.
Re diet look at NHS healthy eating site for advice or even join Slimming World which is a very supportive way to ease the weight down if that is needed.
Good luck! Being more active does increase energy!
It is all very daunting for anyone starting out on this journey. I personally walk our dog every day, even on the days I don't feel like it. It definately helps my state of mind, I get to see other people and the fresh air does have a positive effect. You could also try gently stretching and if you suspect it will help overhaul your diet to include more fruit and veg and try to limit any processed foods. Good luck with it all.
I started slimming world last year (November) and i have lost just over 2 stone. You can still eat plenty on the plan..its definite not a diet!
I also work so don't really fit in exercise apart from walking everywhere and occasionally going swimming. Any other exercise just hurts or I'm too tired to do anything. X
my husband thinks exercise fixed everything but I’m not a fitness person. I’ve always had really physcial jobs until my diagnosis after a long stint off sick due to my illness… now I’m desk based and I think that doesn’t help my weight gain. Xxx
hi you do what you can. That’s what I do if your tired one day rest, and don’t be hard on yourself. It’s hard most days but you will get there. Being on this website helps as people understand. Take care hope you feel better soon. xx
be proud of what you have achieved, rather than beat yourself up about what you haven’t. More of a done list than a to do list. I think when a to do list is too long it can get overwhelming and you end up achieving less or maybe nothing at all because you just don’t know where to start. A done list on the other hand can surprise you by showing what you have achieved, without even really thinking about it.
You swam 10 lengths that’s great, maybe next time it will be 12 but don’t feel bad if it isn’t. Do housework in small bursts and rest in between, the world doesn’t end if the house isn’t immaculate. Desk jobs can be difficult, being sat in one position for long periods isn’t good for fibro let alone weight gain. Try to stretch regularly and get up and move around a little, I used to pace up and down while on the phone and there are lots of easy stretching ideas online, just Google desk stretches.
Plan your meals and keep easy healthy options to hand. I often cook a double portion and freeze half for when I’m having a bad day.
thank you, I’ve spoken to someone from a yoga class and she says it will help me and willing to work with my pain etc so I’ve signed up from the 3rd November x
hi, when I was first diagnosed with fibro I was sent on a course at hospital to learn more about fibromyalia, for me the course didn't do much but I did find out about a local arthritis self help group that did aqua aerobics at my local pool, that was 15 years ago and it's the best thing I've done, not only the aqua aerobics twice a week which is specifically aimed at people with arthritis but the social side as I've made some amazing friends all who know what's it like being in pain all the time. If possible I would try to find a group to join as being with other like minded people can help and encourage you.
I’ve just spoke to someone from a yoga group who say they do like an adapted version for people in pain but I don’t really know what it is about. The social side I no longer have because I appear flaky as I always have to cancel plans, I guess people have just stopped asking now xxx
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