Looking for advice.

[riroar]

Hi everyone im 23 year old (24 on sat) female,I'm 5ft6 I was 20 stone afew weeks ago. I lived a very sad life...I worked part time in a food store id do a few hours work, buy loads of junk food come home then spend the rest of the day either in my recliner or in bed. I'd snack all day..maybe go out with a friend around 5pm have a maccy ds then go home wait for my fiance to finish work around 9.30pm n 9/10 we'd order pizza. I drank my way through upto 3L of diet coke a day. Never took excersise unless I was as work or shopping. I had very little interest in any thing or many friends I guess I had become abit depressed. I pushed them all away when I got really big. I use to be the life and soul of any party the loud buubly one. I always found myself turning to food no matter if I was happy, excited, scared, upset, nervous I just couldn't stop. Anyway six weeks ago I woke up suddenly in the middle of the night...my arm was floppy and dead. This sent me into freak mode I jumped up so fast ran to the bathroom...the room was spinning I was burning up inside but cold on the outside. I ran to the kitchen for water I felt myself going down. My speech was affected I felt drunk. I ended up in A and E after 999 for an ambulance. I stayed over night and was monitored. I was told I had a virus and had a bad anxiety attack. I could not believe this as I genuinely thought I was dying. So it's been almost 6 weeks. In that time I've been to the hospital 4 times to the doctors more times then I care to remember. Had ECG, bloods tests etc. Ive got hight LFT's but have been told not to worry. All the doctors I have seen have all come to the conclusion that I'm suffering from health anxiety. I have been told to loose weight obviously and cut down on caffine from my diet cokes. So I joined slimming world and cut out diet coke/ caffeine cold turkey. I can honestly say these last few weeks have been so hard...getting over a virus which lasted 4 weeks...cutting out junk food...learning how to eat and live healthy...withdrawal from diet coke. I feel battered and bruised. Over the last few years I've had very irregular periods and most months very sludgy brown stuff. I was so upset and deviated and blamed my weight. I just accepted I'll never have kids. I never felt able to go to the Dr's about it one because I was scared and two I was ashamed of my size. Anyway afew days after my first ordeal in hospital almost 6 weeks ago my period started and has only just started stopping. I mentioned this to three male Dr's Ive been seeing about anxiety and not one seemed the slightest bit concerned. Finally I saw a female dr, she sent me for hormone blood test and has diagnosed me with pcos. I'm going for examination on monday I'm terrified. She said it's normal when being dianogned with pcos and she might send me for a scan. This is making my anxiety so much worse. I can't do anything, I'm now on 20mg of citalpram which is making me feel sick. On the upside I've lost 1 1/2 stone in three weeks.(probably more now I can stop being sick). I'm raring to go and kick start my healthy happier lifestyle. Only there's stuff holding me back. My anxiety is making me feel so ill fast heart beat, hot flushes, dread, worry, nausea, headaches, dizzy spells, etc. I'm not looking for sympothy just helpful friendly advice please im so low. Has anyone suffered pcos and aniexty? Given up diet coke? Extreme lifestyle change? Id love to hear your stories. Thanks for reading RiRi xx

[irena]

Hi i have just quit smoking, was on citalopram, now on mirtazapine 15mg which makes you put on weight as well as not smoking, but i just take each day as it comes, life is a challenge but instead of making life life challenge you, i challenge life instead.

[Penel]

Well done on the changes you are making! An extreme change in what you eat, plus giving up coke may be contributing to the anxiety. Hang on on there. If the medicine is making you ill, can the doctor give you something else? There is a site on Health Unlocked to support people with anxiety, perhaps it might be of some help.

healthunlocked.com/anxietys...

PCOS has come up on here before. The recommendation is to cut down on carbohydrates as much as you can, to lower your insulin. This is one of the answers.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

I hope you can get yourself back to good health soon.

[katedaniels]

Hi RiRi,

Sounds like one hell of an ordeal, congrats for getting this far through it. This forum is an excellent place for support and advice. I have PCOS, it's not nice but nothing to panic about, try a look at this forum - healthunlocked.com/verity-pcos it doesn't have as many members as this one but it's getting there. The good news is that symptoms become more manageable as more weight is lost. If you decide you want children then there are options. The mood swings are hardest for me, I'm a comfort eater and will never understand why it's called comfort eating as the disgust I experience afterwards is not at all comforting. The low days are the hardest to get through as I do turn to food, the worse it is for me the more I want it.

I have given up coke several times, everytime the headaches have driven me back to it. I am now working on switching to pepsi max so i'm still getting the caffeine but as I don't like it so much I don't have as much and will be easier to cut that out. Cold turkey would be better for me but I haven't got the will power to do without.

Try cognitive behavior therapy for the anxiety see here - mind.org.uk/information-sup... I personally am against medication for anxiety as they tend to come with side affects, i've not been on any drugs but my sister was, not sure what she was on but they made her very lethargic, she wasn't her any more. Eventually, after much pushing, her pyschologist recommended behaviour therapy, this is a long term solution and has worked for her. However, drugs may work for some people.

I have lost 24lbs and still have treats, my weight loss would be quicker without them and i'm at the first plateau right now so might have to cut them out for a while, but don't think healthy eating means going without everything that you like. If you're addicted to the diet coke then it would be best to do without that but there's nothing wrong with a small bar of chocolate now and again. It's more to do with learning about moderation. I have started exercising, my lifestyle has had a massive overhaul which was hard at first but now i'm the happiest i've ever been. As my attitude towards eating and exercise has changed i've got more confidence so am starting to socialise more, I too had pretty much cut myself off from my friends when I reached my biggest.

Good luck, it's hard but worth it

[SillyKat]

You do have my sympathy, it sounds like you've been through so much! It certainly sounds like you want to make the changes and are ready to do so. You're in the right place. I've only been on here a few days and already I can feel how supportive everyone is, and there's so much advice!

I'm nowhere near the best person to give advice on how to go about things. A GP could refer you to a dietician if not already, or the internet is full of info on healthy eating. The nhs weightloss pages are a great place to start, its all no-nonsense stuff as they're not trying to sell you anything. I think the first thing is to accept that nothing happens overnight, the key is to take small manageable steps that aren't overwhelming, and when you make a little bit of progress you can be happy with that and move onto the next step. So take it easy and stay calm, otherwise the anxiety could take over.

As for some of the other things you've mentioned, it's never too late to make changes, and even if your cycle is a bit messed up at the moment making healthy changes can only improve things and who knows, with time and patience you might have no problems having kids if that's what you want.

Take care

K

[riroar]

Wow I'm overwhelmed with all the fab advice and support. It was such a boost when I woke up at 6am! I don't know if since I've made these changes my body clock has changed as I wake up at 6am everyday feeling awake. Obviously I feel dread and sick due to aniexty but hopefully that will ease off in time. My body is still craving diet coke and fatty foods...dont think it can function properly yet as it's not use to it...before I became very ill six weeks ago I was at an all time low I spent the best part of two weeks lying down watching tv eating crap all day. As soon as my coke ran out I would panic and now i think about it i would feel anxiety creeping in....thinking of ways to get it without going out as I was embarrassed and had a fear of seeing old friends or people I knew because they won't of seen me this big. I look back now and regret it all and feel sad for that girl. Maybe I should of seeked help. The only time I would go out the house was to work id literally go straight from my front door to the car head down....nearest car parking space to front door of work walk in head down. Id dread being called to the till and found it so hard to make convo/ eye contact with customers or staff...I was still polite hopefully they just thought I was shy. My partner has now joined me on my weight loss journey and he has seen a dietian at the hospital. He is 24 stone but at 6ft4 although still highly dangerous thankfully he's making the changes in time. I've been told if you want to enjoy a coke have like one full fat one msyb once a week as the diet/max/zero may have no calories but they make up for it in chemicals/ additives etc so they are even worst...since going cold turkey I have been made aware of aspartame. You will have to make your own mind up as it's a very controversial chemical. Thanks again xx feel free to message me for a chat anytime. Good luck to everyone on there journey.

[Jsports]

Because of your anxiety, high blood pressure I would recommend minimum just getting t the house and going for a 30min walk. Everyday. It will soothe you, if you take headphones use an audiobook and you can learn while ur walking! Do this for a few weeks while your body gets used to moving and you begin to reduce your anxiety. Then I would sign up to a gym / fitness class / home workout whatever suits you best to get you moving. Be it Zumba, treadmill, stair climbing again anything to get your heart rate up and working abit. Body weight exercises will probably be too tough for you if your anywhere close to 18-20 stone but once you have reduced it abit and can manage a few reps then they become excellent exercises for you.

The other things your diagnosed with I can't comment on, only health and fitness. Luckily your not 53 your 23 and you can change everything, your still very young it's just up to you to tackle this and life head on rather than accept your fate at such a young age...

Diet drinks and fat are very hard to come off, I found diet drinks I don't crave once I reduce them. Fats I find really difficult but I haven't had a pizza in 2 months now. Everytime you eat one your basically adding 1/2 pound of fat to you depending on home made or takeaway they are terrible for you. If you really must have them, make them yourself and control how much cheese goes on it. Italians have some amazing home made recipes your going to be in for some big changes...my biggest tip for you...

But cook for the week and portion into containers and freeze them...you cook once, your meals for the week are all done and prepared and you know what to eat when to eat. One portion protein, one carbs, one later veg portion.

Good luck on your journey

[riroar in reply to Jsports]

Thank you some great tips hun. I'm scared to do anything incase it sets of my anxiety attacks but I know staying in the house all day can make u ten times worse. Going to go for awalk now. X

[matildared in reply to Jsports]

ps:for italian homemade recipes just ask me

[Jsports in reply to matildared]

Your very welcome yeah I thought it might which is why I said start with walking and as with anything you build up...doing nothing is never an option...or at least a good one lol I walked all day today bloody nakered I am lol true iv been to gym as well but walking for an hour definetly works your legs up hills good tip be stubborn and don't change yr doctors to closest one to you...means I have to walk further haha

Don't worry I have italian family in Milan thanks anyways x

[matildared]

Hallo sweethart.. I have pcos and unfortunately I cannot take medicines as I am allergic to the eccipient itself .. and yes, I was anxious..a lot..shaking and crying all the time. I stopped only when I found my spiritual way, which is another story and this is not the right place to talk about that. Btw, you are so young and you have your life in front of you.. full of exciting moments!Please, don't waste your time and money drinking coke. I is very unhealthy and even there's no sugar in it, there's aspartame, which is not our bodies' best friend... still water witha few mint leaves, or two slices of cucumber or lemon just to add extra flavour..

[riroar]

Yes thank you hun I've just been drinking water and green tea for three weeks. I'm trying to deal with so much all at once but I won't give up. I hope one day soon I'll wake up n feel great x thanks for your advice matildared xx

[Jsports]

Diet coke is not great for you obviously water is better, but defo choose it over normal coke, the amount of sugar in that thing is enough for anybody to crash on, let alone how much you drink of it. I'm on lean whey protein I go to gym 5 days a week and since I started using this supplement I not only have energy for the workouts but I feel great. I don't endorse products and this is my third whey protein but I feel so great. Gives me so many vitamins that I'm sure I'm missing even does your green tea to come off it just reduce it over time I went from coke to Pepsi to Pepsi max to water that's how I came off it. I'm addicted to chocolate havnt had any for 2 weeks and sooo proud that I walked past choc aisle with £1 big bars and bought 0!! I only have 3 aisles in my tescos so hard to avoid it. I swear all this sugar makes me feel so crap no wonder I feel good.

Anyways let us know how your getting on with your routines updating and keeping food journals (myfitnesspal) are fantastic for keeping you on track. X