Works for me!: :) - Weight Loss Support

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Works for me!

Dave1961 profile image
Dave196125kg
29 Replies

:)

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Dave1961 profile image
Dave1961
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Fitforit75 profile image
Fitforit75

I agree :) if I get my 5k done before my brain realises each day then there are no arguments!

Traceylizzy profile image
Traceylizzy

Always did a felt great I need more tubnnne

I envy you all. I wake up in so much pain and my joints are so stiff, it's an achievement to get from the bed and onto the sofa. It gets better as the day goes on. Nothing's wrong apparently according to my GP.

Dave1961 profile image
Dave196125kg in reply to

Awww Katie that must be rough to deal with :( How strange - and vexing - that your GP can find nothing wrong. I can only hope things improve. I am and always have been a fan of mega doses of fish oil. I started when I was having terrible knee problems. That was 25 years ago and my knees are still doing pretty good for me.

Hope you can find some help.

in reply toDave1961

Thank you :-) My husband is using cod fish oil capsules 550mg (total omega 3 - 120mg) but they contain vit A so would prefer not to overdose on that. However, I think aldi has similar product without the vitamin A. I am happy to try anything, really. How mega are we talking?

Dave1961 profile image
Dave196125kg in reply to

Total EPA/DHA 4000 mg a day - not huge but higher than the usual dose.

Diana profile image
Diana in reply to

Aldi do capsules 1000mg I think, flaxseed oil is fab too

GoogleMe profile image
GoogleMe in reply to

This sounds like a symptom which is having a significant impact on your life so something is definitely 'wrong' even if there's nothing to see on X ray or blood test currently! What has your GP suggested as strategies for coping with it?

A few things I've found helpful for dealing with similar problems:

Sleep - getting the sleep environment right, I have one of those side lying pillows, I have a pile of pillows at the bottom of the bed which I use during the night to raise my feet or put between my knees. If I am awake and not quickly drifting off again, I put the beside light on and read for a while rather than fidgetting about. Basic pain medication taken before bed can prevent tensions building up during the night which contribute to outright pain and stiffness in the morning.

Very gentle stretching whilst still in bed - taking my knees up towards my chest on an out breath, rotating ankles and wrists, wriggling toes

*Gentle* yoga first thing - I've found 10 minutes first thing to be tremendously valuable and achievable. One thing it has shown me is how variable the way our bodies feel can be - some days it can have been a struggle to get from the bedroom to the bathroom (which is where I do my morning yoga) but the practice is smooth, other times different poses can be surprisingly difficult. When I first started, it was taking a while to get back off the floor! It probably started as 5 minutes with cat-cow and a seated twist (you can look those up) You could do chair yoga.

A slow start to the day - so yes, I'm saying I do 'all' this first thing but I then have my breakfast and feed my animals and go back to bed for a while (as I have now) before getting dressed. I think I'd really recommend avoiding the sofa when you are so achy.

Pain medication - you'll know what you can take personally, but do not overlook the benefits of over the counter analgesia for taking the edge of pain and allowing you easier gentle movement which is likely to loosen things up and make you more comfortable.

Good luck!

in reply toGoogleMe

Thank you for your suggestions. "You just have to learn to live with it" seems to be the standard response for any of my problems. I will go and see my GP again as soon as I beat the cold that has befallen me. Felt rotten for a few days and spent the whole Sunday in bed but it seems to be getting better now. Fingers crossed.

WeightWarrior profile image
WeightWarrior in reply to

I hope you have a sympathetic GP who is actually doing something to find out what is wrong, rather than one like the previous GP I had...I struggled for 6 or 7 years with nothing supposedly being wrong before I went to another surgery in tears of desperation and got a decent GP who referred me for an MRI scan. Turned out I have arthritis, was told at about 35 that I had the spine of a 60+ year old. It's clear something is wrong - the GP has, I hope, referred you to a physio at the very least. They have more specialist knowledge and can give you special exercises which are safe for you personally to do. I hope you are being given some decent pain relief too, this can make the world of difference (although you still need to know what exactly is wrong so that you don't kill the pain but then injure yourself by not feeling what you are doing). Some days, the tabs don't help enough to get you going like you would want, and you just have to accept those days. But on the days when the tabs do have enough of an impact, make the most of it (but don't overdo it because you'll end up in more pain the next day - I learned that lesson!). Then, when another bad day comes, you can look forward to having another good day, and remind yourself that the pain intensity won't last forever, and it helps you keep your chin up.

If you haven't been given any pain relief at all, then I'm with GoogleMe, defo go and talk to a pharmacist about pain relief. If the doc hasn't done enough to get to the bottom of it, then go back again, and again, and if still no support, try to get a 2nd, 3rd opinion, whatever it takes. Living that way drags one down, you defo need some help with getting pain to a manageable level so you can have a better quality of life.

Good luck from one "non-morning person" to another! (hug)

in reply toWeightWarrior

I had an Xray done a few years ago. Was told nothing was wrong and to learn to live with it. Kept complaining and got sent to a physio. Can't remember the terms she used but basically I was sticking my bum too far out (ie the curve was too pronounced). She gave me very easy exercises and the pain I had for ten years disappeared within three days.

Now the pain is different. It feels like when you have the flu and the whole body is painful. Or like you suddenly exercised too much. Everything is stiff. Every movement results in stabbing pain.

It sounds like fibromyalgia (have the depression, anxiety, IBS and the minor symptoms as well) but how do I raise it with the doctor? They hate patients being proactive.

GoogleMe profile image
GoogleMe in reply to

When you go to the doctor, do you take someone with you who understands what you are experiencing? I say this because sometimes we take away different impressions of what is said, and because it is often harder to fob off two people.

You may need to use the phrase "I need help with this. If you do not have the expertise, please would you refer me to someone who does"

Of course in terms of weight loss, mostly it will be about what you are eating but in terms of exercise the obvious answer if you are much worse in the morning but better later on is to go with what works for your body (if it is fibromyalgia then gentle exercise should help, although measures to improve sleep, possibly including a lower than anti-depressant dose of anti-depressant drugs will be important too) I'm a morning person but I also wake up hungry so wouldn't want to go for a run (which I find less painful than a brisk walk) on next to nothing, which means early breakfast, main exercise later.

Be alert for changes and use them but *do not go mad* when you are feeling a bit better - something subtle changed for me with my health and I started parking further away from the supermarket... that was all.

WeightWarrior profile image
WeightWarrior in reply toGoogleMe

I think taking someone with you who sees how things affect you is a great idea, maybe they can help you explain to the doctor how much of an impact this is having on your life and how different things are for you in comparison with the previous pain you experienced. Anxiety could become a barrier in respect of you opening up to the doctor about just how badly you are affected, so perhaps the other person could chip in with their perspective to add weight to your case and help the doctor understand the severity of your symptoms.

in reply toGoogleMe

I used to take my husband with me but he never really got a chance to speak - just sat there like a dashboard dog nodding his head confirming what I said. I feel once they know I have someone to take care of me, they are not too bothered about my suffering. I keep saying if we divorce, or if he gets sick and unable to care for me - what then? But it falls on deaf ears. There is no way the doctor doesn't understand what I am explaining or what I expect (end to pain through any means). If I say I read about it and that's what is says online (reputable websites) they immediately shut me down thinking I am a hypochondriac.

For now, when I am feeling better, I do go overboard to catch up with things. I want to pull my weight when it comes to housework, etc. Besides, more rest does not make me feel better either physically or mentally.

Thank you all for the kinds words and support. Once I recover, I will go back to the surgery and hopefully something will get done.

However, I can already tell you what going to happen. I need a new prescription for the mini pill.

- Oh, but you're fat and your blood pressure's too high.

- It's not, I have the white coat syndrome - you did the 24h blood pressure monitoring thing and it was fine. It only spikes when I am at the surgery. (mainly anxiety cos I know I will have to fight you every step of the way)

- You should quit smoking cos blood clots.

- I have.

- Oh, that's right. Here's the script.

- I need this specific painkiller.

- Just use ibuprofen.

- Can't - am allergic to OTC painkillers. It's in my notes. (quite a big deal - my throat swells up)

- Ok, but I will give you a different one.

- No, it aggravates my IBS. It's in my notes.

- That's right. Here's your prescription.

- My allergy is out of control. Could we try a different antihistamine?

- Oh, it's not allergy, it's ringworm.

- The other doctor said it's a discoid eczema. Besides, the steroid cream helps with it.

- (throws daggers at me - how dare you disagree with me - I am the doctor here) Try this then.

So here's five minutes of my appointment wasted. Every. Single. Time. The doctor is about 30 minutes behind at all times and does not want to listen to my self-entitlement issues anymore. "Back pain? Just take the pain killer. Next!"

WeightWarrior profile image
WeightWarrior in reply to

O~M~G! It really sounds like you have hit a brick wall with your doc. Is it possible you could arrange to see another doctor? When I went to see the new doc at another surgery, I went in with a list of stuff which basically was a brief story telling of what had happened so far, like a timeline. With fresh eyes he had a complete run down of what had happened, what had been tried, what worked, what didn't, and could also see how many years this had been going on. I told him straight, when I went in, I tend to forget things, and I don't want to take up lots of your time, so I typed up a sheet of what exactly is going on, and sat silent while he read it through. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can have fresh ideas which no-one has yet thought of trying out for you. I wish you all the very best in your struggles, it's not easy when you don't feel fully supported by your doctor.

in reply toWeightWarrior

First I changed doctors within the surgery (mostly because I could never get an appointment with the same one) and then changed the surgery. Like you, I tend to forget stuff and also have trouble concentrating when stressed so I always take notes with me. No change.

I actually requested my records from the old surgery and was shocked. I was prescribed CBT. It was somewhat helpful and I was meant to have six session. After the third one, the CBT practitioner says "I think you know all you need to know to manage your condition so this will be our last session. "Oh, I thought there were three more to go". "Well, no. That's that." Then I read the letter she wrote to my GP: "Katie insisted on discharging herself from my service against my advice." What?

Before that, the GP prescribed me a course of antidepressants and told me to come four weeks later. I did and I did feel better and said it is probably a placebo effect but I am feeling better. The GP didn't say much, gave me the script for more meds but wrote something along the lines - it might not be depression cos it's impossible for the meds too kick in so soon and she claims to be feeling better. This is ridiculous. My depression is untreated at the moment and I do sometimes have great days. It's not like any depression is fully on all the time - he should know it.

At the time, I got my records I was really low and was on my own and didn't even know how to fight it (still don't). It's their word against mine. It made me feel really crazy - there were times I thought - they are doctors. They don't have a mental health condition. What if it was the way they said it was and my brain is just making things up? But considering that my brain didn't make anything else up and I do have a very firm grip on reality, it is very unlikely to be so.

Zest profile image
ZestHealthy BMI

Hi Dave,

That's a good mantra!

Hope you are enjoying the weekend, and wishing you a great week ahead.

Lowcal :-)

moreless profile image
morelessAdministrator7 stone

I'm a morning person, so this works for me too :)

Diana profile image
Diana in reply tomoreless

If only, I'm an owl, and at times I feel neither

Dave1961 profile image
Dave196125kg in reply tomoreless

I must admit I am definitely a morning person despite the meme- we only comprise 10% of the population so we have to stick together!

Me too - body combat this morning 😀 Got arthritis in both knees and will need knee replacement in future. Got to keep moving though and those feel good endorphins soon kick in during combat. All exercise can be modified to suit. There's only me and one other lady doing low impact during the class - but we're still working out 😀

I was so groggy during yesterday morning's run but definitely benefitted from it the rest of the day. Also I'm a dedicated morning runner now ever since you posted that cut the fat podcast about exercising during fasting, i.e. exercise when you wake up, then have breakfast after. What I want to know is, have you been sleep walking round your back yard with a shovel and some seedlings?

Dave1961 profile image
Dave196125kg in reply to

So pleased that I have helped you in some small way :)

And please, puddling around with seedlings and planting plants is still quite a few days away. I am longing for that fun part.

I was moving a few lavender from one garden bed to another and realised that the soil was almost like pure clay so for the past few days I have been digging a 10 metres long trench so I can mix the soil with mulch to soften it and put it all back in.

Basically I am digging a great big bloody hole and then filling it back up.

Wax on, wax off :)

P.S. I was curious after this and wanted to find out how much a cubic metre of clay weighed. Just over one THOUSAND kg and I am moving 10 of those - no wonder I am sore! :)

I'm going to have to clean the house so that'll be some exercise though I should go swimming....

Elissy profile image
Elissy3kg

Best time of the day for me -a 100% morning person, much to my husbands annoyance 😁 -

I find my exercise dvd a good start to the day, sadly I can only do that one day a week.

My walking happens in the late afternoon or evening.

Dave1961 profile image
Dave196125kg in reply toElissy

Contrary to what I have posted - which I found quite funny - I'm a morning person as well - apparently we only comprise 10% of the population! When I lived with or shared with other people I used to find it SO frustrating. My eyes would open, brain would engage and I would be skipping round the house while everyone else just grunted at me and glared - there should be more of us!

Diana profile image
Diana in reply toDave1961

Well actually if you stick to bio clocks, humans would adapt to light and dark, naturally that changes through the year!

Getting up sometimes at 4.15am , feels horrible, a pain, hence my owl clock is disturbed too.

Given my choice the hours between 11 and 1 are most valued, if I'm awake, trouble is getting up too early has destroyed that.

My bi polar at times, leaves me extremely tired, most of the day if no work, and craving sugar madly.

On the other hand I get happy very bright phases.

I think a lark would be a serious pain to live with, I'd rather you went out............to impose a clock on someone must be a real pain, owls are not that welcome at midnight either!

Portlandprincess profile image
Portlandprincess

Agree...and the feeling of 'done it' is great....love my walks but the toning stuff is not fun for me...so the morning is where this stuff happens.

Leese1974 profile image
Leese1974

Does lifting a strong coffee count? Lol!

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