Diet and Exercise help please...

[VelocityVixen]

Well, let me start from the beginning so everyone is on the same page. I’m 5’2 tall and use to weigh at approximately 120-130lbs. I’ve been as light as 110lbs at one time. I now weigh about 195lbs. I was always very athletic. I use to ride motocross and after a bad wreck and getting married decided that I would stop. I then took up kick boxing with a local instructor at the time. I always ate pretty good eating fish and chicken in healthy portions. And then…my way of life changed.

In 1998 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and was pretty much threatened by my doctor at the time that I needed to stop working out because I was going to seriously hurt myself or my muscles. I started taking daily injections of Copaxone to prevent any more flare ups of the M.S. Doctors also prescribed me prednisone which I was on for just a couple months but in that couple months time I gained more than 90 pounds. Mostly water weight I believe. I’m also hypothyroid and take 1.25mcg daily of thyroid medication. I’ve had some issues with my thyroid levels in the past but I have a new doctor now that really knows his stuff. Not only does he test my T3 and T4 levels he also sends my blood out to have the pituitary level and some other level which I can’t remember the name of. I just know there are only 3 labs in the country that do the test. Anyways, he’s got my thyroid medication level’s straightened out and I’ve been given the go ahead by him and from my neurologist to start exercising again.

Since my thyroid hormone levels is now where it needs to be I’ve noticed some weight loss in the past six months and I haven’t really been doing anything.

So here’s my problem. I’ve been given the go ahead to exercise again…but… I haven’t been eating right for several years (eat usually once or twice daily) so my metabolism is not where it should be and I haven’t the faintest idea of what type diet, cardio or workout routine to do . I need some help please. I really need to
loss this weight. So I need some help with a proper diet and workout routine…please.

Some things you need to know is that I’m allergic to Egg whites and have problems digesting milk products that are very rich. (ie: yogurt, cottage cheese) I don’t have problems with any other types of cheeses, milk, or ice cream. Just the above two items.

Help me out please!

 

[Thandie]

Well, let me start from the beginning so everyone is on the same page. I’m 5’2 tall and use to weigh at approximately 120-130lbs. I’ve been as light as 110lbs at one time. I was always very athletic. I use to ride motocross and after a bad wreck and getting married decided that I would stop. I then took up kick boxing with a local instructor at the time. I always ate pretty good eating fish and chicken in healthy portions. And then…my way of life changed.

In 1998 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and was pretty much threatened by my doctor at the time that I needed to stop working out because I was going to seriously hurt myself or my muscles. I started taking daily injections of Copaxone to prevent any more flare ups of the M.S. Doctors also prescribed me prednisone which I was on for just a couple months but in that couple months time I gained more than 90 pounds. Mostly water weight I believe. I’m also hypothyroid and take 1.25mcg daily of xxxxx. I’ve had some issues with my xxxxxxxx levels in the past but I have a new doctor now that really knows his stuff. Not only does he test my T3 and T4 levels he also sends my blood out to have the pituitary level and some other level which I can’t remember the name of. I just know there are only 3 labs in the country that do the test. Anyways, he’s got my xxxxxxxx level’s straightened out and I’ve been given the go ahead by him and from my neurologist to start exercising again. Since xxxxxxx level is now where it needs to be I’ve noticed some weight loss in the past six months and I haven’t really been doing anything.


So here’s my problem. I’ve been given the go ahead to exercise again…but… I haven’t been eating right for several years (eat usually once or twice daily) so my metabolism is not where it should be and I haven’t the faintest idea of what type diet, cardio or workout routine to do . I need some help please. I really need to loss this weight. So I need some help with a proper diet and workout routine…please.
Some things you need to know is that I’m allergic to Egg whites and have problems digesting milk products that are very rich. (ie: yogurt, cottage cheese) I don’t have problems with any other types of cheeses, milk, or ice cream. Just the above two items.

Help me out please!

First I want to say, congratulations on finding a Dr. who understands your issues and that you're on your way to recovery.
Exercising is very beneficial for MS so you're doing the right thing on going back to it. However, although I don't know at what stage your MS is, you should exercise with assistance. You should have someone with you watching you. You should defenitely need to work with light weights with a 3 day split so you have one day to recover.

Diet:
In order for you to lose weight, you need to feed your body with 5 meals a day. So if you're getting 1500 calories for intance, you should break it down into 5 meals.

Oatmeal
Chicken/turkey/tuna fish with salad.
Same with vegetables or sweet potato.
You can have a protein drink to add more protein into your diet.
Have about 30g of fat a day. So you can include almonds or other nuts.
Any type of vegetables you like.
Count your calories. Don't just eat a bag of nuts. You have to know how much you're eating.

Remember to cut out simple sugar foods, such as ice cream, doughnuts, and anything that contains sugar. In addition, cut out fry foods. Basically eat any whole foods that are grilled or baked.
Protein will help you gain muscles, while carbs and fat will give you energy. The carbs will help you speed your metabolism, so you'll burn calories while working out.
If you can do cardio on a bike, try 20-25 minutes.

Please keep us posted as how you're doing.

 

[VelocityVixen]

My M.S. is not as bad as 99% of people. I’m actually one of the few that have the relapsing and remitting type of M.S. so it comes in spurts. I haven’t had an episode of it in several years but am starting to have issues with balance due to my muscles being so weak. For instance I fell backwards the other day just getting on my tippy toes to put something in the kitchen cabinet. It wasn’t an episode of M.S. but just that my lower body and lower back are so weak I couldn’t counter balance myself when I went from my tippy toe to full foot on the floor.

My diet is not consistent at all right now. I’m Italian and love to cook for my husband and really for anybody. My diet consists of whatever leftover’s I might have in the fridge in small portions throughout the day. We do eat a lot of pasta but my husband wants me to switch over to the whole grain pasta’s since he’s also trying to get back into shape for the military. A lot of vegetables. My husband has to buy a big bag of California style vegetables pretty much once a week that’s packed with cauliflower, carrots, and other goodies. I try to not have any sodas but I have these weird headaches/migraines that will only go away if a drink a soda??? I also eat canned fruit occasionally throughout the day as well as regular fruit, apples with peanut butter, bananas, and oranges.

 

[Thandie]

If you don't have access to a pool then I would suggest doing weight-resistance exercises incorporating the use of a stability ball as well as other types of materials that you could put beneath your feet to really work your core and stabilizer muscles - muscles lying underneath all the *pretty* muscles that we can see. Just because you can't see them obviously, you are keenly aware that they are no less important. And core strength is PARAMOUNT as again, you are keenly aware that you are only as strong as your weakest link.

Canned fruits are chock FULL of sugar. I would avoid them altogether.

I have heard that caffeine helps with migraines as it acts as vasodialater (sp?)... I am not 100% sure about the accuracy of this so I will ask you either to research it on your own online or wait for someone more knowledgable to chime in.

Good on you for the veggies!!!!

As for all of the pastas, both you and your hubby would tremendously benefit from shifting more of your calories coming from protiens, veggies and a different - BETTER - source of complex carbohydrate as in one that your body will break down more slowly - brown rice, oats, yams are superior. Without getting all *competitive bodybuilding* crazy on you just arrange your plate this way: serving of protein that is about the size of the palm of your hand, serving size about the size of your fist of complex carb and the rest of your plate (overflowing if you wish LOL) yummy veggies of all sorts.

What are you AM meals looking like? (You aren't eating pasta for breakfast are you? LOL)

I agree with BKM, Pasta is pasta. You're better of with vegetables, brown rice and sweet potato.
You'll beneit from doing strength training, but start with light weights.

 

[VelocityVixen]

HA, no pasta for breakfast. My breakfast alternates quite a bit. It can be anything from special K cereal in 2% milk, oatmeal, farina, and sometimes waffles. My husband buys me a pack of little bottom round steaks from Walmart that I’ll cook up and stretch out throughout the week for breakfast. A pack of 12 last about 2 weeks. Then sometimes I’ll cook up a chicken fillet and cut it up and put it on biscuits with very little mayonnaise. I know…I need to change a few things.
As for the pasta’s my dad bought me a pasta machine last year and I was thinking of making pasta with Soy flour which is supposed to be high in protein minus the bad carbs.
I do have a swiss ball here and we have a knock off x-flex workout machine. So there are several different exercises I can do with these just to get me over this initial hump. The gym my husband goes to has a swimming pool and a therapy pool but I don’t really want to go there until I feel more comfortable. My husband is more than willing to help out and he’s already warned me that the first week or two I’m going to hurt a lot even doing light weight exercises because of all my muscles suffering from atrophy so I’ve prepared myself mentally for it.

 

[Thandie]

HA, no pasta for breakfast. My breakfast alternates quite a bit. It can be anything from special K cereal in 2% milk, oatmeal, farina, and sometimes waffles. My husband buys me a pack of little bottom round steaks from Walmart that I’ll cook up and stretch out throughout the week for breakfast. A pack of 12 last about 2 weeks. Then sometimes I’ll cook up a chicken fillet and cut it up and put it on biscuits with very little mayonnaise. I know…I need to change a few things.
As for the pasta’s my dad bought me a pasta machine last year and I was thinking of making pasta with Soy flour which is supposed to be high in protein minus the bad carbs.
I do have a swiss ball here and we have a knock off x-flex workout machine. So there are several different exercises I can do with these just to get me over this initial hump. The gym my husband goes to has a swimming pool and a therapy pool but I don’t really want to go there until I feel more comfortable. My husband is more than willing to help out and he’s already warned me that the first week or two I’m going to hurt a lot even doing light weight exercises because of all my muscles suffering from atrophy so I’ve prepared myself mentally for it.

I know this is a hard change for most of us, but think about ir this way. If it's grown, it's good; if it's manufacured it's not good. Nothing with flour or added sugar. Stick with the oats, brown rice, sweet potato, farina, vegetables, salads, animal protein, nuts. Protein powders are good for added protein or to take on the go. It makes an easy snack. Nuts are very good, but don't eat too much of it since they're very high in fat. I usually eat about 10 almonds.

Remember that you don't have to be 100% good all of the time. You'll have time when you'll go back to what you're used to eating. Just go right back without any guilt. You'll get better as time goes by.
I agree with your husband. If you felt imbalance standing on your toes; stay away from the water untill you're stronger. Have him there with you, even using light weights. It's going to be challenging for you, but helpful nonetheless. Take it one day at a time and don't try to rush the process.

 

[VelocityVixen]

Thanks for all of the help...both of you! I've got to put together a grocery list along these diet lines. I'm really a frugal person and actually plan our dinners 2 weeks at a time and then count on leftovers to carryover for lunches. With these changes I need to make I've really got my work cut out for me. I start exercising on Monday so I'll see how it goes. My hubby is planning on having to cook for us for several days once I start exercising so I've got to make sure some of the meals are pretty easy to throw together.

 

[Thandie]

Thanks for all of the help...both of you! I've got to put together a grocery list along these diet lines. I'm really a frugal person and actually plan our dinners 2 weeks at a time and then count on leftovers to carryover for lunches. With these changes I need to make I've really got my work cut out for me. I start exercising on Monday so I'll see how it goes. My hubby is planning on having to cook for us for several days once I start exercising so I've got to make sure some of the meals are pretty easy to throw together.

Please, keep us posted.