Please help me get started

[amyrising]

Hi, I am a 43 yr old mother of 4 children (ages 23-5). I was diagnosed with MS 9/11/2013 but I have had issues since 2001. Over the years I have slowly put on weight. I am now at a place where I am obese. This really puts a strain on my already hurting body. My knees hurt, my feet hurt, my legs ache...you know the drill. I have 2 children who are 7 and 5, they need an active mom. My fatigue is awful (even with Ritalin) and my cog fog is ever present. I have looked at several diets but I just don't have the cognitive ability to follow when I read. I need to find a meal plan that works for me. I am hoping to see a nutritionist next month who can help me. Do you have any advice for me?

Are there any meal plans you can recommend...the kind that list things you can eat? I can't count points or anything like that right now, I just can't make sense of it. I lost my job several months ago so joining a gym is not an option. I have an old exercise bike in the garage I am going to try using.

I am feeling pretty fat and useless. I do appreciate your help

[BigA]

Amy,

I don't have much time, I'm at work. I was diagnosed at 45. I was 50lbs heavier at that time. I was depressed, afraid and didn't know what was going to happen in my life.

I started reading all I could. I read biographies of famous people who overcame adversity and disability, like FDR and Lance Armstrong (still a good story, even with drugs).

I also read the most important book in my life: "Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis", by George Jelinek. he has MS and came up with a full-life plan. It has changed me for the better in all ways. And my MS is holding steady.

It is a diet program that will make you healthier than anyone you know. Keep taking your DMDs, they're especially important in the beginning. And tackle any depression, with drugs or therapy and eventually with exercise. Start small, but start today!

[Mamabug]

There are lots of "right" ways to lose weight, but, what is "right" for someone else may not be right for you.

First step -- Identify what's not right for you, and rule that out. You've kind of already done some of that:

• counting points doesn't work with your cog fog
• a lot of activity might not work with your fatigue.

Share those challenges with your nutritionist.

One idea for you -- First, eat a healthy breakfast.
For lunch and supper, use the plate method:

1. Eat off a lunch-size plate (rather than a dinner plate).
2. Divide it into four sections (like a clock. Draw one vertical line from the 12 to the 6, and one horizontal line from the 3 to the 9. You will have four quadrants.)
   • In the two quadrants on one half of your plate, put 1) vegetables and 2) fruit.
   • In the other two quadrants on the rest of your plate, put 3) two or three ounces of meat -- that is about the size of a deck of cards; and 4) a whole grain item or a starchy vegetable such as potatoes.
   
   
3. Do that for lunch and supper. No seconds. Eat a small, healthy dessert for ONE of those meals, if you like. Or, you could make your dessert a part of your "plate" meal by placing it in either the fruit or the starch section, wherever it belongs.
4. Eat a healthy 100 calorie snack, both in the morning, and in the afternoon.

That's one idea. Your nutritionist may have other suggestions. There is not only one "right" way.

• Rule out what you don't want to do, and don't do it. Because a diet is no good if you won't be able to stick to it.
• Then, find something that you ARE willing to do, and be militant about it. Because you chose it. And, it's a better strategy, for you, than the strategies that you threw out.

~ Faith

[amyrising]

Thank you all! I am serious about this, that I know. I will have to try some things and see what works for me.

[Mamabug]

You can do it, Amy. Start slow. Aim for about a one pound weight loss per week. Two is OK, but not necessary. Slow and steady wins the race.

Some more tips for your "plate":

1. Fresh fruit is better than canned. Half a piece of fruit is usually one fruit serving size.

2. You can estimate other serving sizes by:

• how much fits into your quadrant.
• Or, by reading labels on packages.

Whichever works better for you.

3. If you have a casserole, that's OK. A meat and potato casserole could fill two quadrants (your meat quadrant + your starch quadrant). If your casserole include meat and pasta and vegetables, it could fill 3 quadrants. Then the only addition you would need would be half a piece of fruit.

4. If you eat a vegetarian meal (without meat), choose a protein (egg, dried beans, etc) to put in your meat quadrant.

~ Faith