Just saying hi
Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 11:03 am
I am 57, female and living in the UK.
I currently have M E, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, vertigo, vestibular migraine, chronic long term depression, dissociative disorder, anxiety, panic attacks, IBS, osteo arthritis in neck, shoulders and upper back.
My story in a nutshell....
I was a relatively healthy child although I realised in my early 20s when I started taking my health into my own hands I had suffered the misery of vaginal thrush for as long as I could remember. I also had a couple of episodes of blacking out.
In my mid teens depression and migraines set in.
Then in my early 20s I contracted for the second time in my life a severe episode of measles. After that my energy levels gradually deteriorated along with my physical and mental health.
I have always been interested in food and diet. As a child I was convinced that I was fat, although looking back I see from old photographs that I was a very slender child.
At age 17 I started on the slippery slope of anorexia which lasted for some years.
Eventually I wanted to get better and start enjoying life again, I wanted to be able to go out without having to know where every single toilet was just in case I had the sudden need for the toilet. I wanted for every step not to feel like I was dragging a ball and chain, and I wanted not to feel such intense pain when people bumped into me. More than anything I wanted the strength to work a decent job and earn some decent money.
The doctor I saw put me on a high carb, low fat diet and my health slowly improved!
However I then battled with bulimia. And as I say everything changed in my early 20s once again.
As a child I detested the thought of chopping and grinding animals for food, but I had to eat what was provided. Even when mum started on a vegetarian plan we consumed barrel loads of cheese and eggs and nuts.
I never felt comfortable with fatty foods but was just told off for being fussy. I would frequently feel very nauseous.
But over the years I have tried many different types of eating plan with various levels of success.
However most of them I kept a healthy weight on, but mounds of cellulite covered the backs of my thighs and backside. Even at 100lbs (5ft 0in) I still had heavy cellulite deposits.
However there were a couple of occasions when I eliminated fat from my diet and the majority of animal foods apart from skimmed milk in tea and a small pot of natural yoghurt each day. I remember then that the cellulite disappeared. I put it down to the fact that I had swapped out my regular drinks for decaf and stopped eating sugar and bread.
Currently I mainly eat steamed fresh or frozen veg but with packaged gravy granules (with added beef fat). I drink regular tea with soya milk, and eat lots of oatmeal and instant oats but I add in coconut oil to give a creaminess. My treat food are croissants and tortillas, (large bags)!
So folks I have a few changes to make and my initial reason is to get my weight from 110lb down to about 96lbs. I have a tiny frame so this is fine for me. Also I want to get rid of that darned cellulite.
However for the past three years I have also had constant excessive saliva which is driving me mad! I have to keep swallowing and it makes my face and throat hurt. The inside of my cheeks and lips are swollen and sore. Doctors are not interested in this as I have not responded to their initial treatments, I have been left to suffer in silence. So my big hope is that this is something that will also go. It is hard to explain the misery of this condition! It is like constantly having a mouth full of slimy, egg white!
But I also hope to see a lift at the very least in my mental health as I have just had an excruciating six months of paralysing depression. And the only exercise I am comfortable doing is walking, so I would really love to be able to do more of that.
I am swapping out my soya milk for almond milk. I will no longer be having gravy on veg but rather using Vecon and soy sauce. I will simply cut out the coconut oil and just have some extra cereals.
My croissant will be swapped for a whole meal roll with fruit sugar jam. My tortillas maybe with some home popped pop corn.
Now I know this does not sound great, and it is far from ideal, but I am stepping in the right direction.
I have a very small budget to work with but will be adding in some more salad and a little fruit as time goes on. Plus a gradual weaning off of tea.
Anyway, just wanted to check in with all you good people and hopefully create a network of support.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and please say hi and offer any comments, questions or tips etc.
I currently have M E, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, vertigo, vestibular migraine, chronic long term depression, dissociative disorder, anxiety, panic attacks, IBS, osteo arthritis in neck, shoulders and upper back.
My story in a nutshell....
I was a relatively healthy child although I realised in my early 20s when I started taking my health into my own hands I had suffered the misery of vaginal thrush for as long as I could remember. I also had a couple of episodes of blacking out.
In my mid teens depression and migraines set in.
Then in my early 20s I contracted for the second time in my life a severe episode of measles. After that my energy levels gradually deteriorated along with my physical and mental health.
I have always been interested in food and diet. As a child I was convinced that I was fat, although looking back I see from old photographs that I was a very slender child.
At age 17 I started on the slippery slope of anorexia which lasted for some years.
Eventually I wanted to get better and start enjoying life again, I wanted to be able to go out without having to know where every single toilet was just in case I had the sudden need for the toilet. I wanted for every step not to feel like I was dragging a ball and chain, and I wanted not to feel such intense pain when people bumped into me. More than anything I wanted the strength to work a decent job and earn some decent money.
The doctor I saw put me on a high carb, low fat diet and my health slowly improved!
However I then battled with bulimia. And as I say everything changed in my early 20s once again.
As a child I detested the thought of chopping and grinding animals for food, but I had to eat what was provided. Even when mum started on a vegetarian plan we consumed barrel loads of cheese and eggs and nuts.
I never felt comfortable with fatty foods but was just told off for being fussy. I would frequently feel very nauseous.
But over the years I have tried many different types of eating plan with various levels of success.
However most of them I kept a healthy weight on, but mounds of cellulite covered the backs of my thighs and backside. Even at 100lbs (5ft 0in) I still had heavy cellulite deposits.
However there were a couple of occasions when I eliminated fat from my diet and the majority of animal foods apart from skimmed milk in tea and a small pot of natural yoghurt each day. I remember then that the cellulite disappeared. I put it down to the fact that I had swapped out my regular drinks for decaf and stopped eating sugar and bread.
Currently I mainly eat steamed fresh or frozen veg but with packaged gravy granules (with added beef fat). I drink regular tea with soya milk, and eat lots of oatmeal and instant oats but I add in coconut oil to give a creaminess. My treat food are croissants and tortillas, (large bags)!
So folks I have a few changes to make and my initial reason is to get my weight from 110lb down to about 96lbs. I have a tiny frame so this is fine for me. Also I want to get rid of that darned cellulite.
However for the past three years I have also had constant excessive saliva which is driving me mad! I have to keep swallowing and it makes my face and throat hurt. The inside of my cheeks and lips are swollen and sore. Doctors are not interested in this as I have not responded to their initial treatments, I have been left to suffer in silence. So my big hope is that this is something that will also go. It is hard to explain the misery of this condition! It is like constantly having a mouth full of slimy, egg white!
But I also hope to see a lift at the very least in my mental health as I have just had an excruciating six months of paralysing depression. And the only exercise I am comfortable doing is walking, so I would really love to be able to do more of that.
I am swapping out my soya milk for almond milk. I will no longer be having gravy on veg but rather using Vecon and soy sauce. I will simply cut out the coconut oil and just have some extra cereals.
My croissant will be swapped for a whole meal roll with fruit sugar jam. My tortillas maybe with some home popped pop corn.
Now I know this does not sound great, and it is far from ideal, but I am stepping in the right direction.
I have a very small budget to work with but will be adding in some more salad and a little fruit as time goes on. Plus a gradual weaning off of tea.
Anyway, just wanted to check in with all you good people and hopefully create a network of support.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and please say hi and offer any comments, questions or tips etc.