A re-discovered pain reliever that works

Nearly three months ago I drastically reduced my daily caloric intake to less than 1,000 calories.  With only a handful of exceptions, I've stuck with the low-cal eating every day.  My average is probably about 800 calories

So how much weight have I lost?  I don't even know, and I don't care.  None of this was done to lose weight.  It started, rather, as an elimination diet to help ease my symptoms of fibromyalgia.  I was sure some common food groups, for whatever strange reason, were aggravating my fibro symptoms--widespread pain, extreme stiffness, lack of mobility, mental fog and depression, to name a few.

The first thing I pitched from my diet was sugar.  Sorry, but no one can say anything good about what refined sugar does to the body.  It's like slow poison to your insides, and it can cause inflammation in every joint in your body.  I used to live on candy when I was younger and in denial.  Now I avoid the nasty stuff because I know what it will do to me, and it's not worth it.

Along with the refined sugar went the artificial sweeteners.   I simply don't trust the chemicals anymore.  It's not often I use any sweetener but, when I do, it's all natural Stevia.

Alcohol also went by the wayside for a while, but I've started back on the booze in moderation.  I went several weeks without imbibing a drop, and then eased up a bit to enjoy a glass of cold Chardonnay once in a while.  I continue sipping wine or margaritas maybe two nights a week now, but could easily go without it completely. Certain triggers--like emotional stress, a wonderful evening horseback ride, or a crowded social event--can make me "thirsty," although I could be just as satisfied  with water instead.  I've all but given up beer for two reasons: the first is gluten (it makes me feel bad), the second is the bloated, uncomfortably full sensation it gives me.

So what's changed?  Is my new way of eating worth it?  Well, for the present, the answer is an emphatic YES.  There's no doubt I have food sensitivities that aggravate inflammation and cause gastric upsets, both of which contribute to a mental fog and mild depression.  That's all part of the fibromyalgia mystery.  After eliminating those problematic foods, I can wholeheartedly say I have a LOT less discomfort and considerably more energy.  Best of all, my outlook on life and the future has brightened by leaps and bounds.

Admittedly, a big part of this is due to the weight loss that was inevitable on a severely reduced calorie diet.  BEING OVERWEIGHT HURTS.  Since publishing my book, Bucket List Weight Loss, five years ago, I'd slowly gained back nearly half of what I'd lost. Never mind the reasons for now...I'll address those in a future post.  The important thing is that I gained back enough weight to make my already compromised body hurt even worse than it already did.  You should try carrying around a 10-pound bag of potatoes for a couple weeks and see how you feel.  If you're more than 10 pounds overweight, just imagine carrying around a layer of all the extra weight you now have.  Think you could do it?  Nope, not without some serious pain.  But wait...you carry that much extra right now!  So imagine how much BETTER you would feel if you lost that extra layer.  You'd feel like you were floating with your feet six inches off the ground!

Where am I going with this?  Right back to Bucket List Weight Loss.  I strongly believe that losing ALL excess weight is the best medicine and pain reliever for many common ailments--especially the age-related issues.   If you hurt, and have been overweight for much of your life, you truly may not know how incredibly good you could feel if the extra weight was gone from your body.  What a tragedy for you! 

It's not my job to tell you how to lose it.  All I can do is set an example of the end result and say, "You must find your own way."  The principles in Bucket List Weight Loss still work for me, and I am SO glad I wrote them all down in a book I can review from time to time when I need reminders.  Expect more posts as this "rerouted" journey continues. My goal is to help you, through weight loss and exercise, to reclaim your life and your health as you choose to define them.  Stay tuned.

Bucket List Weight Loss is available in paperback or Kindle at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/Bucket-List-Weight-Loss-Manning/dp/148269414X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399328137&sr=1-1&keywords=bucket+list+weight+loss

The Best Thing About Fasting

For more than three weeks now I've been thriving very happily on less than 1,000 calories a day.  I embarked on this low-cal venture, not to lose weight but to eliminate foods  I thought might be aggravating my fibromyalgia symptoms.  Diet has long been suspected of playing a major role in this incurable syndrome where the brain misreads nerve signals, resulting in widespread and inexplicable pain.

I've made some great, life-changing discoveries in the past three weeks...and I've also reaffirmed some long-held ideas of my own.

One of them has to do with fasting.  In Bucket List Weight Loss, published five years ago, I wrote about my love affair with Cambridge weight loss drinks.  Cambridge was basically a fast.  To have ultimate success, you were to drink three 110-calorie Cambridge shakes a day...plus lots of water.  And that's all.  Coffee and diet sodas were optional, but absolutely no other nutrition was allowed.  The beauty of Cambridge, to me, was its simplicity.  It was so restrictive that I couldn't even consider cheating a bit.  It was like locking myself in a cell with no access to food.  It was absolute.  And easy.  At least, after the first couple days.

Fasting is the same concept.  When fasting, you're limiting yourself to certain liquids each day, with the understanding that eating ANYTHING else will blow the whole thing, waste your time and money, and make you fatter.

Total water fasts are best done under a doctor's supervision and with total rest.  Neither of those was practical for me, so three weeks ago I reverted back to good old Cambridge.  I did that for a few days, then added a "real dinner."  That's pretty much what I'm still doing.

I fell off the wagon a couple times.  They were just little falls, but I felt horrid 12 hours after each incident.  Macaroni salad--can't handle the gluten.  Weiners--probably too much salt and chemicals.  Alcohol--gives me a headache.  Potato chips--lethargic after eating a few.  So I've been eating baby carrots (raw and cooked), strawberries, blueberries, grapes, spinach and a microscopic amount of lean meat.  Surprise:  I am satisfied, I feel great (relatively speaking), and I have no cravings.

Perhaps best of all, I've only weighed myself a couple times because I'm not obsessing about it!  I guess I've lost about 12 pounds and know that my final 10 will drop off without any effort.  With the weight loss, my joints don't ache as much, and my mental outlook is far brighter.  The idea of alleviating pain from my life is  much more motivating than shrinking down to a certain size.

It's this simple:  I eat the wrong things and I have pain.  I eat the right things and I don't have pain.  It makes my nutritional choices pretty darn easy.  The minor and transitory discomfort of an empty stomach can't be compared to the pain and stiffness that make climbing stairs impossible.

Fasting is to eating what abstinence is to birth control.  It works 100% of the time.  If you're inclined to try a modified fast for a few days, do your research first.  Learn how.  Convince yourself you're not going to die or compromise your health if you don't eat for a couple days!   Set your parameters, keep temptations out of sight, and just GET THROUGH the first two to four days. Let your body rest and heal.  Then start adding the foods you know your body appreciates and needs.  If you suspect some of your former foods harmed your body, you're probably right.  Trust your gut.  Once you feel better after fasting, you won't want to do anything that will bring that pain back to you again.

Day 6: Suspicions confirmed

Yesterday was the fifth day of my VLC  (very low calorie) fast.  I started this last Monday as an experiment to battle my fibromyalgia.

Losing weight has not been my primary goal, even though it's naturally happening on a diet of less than 400 calories a day.  My intentions were to quit eating just about everything, clean out my system, let my body rest, and then start adding back some foods to see if they caused FM flare-ups.

Pain-inducing poison!

My suspicions were confirmed  first thing this morning.  I'd done well all day yesterday, but fell off the wagon--slightly--when I attended a potluck dinner last night.  There were NO salads or raw veggies on the table, save for a bowl of home-made cilantro salsa.  So I ate a cup of it. NEVER have corn, beans, onions, tomatoes and cilantro tasted to heavenly to me!  Then I had two small kebobs my husband had prepared for the event.  The smoky grilled peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms were divine, as were the small chunks of marinated venison.  The downfall, however, was the dessert table, with bread pudding soaked in a sugary hard sauce.  Once I sneaked a tiny bite, I had to eat more...which ended up to be way too much! Full of bourbon-soaked sugar and white bread, I went to bed feeling bloated, tense, and resentful of my lack of willpower.

I didn't sleep well and got up this morning feeling like the vindictive Mac truck had hit me again.
Not surprisingly, it was EASY for me to flow through today with nothing but two 110-calorie Cambridge drinks, and  the remainder of my husband's leftover kebabs for dinner.  I enjoyed them guilt-free.

This will probably be the end of my posts about this experiment because I've accomplished my mission.  I am now 95% sure that sugar and alcohol do indeed exacerbate my painful FM symptoms.   Likewise with processed flour, and probably any processed foods.  Maybe even red meat.

It's interesting how much easier it's been to stick with this "diet" when my motivation has been pain control.  If I'd only been in it to lose weight, I would have looked in the mirror three days ago and said, "What the hell, you look fine just the way you are" and headed to the kitchen for a cold glass of chardonnay. (Funny how we rationalize our way out of things we don't want to face.)  But pain slaps you in the face and is undeniable.  When there's a way to possibly eliminate it and reclaim your life, it's easy to do what is necessary.

Today I've been walking up and down our stairs without limping, wincing or even hanging onto the railing.  It's been a long time since I've been able to do that.  Is it just coincidence?  Is it just the cycle of natural healing and FM flares?  An improvement in the barometric pressure.  Could be.  But as long as my "elimination diet" is working, I'll stay on this path.

Day 5 of the Fast

What started out as a "water fast" five days ago has morphed into VLC (very low calorie) liquid fast of not more than 400 calories a day.  This is Day 5, I'm still on track, and I'm feeling surprisingly better than I have in a long time.

I'm doing this not to lose weight, but to lessen symptoms of fibromyalgia.  The theory is that certain foods wreak havoc on the body of someone who has fibromyalgia.  The most common symptom of FM is widespread pain, achiness and stiffness in the body's joints, tendons, ligaments and soft tissue. Other symptoms frequently include fatigue, lack of strength and stamina, headaches, digestive issues, foggy brain, chills and flu-like sensations.  No one really knows what causes it, and there is no cure.  There is, however, management.  Since every FM victim's symptoms are different, each of has to learn what sets off a "flare" and how to minimize the voracity of it.  A "flare" can happen without provocation or prediction, and can last for several days, rendering the victim to bed rest for the duration.  It definitely has changed my lifestyle and caused me to slow down and even cut out some of my favorite activities.  That's why I'm desperate to reclaim my former life as an active person, and that's why I'm fasting.

First I'm eliminating the toxins in my body.  Next I'll gradually and carefully begin adding foods to see how my body responds to them.  I suspect that sugar, alcohol, flour, excessive salt, chemicals, and possibly even red meat are contributors to my FM.  So I'm "off" those for a while.  My nutrition is coming from three Cambridge drinks
per day, supplemented with water and an occasional amino energy drink.

So far, here's what's happened after five days of my experiment:

Overall body pain--greatly diminished, almost gone.  Still have the "legitimate" arthritis-based stiffness of knees and shoulders, but far more mobility and range of motion.  I can walk up and down stairs without groaning with every step. Energy--greatly enhanced!  I don't feel sluggish or fatigued.
Mental clarity--more stable.  Not moody.
Sleep--incredible. No restless legs.  I sleep soundly for hours, and my dreams are pleasant.
Hunger--I'm truly not "hungry."  My gut is empty but it's also QUIET.
Meds--Still can't believe I've gone nearly 5 days without ANY Excedrin.

I've ingested no alcohol, sugar, processed foods, etc., in five days and I feel markedly better.  Hmmm.
I've discovered all those Excedrin and pain pills I've been taking weren't helping--and thus, weren't necessary! I see a future again.  I'm making reservations for a Hawaii vacation next year, and for a cross-country ski trip in January.  My clothes fit better.

So I guess I'll ride this trail for a while longer.  Day 6, here we come.  Cheers!

I'm FASTING!

The frustration of fibromyalgia pain continues, as I adjust to the reality that this is my future.  It's not always horrible--in fact, it's usually just mildly debilitating and annoying.  I'm still trying new things--supplements, oils, various exercises and routines--in search of a magic pill, even though all research tells me there is none.

Then I heard from an old idol, who has inspired me to take the next big step in healing. Cindy Joseph is a supermodel--believe me, you have seen her--who first caught my eye about 15 years ago in a J. Jill catalog.  Cindy's a "mature" model who broke the mold. She didn't start modeling until she was 49. She had long gray hair and wore minimal makeup.  She emanated confidence and class.  She made a HUGE impression on me.

I didn't know Cindy's name until a month ago when I discovered her new minimalist makeup line on the internet.  It's called "Boom," and it's specifically for older women who are tired of painting on a mask every day to try to make themselves look younger.    If you long for a 20-second makeup routine that complements your age and personality, rather than trying to disguise it, I suggest you look at her "Boomsticks."  They're fabulous.

Anyway, I was so happy to have found Cindy again, learned her name, and read her philosophy for aging beautifully, that I emailed her to express my gratitude.  I included a link to this blog.  She responded with sincere warmth and said she'd just read my last post ("What's happened to me.")  She suggested I research a health clinic called "True North" in Santa Rosa, California.  She knew a 78-year-old woman who'd been 100 pounds overweight and had FM.  The woman was now 85, had lost the excess weight, and was "cured" of FM. 

I looked up the clinic and learned one of their primary healing techniques was water fasting.  Drastic, yes, but apparently effective and safe if done under medical supervision.  The theory behind water fasting is that your body, in a resting mode, can contribute all its energy to healing itself, rather than digesting food or trying to build muscle.

Since I'd long suspected certain foods and alcohol were exacerbating my FM symptoms, I committed to trying a water fast.  That meant NOTHING would pass my lips except water...no Excedrin, no vitamins, no caffeine, no chewing gum or breath mints.  What did I have to lose except pain?  If I dropped a few pounds in the process, so much the better.  But that was definitely not my motivation.

So here's what's happening:
Day 1.  Surprisingly easy.  By 3pm I was so stiff I could scarcely move, and this I attributed to the lack of anti-inflammatories in my system.  (I have routinely taken from two to six Excedrin daily for the past MANY years.)  Aside from the stiffness, I felt okay--not particularly hungry.  Before bed, I did "modify" the fast with a 110-calorie Cambridge drink, which I always keep on hand for emergencies.  (Read Bucket List Weight Loss to understand my addiction to Cambridge.)  I got up to pee four times that night.

Day 2.  Woke with a screaming headache that spanned the width of my forehead, but getting out of bed was surprisingly easy.  Usually I feel like I've been hit by a Mac truck the day before, but on this day I felt like I'd maybe been bumped by a Volkswagen.  The headache persisted, however.  For me, a headache is incapacitating. So I gave in and took a migraine pill (Zomig is a wonder drug for me), had another 110-calorie Cambridge shake, and went back to bed.  When I got up at noon, the headache was 80% gone, and I tiptoed quietly through the afternoon at home.

Then came the flu-like symptoms: chills, nausea, general malaise. And the headache was threatening to return with vengeance.  If I could just get rid of the damn headache, I thought, I can get through this.  I need caffeine! Lots of it.  More than coffee can provide.  Time to modify the water fast again.  I mixed up a concoction of amino energy drink I'd bought at Costco a year ago.  Mixed with coconut milk, the drink had about 60 calories and no "bad stuff"  (except caffeine). A few sips, and instantly I felt recharged.  And the headache vanished!

In addition to another liter of water, I had one more Cambridge shake that night. When I went to bed  I was utterly amazed at how good I felt.   I HADN'T TAKEN ANY EXCEDRIN IN TWO DAYS!  Nor had I ingested any alcohol. sugar, salt, wheat, dairy or meat.  I felt a calmness and serenity that gave me the best night's sleep I'd had in weeks.

Day 3.  A breeze.  In addition to water, I had three Cambridge shakes throughout the day (330 calories).  Plus, I treated myself to the coconut milk/amino protein concoction (another 60 calories).  My only big booboo was gulping down a Diet Pepsi after I'd mowed a very large lawn.  I immediately regretted it, as I could feel that cold garbage sloshing around in my otherwise clean gut. So I chased it with a liter of water and got through the rest of the day.  Once again, I retired to bed feeling utterly relaxed (no growly gut, no restless legs, no intense aches) and slept soundly with pleasant, entertaining dreams.

Day 4.  TODAY.  I feel so calm, physically and mentally.  Not interested in running six miles, but I can't anyway.  I will do some light exercises today and continue my water/Cambridge/amino energy  regimen.  I haven't felt this good in a long time.

Check in with me tomorrow.  As long as I feel this good, I plan to continue.  Maybe I'll even weigh myself tomorrow, but probably not.  I don't even care about the weight.  Getting rid of chronic pain is far more important!

What's happened to me

It's been a while.  Because my news hasn't been "good," I've been reluctant to post.  I kept waiting for a change for the better, but it never came as I thought it would.  So now it's time to face reality and bring you up to date.

The year 2014 was a traumatic one for me.  Nope, I didn't get cancer and I didn't get divorced--nothing quite that horrible. But I did experience a couple events that took their toll on me, emotionally and physically.  I'll tell you about them some time later. I've been on the road to recovery ever since, and it's been a bit bumpy.

I'm not a Size 6 anymore, nor am I a fine specimen of physical fitness and vitality.  I'm now closer to a Size 10, and I hurt all over most of the time.

By early in 2015, I realized something about my health had changed.  I had totally inexplicable aches and pains, fatigue, occasional loss of concentration, and depression.  By June my doctor had ruled out rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid problems, and other likely diseases.  What was left was a diagnosis of fibromyalgia.  I'd never really believed in this "syndrome" before, but all the signs started falling into place as I learned more about it.

Fibromyalgia has changed my life and started me on a whole new journey (adventure?) of learning to cope and learning to accept new limitations.  For those of you who don't fully understand this condition, stay tuned; I'm writing a book about it.  Of course, there are plenty of books on fibromyalgia out there already, but this one will be in my voice, written for my friends and their friends.  It seems to be a "baby boomer" disease--that is, it was given an official name just a few decades ago, even though the symptoms have been around for centuries--so you'll be hearing more about it from all directions in the next 20 years.

Meanwhile, I'm adjusting to a new "normal."  It's more important than ever for me now to get enough sleep, to avoid stress, to keep good nutritional habits, and to respect my physical limits.  Since my diagnosis a year ago, I've had my left knee worked on (it WAS a meniscus tear after all!), had a bizarre and painful infection of my ear cartilage, and had my Achilles tendon sliced to facilitate removal of a bone spur beneath it.  Things are healing, I think, and I remain optimistic that once again I'll be able to feel my age (63 now) instead of feeling like I'm 90.

After being non-weight-bearing on my right foot all winter (due to the Achilles surgery), I'm now getting moderately active again.  I've started back to yoga--in a chair--and I am cautiously and slowly walking about 6-10,000 steps a day according to my Fitbit.  I miss my sports--kayaking, riding, cross-country skiing, hiking, and dog agility--and I continue to work toward that day when I can resume them again. 

As for my diet, I eat well--not too much--and still love my Greek yogurt, brown rice, wine and beer!  The lack of activity helped me pack on about 15 pounds, which I expect will come off in their own good time.  I am SOOOOOOOO GLAD I wrote Bucket List Weight Loss because I can now refer back to the one "method" that worked so miraculously for me...and I know it will work again.

If you're still struggling with weight and self image, I encourage you to get the book or RE-READ the one you already bought.  And stay tuned for more updates on coping with the aging process!
Life is still a beautiful experience if you make it such!

Oh....my book is still available at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bucket-List-Weight-Loss-Manning/dp/148269414X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399328137&sr=1-1&keywords=bucket+list+weight+loss

Help!  I've fallen and I can't get up (yet)!

It was eight days ago I messed up my left knee while out cavorting with the dogs one morning.  I don't even know what or when it happened...but that night I could scarcely walk, and the situation hasn't markedly improved over the past week.

So I'm bummed.  The knee is what has set me back twice in the past two years now, and it's getting old.  No, it's not arthritis.  No, it's not a meniscus tear.  I've had all that checked out with MRIs and the works.  It's mostly likely a minuscule piece of SOMETHING floating around in there, and every so often it floats to the wrong spot and wreaks havoc.  A very good young physical therapist at VA gave me an innovative exercise that eliminated the pain for a long while.  I mean, the knee was perfect.  And then...last Monday the injury...and here we go again.

When your knee hurts, you wince with every step and walk funny.  That makes your hips, back and feet hurt.  Your legs hurt.  Your shoulders hurt because you're tensing with anticipatory pain as you move. Pretty soon you're walking--or shuffling--like a 90-year-old person, right?  Of course you all know this.  Anyone over the age of 40 knows what it's like.  And of course it seems to get worse with age.

But should we really accept these aches and pains as part of aging?  I think not!  There's too much we can do these days to help ourselves eliminate, minimize, or at least manage pain.  I could spend a fortune on essential oils, supplements, turmeric, Epsom salts and whatever...and those may help me as much as my Excedrin.  What I really want to do, however, is get to the root cause of the growing pain, and fix it at the source.  So I'm exploring options. 

To start with, I'm considering dietary changes. I hate the very thought of having to FORCE myself to stick to any regimen (that really goes against my concepts in Bucket List Weight Loss, which stresses "intuitive eating").  But something in my life is causing excessive connective tissue inflammation, and I'm suspecting food sensitivities.  So I'm cutting out--or certainly cutting back on--sugar for a while.  Maybe 3 weeks.  Just long enough that I can see if there's any difference.  It's scary, because sugar is out there everywhere.   But my motivation is no longer just about looking good or seeing the scale drop.  Now it's about my future ability to move, to play, to train my dogs, ride my horses, and live the life that's normal for me.

What's your motivation to lose weight or improve your health?  Don't say it's a high school reunion or your daughter's upcoming wedding or a vacation to Hawaii.  Make your picture much bigger.  Make it your bucket list item....something that will satisfy you and help you stay fit to live the rest of your life the way you choose.  It's your body, your life, and your choice.  Choose to stay where you are and get worse....or choose to make yourself better and happier.

So I've been away from the scale for a couple days--yes, I've fallen, and I can't get up yet.  But I will.  When I can step onto the Wii without wincing, and stand up straight and tall for my balance test, I will do so again.  Until then, just getting to that point is my new goal.  In the meantime....goodbye, sugar plums!