The FastDay Forum

Welcome @silverslimmer to our small but groovy gang!
Sorry to hear you too have this horrible illness
My story is fairly identical to yrs..had to retire 19 yrs ago,was v ill for a long time,over the last ten or so years have seen a return of about 70% good health..glad to hear youre on the road to wellness again too.

Just getting over quite a bad relapse following a house move.

Like you i struggle to keep weight off,have lost it several times, but it goes back on.still trying to find that elusive solution to it all.
Having this illness plus sciatica and plantar fascitiis means its difficult to exercise a lot but i try to keep active. I feel dizzy and disorientated a lot which sometimes leads to stumbles,falls and general clumsiness, so i can be unconfident when out walking.
I feel rested the day after a fast and luckily i dont feel cold when fasting. I still find it hard to fast tho - some days are easier than others!
Good luck and keep posting xxxxxxx

Thank you @CandiceMarie,
I really feel for you. moving house is something I would dread. We have been working through the house getting it up to scratch for the last 5years and finally finished last year but each session was exhausting. I don't think people understand how CFS makes 'normal' life exhausting.

Our experience sounds very similar. Perhaps we can crack this weight loss and maintenance between us!

Silverslimmer

I alwayssayto people,imagine how rundown and tired you feel when you have a bug,add to that the symptoms of a terrible hangover,in addition jetlag,plus how you might ache everywhere after climbing a mountain.
I think the expression " running on empty" describes it best . X

Hello my little friends - long time no talky! Just because I'm away doesn't mean I'm not thinking of you @Candicemarie and @MountainMyst. And now we have a new person joining us. Hello @SilverSlimmer welcome to our little group! Sorry to hear you have this awful illness too.
I must admit that lately I've bean on a good run. I've bean to the cinema loads of times this year and haven't suffered for it too badly at all! In fact my heavy coat is definitely not as heavy at the moment and I feel more alive than I have done since the beginning of this nightmare (nearly 4 years ago I guess). I worry about work, though. I feel I should start looking for something but there's no way of knowing how long this 'good time' will last.

How are you guys doing anyway?

Bean xxxx

Hi@Silverslimmer I am so sorry I am so long in welcoming you to the group! It has been one of those weeks that I haven't been on much. I am so sorry that you are dealing with this illness also. So glad you found us though!
My daughter and I have been dealing with this illness for over twenty years, we are better than at first, maybe 50 to 60% improved. I have done better on the fast diet combined with grain free eating. The grainfree part has helped immensely with my inflammation, and arthritis. Not cured but helped. It is also helping me maintain my weight loss.
Be sure as you fast to note what makes you more hungry (carbs for me) and be sure to drink lots of water. It helps. Welcome and I hope you will visit often.

Hi@CandiceMarie, hope you are getting rested after your move. I like your description of this illness, pretty spot on!

Hi@nursebean, great to see you and to know you are feeling better! Don't push too hard on the job front. Maybe a one day a week thing for starters, just to see how it goes. It is so easy to rush trying to reclaim our lives, and can result in a big crash.

Love and hugs to all. Phyl

Hi girls x
@nursebean i think @mountainmyst is soooo right..take it very slowly...she describes so well how we want so much to " reclaim our lives" ...wontit be wonderful when that time comes...surely if we can get 50/60/70% better,we can make it to 90% ? Which i guess most people have..v few have perfect 100% goodhealth,tho i must say i think i was blessed with extremely good health for over 40 years and i' m grateful for that!
How are you @silverslimmer Hope youre having a good week x

Without going back to read all 750+ posts on a topic I know little about, these three links about CFS and intermittent fasting may be useful:

http://www.cortjohnson.org/blog/2014/07 ... -syndrome/

http://www.mecfsselfhelpguru.com/2014/0 ... -diet.html

http://www.drcourtneycraig.com/blog/intermittentfasting

Hi,
Thanks for all the welcomes!
I find this such a frustrating illness as I still think the way I did when I was 27 but in a 67 year old body. I do wonder how I would be now if CFS hadn't come along. When I was first ill they put me in medication to slow me down as they said if they didn't I would have driven myself to keep going until I killed myself. This was before they decided I had CFS.

I had never thought of improvement in terms of percentages as it has been such a long slow crawl back and it is not consistent. During a good spell I would say about 75% better, dipping to 50% during a bad spell. Snag is I always look so well.

It has been a mixed week, no great energy but I have managed to keep going without using up too much adrenaline.
I try not to spend too much time on the computer so you may only hear from me once a week, but I hope you all have a good one.

SilverSlimmer

Thanks for those useful links @ADFnFuel ..i ' m glad you know little about this topic xx..i wdnt wish this illness on my worst enemy.. its so life limiting and like @silverslimmer said,the spirit is raring to go just like when we were youngsters but the body wont co operate..so frustrating and i just wish us guys could say we know little or nothing about this illness too! * sigh*. xx

Hi all, @Silverslimmer, I sure know what you mean. My brain is still convinced I can do things that my body just won't do. we will be thrilled to hear from you when ever you can post. I think being in our 60's might make us lose a bit slower, but so far it doesn't seem to have affected me too much, especially considering this illness and the physical restraints it causes. You will be able to lose, just be patient with yourself. The scales can lie to you sometimes, be sure and measure also.

Hi@CandiceMarie, I too wish we weren't forced to become experts on this illness. It is difficult being your own doctor. at the moment Deidre is having heart issues again. Her heart rate is pretty variable, and often causes increased weakness. Since she is one of the millions in this country without health care access it makes things hard. We ordered a Fitbit to monitor and record her rate, hopefully we can document the problem if I can find a doctor we can afford. Sorry, don't mean to be a downer, it is just a bad day. How are you and your daughter doing? Recovered from the move? ( yup, I know that's a silly question)
@ADFnFuel, thanks for taking the time to post the links, they are really helpful.

Hugs to all. Phyllis

Hello again! Well, its Friday and over here in Crondall its raining, windy and cold (although not amazingly cold considering the time of year!) I knew I shouldn't have talked about my progress because I've definitely gone backwards this week. The heavy coat has returned - but I'm still trying to remain as positive as I can. Its difficult, though, isn't it.

As you say @SilverSlimmer you look well, so nobody knows how much effort goes into what are perceived as 'normal everyday things'. For example, I'm just off to the cinema - doesn't sound like anything but its going to be hard work! I'm taking Leo's huge fur from "The Revenant" with me - and there's no taking it off it seems.

Still, on a positive note - at least I can go to the cinema. I couldn't even watch tv a couple of years ago. I always try and remind myself that I'm much better than I was. We all should, shouldn't we - it helps keep us going!

Happy Friday to you all!

Bean hugs xxxx

Hi@nursebean, I'm so sorry that heavy coat crept up on you again. I try, like you, to remind myself of the harder times and appreciate the good ones. I do wish it would just go away!! We all have lots of living to do.
As for looking good and being sick, I tell people it's like owning a Rolls, it is a great looking car, but if the engine is broken, it still looks great, but doesn't work worth a hoot. that's me, I don't look bad but I think great is a bit of a stretch.
Wishing everyone a great weekend. Hugs, Phyl

As you can see from my progress tracker I`ve fallen off the 5.2 wagon in a big way. You can`t cope with the stress of the diet, then added stress, without something having to go, and there you are. Am in a much better place now , with better support, and have managed to return to fasting, but this time doing the 16.8.
I also have a very effective personal trainer, a 1year old Jack Russell called Stormageddon! Son chose the name, (its from Dr Who).
Storma knows when its time for a walk, and if I`m lying in bed he comes and jumps on me. and generally hassles until I take him out. I have bought a very good lightweight rollator, so I can sit down when I need to. Definately needed it recently in all the wind.
My eating window is 11-7 at the moment. I usually have yogurt or eggs. My doctor is monitoring me so I`ll see her gain in a month. That`s a good incentive for me to keep me on the straight and narrow.
Better get off now and walk that dog.

As you can see from my progress tracker I`ve fallen off the 5.2 wagon in a big way. You can`t cope with the stress of the diet, then added stress, without something having to go, and there you are. Am in a much better place now , with better support, and have managed to return to fasting, but this time doing the 16.8.
I also have a very effective personal trainer, a 1year old Jack Russell called Stormageddon! Son chose the name, (its from Dr Who).
Storma knows when its time for a walk, and if I`m lying in bed he comes and jumps on me. and generally hassles until I take him out. I have bought a very good lightweight rollator, so I can sit down when I need to. Definately needed it recently in all the wind.
My eating window is 11-7 at the moment. I usually have yogurt or eggs. My doctor is monitoring me so I`ll see her gain in a month. That`s a good incentive for me to keep me on the straight and narrow.
Better get off now and walk that dog.

Good to see you @chingola ...a few doglovers on this thread what lovely friends they are.
Cant write much,had a hard week,very good friend died ( known her 55 yrs) Her funeral was Thursday,and ofcourse its knocked the stuffing outa me,and my DD as friend was her godmother. Also,DD fell down stairs yesterday,i think was just so clumsy and tired after the week we've had. No broken bones,lots soreness and bruises tho.
However, like @nursebean said, we must remind selves that we HAVE made progress albeit slow and not linear ..i can recall when i couldnt turn the pages of a newspaper,much less read the contents. So i' m v geateful i got past that stage!
@mountainmyst i love yr rolls royce analogy! xx very clever! X