Tag: Chronic illness

Blog, Cheese, Chronic illness, Diet, Exercise, Fibromyalgia, Invisible illness, Motivation

Motivate yourself ? and lose weight….

Spiral-White
appetite apple close up delicious
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

If you’re trying to lose weight your probably also trying to find the answer to this question.

It’s even more difficult to do when you’ve got a chronic illness, like fibromyalgia, sapping all your energy and enthusiasm.

I know I lack motivation.

It’s something I’ve been trying to unlock the secret to.

It’s especially true for my diet.

Since my carer went on a low fat diet recently and lost a lot of weight. I’ve also cut back on saturated fat, cheese and cake.

sliced cheese on brown table top
Photo by NastyaSensei Sens on Pexels.com

Now I try to eat low fat alternatives, which is not always easy.

My body wants to eat snacks and other unhealthy food.

I asked my carer how he managed to stay motivated enough to only eat certain foods.

He said he eats enough at meal times to feel full up and only snacks on fruit and healthy alternatives, when he is hungry.

He added.

Once your mind is set on achieving a target weight it’s easier to get motivated to keep working towards it.

Regularly checking your weight and keeping up exercise  which helps to keep the weight down.It’s obviously a formula that’s working for him.

But everyone is different and what works for one person is not necessarily going to help someone else.

You may remember my post about Keeping Positive and Motivated with Fibromyalgia from earlier in the year. I suggested a number of ways to reprogram the mindset, using positive thinking.

I read recently that the opposite is true for some people. Looking at things in a negative way motivates them more. Although I find it difficult to recommend using this technique to motivate, due to the downward spiral of thoughts it can trigger.

I have noticed that it has worked for me in the past. For instance the negative comments of others inspire me to prove them wrong. When someone says,

”You can’t achieve —————”.

”You’re be unable to complete ———“.

I will always prove them wrong and work really hard to achieve that target and surpass it.

Its a bit like us fibro warriors when we pretend to be well and not ill. We’re constantly striving to show we can do things, we want to engage in life and contribute.

To sum up, choosing the best way forward to motivate yourself is something that can be down to trial and error.

A period of experimentation could be helpful to find the way forward. Loosing weight is down to choosing the best motivational techniques for you.

assorted sliced fruits
Photo by Trang Doan on Pexels.com
Blog, Chronic illness, Fibromyalgia, Invisible illness

What do you say to someone with #Fibromyalgia?…..

Spiral-White
white and red plastic heart balloon on sky during daytime
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

One huge difficulty of living with #fibromyalgia is it’s an #invisible illness; others assume you are well because there’s no physical evidence of being ill.

In my personal struggle with fibromyalgia this single fact has caused me the most stress over the last 15 years.

You may ask, if you know someone or meet someone with fibromyalgia. What should you say?

Show them compassion and listen to them. Just taking the time to talk about it in a non judgmental way will help.

Let them know you want to help them if they need it.

It’s difficult to ask for help when you are struggling.

Give an open invitation to join in or not if it’s a bad day.

Not feeling under pressure to attend, as symptoms come and go without any warning. Being included is important and can help to distract the mind from pain.

Try to avoid this….

I have Fibromyalgia.

When I meet people, l explain this

They think it’s a fake illness,

Or I’m lying,

because:

I appear normal

They say,

‘You don’t look ill’

I’ll reply,

You wouldn’t be able to see anything…

It’s an invisible illness,

It doesn’t make me grow two heads đŸ‘„

It’s not a disease that turns my head bright purple 👿

Or make my eyeballs enlarge to the size of plates 🔘

As ridiculous as these examples are….

I ask

Would you believe me then?…

And

What don’t you believe?…

Why do I have to constantly prove the validity of my illness

with cross questioning?

Such as…

Perhaps it’s because you are stressed?….

It’s all in your head….

You’re imagining it….

It can’t be as bad as you describe….

All of the above questions are not helpful;

I thought you had more intelligence than that.

So, What is fibromyalgia?

Briefly, it affects the skeletal muscles throughout the body, causing varying degrees of pain.

The pain ranges in severity from day to day and it is affected by temperature,

stress

and the amount of physical activity carried out.

Fibromyalgia sufferers commonly experience a range of different types of pain.

The pain can range from a sharp stabbing pain,

an ache

and a burning pain.

Other symptoms that can be experienced are

fatigue,

poor sleep quality,

stiffness,

IBS,

headaches,

cognitive problems

“Fibro fog”,

depression,

dizziness,

anxiety

and painful periods.

The NHS description of fibromyalgia gives more information about the condition.

If you have just been diagnosed and are trying to find links to support groups and the online community. Have a look at the organisations below and also Facebook groups.

UK Fibromyalgia is a brilliant site that covers a wide range of information about fibromyalgia.

Also

Fibromyalgia Association  is a registered charity that provides information and help to sufferers.

Blog, Chronic illness, Fibromyalgia, Invisible illness, Uncategorised, Work

Your working, with fibromyalgia?

Spiral-White

Yes

I’ve had fibromyalgia since 2004 and have kept working.

How?

Fibromyalgia is not a degenerative disease; studies have shown, for most sufferers it will stay the same or improve. Knowing this fact can help to give you a positive outlook on your future. Perhaps working towards small achievable goals to improve your health.

My story 

When I was first diagnosed and before this.  I felt tired, fatigued and had pain in my body for months that just got worse. Nothing I did seemed to help. To some extent it was a relief to find out what was wrong.  I had managed to keep working and had odd days off.  These days stretched into longer periods of time off. 

After the fibromyalgia diagnosis, I slowly started to learn, how to manage my symptoms on a daily basis. Finding out my limitations and how much I could do without making my symptoms worse or triggering a flare up took time to find out. I found stress played a big part in making symptoms worse. Making sure I took adequate rest breaks during the day was essential. 

At some point during these initial first weeks you will want to consider what changes you need to make in your life to help manage fibromyalgia symptoms. One of them may be to re-evaluate your work choices. Perhaps looking at alternative jobs after doing thorough research.

Thinking about what would help you do your existing job and talking to your employer is worth considering. Beforehand gather together evidence to support your diagnosis such as doctors letters. Get the support of your superior and other more senior staff.  Explain what your symptoms are and how they affect you. Perhaps taking along a diary of symptoms, would be easier to illustrate how to adapt your job. Approach this in a positive way showing you can be flexible.

If you are newly diagnosed, your first step could be to educate others working with you, what fibromyalgia is. Your relationship with colleagues is important when your working, if they have a understanding of your condition it will help you feel more confident about work.

Things that could help you……

If you live in the UK have a look at the following information.

If your looking for a job, finding work with an employer in the UK who is disability confident can make a difference. Depending on what they have signed up to they are encouraged to recruit new staff and retain existing employees who would be defined under the equality act 2010 as having a disability.

The equality act 2010 states that all employers in the UK must make reasonable adjustments  for people with disabilities, or a long term health condition, so they aren’t disadvantaged when carrying out their jobs. 

Your employer can look at ways you can adapt your role, within the reasonable adjustments criteria. This could include switching your working hours to more suitable times or looking at special equipment to help you carry out your role. 

A UK access to work  assessment may be able to highlight things you have overlooked that could help you carry out your work. The assessor contacts you to find out more about your circumstances and makes recommendations to suit you.

So, what else can I do?

I personally think that having a long term health condition has made me more aware of my health and well-being. I look after myself better than some of my peers.

Because I need to exercise regularly to keep my body moving I have a very good awareness of what I need to do to keep as fit and healthy as possible.

Take a look at my pages on

Exercise

Diet and Irritable Bowel Syndrome and

Fibromyalgia Self Help.

Telling your family and friends and explaining how it affects you. With their support you will be able to achieve more.

Having a positive mental attitude and setting yourself realistic goals. I use meditation to help me find focus and a positive direction in my daily life. Follow my link to meditation  for information about this.

Lastly…post me your experiences of working with fibromyalgia and other related illnesses.

Blog, Cheese, Chronic illness, Diet, Exercise, Fibromyalgia, Invisible illness, Motivation

Motivate yourself ? and lose weight….

Spiral-White
appetite apple close up delicious
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

If you’re trying to lose weight your probably also trying to find the answer to this question.

It’s even more difficult to do when you’ve got a chronic illness, like fibromyalgia, sapping all your energy and enthusiasm.

I know I lack motivation.

It’s something I’ve been trying to unlock the secret to.

It’s especially true for my diet.

Since my carer went on a low fat diet recently and lost a lot of weight. I’ve also cut back on saturated fat, cheese and cake.

sliced cheese on brown table top
Photo by NastyaSensei Sens on Pexels.com

Now I try to eat low fat alternatives, which is not always easy.

My body wants to eat snacks and other unhealthy food.

I asked my carer how he managed to stay motivated enough to only eat certain foods.

He said he eats enough at meal times to feel full up and only snacks on fruit and healthy alternatives, when he is hungry.

He added.

Once your mind is set on achieving a target weight it’s easier to get motivated to keep working towards it.

Regularly checking your weight and keeping up exercise  which helps to keep the weight down.It’s obviously a formula that’s working for him.

But everyone is different and what works for one person is not necessarily going to help someone else.

You may remember my post about Keeping Positive and Motivated with Fibromyalgia from earlier in the year. I suggested a number of ways to reprogram the mindset, using positive thinking.

I read recently that the opposite is true for some people. Looking at things in a negative way motivates them more. Although I find it difficult to recommend using this technique to motivate, due to the downward spiral of thoughts it can trigger.

I have noticed that it has worked for me in the past. For instance the negative comments of others inspire me to prove them wrong. When someone says,

”You can’t achieve —————”.

”You’re be unable to complete ———“.

I will always prove them wrong and work really hard to achieve that target and surpass it.

Its a bit like us fibro warriors when we pretend to be well and not ill. We’re constantly striving to show we can do things, we want to engage in life and contribute.

To sum up, choosing the best way forward to motivate yourself is something that can be down to trial and error.

A period of experimentation could be helpful to find the way forward. Loosing weight is down to choosing the best motivational techniques for you.

assorted sliced fruits
Photo by Trang Doan on Pexels.com