It’s in the Details, Healthy Eating and Fibromyalgia

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A couple of posts ago I told you that I was making changes in my diet and that I am feeling much improved… it’s true and I am still at it. I thought you might per chance be interested in some more details. If you’re not, well then… you know, you don’t have to read! =)

First of all, back in the beginning to middle of March, I began to be much more conscious of my food choices. I started noticing how much pasta and things that have not so much nutritional value were in my diet. I wanted to make different choices but I really wasn’t exactly sure how or what to do. I felt overwhelmed by the idea of cutting out bread completely or cutting anything out completely, but I knew that I would have to on some level to really get a sense of what makes my body feel better.

Around the third week of March I began to eat nothing but 100% whole wheat when I eat bread/grains. If it is pasta or bread related, I only have it if it is 100% whole wheat. I also eat oatmeal, quinoa and Kashi Go Lean cereal (in moderation and by following the package measurements for one serving). I added more vegetables and fruits to my diet. I just did it. I made the change. When I eat meat, I eat very lean and small (normal sized, the size we are supposed to have, about 4 oz). I use egg whites for making scrambled eggs, it’s not the same, but it does the trick with a little salt, pepper and on a piece of plain 100% whole wheat toast. You know, I’m just doing all of those things that we hear about over and over again.

I’m drinking LOTS of water. If it isn’t water or tea, I don’t drink it. I don’t eat sugary foods, at all, right now. I don’t use butter or margarine. I use olive oil sparingly and I measure it and keep track of how much I’m using when I do use it. I use the MyFitnessPal app to keep track of my calories, not as a stringent rule, but to keep me within guidelines and to keep me in a general state of awareness. These are all things I have been wanting to do for so long, but for some reason I just couldn’t make the switch. And now… I’m doing it. (I have to tell you that a lot of the inspiration for making these changes came from Sue Ingebretson and her book FibroWhyalgia.)

I tell you what I am doing just to share, not as a suggestion that it is what you should do or what is healthiest for you, but just because I can’t believe that I really am in so much less pain. I always knew that it would probably help a great deal, but wow… it really is making a difference for me.

I used to take a large amount of ibuprofen and naproxen sodium daily. I rarely have to take it these days. A typical day prior to this diet change would come to a close in pain, if it didn’t start out that way already. My legs would be aching (quite often really painful), headaches very common, feet tired and sore. Now, I feel about the same at the end of the day as I did at the middle or beginning of the day, just more tired. I am still battling fatigue, but not at the same level I was before. It’s only been a month since I really put change in place … but I recognized the difference in my pain level about two weeks ago.

A major bonus as well as a desired effect is weight loss. I have a goal and I am working towards it. My goal is to be a healthy weight, not skinny or perfect, just what is healthy for me, what feels good and what is going to be beneficial to my health in the long run. I have already lost 10 pounds. I can’t really tell too much, but the scale keeps saying that it’s so… and I am happy about that!

A big part of me sharing this here on my blog is because I feel it’s important to acknowledge that I have a fear of failure, especially once I make it known. I want you all to see the change in me, too, as I become healthier and put my efforts towards a healthier lifestyle. I want to lead by example. Honestly, I am tired of watching other people do it, it’s my turn! But most important, if it might inspire you to put a little bit more awareness into your food choices, then that really makes me happy, because no matter what, our bodies need us to take responsibility for what we put in them.

By the way, I am dealing with muscle spasms in my back this week. So, I don’t want to imply that all of my troubles and fibromyalgia challenges have magically disappeared, but I do believe that I am in a much better place than I was 4 weeks ago. I also feel empowered by taking my health into my own hands in this way, even if it only takes me so far… it is much closer to where I want to be!

*Please do not take any of the above as medical advice, this is what is working now, for me. I am not an expert on diet, nutrition or weight loss, and I do not claim to be one. *