Hey Hey Hey!!!
I am so excited to announce that I am over 50 pounds down since I started my weight loss journey! Yep. 53 to be exact. π If you read my post about how I lost the first 40 pounds, then you know that I am losing all my weight without strict dieting and very limited exercise. I have fibromyalgia, so unfortunately, I can’t stick to a regular workout regimen. The only “exercise” I do regularly is go on 1/2 mile walks at least once or twice a day. This is more for managing my overall pain level and clearing my headspace than it is for actual exercise. On days when I have it in me (and feel like it) I will do pilates, moderate weight training and ab work. I can count on one hand the number of times I actually “exercise” every month, if you want a clearer picture of how frequently I really do that.
I reached the number on the scale that I thought I wanted, but now that I’m there, I still don’t have the look I want. Just another reason why the scale is a liar and you should just toss it out altogether. Unfortunately, I have a hopeless addiction to mine, so I’m hoarding it for now. My goal, at this point, (and what it should have been all along) is to feel great, clear headed and have defined abs. Since I shared my own tricks on how to lose weightΒ I have had lots of questions about what exactly my diet consists of. Well…. at this point I am eating a somewhat vegetarian diet but adding chicken, eggs and fish (not often) in there. I will tell you that it took me a loooooong time to get to a point where that’s all I wanted to eat. While it took awhile to adjust to those eating habits, it’s going to last a hell of a lot longer than any yo-yo or other diet fad I’ve seen and tried in the past. That was the point though. I didn’t force myself to change my ways all at once. I identified what it was I didn’t like and came up with (what I thought) was the best way to change it. I didn’t like how groggy and sluggish I felt; or how jacked up my digestive system got when I ate certain foods. So I found what worked for me.
Okay okay. So back to the point. What I eat. I figure, the best way to tell you is to make a list and link my favorite foods for meals and snacks where I can, or at least give you a quick rundown of what’s in it. Here we go!
Breakfast
-Old fashioned rolled oats (NOT quick oats) with stevia and berries.
-Rice Krispies with whole milk (it’s what my kids drink, so I do too every couple of weeks)
-Grapefruit sprinkled with coconut sugar
-Toast with mashed avocado and a fried egg – I like my mashed avocado with salt, pepper and little granulated garlic and my egg over medium
-Scrambled eggs and bacon/ham
-Warm croissant
– Plain greek yogurt – add a tablespoon of honey or agave and top with berries
Lunch and Snacks
Sandwich – white bread, avocado or mayo spread, onion, tomato, lettuce, lunchmeat, and provolone is what I always make.
Spring Green or spinach salad – I use a small handful of greens and go all out with my toppings: egg, sunflower seeds, onion, tomato, black beans, chickpeas, cucumber, cheese… You can literally throw whatever you want into a salad, they aren’t all bad π I use Olive Garden dressing on mine because it’s my favorite… You can add it to your bill for (I think) $5.
Leftovers from dinner (this are listed below) π
Fruit and veggie plate
Egg Salad – love it on a romaine leaf, you can eat it like a taco!
Tuna Salad – I use tuna canned in water, drained. Add mayo, dill relish, salt and pepper. I also eat this like a taco on romaine.
Tortilla Chips and salsa
Apple and any kind of nut butter
Babybel cheese round
Cheddar and mozzarella cheese stick
Boom Chicka Pop – The most amazeballs kettle corn EVER!
Dinner
Chicken nuggets – I cut the chicken into nugget sized pieces, coat with flour, dip in egg and add to a bag of flour, salt and pepper and shake. Then I fry them in coconut oil until browned and cooked through.
Fajitas – chicken fajitas are my fav. I use this seasoning and follow the direction on the back. I also use corn tortillas, but flour tortillas work too
Sloppy Joes
Cheeseburgers
Chicken breast – pound till its an even thickness across the breast. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cook in coconut oil on the stove top. I make 6-8 breasts at a time so that I can use it for sandwiches, salads or leftovers for another meal.
Tacos
Steak tips – soak tips in a marinade of equal parts BBQ, Worsteshire and Teriyaki sauces overnight and cook on the grill
Pizza
Spaghetti squash with meat sauce (I only ever use sausage in my meat sauce, but you can use hamburger too)
Zoodles – Spiral zucchini noodles as small as you can and place in colander. Cook pasta of choice and strain the water SLOWLY over the noodles in the colander. Let the pasta sit on top and soften the noodles. Mix together with pesto (basil, olive oil, salt and pepper puree) and parmesan.
Dessert
Halo Top Ice Cream – Strawberry and Chocolate are my favorite. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a protein packed pint of ice cream that is no more than 380 calories (highest I’ve seen) for the ENTIRE PINT. Sometimes…. it’s my dinner. π
Skinny Cow Ice Cream – peanut butter chocolate is my fav
Cool whip and strawberries – I cut the strawberries into halves or quarters and mix it with the cool whip
Angle food cake with cool whip and strawberries – I kinda have a thing for cool whip and strawberries… π
Banana breadΒ – My husband is a banana bread connoisseur and swears this recipe is THE BEST. Any time I make a different one, he always knows. I think the secret is in the greek yogurt. π
Trail Mix – Monster Trail Mix from Target is the bees knees, it’s got m&ms in it π
Cheesecake
So there you have it. I really don’t go crazy with what I eat, I just eat slowly and only until I am satisfied; even if that means wrapping up the second half of my sandwich for later. Portion control is key when losing weight. I eat things that make me feel good and energized as opposed to sluggish and tired. As for drinks, I drink mostly water, sometimes with lemon, and have the occasional cocktail in the evenings. I try to keep soda to a minimum and only ever drink Coke Zero, Fountain Pepsi, or Root Beer. I hope that my list of go-to foods helps you with your weight loss journey too!
28 Comments on 50 Pounds Down: Losing Weight While Battling Fibromyalgia
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Hi! I have fibromyalgia, arthritis and scerlodoma. I’m so glad to have found your blog thru Pinterest. I also related with several other comments that were posted. I need to loose 80 pounds. I was depressed, in pain and tired but am getting excited to start this diet. On top of my lunch break I get 2 fifteen min breaks that I can use to walk around the building. I have a plan and writing it down will help it to manifest. Good luck everyone.
Thank you for sharing! Good luck to you too!
Have a great week.
-Danielle
You may possibly discover some similarities between Pilates and yoga, For those who did yoga before. While yoga focuses on building strength through an inner workout, Pilates, on the other hand, focuses on exercises such as building core strength. The principles of yoga and Pilates are exactly the same.
Hi Laurie!
That makes total sense. Both work so well for me when it comes to pain management for my fibromyalgia.
Have a weekend!
-Danielle
I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you create this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz respond as I’m looking to create my own blog and would like to find out where u got this from. thank you
Hi!!
I am obsessed with all things girly (if you couldn’t tell ?). My theme is from Bluchic.com and I can’t speak highly enough about them and their service. Even on holidays, I’ve had quick responses to any and all of my questions. I also love Pretty Darn Cute and https://shop.restored316designs.com . You really can’t go wrong with any of those, I’ve used them all. Good luck in your venture!
-Dani
Hmm it appears like your blog ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I wrote and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I too am an aspiring blog writer but I’m still new to the whole thing. Do you have any tips for newbie blog writers? I’d definitely appreciate it.
Hey Annett!
The best tip I can give someone who is just starting out is to write write write and the write some more. The more backlog of posts you can create, the better. Also, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there because you are afraid of what others are going to say. I’ve waited years to perfect numerous things and have missed out on more opportunities than I’d like to admit. I listen to the Jenna Kutcher Podcast as often as I can because I feel like she’s holding my hand and walking me through the stresses of business/life with hope that the solution is right around the corner.
Send me an email me at hello@mommywithahobbyortwo.com so we can chit chat more. ?
Have a fantastic weekend!
Danielle
Hi Annett!
I’m sorry to hear that your first comment was eaten up, I’m sure I would’ve enjoyed reading it! That said, the best advice I would give a newbie would be to write, write, write and then write some more. Having a backlog of posts to pick from and publish will make life a lot less stressful than I had it. I hit publish a little too soon on my first post and did not have a backlog. This made me feel like I was constantly behind, was very discouraging and made things a lot more stressful than they had to be. Feel free to email me at hello@mommywithahobbyortwo.com and we can chat some more if you’d like! In the meantime, check out this post I wrote after blogging for a few months and realizing that I didn’t know a ton of things going in, I hope it helps!
Good luck!!
-Danielle
Hi Danielle!
I am a breast cancer survivor with Fibromyalgia and have gained 60 pounds over the years. I have been trying Weight Watchers Free style for about a year and only can lose about 5 pounds! I was homeless and living out of my car and hotels for 3 years since working a steady job became impossible with my pain. I just remarried 7 months ago and now starting to feel less stressed and able to eat better. No sugar and no caffeine is most helpful for me! I see from other comments that the water bloating is painful as I have found in my legs. I went off my meds because of the side effects and stomach issues and just take Aleeve D when my leg pain is really bad, it reduces the water, reduces the pain and helps keep my bladder from leaking. I use it when I want to go do something so I can get through the day.
You have inspired me not to give up! The scale is evil so you are right that itβs just about feeling better!
Dianna
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I am so excited we found each other! It’s so nice to hear that you’ve been eliminating some of the pain you have by adjusting your meds. As good as they can be, taking lots of meds sucks. I can’t wait to hear more about your journey!
Hi Danielle!
I am a breast cancer survivor with Fibromyalgia and have gained 60 pounds over the years. I have been trying Weight Watchers Free style for about a year and only can lose about 5 pounds! I was homeless and living out of my car and hotels for 3 years since working a steady job became impossible with my pain. I just remarried 7 months ago and now starting to feel less stressed and able to eat better. No sugar and no caffeine is most helpful for me! I see from other comments that the water bloating is painful as I have found in my legs. I went off my meds because of the side effects and stomach issues and just take Aleeve D when my leg pain is really bad, it reduces the water, reduces the pain and helps keep my bladder from leaking. I use it when I want to go do something so I can get through the day.
You have inspired me not to give up! The scale is evil so you are right that itβs just about feeling better!
HI Danielle:
Wanted to share with you something I discovered that has helped with my pain from Fibromyalgia and Neuropathy.
I began to realize that my pain would dramatically increase, with even the slightest fluid retention in my feet. At first I just asked for add’l pain meds because the swelling was very minimal. Then I thought, I’m going to starting looking at my salt (sodium) intake. WOW!!, were my eyes opened to how much sodium is in almost all prepackaged food. Anything fast food, anything in a box – even my coconut/almond milk was loaded with it. And cheese – forget it!
So I began to get my sodium intake down to nearly nothing. Amazingly I felt so much better that I often required much less meds. It also meant I didn’t have to take a prescription diuretic (one less medication).
I’m not saying this is easy, it not. However, my pain was dictating my entire life and the sacrifice was worth it.
Just hoping this could help someone else as it did me.
Hi Randy!
Thank you so my for sharing! I hadn’t really thought much about that, but it definitely makes sense. Thanks again!
– Danielle
How do you do with flour bread? I flare bad with it.
Hi Diana! I tend to flare more with white bread Iβve discovered, so I switched to a nut and grain bread. Iβve also been trying some new βflourlessβ recipes but havenβt found any super yummy yet. When I do, I will share for sure!
I hope you have a great week!
Danielle
Zoodles look great! I wanna try this tonight! Thanks for the recipe.
They are soooo good! Let me know what you think!
– Danielle
Iβm a man with Fibro and my doctor recently put me on an elimination diet. As I read your list of foods you eat, Iβm sitting here saying out loud, βNope, canβt have that. Nope, not that one. That either. Are you kidding me?! She eats that and still lost weight?!!β For me, itβs not just the weight, but doc wants me to get inflammatory-causing foods out of my diet. Nonetheless, your success does inspire me.
Hi Kevin! Thank you so much for reading. π I am not super familiar with an elimination diet as I’ve never tried it myself, is it similar to Whole 30? That said, in this post I went into in depth detail about how I changed the way I ate and how much I ate in a way that was (hopefully) applicable to everyone’s lifestyle/dietary needs. Adjusting those two things, I believe, was the key to my success. It is most certainly possible and you might actually have an advantage in your limitations because there’s no question about should, when or how much you can eat of a particular food. I seriously limit the amount of carbs and sugar I eat because they seem to make me flare ups more than not. Definitely keep me updated on your progress! I love hearing success stories π
-Danielle
I also have fibro. I am curious if you put on extra weight due to medication or lifestyle reasons. I know some medications cause insane weight gain so I’ve found other solutions to avoid using them for a variety of reasons. Plus diet and lifestyle changes actually worked better for me. My huge issue is learning to change my eating habits when I’m in pain. I tend to binge eat to soothe the pain when it’s high and I still struggle with that. My weight bounces up and down between two-three sizes on a semi-regular basis so it’s a struggle to find the right balance. Apple cider vinegar really does help though, I’ve found. I love kombucha! And improving my gut health by treating it like leaky gut did amazing things for me. Congrats on your journey to a healthier lifestyle!
Hi Rebecca!
I definitely think medication had something to do with my initial weight gain. I was pregnant twice, very close together and then put on a new medication shortly after I gave birth to my second daughter. It didn’t make me gain more weight, but it definitely didn’t help me lose any after her birth either. I’ve never heard of kombucha, it looks like something I should try. I started looking into symptoms of leaky gut but hadn’t made any changes yet. Knowing it’s working for someone else with fibro definitely gives me the motivation to!
Have a great weekend!
-Danielle
Hi Danielle. Your post has totally changed my mind about losing weight. I also have fibromyalgia and have gained about 40 pounds as I can’t exercise either because of the pain or the extreme fatigue and pain I will feel for days after exerting myself. I actually took notes on both of your posts about losing the weight and i am heading to the store. Thank you for writing this post and taking the time to share your experience. You truly touched my life. I can do this!
I can’t wait to see where your journey takes you Julie! I’m sure you will have lots of success! My doctor switched up my meds and I gained 15 pounds back in the last two months, so I’m diving in again and pairing it with intermittent fasting too, a 16 – 8 rotation. 16 hours only water and 8 hours of “eating time”. I am usually feeling too sick to eat in the morning so I do an 11-7 eating period. So far, I’m down 3 pounds. Fingers crossed we can do this!
Have a wonderful evening!
Danielle
Hey Rebecca I love this post! Unfortunately I was also diagnosed with silent larynx disease which means I canβt have anything acidic, no peppers, seasonings, oranges ACV etc. Iβve been gaining so much weight do you have any suggestions for me? My diet is so limited and I feel like Iβm losing myself to this!
Hi Katherine,
Danielle here, I wrote the post. ? As far as recommendations for you, I’m not sure I can confidently recommend specific foods to you. That said, I would see a nutritionist and have a food sensitivity test done. After you know what you can’t have, try to build a meal plan around that. If you want to talk further, please feel free to email me at hello@mommywithahobbyortwo.com I’m very intrigued by your unfortunate situation and feel like we could learn from each other.
Talk soon!
-Danielle
I’ve been taking 800 mg a day of Sam-E. It helps with the pain and anxiety I have without any side effects.
I haven’t heard of that before. I’ll have to look into it. Do you find it effective?
-Dani