I am just flat out fat. I've always known that I needed to address this, but some things have happened recently that have shown me exactly how fast the worst can happen. How fast you can just be gone. Non-existent. Dead.

I am not the same person I was before I went into the hospital for pneumonia and mg back in September.

So now, finally, I want to do something about it, but I have mg now.

I have no idea how to approach this. CAN I exercise? What kind of limits do I put on myself? What's realistic? Can I ever get fit? Or even just get enough exercise to shed at least a few of these pounds?

Or does everything I do for weight loss and fitness now have to do with which foods I eat?

I'm already discouraged and I haven't even started yet.

Absolutely you can exercise. The MG will put limits on you depending on how severe it is and different limits day to day. You will want to listen very carefully to your body when you are exercising... keep in mind what else you need to do with your day. Don't get discouraged when your body just says "no", try again tomorrow. Get your rest when you need it.

Our local ski slope has been making snow and I cannot wait! I will pay for ski days in down days afterwards, but they're worth it to me.

Mary, Ditto on the exercise. You can do it but it should really be an informed decision made with you, your neurologist and possibly a referral to a physical therapist for suggestions on how to proceed.

You might need some initial help with a plan. Don't be discouraged! First, you have to be okay with who you are right now. And then anything after that is progress. Don't beat yourself up! It doesn't do you any good.

There are simple dietary things you can do but I think you might want to talk to a dietician about it. What is good for one person may not be for another.

Remember that anything too repetitive or sustained can make MG worse. It's a good idea to alternate muscle groups while doing any exercise plan or exercising for smaller amounts of time.

It's also important to not get too heated up, since any increase in body heat can make MG worse. A fan is great to have around to keep you from getting too hot.

I'm sorry you had pneumonia. It can really make MG worse. Have you seen your neurologist since then? If not, that might be a good idea.

I'm overweight too. I do hate it. But I do what I can. I eat an organic, whole foods diet. I only drink water and one cup of coffee a day. I eat good carbs like quinoa and brown rice (I have celiac disease). I make sure I have plenty of fruits and veggies. I use good oils like olive oil. It's really about doing some research, getting some help and seeing what works for you. And it's about common sense. Like Mrs. D., Alice and I have all said, processed foods are not good for the body. I'd go one step further and say that genetically modified foods aren't either.

The most important thing is to not stress out about all of this! It's amazing to me how stress can make MG worse; even little bits of it. See some people/doctors to help you out and set yourself up for success! It's not going to happen overnight, so you might as well have FUN while you do it.

I hope you'll seek out people to help you with both the diet and exercise.

Annie

I have lost a lot of weight (50 pounds in 2 years) even though I don't exercise very much. I cut out most sweets. I eat only very small amounts of meat. I eat no fried foods. I limit breads and starches. And mostly, I just don't eat all that much volume of food. My stomach has shrunk enough that it doesn't bother me that much to eat less now. If you do a crash diet all at once, you most likely won't stick to it. It is better to make lifestyle changes that you can live with.

As a runner, MG has definitely brought on a whole new set of obstacles to overcome in order to continue, but keeping in mind the fluctuations that your body will go through, it's possible. I think the most important thing, once you have a plan, is to listen to your body. I completed my second half marathon (and third race) since my diagnosis on 12/2. Unfortunately, I think I may be paying for it now, since my symptoms flared up on me starting 12/3, which is why I say you have to listen to your body. For me, personally, the push is worth it because I wouldn't trade my running for anything. But that's not necessarily a sacrifice everybody is willing to make

I have had problems with my weight since I was about 12 years old. 2 years ago, I got down to my lowest weight in 20 years and I have gained some of it back because I had to stop running. Each and every time I have tried to exercise I have had 2-4 days of recovery time. I am not giving up on it though. I have some vacation time coming up so I am planning to give it another try. Listening to your body during exercise is important but also planning for recovery is also important.

Since you are new to exercise, you need to start very slow. I recommend getting a heart rate monitor to make sure you are not over exerting, start at low intensity and make sure someone is with you.

I just started eating a low carb diet today so I hoping to get some of this weight back off.

Good luck.