Diary of a "sick" girl

JennyMominRI

JennyMominRI

New member
Diary of a "sick" woman

That is the label I wear as a survivor of AIDS and AIDS related cardiomyopathy..I've had congestive heart failure and mini-strokes.So while I need to exercise I need to be careful.
I'm really not that overweight. I'm just overweight enough that I'm concerned about it causing more work for my heart I need to lose 30 to really be whare I want to be...
I was always a pretty thin,but nicely curved girl.. In 1998 when I started on the life saving protease inhibitors I gained 30 pounds..I've been fighting with that 30 pounds ever since..Its hard..My energy level is low..I don't know if it's the disease or the fact that while I eat healthy meals I love junk..I also hate to exercise. I can always cut down on the food,but it's the exercise that gets me. I'm determined that this time I WILL exercise.

So here's to a new lifestyle
:cheers2:
 
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OK some more info just to get started...I've had HIV since 1991..I was diagnosed while on active duty in the Marines..I was given HIV by my ex husband..My current husband is not HIV + neither are my kids.
I'm pretty darned healthy. I've been hospitalized 2 times in the last 17 years, once with CHF and one with mini-strokes. I'm more than healthy enough for diet and exercise...As I don't have a ton to lose I'm plannig to do it slowly, maybe a pound a week.
I'm going on a Transatlantic cruise and spending a couple weeks in Europe next April..I'd love to look great for this, my first trip to Europe.
 
OK..My goals so far
Lose around 1 pound a week
Exercise at least 1/2 hour 5 times a week.
No binging
Allow myself a treat 1 day a week.
Keep calories below 1600. As My wieght loss goal is slow and steady this should allow for a loss if I exercise too.
 
Here's one of my problems...I have no appetite at all in the AM..IT's almost noon and I haven't eaten. I've tried but I'm just not hungry.. I'm about to make a wrap with a sun dried tomato tortillas, roasted red pepper hummus and lean turkey breast...Too bad I won't enjoy it..
Todays fitness goal is one episode of Shimmy, belly Dancing class and one of the other 30 minute aerobic shows I have taped.
 
It think you're doing great and have strong, meetable goals! :) If you can't eat in the morning, that's okay, just adjust your meals. :)
 
If you've got no appetitie, what about a protein shake or something along that lines...

Is it your AIDS medications that cause the lack of hunger or have you always been like that?

Have fun with the belly dancing -that's agreat workout -and even better -it can be done in bare feet :)
 
maleficent said:
If you've got no appetitie, what about a protein shake or something along that lines...

Is it your AIDS medications that cause the lack of hunger or have you always been like that?

Have fun with the belly dancing -that's agreat workout -and even better -it can be done in bare feet :)
Click to expand...

I've never been hungry in the morning..In fact when I went to boot camp they noticed I never ate in the morning..They forced me to eat before a run one day and I got sick on the run..They left me alone after that..I'm starving at night though and could eat everything in the house.
 
You can do it!

I think you are an inspiration, you are doing what it takes to live healthy and we all can just try our best. I think sharing is a wonderful thing, I understand about the not hungry thing, but like you said about lunch you will eat it even if not enjoy it, that is good it shows you are willing to do what it takes to give your body the nutrients it needs to move throughout. I sometimes have to force myself to eat, it is not fun, but I know in the long run the needed calories will improve my energy and health the right way. I am wishing you nothing but good thoughts!
 
I was good. I did 40 minutes of exercise..Tomorrow I want to do a bit more..I at well.I had some whole wheat pasta with summer squash spinich etc..I really love spinich...I allowed myself a treat of one spoonful of coconut gelato..Yes, just one..Oh it was soooo good..The only bad thing I had was 1/3 of a California pizza Kitchen flatbread for dinner..It was a 400calories meal, so really that's not bad ..I'm a soda addict and was good and just had 2 today..Hopefully tomorrow I will have lost a few more ounces.
 
I've been pretty good the last few days..I have belly danced 45 miutes per day for the last 4 day.. IT's a lot harder than it looks and I can feel it in my legs and my arms.. I have burned , through exorcise,729 of the 1050 calories I set as my goal for the week.
I'm eating very well, no cheating..If I'm good all day I allow myself on big spoonful of the coconut Gelato I have in the freezer... It's a tiny package and 4/5 of it is still there.. I am having touble getting enough iron and fiber in my diet.. I made Lentil soup yesterday and that had plenty..It just seems really hard to get enough fiber.
I'm not weighing myself for a few days..This is a bad TOM to weigh myself.
 
Well I am down another pound..I reached last weeks goal of burning 1100 calories through exercise..I exercised 5 days out of 7 with 4 of those days being 45 minutes.
I haven't had any junk food and so far I'm not missing it..I have already stopped buying soda, my addiction and now plan to cut most or all caffeine..That will be tough as I get migraines if I go without it..I guess I will just have to do it gradually.
Has anyone watched You are What You Eat on BBC America? Wow, that's show is good..IT's amazing the transformations.

Todays food so far..
Well ,OK I was a little bad. 3 pieces of bacon, 2 eggs piece of whole wheat toast and a banana..IT was around 500 calories
Lunch was a bean burrito on a whole wheat tortilla with fresh salsa and red leaf lettuce.

Snack was grapes
 
Hi Jenny and welcome! Thanks for visitng my diary and your kind words on my celebration on being smoke free for one year.

I can't begin to imagine what your life is like...I've never known anyone who is HIV positive or who has AIDS...or at least nobody that I was aware of.

I hear belly dancing is great exercise and lots of fun. A cruise is a great incentive to keep with the program though. :)
 
Judy, the sad thing is, you may know someone with AIDS you just might not know that you know them..I know that a couple years ago the stats were that one in every 273 Americans was HIV pos.. The number is probably higher now


I fit in my skinny jeans!..I did not it in them 3 weeks ago ..I've lost 8.5 pounds now.. I'm eating healthy foods and I'm not feeling hungry..I haven't had a soda in 2 weeks.. I've got my caffeine down from 6-7 caffeinated drinks a day to 1-2.
The only non healthy thing I've eaten is the blueberry muffin I had from Dunkin Donuts this morning.
I'm doing well..Even my kids and husband have pretty much cut out all of the junk..Hubby's pants are a little loose.. He's not overweight..He was but he lost 65 pounds or so during his 3 months in the hospital..He has gained back 20 and is now at a healthy weight..I don't want anything taxing that fake aortic valve.
WE still don't know if they put in a pig valve or a cow valve..I regularly ask him if he has the urge to oink or moo...He doesn't find it as amusing as I do.
 
Most of you probably don't remember me. I posted here for a short time.Well there is nothing like a 1 year break. I did lose 12 of the 28 or so pounds I wanted to lose and I kept 10 of them off. It's time to get back to work. It's been a crazy year of health issues. My husbands health related to his Aortic Dissection and not my health.
I did have my anti-Hiv meds fail recently and my tcells plummeted. I've got to get my health back on track and get my immune system going. They have changed my medications but we don't know yet if they will work. I can do my part with healthy eating and exercise.
 
I made home made mongolian BBQ today with whole wheat pasta and lots of veggies. I've got extra for tomorrow. IT''s base is sauce and a dash of water so there is no cooking in oil involved.
Eating healthy for the next week or so will be tough. I'm an emotional eater and my husband is on vacation in Philly and Las Vegas this week. We don't do well apart. What I really want to staunch my loneliness is cheesecake. I can't believe I thought that stuff was gross when I was a kid.
Tomorrow I will walk to the farm stand down the street. They don't have a ton of stuff but I should be able to get a decent amount of fruit and veggies.
I took some pictures today of me at my current weight,but I'm going to wait until I've lost a little to post them.
I really should stop watching Food TV
 
I tried to change my title from Girl to women. I''m pushing 40 so I'm no girl anymore. It's hard to accept that you are aging.
Today will be a quiet day. I had a Spinach and cheese omelet made with 1 regular egg and 2 egg white. I have a small piece of Flat Iron steak to cook for dinner tonight.
I've been working with Rosetta Stone for a year and a half now. I've completed RS German and I'm not on level 2 of RS French. I will spend a couple of hours doing that and I will get in some exercise too.
There is not a ton of food in the house as grocery day is Tuesday. I'm determined to make do with what we have.
I can't wait for fall, as I cook a lot more then
I am sitting here trying to figure out my weaknesses.
MY first problem is that I am not hungry in the AM. When I was in Marine Corp bootcamp they actually forced me to eat breakfast. After I got sick during the working PT run they stopped making me eat. I try to keep fiber one bars around to at least get something to eat,or even make a smoothie. Maybe I can drink breakfast?
I'm starving at night. That's probably because I'm not hungry early in the day. I am a night person. That is when I am energetic and hungry.
I have a huge weakness for potato chips. I read someone elses diary and she mentioned that chips were her crack. Well, that's me. I could eat them for breakfast , lunch and dinner. I'm just going to try not to buy them. I always justify it by buying just one bag.
 
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What I would suggest with your morning meals is start by having something light and liquid - like a glass of orange/apple/grape juice. It's important to get the calories in but at this stage I wouldn't even bother being worried about what it is that you are consuming. Gradually start to incorporate solid foods into your breakfast meals over time. Breakfast is so important for so many reasons, but I realize it's a challenge.

You could also try going for a walk right after you get up in the morning. Take a 1/2 hour and do a power walk around the neighborhood. This might help work up an appetite.

Your body has probably adapted to the fact that you don't eat in the morning. And as such, is not sending you the 'signal' to eat. Overeating at night time may also be a culprit in you feeling 'satisfied' in the morning. Try to eat less from dinner on and see if that changes anything for you.
 
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