Weight, Exercise, and Lifestyle

Less than a year after I was diagnosed with M.S., my extended family celebrated Thanksgiving.  During the previous Thanksgiving, I was stumbling around and holding onto furniture, so this one was markedly better.  But with the holidays, comes stress, and with stress M.S. flair-ups inevitably follow.  I had been fortunate enough to avoid any major flair-ups since my diagnosis.  The ones I experienced were minor and temporary; an occasional bout with imbalance, weakness, or fatigue; sometimes slight banding.

That day, after a full Thanksgiving dinner, the banding set in.  This time, it was stronger, tighter.  M.S. patients have described this sensation as a tightening of the muscles around the abdomen and chest that is often comparable to a heart attack.  As a matter of fact, many have made that trip to the E.R. fearing that very thing.  You may have difficulty breathing and find that the pain is incredible.  (Whoever dubbed it the M.S. hug should be taken out and wrapped in tight metal bands until they beg for mercy.  It is as much like a hug as a house fire is like a birthday candle.) 

Yes, it scared me but I recognized it for what it was.  But here’s the thing; after eating a huge meal, the banding pushed every bit of fat around my waist to my stomach area.  It was truly uncomfortable.  Talk about trying to hold your belly in!  This began to happen more and more frequently, to the point where a student in a class where I was subbing asked me when my baby was due.  I was 47 years old, so you know I wasn’t planning on having any more babies.  Before Christmas, I decided that if I wanted to get through this I’d have to lose some weight; the less fat there is to push around, the less discomfort I’d suffer through when it hit, right?  Also, the more weight you carry, the harder your muscles and joints have to work to support it.  Basic movement becomes a lot harder than it has to be. 

So I found a diet that worked for me.  That sounds a lot easier than it was. In fact, if you’re like me and have always loved good food, then you know how hard this can be.  I lost 50 lbs. on the “Flat Belly Diet” and have managed to keep it off for about five years now.  It helped a lot, and boy did I LOVE the compliments I got.  I still band, especially when I’m tired or stressed, but it isn’t as hard to handle now.  The added benefit for me is that now my blood sugar and blood pressure are also in control.  Those were a big problem before.

Along the same line, exercise also made a difference.  M.S. robs you of strength in your limbs and causes spasticity especially around the joints.  I have a hard time with walking very far or running at all for obvious reasons, so I began riding an exercise bike for 30 minutes every night just to keep my knees flexible and my legs strong, but it had the added bonus of a decent workout.  I also do yoga each morning for about 30 minutes.  It’s a simple routine that helps me to focus, relieve stress, and strengthen my muscles.  It also helps me manage pain and increases my flexibility.  I’ve always been about as flexible as a steel rod, so this is a big thing for me.

I’ll spend more time with healthy foods, yoga and other workouts on another blog, but here’s what you can hopefully take away today. 

1.       If you can manage it, keep your weight down.  It’s tough, but it really makes a huge difference in the way you feel.  Find a diet that you can stay on, and once you lose the weight, maintain it with sensible eating.  I try to eat a healthy diet with smaller portions now. I still splurge on deserts but with some common sense it works.

2.       Find a workout that you like and can keep up on a regular basis.  I love my stationary bike because I can listen to a book on audio while I’m riding.  I love yoga because it keeps me strong, flexible, and much calmer.  By the way, if being with others makes it easier to work out, then by all means, go to a class or a gym!  If you prefer to do this privately, there are lots of available workouts on Hulu, Netflix, DVD, etc.  

If you have a busy lifestyle, and most of us do, then you really have to make an effort to incorporate these into your daily routine.  But please don’t put them off. Your doctor can help you decide the best way for you to handle diet and exercise.  Do yourself a favor and be proactive.  As an M.S. patient, if you don’t take care of yourself, then someone else will have to do it for you.