For years in my twenties, I struggled to lose weight (135 lbs.), mainly because I felt so sluggish and uncomfortable at that weight. The only time I felt comfortable was after a bout of pneumonia, when the fever burned off 15 lbs. Then the weight came back. I got nowhere with general low carb diets. Didn't lose weight and had awful cravings for something better to eat that would set well on my stomach. The joke was that the diets I was on was actually more food than I eat normally.

Then I bought protein powder to make shakes just because I was aware I needed better nutrition. I've always eaten like a bird - generally bland foods like grains, fruit, and dairy, because meat and vegetables often upset my stomach. Lo and behold, I suddenly began losing weight - down to 110 in two months. I'm sure that my higher weight was all fluid retention. With the protein shakes I noticed my kidney function improved immediately, and the water weight was gone. I swear by protein, nothing else could touch my weight problem.

Even at 110 lbs though, I noticed that I ate too much sugar. Oddly enough, since I began taking New Chapter Chinese mushrooms a year ago (Maitake,Shitake,Cordyceps,Reishi mix), my desire for sugar goodies has decreased, and I'd rather a bottle of cranberry or apple juice. I go to the grocery, and things like cheesecake, ice cream, brownies, just don't look that good. I used to be a chocoholic. Weird! A couple of glazed doughnuts is still good though. One for today and one for tomorrow.

With CFIDS, my mother (an R.N.) used to say she was glad to get me to eat anything, even if it was a brownie. I don't consciously count the carbs anymore, but I can feel when they're a little too high - too much bread and I don't feel as good as before I ate. I eat small meals throughout the day.

A little exercise is a great morale-booster. I bend and stretch and walk rather quickly. Out in the sunlight striding along I look well, and hot sun is great on the muscles. Funny. A few hours later I'm pretty exhausted, but it's worth it. I sprained my ankle the weekend of hurricane Katrina - watched it all night hour by hour on TV moving into New Orleans because my ankle was purple and I couldn't move. I used to live in New Orleans. What a horrible sight to see. And it took that ankle 6 weeks before I could stride along as usual on my walks without having to be careful of it so I didn't trip. I really sympathize with immobility problems - they're such a drag.