Weight loss advice from a fellow Narcoleptic (Part 1)

Some of you may recall that I said that I wanted to have some guest bloggers this year to talk about things that I think they know more about than I do.  Here is the first post, featuring advice from one of my readers, a fellow Narcoleptic named Jane.  Jane recently e-mailed me a bunch of comments and suggestions relating to one of my posts about weight loss, as they were too long to post as a comment.  Looking over them, I decided that I must share them with all of you because they were so well done and insightful.  I personally have heard lots of weight loss advice over the years, but it meant a lot to me to hear it from a fellow Narcoleptic who has also struggled with weight issues, as many of us do.  Thanks so much, Jane!

Here is the e-mail she sent me:

“Hi Ellie! I'm also a 26 year old American narcoleptic female who moved permanently overseas - nice to meet you!
First I want to tell you that you should not feel too much 'guilt' about your past weight gain. 
A little background … I've probably had narcolepsy since I was about 8, if not earlier, and it was diagnosed at 18 - the week I graduated high school.  I've been on Provigil pretty much since then.
A couple years ago, I went on a 2-month drug vacation because I was maxing out my Provigil dose and had the opportunity to take a break from both school and work.  When I started the medication again (at a much lower dose), I felt one of its side effects very strongly - loss of appetite. I had not really experienced this side effect as much before.
I took advantage of my reduced appetite and started eating a lot less food than I had been, although I try to spread my meals throughout the day which sometimes mean forcing myself to eat. I also started a new job around the same time I started back on my meds, and ended up doing about an hour of brisk walking a day just rushing to the bus stop.
I can't really describe the relief I felt when I could stop thinking about food CONSTANTLY. And I mean constantly. I realized it's not normal to be so hungry and so obsessed with food and to think about it all the time and to never EVER feel full.  When I'm off my meds, I feel like an addict and a slave to sleep and hunger. It's like that's the only two things that can affect my decision making, the only two guiding forces. 
I lost 55 pounds between June 2008 and June 2009. (I'm slightly less than 5'9'' tall, medium build, and the highest weight i reached was 186).  I ended up on another drug vacation this past November, not by choice but because it took a long time to get a Provigil prescription in my new home country.  I gained about 15 lb. during this time and am now working to take it down - down 10 so far - then my goal is to increase my fitness/endurance level and tone up my body and maintain my weight.
And maintaining is the hardest part.
If you have been overeating all your life, it is not your fault or the cause of weak willpower. I am all about beating myself up, like lots of narcoleptics who went diagnosed for a long time, but I can now see that my appetite for food is about as out of control as my appetite for sleep. The centers for these two drives are right right next to each other in the brain.  It might help you to be successful in your weight loss if you forgive yourself for what's happened.
You say: "I was tempted, of course, to deny this instinct with war cries of “This time I am committed!  I will have more willpower!  I won’t give up!  I will give up all carbs and work out every single day for an hour, even if I’m sick!” and armed with more self-help weight loss and exercise books/websites than can possibly be healthy. "
I have found that "self-lecturing" voice to be very helpful.  Making statements, even writing them down as you have here, can really go a long way as far as creating a reality for your self that you're dedicated to. 
Here are a some pointers for weight loss that I've found work for me, but of course everyone's body is different.
-Take at least one day off from working out every week
-Have one cheat day every week where you eat whatever you want (i call it cheeseburger day!!!)
-Don't try to go too strict at once.  For example, don't try to cut out ALL carbs - there's carbs in fruits and veggies, of which you should be eating as much as you want.  Do try to stay away from bread and anything crunchy, most processed foods, etc. The only bread product I'm eating (except on cheeseburger day of course) is whole wheat wraps. The most important foods in my diet are tuna packed in water, boneless skinless chicken breast, homemade lowfat hummus, homemade salsa, natural peanut butter, eggs (1 yolk + however many whites I want, 5 days a week), 1% milk, low-sodium tomato juice, 5% cheeses, and tons of fruits and veggies.
-Eat LOTS of fiber. It fills you up and is great for weight loss in some other way I don't completely understand.
-The most important thing to pay attention to is calories in/calories out. Which basically means most foods aren't technically off limits, you just probably need to eat them in much smaller (and much-less satisfying) portions.
-An hour of walking a day can really make a difference and is a great way to start building your fitness level
-Aim to lose about 1-2 lbs a week
-Try to keep tempting foods out of the house. If your husband is a happy eater of junk food, this can be hard. Find out how much he's willing to support you. It's about 100 times easier to stick to the right foods when the wrong foods aren't staring you in the face.
-Try to make exercise fun. I'm bored out of my mind after 20 minutes on a treadmill, but I can go for an hour of much more strenuous activity when I'm playing one-on-one basketball with my brother.
-There IS such a thing as too little food. The bare minimum to prevent your body from going into starvation mode is something like 1050-1200 net calories (food calories in minus exercise calories out).
-Eat a fist-sized amount of food (mix of protein carbs and fat) before you work out so your body has some fuel for the work out. Also drink water BEFORE  you work out so your muscles are hydrated and
ready to go.
-Don't eat in the two+ hours before you go to sleep (this is the HARDEST for me!!!) and try to eat your largest meal at lunch time. If you do this, you should be able to physically see the difference in your belly when you wake up in the morning.
I will say I could probably never have been successful without the appetite control I gained from Provigil. I've taken Concerta before and it's done the same thing for me, so I hope that can help you. And again, I wouldn't encourage a healthy person to take diet pills or to rely on medication for appetite reduction, but healthy people don't have to battle with the endless hunger I get from my narcolepsy, so I feel positive about this choice.
My energy level has definitely increased since I lost weight. My self-esteem shot to new heights and I overcame a lot of social anxiety that plagued me for years. Working out is difficult and often painful (I have fibromyalgia as well), but I feel incredible and very energetic after exercising
I believe you WILL succeed! For anyone living with a lifetime disorder that affects daily living in ways healthy people don't have to worry about, it's easy to sort of excuse something like weight gain, because it's caused by your condition. It's a much greater challenge, but by the same token, overcoming the odds and succeeding at your goals makes it that much more rewarding and boosts your self-esteem that much more.  Feelings of helplessness/hopelessness and lack of control turn into the feelings of strength and increased control over your life and how you live it. I am 100% behind you - good luck ! :)  Jane”

Thanks again for all of the advice, Jane!  If you would like to contact Jane directly, you can reach her at takemantwo@yahoo.com.