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Hi there folks - I'm new to this board. I surfed around this site for a while, checking out the posts. I was recently diagnosed with FM. Have actually been having SYMPTOMS for about 4 years. I'm 39, married to a wonderful man named Jeff. We've been married for 13 years. I'm currently a stay-at-home mom with two small boys, ages 4 & 2. They keep me VERY busy. Most days, I find it really hard to have the energy to raise them. They are, though, my pride and joy. I tried for almost 3 years to have children, had two miscarriages before being diagnosed and treated for endometriosis. After having the surgery, I got pregnant within two months, and had my beautiful son, Aaron. Then, 2+ years later, I had Zachary. They are precious gifts from God. ANYHOW, enough on my family... I am posting here, hoping to gain some information on coping and LIVING with FM. I seem to fight depression sometimes, as I wake up most days stiff and feeling like I'm 80 years old. Honestly, my diet is HORRIBLE. Always HAS been. My parents raised us on meals like meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and corn or peas. RARELY had salad on our plates. NEVER got any exercise as a family. SO, now I am paying the consequence of not taking better care of myself. Anyhow, I truly do want to feel better. Honestly, I am SO confused with WHAT diet plan is best for me. Before getting pregnant with my second son, I had started on Somersizing. If any of you are familiar with her plan, it is a low-carb plan that practices food combining (i.e. not mixing carbs with protein. You either eat pro-fat/veggies meals, or a carbo/veggie meal.) Did that plan for about 8 weeks, and was finally starting to notice a "melt" of sorts (i.e. trimming down). Was also feeling better with more energy, and felt better about myself emotionally. THEN I got pregnant with my son, and had NO energy OR gumption to want to continue with the plan. SO, here I am... I've thought about doing her plan again, but just am not sure I can do it...

So, do any of you have any wonderful ideas? I'm open to suggestions. I DO exercise occasionally. I TRY to exercise about 2-3 times/week with Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds video series. I also do Pilates stretching occasionally. Honestly, though, most nights I feel horrible, and exercising is the LAST thing I want to do, even though it is what my body NEEDS to do... it's such a bummer...

That's it for me, I guess. Look forward to "meeting" some of you soon!

Welcome to the forum. I don't personally have FM, but do have several friends who have it. Have you ever tried magnets? It sounds stupid--like it's too good to be true--but I've found real pain relief for a pinched nerve in my neck by wearing a really pretty magnetic necklace. I've heard others say FM responds well (somehow the magnets increase circulation or something--don't really know how it works).

Anyway, there's a company called Nikken, do a search and find their web site if you're interested.


Congratulatons on your lovely family, and on taking charge of your life. You'll find lots of support for many things here.

Hi there! Oh, it sounds like you've got a wonderful family! I'm sorry, I have no experience with FM, either.

Thanks for the info on Somersizing! I've been curious about that program.

I'm assuming you've checked out the link on the right that says "Which low-carb plan is right for me?' Absolutely scads of info there! Also, you could check out books from the library and read up on them and get a better idea.

I think when choosing a plan it's good to keep a few things in mind. For example, do you have problems with blood sugar and insulin spikes? If so, a plan like Atkins is extremely good in that it completely controls the blood sugar. Unlike Somersizing, whenever we eat carbs, we also eat protein and fat with them because this helps to slow down how the carbs are released into our blood streams. It works great for us--we're an entire family of hypoglycemics. It's also great for peeps without blood sugar problems.

I personally like Atkins because of all of the luxurious foods we eat: butter, olive oil, full fat cottage cheese (in moderation of course because of the carb count), salads galore with great-tasting salad dressings, nuts, berries, meats, and the list just goes on and on! Let me tell you, it's a dieter's paradise, and I've never seen a more nutrient-dense way of eating in my life! On top of that, I'm not starving all the time like I was on other diets!

However, whether you have blood sugar problems or not and Atkins just doesn't sound like your cup of tea, I can recommend The Zone. I have a relative who follows that plan and has done beautifully--lost her weight and has maintained for two years.

Best of luck to you and welcome!

Welcome to the forum and good luck to you as you start your weight loss journey mgehbauer! You CAN do it!