Lately, I’m forgoing the jeans and choosing my tie at the waist sweatpants. Those of you with chronic illnesses can you relate? Has your weight been effected by your illnesses, by your medications? Mine sure has, and it’s been getting to me.
I spent yesterday with my Gastroparesis, with the pain of it, the fright of it and the questions that arise with it… Is it just a one day flare? Does not being able to eat today mean I won’t be able to eat again? Ugh, that sounds dramatic, but it is the truth for many with this condition.
My Gastroparesis went into remission after I had gall bladder surgery last spring. I thought it was gone along with my gall bladder, but nope, it was just taking a break, a nice break though; a let me enjoy eating healthy fibrous foods break (I fell in love with raisins and Grape nuts).
To my surprise, GP returned a few months ago with pain that put me into such a state of physical shock that my husband called 911. In the ER is where I learned that good ole Gastroparesis was making a come back. That week symptoms were severe, but since then, my GP has been in a much milder state compared to pre-surgery when sometimes for weeks my diet consisted of Gatorade– orange Gatorade, green Gatorade, purple Gatorade…
Here’s where my present love for tie waist pants comes in. The only perk that accompanies GP is that if you need to lose weight, it drops off. This time, no perks for me. Since my GP’s return I’ve been putting on pounds. GP and weight gain? What’s up with that?
This is what’s up. My stomach has been working well enough for me to eat, but mostly simple carbs, easily digested carbs, the one’s you are supposed to avoid as much as possible is you want to be healthy and fit. My stomach can’t digest fruit, veggies, meat, beans etc.…but most of the time it can digest white breads, pancakes, pizza crust, pasta and a recent find- Maxi Java’s cinnamon rolls (The best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had, especially when I’m hungry and its my lunch and it doesn’t hurt my tummy).
Rational Equation for my recent weight gain:
- Lack of calorie burn due to exercise and exertion intolerance of ME/CFS (as well as Myasthenia Gravis) and consequently having to live a “couch potato” life style. +
- My current simple carbohydrate diet that my GP requires +
- Thyroid disease (the ubiquitous excuse, but mine is struggling right now…so I’m going to use it) +
- Fear that GP will worsen and “I won’t be able to eat again so I better eat now!”+
- I really like to eat +
- Maxi Java’s Cinnamon rolls +
- = FAT accumulation.
Here’s a Cyber-toast to those whose illnesses cause weight changes:
To GPers whose jeans are bagging, who are losing more weight than a body has to lose. Here’s to ME/CFSers who can’t burn many calories, due to not being able to exercise or be up and doing. Here’s to those with Autoimmune Diseases or Neurological Diseases that have to take medicine that add weight and cause water retention. Here’s to those with Interstitial Cystitis and Gastroparesis which often swell the abdomen. Here’s to those with endocrine disease that decrease or increase metabolism. Here’s to all that have to deal with weight issues due to chronic illness (and acute illnesses as well, such as cancer and its weight loss and chemo-therapy that can cause gain or loss).
Weight issues are challenging for anyone. We want to be at a healthy weight, a weight we’re comfortable at. We want to fit into our clothes. When weight struggles are perpetuated by conditions out of one’s control (or at least partially out of one’s control; ie. I can choose to forego the cinnamon rolls). The helplessness of not being able to do much about it compounds the stress.
Here’s to sweatpants—the one’s with the ties that you can loosen when weight’s rising and tighten when it’s dropping. I’m feeling thankful for mine today.
I didn’t know whether to scream or laugh! I can definitely relate. This year I found some super comfy velour pants with pockets and lots of room in the waist. Got several pairs. I like leggings too (I buy them about 2 sizes too big) cause they really keep the legs warmer than lose velour or sweat pants.
Sherlock´s last blog ..I ate half a pizza yesterday and finished it today
I put on 30 pounds after I got CFS. and I hated it! I was a fitness fanatic and worked very hard on my body before I fell sick, and suddenly there I was, double my size, having everyone look at me with that “Gosh, you’ve become so fat!’ look. It was horrible.
but I have discovered 2 things that help – both with weight management and with CFS/FM:
1. Yoga
2. eating small but healthy snacks every 2 hrs.
The mini-meals help me keep my energy levels up a bit and the yoga is beginning to tone my muscles. It’s a slow process, but I am seeing visible results.
I don’t know whether you’ve tried it yet, but I would strongly recommend yoga for everyone with an illness
A book that I found quite enlightening was ‘Don’t lose your mind, lose your weight’ by Indian nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar. It’s pretty badly written (if you love the english language, you are going to wince at many a sentence!), but the information in the book is excellent!
Let me know if it works for you.
all the best!
Sahiba
Sahiba´s last blog ..Chronic fatigue syndrome linked to ‘cancer virus’
Sherlock–those velour pants sound cozy and probably less casual than my sweats so that you can wear them out of the house (unlike mine) Just read your last blog post on eating pizza….funny.
Sahiba, Thanks for sharing the book and yoga helping you with weight management. I was a yoga teacher…so I’m with you. I still do my yoga..just in little gentle bits. I do it to keep my muscles as strong as possible and also for the calming, peaceful effects. I’m not able to enough of it to burn many calories like I used to. It is tough with ME/CFS…especially for us who were very physically active…to suddenly have to stop excercise sends the metabolism to a screeching hault.
I’m on day number three of not being able to eat again due to GP flare. My appetite suddenly isn’t there because food is associated with pain and nausea. Right now its hard to think about food. What a flip. ..no more cinnamon rolls or white bread for now, just soy pudding. Gastroparesis causes weight loss but it is an awful weight loss program.
Yeesh! I had to look this up because I’d never heard of it. But it sounds awful. I can relate to the weight gain and the bloating. I gained two or three stone at first because of a combination of amitriptyline, HRT and lack of excercise. Not to mention the high carb diet! Now I’m off HRT and have cut out (most of) the baddies I have lost the weight again. However, this must be impossible to do if all you can stomach is highly processed carb. My deepest sympathy. But I love your attitude! Here’s to you!
Jozephine´s last blog ..Inside Job
I can definitely relate! I don’t have GP, but with Lyme & CFS my exercise has gone down and my ability to digest has gone down, so like your list … all = wieght gain to the tune of 30+ pounds. I started doing Pilates (1 on 1 sessions so we can modify to avoid a crash) & yoga (at home, again so can modify); thinking I need to do some light weight training to help reverse the muscle atrophy, but a bit scared right now. Not to mention with thyroid disease (as you said, the ubiquitous scapegoat) & celiac disease I am hungry all the time! Maybe some day we’ll all figure it out; until then it’s nice to know that someone out there understands and doesn’t judge me for the excess
pj´s last blog ..Thursday Thirteen
pj–just discovered your blog and wrote a comment, but was unable to publish it as I don’t have a blogger account and my google account doesn’t work. Does your blog have a setting for name/URL…so I and others without the above accounts can comment. I enjoyed your “Thursday Thirty” list much…felt like I was sitting in your warm, cozy kitchen.
Thanks Jo and PJ for sharing your own weight/chronic illness experiences. Weight is never easy to talk about…Also, appreciate your taking the time to look up Gastroparesis Jo. I need to do a post about it…and can’t believe I haven’t yet (good ole denial). It is such a serious, life threatening condition, yet few have heard of it.
PJ, you said it “doesn’t judge me for the excess”…I have learned from having Gastroparesis which most often causes severe weight loss (I lost fifty pounds before my surgery) not to judge those who are very “skinny” as having an eating disorder. It has brought me to the awareness that there are many reasons people are very thin and many reasons they are overweight…often beyond the persons control.