I got on the scale and just cried this morning. I have gained more weight. at 5 feet tall, I am wider than I am tall!!!
I am so discouraged--eating low fat, no sugar, and still gaining.
My doc absolutely refuses to do anything to help and just says "shut your mouth and don't eat." Excuse me???
Has anybody lost weight and how did you do it? I'm too pooped to exercise and work out.
He gave me Elavil for sleeping and maybe that's part of the problem.
Any ideas?
Quote for the day: "Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings forget how to fly."
[ 02. May 2007, 04:57 PM: Message edited by: randibear ]
Posted by ByronSBell 2007 (Member # 11496) on :
I'm on the other end of the stick, have lost 35lbs so far and my case is getting worse...
Have you had your cortisol and thyroid levels checked? The cortisol test needs to be 24hr urine not blood test...
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
I, too, have lost weight with Lyme and have trouble keeping it on.
I think that with the title of the thread you are attracting people with the opposite problem. Maybe you should say "need to lose weight".
My understanding is that gaining weight is more common than losing.
You might check for food allergies ... I cut out gluten and the weight came back on, and I'm not celiac. Some people are also known to gain weight with foods they're sensitive to, including gluten. A rotation diet may reveal a lot.
Posted by motownlyme (Member # 11485) on :
I'm somewhere in the middle of everyone right now. When I first got major symptoms (about 15 months ago- God, has it really been that long??)I started losing weight quickly. I dropped 110 lbs in a year.
Since I stared antibiotics the weight lose has slowed considerably. I still need to lose weight but like you I'm not eating anymore (less really) and the weight doesn't budge. I don't think thyroid or yeast are issues for me.
Let me know if you find anything that works...
Posted by dmc (Member # 5102) on :
randi, I gained 40lbs since lyme treatment. I could have afforded 10lbs but 40 yikes!
my weight is due to thyroid, just recently found low thyroid as well as edema (trunk/legs) not face or arms. Pain doc says lots of inflamation too.
Added a diet pill last week. Doing better, am urinating alot so may just be water but got into size 8 yesterday.
I was a 115lb size 4 -2 years ago. It is tough and you feel horrid watching your body expand.
Hang in there, you can do it.
Posted by TexasChaos (Member # 7465) on :
I'm with you 100%
It was when I began Elavil and Cymbalta that the weight just SLAMMED on. I gained about 40 lbs in 4 months, in spite of very careful eating.
I switched to Soma from Elavil and discontinued the Cymbalta, and the gain slowed down immensely but I still never could get the weight to come off. Had thyroid tested twice and it is normal. LLMD recommended South Beach Diet, which I tried religiously for 3 months... and lost a total of 3 pounds.
There is an interesting article on this that was recently printed in the Public Health Alert. The doctor commented that "Lyme biotoxins disrupt the fat cell system and if not removed cause a type of obesity highly resistant to diet and exercise." You can read the whole article at http://www.publichealthalert.org/James%20Schaller/lymebiotoxinver6%20-%20Schaller.pdf
Anyway, you're NOT alone!!!
Posted by bejoy (Member # 11129) on :
I'm sorry you are going through this. Weight gain from Lyme has been frustrating for me too.
How is your candida treatment going? I find it very difficult to reduce calories or avoid carbs when candida dye-off is screaming for me to eat cookies.
In addition, candida can cause leaky gut which can lead to food intollerances. Sometimes foods we are intollerant of can cause weight retention.
I also find it difficult to reduce and avoid when I am so exhausted that I am convinced that the only thing in the world I need is chocolate.
High cortisol (the kind that makes you anxious and unable to sleep) can cause weight gain.
Also, low thyroid and low testosterone will cause weight gain.
A recent study showed that sleep is more significant in weight loss than calories. People who don't sleep tend to gain. http://thyroid.about.com/b/a/126883.htm
I find that what works best for me is:
Sleep nine hours a night (I should but I'm not saying I usually do!) I hope the Elavil helps you.
Drink a green drink like Enriching Greens to improve energy and reduce cravings.
Clear out candida.
Drink protein powder shakes and plenty of protein.
Excercise to whatever degree I am able, even if its a very short walk.
Weight is so much more involved and complex than just will power or keeping your mouth shut! Too bad your doctor doesn't understand moe about that.
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
I could not keep my weight up at all on the strict elimination anti-yeast diet.
Basically no sugars, fruit or fruit jucies, carbs pasta ect.. Just meat veggies & nuts.
Drove me nutz but did help somewhat with my yeast problems.
Lymetoo's posts are good ones to look at if you are at all interested in it.
take care Dana
Posted by Lisianthus (Member # 6631) on :
I would like to echo everything that Bejoy said!
I have lost 64lbs since lyme treatment (and I needed to loose it) The one thing that has helped me was taking coconut oil in a pill form(for Canadida). It really helped with all of the cravings and the weight just slipped off.
Also, don't eat anything with MSG, it will automatically make you gain weight or prevent you from loosing it. Try to cut out everything artifical, such as Aspartame (aslo something that makes you gain weight) The more "Low Fat" stuff you eat the more junk and sugar they put in it.
Good luck, Lisi
Posted by AZURE WISH (Member # 804) on :
From what I have heard elavil is known to cause big increases in weight.
I know someone who took it for pain she gained a ton of weight ... and fairly quickly.
Posted by Health (Member # 6034) on :
I have gained 60lbs in 3 years.
I have been slim.fit all my life, so now that I am overweight, and slowing trying to loose it, I dont know if I have going to get my
old figure back. Can anyone let me know if their body shrunk back to the way it was? I did not have a stitch of fat on me before, all muscle, most of my life. Now I am a mOOse.
I dont know if this excess fat, and the skin will go back to the way it was? I cannot see it happening, so thought I would ask here.
I usually run outside, and weight lift, so will do this when I can. I road the indoor peddle bike today for 100 spins, I actually peddled for 50 peddles then had to rest, then did another
50 peddles. This wont be happening very often now, maybe twice a week.
thanks,
Trish
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
I think the new title is getting you some answers. Posted by Allison Smith (Member # 11631) on :
The past 5 years my Lyme has gotten progressively worse. And in those 5 years I have gained over 80 pounds. And none of it from eating.
My doctor at first didn't believe me. I kept telling him that food isn't the problem. I'm nauseous 24 hours a day and food is the last thing I think of. He even sent me to a nutritionist to gage how much I was eating.
On a good day I was eating 1100 calories a day. And that was pushing it. After 6 months, my doc said enough. And said it was the Lyme and not sleeping and put me on sleeping aids. I can't say I've lost anything but I haven't gained anymore since on the sleep aids.
Posted by Lymeindunkirk (Member # 7118) on :
I can relate to the being skinny and then getting fat thing. You have to eat literally nothing to lose weight now right? It started to creep up on me before lyme treatment and I didn't understand why. Had my thyroid checked a couple of times but it appeared to be fine.
AFter being treated for lyme for about 6 months my LLMD had be do hormone testing. I have adrenal fatigue due to infection. My adrenals produce too much cortisol at all times of the day which explains why I'm getting fatter. I was taking a hormone cream created for me and it seemed to help. I stopped using the cream about three months ago and guess what? I've gained 5 pounds.
Have you done any hormone testing? I noticed someone else mentioned too much cortisol. It can't hurt to get tested. Also get the book Adrenal fatigue by J. Wilson. Very interesting.
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