I've been low carbing since july.......and have had a 7lb loss......which was mainly in the first 2/3weeks, since then I have stalled.....sometimes gained and then lost......all within my 7lb loss.

I'm wondering how others with ME/CFS/FIBRO are doing with their weight loss......particularly if like me u r unable to exercise at the moment due to me/cfs symptoms. ......which get considerably worse if i take any form of exercise...........WHICH IS SOoooooooooo FRUSTRATING as i'm naturally a very active person.

I'd really like to hear from others how they have been doing.


Liberty

I have Fibromyalgia, but have lost 78 pounds, and am exercising three to four days a week, 1.5 to 2 hours at a time.

I really had it bad. I could not do any exercise before going low-carb. Now I THRIVE on it!

I bought a couple of fibromyalgia books last weekend, but I haven't had a chance to read them yet.

How long has it taken you to lose seven pounds? Seven pounds is not a lot doing this WOE. I am wondering how low carb you are really doing. How much are you cheating? Are you getting enough protein?

Thankyou Brian for taking the time to reply to my post.

I'm virually housebound (bedbund too at times)at the moment.

In regards to cheating .............I'm probably having about 40-5o carbs a day.......which is allowed on TSP. I tend to eat most of my carbs in my evening meal within an hour as in carb addict diet.

I suspect my slow weight loss is due to lack of mobility.....believe u me this is not how i like to be!!!!!!

Exercise is a no go area for me at the moment as it makes my symptoms much worse...........I have tried and reaped the rewards of being bed bound because of it!

I haven't really cheated .....because my health rather than my weight depends on sticking to the low carb diet.

I'm really impressed with your weight loss and your exercise regime ............way to go !

Liberty

When I started on my Herbalife plan, I cut carbs way down at first, which is similar to Atkins. Try bringing your carbs to 20-30 grams and see if you feel any better. You may not be in ketosis. If you cut out sugar, you will notice an immediate improvement. When I started doing low-carb 6/1 or so (I dabbled for a month before getting serious with it 6/29), I still had one or two cokes a day. When I dropped them altogether, I felt a lot better. To think that I used to have Coke for energy... what a joke! I am not sure from your reply what carbs you are having within that hour of eating.

Also, if you aren't doing so, make sure you get your Magnesium and Malic Acid supplements. They have helped me immensely. And, since getting on this WOE, I am also making sure I am getting potassium, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin E and a good multivitamin.

I was much like you. There were days when I couldn't even move. On the weekend, I was looking at old pictures that were taken at my apartment in Toronto about 3 1/2 years ago. There was junk everywhere... You can believe me when I tell you that I know where you are. And I can also tell you that this is the way out - low carb will work for you. It has for me. When I first started losing earlier this year (early June?), I said to some people at work that I would be happy if I had lost 75 pounds by New Year's. Well, here it is, September 17th, and I have lost 79!!!

I've got CFIDS with all the trimmings.
When I started out, my exercise for the day was getting to the bathroom and back in the morning, and then to the kitchen and back in the afternoon. I'm not exagerating. You can imagine desperately having to go to the bathroom, which is only about ten feet away, and taking an hour or so to muster up the energy to get there. My major excursion for the week was to the corner store, about 500 yards away.

I too played around with "quick energy" foods, but that only meant added weight. The solution for me was to go with atkins.
I am still in bed most of the day and have to be very careful on what to spend energy on. I find that water and essential oils (flax etc.) make a big difference in taking and keeping weight off.

I stick to very low glycemic foods and make sure that any carbs are always accompanied with fat. Do not hoard your carbs for one meal. The idea is to eliminate the insulin rush. If you are exercising like a maniac (sorry bmeloche....meant in a complimentary way) then you can bend the rules and be fine. But if you are sedentary you might as well face reality.

Bye the way, over the past ten years I've had my ups and downs. I could do weight training for a while, but got hit with a major relapse that I am still recovering from. And when I have to energy to expand my activities, I also increase my carbs a bit. It is a balancing act, but it works.

Good luck

Colin

Thanks for your reply Colin...........it seems we are both on the same page..............I have had ME for 8 years now ........with a remission period of about 3 years..........where i could lead about a third of a 'normal' life .........I managed to do 3 years of a Masters degree...I avoided strenuous exercise at this always brings on a relapse.......unfortunately June this year I have had a big relapse...........hence once again am virtually housebound/sedentary...........up until a few weeeks ago i was bedbound!

I think u r right I have to face up to the reality that it's going to take time again to get to a level where i can do moderate(v. moderate) exercise again! ..........I've still not quite got over the fact that i won't ever reach the same fitness i had before i had ME..........after 8 years u would think i would !!!!!!!! I'm working on it! And I know we r all different!

I know this diet is working slowly but surely to regulate my sugar/energy levels and I suppose that is good enough at the moment..........and its going to take time.

When i was originally daignosed (1994)I was put on a anti candida diet, no sugar..........etc, no wheat/grains/dairy which i did for 3 years and lost about 2 stone .........and loads of muscle mass .........I had severe muscle wasting......probably due to lack of protein in my diet ...........this time I'm not getting muscle wasting..........which is such a huge bonus!


Your comment about loading on carbs in one meal........was interesting.....it works for me this way because if i don't have enough carbs at night .......i can't sleep!!.......and I have to be able sleep!




I'm going to stop putting so much pressure on weighing less .........instead it'll be about feeling better! I can't wait to be able to get up in the morning and plan to do something like take a walk ..........go shopping(local shops 100 yards away)......etc etc .....u know the usual things so many people (including myself at times in the past) take soooooooooooo for granted when we r well!


Once again thanks for taking the time to reply........hope i didn't ramble on too much.........I'm really glad u r doing really well with your weight loss.

Liberty x

Hi Liberty,
Yes it sounds like we are two-peas-in-a-pod ! I also understand your concern over sleeping at night. The lack of carbs and also a high protein ratio will keep you awake....tired , but awake.

A lot of people find success with 5-HTP. There is also melatonin, but I'm a bit leary of it. I get success through breathing meditation. By focusing on breath I use it to sort of self hypnotize myself to a lower brain frequency. It is a low carb, drug free and cheap way to drop off.

Good luck with finding what works for you. And let me know how things are going.

Colin