Losing weight with poor health

jessenicole

Hi everyone.
I am fairly new here- about 3 weeks in. I wasn't really sure what to title my post as, but basically, I would like to know if anyone else struggles with weight gain/loss due to chronic health issues.

Personally, I have Type 1 (Juvenile onset) diabetes. I've been insulin-dependent for 24 years. I also have fibromyalgia and stage 3 kidney disease.... and full body edema which is yet unexplained.

I don't tend to eat a lot of junk, and my exercise is primarily walking, which I do as much of and as often as possible.

I went from 165lbs to 265lbs in 3 days. Yes, 3 days. I am now at 228lbs and that's been pretty much where I've been at for at least several months. I am so frustrated. I really don't know what to do, and I welcome recommendations.

Thank you!

auntied

You are in the right place. The support here is wonderful. Welcome and God Bless. All's I can say is one day at a time and don't ever give up. You are not alone.

photo_kyla

With the kidney disease and edema, has your doctor recommended a nutritionist? Those are pretty severe dietary concerns and not really something you want to mess around with blindly. This is something you really need to go to the professionals about.

SueInAz

If you gained 100 pounds in 3 days, it's water weight, obviously. Does your doctor have you on any kind of diuretic? That's the only thing which is going to successfully remove that kind of weight gain.

I haven't experienced your issues myself but my hairdresser was on medication for several months which caused water retention her experience was that no amount of dieting would remove the water weight. Diuretics helped some. Once she went off the medication, it took a week or two, but the excess water was eventually flushed out of her system with no effort on her part.

titletown

Oh my goodness, how is it even possible to gain 100 lbs in 3 days though? That's like ten lbs of food a day and 3 gallons of water each day.

Please make sure you are seeing a Dr, especially with that drastic of a change in such a short amount of time.

I wish you the best of luck, we are all here to help in any way we can.

regthelittleone

First of all , so sorry to hear about your health problems. Have you seen a doctor for the water? And what have they said? I had serve Edema after my last baby, and I was put on water pills.( I think I lost 10 lbs.) But I have never hear of gaining that much & in such as short time!!!! ( You must be sooo scared)

Are your doc keeping a close eye on you? I hope so...... I would definitely get checked & get full blood work done ( my son had kidney failure and swelled,). That's if you haven't already!!!!! ( Oh I feel so sorry for you!!! ~ I know it can hurt!!!)

I'm not a doc. but I do think chronic health issues and weight are related. Maybe follow a low carb & low fat diet? I would google diets for diabetes ect.... And see what pops up!!! I wish you luck & wellness

jessenicole

With the kidney disease and edema, has your doctor recommended a nutritionist? Those are pretty severe dietary concerns and not really something you want to mess around with blindly. This is something you really need to go to the professionals about.

Yes, I have more specialists than I can count, heh.
I am constantly monitored by professionals (heck, I posted this when I got back home from Physical Therapy) but I figured it might be nice to have some interaction/advice from people who maybe have had similar experiences and therefore would have first hand knowledge/advice to give, as opposed to the doctors who only know what the textbooks tell them (for the most part)

jessenicole

If you gained 100 pounds in 3 days, it's water weight, obviously. Does your doctor have you on any kind of diuretic? That's the only thing which is going to successfully remove that kind of weight gain.

I haven't experienced your issues myself but my hairdresser was on medication for several months which caused water retention her experience was that no amount of dieting would remove the water weight. Diuretics helped some. Once she went off the medication, it took a week or two, but the excess water was eventually flushed out of her system with no effort on her part.

Yeah, it is quite obviously water (When I was at the worst of it, I literally could not bend AT ALL. I needed someone to put my socks on for me because I couldn't bend my legs. I looked the StayPufft from Ghostbusters)
I am on 2 heavy diuretics (bumex and metolazone) and have been for about 2 years now, I believe.
I have lost SOME weight with them, but I need to lose more and I need to figure out how much is water and how much is fat (I was not thing before, but I *had* gone from 320-165lbs and had kept it off/continued to lose til this all started in May of 2008.

jessenicole

Oh my goodness, how is it even possible to gain 100 lbs in 3 days though? That's like ten lbs of food a day and 3 gallons of water each day.

Please make sure you are seeing a Dr, especially with that drastic of a change in such a short amount of time.

I wish you the best of luck, we are all here to help in any way we can.

Thank you. Yes. It is documented as best I have been able at http://acuriouspatient.blogspot.com though, admittedly, I need to update because there has been a lot going on..
I have many, many specialists, and basically just looking for others who may also deal with chronic illnesses/struggles like mine.

jessenicole

First of all , so sorry to hear about your health problems. Have you seen a doctor for the water? And what have they said? I had serve Edema after my last baby, and I was put on water pills.( I think I lost 10 lbs.) But I have never hear of gaining that much & in such as short time!!!! ( You must be sooo scared)

Are your doc keeping a close eye on you? I hope so...... I would definitely get checked & get full blood work done ( my son had kidney failure and swelled,). That's if you haven't already!!!!! ( Oh I feel so sorry for you!!! ~ I know it can hurt!!!)

I'm not a doc. but I do think chronic health issues and weight are related. Maybe follow a low carb & low fat diet? I would google diets for diabetes ect.... And see what pops up!!! I wish you luck & wellness

Yeah, see above replies re: docs- but I definitely have THAT part covered, haha!
As for food, I basically eat what I can afford to eat. Lucky for me, i tend to like things that are good for me.
I don't eat a lot of carbs as a general rule. I am working on evening things out with what I eat (eating more- because despite being heavy, I don't eat enough calories a good 90% of the time) and I am doing my best to do as much walking for exercise as I can before it gets too cold.
Thanks for your support- I hope your son wound up getting better and is okay now!

goldfinger88

I have fibro too plus some chronic issues that really limit me. My medications also limit me and one of them actually causes me to gain weight to the point it's nearly impossible to take off. In fact, if I can simply maintain my weight --- even if it's more than I'd like --- I'd be satisfied. But, I added a few pounds over the course of a month or so and that really bothers me because I know how quickly it adds up and then there you are --- way overweight and having to start over.

That's what brought me here. I likely won't lose as much as some of the others here. But if I just love three to five pounds and can keep it off, I can live with that.

It's hard to have health issues and try to function at all --- much less exercise and lose weight. You're to be congratulated for walking. That's just wonderful. And, it's good for you.

Leviram

Feel free to add me. I have CKD stage 3 also I tend to swell once in a while especially right around TOM. Anyhow my husbands cousin has CKD also but I believe his is in stage 4 or 5 where they put him on the transplant list as of now he isn't on dialysis but I remember him being swollen all the time until they changed his water pill to a stronger one along with weaker one he is to take it everytime he starts to retain. As for me I try not to take too much of that stuff I try to limit my sodium intake and have been put on a low potassium diet to due to my level being elevated. Other chronic issues I have well I have Graves Disease and I had a Liver Transplant 21 years ago and suffer of Autoimmune Disease which is what has caused my Graves and believe it had to play the role also of needing a Liver transplant and having my large intestine removed (colon) due to Ulcerative Colitis. I can tell you that I have bad and good days I try to do as much as I can with what I have. I would recommend the Leslie walking dvd for when it's too cold for you to go outside. I turn the volume down on her music and play my own to get me going .

jessenicole

I have fibro too plus some chronic issues that really limit me. My medications also limit me and one of them actually causes me to gain weight to the point it's nearly impossible to take off. In fact, if I can simply maintain my weight --- even if it's more than I'd like --- I'd be satisfied. But, I added a few pounds over the course of a month or so and that really bothers me because I know how quickly it adds up and then there you are --- way overweight and having to start over.

That's what brought me here. I likely won't lose as much as some of the others here. But if I just love three to five pounds and can keep it off, I can live with that.

It's hard to have health issues and try to function at all --- much less exercise and lose weight. You're to be congratulated for walking. That's just wonderful. And, it's good for you.

Thanks! Yeah, I hear that! Sometimes with the fibro, I literally can't MOVE, let alone do anything else. I was also on meds that may have caused some edema... but I was put on them after I blew up llike a balloon, so coming off of them didn't help much. Sigh..

jessenicole

Feel free to add me. I have CKD stage 3 also I tend to swell once in a while especially right around TOM. Anyhow my husbands cousin has CKD also but I believe his is in stage 4 or 5 where they put him on the transplant list as of now he isn't on dialysis but I remember him being swollen all the time until they changed his water pill to a stronger one along with weaker one he is to take it everytime he starts to retain. As for me I try not to take too much of that stuff I try to limit my sodium intake and have been put on a low potassium diet to due to my level being elevated. Other chronic issues I have well I have Graves Disease and I had a Liver Transplant 21 years ago and suffer of Autoimmune Disease which is what has caused my Graves and believe it had to play the role also of needing a Liver transplant and having my large intestine removed (colon) due to Ulcerative Colitis. I can tell you that I have bad and good days I try to do as much as I can with what I have. I would recommend the Leslie walking dvd for when it's too cold for you to go outside. I turn the volume down on her music and play my own to get me going .

Thank you! Man, it sounds like you have a lot going on too! I've had to deal with low potassium, which I think was caused by the diuretics... wow, all of those surgeries... that stuff petrifies me. I've had a few surgeries and I heal SO slowly with the diabetes. Ugh.

Leviram

I heal slowly too and gain all kinds of water weight. With the removal of the colon I gained 90lbs of water weight and the doc would not give me lasix which was good then I started to drink lots of water and eat no salt and then I started losing it like crazy. I drink lots of tea of alfalfa with mint and shave grass that is suppose to help with fluid retention doesn't taste bad.

jessenicole

I heal slowly too and gain all kinds of water weight. With the removal of the colon I gained 90lbs of water weight and the doc would not give me lasix which was good then I started to drink lots of water and eat no salt and then I started losing it like crazy. I drink lots of tea of alfalfa with mint and shave grass that is suppose to help with fluid retention doesn't taste bad.

I haven't even heard of tea of alfalfa and shave grass. I will have to look those up! thanks!

Pebble321

Wow, that's a tough position to be in. I suspect that with the various medications and effects from your health conditions, it's not going to be an easy journey.

I guess my thoughts are that by eating a consistent amount of healthy food (a dietician should be able to help you work out how much and what is best in your particular situation) and exercising (as much as is recommended by your physical therapist), then you are giving your body the best possible chance to get healthy.

Scale weight goals may not the best option for you, as water weight is clearly an issue. Would it make more sense to look at other goals like specific calorie or macro goals, exercise goals, body fat numbers or something like that?