Losing weight with chronic fatigue. Help!

sunshine_gem

Hi, I'm 29 and was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome a couple of years ago. At first I lost weight pretty dramatically (3 stone in 2 months) which was kind of the first signal that something was wrong, but then I seemed to plateau and was stuck around 11 stone. I was put on some medication to help with some of the symptoms and I have put it ALL back on in 6 months, so have stopped taking the meds. I think I'm getting a handle on the whole thing now and hoping that MFP will be able to help me. I was just wondering if anyone could recommend any particular exercises to do? I've taken up pilates which I do 3-4 times a week but my problem is that I don't know if I'm tired because I'm exercising, the illness or because I'm unfit, so then I panic and do nothing because I can't afford to have a bad patch like I did last year which can happen with over exertion.

I'm just really confused as to what I can do to help myself lose weight. I was so much more confident when I was lighter and I need to be back there again. CFS can cause depression in itself and being depressed about my weight doesn't help. I just feel so out of control of my own body and don't really know what to do to get it back. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

sunshine_gem

Oh and I'm 5'3 and 205lbs at the moment.

mturgeon05

Welcome! I have CF and Fibromyalgia among other things. I have found that taking things day by day is the only way I can be successful. Somedays I feel great and exercise to my heart's content. Other days I feel so awful that I can't get off the couch. I had to learn to be ok with that. Having realistic expectations without making excuses is really hard to balance.

For me, over-exertion seems to be the thing that really sets me back the most. If I overdo it, the next day I have a really tough time. I love to lift weights, but I have to be really careful because my joints can't handle what I would like them to be able to do So definitely get to know your body's limits.

Also, I have recently started attending a support group to be able to deal with my illnesses. This has helped with the depression and isolation. That may not be a problem for you, however. A lot of people in my group believe strongly in meditation to help deal with the stress that accompanies a chronic condition. I haven't started that yet, but I am certainly considering it!

Good luck and be sure to give yourself credit for all the hard work you do and try not to focus on the things you can't do.

~Melissa~

sunshine_gem

Thanks so much! My main problem is impatience I think. I do get frustrated at times too because I can't do what I used to. I also have to be careful of my joints; my wrists and hands in particular and also my left knee which has a chronic sprain of the ligaments. I've had this illness for a couple of years now and I feel like maybe I'm getting a handle on it so we'll see what happens. I'm a student so I plan to use my summer break pushing myself and finding out exactly what my limits are.

I looked into a local support group and spent ages trying to contact them to find out exact details but they never got back to me. The depression is usually borne out of frustration and the recent weight gain hasn't helped. I'm isolating myself because I don't like the way I look which I know isn't good. I guess I'll just keep looking! I have been enjoying the relaxation I get from the pilates so maybe there is something to the meditation theory. Can't hurt to try anyway.

Thanks for the input. It's good to know that there's people out there who are managing to do this. It gives me hope!