to expect to lose weight on bedrest instead of gaining it??

[FukOffFibro]

I’ve put on 2 stone in the last 8 months I’ve been on bedrest ( CFS, Fibro )

I’ve eaten much less than usual because of the pain and tiredness I have but am hardly moving - I attempt a 15 walk each day but sometimes I can’t do it because of the pain

Gaining weight will make the pain I’m in much worse so I need to lose it but how when I’m either asleep or in agony 😢

What are you eating and when are you eating it?

Not eating regularly at all as I can’t stomach food some days at all because of the pain

Vegetarian but probably too many carbs
Toast / porridge / Jacket potatoes etc but was always told the calories are what to look at not food types?!

Carbs are for energy but you aren't burning it off.

I don’t think you will lose weight on bed rest unless you eat a very limited calorie diet. Exercise and movement are needed to lose and maintain weight otherwise.

If you're on bed rest you probably only need around 1200 calories a day including calories in drinks.

How many calories are you eating/drinking?

Get a fitbit to see how many calories you're buring in a day , couple that with a calorie counting app and you'll know for sure if you're eating more than your body needs right now.

I hope you feel better soon op.

Doesn't the body burn more calories digesting protein? Through thermogenesis.

You aren't burning up many calories, so you will put on weight despite not eating much.

If you are on bed rest and gaining weight you are at an increased risk of a DVT.

If you’re barely moving, you’re barely burning off anything.

I am sorry you’re so poorly right now. How many hours are you in bed? Are you getting up regularly to move around and stretch?

You will be eating way more calories than burning.
You probably vastly underestimate the calories you are having.
Eat UNPROCESSED nutritious foods. They will help you feel well and get better.
No toast, no wheat no sugar.
Meats and fish, nuts, veg, fruits, healthy homemade soups, eggs and a little dairy is all you need.
Processed Carbs are your absolute enemy and will be why you are stacking weight on.

Have you been seen by a pain clinic? Bed rest is really bad for you.

I keep seeing pain clinics being mentioned (by others too). Pain clinics aren't really that helpful - mine just said have you tried yoga classes, despite knowing I can't physically get to a class, or have the mental and physical capacity to last long enough for a class. Three appointments and that's all they can suggest, these clinics are just a tick box exercise and zero help. Yeah, I am bitter about it.

OP - I have to agree with others, it's not the amount of exercise you do, it's the calories you consume. Try and get out of bed hourly even if it's only to do a lap around the house. Go get a drink of water from the kitchen or something. Fibro is horrible

You might be very surprised at the calorie content of what you are currently eating and drinking, even what seems like small quantities.

There are apps which will work out your basic calorie requirements. To maintain your current weight you need to stick to that, any more and you’ll gain weight. Less and you will start to lose weight, and any movement that you can add in will help. That can be bed based movement.

Does your medical team have a dietitian that you can see for further advice?

There is an online calculator, you put in your height weight, age and daily activity level. I am pretty active,dogs to walk, gardening. My daily BASAL METABOLIC RATE, which is just to stay alive is only 1200 cals a day. Nothing like the 2000cals we're told women need per day.

It's very hard to lose weight on bed rest, as you burn so few calories - between 1000 and 1200 usually. It's really awful, I'm sorry you're going through this.

There have also been some studies that show that fibromyalgia slows the metabolism as the affected muscles function abnormally, so it's a double-edged sword with weight gain making it worse but your body also needs rest.

You probably need to track your calories to prevent weight gain - if you also want to lose weight please see a dietician, as it may be difficult to stay sufficiently well nourished given the very small amounts you'd be able to eat and lose weight.

What meds are you on? Pregabalin/ Gabapentin are notorious for people gaining weight unfortunately. Very much agree with everything else that has been said by pp too

Look at the Human Being Diet. I have me/CFS and fibro and can't be active. I've successfully lost weight on it. I'm also in less pain due to reduced inflammation and have shorter pem.

But also agree that you need to be cutting out processed carbs.

Start the day with berries and seeds
Eggs and veg for lunch
Tofu or tempeh and vegetables for dinner

I hope your relapse is short

You need to speak to your doctor and ask for expert dietary advice.

We can all say what's worked for us and what we've read on various blogs, health websites and articles but you have a complex set of circumstances healthwise and need expert tailored guidance.

Who knows what the impact would be to your CFS/Fibromyalgia if you start limiting calories, increasing protein, reducing carbs......

I lost weight by taking Yacult daily, don’t underestimate the power of gut health, even if you don’t loose weight on it, it will definitely help keep your weight stable so is worth taking, take the original ‘red’ one.

If you are on bed rest, taking in anything more than 1200 calls daily will cause you to gain weight

Have a 300cal breakfast, 300cal lunch, 500cal dinner and a 100cal snack sometime during the day when you need it, I wouldn’t go down a very low carb diet route if you are ill as that can be very tough on your body.

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Is your bed rest medically prescribed and supervised? Many physical pains are made much worse by best rest, especially back, neck, and hip pain.

Extended bed rest (8 months is a very very long time) is generally not recommended for treatment of CFS or Fibromyalgia and may actually be worsening your condition. Deconditioning can happen rapidly and will make you feel worse when you do exercise.

I think it’s a postcode lottery with pain clinics, which is very unfair. I had an ok experience, certainly not nearly as useless as some have described. I know some people who’ve had a really holistic and positive experience.

Forgot to add that the reason why I did the human being diet was because it specifically says no energetic activity for the first 12 weeks.

Hi, I mean this in a helpful way, but can you do online yoga? I'm able to do lots of exercise buta yoga class with other people is horrible. Much prefer the peace of my own home.

Someone like Kassandra who takes you through step by step.

It's very calming as well.