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 😢

If you are on bed rest then you are consuming too many cards. These can be good for active people, think of them like an energy storage battery. But if you don't use that energy in the form of activity then it will just increase your weight

I am too tired and I’m too much pain to even get to the toilet without crying in agony 😢

How much time are you spending actually in bed? This is so worrying, is your GP aware? Is anyone helping you?! 😔

Op, what’s you’re doctor said about this?

absolutely, 8 months is a very long time, and I’d be concerned now about your muscles strength deteriorating and the impact of that. It can lead to many complications, from blood clots to bone disease to heart conditions, from disuse.

please say you’re medically supervised as it’s very concerning?

I lost two stone in 5 weeks in hospital after gastro surgery, I couldn't eat anything, the tube feeding failed. I lost a lot of muscle and couldn't even walk up the stairs by the time I got home.

Any weight gain will be down to consuming too many calories. After I came home I had extreme tiredness but just walking up and down stairs twice a day made a difference and my muscles started returning. I would spend the morning in bed then nap on the sofa in the afternoon, even that was moving more than in hospital.

I really sympathise, feeling that tired is awful. Are you taking pain relief?

Fibre is horrible, you have my sympathy. I have RA and have noticed I can sometimes get stuck in a cycle. Too stiff to move so don't have my daily walk and eat crap rather than cooking something decent. Crap food and no fresh air/exercise makes me feel awful. On top of being stiff. Too stiff for a walk and so on...
Do you think you might be in a similar circle?
Are you on any medication? If so, it sounds like it isn't working well. Book a GP appt as soon as you feel able.

The GP can’t help me any further as no medications have helped, the pain clinic can’t help further as even opioids didn’t touch the pain.

Rheumatology have done all they can so have put me on the CFS support list ( been there for months )

There seems nothing anyone can do 😢

I’m sorry, that’s really crap, but I would really urge you to try to find help from a physiotherapist or similar medical professional to get back on your feet. Bed rest is probably going to keep making you worse over time. I know graded exercise
therapy is controversial but it seems to be effective for a lot of people.

Have you tried the Curable app? It’s supposed to help with chronic pain and seems to be very well reviewed.

Have they tried nortriptyline? Similar to amitriptyline but fewer side effects. It often gets overlooked but it's good for nerve pain, which is often the pain that people with me/CFS have. I had to crawl to the bathroom before I started it.

What many people don't realise with me/CFS is that you are just left to your own devices. There is no medical supervision. Doctors aren't interested as there's no 'cure' or even a proper management plan. It's not unusual for me to spend months in bed at a time. Suggesting that she gets up and moves is impossible when a) you can barely lift your head off the pillow, and b) moving will cause post extertional malaise which means her symptoms will worsen.

I think it’s calories not type. I’m calorie counting atm and lost 1kg last week and one of my “dinners” was an 80g bar of chocolate but I stayed at about 1800 calories for the day.

Whenever I want to lose weight I do so by calorie counting not changing the food I eat.

I think maybe you have overestimated how few calories you actually need on bed rest.

That sounds so demoralising, I'm sorry you're having such a hard time.

My very elderly father had a brilliant physio visit him at home 2x per week for 30-4mn to help with gentle but targeted exercise after a very long hospital stay had caused de conditioning, back pain and hip pain that was very debilitating. It was paid for privately - £300 for 5 sessions - but it's made a world of difference.

I know it's expensive but if there's a way you could swing it, perhaps that could help a bit? I believe there are some physios well versed in CFS. Wishing you better.

Figure out your BMR. It is alarming low if you do no exercise and are on the shorter side.

I was effectively on bed rest when I had an eating disorder between my first and second year at university. I literally did not eat during the weekday. Obviously lost a lot of weight.

Carbs just turn to sugar unless you burn them off through being active. You're laying in bed all day, so you're going to gain weight.

Op, you’re gaining approx a pound a week. You need to eat approx 3500 calories to gain a pound of fat ( it won’t be muscle you are gaining).

as such you are over eating by approx 500 calories a day, to stop gaining you need to reduce by that. 500 a day reduction. That will take you to your bmr. When you go below that, you will start losing. But to stop gaining you need to cut back by 500 cals a day on average or 3500 a week.

Have you had a full thyroid panel? Not just FSH? And been given the actual numbers?

I was bedbound with CFS for around a year and I lost a lot of weight due to muscle wasting and feeling sick/no appetite.

To add to my comment, I would try and sub some carbs with some simple proteins/plants that you can handle.

Bone broth is very mild and easy to tolerate and full of nutrients.

I was wondering if anyone lives with you and helps prepare food? I have a condition that leaves me in pain and fatigued and the last thing you want to do with pain and zero energy is prepare a healthy meal.
I find stuff like hard boiled eggs and tinned tuna really helpful and quick to prep. I gain weight easily due to my limited mobility.