Chronic fatigue, peri - is weight loss even possible?

[Aozora13]

In days of yore, if I wanted to lose a bit of weight I’d just up my exercise, ditch the booze (or switch to gin and slimline tonic…) and generally just row back a bit on eating too much crap.

Now I’m in my 40s and it’s a completely different story. I have long Covid/chronic fatigue so I can’t simply start exercising more without major repercussions. I barely drink or eat out anymore so can’t trim there. I have reduced snacking to the mumsnet approved 2 squares of dark chocolate (plus the occasional doughnut or similar). I don’t have huge portions (never have) and I’ve stopped eating breakfast but the scales are refusing to budge. I only want to lose half a stone so my clothes hang nicely again and try to salvage what can reasonably count as a waist! Any advice?

@Lookingoutside I do walk but not for leisure! Mostly dragging various children to school/nursery and myself to the office a couple of times a week. I’m not sure how many steps I’m doing at the moment but I think physically I would really struggle to do 5000 every day due to chronic fatigue. I can barely manage on my current levels of activity unfortunately.

That’s very reassuring to hear @MEFibroHell (clue is in your username there!) did you change any thing in particular (eg no sugar) or just focus on eating less/lower calorie options?

@highfidelity I really blame the diet industry for peddling the myth that all fat is bad and replacing it with sugary alternatives. I have completely internalised that message. Bloody muller light yoghurt!

Keto.

I am 49 and have lost two stone in two months, not a jot of exercise and energy levels pretty good.

Ha! It's an industry. There's your answer.

I read this recently, it might even have been posted on this board and it's shocking how different names and types of sugar there is. And not only that, but many items have a myriad of these sugars in them.

I think it helps viewing anything low fat, low sugar or none sugar/sugar-free as being a ultra processed food, because it is. I try to avoid UPFs as much as possible, so wouldn't touch a muller light if you paid me!

Have you done this and kept it off permanently?

Exercise is for your muscles (resistance) and for your heart and lungs (CV) Food is for controlling your fat levels.

Try to enable glucagon (the fat burning hormone) by limiting your insulin release. They can't both be 'in action' at the same time. Snacking and carbs promote insulin release. Pull back on those, and out comes the glucagon.

Similar health issues here (so no exercise sadly) but actually I am thinner than I was before and (superficially, no muscle tone!) look very healthy. This is purely because I am gluten and diary free and following a modified AIP diet (to try and help another health issue) avoiding high GI foods too as some insulin resistance so very nutrient dense food and it means I don't end up snacking on rubbish. I also try and do 16/8. I do fall off the wagon sometimes but on the whole stay on it.

I have to think about how much energy cooking takes up so make a vat of vegetable soup once a week for instance and freeze portions, basically lots of healthy batch cooking I can freeze.

I basically changed my whole mindset about food so that everything I put in my mouth is helping not hindering my health. Whether it does or not is a different matter!

Thanks @Grimbelina the energy required around food - deciding what to eat, making it, eating it, clearing up afterwards etc - is a big issue for me. I used to be great at cooking healthy things from scratch but on my working days I just can’t hack it! I think that framing around the health focus will really help me actually. Did your diet changes help with your health issues?

@highfidelity that’s quite an alarming read! I realised yesterday how much I drink sugar free stuff (squash and Diet Coke) which I actually think makes my sugar habits worse so I’m trying to stick to water (and coffee!)

https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/stomach-vacuum#how-to-do-it

Aozora13 glad it was helpful. Hard to tell whether the diet is helping as I am doing other things as well. Overall I believe it has (or I wouldn't put myself through it!) I have certainly been on a slow but upward trajectory since I was diagnosed/very ill. I also am not working (just not well enough) but that does mean I probably have more time and energy than you... and even then I find it difficult.

I do have some dark chocolate and make sure I have things likes nuts and dates at hand when I need to snack. Anything that saves time like frozen fruit, veg (healthier than fresh in many cases in any case) even frozen chopped garlic, onion and herbs too. Lots of frozen fish too and I freeze cooked brown rice in portions too.

Unfortunately for me stress is the biggest trigger for relapses and diet can't solve that one!

@Grimbelina stress is a massive trigger for me too. I think it’s very unreasonable to drain me of all my energy but not burn any bloody calories!

Hello @Aozora13 I know this is an old thread but I've just found it when searching to see if there are any threads that might help me and wondered how you're getting on? Hope things are a bit better for you.

I've had long covid for nearly 4 years now and still can't even leave the house. I've realised this week that I've slowly gained around a stone. I'm still in my healthy BMI but was a bit of a shock! I actually don't eat very much (& family/friends are actually often concerned about how little I eat) but I guess going from being a very active deputy headteacher to not moving has gradually caused this. In many ways, it's not that important - I just want to get better. But would prefer to not keep gaining weight. Anyway, I just wondered if you've managed to do anything to start to lose a few pounds? How's your long covid now?

Hi @Sunflowers82 sorry to hear about your Long Covid, it really bloody sucks. I have actually lost some weight but that was down to loss of appetite following a virus and work stress so wouldn’t recommend! I’m struggling a bit with LC symptoms at the moment (due to the aforementioned virus and work stress!) but am well enough to work part time, do school run etc so I am getting by, working towards thriving but need to make some big life changes.

For weight loss TBH the hardest thing for me is the mental energy required to think about doing things differently, plan different meals etc. If you have that headspace I’d probably focus on nourishing yourself first rather than reducing food intake - I definitely feel better eating less processed stuff, more protein, more fruit and veg, keeping better hydrated which means it’s easier to make better choices and be more active (virtuous circle). But of course that can require more effort and energy that frequently isn’t there.

@Aozora13 Thank you for replying. Sorry to hear that things are tough for you but it's also encouraging to hear what you are able to do. It's awful, isn't it? I'm remaining hopeful that one day I'll actually be able to leave the house (and eventually even get back to work as a deputy headteacher).