How do I lose weight??

[Korki]

Hey I'm new
I know this has already been asked, but I have a lot of things with Fibro that are keeping me from the usual methods and I could use some pointers.
BTW, I'm not super overweight, I just need to lose a little weight because moving around and wearing clothes gets more painful the more weight I gain.
First issue: I'm allergic to all fruits and vegetables, and very sensitive to minerals so I can't take like any vitamins or eat healthy.
Second: I can't excersice. My husband is disabled (all his limbs are missing) and all my energy goes to taking care of me and him. Plus even the most gentle of exercise kills me.
Third: I have an endless appetite. Even if I eat a large healthy meal and will be bursting at the seams, I'll still be hungry a half hour later even though I'm still really full.

Anyways, I'd appreciate any help I can get!

 

[Jemima]

Hi Korki,

I had never heard of an allergy to all fruits and vegetables, but was just reading about Oral Allergy Syndrome/OAS, also called pollen-food allergy syndrome, where the body mistakes certain plant proteins for pollen due to their structural similarity. I found some lists of the plants that usually cause issues. Do you know, is that what you have? Do you find that you can eat some fruits and vegetables cooked, or do you have a reaction to everything?

It is pretty challenging to eat healthily without fruits and vegetables or supplements - if you can identify exactly what your body reacts to, there may be specialist supplements that would be safe to take. Fundamentally, we all need a spectrum of vital vitamins and minerals to maintain healthy bodies. Still, there are some other foods that are more nutrient dense - so I guess focus on those. Can I ask what your usual meals consist of?

When it comes to satisfying appetite, there are two ways I would suggest approaching this, based on my own experiences and interest in nutrition - I read a lot, but I'm not an expert! The first is to experiment with fasting in order to disrupt your body's anticipation of food and the associated cravings. You might find that if you force yourself to intermittent fast for a week (for example 16h fast/8h eating window each day) your appetite and food cravings may start to calm down a little. If that works, then whenever your cravings start to come back, you can use a fasting period to reset again.

The second is to focus on nutrient density and satiety in the foods you do choose. So, protein offers increased satiety over refined carbohydrates, as do high fibre foods - meaning that they make you feel fuller for longer. Getting enough protein in your diet can also help you maintain lean body mass, which helps to make weight management easier. Meats are excellent sources for a broad array of important nutrients, so that provides added value too.

In terms of the satiety value of fibre, you can choose to eat high fibre foods like sweet potatoes, pulses, high nutrient/fibre grains like quinoa and oats, whole grain bread instead of white bread, and so on. You could also supplement with psyllium - a popular fibre supplement for weight management, blood sugar stabilization, and digestive regularity! I'd steer clear of sugar as much as you can too - blood sugar swings will certainly leave you craving, and a lot of people find that sugar exacerbates their fibromyalgia symptoms.

It sounds like you are an incredibly resilient person, caring for your partner while managing fibromyalgia too. I hope you find the right way to also take care of yourself in the process

 

[sunkacola]

I second what Jemima says above. The main thing you definitely can do is cut out all sugar and refined foods and simple carbohydrates like white bread and flour and anything made with that. Cut down on fat consumption only if you eat a lot of fat. In other words, if you eat fried foods every day, cut it down to four days a week; you don't want to try to cut fat out of your diet because it's very important to have enough healthy fat.

Have you been allergy tested for all fruits and veges? I ask because if you have not, and if it is possible for you, I would strongly recommend doing this, because there may be fruits or veges that you can eat. Also, you could, again if this is available to you, try eating fruits and veges that are not grown in your area, but come from other places. Things like seaweed, and exotic fruits like star fruit or passion fruit that come from other countries. I know these may be more expensive, but it doesn't necessarily mean forever, and no matter what you have to eat a healthy diet if you have fibromyalgia.

Another idea is to consult a nutritionist. Take your medical records with you and tell that person all the tests that have been done and ask for suggestions on how to manage a healthy diet within your parameters.

I knew someone who became, one thing at a time, allergic to almost everything that was food. The solution for her was to eat only exotic grains and fruits and veges that her body did not react to. It wasn't easy because it meant a meal consisted of, say, 30 olives from Greece and a pile of quinoa, but she stuck with it. This went on for a few years, but eventually her body evened out again and now she only has to avoid certain foods that are easy to avoid.

 

[Korki]

Thank you both very much for y'all's replies
Jemima:
Nice to meet you!
I think OAS sounds correct, since I can have some cooked, but they basically have to cook them until they're mush.
As for vitamins, I've found one vitamin that hasn't bothered me that has some basic vitamins, Omega 3s, and fiber in it. I also take a probiotic pill regularly.
My meals are more difficult since it's hard for me to cook and my husband doesn't like to eat the same things every day, whereas I would be fine with that We try to eat healthier when we can, but a lot of whole grain products activate my allergies and I was raised in a abusive family so I don't know how to cook very well and I'm still learning (I'm 21 btw, and I've had Fibro since I was like 12). The good news is my husband loves his meats so we do get a pretty regular does of that.
We do eat at least one packaged food per day, though lately I've been cooking more since we moved into a place that's easier for me to cook in.
I've tried psyllium husks before, they got my allergies all acting up sadly. I also tried Garcina fruit and that did the same.
Thank you so much, you're too kind I very much appreciate your well-thought out reply and helpful insight.

 

[Korki]

Sunkacola:
Nice to meet you!
I think I don't eat a lot of fat, mostly healthy fats like well sourced butter and fat from meats.
And I was allergy tested when I was young, like 7 or so, because I had complained to my mom that apples and carrots "made my throat itch" and since those were my favorite snacks she believed me and brought me to an allergist. They tested me for over 30 items, to all of which I flared up so bad even the allergist was surprised.
I've tried most fruits and veggies, even exotic ones. The only ones I have found that I can eat are only not bothersome 50% of the time. And that's grapes, organic bananas, and kiwi. But like I said, half the time they make my allergies flare but sometimes they don't. I have no clue why
Ah, well, nutrionist is out of the question sadly. My abusive mom was a natural nutrionist, and she used food to control me and caused a lot of food related trauma. Put me on several diets that actually almost killed me, put me on pills that made me severely depressed, all that good stuff So I'm probably not going to go with that

Ah, that's interesting! I used to be allergic to everything too, to where I was severely underweight because I could hardly eat, but God came in and one day I could just eat everything and be fine
Thank you so much for your advice and thoughts, I truly appreciate the insight

 

[Jemima]

Nice to meet you too! Wow, it sounds as if you've been through such a lot for such a young soul. It's credit to your strength that you are actively looking for ways to improve your life, and also setting self-protective boundaries for yourself - all good stuff!

I had one other thought that might be worth a try. Perhaps the times when your sensitivities are stronger are related to triggers, such as stress or over-tiredness? Triggers can make fibromyalgia symptoms much worse, so maybe they are having other impacts within your body. It could be worth keeping a notation diary, tracking when your food reactions are worse, when your appetite is the most intense, your fibro, your emotions, and what else is going on in your life. Maybe you'll find some patterns!

Good luck with everything

 

[sunkacola]

You write that you have a lot of food related trauma. I suggest that you start there, and see a therapist or counsellor who can help you to work through those issues. To me it sounds as if your allergies to everything are more trauma-related than from a physical cause, even though you were tested for allergies at a young age. At that same young age, I suspect your environment was not so good. If you could work through the trauma and reach a better place with that, some of the physical symptoms related to food might be alleviated.

Ah, that's interesting! I used to be allergic to everything too, to where I was severely underweight because I could hardly eat, but God came in and one day I could just eat everything and be fine

This puzzles me, because if you could eat everything and be fine, what caused you to start having the problems you talk about now?

 

[Korki]

Yeah, one might say I have had a very terrible life But I would go through it all again to learn the lessons and grow in the Lord as I have because of it all
Ah yes, the stress triggers do it for me for sure. I try my best to avoid stress and get good sleep when I can, but my fibro rarely let's me sleep, and with all the trauma I'm still working through, it's hard to avoid stress
Plus there's things like a cat 4 hurricane headed for our doorstep haha
But thank you for your input, I really appreciate it

 

[Korki]

You're right, the allergies could very well be trauma related. I know a lot of the allergies I developed in my later teens years were for sure.

Ah, sorry for the confusion I was healed of all of my other allergies, such as eggs, grains, meat, cooked veggies, cooked fruits, chocolate, dairy, and pretty much everything else. I had narrowed my diet to living off of a single dairy-free gluten-free burrito that didn't bother me for some reason. I could only afford to eat one per day because my mom refused to buy them for me.
But yeah anyways, I don't struggle with all those allergies anymore, just the fruits and veggies like I had before

 

[Jemima]

Yeah, one might say I have had a very terrible life But I would go through it all again to learn the lessons and grow in the Lord as I have because of it all
Ah yes, the stress triggers do it for me for sure. I try my best to avoid stress and get good sleep when I can, but my fibro rarely let's me sleep, and with all the trauma I'm still working through, it's hard to avoid stress
Plus there's things like a cat 4 hurricane headed for our doorstep haha
But thank you for your input, I really appreciate it

Good luck with the hurricane - I've been following on the news over here. Crazy weather, fires, floods, all over the place these days. We lost our house in a forest fire a few years back, so I know how insane these things can get. Above all else, stay safe!

Stress triggers might be unavoidable, but we can learn how to manage the way our bodies and minds respond. Well done for keeping working on the trauma - it might shape you through those lessons, but it doesn't define you. Only you can do that!

 

[Jemima]

Hey Korki,

Let us know you're OK today if you get a chance - that storm looks super scary!

 

[Korki]

Hey! We made it through the storm OK, but we did have to leave the state afterwards because of the power outage,

 

[Jemima]

Hey! We made it through the storm OK, but we did have to leave the state afterwards because of the power outage,

I'm so happy you're OK! I hope all of your stuff is alright too, and that life hasn't been turned too upside down. What a relief!

 

[Mr Bee]

I found the healthiest and safest way to lose weight is to stop eating. 3-7 days at a time. I never go beyond 7 days as there are studies tha 9th day you lose the ability to understand why you doing it!

I really don’t recommend it for any one other than solid in mind people. You also need to be around others for feedback.

I have to do it this way as my bowel simply doesn’t work anymore due to this awful illness we all suffer from. But, in saying that you are unlikely to have gone through what I’ve been through so stop catastrophising and get on with it!

 

[sunkacola]

Just a note -- if anyone is planning to fast for days at a time I recommend checking first with your doctor. It can be dangerous for someone to fast for that long, depending on the condition of that person's body and other illnesses or syndromes the person may have.

If you are physically solid, as well as mentally, then fasting is a possibility, and a lot of people find it healthy and useful to do it. there are websites you can find that will give you information on intermittent fasting, and a lot of people are fans of it. I have done it myself. But fasting doesn't address the core reasons for a person being overweight, and unless there is an actual lifestyle change, the weight lost during fasting may just come back again.