A frustrating problem for many fibromyalgia patients is the tendency to gain weight. We eat less but notice little, if any, difference in our weight loss. Part of the problem is that it’s difficult to exercise more or as muich as we’d like because of the pain. According to Mark Pellegrino, MD, in his book Fibromyalgia: Up Close and Personal, it’s not unusual for someone to gain upwards of 25 – 30 pounds the first year after developing fibromyalgia.
The link between fibromylagia and weight gain
So, the questions is: why does fibromyalgia trigger weight gain in so many people? There are a number of contributing factors:
- Lack of Sleep: One of the primary symptoms of fibromylagia is the inability to get the deep, stage 4 restorative sleep we need to function properly. Recent studies have shown that people who do not get adequate amounts of sleep are more likely to gain weight. Lack of sleep causes a reduction metabolism and an increase in appetite, particularly a craving for high-carb and high-sugar foods.
- Neuroendocrine Abnormalities: Research has revealed several hormone deficiencies in in those suffering with fibromyalgia, such as serotonin, growth hormone, cortisol and thyroid, which can contribute to decreasing the body’s metabolism. Additionally, there may also be an increased sensitivity to insulin which causes the body to go into a fat-storing mode.
- Decreased Activity: Because of their level of pain and discomfort with moving around, most FM patients are not able to increase their exercise to the levels needed to increase metabolism rates and burn the calories required for significant weight loss.
- Medication: A number of medications commonly given to treat the symptoms of fibromyalgia, particularly antidepressants, have the side effect of weight gain. Before you take any medication, always research to see if the side effects are more debilitating than the actual condition and then talk to your doctor about them.
Weight-loss Strategies
Since the chronic pain from fibromyalgia makes it difficult for one to increase their exercise regiment enough to burn more calories and the slower metabolism means eating less doesn’t usually help much, what can a person do to lose weight? In the book mentioned above, Dr. Pellegrino has developed a food plan designed to improve our metabolism and calorie-burning abilities by providing us with the right “quality” of food. He recommends the following diet:
Eat a High-protein, Low-carbohydrate Diet: Fibromyalgia sufferers should focus on good proteins like lean meats, eggs, dairy products, tofu, soy meat substitutes and legumes. One should limit carbohydrate intake to vegetables and fresh fruits and include good fats, such as plant oils, fish oils, almonds and avocados. If you need a sweetener, use a natural sweetener like Stevia or Xylitol and avoid sugar and other sweets. Breads and pastas, rice, potatoes, partially hydrogenated oils, carbonated drinks, and alcohol except in moderation.
Eat Proteins First: One should never eat carbohydrates – even good carbs – by themselves and always eat a protein first. When you eat a protein first, the protein digestive enzymes are activated which in turn slows the absorption of carbohydrates.
Eat Until You’re Full: At meals, one should eat until they’re full, but not overly stuffed and take in mind to eat slowly and chew your food well. One should eat smaller meals more often during the day, and five or six times a day is a good rule. This schedule can be three regular meals and two small snacks, three small meals and two larger snacks, or five small meals. Each persons metabolism and body works differently, so experiment to see what works best for you. If you also happen to have irritable bowel syndrome, you may find that you do better eating small portions more frequently.
Give Yourself and Body a Break: Try to follow this diet schedule strictly from Monday through Friday and then allow yourself to splurge a little on the weekends. Knowing that you can indulge a little on weekends should make it easier to stick to the diet through the week.
Check With Your Doctor
Before starting any new diet or exercise program, it is always a good idea to check with your doctor or health care provider. You might also want to consider talking with and suggesting to your doctor about testing you for things like thyroid, yeast or fungal overgrowth (Candida), hypoglycemia, and hormone deficiencies, as these things can also contribute to weight gain.
