Out of Control Weight gain

[ChrisD]

Since my first Cov infection in 2020, which caused my M.E. To be slightly worse, I started gaining weight. And then after second infection in 2021, which caused bad long Covid symptoms for over a year, only just improving in the last 4 months - I rapidly gained weight - going from 75kg to now 108kg.

I'm a 5'9'', 32y.o. Male.

Quick background: M.E. Since 2016, Lyme/bartonella/Mycoplasma/Candida/H2S Sibo/thyroid are all factors for me too.

Since being ill I have experimented with Keto and Paleo, but have settled on a balanced whole foods diet as Keto/fasting caused more unsolvable thyroid issues for me.

Some blood markers that show up for me:
High Cholesterol & triglycerides
High ALT
Low Vitamin D (despite summer)
Borderline Low Creatine Kinase
Borderline High Thyroglobulin antibodies
High Immunoglobulin E
Low Testosterone, Oestradiol, FSH.

I was also given a Tricyclic, beta blocker and using H1 antihistamines all for the effects of Long Cov. But after some research realise that they all cause weight gain, so am trying to now wean off all those but that is difficult.

A summary of what I take in terms of supplements:
Coenzyme B complex, mineral solution, magnesium complex, mito stuff like Ribose and alcar, collagen, herbs for Lyme and co, Choline, Serine, Zinc.

I am just starting to feel really trapped now that I have tried so many methods to improve my health and had been feeling a bit better (still not at previous baseline before Cov) yet the weight gain is inversely correlated and even in the last few weeks have put on a few more KGs - checked on scales plus can feel clothes tightening.

It's so difficult because I can't be in a calorie deficit or I feel very weak and flare, and don't sleep properly which becomes a snowball effect. I'm largely housebound, I can move a bit between floors and out in the garden but no real exercise without PEM.

Nurses are unable to withdraw blood from me as my body has stopped giving blood easily since Long Cov. So can't even have a blood test to check latest markers of thyroid etc. It's all a mess.

So any weight loss/management tips or magic tricks are extremely welcome....

Edit: Am also about to start LDA, so a little worried about the weight gain effects of that too

 

[Wishful]

Just before my ME started, I started gaining weight rapidly, which was a surprise after being very stable (180 lbs) for many years. I cut the size of my portions, and returned to my regular weight. Then I started gaining weight again, and then ME struck (in the form of type IV food sensitivity) and I did a lot of diet alterations which led to lower weight (down to 130 at one point). Presently I'm fairly stable at ~170.

For me it was reducing portion size that allowed me to lose weight. If that doesn't work for you, due to negative effects, you could still try to vary the type of food, such as different types of fibres or fats. I've met plenty of people who believed that cutting all fats from their diet would help them lose weight (nope, switches the body to fat retention). Not all fats or fibres have the same effects, so it's at least possible that a specific type would affect weight gain/loss.

Weight control is pretty complex; all sorts of different hormones and other messaging molecules maintaining a set point. Since ME seems to affect brain cells, it's possible that the ones keeping that set point are affected by ME, so your body would keep fighting any treatments to reduce weight.

Are you sure that it's the total calories that affects your sleep, strength, etc, or could it be some other aspect of foods, such as bulk or the time it takes to consume it?

 

[linusbert]

i also when i first crashed , had waight gain from 60kg to 135kg over 5 years. at some point i got diabetes.
i took 40k vitamin D once a week for 6 month, that improved my diabetes to almost normal values and also i was loosing like 7kg in weight.

 

[Treeman]

I've got the same problem. I feel my body is constantly craving energy, so it's telling me to eat more.

I tried many things over the years. The best was a bout of viral meningitis , I lost a stone with that!

I'm also house bound and can't exercise.

I've tried keto, worked for a while and many other things including small portions, but I worked out I probably only burn about 1000 calories a day.

I'm presently having 3 slimfast drinks a day and a few snacks like natural yoghurt or fruit but only just at the beginning so can't say how or if it has been successful.

I won't give up though.

 

[Judee]

I lost a lot when I went on gluten-free. Matter of fact for a whole month afterward I was hungry all the time. I still miss bread. I don't think I'm gluten sensitive but I do think I have a problem with wheat and barley (allergies).

Most people here are already gluten free so that probably won't make a difference but thought I'd throw that out there. Also avoiding any food you have any kind of reaction to can help with weight loss. There was a Dr Mandell in the 1980's who wrote about food allergies making us gain weight. It was the first time I realized I had food allergies.

You can read his book for one hour (or more if you check it out more than once) on this site but you have to create a log in: https://archive.org/details/drmandells5dayal02mandrich/mode/2up (Plus it's photographs of the book pages rather than an actual digital book which might annoy some but it's free. )

​

 

[sb4]

There is some evidence to suggest even lean pots patients respond like diabetics to glucose containing meals.

My symptoms are noticably worse after carbs and I also put on weight super fast. You have mentioned you've already done keto but perhaps you could just do low carb instead?

I have been recently experimenting with ways to reduce glucose spike, as I have decided to treat myself as though I am diabetic. I have 2 main meals per day and try to limit myself to 25g carbs per meal. I will use those carbs to soak up fat to further low GI and try to eat my protein first.

I am also experimenting with things like added plenty of vinegar and using cinnamon to reduce GI. Trying to make those 25g carbs low GI ones too.

Not sure if its helping the weight loss, as its early days however it has noticably blunted my post meal diabetic like response. Those will mainly be from the lower overal carbs but its more managable when you use those carbs to soak up copious amounts of fat. One of the things I hated about keto was the disgusting amount of fat you had to consume every day.

 

[ruben]

Since my first Cov infection in 2020, which caused my M.E. To be slightly worse, I started gaining weight. And then after second infection in 2021, which caused bad long Covid symptoms for over a year, only just improving in the last 4 months - I rapidly gained weight - going from 75kg to now 108kg.

I'm a 5'9'', 32y.o. Male.

Quick background: M.E. Since 2016, Lyme/bartonella/Mycoplasma/Candida/H2S Sibo/thyroid are all factors for me too.

Since being ill I have experimented with Keto and Paleo, but have settled on a balanced whole foods diet as Keto/fasting caused more unsolvable thyroid issues for me.

Some blood markers that show up for me:
High Cholesterol & triglycerides
High ALT
Low Vitamin D (despite summer)
Borderline Low Creatine Kinase
Borderline High Thyroglobulin antibodies
High Immunoglobulin E
Low Testosterone, Oestradiol, FSH.

I was also given a Tricyclic, beta blocker and using H1 antihistamines all for the effects of Long Cov. But after some research realise that they all cause weight gain, so am trying to now wean off all those but that is difficult.

A summary of what I take in terms of supplements:
Coenzyme B complex, mineral solution, magnesium complex, mito stuff like Ribose and alcar, collagen, herbs for Lyme and co, Choline, Serine, Zinc.

I am just starting to feel really trapped now that I have tried so many methods to improve my health and had been feeling a bit better (still not at previous baseline before Cov) yet the weight gain is inversely correlated and even in the last few weeks have put on a few more KGs - checked on scales plus can feel clothes tightening.

It's so difficult because I can't be in a calorie deficit or I feel very weak and flare, and don't sleep properly which becomes a snowball effect. I'm largely housebound, I can move a bit between floors and out in the garden but no real exercise without PEM.

Nurses are enable to withdraw blood from me as my body has stopped giving blood easily since Long Cov. So can't even have a blood test to check latest markers of thyroid etc. It's all a mess.

So any weight loss/management tips or magic tricks are extremely welcome....

Hi there. You say about blood markers which show up for you and I notice you're in UK. I don't have any problems with being overweight, I'm the other way what with my digestive problems with ME/CFS. I'm just wondering as I see you're in UK if these blood markers are simply from standard NHS blood tests. In all the years I've been unwell my NHS blood tests are apparently normal.!!

 

[kjetilv]

What’s worked for me is cutting the amount of meals I eat pr day. Now I eat 2 meals, before atleast 4 with snacking in between. It took me a while to get used to 2 meals (I felt hungry the first 1-2 weeks), but now it’s easy and I think I’ll stick with it because it feels right for me. It doesn’t affect my symptoms, but that might ofc be different for others. I guess carrying unnecessary weight takes more energy and will therefore elevate ME-symptoms?

 

[Wishful]

What’s worked for me is cutting the amount of meals I eat pr day.

I think it's easier to adjust to smaller portions per meal than to fewer meals per day. Both reduce total calories per day, but mealtimes are habits that are hard to break. Going from, for example, four strips of bacon to two strips, should be easier, especially if combined with some other changes, such as how fast you eat. Eating slower could make a smaller amount feel more satisfying.

My 'cut portion size' experience was 20+ years ago, but I don't recall feeling that the smaller meals were unsatisfying, or that I craved more snacks.

 

[kjetilv]

@Wishful that’s nice! I definitely feel that it’s easier to eat fewer meals pr day than smaller portions personally. I also feel that I save energy by not having to go to the kitchen all the time and rather just do it 2x/day. But that’s just my experience.

 

[linusbert]

@Wishful that’s nice! I definitely feel that it’s easier to eat fewer meals pr day than smaller portions personally. I also feel that I save energy by not having to go to the kitchen all the time and rather just do it 2x/day. But that’s just my experience.

i eat 7 meals a day. its pretty easy.
- boil 3 eggs and put into bag
- put some bananas , fruits into bag
- joghurt
- a few pieces of bread

this are already 4

 

[Judee]

There is some evidence to suggest even lean pots patients respond like diabetics to glucose containing meals.

I'm not sure if this is everyone here though. My last blood test for sugar levels was taken two hours after a meal. My result number was 71. The range of normal on that test was 70-99.

I had eaten oatmeal with a butter-type spread and some maple syrup along with some sweetened sunflower butter. It wasn't a huge amount of maple syrup but it was still a generous portion...maybe 2-3T.

Maple syrup is very high in natural sugars so I was thinking it should have been higher. Plus, there was the sugar in the sunflower butter. Also when I look online it is saying normal after a meal should have been 140-180. Idk.

???

Edit: Maybe it was the caffeinated coffee I drank. It's supposed to help increase insulin depending on what online study I read.

Again, idk.

 

[linusbert]

Maple syrup is very high in natural sugars so I was thinking it should have been higher. Plus, there was the sugar in the sunflower butter. Also when I look online it is saying normal after a meal should have been 140-180. Idk.

yea if you are a diabetic with bad sugar control , 2h after lunch 140-180 is normal.

truth is,
everything above 140 after lunch is prediabetis or diabetes.
it should be <= 100 2h after food.

if your insulin works normal, you actually get even lower sugar levels after eating high sugar. because of excessive insulin.
but over time you will become insulin resistent and it inverts.

71 is superb after lunch. i never had those even before i was diabetic. just rest assured, your sugar is fine.

 

[Hip]

Since my first Cov infection in 2020, which caused my M.E. To be slightly worse, I started gaining weight. And then after second infection in 2021, which caused bad long Covid symptoms for over a year, only just improving in the last 4 months - I rapidly gained weight - going from 75kg to now 108kg.

That is a really large weight gain in such a short period.

I put on a lot of weight when I caught the Coxsackie B4 virus which triggered my ME/CFS, going from my regular 67 kg to about 97 kg. But this was a slower process taking several years.

On two occasions, I performed a severe diet where I just ate 800 kilocalories per day (instead of the normal 2100 for males) for two months, and this burned off a lot of the weight. If anything, I found I actually had more energy on the diet than when eating normally.

However, once I stopped the diet, the weight came back with 6 to 12 months. So I realised that it was a dysfunction of the body which was causing the weight gain, which cannot be easily dealt with by diet, unless you are happy to reduce calories every day.


Just did a bit of Googling, and found that SARS-CoV-2 can infect fat tissue (adipose tissue) and cause inflammation and dysregulation of adipokines — hormones secreted by fat cells that regulate metabolism and the level of fat storage.

So it could be that COVID has infected your fat tissues, and is causing a dysfunction in those tissues, making them store too much fat.



There are a few preliminary reports of long COVID patients going into remission after a few weeks on the antiviral sofosbuvir, and other LC patients are now getting interested in trying this drug. So that is something to keep an eye on.

 

[lenora]

Hello @ChrisD. There are a lot of years between us, plus the fact that I'm female, but I'm also putting on the lbs., even though I'm not hungry, have a diet that's perfect and only eat twice/day....the latest being a small portion of something. To be honest, I could even go without that.

This began when I had intestinal surgery probably 4 years ago. No one can figure it out. I'm 76 and my waist expansion is almost something I can feel each day. My husband is worried that I don't eat enough....and my diet has to be monitored for high cholesterol (very high), high blood pressure, heart attack and it's just all very odd.

The same thing happened a number of years ago and I suddenly lost the weight. My closet is full of all sizes....and I've always been a petite person. Still am, in spite of the waist weight gain. I know this accompanies menopause, but to this extent? It's true that I'm partially bedridden and don't do much in the way of exercise....still, I was this way going on 40 years ago.

To help you with having blood drawn, tell them you need a baby blue needle. The smallest size there is and used on infants. They'll fight you on it, may not have any on hand, but can usually find one if necessary. Also, drink plenty of water before the draw. After a time, your vessels should recover somewhat. Still, I would always ask for the infant sized needle and yes, they can get enough blood with them. (That's the excuse they always use....can't get enough blood, etc., etc.). Good luck. Yours, Lenora

 

[wabi-sabi]

I was also given a Tricyclic, beta blocker and using H1 antihistamines all for the effects of Long Cov. But after some research realise that they all cause weight gain

Here's some advice you won't like

1) Restart these, since stopping them will cause more harm than any weight gain. Any weight gain they cause will be negligible compared to eating badly and being inactive (as you must be with LC or ME/CFS).

2) Get on a medication for your cholesterol. A heart attack will not make your long COVID better.

3)See a dietician for how to eat well when you can't exercise.

 

[Oliver3]

I'm going through the sane thing...I need excess calories.
The devil sugar works so well for me too. Chocolate stabilisers my mood

 

[wabi-sabi]

The devil sugar works so well for me too. Chocolate stabilisers my mood

Ooh, I find this too. I try to get very dark chocolate and take it medicinally- meaning a square here and there and not the whole bar every day.

The other thing I notice is that sugar helps me in a crash. The best way I've found to avoid eating too much sugar (not easy though) is to avoid the crash. I think of needing more sugar as a symptom of the push crash cycle. Sugar helps me push on the times when I have to and helps me recover when I'm in the crash. But when I'm not in the crash I don't need it so much. So the solution is getting off the push crash roller-coaster. It's very, very not easy to do though. But if you think of the weight gain as a side effect of this, it will give you more tools to manage it.

Even when I don't eat a lot of sugar (when not pushing and crashing) I do need a high carb diet to stay stable. For me that means things like beans and oatmeal. When I eat low carb or high fat, I don't do so well and the get stuck in a sugar cycle trying to recover. Complex, high fiber carbs keep me going better and avoid the need for quite so much medicinal chocolate which means not so much weight gain.

But, chocolate is life.

 

[wabi-sabi]

Here's an oatmeal recipe I find helpful:

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/282439/creamy-sweet-potato-oatmeal/
I eat this for breakfast a lot.

 

[Oliver3]

Sometimes I feel like carbs take me away from a feeling of anaphalaxis. It's like the things that shouldn't help help and healthy foods not so much.
To a point. I've kinda given up understanding it.