POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Nutrition & HIV => Topic started by: appleboy on May 14, 2007, 09:35:48 am
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While over the last few months I have gained so much weight. I eat like a horse. I guess that is a good sign considering I was 29 waist and now I am getting close to 34 -36. Problem is all my clothes are starting to not fit me and while I look great with the weight I need to do something about it. Is it safe to diet while being HIV Poz? I am not thinking of doing any extreme dieting but I think a few pounds off would not be a issue as I cannot afford to just run out and buy clothes each time I loose and gain weight. Anyone have any advice on this?
AppleBoy
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Yeppers. I'm dieting. Saw the ID Specialist and they had no qualms about dieting so long as it was supervised, at least minimally. I'm doing the health solutions through my local hospital. Started 4 days ago and already lost 3 lbs! Woo hoo! I think this is a good solution as its nutritionally balanced, etc.
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What do they have you doing? I know I could afford to power walk or even light jogs. I am so picky about food. I don't eat salads never have liked em and still do this day don't. Congrats on the 3lbs you have lost!
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Hi appleboy,
Yes, you can and should diet...not in the sense of counting calories, but your nutritional intake is very important.
Also, as in my case, one of the main side effects of my meds has been a big increase in my cholesterol and triglycerides. I had never had issues with weight or cholesterol before starting Kaletra, and now I struggle with high cholesterol.
Rich
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Thanks Poz,
Luckily I have been on Sustiva and Truvada now Atripla and have only had minor elevations in triglycerides which my dr seems little concerned about. My cholesterol has been good. So knock on wood I hope to not have problems with those.
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Hiya appleboy,
I also gained some kilos since started treatment. When I started one year ago, my weight was 64 kilos (128 pounds more or less) and I went up to 74 (148 pounds) in a couple of months. As I was seeing this seemed not to stop, I talked to my doctor who agreed trying to stop that kilo race. So we studied my food intake.
I eliminated precooked foods, fast foods, coke, sauces, almost all bread and similars (cookies, snacks...), and fried preparations.
I also have reduced the amount of food in each meal and have divided eating in 5 meals. A light breakfast, a "boxes stop" by 11:00, lunch at 13:00, something about tea-time ;-) and then, a light dinner.
I eat a lot of fruit, drink water, only drink skimmed milk, and when I feel hungry (I always do!!!) I have always with me a little bag of dried fruits, almonds, sunflower seeds, non salted and toasted. And this works.
I go to the gym from 3 to 5 times a week, doing a not too hard training, and now I am on 71 (142 pounds). I feel OK like that and can still handle with my old jeans.
I got infected last year, and started meds very soon. Before being infected my weight was 80 kilos (160 pounds). I lost 16 kilos (32 pounds) in 3 weeks due to acute infection syndrome. But now I feel OK in 71 kilos.
The most important, any way, is to talk with your doctor and build a plan. It is important to keep eating a big variety of food of all groups, because we need all kind of nutrients, even fats.
Hope this helps ;-) Bon appetit!
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Thanks that was a big help.
Hugs
AppleBoy
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Well, its 3+2+5 - 3 shakes, 2 entrees and 5 veggies/fruits plus exercise. But, if you're still hungry, you simply eat more. The entrees are each 200 calories, the shakes are 120, and they do have little candy bars that have 160 calories.
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Hey appleboy-
I need to start some kind of diet/exercise program also. I've been to Goodwill recently to buy larger fitting clothes. Luckily, there's one not too far from my house that I can shop at. But, I have kind of a different situation. I'm on Chantix (the stop smoking pill) and tomorrow is the quit date. I definitely DO NOT want to gain anymore weight! So I will be asking my doctor about a referral to a good nutritionist about a diet and maybe with the money I save from not buying cigarettes, I could join a gym. However, my left kneecap is broken with the cartilage collapsed and my right kneecap's cartilage is collapsing. The orthopedist told me not to do any weight bearing exercises with the legs. I'm sure I can figure out something!
I never used to have an issue with weight until all these new meds came out though. I wonder if they cause people to crave food all the time.
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I eliminated precooked foods, fast foods, coke, sauces, almost all bread and similars (cookies, snacks...), and fried preparations.
I also have reduced the amount of food in each meal and have divided eating in 5 meals. A light breakfast, a "boxes stop" by 11:00, lunch at 13:00, something about tea-time ;-) and then, a light dinner.
I eat a lot of fruit, drink water, only drink skimmed milk, and when I feel hungry (I always do!!!) I have always with me a little bag of dried fruits, almonds, sunflower seeds, non salted and toasted. And this works.
I go to the gym from 3 to 5 times a week, doing a not too hard training, and now I am on 71 (142 pounds). I feel OK like that and can still handle with my old jeans.
Omigod alberche, I think you may well be My Hero! :D
Although I'm not overweight, my wobbly bits have been getting more and more wobbly lately. Not to mention my energy levels have dropped considerably and my sleeping/eating patterns have become erratic. I'm not stressed or depressed; I'm just lazy.
I KNOW all the right things to do and they work when I do them BUT I only go through phases of doing them. My self discipline sucks. I'm terribly lazy when it comes to exercise. And lately I'm going through a 'lazy phase' with food too. When I'm not being lazy, I LOVE experimenting with healthy food. Like you I'm always hungry, like you I eat about 3-5 times a day and like you I usually eat (and juice) a lot of fruit and drink lots of water.
This inspiring post of yours may have just given me the kick up the arse I needed.
Muchas gracias!
Melia ;)
(who would also like to keep handling her old jeans!)
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What do they have you doing? I know I could afford to power walk or even light jogs...
Hi, "weight" is fat, right? "Powerwalks?" C'mon RUN man (Jogging is bad for the knees--high impact)! When your can hardly breathe, walk, then...resume running.
Vigorous exercise will not help your virus, but it will help your immunity. Unless you're suffering from total body wasting from late-stage disease, you have no reason to squander your good health by taxing your heart, knees, etc by creeping obesity. EXERCISE!
Lots and lots of talk about waist size and "losing weight" here, but few do much more than work their fingers/jaws. I invite you to exercise hard, several times a week, provided you aren't under the weather.
Diet is what you actually eat. Exercise is what you actually do, day in and day out. Leave "toning" and "sculpting" to the plastic surgeons. If you want to know how to lose fat and gain lean muscle mass (happens simultaneously), check out my posts (click on <megasept> then <posts by this person>) regarding exercise. I am 50, 16+ poz. What I do works. AFTER you read my exercise posts, and BEGIN exercising, feel free to PM me with thoughts and questions. I'LL GLADLY SHARE EXERCISE ADVICE WITH ANYONE HERE. 8) -megasept
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Hi all
I have also been plagued by increased hunger, putting on weight and not fitting into clothes. The only really lasting solution is diet and exercise. The exercise is not heavy. I do a preprogrammed fat burn program on the cross trainer for 30-40 mins everyday. That burns some calories and tries to get me to the place where I am burning more calories than I am consuming. The diet gets easier once my body stops craving cheap carbs :-) (high glycaemic foods) Skip pastas, white rice, white bread, processed meats, sugar in the form of cookies and candy and go for low fat everything. Then I find I can eat till I am full. Brown rice, rice mixes, lots of veggies and fruit, beans, nuts, some fish and chicken breasts etc. After a while two slices of fresh wholewheat bread start to look like dessert. :-D
all the best, good luck
Jonathan
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Two weeks and 8 lbs lost - hurrah! I will be a skinny little twink again soon. ;D
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Hiya sweetasmeli!
Thanks! That makes me happy to hear that!!!!
You know, I got a lot of stress from my job and I learned that taking a part of the day to take care of me is very helpful!!!!
Sometimes, we eat a lot or feel down as an answer to stress. I think all is related to it.
So, I take my time, you know, take an slow shower, sit and relax listening to good music meanwhile I eat my fruits or snacks. Those are my particular moments.
I live in the mountains, nearby Madrid, but in the middle of a big big big pine forest, so I also go out in the pinewood to take rides from time to time, when I come back home I feel renewed and with the things in the right place inside my head.
Sometimes, just simply walking, even in the city, makes you feel better, see the world moving, and that makes your body wanting to move too!!!!
Besos!!!!
;-)
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What i don't get is that with this 24/7 fight that is going on in the body why are we not losing weight? I lost 2 stone with PCP before diagnosis but in last 9 months have put 2 1/2 stone on >:(
My diet is good and i do some exercise and stress loads everyday with work but still cant lose weight, looks like it is going to be back to the gym, bugger!!!!
Paul xXx (who's wobbly bits just keep on wobbling) ;D
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I shake like a bowl full of jelly :o
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What flavour jelly appleboy? I'm strawberry here, as I'm a little bit fruity ;)
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I am cherry cause I am sweet and sour!
;D
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Well, if going to gym is not enoguh... I think about sex... a couple of sweaty nites a week could make the fit we are looking for.... :P
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It has been so long I think I forgot how to have sex. Sheesh I might even have a heart attack if it happened!
;D
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I was hoping you were cherry because it had been so long ;)
Don't rely on changing your eating to make all of the difference in your weight. Do resistance training to put on muscle mass that will require additional fuel to maintain, and do cardio of sufficient intensity and duration to help raise your metabolism and to burn off stored energy (fat). My waist is down 4 inches from where it started 9 years ago, but my weight is up about 35 pounds.
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LOLOLOL!!!!
That's a good one appleboy!
Well, maybe it is a better idea to start with a resistance training. But I can tell you for sure that training also puts up sexual appetite... so, be prepared ;-)
Hugs!!!!