I was diagnosed 2 1/2 yrs ago and only taking siminet and I continue to gain weight. I was on Prozac but took myself off about 2 months ago. I read about those who cannot eat and my heart goes out to those with PD. I think my weight is causing joint pain and is slowing me down. I need to lose about 60 lbs. any suggestions?
Am I the only overweight PwP?: I was... - Cure Parkinson's
Am I the only overweight PwP?
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BaileyCO
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Have you tried going low carb and Keto. Fat doesn't make you fat as tomatoes don't make you red. I find if I skip breakfast I am not really that hungry at lunch.
Ha. Great line. Can I use it?
You can use it. I borrowed it from Dr Bernstein's diabetes solution ( my son has type 1).
I usually eat low carb but I had my grandchildren for 4 days and although I stayed active hiking and going to an amusement park with them I also ate like they do and my weight was up 7 lbs this morning.
You might consider writing down everything you eat for week or 2 and then figure out where your calories are coming from. A low-carb diet or the keto diet allows 20% (the purest say 10%) to come from carbs, which isn't all that easy to do.
Do you think you're ready for some life style changes or are you looking primarily for changes in your diet?
I think I must my joints are hurting so bad. It is hard getting up and down from my office chair.
Sounds like inflammation to me.
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These menus are suggestions to get you started on a healthy low-carb diet. They each fulfill a full day's requirements for vitamins (except, in most cases, vitamin D), minerals (except, in some cases, calcium), and fiber. They range between 20 and 50 grams of net carb (total carb minus fiber) and from 1500 to 1700 calories.
lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/l...
You absolutely must avoid all sugar on this diet (check food ingredients)
You must keep daily total limit - 20 and 50 grams of net carb - (check food ingredients)
The Diet
Note, you can eat as much of the foods below as you like, but I’ve found that I quickly feel full eating this diet. Don’t overeat and more importantly, don’t under-eat and make sure you’re getting the calories you need to function. This is NOT about cutting calories, it’s about releasing fat reserves and teaching your body to burn them.
Drink lots of water during the diet (but don’t go crazy). I find this helps increase my metal clarity and energy.
Taubes and others recommend not starting an exercise program at the beginning of this diet because during the acclimatization period you will not have enough energy and it usually results in people quitting the diet.
During the diet, measure your rate of fat burn by measuring your acetoacetate output with your Ketostix. Do this every time you visit the loo. You should see 5 to 20 mg/dL, and I’ve noticed it’s particularly high after a very fatty meal. Blood glucose (if your ketostix show this on a separate color tab) should be zero at all times. If it is not zero and above 200 mg/dL you may want to consult your doctor.
One of the most effective tricks during a diet is routine. Eat the same meals over and over or plan your meals ahead for the whole week. I’ve found it effective to pre-make dishes on Sunday and have them ready for the week. That makes it incredibly easy to stick to the diet because I avoid thinking which means I avoid creativity and creativity requires decision making which leads to hard choices. Just avoid the hard choices and have it all planned and some of it ready to grab and go.
The Leafy Green Salad recipe:
This is a recipe for a basic very low carb salad with lots of flavor. It’s great to add to any high-protein, high-fat meal.
◾Spinach, lettuce and/or mustard greens.
◾Red peppers
◾Tomatoes.
◾Optional raw onions.
◾Optional green beans raw.
◾Balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing with salt and pepper. Use lemon and lime very sparingly if you add it. The vinegar actually reduces the glycemic index of this salad (and other foods).
Below I have outlined three days with a total of 9 meals that you can mix and match as you like. At the end I include a list of Ketogenic-safe ingredients you can add or subtract as you like. Remember the key is to have a high fat, high-protein and no-carb or very low carb diet. That means absolutely no sugar.
◾Day 1 ◾Breakfast: 2 eggs done any way with yolks. Sausage containing no carbs or sugar. Bacon.
◾Lunch: Chicken with as much skin and oily gooey bits as possible. Steamed spinach or broccoli.
◾Supper: Steak with cheese. Fried mushrooms. Leafy green salad.
◾Before bed 1 glass of wine with a slice of cheese.
◾Day 2 ◾Breakfast: 2 egg omlette with friend mushrooms, cheese and chopped parsley.
◾Lunch: A whole duck breast if you can get it or chicken again with as much fatty skin as possible. Leafy green salad.
◾Supper: Hamburger made with high fat mince without the bun. The mince can contain the usual paprika, chopped onions and garlic if you like, but absolutely no syrup or sugar. Add Cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and any other leafy low-carb greens you like.
◾Before bed 1 glass of wine with a slice of cheese.
◾Day 3 ◾2 eggs done any way with bacon and usual no-carb sausage.
◾Steak with cheese. Leafy green salad.
◾Salmon (or other fish) fried and served with Bok Choy and your leafy green salad.
You can mix and match the meals above and get a good Ketogenic burn going where you will notice rapid weight loss.
Eat as much as you want ingredient ideas:
◾Beef,
◾Steak,
◾Hamburger,
◾Prime Rib,
◾Filet Mignon,
◾Roast Beef,
◾Chicken,
◾Duck (awesome if you can get it because it is very high fat),
◾Any Fish, Tuna, Salmon, Trout, Halibut,
◾Lamb,
◾Pork,
◾Bacon,
◾Ham,
◾Eggs,
◾Shrimp,
◾Crab,
◾Lobster,
◾Butter,
◾Oils (Olive Oil, Flaxseed oil, etc.),
◾Salt, Pepper, Soy Sauce,
◾Spinach,
◾Lettuce,
◾Mustard Greens,
◾Celery,
◾Cheeses,
◾Oysters,
◾Abalone.
Add for variety but in moderation:
Read the ingredients (if applicable) and make darn sure they contain no sugar:
◾Avocadoes
◾Mustard (with no sugar or carbs),
◾Tea no sugar with milk
◾Coffee black no sugar
◾Heavy Cream
◾Broccoli,
◾Cabbage,
◾Bok Choy,
◾Kale,
◾Asparagus,
◾Mushrooms,
◾Cucumbers,
◾Olives,
◾Celery,
◾Green Beans,
◾Brussel Sprouts,
◾Peppers (Red, Green, Jalapeno, Habanero),
◾Onions,
◾Nuts preferably almonds,
You absolutely must avoid all sugar on this diet because it is the highest GI carbohydrate that will very quickly spike your insulin and destroy any Ketogenic effect. Other foods to avoid roughly in order of damage they will do to the diet:
◾All sugar.
◾All Bread.
◾Did I mention avoid sugar?
◾All traditional carbs like rice, pasta, wheat, potatoes, even the low GI ones like beans and lentils.
◾Beware of sauces that contain sugar or things like corn starch.
Effects of the diet:
◾You will see rapid weight loss of up to 6 pounds for a 200 pound person in the first 48 hours. This is your kidneys releasing water as they expel their sodium due to the absence of insulin. It’s what you’ve usually heard described as “water weight”.
◾Then you should see continued weight loss of anything from 0.25 to 2 pounds per day (an eighth to half kilo lost per day). But this varies greatly between individuals and is affected by a wide range of factors including your current weight and insulin sensitivity.
◾For the first week you may experience slightly decreased mental clarity. This clears up after a week as your brain gets used to burning ketones for energy instead of glucose.
◾According to data in “Why we get fat” your Vitamin C needs actually decrease on a low carb diet, so don’t feel the need to massively supplement.
◾Research has shown (also from Taubes) that LDL (bad) cholesterol will elevate slightly but clump size will be increased which is a net positive because larger LDL is less likely to stick to artery walls. HDL (good) cholesterol is significantly elevated with a very low carb diet like this which is a very strong net positive. This also has other great health benefits e.g. Lower insulin reduces the risk of hardening of artery walls.
BaileyCO• in reply to
Thank you for all the good information. I shall give it a try. Somethings has to change
MBAnderson• in reply to
Amen, Roy.
Bailey, I asked because research shows that people who "go on diets" don't keep the weight off. It requires fundamental changes of lifestyle.
How tall are you and how much do you weigh, if you don't mind my asking?
• in reply toMBAnderson
5 '10"
192 pounds
No sugar, limited carbs and you will lose so much, so fast it will frighten you
MBAnderson• in reply to
Sorry Rory. I was asking Bailey how tall he is and how much he weighs.
5'8" 222
Your body mass index is 33.8
People with a BMI of less than 18.5 are underweight. A BMI of between 18.5 and 25 is ideal. Somebody with a BMI between 25 and 30 is classed as overweight. A person with a BMI over 30 is obese.
To get your BMI down to 25, you would have to get your weight down to 165.
You hit the nail right on the head with your 60 pound goal.
MBAnderson• in reply to
Roy, your body mass index is 27.5.
ddmagee1• in reply to
Thank you RoyProp for sharing this!
I suggest discussing with your GP. You weight gain seems rather dramatic.
In the meantime stop eating sugar especially in drinks. Watch for all the hidden sugar too in low fat foods and sauces etc. Eat only full fat products.
After a few days your taste will change and you won't miss it as much. After a few weeks you will feel much better all round.
Weight gain is an unfortunate side effect from Sinemet and Mirapex. I gained 45 lbs in 9 months and I did not eat any differently than before my diagnosis and drug regime. I maintained that weight increase for 3 years! Nobody (doctors) had an answer! But I can say with honesty....Your metabolism is changed by the meds 🤪😱
and I tried numerous ways of losing the weight but was told that I was lucky as some people have much worse side effects, like addictions etc. that are unhealthy and often ruin your life completely.
I finally lost the weight by working with a homeopath (I live in Canada) and followed a diet very similar to the one given to you in an earlier reply. Removing sugar from your diet is difficult and carbs too. But it’s worth it in the long run. You have to set yourself up for a lifestyle change! I have a British sweet tooth and I love bread, or anything made from flour, and having dinner without potatoes, rice or pasta made me cringe. But both my husband and I generally speaking now manage quite well, and if we are out with friends, we cheat a bit. My husband gave up beer and wine for a full 8 weeks....and other than an rare "slip" (out at dinner) he is sticking to it. Amazing what we can do when we put our minds straight. Can’t avoid the PD but you CAN beat the weight problem!
Good luck.
BaileyCO• in reply to
Thanks for sharing your experience. I feel stupid complaining about weight gain when others cannot eat.
I would start with gluten or dairy free and see how that feels.
My experience was that I gained weight with Sinemet but began to lose weight as soon as I added Prozac to control anxiety. I think either the PD diagnosis &/or the Sinemet set me comfort eating and the Prozac not only stopped it but also suppressed my appetite. I was worried about speed of weight loss (14 lbs in 5 months) but I seem to have stabilised to my original pre PD diagnosis weight. I eat a balanced ordinary diet with no restrictions and take 4-5 hours exercise a week. Have you thought of joining a slimming club for help and support? A reputable one should set you on track to develop healthy eating habits.
Cut out gluten, dairy, sugar and processed foods. This is not easy if you have been used to eating these foods. At least start with one of the usual offenders and go from there. There are yummy alternatives :-). Have your thyroid checked and not just TSH but free T3 and T4, reverse T3, antibodies. I would highly recommend a book by Julia Ross called The Diet Cure or her new one The Craving Cure. Best of luck. Be Gentle with yourself.
Bailey, a lot of good suggestions here and all consistent. I like the last line from kgold above. Go into these changes gradually. It's more important where you are a year from now, than where you are 90 days from now.
True but I must begin. So far today I have been able to do well staying on track.
This weight thing is the wrong way round for me.
With zero healthy eating effort on my side (even while eating junk food) I'm underweight
With PD my underweight issues gets more serious and so the problem for me is how to gain weight
Recently though I managed to find a diet which raised my BMI from 17 to 20ish . And probably higher with time with no adverse effects on my PD symptoms but rather positive (my symptoms getting milder). But since most people are making efforts to move in the opposite direction, so it's not worth me talking about this
Grumpy,
Oh, but a BMI of 17 is as serious as the need to lose weight and is worth talking about. Going from 17 to 20 is really very good. Please, share the diet you found that did this.
Speaking of increasing BMI, I had a good laugh today. Of late, my BMI has slipped down into the 20-ish range, so, I was at the VA today talking to the coordinator of my healthcare team (a high-level doctor) and wanted to discuss what I could do to raise BMI without increasing carbs, "Is it a biochemical thing with Parkinson's that I can't control, is it muscle/tissue wasting, what's going on, blah blah blah?"
Answer: "Why don't you try eating more?"
I hope you find a solution to your problem as well. I think you are in the majority that is why I ask my question.
I am also overweight - I gained 40 pounds since my diagnosis 4 yrs ago.
I had worked hard to lose 35# 2 yrs before diagnosis /then gained it all back.
I was also diagnosed with Hashimoto and psoriatic arthritis. It may have been partly due to meds I take for it
It’s very frustrating. I hope you find something that works for you. I a still sticking to Keto but my body is resisting but I am trying not to give up. Possibly the meds are hindering us.
Thanks I do Keto too but at 20- 25 grams I only loose very slowly. I’m down about 11 # . Hurt ankle 3 mo ago and only just now back to exercising
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