How do you loose weight whilst on PD

[Hardworkthisbeingpoorly]

Hi I have been on PD for 4 years now . I am on the kidney pancreas transplant list but currently suspended because I weigh too much for them to do the operation. To have this operation my BMI has to be below 30 , it is currently 33 and I'm finding it hard to loose the weight. I go to the gym 3 mornings a week and eat healthy but seem to have come to a sudden halt. I have lost a stone and need to loose another stone and a half , if anyone has any advice they can give reply to this please.

[marysmum]

Hi, I've been on PD for almost 4 years and would like to lose some weight also. It sounds like you've done amazingly to lose a stone, I don't know where you get your energy to go to a gym from - well done!

I joined weight watchers online last year and managed to lose almost a stone before losing interest (I find it hard where food is concerned). They don't help where specific diets (such as renal) are concerned, but where I thought they help was with meal suggestions (which I adapted if they were using foods high in potassium or phosphate). You write down everything that you eat, this is particularly good as I find I nibble on things without realising how many calories are in them, or how much I'm actually eating.

My hospital has a dietician who gave me suggestions for losing weight before I was put on the transplant list 2 years ago, maybe this would be a good way to start. Does your gym offer any additional support with losing weight or maybe your gym routine needs freshening up.

Another thing to remember is that when losing weight, most people will plateau at some point before the weight starts to come off again, so if you think you are doing everything right then stick at it and I'm sure you'll see results soon.

I wish you the best of luck and hope you get on the transplant list soon.

[Hardworkthisbeingpoorly in reply to marysmum]

Thanks for all this marysmum everything you've mentioned I am doing I even joined slimming world but that didn't suit me because of the way you had to eat .i have just come to this plateau situation , I have joined another gym and I have a new program to work to, they know my situation and ultimate goal is to get back on the transplant list. They've weighed me and they keep an eye on my blood pressure too so they are good. I hope this new program will start to benefit soon. I've just had a year off work long term sick to try and get things running smoothly again as you will know the depression get to you on some days , but that's all behind me now I have to think positive and carry on with life as close to normal as possible, I am starting back at work after the Easter holidays part time this will ( I hope ) help me to loose the weight as well , as I am stood up and moving about . My employer is fantastic and not ashamed to say it is the fast food giant McDonalds . I have worked closely with them to work out a shift pattern to suit me and we are both happy with it. They understand my situation so that's another big help. I don't eat their food though . As I am Diabetic and a lot of it is high in sugars and carbohydrates . Well I will have a go at this new regime and hope the weight starts to come off again. And thank you for taking time to answer my question and I feel less alone for this .

[marysmum]

It sounds like you're on the right track. The depression is awful, I have bad days too but I accept now that they just have to be endured like everything else. I bet once you're back at work things will look up. You'll have a bit of structure to your week, colleagues to chat with and take your mind off your troubles. I'm not sure how you can resist those burgers though, you must have better will power than me!! Good luck with everything x

[ladybird194]

Hi, Just seen your question. i am on PD and like you needed to lose the weight to get on the transplant list. Since July last year, I have lost 30kgs, how? simple. I ate less, honestly, it was as simple as that. I reduced all my meals to a childs portion - still eating within the confines of a renal diet - and with the help of a renal dietitcian, the weight just fell off. Out went all the rubbish, snacks, late night nibbles.

I looked at all the diet plans, W/Watchers, S/ World and found that they were not for me, so I worked out my own diet writing everything down, and the hard work has paid off as I was 'activated' last month.

Best of luck to you

[Hardworkthisbeingpoorly in reply to ladybird194]

Hi ladybird 94 Well Done and I really hope you get a donor very soon and thank you for that advice , ill incorporate child's portions into my regime and hopefully start to see results I'm half way there and if I can loose another 15kg that would take me out of the obese section and put me in the overweight section or below 30 on the BMI chart . Then hopefully get put back on the transplant list fingers crossed get a suitable match and then ultimately work at getting my BMI to 25 right back in the green . That would be brilliant . I've always liked green anyway haha . I know my dialysis gives me an extra 500 calories per night. anyway thank you for your advice and I wish you all the luck with getting your transplant xx

[Sknygrl133 in reply to ladybird194]

Did you use child size or portion control plates, bowls etc!

[ladybird194]

Hope it works for you!!

[Chin69]

Wow you sound like your in a bit of a pickle, I have found with family and friends that when they say they eat healthy to really dig further as healthy food in large quantities still make you put on weight, as the comment above food portions are so important I eat 3 meals a day with no snacks unless its fruit. No processed foods. Also watch what you drink which I'm sure you do with you're problems. When you exercise you need to sweat and feel that you are pushing yourself, for instance water aerobics is fun but you don't lose weight, plus swimming leisurely up and down is good but should be done at the end of a good work out to cool down those muscles. Tread mill, cycling and running or brisk walking are good fat burners. All the best.

[Chin69]

Sorry I kept going on about swimming but not everyone can on PD. (A bit insensitive of me).

[Hardworkthisbeingpoorly in reply to Chin69]

It's ok about the swimming I have an activity pouch that I use for things like that I got them off my renal nurse, I have a hot tub and use them when I go in that. The only problem is they are very very hard to come off until I realised I had to paint my skin with this special stuff on my skin before I stick it on ! Looks like a colostomy bag but it keeps the exit site and tube dry . I have been trying the smaller portions and noticed I'm hungry more so I eat super foods like fruit to help . I am going to buy some smaller plates tomorrow so I am not tempted to overload my plate . But thanks for the advice , my new program at the gym must be also benefiting because I work up a right sweat whereas at my old gym I didn't! I'm going to give it a month before I start to see any weight loss as I've hit this plateau situation and at the moment seem to be at a mega stand still . I've also had to reduce my insulin too because I'm more energetic this has to be also good .

[Chin69 in reply to Hardworkthisbeingpoorly]

I think your comments are an inspiration, you are in a situation where you want to take control of your weight and are doing something about it. I'm not on PD yet and a real water baby so it's good to know that the pouches work with a bit of improvisation, I was told hot tubs were out of the question and I use it at the gym.

I have hade almost miracle experience. I was sent from my norm hospital to Kings London as my condition was getting worse I still had 19% function but you know how the NHS want you to be well informed for th next stage, they gave me a lot of nutritional information which I took on board, but also said to seriously cut out salt, as you know, I did including hidden salt in pizza and bread, and guess what I gained 24% within 6 months I'm like you go to the gym often I don't have weight issues but that is due to genes I think, I have always been thin & eaten small portions my whole life, this comment doesn't really apply to you, I just wanted to share it with someone, take care, and hope to hear you've lost weight.

[poppydolly]

i am not on any dialysis yet but will be anytime now. my transplant unit have refused to put me on the list because of my body bulk and i must lose it. thankfully my renal consultant can see the bigger picture and admits there is no point in me crucifying myself by dieting and trying to do the impossible when it is the polycystic kidneys that have grown so large that i look 9 months pregnant. he is sending me to see a surgeon about removing one or both kidneys as this will obviously help

[Dalboy]

I know this will sound a bit silly but I am in CKD Stage 3 and heading nicely for Stage 4. My doctors have been a waste of time. Never get to see the same one twice, and complaining to the surgery is a waste of time. Anyway, the moaning out of the way.. sorry.. I was told by a friend who just happens to be a nurse on the renal unit at our local hospital that reducing your salt intake would have some benefit to my health and help the only kidney I have left to maybe prolong its life. So I did just that. My wife and I checked every food label and I changed my whole diet to low salt. Brown bread, instead of white, more rice and salads, only grilled chicken, and defo no PRE COOKED MEATS... Anyway In January of this year when I started my new health plan I weighed in at 265 pounds, or 18st 13ibs, I am 6 foot 4 so carried that well... anyway, after on 4 months of watching the salt levels, a little more exercise, tho not to much as am always tired I am now down too 226 pounds or 16st 2lbs.. and I feel a lot better for it.... So although all these new fangled diets are supposed to be the best thing since BROWN sliced bread I found just cutting out the salt in food, thus cutting out the need to drink so much was the way forward for me.... I just thought would share that in the hope it may help or advise somebody to try the same.... Good luck..

[Hardworkthisbeingpoorly]

Thanks for all that advice . I don't eat salt on any of my food I actually hate salt before I went on dialysis I used to eat KFC and not I can't stand the stuff it is like eating pure salt . I only eat whole meal bread and the only meat I eat is chicken . I was told that red meats raise your creatinin levels . I weigh about 110kg I did weigh 118kg but going to the gym 3 mornings a week helped me, but I came to a plateau and stuck at the same weight for 3 months , so after having 1 year off work due to generally unwell ness I returned to work and instead of going in the car I cycle . It works out about 10 mile round trip and I do 3 shifts per week so 30 miles a week on top of my 3 mornings at the gym is starting to reduce my weight again yessss . So my intention is to go to work on my bike as much as possible in order to get my weight down to 97kg so that the transplant unit will do the dual kidney pancreas transplant . I was unaware that my BMI had to be below 30 for them to do the transplant. I also did some research into my medication I was taking to find out if any had weight gain properties they was fine but I found out that with the peritoneal Dialysis that was giving me approx an extra 500 calories per night so ultimately I reduced my daily calorie intake to accomadation the dialysis. With all these little things I have looked into and modified I now think I have found the key to start loosing weight again . If this next 10kg comes off as quick as the first 10kg did ill be back on the transplant list as active again in no time . Four years I've been on peritoneal Dialysis and no one said it was going to be easy .

[amacias]

Activity pouch? What I is that and where do you get one? I have been limiting my activities for the past 5 years because I thought I was restricted. I asked my PD nurse, doctor and dietician and none came with answers.