Hi does any one else will endo find it very hard to lose weight xxx

[claire11]

[Hidden]

Yes, my weight only stays off if I eat Vegan and I think this is because when I eat more fruit and veg and juice more my sugar cravings are more under control.

[Worzel]

Definitely i'd been on Zoldex and then had last injection before xmas and all symptoms kicked back in about 3 weeks ago. 4 weeks ago i'd joined WW and 1st week lost 3 pounds, then symptoms came back week after and i've since put 7 pounds on in 3 weeks, despite sticking to the diet. I hate it!

[Hidden]

As endometriosis "feeds" from Oestrogen, I wonder if the heavier we are the more the Endo progresses?

I have been overweight all my adult life. Last April my Mum died suddenly. It was such a shock to me and I found comfort in foods. Since Mum died, I have gained about 2 and a half stone. The pain that I experience has also got worse. I wonder if this is just a coincidence?

Sorry to ramble on..... But I often wondered if the heavier I am, the worse my Endo is?

And I definitely eat more and exercise less when I'm in pain.,.... A vicious circle!

Barbara xxx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Remember, being tensed up will cause pain too. You are pulling on the muscles around the Endo spots, so that doesn't help the pain. I know what you mean about the pain and exercising. Some people don't realize exactly how painful it is to move. The muscles are rubbing all over the tender spots all the time....nonstop.

[Hidden]

I was in pain so severely for 2 years. We never knew what was going on. I had a lap. done, but they found nothing. So i stopped moving. No more walks, no more exercise, etc. I gained 30 pounds in 6 months. Funnily enough,after gaining the weight i didn't hurt as much as before. I always figured it was the fat "padding" around my ovaries like bubble wrap. I got sick of being so plump, and started walking. The more weight i lost, the more the pain came back. Finally got back to the pain level i was before i lost weight. Went for another year of dr.'s visits and birth control this time around. Never helped. So i had yet another lap. done, and guess what......stage 3 endo. I don't want to stop moving and gain weight to have the pain level go down. So after the burning of the endo and removing my right ovary and fallopian tube, I am now attempting the Depo shot.

[rachrich80]

Hi

I am in my 8th month of zoladex and find weight loss really hard, I never struggled before the zoladex but now with that and the hrt it seems my weight is stuck, I am thinking of trying the endo diet ?? Have you thought of that ? I'm getting married in 5 months and need to lose a stone !!

Rache x

[Notsoyummytummy in reply to rachrich80]

Hi,

I have just had 3 months of zoladex and HRT,and have gained 5 pounds.i am still in pain and I am so uncomfortable in my clothes.i am going to give the endo diet a go .I know it is an extreme diet but I am miserable and dreading summer holidays already.how did the drugs go for you ?

[claire11 in reply to Notsoyummytummy]

Hi I had six months zoladex they never worked for me never stoped my periods never really stoped the pain had last one in October my weight was ok but now my stomach just bloated all the time were . It is uncomfortable got a lap on 7 March so hopefully somthink will come of that xxx

[Notsoyummytummy in reply to claire11]

Good luck with the lap,hope you get some results.I am going to tackle the endo diet.X

[Bokkie]

The docs think that I have had Endo for probably almost 30 years. However, I was only finally diagnosed last year. I have always been a size 8-10 but since starting hormone treatment for my Endo last year; I have been on Zoladex and Depo-Provera, the weight has piled on and I am now size 12-14 and about 10.5 stone which does not look good on a small frame like mine. I think it is the treatment and NOT the disease that makes you gain weight!!! x

[Mturleykeeble in reply to Bokkie]

I'm the same and finding it really hard to loose the weight!! I don't know what the answer is as I have done the Endo diet and my weight was down one week back "normal" a week later....

[Brownlow]

I was on Zoladex and HRT for 6 months a few years ago in preparation for op. I started to put weight on but I wasn't doing anything to counter it. No exercise and just my regular diet.

Recently diagnosed with endo again. I wasn't hugely overweight but a bit podgy around my middle. Went on endo diet 5 weeks ago and lost a stone. I was really astonished. I don't want to loose any more so it has now stabilised. I also juice and I'm now looking to add nutritional supplements. Also, my wind problems (both ends!) disappeared. Bloating stopped. Endo pain still bad at periods but intend to persevere. Still get constipated at periods but eat 2 dessertspoons of whole linseeds (on porridge) with a large glass of water and that does the trick. I'm still very lazy re exercise.

Fat cells in our body produce oestrogen. Endo feeds off oestrogen and also produces it. Best to try to get rid of excess fat in a bid to help reduce oestrogen.

[Scooteeder]

Hi Claire,

I'm EVER so glad to have found your post. It's certainly anything but a silly question... very relevant, in fact.

Like you, I have Endometriosis. I suspect I have had it for YEARS, but due to medical negligence/incompetence, I was not diagnosed until 2011 (I'd been having pretty AWFUL symptoms, by then, since about 2002!).

Personally (and remember, this is just my opinion so it maybe incorrect) I definitely believe that having Endometriosis an cause weight gain, and make it harder to lose weight.

I have always been a fairly petite build. I'm about 5'5", and have always been about a size 8 to size 10. I did go through a rotten time in my mid teens - I was what you might call a "late developer". I was very skinny and flat chested until about age 15/16. I was bullied a lot at School as a result - most girls I was at School with were wearing bras by the age of 12/13 (so I was "fried egg tits"!). Unfortunately, I hit the "puppy fat" stage far later than them, and got bullied for this as well; I guess the other girls noticed that I had suddenly gone from stick insect to somewhat more curvy, and then they teased me for "putting weight on"! You just CAN'T win with some people! Bullies are clearly NOT worth the effort!

Bullying aside, I started with menstrual problems in my teens, and these seemed to coincide with my "puppy fat". If I look back at old photographs of this time, I was anything but overweight (compared to other girls at School, I was about average). I think the problem was that I went very rapidly from being very tiny (I'd done ballet as a child), to hitting puberty, periods, and "puppy fat". So, at the same time as putting up with being "chubbier" than I was used to, I also started with very heavy, irregular and painful periods. I remember also feeling faint, and getting Migraines at times. My G.P. did NOTHING other than try to fob me off with taking the Pill, and no explanation was ever given for my period problems. No investigation took place.

My periods settled somewhat during my 20s. I was also pretty skinny again. Probably about a size 8. Mind you, I did loads of Aerobics, cycling, horse riding... things like that. I had a very active life at University, a busy social life, and very active friends. I think a combination of lots of activity, a naturally small build, and quite a fast metabolism (I don't put lots of weight on easily at all) meant I ate lots, but stayed slim. I would add that I have NEVER been a fan of "fast food" - I cannot tolerate red meat or lots of dairy - never have. I also cannot eat fried food like chips or food like pastry, so I guess my diet must be reasonably healthy. I was a vegetarian for many years, especially while at University. Maybe all of this also helped keep my weight low?

I returned to do further study at University aged 30 (in 2000). I was still pretty active at the time, and went to Aerobics with a friend. I know that at this point I weighed between 81/2 and 91/2 stones (because people on my course used to tease me and my friend for being "skinny exercise junkies"!). I was also living with my partner (now my husband) in a pretty hilly area - even to walk to my house was uphill!

At the time of starting with my menstrual problems again in 2002 I was still a size 8-10 UK. However, I began to note changes in mood and energy levels - feeling extremely tired and lethargic. I found exercise VERY hard indeed, and felt I got tired much more easily. I would come home from a day's work absolutely shattered and fall asleep on the sofa - something I had NEVER done before! My social life and hobbies began to take a beating, as I did not feel well, or energetic enough to go to the Gym.

All I can tell you is that since 2002 my weight has been MUCH harder to control, and I know that I have gained weight. It's easy to tell because clothes that once fitted easily are now pinching. I reckon I may have gained by about a dress size, so I'm now 10-12. Still slim, I guess, but for me it's ENORMOUS. The worst thing is that I find my whole body just looks older, more tired and less toned. I think I've gained at lest a stone in weight, if not a bit more!

I do blame this on the Endo, as all the weight gain is in areas associated with hormones - it's the sort of gain you would expect to see in a MENOPAUSAL woman. Mostly on my waist, and boobs (which I HATE). It also bothers me and worries me intensely that around the time of my periods my stomach can be so bloated and rock hard that it looks like I am pregnant. Clothes that fitted a week, or even a day, before can pinch. I can find that around my periods I can put on between 5-7lbs; which, oddly, I lose as soon as the period is over. I have NO IDEA why this is.

One other thing I find odd is that my bloating and weight gain seems to be totally associated with increases in my Endo symptoms. My main symptoms are painful/heavy/clotty irregular periods; diarrhoea; bloating; water retention; lower back pain; abdominal cramping; front pelvic pain; groin pain; nausea; vomiting and hot sweaty "flushes". I've had THREE laps with ablation and excision of Endo so far, and I'm having a fourth next month. My Endo appears to have been of deep infiltrating type, POD and utero-sacral ligament area. Also it is suspected on or near my bowel this time. My bloating is much worse around my periods, which coincides with worsening of other symptoms (which are constantly present).

Strange though it may seem, I have become increasingly bloated and sore leading up to each lap. I have lost weight AFTER each lap - to the extent that family and friends have noticed and commented on it! I reckon maybe 1/2 stone! I have certainly noted it, as my stomach is so much flatter following a lap procedure. Also my face looks less tired and puffy, and I generally feel more energetic. However, the weight gain and bloating have always come back, along with other Endo symptoms (hence the reason I am on my fourth lap).

Now, I cannot say why any of this is happening, I can only tell you about my experience (and ask if other people have had similar). Personally, I reckon it is because Endo

a) Messes with your hormones

b) Messes with your immune system causing fatigue

c) Causes massive internal inflammation

d) Causes, in some women, digestive and bowel disorders/problems

I do agree with others that MEDICATION is partly responsible for weight gain. ALL the meds used to treat Endo are generally hormonal treatments, a side effect of which is weight gain. I used the Pill and the Mirena in the past, and I certainly think they contributed to my weight gain... but I think also that the Endo had already kicked that off.

I just wondered if there was anything here that you might identify with. I hope that telling you my story helps, and makes you feel less alone. DO NOT blame yourself for putting on weight, you are in a position where an illness or its treatment may be causing weight gain. Don't ever let anyone get away wit trying to suggest you are fat, or lazy, or weight gain is your fault. It is NOT.

Far too little is yet known about Endo, and all women experience it differently. It may be that there are symptoms that it causes that have not yet been fully recognised or understood. I just wish you all the best, and hope that you are assisted and supported in your coping with the illness.

Regards,

Elaine Ellis.

P.s. Just a few things that may help...

1. Peppermint tea, and Ginger tea, I've found good for bloating. Peppermint tea is a natural diuretic (helps with water retention; makes you pee!). Ginger aids digestion. Foods like ginger and garlic can boost the immune system. Spinach and broccoli, as well as pulses (beans/lentils/peas) can be good sources of extra iron if you are anaemic. Processed foods (junk food) and sugary drinks can be a nightmare; partly because they increase bloating, but also because, if you are "run down" they can feed the "bad" bacteria and other things in the gut, making you feel even more ill. Besides, they can cause weight gain, and with Endo this can be a problem in its own right, because many of the so-called "Endo treatments" (the Pill, the Mirena, Hormone Treatment) cause weight gain, too.

2 Endometriosis diet - endo-resolved.com/diet.html

3. My e-mail, if ever you want to share experiences or advice, is [e-mail]

All the very best!

[Scooteeder]

Hi again...

Sorry about the length of my past reply... I just hoped that by sharing my experiences you might see some similarities, or find a common theme...

Anyway, just wondered if the following might be of interest/use to you, or any other readers...

1. smartlivingnetwork.com/gene...

2. livestrong.com/article/9099...

Regards,

Elaine Ellis.

[claire11]

Thanks very much I does seem I'm not alone at all with this weight gain it just gets you down when your trying an getting nowhere x

[DianaBalona]

Hi Claire. Me is the other way around. I am losing weight. I am trying so hard to put some weight but I just can't. -.-'

[classiebird]

Once I gave up gluten the weight fell off. I had been dieting and exercising (obviously endo was not an issue at d time) but kept putting on weight. Started protein shakes and weight fell off. Put two and two together and started gluten free diet and weight still went down.

Now I'm really ill with endo And Not exercising like I used to my weight still hasn't increased too much thanks to being gluten free.

So i suppose my point is it was just food intolerance in my case stopping me loosing weight

[Hidden in reply to classiebird]

I have food allergies, and wheat is one of them. I have been wheat free (which means gluten free as well) for nearly a year. I am also allergic to legumes (all beans) and have been mostly off of those for well over 10 years. Being away from these foods have yet to help me with pain or weight loss.

[123charleneh]

My weight is a real struggle if mine, what is the endo diet?