Tired and overweight

[KevinHall10_]

This is the heaviest i have ever been. I am 64 years old and tired. I do things around the house but to go to the gym, i have not... does anyone have the same problem?

[4pjx__]

Hey KevinHall10, it is really hard to get to the gym. Not only the tough workouts but it can take 3 hours out of your day. Precious time when our energy can be so low. A few weeks ago I started doing a fairly easy program on PBS called Classical Stretch. I live in Denver and it comes on at 5:30 a.m. It's more of a stretching, tai chi, ballet kind of a program. Just 22 minutes and I always feel better when it's over. If you can't get up that early you could dvr it. Anyway, something is always better than nothing. It seems to help me get on with my day.

I hope you can find a little something that doesn't wear you out too bad.

Pam

[KevinHall10_ in reply to 4pjx__]

Thanks Pam

[Lezley23]

Hi i am overweight and very tired. I don’t get chance to do exercise as myself and my husband have our own business and work very long hours luckily I don’t have to run around all day or I don’t think I would manage the hours we do. It seems like a viscous circle. Overweight and tired so don’t feel like going to do exercise. No exercise so no weight loss. I give up lol

[Jlruggie]

Put one foot in front of the other and go. Try. In 10-20 years from now you won’t physically be able to.

[Jlruggie in reply to Jlruggie]

And yes, I’m tired too. I go every single day for yoga and a shower. Some days I also lift weights and get in sauna. I never regret going. Just go

[Candy12]

I’ve had bad fatigue on and off for years now, but what strikes me as well, is not just that. It seems we /me with the fatigue or maybe its a Pbc thing in general but I seem to have an exercise intolerance.

But whatever the reason is ... I can only exercise for half the time someone else my age does, ( 66) before my stamina goes and I have to sit out and rest and it takes ages to return to normal. At first it was quite embarrassing as my friend of 72 happily completes an aerobics class no trouble at all.

I never did any exercise until a few years ago , although I’d walk 4/5 miles a day in my job so hardly sedentary, but I did gain weight once I retired.

I started with an exercise bike at home ( in private ) and could manage only a paltry 5 minutes a time but I did this a few times a day, this improved over time to the point I also stared walking outside in the fresh air daily. I started slowly at short distances but now on a good day I can do 5 miles in a day . I was over weight but just these small changes and calorie counting bought my weight down.

It’s been a couple of months since I started going to a class, so who knows maybe one day I’ll complete it. But I must say I don’t enjoy it and it’s already becoming a bit of a chore.... My advice would be Start slow, stay slow for as long as you need to any movement is medicine and better than none . It will improve over time, were not all gym bunnies. Think I might look into tia chi classes though , sounds more my pace.

[butterflyEi]

Although I was always busy my job was quite sedentry. When I retired my Mum came to live with me for the last 3 years of her life, I was very close to my Mum and spent quite a bit of time with her and we would always sit and have afternoon tea and biscuits :-). She never put on an ounce but I continued to put on weight. Shortly after her death my husband was diagnosed with a cancer and we went through some terrible days whilst he had treatment. Our diet changed to foods that suited his treatment schedule, we started eating our evening meal earlier, usually finished by 6.30 p.m. As his treatment ended we aimed at the mediterranean style diet, so we had very colourful meals and reduced red meat and any processed foods. I also cut out bread, rice and pasta for about a year and lost about 20 kilos in all. I could do with losing some more weight but winter dieting is to my mind more difficult so I am maintaining my current weight around the 69 kilos and will start in earnest again in spring. Meanwhile I do not like going to the gym so we try to walk every day, sometimes it is more difficult than others as my legs hurt nowadays but as my mother used to say "upwards and onwards"

I hope you find a way that suits you, certainly for me there is truth in exercise to energise.

best wishes

[Biddyb]

As always good ideas pop up on this site all are in agreement that we hate exercise me included but I try and do a stretch class and body balance which is yoga,tai-chi and Pilates mix ( which I hate) every week if I can, it helps keep joints and muscles working, I do an hour of each and have to push myself most times to go and that’s it for the day I’m just knackered but I’m positive it’s doing me good. I figure two hours a week is better than nothing I go to the local council run fitness centre as I am in the UK and have made some good friends there, best part is going for a coffee and a bite of lunch afterwards. Good luck try and force yourself to do something even a swim will help, eat healthy plenty of veg, cut down on fatty foods red meat alcohol it’s a long road but make it a healthy road

[danaLL]

My weight has fluctuated a lot. Exercise has never been my problem as i have been an athlete my whole life. I am 44 and was diagnosed with pbc when i was 34 and AIH just a year ago. weight has steadily come on for the last 3-4 yrs. The only time i consistently lose weight is when i follow the regime of my naturopath or nutritionist. its hard at first but i take a diet supplement, like saxenda to help reduce my sugar cravings and get me through the day. I have only taken the drug for 2 months and may be on it for another month until my body get used to a new clean diet. but since starting a diet consisting of mostly cooked veggies, some fruit (preferably berries) a little whole grains and a little animal protein (chix, turkey, fish) i have dropped 10 pounds in one week. I am sure a lot is water weight, but when you eat naturally and take out all of the processed and sugar foods in your diet, the weight melts off. It is hard at first, but this is only the routine for the first 3 weeks. not sure what is to come after, but i have cleaned up my diet before and it really works. Most personal trainers will tell you it is 90% what you put in your body and 10% exercise, although we must exercise. During a lower calorie diet that is completely different than what your body is used to, you don't have as much energy and your body is detoxing. but Yoga and light weights and resistance bands are still good forms of exercise to keep up your muscle tone. also, count your calories. i have heard from multiple nutritionist that above the age of 40, women need no more than 1600 a day. It seems daunting at first, but trust me, coming from a girl who grew up in the south on fried everything with gravy and comfort food, it is doable. i am tired of being on prescriptions practically my whole adult life and this woman actually thinks she can get my body back to normal in 18 months. Then I can start enjoying some of those things that taste so good but are so bad for you. That and the weight loss is what gets me through eating this way day by day. i know it is a lifestyle change, not a fad diet. best of luck. it is touch, and i empathize with you.

[Jlruggie]

Breathe deep, put one foot in front of the other, move. Go to the gym. Lift some weights, drink water, swim, do something. Lay on your back, maybe be, lift weights on your back. Slather lotions on, sit in the sauna. Shower, take a nap if you feel like it. Move again. Do something every day. Take a gentle yoga class

[HopeLoveAndScience]

Agree with Jlruggie. I break activity up over the day into 15-20 minutes of moving 4-5 times/day. Guilt gets put away as I walk my pooch before and after work. Mid-day’s about a good stretch, yoga or tai chi. On weekends, I pick things that bring me joy - goofy dancing to Body Groove videos on You Tube or a new Yoga class with Rodney Yee. If I’m feeling good, I may go for a hike or a short bike ride or do some gardening. It doesn’t have to be in a gym in front of others - it just has to be something you like and that brings you joy. 18 months ago, my joint pain was really bad all the time and I was so discouraged - now I only have occasional pain and a lot less fatigue. That said, weight loss is still a struggle, but more often now I’m thinking about how to not over do it, rather than beating myself up for not doing enough.

[PBCRobert Partner]

Movement is medicine.

The data tells us this. PBC patients tell us this.

So what can we do? I always think about activity over exercise. There are many things we can do to improve overall fitness, the biochemistry in our bodies and the biochemistry in our brains (endorphins, seratonin, dopamine and oxytocin).

So what counts as activity??

Singing

Dancing

Sex

Walking (with pets or friends will always be better than a trudge round the block)

Pushing the grand/kids on a swing

Laughter

All of these could get you started in terms of moving and feeling better.

As said above, build gradually. If you are out of breath or feel tired, then it has worked!! We can tell you that many many patients have benefitted from bringing more movement into their lives.

We know it feels counterintuitive to do more activity to help your tiredness. So many patients benefit and improve.

You can too. But be sensible. Build up slowly.

Speak to is directly to see if we can help. Additional information in our compendium, website and App. Look up “Investing in Energy”.

Robert