Weight Loss

[Guest pugsysmom]

I am continuing to loose weight. I have lost 70 lbs and it keeps coming off. I am on gluten-free, diabetic, renal failure, heart diet. I eat normal amounts of food but I can't maintain any weight. Once it started falling off it won't stop. Is this normal for diabetic celiacs? If not what should I do? I look anorexic. I am 5'5" with big bones and weigh 117 lbs. I am a little scared.

[CarlaB]

Welcome to the forum.

It's difficult to put the weight back on and to stop losing. Be sure you're eating healthy foods, so that what you are absorbing is what you need to rebuild your health.

How long have you been gluten-free? I would guess that as you are gluten-free for a longer time your weight will stabilize and you may even start gaining.

Keep eating! I have been known to eat many meals I am not hungry for!

I'm 5'8" and weigh 124 ... I have small bones, so I just look very tiny.

[Guest pugsysmom]

I have been gluten-free for 1 1/2 yrs. diabetic for 34 yrs. Thanks for your advise. I have a hard time eating when I am not hungry cuz I also have some stomach problems and autonomic neuropathy.

[Ursa Major]

Hi Pugsymom, and welcome to this board. Being 5"5' at 117 isn't too bad, really. When my oldest daughter, who is 5"6' was 105 pounds because of nursing twins for a year, I got worried and practically ordered her to wean those babies! She went back to her normal weight of 120 pounds after that. She seems incapable of ever getting above that, no matter how much she eats, and she is healthy.

Are you eating enough fat and protein? That could be a factor here. Try increasing those and see what happens. But I agree with Carla, as you are healing, your weight will likely stabilize at a weight that is normal for you. And it may well be 117 pounds, that wouldn't be considered anorexic yet, believe me.

[lorka150]

like ursula said, are you eating fat and protein, and making sure you balance you carbohydrate/fat/protein ratios per meal? what is a sample of what you are eating?

[HawkFire]

have you had your thyroid checked?

My best friend had hypo or hyper whichever one makes you lose weight thyroidism. Her wedding picture looks terrible. It kicked in before her wedding and she lost weight so rapidly that her dress was literally hanging on her body like a little girl wearing her mama's dress. She was below 100 pounds that day. She cancelled her honeymoon and had the radiation.. I do not recall the details. It was nearly 20 years ago. But she was fine after that.

[2kids4me]

It must be kinda scary... it will be hard to keep weight on when dealing with renal failure, as a rule most renal diets are reduced in protein to reduce the work required by the kidney because the kidney has deal with creatinine and urea (byproducts of protein metabolism). then the diet required for heart problems is usually low in fat

Do you have knowledgable dietician working with you?

Can you eat rice and quinoa or potatoe? Fruits? Both would provide carbohydrates acceptable in renal and heart diets.

Will pray for you.

Sandy

EDIT - add on: you may already have this informnation but if not :

Protein

In the past a low protein diet was often recommended to slow down the steady deterioration of kidney function that occurs in some patients. We don't do this any more, instead recommending a moderate protein diet (not low, not high; 0.8-1g protein per kg of ideal body weight, if you like measuring).

Why not low protein?

Modern treatments, especially improved blood pressure treatments, have made any extra benefit from low protein diets much smaller.

Low protein diets don't taste good, and this may lead you to go short on calories too.

There is a significant risk of long-term malnutrition in those on low-protein diets

Why not high protein?

High protein intake in CKD makes the body more acid, and this can lead to increased muscle breakdown.

High protein intake means high phosphate intake too (see below)

In animals and probably humans, large amounts of protein may damage kidneys

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Calories give you energy. Because you are getting fewer calories from protein, you will need to get more calories from other foods. Your dietitian may recommend that you get these extra calories from sugar and vegetable fats to help you get the right amount of calories.

Avoid losing too much weight because it can cause malnutrition and lead to illness.

Some ways to increase calories are as follows:

Increase unsaturated fats such as vegetable oils (made with corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean or sunflower oils), olive oil and mayonnaise type salad dressings.

Use sugar or sweets such as hard candy, gum drops, jelly beans, marshmallows, honey, jam and jelly.

Use canned or frozen fruits in heavy syrup.

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[Guest pugsysmom]

have you had your thyroid checked?

My best friend had hypo or hyper whichever one makes you lose weight thyroidism. Her wedding picture looks terrible. It kicked in before her wedding and she lost weight so rapidly that her dress was literally hanging on her body like a little girl wearing her mama's dress. She was below 100 pounds that day. She cancelled her honeymoon and had the radiation.. I do not recall the details. It was nearly 20 years ago. But she was fine after that.

Don't know what quinoa is??? Can't have potato because of the potassium and phopheras content, Have had thyroid problems since 1994. Have been on medication all this time. Half of thryoid was removed in 1994. When I was 14 and diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, I lost a lot a weight but only got down to 124 and a size 3 was hagging on me. I have a very large bone frame and weighed 117 last week, and probably lower now; just looks awful. You can see every rib, any muscle that is left, I am loosing muscle tissue, and lots and lots a saggy, baggy loose skin. I eat fruit, cooked carrots, only vegetable I can have cuz of fiber issue, and some small portion of meat. I also eat peeled and deseeded squash. Postassium there too, but heck, what am I suppose to do. I do eat white rice. Those web sites were very informative. Thank you for sending them. I have posted them in my favorites to continue my research.

[jamiedoe]

Try getting some food suppliments. I use a brand called "Boost +calories". Each bottle of this stuff is 350kcal. I just add one to each meal. I gained 30pounds drinking this stuff.

[super-sally888]

Hi,

I am not an expert, but it sound like what you are eating is pretty low calorie.

Have you tried counting calories to see how much you are actually getting? You definitely need up to 2000 calories a day, and possibly more more because you need to gain weight. The renal diet will keep you low protein, but you need to get enough to prevent muscle loss. Fruit juice is actually a good source of concentrated energy (get the pure ones so you don't get all the junk like high fructose corn syrup, and artificial flavours / colours). Can you take eggs? These are good source of readily available protein. Vitamin supplement?

Are you working with an experienced dietician? What does your dr. say? If they haven't referred you to a dietician already, they definitely should / you should insist.

I agree with the previous post and think you should look at liquid meal supplements.. to take with / inbetween meals. Maybe you need to check with dietician / dr. again to see which are suitable for your conditions.

Hope you can sort this out. Best wishes.

Sally

[skinnyminny]

I have just scanned through this post but can you have nuts.. you can add nuts to lots of recipes and had a ton of healthy fat and they are a great snack that is about the only thing that helps me maintain my weight I am 19 but weigh 105 and im 5' 6'