Absolutely not. There is a post from another new member saying her doctor is blaming some of her symptoms on her being UNDERWEIGHT.

Both are based on ignorance.

Your weight can certainly have an impact on your overall health, but as far as fibromyalgia symptoms go we have people here of all shapes, sizes, and ages, and if you ask around you'll find none of that has any correlation to the level of their symptoms.

Not sure why people want to think we caused ourselves to have this, but I see it a lot. Let it roll off - and keep doing what you're doing - the best you can to take care of yourself.

I totally agree with Peace, how were you ever able to stand 4 hours of dancing/yoga. You are my hero, if you can. lol Just taking shorts walks, is all I can do these days. Wishing you the best, from one fibro sufferer to another. Please keep in mind, it is very hard for others to accept this " you don't look sick" feeling, without proper education.

Hugs,
Angel

Don't know if it is a teachable moment opportunity to educate your colleagues about fibro....

I don't know the answer to your question, but I know for me the heavier I get the worse I feel. I don't know if it's that my weight makes it harder on my muscles and joints, or if because when I was thinner (and healthier) I was eating better and working out more regularly. I don't know if my weight is a cause or an effect, but there does seem to be a correlation for me.

Of course, there's the terrible spiral of, the worse I feel the less I exercise, the less I exercise the worse I feel, and both feed into the more I weigh. Who knows?

But there is no question that FM can cripple us at ANY weight!

I was in geat shape, always moving, strong and healthy
and fibro hit me so hard I spent almost a year in bed. I was so tired and in so much pain I barely got out of bed for more than a hour a day.
Now almost a year after the flare settled down I 've gain about 20 pounds and feel better. Not because i've gained wieght though.
i don't think Fibro discriminates by weight, race or age
Keep up the good work and don't worry about what those who know nothing think.
Sound to me like you have done great!!

No weight has nothing to do with it I recently lost 40lbs and i feel as crappy as I did when I weighed more . Augh!!!!

After giving birth last December. I began having pain. At first I too thought it was the weight. But as I continued losing weight. My pain and symptoms continued to get worse.I am back to my normal weight. I have had several fibro flares.
You take care of your self.

I'm going to blame my migraine for the fact that I failed to congratulate you on your great accomplishment in getting your yoga dance certification. That really is an amazing and wonderful thing. Don't let this temporary setback discourage you from continuing!

My weight has fluctuated by forty pounds over the last 20 yrs (with fibro)....right now, I'm right in the middle of that range. I don't find any difference in symptoms from one weight to another.

I have found difference in symptoms based on diet....if I avoid processed sugar, most caffeine, bad carbs, then I feel much better. And when I stick to that, I usually end up at a lower weight. But that still doesn't keep me from having days like you describe, where I have to stop and rest....that is just part of fibro.

Honestly, I'm amazed that you were able to do 4 hrs a day of training! Congrats on that accomplishment, and on getting your certification!!! That's awesome!

HUGS from down south :)

that is the problem with society. people just assume your being lazy. These people will not learn until they themselves suffer

Idk...we got a Big Guy that Works for us...I mean Hard PHYSICAL Work...that man Can GO All the Day Long...while these BUFF Guys Poop Out.

I Applaud you for Getting IN There and Getting After It...who Gives a Rip what Others Think ? Live Your own Life...Work, Break...Work...Break..Do it HowEver ya Need to Do It Girl.

I'm down 62 lbs and don't feel a lick different..still in agonizing pain. I do have a smidge more energy but it could be because I'm taking my vitamin supplement more often as I don't want to crash. Of course, I was average size when I got Fibro and then gained over 80lbs in one year on Amitryptaline.

Good for you on the dancing and yoga. I dance with the seniors almost every day and it's so much fun. They are about my speed, which works for me. lol

Personally speaking of my own experience not anything else I have heard from others, I say yes it does, for me anyway. Before kids I was skinny, I had pain and a lot of it, but I didnt know what pain was until I had my little ones and gained weight. My weight has always fluctuated a few sizes but I can say that every ten pounds made the pain so much worse, the flare-ups were worse. I ended up with more and more symptoms and more days that I physically could'nt get out of the bed from the pain, doing the smallest things I would have to rest more because the aches and pains were at best like the flu, at worst it went into muscle siezures. When I lost some of the weight I started noticing that the flare-ups are further apart and even when I have one there are times I can push through and still do some stuff, where as before a flare-up put me completely out of comission. After losing weight and feeling better not being in as much pain, I did gain again as soon as I did, I went right back into more pain, more flare-ups and I immediately started doing something about it to get that weight back off. Now that I am back down again the pain isn't as intense and the breaks I take are less, the flare-ups are more spread out. Mind you, if you are doing a 4 hour dance class I give you mad props, you go girl!!! I couldn't do that right now in my best shape I've been in since high school. It sounds like you are in the earlier stages of FM, the wieght might not be as much an issue now, but think future, the pain does increase as the FM worsens. Dont wait till it gets worse if you are considering losing weight because once the FM gets to bad doing the most basic of excercises is almost impossible. But I think you are doing a great job. The very best thing above all meds above any treatment for FM is to stay active. They say we are suppose to work out 7 days a week. I actually know FM patients that have been working out 7days a week for a long time now that have gained their life back. I have started living by the saying "A body in motion stays in motion. A body at rest stays at rest." only for us its not true rest because the more we lay there the worse the pain gets then its almost impossible to actually "rest".

As far as others thinking is has to be your wiehgt, try your best to not let that bother you. I know that is harder said than done, but know that they have no idea what it is like to live with FM. To be in a body that your mind and spirit can have all the drive in the world but if it is a bad day there is nothing you can tell your self that will make your body cooperate. People like this that look at us as angeleyes said "you dont look sick" they are ignorant. Their lack of knowledge on our condition causes them to not understand and make assumptions. People a lot of times think that you have to have some type of visible flaw to go along with it. Even doctors are at fault for this. It isnt fair and it sucks, but it still happens. Do what is best for you! Don't let them get in your head on any of this about the wieght. Speaking from being sick for 26yrs and I'm only 32 now, just know that unfortunately the FM does increasingly get worse over time, that you are at a place right now that if you want to do something about the weight you might want to before it worsens. And remember it cant hurt to try and see if loosing a little wieght might help. The good thing about it is It won't worsen your FM to lose weight. You might find that some of your symptoms actually subside a little. The more weight I lose the better I felt. I actually almost went to far the other way and had friends tell me to stop with the weight lose. But it was hard because I did notice ever pound caused pain and I have lived with it for SOoooo long all I wanted was to make as much of it go away as possible. I am now at a healthy size and feel so much better. I have to say that I have 1/5 of the symptoms and problems that I had before with the weight on. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you all the best in the world. I pray that there has been nothing I have said to offend. I know that weight subjects are touchy to some, but know that everything I have said was from the heart and meant with the best of intensions as a fellow sister of FM.

When I first got fibro, I weighed about 180. I gained up to 200. But then after 5 years, I suddenly lost about 60 lbs. About 5 years later, I gained most of it back. My pain has not changed based on my weight fluctuations. I've had bad times and worse times throughout. My eating hasn't changed much until recently though so that may be why.

Thanks all for your replies. If this IS the EARLY stages of fibro, I am terrified at how it must feel when it advances.

I have always felt like a hypochondriac. Partly because my mother was always sick (she had fibro and a ton of other stuff). I have always been hyper aware to try to prevent myself from dying too young like my mom did. So, whenever I had any unexplained symptom, I'd go to the doctor. My "hypochondria" has been a big joke for years at work.... I'm wondering now if those symptoms were really fibro symptoms. And now that I've been diagnosed with fibro, I am reluctant to complain about any symptoms at all! So here I am at work, unable to really concentrate on much because I'm so, so, so tired and everything hurts.

I haven't been able to dance or do yoga at all this week because my body is killing me! Maybe it was because I did so much activity last week. Getting up hurts, getting to work hurts, sitting at work hurts. I bought an electric blanket for work because I feel COLD TO MY CORE and I feel like the cold makes the pain worse. I'm afraid of the fact that haven't been exercising because it'll be that much harder to go back to it...and I really enjoy it. But how do you do it if you feel like butt all the time? And I'm supposed to start teaching yoga dance soon. Oy!

My next rheum appointment isn't until January 9th. In the meantime, I want to keep doing the things that were helping over the summer like eating well and exercising. But I don't have the energy to grocery shop or cook. I tried to grocery shop last night and was only able to get one thing before I was wiped out. And when I don't shop and cook, I end up eating cheese/crackers or cereal or frozen pancakes for my meals. None of that helps.

Ugh. I've been trying to read up on treatment options. I worked so hard to get off anti-depressants but the more I read, the more it looks like that's the way to go. Tramadol and Flexeril aren't helping with the pain and make me even more tired. (Though if I take a Tramadol at bedtime, it does help me fall asleep...though I tend to wake up in the night anyway.)

OK. Sorry if I sound all whiney. I'm confused and frustrated.