Personally, I did Atkins.....a very low carbohydrate diet. Eliminated almost all flour and sugar products and I was soooo addicted to pasta, potatoes, breads....

I lost over 50 pounds and my fibro flares are less frequent and also less severe. I have a very physical job and my Doctor said the amount of exercise I get through that is plenty with fibromyalgia so I didn't do alot of extra excercise.....just the giving up of carbs! Try it....can't hurt.

Excersize, is the key~ at least as far as i am concerned..... fibro meds have put an additional 20 lbs on me......I feel ton's better if I take my Viatamin B`12 and hop on my elpitical ~ well, not hop.......drag myself, kicking and screaming the whole way! eliptical helps me because it seems to be less "jolting" of my joints..... hope this helps~ I feel your pain

I have given up wheat / gluten products and reduced sugar. Has really helped pain in two months . Could take longer to see big weight loss but have lost 10 lbs since I started.

I haven't changed the way I eat but have started exercising again moderately (walking is the BEST exercise) and have eliminated most processed and fast foods, cooking everything from scratch and eating a lot of fresh veggies. I've lost two pounds in two months and I'm fine with that.

There really isn't any "secret" to losing weight - minor changes add up to permanent loss over time, as you've changed your lifestyle, not just gone on a "diet."

Good luck!

I agree that too many carbs or refined sugars in our diets seem to aggravate my pain flare ups. I eat a modified Atkins diet, try to do mild Yoga, but found that swimming REALLY helped a lot! If you can get to a warm pool - at your local YWCA or college perhaps - I would highly recommend starting out slow and worked up to swimming a mile 3 x a day [lap swimming]. Are there chat rooms here to join? Where are they? Thanks!

Sorry for my typo ---
I meant swim laps 3 x a week - and work up to a mile 3 x per week.

walking is the best to me too. if u hve bad knees u can try the elliptical. it is hard when u hve a chronic illness to exercise. myfitnesspal.com is a good tool. I have lost 7.2 lbs. since jan. it is coming off slow, but if u stay consistent it can be done. Look at my profile and join weight loss buddies group. btw, nnh2012 is my name on fitnesspal if u decide to join.

I am also on a no flour no sugar diet and have been for almost 2 years now. I lost 75 pound and now im ripped.:)

I got a Gazelle instead of an eliptical and it is sweet and can watch shows while you stay moving.

If you are not lifting heavy weights then I recommend you try it. The burn after a heavy workout seems to override the fibro pain for me, especially the stiffness and the prickly needles. And it helps so much mentally when you have good pain and know where it came from.

I was prescribed Cymbalta and it has made me loose 10 pounds so far...it barely make me feel hungry.

Hi Tawny,
Brisk walking that gets your heart rate up and breaks a sweat, elliptical machine, swimming, and yoga have all helped me maintain a healthy weight and ultimately have reduced my pain and increased my energy.

Try starting low-impact cardio exercises. Don't start an exercise routine during the middle of a flare up, and modify your routine if you experience a flare up at some point during your exercise routine. Consider any other health problems you have before starting exercise. Start slow, and increase the level and intensity of your physical activity every week or two to keep losing the weight. Once your body begins to adapt to cardio, add a little light weight lifting (canned veggies or bags of dried beans make fine weights.) That will help you lose weight, and gain muscle and bone strength. You can incorporate isometric exercises into your daily routine easily; contract different muscle groups for several seconds at a time and release and repeat. You can do them while you're sitting, lying down, or doing things around the house.

You will probably experience more pain at first - it's almost inevitable. A person without fibro who begins an exercise routine experiences fatigue and soreness, so listen to your body. You'll know whether you've pushed yourself too hard. I've heard people with fibro say it took them anywhere from a month to four months to break out of that pain cycle and. (That's why you take it slow, and don't compare yourself to anyone but you!) Don't be discouraged - there are plenty of modifications for all kinds of exercise to adapt the exercise to your needs. Even simple stretches in the morning and evening can help on days when exercise is out of the question.

Staying away from sugary foods and drinks will help you lose weight, and will also help reduce your pain. Cut out any sodas/soft drinks, and replace them with sparkling or regular water flavored with fresh fruit juice, sliced cucumber, berries, or whatever you like. Increase your water intake. Eat more dark, leafy greens, plenty of protein (which doesn't always have to be meat!) and moderate the amount of carbohydrates you eat. (The carbs will help fuel your exercise, so please don't cut them out completely!)

Wishing you wellness,
Chelsea

Anything that contains an artifical sweetner could contribute to your pain levels. A decent substitute for sugar is a nontoxic sweetner called Stevia. You can find it in a healthfood store. Good luck to you and take care.

I have gained some weight due to meds and just trying to watch my calories more carefully. I do 300 breakfast/ 400 lunch/500 dinner and 2 200 snacks. Mostly I stay full by eating a lot of produce because it has bulk and not calories. I do air popped popcorn at night. I also removed all junk from my house and buy only small amounts of dark chocolate because I lose willpower. I don't eat out unless I plan ahead and have the restaurants nutritional info. My husband is on board and my kids never got junk anyway but I know some people can't do that at home. I am losing slowly. Exercise is good to boost metabolism but food has more effect on weight. You didn't say what kind of diet you have been on. Perhaps it's not the right one for you. Some that just remove certain types of food still leave plenty of room to overeat.

not sure if the pain will decrease if you loose weight. My former doctor told me that if I gained weight it would help. I gained some weight and it did not help with the pain at all.

Hi, I am right there with you. I was fighting that same thing and my self esteem has been in the toilet. I used to be so thin.... and I've gained 8 sizes! I weigh more than I did 9 months pregnant with an almost 10 lb baby. I deal with a lot of pain and exercise is very difficult. I was watching what I ate- cut out sugar, breads and a lot of other things but just kept gaining slowly. I finally hit 200 and decided enough! I just had a melt down about a week or so ago. I joined myfitnesspal.com and I have already met some great motivating people on there. I am Donnawannalose if you are interested in a friend on there. Anyway, I also decided to do a very low carb/high protein diet. It is called tran tien (trantiendiet.com) It is also called ideal protein were people buy packets of powder and food and see a doctor for it.... but I don't have any money for that. On the website they explain the diet and I am just doing my own thing - not as strict .I buy protein powder at the grocery store and if I want I just eat lean meat or beans instead. This diet is good for diabetics because it balances the blood sugar. It has only been 1 week since I started and I've lost 5 lbs and I feel really good. I think it is because I cut out so many things. I am sure there are some foods that cause flare ups and I just don't know which yet. I'll add things in one at a time and figure out which cause a problem. I do exercise using a stationary bike (recumbent) but I started out several months ago doing only 5 minutes.... very gradually working up to 10 and then 15. I don't go fast at all. I just do what I can and concentrate on what I eat. I move my arms when I do the bike - pressing up in the air or something to move them - no weights needed at this point. That is what my doctor recommended to start. Later I can use small hand weights. I also use stevia as a sweetener - but not "truvia" which is artificially tinkered with stevia. No one really knows the risks of eating that. Stevia in the raw tastes best to me. also, on netflicks (I just have the streaming) there are exercise videos. I use this one that is yoga for people dealing with chronic pain. They use a chair for support and all the moves are modified. If you are interested I can look and find the name of it. It actually feels really good. I do it when I'm in a lot of pain and can't sleep - it is really slow paced and easy to do. The music is very soothing and it helps a lot! Oh and here is a link I was reading just before I saw your message about what to avoid if you have fibro. http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=8287 I hope you find something that will work for you. I wish it was easier but it isn't.

I personally am going thru the same problems you are. The meds and weather are the most difficult elements when it comes to fibro. I have gained over 60 lbs. and I am still going thru trail and error for diets and lifestyle changes to reduce the weight. Just keep trying, everyone's body is different and different regiments work for different people. Don't give up!!!!!