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http://mastcelldisorders.wallack.us/yabb/YaBB.pl General Mast Cell Disorders Discussion >> Symptoms >> weight gain and exercise - paradoxical effect?! http://mastcelldisorders.wallack.us/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1354302161 Message started by larken on 11/30/12 at 07:02:41

Title: weight gain and exercise - paradoxical effect?!
Post by larken on 11/30/12 at 07:02:41

Ok, I have a strange question. For many months I had been gaining weight even though I was eating close to nothing. I had been exercising nearly every day doing some kind of cardio at the gym or biking. So, I blamed it on my meds.

Last month I had to travel for work the whole month. I was busy with work (but mostly sitting at a desk in a hotel) and barely worked out. I ate more and sat around a lot. I took the same meds, which I had been on for almost 1.5 years. Was not more stressed than normal.

AND I have actually lost close to 7 pounds in a month. It's not just muscle weight, either. I have no idea how. The one thing I know is that exercise is a trigger for me. Most people lose weight when they exercise. I am wondering if I have some kind of paradoxical reaction (i.e., I get the opposite of what is supposed to happen to most people) to exercise. This opposite effect happens to me a lot with meds and I know it happens to others on the forum with certain meds, too. For instance, when a medicine is supposed to calm me down and I am completely wired from it.

Does this exercise connection strike a chords with anyone?

Interestingly, looking back I think it happened after my wedding, too. I could probably switch to low-intensity work out like yoga or Bar Method and see how it goes. Maybe my body is saying enough because it is a trigger. Weird!.....but then again this disease never fails to amaze me with its weirdness.

Title: Re: weight gain and exercise - paradoxical effect?!
Post by BlueSkies on 11/30/12 at 08:23:00

Hi Larken,

I have a similar problem, without the exercise angle. I can't exercise much, because I am too sick. Most the time I eat very little, because of reaction issues, and difficulty in finding foods I can tolerate way out where I live, and because I get plain scared to eat. However, when I DO get to really eat a lot, I LOSE WEIGHT!

This is what one of my better doctors told me (unrelated to Masto, this is a CFS dr.) She said I am eating so little that my body is staying in starvation mode and hanging on to every calorie. But that when I eat more, then I can lose weight.

This also happened to a healthy friend of mine who was trying to lose weight. She cut her calories too low, and couldn't lose. When she brought them up some then she could lose. She was exercising a lot, by the way.

Maybe this will apply to you as well. Hope it helps! :)
BlueSkies

Title: Re: weight gain and exercise - paradoxical effect?!
Post by phyre on 11/30/12 at 09:10:43

Exercise can definitely bring on reactions. I have been trying to lose weight too. I love bike riding, so I do that a lot, but I never lost any weight from exercise. I even tried slowly building my way up to 100 miles and then 200 miles a week. (Yep, that's a lot!) But I never lost a single pound. I did not lose or gain when I stopped either. I did get to a point where I did not need anymore zantac though.

I did lose weight when I was trying to eliminate foods, but I am not sure which foods were responsible for keeping the weight on. I did not change my caloric intake.

Exercise also makes me flush, and I get masto hives from it if I work too hard. On rare occasions I have gotten #3 and nausea from too much exercise.

I would not stop exercise though if you can help it. Maybe don't work out as hard or as long?

Title: Re: weight gain and exercise - paradoxical effect?!
Post by nevermiss on 11/30/12 at 11:41:03

I react if I do intense exercise. I walk at the mall after work(need an emergency bathroom) and do mini exercises throughout the day and am able to maintain a stable weight. Throughout the day I do 10 - 15 reps of different exercises.

Title: Re: weight gain and exercise - paradoxical effect?!
Post by PamH on 12/01/12 at 07:47:11

Larken,
Congratulations, but I am sooooo jealous!! ;)
I have gained 2 clothes sizes since I started my meds and was able to eat more than chicken and rice.
Wouldn't be that big of a deal but I wasn't skinny to start with!
I have not been exercising regularly. I do it when I feel good. Some days after a major trigger I feel too tired to do much of anything.
Anyway, I can say that I do not loose weight by not exercising. So I'm going to try to make better choices and move more!
Maybe you can just do less of a work out?? Keep us updated!

Title: Re: weight gain and exercise - paradoxical effect?!
Post by larken on 12/02/12 at 07:28:28

Thanks, all. I think I may decrease my cardio intensity and instead switch to more yoga and Bar Method (like a combo of yoga and ballet training) and see how I do.

Title: Re: weight gain and exercise - paradoxical effect?!
Post by Joan on 12/02/12 at 16:59:53

Strenuous exercise can cause inflammation and fluid retention in MC patients. Moderate is better. Meds can cause changes in metabolism for some people, but if the meds didn't change and your diet was the same, it must have been fluid. Btw, inflammation in the stomach and intestines can cause an increase of 4 inches in waist size in one day, according to my GI doc!

Title: Re: weight gain and exercise - paradoxical effect?!
Post by larken on 12/02/12 at 20:49:10

Joan, that's very interesting. I had not heard that about the fluid retention before. Thanks for letting me know. Maybe it is the reason. I do know that I feel like my stomach is extended most of the time and my face is often puffy-looking when I wake up.

Title: Re: weight gain and exercise - paradoxical effect?!
Post by PamH on 12/03/12 at 05:31:58

Joan, how do we get rid of the fluid retention?? I think I am starting to slash when I walk! ;)

Title: Re: weight gain and exercise - paradoxical effect?!
Post by iamnotalone on 12/03/12 at 15:44:48

Joan;
I was getting dressed the other day & I could've proven your doc.s words ! ::) Tho I am 50, had a hysterectomy, I feel like I have a "period" wardrobe. There are leggings, sweatpants, & jeans. I never know when my jeans will go on comfortably ! It's always a pleasant surprise when they do ! ;D :D
Larken; I like yoga, it's kinder to the body ;)
Pam; I don't slosh- cuz I pee every 5 minutes !!! :'( :D :'(
lori

Title: Re: weight gain and exercise - paradoxical effect?!
Post by Joan on 12/03/12 at 16:48:15

It's a fine line we walk! If I cut back on salt and salty foods, I get low BP and fatigue. If I drink more, I'm in the bathroom more.

I've found that finding the right amount of exercise is almost like getting on the right amount of meds. Trial and error. If walking 3 blocks causes symptoms, walk 2 the next time or walk slower. It took me a while to get up to where I am now. We are walking 3-4 miles at about 3 miles/hr. However, I do stop a few times to stretch during the walk. Still, if I walk too fast, my legs can swell.

Mild to moderate exercise is excellent for helping to get rid of excess fluid. Movement of muscles moves the fluid out. Sitting too much causes fluids to pool. Crunches or sit-ups can move fluid out of the abdomen.

If the problem is stomach and/or GI inflammation, then diet changes might help.

Some people take diuretics, but I don't think they're safe for me due to the low BP issues.

Title: Re: weight gain and exercise - paradoxical effect?!
Post by Ladybug on 02/09/14 at 09:35:32

I see that it's been about a year since some of you posted about your weight and about some things you were going to try differently. ;D

How are you all doing with your weight management? I ask because I have been recently diagnosed with MCAS and gained a lot of weight and wonder what's worked for other people.

Thank you!

Title: Re: weight gain and exercise - paradoxical effect?!
Post by Starflower on 02/10/14 at 15:11:11

I started exercising about a year ago. I lost about 30 pounds before I hit a plateau. Meh. I've read a couple of very interesting books about women and "fat"... it's not as unhealthy as you might think. One thing I read said that a minimum body fat % for a healthy, middle-age woman is around 32%. Guess what mine is... 33% ;) I decided that the most important thing is to be HEALTHY, so whatever! I feel good. I eat real food (organic meat/dairy, lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and a few non-gluten grains like rolled oats). I'm not losing any more weight, but I'm not gaining either. I'm good with that.

I have a physical every year and it seems like something is always a bit "off." One time it's blood in my urine... then wonky liver enzymes... then those are fine, but my CRP and triglycerides are elevated. As long as I take care of myself and feel good, I'm going to trust myself 8-) It certainly won't do me any good to stress about it.

Heather

Title: Re: weight gain and exercise - paradoxical effect?!
Post by Spartako on 02/11/14 at 00:38:10

Ketotifen and/or Desloratadine make me hungry. When I get triggered from stress, food or exertion I often get ravenous appetite for candy which often results in eating more triggering food. I cannot restrict it. When I had hope to get permanently better from diet I was able to eat no trigger foods for almost one year and I lost 20 pounds but I did not get better so I fell back into unhealthy binge eating.
I exercise as often as it is possible which means two times a week because I get totally exhausted for one day and pretty exhausted for another day after exercising. I go to a gym and do strength endurance and strength training. Getting a heart rate in the anaerobic region, like with running too fast I get triggerd very heavily.
Because of being hungry so much I gained 30 pounds overwheight in the last two years but I also got more muscles. I am struggling everyday to start my diet again and I hope to get some pounds down before summer.
I had my best results in loosing weight with low carb diet based on whey protein shakes, turkey, salad, some spelt bread. Proteins and good fat like Omega3 are the most essential calories and give the most satiation.
My diet was effective but it was not pleasuring...

The amount of body fat which is healthy depends on where the fat is. Visceral fat is the most unhealthy and causes inflammation, cardiovascular disease and leads to type 2 diabetis. My body fat is around 32% but my belly is to big and my cholesterine is not good either.