Fibromyalgia weight gain is a serious Fibromyalgia symptom that has a big impact on many. Fibromyalgia sufferers have slightly different considerations regarding weight gain. So while these tips are given to help you eat different, many of these tips have been around the general dieting world for years. But because of the unique consideration with the metabolic issues with Fibromyalgia, we want to stress these simple tips for eating differently.
The first area to tackle is carbohydrate consumption and the metabolism of carbohydrates that you consume. As has been mentioned elsewhere in this blog, carbohydrates are craved by Fibromyalgia sufferers and the consumption of those carbos is one of the primary causes of weight gain. So the first tip is to limit the consumption of carbohydrates as much as possible.
Carbohydrates come to us in a variety of ways in our food supply. I strongly encourage Fibromyalgia sufferers to learn as much about which foods contain carbos so they can be better able to know which foods they should avoid. In general, carbohydrates come in the form of sugar, starch, or some dietary fibers.
Most people understand what foods contain sugar, but I will let you know that many are surprised to learn that often fruit is high is carbohydrate content because of the sugar found in the fruit. So avoid foods with high sugar content. That excess sugar will do nothing for you…I’m sure you’ve heard of the term “empty calories.”
Starch is something that is perhaps a little more subtle, but just as bothersome for the Fibro-sufferer. Chemically speaking starch is a carbohydrate that is a little more robust in its structure, thus making it more difficult to metabolize. The starches are found in foods from plants and consist of cereals, pasta, bread, potatoes, beans and rice. It is best to eat these only in moderation.
To minimize Fibromyalgia weight gain, one of the best tips I can give Fibromyalgia sufferers is that when you consume carbos, don’t take them without first having consumed some protein. Change your approach to a Fibromyalgia diet and give your body the “fighting chance” in your war with carbohydrates by first ingesting a protein which will get your digestive enzymes working. With a little bit of protein consumption, your body produces Glucagon, a hormone which helps to keep insulin in check. And, because proteins take a little longer to digest than carbohydrates take, you’ll feel full longer and tend to consume fewer calories with more carbohydrates.
You can experience weight loss with Fibromyalgia if you just pay attention to how you eat, and develop some new habits that we’ll talk about in other posts.
