Losing Weight with CFS and Fibromyalgia
In addition to the myriad other problems you have to bear, two of our in-house studies found that people with fibromyalgia and CFS have an average weight gain of thirty-two pounds. This occurs because of the metabolic problems present in these syndromes, causing fewer calories to be burned.
It is much easier to lose the weight and keep it off, however, when one understands and addresses the many things that contribute to this problem. Put simply, for people with CFS/FMS, simply altering your diet is not enough to lose weight. A large percentage of you have found that it is impossible to lose weight and keep it off no matter what you do.
There are several ways that CFS/FMS is contributing to your inability to lose weight. Both physical stresses (e.g., infections and nutritional deficiencies) and emotional/situational stresses can result in a metabolic chain reaction that results in weight gain. With effective treatment of their CFS/FMS, most people find that their weight gain stops and that usual weight-loss measures can finally work.
In this part 19 of my series "Fatigue & Fibromyalgia Are Optional," I'll summarize what can help people with CFS/FMS lose weight.
BFF Summary
- Cut down the sugar and simple carbohydrates in your diet and increase your water intake. If your mouth feels parched and you are not taking a medication that causes dry mouth, then you are thirsty and need to drink more water (even if you already drink like a fish).
- Increase your sleep. Get eight to nine hours of solid sleep every night.
- Treat low thyroid or adrenal function, if applicable.
- Treat yeast/candida overgrowth, if present.
- Get optimum nutritional support. When you are deficient in vitamins or minerals, your body will crave more food than you need, and your metabolism will be sluggish. As mentioned, take 500 to 1,000 milligrams of acetyl L-carnitine daily along with the Energy Revitalization System vitamin powder.
- Take the Smart Energy System™ along with the vitamin powder. Studies show that its components can help optimize metabolism.
- Treat insulin resistance, if present.
It is not unusual for people to shed thirty to fifty pounds by simply treating these metabolic factors.
From My New Edition of From Fatigued to Fantastic
To remind you, BFFs (Brain Fog Friendly Summaries) are just the short summaries I include at the beginning of each chapter in my newest edition of From Fatigued to Fantastic. I added these to my new edition to help readers with brain fog quickly get the main points of a topic. Then, as able and interested, they can dive into each topic to get far more detail. I invite you to get the book. It will rock your world!
![Jacob Teitelbaum, MD](/sites/all/images/jacob-teitelbaum-on-home-bottom.jpg)
Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. is one of the world's leading integrative medical authorities on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. He is the lead author of eight research studies on their effective treatments, and has published numerous health & wellness books, including the bestseller on fibromyalgia From Fatigued to Fantastic! and The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution. His newest book (June 10, 2024) is You Can Heal From Long COVID. Dr. Teitelbaum is one of the most frequently quoted fibromyalgia experts in the world and appears often as a guest on news and talk shows nationwide including Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, and Fox News Health.