FAsting and M.E

This topic contains 10 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by  SuePB 7 years, 6 months ago.

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  • Is it o.k to fast when you have M.E and Fibromyalgia? I eat the Paleo way and do my 2 days I.F. But I was reading an American book about I.F and it said you mustn’t fast if you have M.E/CFS.
    I’ve ignored it and carried on anyway and have lost 6lb so far but I’m just curious. since I started 5:2 my condition has flared up and deteriorated but I started 5;2 a week after surgery and I always get worse in the winter so I personally don’t think the fasting diet is the cause.

    There are very few doctors around here, and I don’t feel comfortable giving advice in these matters personally 😡
    Have you consulted your doctor? He or she knows the most about your illness!

    Hi ruthmel1, I have M.E./CFS also and have been doing 5:2 since the end of August. I haven’t noticed any negative effects. the only reason I could think of not to try it is if you have a problem with low blood sugars. some folks with M.E. do, I think all you would need to do is spread your calories through out the day.

    I am finding that I have a bit more energy in the mornings, but am having a lot of pain at times. Usually when I try to use that energy to do too much. 🙂 you know how it is, when you feel a bit better, you try to do all those things you can’t usually do.

    I do think that part of your flair could be post operative, and the cold weather. you might want to discuss with your doctor just to be on the safe side. I hope you have an informed and supportive doctor.

    wish I could say that my family and I are healed by 5:2, but I expect it will take a good while to see if the healing aspects of the diet works for M.E./CFS.

    good luck and let us know how you get on. hope you recover quickly from your surgery. sorry I didn’t respond sooner, had a couple of days I didn’t make it online until late in the day, and my brain is mush by then.:) Phyllis

    Hi Phyllis,
    thanks for your reply. Partners in crime!!
    I know my flare is post surgery and the cold weather. I’m always worse in the winter. In fact the only time I feel good is from April to August and especially if we have a holiday somewhere very hot.

    I understand exactly where you’re coming from regarding the brain fog. I’m useless after 4pm!!

    I’m feeling a bit better lately. I started taking a Magnesium and MAlic acid supplement which is recommended for FM/M.E.

    Take care and try not to overdo it! HA, HA!!

    Hi ruthmel1, it’s funny that you are worse in winter and my family is worse in summer. we live in the southern U.S. and it’s really hot and humid. heat increases out weakness and heart rate irregularities.

    glad the magnesium and mag. supplements are helping. I haven’t tried the malic acid, but do take magnesium.

    well brain fog is getting thicker. will try to write again tomorrow. stay warm and take care. Phyllis

    Hi ruthmel, just checking in, hope you are doing well. I’m recovering from Thanksgiving. LOL. take care Phyllis

    Hi Phyllis,
    I’m not too bad today thanks. I’ve had a few bad days as on Tuesday I baked and Wednesday I emptied 3 plant containers of their dead begonias!! As you know it doesn’t sound like much for us its a lot of activity. My back and legs are burning apart from the usual, exhaustion, but today I’m dressed up, make-up on as I’m going for lunch with my girlfriends. I know it’ll be back to bed when I get home. Annoying, but there you go!

    Its interesting that you hate the heat. I knit a lot and go on a Forum called Ravelry where I started a group for Fibromyalgia sufferers. we often discuss how we all respond differently to hot, cold, barometric pressure etc.

    Tomorrow is a fast day, I’m going to try 3 this week as I feel bloated and don’t seem to have lost weight recently.

    Hope you’re o.k

    Ruth

    Hi Ruth, sorry I have taken so long to answer. Had a couple of days that I didn’t make it online until really late. AND I’m recovering from all the Thanksgiving cooking etc.

    oh, know what you mean about things that others think nothing about, just knocking us down. I do hope you were able to enjoy your lunch out with your friends. sometimes you just have to do something fun even when you know you are going to pay a price.

    I think the fibro and M.e. symptoms vary during the year. in the winter I have more fibro difficulty. summer increases the M.E. weakness, and heart stuff. ah the joys of M.E/fibro. keeps life from being dull I suppose. you get to rise everyday and see what is working and what isn’t. LOL.

    we had an unplanned fast day yesterday. after 3 days of Thanksgiving food, and heavy meals, no one felt like eating. 🙂 Hope your fast day went well. I actually lost .8lbs last week and my daughter lost a whopping 2.4lbs !!!! I REALLY love this way of eating.

    Hope you are having a good day. Phyllis

    Altho’ it’s been nearly 20 months since this thread was started, I’m dropping in here to relate my experience so far of intermittant fasting the 5:2 way. So…..

    I’m 64 . I’ve had ME/CFS for 17yrs, been on 5: 2 for nearly 10months.
    Lost 12.5 kgs with 8kg to go. My weight is going down slower than other people’s (no exercise I figure) but it is working for me.
    My balance is better.
    My stride is little longer and I walk a little faster.
    I’ve gone down from a size 16 Australian to a 14.
    Taken in a hole in my watch.
    Halved my BP medication, and soon to delete it.
    My regular doctor is very happy.
    I have a little intermittant tachycardia as part of my ME/CFS, and have had a few cardiac symptoms and tests each year for 4yrs. Recently I had my annual tests and check up. My cardiologist said I’m better than before.
    My BMI (Body Mass Index) is now just into the normal range.
    My posture is even a bit better.
    Slopes and stairs are still a real challenge but a tiny bit easier.
    Used to have to keep under 110 heartbeats/ minute or my CFS went backwards. Now I can operate up to 125 beats/ min.

    I was one of those CFS people who had to eat a bit of something every 2 hrs or seem to get low blood sugar. I was concerned about this aspect but on 5:2, for me, it seems to have disappeared from the beginning. I’m amazed.

    I now fast Mon and Thur, eat nothing till 6pm then a 500cal or less meal at 6 pm. Non-fast days I use a 16:8 system i.e. Don’t eatfor 16 hrs then eat in an 8 hr window. For me that 8 hr window is from 12 noon till 8pm.

    Hope this is of assistance to you.
    Cheers,
    Merry

    Checking in a year later to update,

    This last year on 5:2 has gone well, and my ME/CFS is much the same but my overall health has improved again.

    I am now totally off blood pressure medication
    Do not need to do yearly cardiac tests
    The other improvements of capacity I gave inmy last message have continued.

    I began 5:2 at 83.1kgs and am now 65.8 with 4kgs still to go to my final weight of 62kgs. I’m now in Australian size 12 clothes.

    We went through a very stressful 8months period with multiple serious capital L life challenges. I maintained my weight for that time and ended up 2kgs higher. Over 8 months I’m calling that successful, and now that 2kgs is gone.. I did eat sometimes from stress, but continued my 2 FDs a week for all but a couple of weeks were I did 1 FD and 1 wiik where I did none. About half of my FDs I went over 500 caleries but not a total pig-out. Before the 8months started I had begun doing 16:8 on my nonFDs. Waiting till 12noon, 1pm or 2pm before eating thus giving a mini-fast of 16hrs, then eating in an 8hr window, finishing at 8pm, 9pm or 10pm.

    So… Over the last year I have lost another 4kgs and successfully maintained, gone down another size, and improved general health.

    5:2 has had no, reat No, bad implications for my ME/CFS, and my low blood sugar symptom disappeared quickly.

    Wishing you all well.
    Merry

    Hi everyone,
    Not sure if I have posted in the right place, but I have ME/CFSfor 11years and piled on the pounds. I am also unable to stand or walk, so I am a full time wheelchair user. That hasn’t helped, and also a long stint on steroids which finished 6mths ago. Over the last 6 weeks I have cut out sugar and have bread only twice a week at the moment, as I do react badly to both and feel much better. Then I found this website and bought a couple of books. I have just been monitoring my calorie intake this week and my calorie intake was only around 1000 calorie (now I have excluded sugar/sweetning of any kind and reduced bread intake), I have managed to increase my calories to 1200 and see how I go for this week. I know 1200 is still low, so I will see how I feel on this, then up again if I feel unwell. Planning meals from the books has been an easy way of checking the calories, I have added carbs & veg to those meals. I am full most of the time but have some crudites and hummous on standby! Once I work out my natural calorie intake then I will introuduce fasting. Some wheelchair users advocate a calorie intake of 1000 cals as they find that maintains their weight, but that seems very low!

    Any advice from forum members on managing the fast days and their general calorie intake or wheelchair uses would be greatly appreciated. I have no way of measuring my weight so going on the good old measurements system… anything that shows a drop in cm’s will be encouraging!

    So pleased I found this way of eating though!

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