Sikcell: People living with Sickle Cell

We still Hope

Diet and Exercise

Hello SC Family: I wanted to get your option about diet and exercise. I am two years away from the big 40 and I have just started to gain weight. I am about 30lbs overweight which is a lot for me and my body. I use to weight 138lbs but now I am 168lbs. I want to lose some weight with exercise but my doctor advise me against it. He said that I should only take light walks and eat more because my body is storing up fat due to my lack of appetite. I have always struggled with eating due to my lack of appetite. Has anyone every struggled with eating due to lack of appetite? I guess this bad habit as caught up with me now. I really want to lose the weight because the pressure on my knees sometimes give me aches and pain. Does anyone have suggestions?

0 members like this

Comment

You need to be a member of Sikcell: People living with Sickle Cell to add comments!

Join Sikcell: People living with Sickle Cell

Comment by Sparrow on October 31, 2010 at 1:19am: Has anyone every struggled with eating due to lack of appetite?

Yes! I have. I learned that it's called involuntary anorexia. I was really bad about eating because I had no appetite...sometimes for days at a time. I've gained weight as a result because my body thinks I am starving it and hangs on to every calorie for survival. (And metabolism starts slowing down at 24-25!). Now I schedule my eating every 4-5 hours because I cannot depend on "waiting to feel hungry." I agree with Shukura that what you eat counts. As for exercise, walking, yoga and pilates mat are good gentle ways to manage weight. The point would be consistency over aerobics. And when you feel stronger, you can add light weights (.5-1lb) when you're walking.

Comment by Preston on October 7, 2010 at 8:14pm: I may not be in the exact situation but I’ve always been told it’s great to workout. I workout at least 3 to 5 times a week. I lift weights and do a lot of calisthenics (push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, ect…). I’ve been working out for over 10 years now. I’m 29. I often push myself extremely hard and almost always feel great afterwards. I stopped doing straight running because I sometimes went too far and didn’t feel too great afterwards. I might give it another try soon though. The main thing for us is being hydrated. Drinking tons of water seems to be a key. Hope this helps a bit.

Comment by P.Allen Jones on September 15, 2010 at 10:34pm: I am fighting your same battle.
Keep vegi's in your refrig: carrots, celery, apples, grapes, etc. something that is quick to eat (when you finally do get hungry). Also, cook ahead (baked chicken, pasta, etc) store it in the freezer. When you do finally want to eat you'll have something healthy (not packaged high-salt frozen stuff).

Also, all of us need to move (even if it's on our living room floor). We must keep our bodies strong & reduce other diseases like diabetes, heart disease and excessive weight gain. Light walks are a GOOD start. God bless & good luck.