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Posted 9/4/2009 12:47 AM (GMT 0)
I am a 22 year old girl with cf and lately I have been losing weight rapidly and not being able to gain it back. I've done everything the doctors have suggested and even my boyfriend (he's a chef/nutritionist) and i'm getting nowhere. today I was told to try weight gain mix and eat a lot of eggs and protein shakes. if this doesn't help me, I am going to end up back in the hospital and I really don't want that. Anyone that can suggest anything, I would greatly appreciate. Thank you. :)
Posted 9/9/2009 7:18 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there,

Sorry I missed your post and have taken so long to reply.

I used to have a problem with my weight, but don't anymore. I put it down purly to the amount of sugar I have, which I know doesn't suit everyone, because of CFRD.

I've currently got a BMI of 26, so it's definately done me some good.

Another thing to try, is the medication Megace or Remeron. Megace is used a lot across the UK for people struggling with keeping weight on,not sure if that has hit the US yet, but people over here find it helps. Mirtazapine was used on our unit for ages as even though it is an antidepressant, at a low dose it can act like steroids and really boost your appetite without the side effects of steroids.

Have you tried nutritional shakes like Skandishakes or Calshakes? They contain something like 600 calories, and more if you add ice cream to them. Or overnight feeds, have you tried them?

I think the general advice is try and get in 4,000 calories a day. It's hard to do, but I think it's worth it.

Hope some of this helps, and sorry if it's stuff you've already tired, and I appolise again for being so late responding.

Gem
Posted 9/17/2009 10:24 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, I am a 23 year old female with CF and I have struggled with this all my life. I was on NG tubes from age 10 to 16 and luckly have been able to come off them but, I still struggle with maintaining the desired and healthy weight I would like.
Here are some things I do. I have found that working out helps greatly. One, like the other person said muscle weighs more than fat and two, once you get into a routine your metabolism speeds up which in turn makes you feel hungry more often. Eating every three hours a nutritional, high calorie foods is a plus as well as drinking protein shakes (which I have to say I don't do enough... I can't find a shake that has no texture to it and tastes good). I don't know if this is something you are on or have ever thought of going on but I found that the birth control pill helped me gain another 5 pounds and kept everything in balance. It doesn't work for everyone but its worth consideration especially when you feel you have tried everything. I was on the Megase which the other person mentioned and that put weight on me but it was water weight and it really messed up my hormones and made me break out and feel miserable which the dr. said is a side effect for some people. Remember every person is different so some of the things I mentioned may not work the same way for you as they did for me but I figured I would mention them so you can research it further if you would like. I hope this helps
Posted 10/9/2009 9:46 PM (GMT 0)
Yea it's a lot harder for girls to gain weight. I have suggestions for guys or girls who are willing.

I always had trouble gaining weight and was always seen as underweight.

I'm not actually in the 50th or higher percentile for even normal people for my height. 5'9" 165-168 lbs on a good day.

I've gained about 10 pounds or so in the past year.

Here are the keys to gaining weight mainly for guys:

1. EAT everything and anything you want that you ENJOY eating. Who cares about the calories? As long as you are eating A LOT you will gain weight.

2. Run almost every day. Run a couple miles or at least do forms of cardio works out EVERY DAY. This will make you hungrier and more in the mood to eat more and more.

3. Lift weight EVERY DAY. Most people suggest you lift every other day but that isn't enough for people like us. Lift every single day that you can and especially work on your pecks,shoulders, and chest areas for obvious reasons.

I know for girls this might not be best but you should at least do 1 and 2 if you want to gain weight.

It's all about being proactive.

Best of luck.
Posted 12/24/2009 2:18 AM (GMT 0)
PEANUT BUTTER

Lots of it.
Posted 12/28/2009 6:46 AM (GMT 0)
i am 13 and i have had trouble with weight gain my whole life also.. well all to say is that there is a drink called boost plus.. that consists of 360 per drink and lots of nutrition and protien.. i drink 3-4 cans per day.. you can find boost plus at and local grocery store or any pharmacy.. make sure not to get the regular boost but boost plus.. this drink comes in 3 flavors.. vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate... i prefer the vanilla.... i was 1 dr. apt. away from getting the tube b4 i tried this... the dr.'s are really happy with my weight gain and my lungs are strong and healthy... after the first 3-4 weeks after drinking boost plus i bet you will see a huge shift... :)
Posted 1/22/2010 9:19 PM (GMT 0)
Hey there, I'm sorry I didn't respond here.
I'm 18, have CF and also have had a lot of problems with my weight. I got a G-tube in 2005, and since then have had FAR fewer problems with weight gain.
However, before that I often would drink two cans of Ensure or Boost (I think you can both of them at grocery stores, at least you can here in Canada) before bed. It tastes pretty gross, but it really works. Another thing to try is mixing in skim milk powder with your regular milk. It adds A LOT of calories.
Good luck!!

Oh yeah... I prefer the chocolate Ensure and Boost. For some reason, all the other flavours just taste really disgusting to me.
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