Diet?

[sadiemae]

My husband is 5'9" and 200lbs. On our wedding day 18 yrs ago he was 145lbs. (Our anniversary was Sunday!) About four years ago he started getting a belly. Couldnt get rid of it. We now know that his belly is because of the ALS. We have one doc at the VA who keeps saying he should lose weight, and I remind him that he has ALS and he can not lose weight. He is on a cholesterol med which has gotten his levels to an acceptable level, does any one else take a med to keep it down? HUGS Lori

 

[trying to stay positive]

Lori, cholesterol has been shown to be neuro protective. I would not worry about high levels, they may actually be slowing his progression. I find it disturbing that the VA doc would want him to lose weight. Is this his ALS doc?

 

[sadiemae]

No, it his primary care doc at the VA. Talk to Capt AL(mtpocketks) he has the same problem with his doc at the VA. I set him straight though. Every other doc we see(about 10) says to keep the weight on. I was concerned about taking the statin drug. Will ask at our next clinic visit. HUGS Lori

 

[peter57]

Lori,
your husband is just like me.

I am, in your measurements about 5'10" and weigh about 210 pounds.

Not once has a doc. told me/ asked me to loose weight.

I did weigh a bit more 2 years ago but made an effort to get to where i am now. It has been fairly constant for the last 18 months.

I havent made an effort to cut back on food intake or go healthy since diagnosed. (see my prev. post on this thread), so i guess it takes a bit more energy to keep going with ALS than without it for the same activity.

cheers
Peter

 

[sadiemae]

The only problem, I am the cook, and I have put on 15 lbs since DX!

 

[brooksea]

That happened to me until stress kicked in! LOL Stress has done me pretty! Lost all those pounds, gained all those grey hairs! :shock:

 

[BarryG]

Lori and CJ, you're both gorgeous no matter what!

Barry

 

[irismarie]

Barry, so are you!
As to eating ' this is one of the "bright side" thingys for those of us who can still eat. And we need to look to the bright side as much as we can

 

[marya]

Brooksea, my husband asked me last night about going on a detox diet. Someone told him that he needed to get all the toxins out of his body to slow progression. I personally think that if that would help the dr would have told me a diet that would do that. Instead she told me he should eat healthy when possible but most important he should eat whatever he wants, whenever he wants, as much as he wants. She didn't even make a fuss about his occasional cigar habit - although he gave them up on his own weeks prior to diagnosed. I guess if he wants to go on a detox diet, I'll do it for him. He's never had a weight problem and we've always enjoyed fine dining (I'm the one who has to watch the weight constantly or I become a heavy duty beauty). social kiss-kiss/hug-hug ...Mary

 

[sadiemae]

Marya, check with Blubear, her Dad has had some success with detox. HUGS Lori

 

[trfogey]

marya,

Your instinct is absolutely correct. The wisest piece of advice I ever got about treatments, therapies, diets, etc. for ALS was "If there is something that really works, every PALS will be on it." I haven't seen a detox program yet that meets that standard yet, so I've been pretty much convinced that the few anecdotal accounts of benefit from detox that I've come across are probably placebo effect.

Detoxing, in any form, is unproven at best and potentially harmful if it causes weight loss. Mostly, though, it's a money drain, from your pockets to the vendor's cash register.