Help please

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IsabelSlays

Guest
So I'm 16 gunna be 17 in 2 months, I'm 4'11 and I weigh 88 lbs.
I've began working out and everyone says I'm crazy because I'm already small. I get I need to gain weight which I will but I don't want to gain it from eating unhealthy all the time and getting like unhealthy weight. I'm trying to gain weight in muscle growth. I'm currently taking Mass Gainer Complex Protein twice a day, before and after I workout. Which is 700 calories in all. During the day I eat healthy, smoothies with a little protein in it. Just fruits , vegetables, my refrigerator is stocked with healthy foods. But I need help with supplements and the kinds of workout that'll help me and how to prevent myself from passing out from dehydration. I drink a whole bottle of Gatorade before workout and then I drink a little water after every set and I still end up getting dehydrated.. Amy tips on how to prevent that ? And what supplements I can take to help me get muscle and tone?
 

ethan508

New member
The first big thing to look at for gaining weight when you have CF is how are you digesting things? Are you taking enough enzymes to do the job? Have you figured out which foods you can eat and digest? Once you get that figured out then start thinking about total calorie intake verses output. Talk with you CF nutritionist and get a professional opinion on your needed calorie intake. The nutritionist will take into account your activity level, age, gender, size, and the fact that you just need extra calories to fight CF and overcome whatever level of malabsorption you may experience due to pancreas problems.

Once you have that number you can start trying to build a balanced diet that gets you to the right amount of calories. With your workout schedule and CF you might need to be eating a ton of calories (3000-5000) and those calories will be hard to get with just extra fruits and veggies. Find things that are calorie dense and nutrition dense. Avocadoes, nuts, whole milk, oils, cheeses, meats, smoothies. You are probably going to need to eat more protein and more fat than the health industry or your peers think you should. In general you will just need to eat a TON of food. As far as gaining 'healthy weight' if you are working out your body will turn those calories into healthy weight (with a strong bias towards your genetically predisposed shape).

For hydration, pound the water and pound the Gatorade. How long are your workout sessions? You mention passing out from dehydration, if you feel like you are going to pass out, I wonder if this is actually due to being under-fueled than dehydrated. Dehydration will cause headaches, overheating, muscle fatigue, mental slowness and grumpiness but that 'pass out feeling' especially if sudden is because you blood sugar is too low (used up).

For a cheap test to see if low blood sugar (being under-fueled) is causing the problem, buy a fuel gel/gummy, or energy bar (like hammer gel, honey stingers, GU, cliff shots, cliff blocks, Gatorade blocks, or even a granola or candy bar) and eat one serving every 20 minutes of your workout (chase it with 4-8 oz. of water to make it easier to stomach). If this helps you avoid 'the bonk' then you have a solution. If not it is back to the drawing board. You could also try a pre-workout snack (smoothie, bowl of cereal, sandwich) included with a 16-24 oz. pre-workout hydration effort (do this 30-60 minutes before you hit the gym).

Stick with the workouts, stick with the weight gain efforts. Keep asking questions, and share with us your experience when you find something that works well. These efforts might not pay off quickly, they might not give you the exact body shape you want, but they are the path to better health and super important for CF folks who need every ounce of health they can get.
 
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IsabelSlays

Guest
Thank you for that. It really helped. The whole dehydration thing I kind of feel like it's more dehydration than low blood sugar because I always get dizzy and nauseous and then that's when things get like I'm about to pass out. Also since I sweat a lot I feel like the salt lost in the sweat is really high which makes me more dehydrated.
 

ethan508

New member
Let us know what you do to tune in your water/electrolyte intake. Figuring out how to feel well while exercising is tricky with CF (it is also trick without CF). Most everyone (CF or otherwise) starts workout programs at too high of an intensity level and burn themselves out on their program after a short time. Find an intensity level that you leaves you feeling good at the end or else you'll have a hard time keeping at it for month after month. You might even need to adjust your workout intensity or duration based on how you are feeling on any given day. Don't get too rigid in your idea of what a good workout is. But keep at it. Slow and steady on some days. Fast and steady on other days. But mostly just staying active at whatever level that you can and still feel reasonably well.
 

mom24dodd

New member
If you are feeling dizzy when you are working out - that is heat exhaustion - I think due to losing too much salt - and you really need to pace yourself and try not to do exercises that make you sweat so much. Lift light amounts of weight instead of heavy - or use your own body weight. Do Pilates or Yoga. As a mom with a child with CF - I really cannot stress enough how much learning to take care of yourself is important for the rest of your life. My son has autism also - so he will probably never be able to take care of his CF on his own. Please - eat healthy high calorie meals - often...do your treatments - take your enzymes and other meds. I agree with Ethan508: Avocadoes, nuts, whole milk, oils, cheeses, meats, smoothies. You are probably going to need to eat more protein and more fat than the health industry or your peers think you should. Please be careful and safe.
 
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