Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group exercise

Hey all,

Sorry I haven't posted in forever. I am been very busy running the Chicago AS support group. We are walking in the Arthritis Foundation Walk this May as Team Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Anyway, I am desperate to lose the 45 pounds that I have gained since the AS started. I am working out 5 days a week. Two days for an hour and three days for a half hour. I am also counting calories. I am so discouraged though since I am not losing very much weight. All of the doctors now recommend an hour of exercise 7 days a week in order to lose weight. If I work out that much, I will definitely flare. I always flare when I overdo it.

I am wondering if anyone works out that much! Do you think that stuff like gardening or brisk walking counts?

Any thoughts?
Michelle

Hi, Michelle:

The NSD works quite well in getting both the weight and AS totally under control. Not as easy as working out, but many times more effective.

Good luck to You,
John

I've lost 20 pounds in the last year by exercising 30 minutes a day (brisk walking with my dogs or swimming in my pool) and sticking pretty much to the low starch diet. I am in remission now, thanks to being on one of the new disease modifying drugs, but still have to watch overdoing things because if I do I will get stiff and a bit sore. Yes, gardening does count, as does housework, etc., but what worked for me is 30 minutes of sustained exercise. It's not a quick fix, a half pound to a pound a week, but avoiding a high carbohydrate diet really did work well for me. I have always eaten a more or less lower carbohydrate diet, but this time I also put in "portion controls," and the "grazing" method, which is five or six small meals, snacks a day so you don't ever get over hungry, snacks such as veggies, fruit, yogurt. I eat a lot of protein in the morning to prevent mid morning hunger, which also helps a lot. Patience, patience! It took a while to put on the weight (in my case due to a ruptured disc and slow recovery, which made it difficult to walk or do much of anything else for a few months), but if you work at it slowly you will keep the weight off. John is right, if you can do the no starch diet that will peel the pounds off. If you can't, try the low starch diet method, more fruits, veggies, protein, less bread, pasta, etc., and beware of white food!

Cheryl

Dogs don't care if the house is clean

Exercise is essential for AS and doing half an hour a day is a fabulous goal. If it seems too much, I'd suggest keeping with the half hour but lightening up on the intensity of the exercise undertaken. You always can build from there. Brisk walking is ok as long as it is brisk. It's ok to take breaks, lots of breaks.

I'm afraid weight loss is much more about (lack of) eating than it is exercise, although both play a part obviously. The diet Prof Ebringer recommends for AS (he recommended going low in starchy carbohydtates, not sure that he ever said to eliminate them altogether) works very well in reducing weight and some find it helps AS too.

  LZ

I just read a report that said "Moderate walking at 3 MPH for an hour, six days a week" would result in weight loss.

I've decided to give it a try myself. It is about all I can do anymore anyway.

Hi Michelle,

Weight loss should incorporate both exercise and a healthy diet. As John mentioned, you will probably lose weight with NSD/LSD.... I personally lost 6lbs and was not really looking to lose any since I am slender already. It returns you to your natural weight I believe..... I was not even working out and lost the weight.

Walking is a rather easy form on exercise with many benefits as ours have posted. I used to lap swim to control my weight.... 3 times a week for a half an hour, some circuit weight training and exercise cycle (this was pre NSD/LSD).

Best of luck with your goal to lose weight.

Tim

Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it - Helen Keller

Hi Michelle!
I do understand the whole weight gain thing. Lately, I have put on weight, and I don't want to. I try to watch what I eat, and do walk briskly for 30-40 mins every day, but I do think part of it is my age. I am definately going through the "menopause" thing, and the pounds just leap on to the waist and cling on for dear life!!
This has been the hardest thing for me, as I have never had a weight problem. So not exactly sure what to do about it, and starving does not work!!
I haven't been as good about lifting weights as before we redid our kitchen, so I know I need to get back to that as well. Oh, and gardening is definately a sweaty thing, and a back hurting thing, so be careful! ( I need to adhear to that advice as well, as my hubby always says " don't hurt yourself " and I always reply " too late" )
Anyways, keep up the good work, cuz if you didn't imagine where you'd be!
And good for you representing our cause in the arthritis walk! You Go Girl!!!
Laura

Thanks all. I will try to add two more days of walking into the regime. I think I also have the winter blues. It has been very cold in Chicago for over a half a year. We actually have another winter storm warning tonight with 8 inches of snow on the way and yes it is April 6th!!! I hope to get out and walk our puppy. She needs the exercise too and had completely forgot how to heel. So maybe if I walk her every day and then intense exercise 5 days a week that should do it.

Maybe I should give up my hour of morning newspapers reading on the net (I am in the news biz so I try to keep up) and get out and walk and listen to NPR on headsets instead!
Michelle

Dear Michelle,

In my experience, I am losing weight in 2 ways:

1. Broken Heart ---> Not Recommended
2. NSD/LSD

I lose more than 10 pounds since I am on NSD/LSD and have a stable weight until now, it's good result cause ladies always want to look slimmer .

I am not doing much exercise (try to swim as often as I could), and I gain weight very easily, don't know why but it seems like run in the family. But with NSD/LSD seems like I can maintain my weight.

Good Luck,
Sinta

Michelle,

I have a lot of experience with excercise and having AS. Last summer I competed in and finished the Lake Placid Ironman Triathlon (4 km swim, 180 km bike, marathon). Training for this meant 3 hours a day of either swimming, biking or running (usually 2 of the above a day). I had good days and bad days with the AS and sometimes I had to slow down or rest but overall I found my AS was much better when I was really training - and that I had no major flares. Maybe my body was too busy healing my muscles etc to worry about my back. One thing to note is that I did have a really big flare about 3 weeks after my race. I think due to the drastic decrease in the amount of daily exercise. A friend of mine who also has AS and does Ironmans has had similar experiences. Oh and I was able to raise over $8000.00 for the Arthritis Society here in Canada - so good luck with your fundraising. I think that was even harder than the excercise. Now I'm busy training for the Ottawa Marathon in May. We'll see how that goes.

Basically I say go for it - but pay attention to your body. If you think you need a break take it. I think you'll find though that once you get going you will have more energy and suffer a little less from AS.

Good luck with your training.
Kym

Kym