Important note: Information in this article was accurate in January 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.Once diagnosed with HIV, the fear of wasting away becomes very real. Wasting means losing a lot of muscle which makes you weaker and sicker. If you know how to avoid it, you can stop it. This article will let you know what to do. By avoiding losing muscle and weight, you will give yourself the best chance to respond to all the new treatments fighting the HIV virus.
There are two steps you can do today to avoid muscle wasting: Eating and exercising. Eating enough food will maintain your muscles and weight, while exercise builds more muscle. It is that simple.
Small Frequent Meals: Eat throughout the day. Small frequent meals are the way to go. Most people find eating 3 meals and 2 snacks each day fits well into their schedules. Eat by the clock; don't wait to get hungry to eat.
High Calorie and High Protein Foods: Eat mostly high calorie, high protein foods which will fuel your muscles and help you stay strong. The HIV virus makes you burn a lot of energy, so you can pig out without feeling guilty as long as you pig out with healthy foods. Here's how. Eat from all the food groups below to make sure you are getting all the energy, protein, vitamins and minerals you need.
Bread, rice, pasta, cereal, potatoes, grains. Eat 4 or more servings daily. Each serving is 2 slices of bread or 1 cup of pasta, rice, cereal, potatoes, etc. These foods give you energy.
Meat, fish, chicken, tofu, eggs and beans. Eat 2 or more servings per day. If you are a vegetarian, eat 4 servings of protein each day. Each serving is a 1/2 cup or 3 ounces of meat (half the size of your palm). Protein give your muscles fuel. You can use protein powders as a supplement to your diet but don't rely on them as your only source of protein since they are not absorbed into your system as well.
Milk, yogurt, pudding, ice cream, cottage cheese, Enriched rice or soy milk, TUMS or calcium supplements. Eat 2 or more servings daily. Each serving is 1 cup, 1 ounce cheese (size of your thumb) or 2 TUMS or other calcium supplements per day. Dairy products or enriched dairy substitutes give you calcium which your muscles, brain and nerves need to work.
Apples, oranges, tomatoes, broccoli, greens, etc. Eat at least 3 times a day. Each serving is 1 piece of fruit or 1/2 cup of vegetables. Fruits and vegetables give you vitamins to help fight off infections.
Oil, butter, gravies, mayo, sugar, candy, cakes, chocolate. You can eat as much as you like as long as you eat enough from the other food groups and you are not over weight ( Do not eat a lot of fats and sweets if you are more than 40 pounds over weight). Fats and sweets give you concentrated energy.
Water, juice, pop, nectars, herb teas. Drink at least 8 cups a day. Coffee and tea are fine as long as you don't drink more than 4 cups a day. Coffee and tea do not count as a beverage since they dehydrate you. Don't drink any alcohol if you are on medications since it can severely damage your liver. When your liver doesn't work neither do medications.
You may feel that this is more food than you can handle each day but if you space it out through the day with 3 meals and 2 snacks per day it can be done easily. The trick is to eat several times a day and never get too full at one time. See sample menu below.
2 eggs/1 slice of toast with butter/herb tea or juice
cheese and crackers/1 cup juice
2 cup juice/pop/Peanut butter and jelly sandwich/4 Fig Bars
Candy bar/2 cups juice
Turkey Sandwich/1 cup Cream of Mushroom soup/Pudding/2 cups juice
Whether you are living with HIV or AIDS, you have an unlimited amount of options of what you can eat. From a nutritionist's standpoint you can eat whatever you want as long as you eat enough calories, protein, vitamins and minerals. What you specifically eat is not that important. The next step to avoid wasting is to exercise, follow the guidelines below.
You say that you don't have a butt any more? Have your muscles started to shrink right before your eyes? DON'T PANIC! It will take a little work on your part in the form of exercising, but you can look good again. Why should you consider exercising at all? First and most importantly, there are several studies that show exercise has a positive effect on the immune system and quality of life for people with HIV. Studies have shown that CD4 counts go up when people do simple, consistent exercise. Also, exercise will give you more energy and perk up your appetite and sense of will being. This lets you eat more and avoid wasting.
If you start working on it now, by the time it is shorts weather you should be looking buff again. There are two parts to bulking up: 1) eat the right amount of calories and protein to help build muscle and 2) do the right type of exercises to increase those all important muscle groups.
If you have been a die hard couch potato, start slowly, or your muscles will ache from overexertion. If any kind of exercise routine is new to you, start by doing some simple stretches while on the couch or before you get out of bed. Start with a whole body stretch by extending your arms over your head, s-t-r-e-t-c-h as you exhale. Next, bring your knees toward the chest with the hands grasping your legs just below the knees. Lengthen your neck and look straight up, breathe deep in and out a few times holding that position. You can alternate the legs, hugging one a time to your chest. With any stretching routine that you do, exhale as you stretch and inhale as you move into a new position. Stretch until you feel tension, then hold the position for 10 to 30 seconds. Don't jerk or bounce through any movements.
For some simple muscle building exercises try these ideas.
Push-ups- yes good old-fashioned push-ups are wonderful for bulking up those arms. If it has been awhile since you have done a military press, start by doing push-ups against a wall, or by placing your hands on a counter. Start with doing 15 to 20 push-ups, keep adding a few more each day until you have reached 100 or more.
To work the abs, do some crunches. Start with 10 or 15, remember to just raise your shoulders off the ground. Work up to doing several repetitions of 40 - 50 each.
To work the thighs, place your back against a wall with your feet about 15 inches out from the wall, move down until you are in a sitting position. Keep your back pressed against the wall. Hold that for 30 seconds and work up until you can do several minutes.
This series of 3 exercises initially will take you about 10 to 15 minutes a day. Being creative with this will make it fun. Exercise with a friend, do it to your favorite music, do it while you watch TV, but just get off that couch and do it! There are several good books at the library or bookstore on how to exercise to build muscles or lose weight. Full Circle Fitness by Rebecca Eastman is very basic with simple illustrations and guidelines for exercise routines to follow. There are multitudes of videos you can buy or check out. Make sure that you find one on strength training, not aerobic exercise which is meant to help you lose weight, not add muscle.
Eating enough and exercising for at least 15 minutes each day is a great immune booster. Food, exercise and medicines all support your body's fight against HIV. You can't rely on just one or two, they work best as a team.
These articles were provided by the Seattle Treatment Education Project - Copyright (c) 1997 - Seattle Treatment Education Project. Noncommercial reproduction encouraged. Distributed by AEGIS - http://www.aegis.com
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