Manage Unwanted Trikafta Weight Gain

One of the biggest challenges with Trikafta is that as our bodies become healthy, the excessive calories are no longer needed, so the pounds pile on. Many patients have complained about the weight gain commonly associated with Trikafta.

I have been one of those patients, gaining just over a stone in a few months. As much as I enjoyed knowing I can create a soft, womanly body with more voluptuous curves and a bigger bust; I also felt out of my depth trying to feel good in my skin.

Before modulators, I was a good weight with a healthy BMI so I didn’t desperately need or benefit from the weight increase. I certainly wasn’t a fan of my waistband upsizing regularly which led me down a road of relearning my nutritional needs and exercising.

Learning my new nutritional needs

I gave little attention to what a healthy female should be consuming calorie-wise on a daily basis. It is 2,000 calories by the way, and 2,500 for men. I started calorie counting early in my Trikafta weight-loss journey. It really helped me to pull back on shoving anything and everything in my mouth. I became more focused and disciplined about avoiding foods high in calories with little nutritional benefit.

I also educated myself on healthy fats, especially with my Trikafta dose, and increased my overall protein intake, as this keeps me fuller for longer.

Meal planning and prepping

When managing a poor appetite pre-Trikafta, I would eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, so I didn't have a set meal plan. Sometimes it would be pasta for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As long as I was getting the fats and calories in, what I put in didn’t matter much.

This mindset I had adopted over the years didn't serve me well in the Trikafta era so meal planning and prepping for the week ahead gave me much more control over my nutritional mindset. I was able to eat balanced meals at the right time throughout the day to give my body what it needed, minus the excess fat and calories we once needed.

Consistent exercise

The beauty of Trikafta is the ability it has given me to explore my fitness goals. I have come on leaps and bounds. This really helped when targeting the Trikafta weight gain because the extra fat isn't going anywhere without breaking a sweat.

Aerobic exercise (jogging, cycling, swimming), HIIT, LITT, Circuit Training are all great at burning calories and slimming down the midriff. My goal was 3 circuits and 3 biking sessions per week. Not only did it help my waistline, but it also benefited my lungs.

In general, women, especially CF women, tend to carry most of their fat deposits around the abdomen, upper arm, and thigh areas, so increasing toning exercises are just as important and made me feel a lot more body confident.