Maintaining a healthy diet and weight can be challenging with COPD. Loss of appetite and taste is a shared concern among MyCOPDTeam members. “I’ve been on a ‘get-fat diet’ for seven months, struggling hard to gain weight and keep it on,” one member shared. “When I came home from the hospital, the only thing that had any taste was peanut butter, Ritz crackers and some ginger ale,” another member commented. Members under the care of a nutritionist talk about eating frequent small meals with easy-to-digest foods like oatmeal, fruit smoothies, sweet potatoes, steamed vegetables, and yogurt. “Very small portions, of course,” wrote one member in response to another’s post: “A full stomach doesn't do my breathing any good at all.”

Some members share meal-prep hacks for low-energy days. “I cook five days of meals and put them in the freezer. If I have a bad day, I don't have to stand there cooking, I just put them in the microwave,” explained one member. Those who watch their diets say it helped them feel better, manage their weight, and control COPD symptoms.

On MyCOPDTeam, the social network and online support group for those living with COPD, members talk about a range of personal experiences and struggles. Diets are some of the top 10 topics most discussed.

Here are a few question-and-answer threads about diets:

• Does anyone have a healthy meal and snack suggestions?

• Has anyone else also lost a lot of weight?

• Have you experienced a loss of taste?

Here are some conversations about diets:

• One member shares tips to another member.

• I'm frustrated trying to gain weight.

• I'm having trouble cutting out food I know is not healthy.

Have another topic you'd like to discuss or explore? Go to MyCOPDTeam today and start the conversation. You'll be surprised just how many others may share similar stories.

Feel free to ask a question here.