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Re: MotivationFrom: Leslie (anonymous@obgyn.net)Thu, 26 Oct 2000 15:32:20 -0700
Dear Kelly, Sorry to hear about your dietitian experience. Talk about unmotivating! :( Unfortunately, many of the health care professionals still don't understand exactly what PCOS involves, and are still hung up on the food pyramid being good for everyone, and the idea that we all got large from eating too much fat (a very BIG lie!). I have never eaten a very high or even moderate fat diet, so it was difficult for me to conceive how I could have gained all the weight that I did (110 lbs in just over a year) without changing my eating patterns. I was very frightened, and my thyroid tests came back normal. All the doctor could tell me was to eat smaller portions and less fat. I did not feel well, was very depressed and was definitely not functioning at an operational level. I tried many "cleansing" diets to see if I might have a food allergy or something, but the only thing that I discovered was that I was desperately addicted to anything with wheat (seriously, I was ready to jump someone for a bite of their sandwich!). Suppose that should have been a clue right there... I won't bore you with more historical details, but it was quite a while before the doc was able to put everything together and recommend I check with an endocrinologist (she wasn't much use either, but I begin working with another one who specializes in reproductive disorders tomorrow. Maybe she will be a little more productive and reasonable than the last one).
> I know that I need constant monotoring, it's a shame that there are Could you contact any of these and see if they could recommend something for you? I don't mean settling you into one of their clubs or anything, but maybe they could suggest a specialist that you could see, or recommend some steps to help you begin your journey.
> I am in the same boat as you, I need to loose 30lb and the doctors have At this point, trying to lose 30lbs probably seems impossible, but it is do-able.
> Can you please advise me how you worked out your diet plan, what steps you Okay, here we go! First thing I did was read anything I could get my hands on, either through the web, or library or bookstore. If your finances are tight, try looking searching for the glycemic index on the web. There are two or three different ones, with slightly different ratings, so it can be a bit confusing. I tried to eat anything that was listed as 55 or under for the first month, then added anything up to 65 points as a treat after that. Here are a couple of sites that list some of the index and a brief explanation of what they are: http://www.diabetesnet.com/gi.html http://www.mendosa.com/gi.htm Use these as a starting point for useable foods. There are some fairly good books out there also. Use http://www.amazon.com as a reference. They list reveiws from people who have read the book, so you get an idea of how appropriate they might be to you. I don't always buy from them, but I do use them to research something I'm interested in. One book I have found invaluable is "Syndrome X" by Jack Challem, which leads me to the next thing: I looked into supplements. I began to work with a naturopath, who helped me out with this. The book I suggested above also goes into detail about how to fine-tune what supplements are needed for people with insulin resistance. I knew I would have to faithfully take these for them to be effective, and this hasn't always been easy for me. I'm notorious for skipping meals (not intentional, I just get wrapped up in whatever I am doing at the time), and this means skipping supplements by body needs. To counteract this, I began mixing some low-glycemic drinks (meal supplements in a pinch) and keeping them in the fridge in small containers, so I could grab one if I went out. I also began using a pill box (and made sure it was a pretty one!) to carry my supplements in. Motivation. That can be a tough one. I am not sure I want children, so that wasn't enough to motivate me through all this, especially in the beginning. To figure out what I really wanted from this change I had to be totally honest with myself. I recall sitting down with some paper and pretty colored ink pens and asking myself what I really wanted to see happen. Then I began writing. It was a rather...ah...intense. I was bawling while I was writing, as I wanted my hair to stop falling out, and I wanted to stop growing a mustache and furry belly. To my surprise, I didn't care if I was skinny, I just wanted to Feel Pretty and Feminine inside. I didn't want to have to buy a wig in a year because I had no hair left. I was really, really angry at the way my problems had been dismissed or ignored by the "professionals". I guess what it boiled down to was that if no-one else was going to help me, I'd have to learn to take care of myself, and more than just food-wise. Okay, I now had my motivation. I think one of the first things I did after that was call up Fredricks of Hollywood and order one of their feminine but slightly racy nightgowns, something I'd never done in my life before. The point of this is that I have begun to treat myself as I'd like an ideal lover to treat me, if only for a few minutes each day. I ask myself what little thing would I like to do today. If it is "take a bath" then I do so, with whatever adornments, bubbles, scents I want. Sometimes it is to just have a flower on the table, or to not do the laundry today. I guess it is a bit of an experiment as to how to learn to respect myself again. I lost a lot of that when I gained the weight originally. If I don't take my supplements regularly, or feed myself the food that is not what I need physically, I just remind myself that I need to respect and care for myself just as if I were actually a very important person (imagine that!) in my life. That includes forgiving myself when I blow it and tackle something I'm not supposed to eat! I also take this one day at a time. Keepfit? Whatzat? :) Yes, this too falls under the motivation category. <grin> To help me with my 'I need to feel more feminine', I began belly dancing. I love it. It gives me a chance to get together with a bunch of women to learn how to Move! I started out doing this one night a week, and enjoy it so much that I now play 2-3 nights a week. The best part is that the dance seems to lend itself to women with curves better than super skinny ones. I occasionally go for walks with my husband too, but mostly I dance. Hope your eyeballs are still functioning after this lengthy missive! With love, Leslie
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