Re: Weight :-( - Thankyou
From: Sally (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Wed, 20 Nov 2002 07:14:31 -0600 (CST)
Dear Ladies,
Thank you so much for your responses. This really is a great community.
Your responses and support really do help. I am feeling a little better
today and I am definitely not going to give up. I am going to continue
exercising and trying to eat healthy (and try not to beat myself up if I
do occassionally eat chocolate - chocolate is not my binge food so it is
fine. Just don't put me anywhere near a loaf of fresh white bread or
fruit loaf. I am a total gonner......
Logically, we know to keep going and focus on being healthy not just our
weight.
The thing I worry about when eating such low calorie is how to get good
nutrition (aside from the fact that eating really low calorie also
encourages starvation mode - and further complicates weight loss
efforts). But I really do gain weight (and quickly) when I try to eat
more.
To reassure myself and if I look on the positive side - I am getting
stronger from the weights and my cardiovascular fitness is better. My
cholesterol also reduced, and I do feel better than before I started
treatment (at that time I though if that was as good as life got, I
didn't want to live anymore. Thank goodness I don't feel like that any
more).
I would be really interested to know about the book that was mentioned
by Rachael (?)......
I wonder if anyone has tried to measure basal metabolic rate in women
with PCOS. Maybe it really is heaps lower than normal - I think they
can test by checking oxygen use under varying exercise loads.
Maybe if I change career I would go and study nutrition and do research
for women with PCOS (and men with syndrome X)..........
Thank you all again.
--
Sally
At Tue, 19 Nov 2002, Krista wrote:
>
>Hi All,
>
>I also have PCOS and can not loose the weight, a couple of years ago I
>did a fasting diet throught the hospital with optifast and lost about
>100 lbs. As soon as food was re-introduced I gained it all right back.
>I went from a low carb high protein to high carb low protein diet and my
>body rebelled. I was exercising 1 hour a day five-six times a week and
>eating less than 1300 cal a day when all the weight came back on. I was
>about 118 lbs before weight symptoms hit me like a brick wall. I now
>weigh about 220-refuse to get on the scale anymore. I went from doc to
>doc and they took one look at me and said all my problems were that I
>was fat- which was new for me! Never tested me or anything-til one day I
>found the most wonderful OBGYN (he has a heat lamp over all exam tables,
>flannel and fleece gowns and blankets and warms instruments before exam
>yeah!) who took one look at me and said you have PCOS. He recently
>started me on Yasmin which has helped all my other sypm but not the
>weight as of yet, but getting ready to start Atkins this week and will
>see how that helps. I know how you feel and it is so frustrating!
>Thanks for saying what I also feel, its nice to know I am not alone, and
>Rachel please find a new endocrinologist- check out the American
>Diabetic Association web site and look to find one who knows the blood
>glucose levels are normal when between 80-120!
>
>At Tue, 19 Nov 2002, anonymous wrote:
>
>>Hi Sally:
>>
>>My name is Rachel and I have just been diagnosed with pcos (last week).
>>I've been suffering with the symptoms my whole life, but every doctor I
>>went to said that nothing was wrong - I should learn to work out more
>>and eat less. I've had hypoglycemia my whole life, but the
>>endocrinologist said that a fasting blood sugar level of 40 was normal
>>for a woman of age (idiot)
>>
>>I'm answering your letter because I have gained 20 pounds since April of
>>last year, when I went off Birth control pills. The weight is killing
>>my closet, and affecting my marriage. I'm a small person, so 20 pounds
>>is huge on my frame. My GYN said for me to "go to the gym" and work it
>>off. Listening to your story, I can see that it isn't easy. I've tried
>>fad diets - they work a the beginning, but then stop and the weight
>>comes back. Have you tried the Atkin's diet? I went to a nutritionist
>>who said to blot our carbs totally - no breads, beer, no root veggies...
>>Just eat lettuce and turkey.
>>
>>How do we live?
>>
>>I'm thinking of eating the Atkins way for a while and seeing what
>>happens. Putting your body into ketosis isn't a good thing, the last
>>time I tried it I went into insulin shock.
>>
>>I'm so desperate though. The weight is just increasing and increasing -
>>I'm terrified. Everyone in my family is diabetic - and all die young of
>>heart problems.
>>
>>I need support and I don't know where to get it. So I am writing to
>>you, just hoping that you will answer back, and perhaps we can support
>>eachother.
>>
>>Take care, hang in there, there HAS to be a way.
>>
>>-Rachel
>>
>>At Tue, 19 Nov 2002, Sally wrote:
>>>
>>>Hi,
>>>
>>>This is just venting so please ignore me - but I have to get my
>>>frustration out before I explode. I just don't know what to do about
>>>this weight thing. Have not been able to lose a single pound since
>>>April (I can gain a couple and get back down to this plateau) - but can
>>>not get off it. I still need to lose about 40 lbs to get down to my
>>>'healthy' weight.
>>>
>>>I have now been trying reductil for two week and no weight loss. Not
>>>even 1 lb. Though I have had plenty of side effects.
>>>
>>>Then I saw the Dr. at the gym where I attend 5 or so times a week (who
>>>is supposedly a specialist in weight loss). (I am dreading seeing my
>>>regular dr. in a couple of weeks when she will be sooooo hopeful that
>>>the reductil helped me lose weight - she has been practically begging me
>>>to try it for months). Anyway, the gym dr. looked at my food diary (I
>>>write everything down) and said that I don't appear to eat too much
>>>(unless I was lying about what I wrote down - perhaps she thinks I am)
>>>and it appears that I am eating 1200 calories or less on most days -
>>>then she said I should try eating less fats and try further cutting down
>>>on Calories. She recommended that I reduce to about 1000 calories a day
>>>as well as continue to exercise as much as I can and do more weight
>>>training.
>>>
>>>Then looking at my food choice recommended that I don't drink beer (I
>>>normally drink one can of beer or a glass of wine most nights - included
>>>in my calculated calorie allowance), stop eating nuts (I eat nuts
>>>instead of other carb foods) and peanut butter (I use a scrape of peanut
>>>paste in place of butter on my 2 slices of whole-wheat bread that I
>>>usually have for breakfast with tea), stop eating chocolate (last week I
>>>ate chocolate - though it was part of the calories that I counted - and
>>>though I do go for months without eating chocolate she just looked at my
>>>diary on a week that I did eat it) and be very strict about not eating
>>>anything with high fat. Also recommended that I try some liquid meal
>>>replacements to further reduce calories and recommended one type that is
>>>high fibre and even lower calorie that the slow release diabetic one
>>>that i am currently trying. Also only eat green leafy veges not
>>>anything starchy. Seems like I can't (SHOULDN't) eat anything at all!
>>>And if I combine her recommendations with the list from my gastro dr. I
>>>would only be eating leafy things and a little protein. What a boring
>>>life!
>>>
>>>I am trying to follow low carb and am reasonably successful. And I am
>>>on Glucophage and thyrax.
>>>
>>>I just feel like crying (in fact I am). I feel like I can never eat
>>>normally - it is almost as if I can gain weight just by looking at food.
>>>It does not make scientific sense. If I cannot lose weight on 1200
>>>calories with a reasonably active lifestyle and regular exercise (though
>>>my job is desk based) - what on earth do I have to eat (or rather not
>>>eat) to lose weight. I feel like I should just try not to eat - maybe I
>>>would find I can survive on air and be a millionaire overnight -
>>>Featuring Oprah talk - the obese woman who got fat on air. I am one of
>>>the few people I know who can spend an hour on a treadmill even after
>>>hours of not eating and feel just fine. How can I try so hard for no
>>>effect? I did a fasting blood glucose once after fasting for 24 hours
>>>(accidently - just worked out that way) and it was normal! I would be
>>>the fat person in a famine.
>>>
>>>Don't worry I will get over this..... and just keep on trying.
>>>
>>>Sorry to blab on like this. Just I am so frustrated. Also the end of a
>>>very long work day and I still have not finished everything yet but I
>>>only want to go home and cry. I have also started going to the gym in
>>>the mornings so that I could have more time at work (or leiure
>>>activities, or social life - ha! What is that? - I will never find out
>>>if I can have a baby or not the way I am going..) in the evenings - so
>>>perhaps I am suffering a tiny little bit from sleep deprivation.
>>>
>>>Anyway I do feel better for having blabbed. Now I can drive home safely
>>>without crying any more (hormones! I will give women a bad name).
>>>
>>>Thanks a heap and have a nice day guys.
>>>
>>>--
>>>Sally
>>>
>--
>Krista
>Dover Florida
>dx 8 years
>
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