I am obese. I have always been obese. I am tired of being obese

[Heddi]

33 year old female. Have gone through the gammut throughout my life of having baby fat, being pudgy, being chunky, being a little overweight....ay yi yi.

I'm 33, 5'3 and 200 lbs.

I don't eat enormous calories. I eat alot of vegetarian, vegetable and starch based foods like steamed veggies and rice or cous-cous, etc.

Doctor says (and I know) that I need to excersise...when? I'm an RN and I work 12 hour nights, so i get home at 8am go to bed up at 4 shower dinner out the door at 6 to be at work at 7. On my days off there's only so much time to do all the things I have to get done to run a normal household.

For a while hubby and I were walking 12+ miles a day, every day for weeks on end (this was before I was an RN). and I never saw ONE. POUND. GONE.

We never eat fast food...maybe subway without mayo or cheese but I don't even know the last time I had french fries or a hamburger. I don't drink sodas....all of the BINGO bad foods for you I really don't eat. Again, lotsa veggies and low-fat low calorie stuff but I'm not trying to restrict myself, I don't mind the taste of these things. Thankfully I have a trader joe's nearby so I can get tasty low fat low calorie non processed foods for relatively cheaply.

I don't know what to do with myself anymore. When my husband and I started dating I was 21 and wore maybe a size 12 or so, no more than 140 lbs. NOw I'm 200lbs (I starve for a few days if I get above 200 because I feel once I Get above it I'll never get below it) and a size 16 and that's starting to feel tight.

This is stupid but I can't even do an EATING DISORDER right for god's sake. I think bulimia is a waste of money and I love eating too much to be anorexic.

I do sometimes have eating binges where I will just stuff myself stupid for no reason...boredom mostly.

Where do I even start? I feel sometimes like I make excuses for not being more active but then I realize that I really do not have the time to be more active. Plus I'm walking/running around 12+ hours a night at the hospital, and I know that doesn't "count" but surely it "counts" more than if I had a sedentary office job, right?

I'm so depressed about it. I've talked to my Doctor. He doesn't listen, says "exercise for 6 months then we'll talk"
when I tell him I don't have time to exercise he gives me this 'Oh well I'm a doctor and *I* have time to exercise" big deal, he also doesn' have to work the hours I do, HAVE to work, you know?

I have big boobs and it hurts to do any kind of running, and I've never been a runner. Can't find a 44DDD sports bra that even helps and I don't know......I feel like everyone tells me what I NEED to do but I haven't found anyone who can tell me what I SHOULD BE DOING to get to where I need to be....

[Droopy]

1. Sounds like your doctor should do some blood work

Check for an inactive thyroid, blood sugar, cholesterol, stuff like that. I'm certainly not a medical expert, but it seems to me that if you are honestly trying to lose weight and can't, it should say that maybe there are some other problems that need to be checked for.

I'm doing this ---> www.mpsweightloss.com It's a little pricey but it has worked fantastically for me. The owner of the place says she can conduct everything over the phone, through e-mail, and snail mail. If you want more information let me know. It's an approach to weight loss that I haven't seen elsewhere.

But get checked for medical explanations of the problem before you try anything else. It might save you a lot of time and your health. It sounds to me like there is something more going on here than just not getting enough exercise.

One other thing: Keep a food journal. I didn't think I was consuming enough calories to be a 290 pound man before I started keeping a food journal. Then I realized I was eating over 3000 calories a day. I still keep a food journal even though I'm losing weight.

[Heddi]

4. done all the blood work

thyroid is perfect, blood sugar is perfect, cholesterol is a bit high but that can be brought down with exercise. ANd when I say "a bit high" I mean 2 points.....

Food journal is a good idea. I will try that starting today.

Thanks

[MrMickeysMom]

15. Okay, here's something that has helped...

I think some of us have "thrifty genes" and were favored by natural selection!

But, have you tried 2 to 3 times a week using a weight lifting (with free weights)? I follow videos and have become good at it, but always have to watch the video.

If you have more muscle mass, you will burn more energy, even at rest. Over time, with your good eating habits, and doing what ever walking you can, plus weights, could make a difference.

Just a thought.

[Lisa0825]

2. I don't think I like your doctor.

Can you see someone who specializes in weight loss for a second opinion? Your doctor should not be so dismissive of your concern.

:hug:

[The empressof all]

3. Oh it sucks doesn't it

You really need to get the blood work done especially for your thyroid. If everything checks out normally you may just need to bite the bullet and embrace a food plan. I'm convinced that it's not only the calories you consume but what kinds of foods and how often. I was unable to lose weight on a typical calorie restricted diet and had only minimal success with highly low carb diets. I am losing (although slowly) with a low glycemic load plan and by eating small meals 6 to 8 times a day. Who knows why this is working for me better than the Zone or Weight Watchers with the same calories. It took years of trial and error but the weight is now coming off. It's hard and I really wish I could eat like everyone else. You need to try a few different plans and suck it up and do it.

[hedgehog]

5. I'm in a similar situation. I'm 5'2"" and weigh just under 200.

I was at 116 in high school, and thought I was overweight then! I gained "too much weight" with each pregnancy, but only kept it on after the last two kids. I took the glucose challenge during one pregnancy and had no sign of diabetes. My kids were all 9 pounds+, and only the first has any so-called weight problems. Two of my daughters take after their father and are very slim. In my forties, I went from about 160 to my current weight.

I walk my dogs a mile cross country several times a week and daily when the weather is good. I garden and do housework. My numbers, thyroid, cholesterol, blood pressure are all well within healthy limits.

Here's my theory - I am not overweight. My body for whatever reason has set itself to this size. I will eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and limited sweets. My job is to stray active and limber.

Go back to your doctor and get your serum Vitamin D checked. Working nights, you may well be low.

Note that at your current weight, you are a size 16, which suggests to me you're carrying a lot of muscle!

Ask yourself if you are physically fit. Can you climb stairs? Can you walk without aches and pains and breathlessness? If so, stop worrying and enjoy life. Check out some of these web sites:


http://www.size-acceptance.org


http://www.naafaonline.com

[Heddi]

6. Good call on Vit D. I do live in Seattle, too

which also makes it hard to be active b/c in the Wintertime it's raining...not all the time but enough to make walking or whatever not feasable, and even when it's not raining it's dark at 4pm.

I know my husband's vit D was really low so he's taking 2000IU a day and that brought him up to normal levels.

Thanks for your encouraging words :D

[hedgehog]

7. Call it rationaization, but doesn't it make sense that all of a sudden

if I start gaining weight for no apparent reason, maybe this is what I'm programmed for? I'm only the second generation in my family to be well fed, and my mother was always dieting. It may well be that my body is prepping me for a famine that's not coming any time soon. SO, do I sweat bullets and starve myself trying to have the same figure i had 40 years ago, or do I go out and live my life?

[Lisa0825]

11. My doctor checked my Vitamin D during a routine workup, and she said

it was the lowest reading she has ever seen. She said normal is from 32 to 100 and mine was only 5.7. She put me on 50,000 units per week for 3 months, and then I have to get it tested again. I have been tried lately, but I just thought it was due to a new job with a long commute making my days much longer. I just started the supplement Monday.

[AllieB]

8. "I don't eat enormous calories. I eat alot of vegetarian, vegetable and starch based foods"

There's your problem right there. Starch-based foods will pack the weight on quickly. Low calorie and Low fat foods are packed with sugar. You may be carb-sensitive, which tends to raise blood sugar and therefore makes you accumulate fat. Have you tried sticking to a low-glycemic diet? People that are carb-sensitive thrive on a higher fat/protein diet. I'm one of those people who gained weight as a vegetarian and lost it all when I switched over to a South Beach type diet.

Also, I know it's really really hard to struggle with food. Most doctors are no help, since they always throw the exercise thing back at you. :eyes: If you are truly on your feet for 12 hours a night, you may not be getting enough calories and nutrients eating only low-cal/low-fat.

[Systematic Chaos]

16. What are your sources for this information, please?

I'd really like to compare.

You first.

[WhollyHeretic]

9. A food journal is a great tool. You need to write down everything no matter how small

I was surprised when I started keeping one just how many calories I was taking in(I'm a vegetarian so probably eating a lot of the same things you are). I would think you are getting quite a bit of exercise at your job. If you have an active job it can burn quite a few calories. I switched careers from carpentry to computers and put on 50 pounds fairly quickly. I was already overweight before the switch but my active job was helping burn a lot of calories. That said, if you do want to try and exercise more I would suggest an exercise bike. I always had trouble finding time to exercise (and I'm sure it's much harder on a nurses schedule). I will get on the bike and ride while I'm watching a little TV or even read on my bike. If you get a nice quality bike they are very quiet and smooth so you are able to read or watch TV.

[The empressof all]

10. The Daily Plate is a great tool

I track food and activity here. I've looked at most of the online food sites and this one is the best once you get the hang of it.

http://www.thedailyplate.com/

[ginnyinWI]

13. I have a Schwinn and recommend them

I had a Nordic Track recumbent bike and it was shot in one year. A small part broke and the fix would have cost $110 (for a whole new assembly) so we junked it. Because that part would just break in another year.

We bought a Schwinn recumbent bike. Keep it in one corner of the bedroom in front of a TV and I use it six days a week for 30-45 min. It's quieter than the other one and pedals more smoothly.

Now I can exercise whenever--rain or snow or heat don't stop me. And watch some favorite programs at the same time. Worth every cent! I'd get a recumbent bike because they are just more comfortable. You can still get a very good workout from them too.

[handmade34]

12. no easy way...

just saw your post and the first thing I thought of was SLEEP! Just google sleep and weight gain/loss and there is so much that suggests it is very difficult to lose weight without getting proper sleep; I can hear you say ...yah, how?? I work at this weight loss thing all the time and when I am successful, it is when I can get good sleep, eat no meat, no bread, no processed anything. Lots of veggies, whole grain, fruit, beans, water and walk 5-10 miles a day. I empathize... there are those of us stuck with jobs and life situations that don't allow us the freedom of sleeping when we need or affording the quality food we want or opportunities to exercise as we should. Good Luck and you can make it happen!!

[Catshrink]

14. Maybe this will help

You probably don't need or want more advice books, nor did I, but the two I mention in this thread have really helped. Kessler's book discusses how fat, salt, and sugar get "hidden" in foods that we don't expect to find them in. Roberts's book has a pretty sound "diet" that has helped me also. Her suggest of sprinkling ground flax seed or wheat germ in yogurt or salads helps too. I almost always feel full and like not eating even though I'm eating less than before. It's all in the mix.

Here's the link -- and good luck!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=337x4298

[auntAgonist]

17. I was super morbidly obese.

I tried every diet ever conceived. Spent thousands of dollars throughout my life on fad diets, weight Watchers, diet pills you name it I tried it.

I gained and lost , lost and gained many many times over. Yo Yo should have been my middle name.

I made the decision to have weightloss surgery (NOT ADVOCATING THAT YOU DO THIS OR EVEN SUGGESTING IT AS AN OPTION FOR YOU).

It was the only way for me. The last resort. With a family history of high blood pressure, diabetes etc I really felt I needed to do something and do something drastic.

Some would say I took the easy way out. :shrug: So be it. But let me tell you this, it was the hardest decision for me. It's been harder than any diet I ever tried. It's been worth it though.

You can search the archives of this group if you want to see my rocky few years. I had surgery in 2005, four years ago.

I lost 168lbs. I now wear a size six or eight depending on the garment. I take about 45 -60 supplements a day. I had been hospitalized for treatment of malnutrition in the early days after surgery ... I have Iron Deficient Anemia and therefore I require high doses of iron and at times iron infusions.

long story short. I'm healthy and happy now that I have everything sorted out.


I wish you all the best with your quest to lose weight.

Many folks here have done very well. They are a GREAT resource for you.

best wishes.

kesha.

[badgerpup]

18. OK..blood work...BUT:

I kept coming up "Nope, you're negative" when tested for diabetes...to the point that the nurse who gave me the test seemed disappointed...I mean, just looking at me you'd think I HAD to be diabetic, right?
Almost felt I should apologize...:shrug:

Talked to a nutritionist who actually LISTENED to what I was saying for a change (dealing with polycystic ovary syndrome- aka PCOS, among other things)...and she suggested I be checked for 'insulin-resistance' as opposed to diabetes.

BINGO!

Started me on Metformin. THIS IS NOT A MAGIC BULLET, OK?
But my appetite dropped, and about thirty pounds just sorta melted off, and it's much easier to eat less because
I'M NOT HUNGRY all the time any more. :bounce:

The muscles are finally getting the glucose they need to function so they're not sending incessant "FEED ME, SEYMOUR!" signals to the brain.

As I said, it's not a magic bullet.
It won't make everything all right...but it may give you a dependable starting point, which (IMHO) can make all the difference.

[Broken_Hero]

19. Good luck on your journey of weight loss,

I don't have much to add to the discussion except one word...PATIENCE. Be patient, it will take time to do, or lose whatever weight you want to lose, and don't give up, keep at it.

I went through something similar to what you described in your OP earlier this year, I went 4 months without losing a single pound...I was the same weight Xmas eve of 08 as I was in April of 09. I was eating the same food(around 1100 calories) and I couldn't drop a single pound.

My doc figured it was my Ginko I was taking, and after dropping that vitamin I lost weight, for one week, and went another three weeks stagnating...and I was killing myself, I was working out twice as much a day as I regularly did....

Its a rough road, and I state again my only advice is "patience" and stick with it....its a hard road.