Weight loss options

[Fleur De Guerre]

Hello,

Sorry to hear of your woes - silly question, but have you been to the doctors to find out if it's something medical that's making you put weight on?

Helen from Pinup Parade had a gastric band a few weeks ago. She does post here but I'm not sure how often... and her blog is public so I'm sure she won't mind me posting this here...

http://helen-highwater.blogspot.com/search/label/gastric%20band

Her posts might prove helpful to you.

 

[KittyT]

Sorry to hear of your woes - silly question, but have you been to the doctors to find out if it's something medical that's making you put weight on?

Fleur is right, this is definitely the first step. If you haven't had your thyroid tested, you should - you could have developed a hypoactive thyroid, which will cause you to gain weight. In addition, it could be any other number of medical issues.

Also, from what I've heard from a lot of women, there's often a moment where the metabolism starts to slow down, and many notice it quickly. Your unexplained weight gain could just be a slowing metabolism, which could explain the weight gain, even if your diet and exercise regimen have remained constant.

Please go see your doctor before strongly considering more drastic measures!

 

[i_am_the_scruff]

Thank for your replies! I'm going to have a look at that blog now.

I have been to the doctor but so far I have only been sent on an 8 week programme (an hour and a half once a week) with a group of other overweight people. It's doing no good for me, it's all talk and i'm not benefitting.

I will get my thyroid checked for sure too.

 

[KittyT]

I will get my thyroid checked for sure too.

Definitely rule out all medical possibilities first! You may also want to ask your doctor for a referral to a nutritionist.

 

[Inky]

I have not had the gastric band but I am very familiar with it as when I had gastric bypass surgery in 2007, I did a great deal of research on the subject. Feel free to msg with with any questions.

 

[Paisley]

I am putting on more and more weight but I don't know why. I've always been podgy but now it's getting out of control. I am severely unhappy, and it's affecting my day to day life. I'm tearing up just writing this because I have to think about how much I loathe myself! Pathetic!

Please gimme some wise words of wisdom, i'd really appreciate it.

Scruff, please don't loathe yourself for putting on weight. The human body is designed to store fat, and we have evolved to enjoy eating food that's sweet, salty and fatty. And a person can be fit and have some extra pounds.

I've never had a gastric band, but I have recently lost weight using, basically, the second week of the Atkins diet. (Contrary to popular belief, you can have green salads even on the first week of Atkins.) I've written quite a bit about weight loss, metabolism and related subjects in my blog (there's a link in my signature line). It's not a typical diet: I don't care about portions or calories and I eat until I'm full.

If you'll scroll down and see the blog roll, you'll find additional blogs on those subjects written mostly by doctors and amateur researchers who have struggled with the health problems they write about. These blogs talk a lot about limiting carbohydrates. That's not what you'll hear from a typical doctor or nutritionist. Current medical doctrine is that we need to eat a lot of fruit and grains and reject fat. The blogs of Michael Eades, Tom Naughton (the Fat Head blog) and Sami Paju offer quite a bit of evidence to refute that. In fact, Tom Naughton lost 12 pounds in 28 days eating nothing but fast food, making a documentary about it as he did so. (His cholesterol stayed about the same.)

The two main things I like about my low-carb diet is (1) I can eat until I'm full and keep my weight in check and (2) a lot of little aches and pains and need for naps have disappeared.

 

[shepkatt]

Hi there.. whether or not to have any sort of weight loss surgery is a very personal decision. I had a gastric bypass in 2003 after losing and gaining the same 70 lbs over and over and over. I have never regretted my decision but with all types of surgery comes a lot of responsibility.. Even with the gastric band you have to be committed.. actually moreso then with the verticle sleeve, the DS or the RnY because all the band does is limit the amount you can eat. If you are a sugar junkie, like I was.. you can down loads of stuff like milkshakes and the band won't even whimper.

Please do lots of research.. My partners and I put on a weekly podcast for weight loss surgery patients. We also host a protein cooking segment and we are currently following along one of our Canadian forum members on her journey through insurance approval, surgery, recovery etc. We have many members on our forum from the UK so feel free to drop by and have a looksee.. but no matter what you decide.. do lots of research.. talk to people who have had the surgeries and be prepared for lots of work after the deed is done.. I know folks say it is the easy way out -- but from someone who has lived the life for the last (almost) 7 years.. there is nothing easy about it.

If you have questions.. feel free to PM me here or over at BariatricTV - www.bariatrictv.com

 

[December]

Scruff, if you are on contraception you might want to bring that up with your doctor too.

I went on Microgynon in 2007 and have put on 4 stone since. Despite dieting and going to the gym three times a week, I struggled to lose any weight whilst I was on it.

I came off it last month and have started dieting again so fingers crossed this will help!

 

[KittyT]

Scruff, if you are on contraception you might want to bring that up with your doctor too.

I went on Microgynon in 2007 and have put on 4 stone since. Despite dieting and going to the gym three times a week, I struggled to lose any weight whilst I was on it.

I came off it last month and have started dieting again so fingers crossed this will help!

Most medical information I've read actually refutes that birth control will cause you to gain weight. However, most personal accounts I've heard from people say that they lost weight by going off birth control. I'm inclined to believe first hand experience. As a result, I'm considering going off the pill to see if it helps me lose the 20 pounds I gained when i quit smoking.

 

[Paisley]

According to what I've read, birth control pills may cause weight gain.

 

[Smuterella]

I have gained a lot in the space of just 3 months on contraceptives, so yes, it makes you gain weight. Or it makes ME gain weight.

 

[MissHannah]

I'm on the depo-provera injection and I've definitely gained weight, although at 37 I guess my metabolism is also slowing down and my sedentary job is no doubt catching up with me! If it gives me the kick up the arse I need to be more active then it may prove to be no bad thing!

 

[AmateisGal]

I'm on the depo-provera injection and I've definitely gained weight, although at 37 I guess my metabolism is also slowing down and my sedentary job is no doubt catching up with me! If it gives me the kick up the arse I need to be more active then it may prove to be no bad thing!

I took one shot of Depo Provera 10 years ago and gained 50 lbs. in a YEAR. My body has literally never been the same since I took it. I took it a few months after I had my daughter and was healthy. Since then, I've been diagnosed with a whole host of things and I can pinpoint it all to when I took that shot. Coincidence? Maybe. I know others have had no complications from it, though. Guess it all depends on your body and how it handles things. Mine obviously was a bad experience!

 

[MissHannah]

Contraceptives have such widely differing effects on different people. I was nervous going on the depo as I knew that if it didn't suit me I'd have to wait at least three months for the effects to wear off. I am peri-menopausal and was having chronic headaches from the oestrogen withdrawl on my 7 days off on the pill and I'd also got 'too old' for the pill so I really needed an option. It did make me really quite severely depressed for the first 6 weeks or so but I knew it was the Depo causing it and that made it easier to deal with. I gained about 8 or 9 pounds I think, which took me up a dress size, but again, it was manageable. I've now been on it for 2 years and the upside for me is NO periods, NO chance of pregnancy and massively reduced headaches. I'd pay quite a high price for those 3 things!

Sorry to go a bit OT by the way!

 

[GoddessMama]

Oh birth control makes me evil. I gained 74lbs on it. Although I can't take it anymore because we found out I have a clotting disorder.

I am on the Paleo Diet right now and I love it and have lost tons of weight on it, even though I do have a hard time staying on it. I am thinking of doing the HCG diet to drop a quick 30lbs and get where I can comfortably work out. Definately check your thyroid and adrenals too. Maybe we should start a Vintage girl weight loss support group lol

 

[Paisley]

The paleo diet (the diet our very fit hunter-gatherer ancestors were on before they invented farming) is the most sensible diet there is, IMO. But as you said, it's hard to be that sensible all the time. I think a lot of people do paleo diets for health reasons other than weight loss.

 

[Puzzicato]

I think I said it before, but I'm currently trying to shed the weight that has piled on during the last five years!

What I find hard is my partner, who will almost try and scupper my efforts 'hey, I got a take away for dinner!' and my 'friends' who almost want to keep me big because me losing weight would knock them out of their comfort zone. I have lost about a stone and a half and has anyone said anything? Well done? Congrats? Have they hell as like....I know they have noticed but is it too much to ask for a little encouragement?

K (grumpy in Yorkshire)

Oh I know that feeling! I dropped 3 dress sizes in the lead up to my 30th birthday, and my now-husband loved it. In the 6 years since, that weight plus some extra has all come back. I sat him down and had a big long chat about what I needed to do to lose that weight, and he made all the right noises and said "I'll eat what you eat, we'll do it together". Then as soon as I started it was "Oh, I know you left fish and salad out, but I didn't want to cook. I ordered pizza!", "I thought we'd have a bottle of wine tonight", "Oh let's go out for Chinese". So I got absolutely nowhere!

I'm on the depo-provera injection and I've definitely gained weight, although at 37 I guess my metabolism is also slowing down and my sedentary job is no doubt catching up with me! If it gives me the kick up the arse I need to be more active then it may prove to be no bad thing!

Yeah - I gained weight on depo-provera. The weight gain has slowed now that I have a Mirena IUD.

At the moment I am trying to eat smaller portions, and drink less wine, but I really need to do something more substantial. I'm considering New Atkins, although the lack of support from my husband will still get in the way!

 

[Dixie_Amazon]

Has anyone tried T.O.P.S.? I joined recently and the support and weigh ins are helpful to me. I actually lost weight during the holidays.

 

[Paisley]

At the moment I am trying to eat smaller portions, and drink less wine, but I really need to do something more substantial. I'm considering New Atkins, although the lack of support from my husband will still get in the way!

My mother is in the same boat. She's also in a wheelchair and diabetic, so my father fixes her meals and her health greatly depends on eating a low-carb diet. I've told her the next time Dad fixes high-carb junk for her, call Pizza Hut and order wings.

 

[Puzzicato]

At the moment, funds are a little tight, so I have been padding out meals with starch. Which doesn't help! Although to balance that, we're eating home cooked meals more often.