HI, I am a 39 year old woman who has struggled with a weight problem my whole life. I have tried every diet in the books, and nothing helps. The only time I have successfully lost weight is if I eat nothing or air popped popcorn and exercise constantly. I had twins 3 years ago and gained 50 pounds while breastfeeding. My doctor keeps telling me to cut back on what I eat, but when I do that, I gain weight. My typical diet is breakfast 2 scrambled eggs, with a slice of american cheese. Lunch is one hot dog and sometimes some macaroni salad, but I do not always buy it. Dinner is with my family and is often meat potatoes or rice and a vegetable. My 3yo eats more dinner than I do, and that is if I even eat. I often skip dinner because I have no appetite. I tried to cut back for a week eating only 1 egg and salads for my other meals. I gained 5 pounds. I am at my whits end. My boys are 3 1/2 and they are special needs. I do not have time to go to a gym, nor do I have the money to do that anyway. I am active, chasing them (LOL) and otherwise very happy. Please do not tell me I have stress or that I am depressed. It seems that it is the only diagnosis that my primary care physician can give me. I have had this problem my whole life. I cannot have been stressed and depressed my whole life! I have had a TSH and other blood work done. Everything comes back normal. I had my gallbladder out a year ago, and have had some nausea after I eat since then. I had a upper GI and it came back normal too. What is wrong with me. How can I lose the weight?
Dr. Joshua’s Answer
I’m pleased that the basic labwork has been done and that you’ve talked to your doctor about this problem. I suggest that you consider pressing the issue with your doctor and see if he/she can help you further.
Some illnesses and hormonal imbalances are known to cause weight gain. On the other hand, we are all genetically different and some of us are more predisposed to gaining weight than others. Once hormonal and other possible causes have been ruled out, diet and exercise are indeed the cornerstones of weight loss. In extreme cases, bariatric surgery may be needed, especially if everything else has been tried and the obesity is causing a serious health risk. I don’t know your body mass index, but make sure you check it - it’s a good starting point in evaluating the seriousness of the problem.
Please see my previous post on obesity surgery for further related links and ideas:
Gastric Bypass Surgery
Exercise and diet are both important, and in my opinion exercise is the most important thing. Exercise balances your metabolism and also balances your appetite. You don’t need to go to the gym to exercise - you could go jogging or walking, or do some aerobic or pilates at home, with the help of a video etc.
Diet is of course important. You need to take a critical look at your eating habits. Sounds like your diet is quite rich in energy, calories and cholesterol. Even if you don’t eat that much, if you eat carbohydrate-rich meals (potatoes, rice, macaroni salad) along with fatty foods (hot dog, meat sauce, fried eggs, cheese) you will get a lot of energy from a relatively small amount. Your intake of vegetables does not sound sufficient. You should aim to eat 500g (a pound) of vegetables each day. Eat lots of fruit, too. Take snacks of fruit and raw vegetables to keep the appetite in check.
These are just general guidelines. There is a wealth of information available for healthy eating. Losing weight boils down to two things: You need to burn more calories by exercising than you get from your food daily. You need to be truly motivated - in fact, you need to be determined to lose weight. That’s the only way, apart from medical and surgical treatment in the most difficult cases.
That’s about all I can say, and it’s all pretty general - please talk to your own physician for advice tailored to your specific needs.
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