Here I go again

[NMMNG]

I've been overweight since I was a young child. I began as a skinny little thing, but once my mom brought me back to live near my grandparents, who provided me with a steady stream of junk food and soda, I was thin no longer. My abominable eating habits well in place, I only grew larger as an adult when I had full autonomy. I would make attempts from time to time to lose weight, but I'd lose a little then regain that and add on more. Over time my eating habits became what I would classify as pathological.

Then several years ago I began taking Topamax for my migraines. A few weeks after my dosage was increased to 200mg a day I began to notice a decrease in my appetite--which is a side effect of Topamax that some users experience. Over the next few weeks my appetite went away completely. I had to make myself eat, as I had absolutely no desire to do so. Furthermore I could only eat small quantities of food at a time, such as a single container of yogurt or a small bowl of cereal. Then I could not eat again for two or more hours as my stomach felt stuffed.

Needlesss to say the pounds melted off, even though the only exercise I was getting was walking a mile or two about four times a week. Alas, the appetite suppressant effects of Topamax are temporary, I don't know why (and I'm not sure if medical professionals know why either). Nonetheless I was glad for those six months.

Unfortunately in the meantime I've gained back nearly half of what I lost. I've made attempts to lose it and it has been the same yo-yo pattern as before. I am now putting my foot down as I cannot afford to gain any more.

I converted to vegetarianism several months ago, primarily for ethical reasons but also for health reasons. Unfortunately I've had a very difficult time dealing with my junk food addiction, particularly candy. I've also gone on numerous ice cream binges since summer's beginning.

I joined a health club last week and despite all of the time I put in there over the week I lost absolutely nothing. Not one pound. I know that building muscle can make one gain weight but there is no way I've built that much muscle in one week. And even though I didn't change my eating habits over that week the vast increase in calories burned should have resulted in some weight loss I should think.

I'm going to ramp up my efforts beginning Sunday. I'm reducing my calorie intake, essentially axing junk food and increasing my workout time as best I can considering my time restrictions.

The club I joined has a nurse-practitioner that can prescribe weight-loss medications but I want to do it naturally if at all possible. Only if I get desperate will I resort to drugs.

[Systematic Chaos]

1. You should give yourself more credit.

Seriously, from what I'm reading you're not in denial, you know what the stakes are, and you most certainly aren't sitting around doing nothing about your problem. From that alone, you have more going for you than the majority of obese people, and you should give yourself due credit for it.

You can make some very simple changes to turn those cravings for sweets to your benefit. Start keeping assorted fruits on hand at all times. Unsweetened applesauce, cold right out of the jar or warmed up with a sprinkle of cinnamon, is very good. Another suggestion would be to buy some natural nut butter (the unprocessed kind that you have to stir up and refrigerate to stir the natural oil back in; peanut butter will work but almond butter is less acidic and therefore healthier), raisins and celery sticks. Simply take some nut butter and spread it onto your celery, stick a row of raisins on top, and voila, you have what I've called "Ants on a Log" since I was a toddler. Have you ever tried eating non-dairy "ice cream", such as my personal favorite, Soy Delicious? It's much lower in calories, has a lot less artificial junk in it, and actually tastes quite good.

Even if you're diabetic, your blood sugar will swing much less violently if you're eating sugars in the form of high-fiber fruits and vegetables than if you're indulging in corn syrup or refined sugar. You will cut calories too. By a lot. Plus, pound-for-pound, these healthy alternatives won't be any more expensive than candy, unless you are the type who gets the generic (and usually not even that tasty) stuff in the two pound tub.

As far as your weight not changing in a week, please remember that water weight can fluctuate significantly within a person, from week to week, day to day or even overnight. I have done experiments on myself where I found that my weight just before going to bed would be down by several pounds simply because of the time or two I got up to use the bathroom that night. Furthermore, a week just isn't enough time for your body to respond in any major way to a change. Be patient. You will find over the next few weeks, especially if you try eating healthier sweet foods, that your whole body will look and feel better all on its own.

One more thing, and this comes with the caveat that I am most certainly not a doctor, but I know what I've read and it makes sense. You should take into account that large amounts of dairy and animal protein can trigger headaches and congestion, among other undesirable side effects. If you avoid inferior protein sources, your body will respond in kind by digesting what you eat much more easily, and therefore not working as hard.

You already know somewhere in your mind just how horrible weight loss drugs can be. That isn't where you want to go, and if you do the right things at least 90% of the time and allow the desired changes to occur naturally, you will never have to.

Any time you feel like you're slipping up, come here and tell us about it. I, and many others in this group, will be here to help talk you down and make this fight an easier one to win. And I promise you that once you realize that, in fact, you're already halfway there, it won't be so bad at all. :D

:yourock::hug::yourock:

[NMMNG]

2. I already eat lots of fruit

That was one of the good changes that came about from my conversion to vegetarianism. I normally eat fresh fruits, but also keep a small supply of canned and frozen fruits on hand in case I run out of fresh and don't have a chance to run to the store.

I do use the soy products like the meat substitutes, soy milk and soy "ice cream" even though I'm not sure if I should. I have hypothyroidism and soy may interfere with the medication I take for the condition and suppresses thyroid function. Some sources say to avoid it altogether, and some say it's ok to use it in moderation.

I'm going to improve my diet more and continue working out. I just have to believe that things will be better in the coming weeks.

Thanks for your reply and advice.

[AlCzervik]

3. Hi Buffy, 1st let me say i love your name

and second good for you for making the effort, i think sometimes just actually being cognizant of what we eat is half the battle and we all have binges from time to time so don't be so hard on yourself. One thing you may want to do to try and curb your junk food craving is up your protein, i know tofu has lots or protein and is like a little sponge when you marinate it, that might help. You will see and inch loss over time by working out so maybe try and stay away from the scale and try to go by measurements for awhile, thats what i do and it's helped me a lot. Please keep us posted.:hug:

[Rainbowreflect]

4. I'll tell you what has been helping me.

I bought a food/exercise diary & write down everything I eat & drink. And keep track of all my workouts. It really helps.
Good Luck & congrats on starting!

[Droopy]

5. Same thing happened to me, Buffy

Actually my story is a little different, but it's worse. I started working out and I weighed myself every day. Over the course of the first week I lost 6 pounds. Then the next day I weighed two pounds more without changing anything in my diet or workout. The day after that I gained two more pounds without changing a thing.

I'm now down 10 pounds as of today, but I'm betting that my weight will probably jump around a little. Just stick with your exercise program and cut out that junk food. If you want a snack grab a piece of fruit. I bet you will start to notice a change pretty soon.