New Here (gulp.....)

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-26-2004
New Here (gulp.....)
7
Fri, 08-12-2005 - 4:01pm

Hi-
This morning I went to the doctor for a physical. It was the first time I had been to the doctor since my post-partum visit for my son, who is almost 19 months old. Evidently, my home scale is waaaaaay off - I am a full 22 pounds heavier than it says, which means I should lose 106 pounds. Sigh. I was so unprepared for this - getting on the scale is a bit of an obsession and, though my home scale doesn't make my spirits soar, I thought things weren't "that bad".

Anyway - I'm looking for support/guidance/understanding. Though it's really no big secret that I'm overweight, nobody outside my doctor's office knows the truth - evidently other people don't "see" a person as heavy as I am - even my mother, who is absolutely my worst critic - says that I should lose "about 30 pounds". Today the PA who got me on the scale at the office set the big weight at 150. Ha! I politely told her to bump it up to 200, and she was like "No.....", but realized it was necessary. Then when she slid the little weight up all the way and it still didn't balance out at 249, my heart sank. 256. 256!!

I'm so disgusted with myself right now. I was a fat kid, but lost it when I hit high school and stayed very, very fit into my early/mid 20's. Then I started having these acute bouts of low back pain, which became chronic low back pain, and that blossomed into a cycle of: back hurts, can't exercise, gaining weight, back hurts more, can't exercise, gaining more weight.

I guess I should look on the bright side of this - the doctor I saw today was fantastic (and pretty chunky herself - go figure). She is the first doctor who "got" that the back pain came before the weight gain, so instead of telling me 'diet and exercise' like every other doctor I've seen is the past decade, she set me up with a specialist.

Wow - sorry this has gotten so long. I'll stop now, lol. If you made it this far, thank you!

M.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-31-2005
Fri, 08-12-2005 - 7:59pm
Hi Grim!!
I'm Pam....I am also from New Hampshire. I was reading your message and couldn't believe it. Last year, June '04, I quit smoking....by my birthday on July 12th, I weighed in at my all time high 256. Yeah, that's right....256!! Anyway, I got down to 189 just before the first of the year...and boom....surgery. First one was in January....gallbladder. Second was May 31st....total hysterectomy. Okay, July 14, 05 I was finally cleared to go back to the gym. Well, it's been a year and two months since I quit smoking....and I am 204lbs and still a non smoker. I work out about 5 days a week and have been dieting. I just had to reply...we both had that magic number....256!!! Anyway, if you would like, feel free to contact me...I hope you don't mind, I added you to my friend's list.
Hugs,
Pam
pkittsy@yahoo.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2005
Fri, 08-12-2005 - 8:32pm

Hey welcome to the board. My baby is 17 months old and I haven't been back to the doctor since my two week check up either. I dread going for the very reason that I might weigh more than my scale at home says. Good luck with your back pains and the weight loss.

Lexi

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-25-2005
Fri, 08-12-2005 - 9:14pm

Hi M.-

Welcome to our little corner of iVillage. It's always great to have more people. I know you just went to the doctor and discovered all this, so now it's time to do some research on what will work best for you! You can start now though by setting some limits for yourself.

You didn't mention whether eating was a problem for you, but it's always a good idea to start journalling your food and see where you can make some changes!

I hope to see you around here often!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-14-2005
Fri, 08-12-2005 - 10:09pm

Hi and welcome. I'm new to this board too, but not new to being overweight. I used to hate going to the doctor too. I would put it off, and not go even when I was sick b/c I dreaded that scale sooo bad. My mom has chronic back trouble and can't do much exercise, but she started doing water aerobics and not only is it good exercise, but she said it actually helped her back loosen up and feel better, just be sure to get in the hot tub afterward.

Hope this gives you an idea for exersice at least. I've done water aerobics myself, it's alot of fun.

Becky

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2004
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 10:48am
Hello M :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-09-2004
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 12:16pm

Hi Grim - I was member and now just a lurker...but I wanted to ask....

What kind of specialist did she set you up with? I have been having back pain too and wondered if I should go see someone, but didn't know who to go see.

My internist is a skinny chick and she thinks I should just count calories. Yeah let me count those calories. Some docs are so clueless, the thinner the more clueless they are.

She was happy with my weight loss of 20+ pounds but now I have gained all that back. I am ticked off about it too!

Sussie_Q - Texan
312 / 312 / 280 (yeah i gained it all back)

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-26-2004
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 12:35pm

Hi-
My referral is to an Orthopaedist (basically a bone guy). A lot of specialists will only see you if you've been to a primary-care (internest, general practioner, family practitioner, etc.) and been referred - so unfortunately you'll probably have to have another visit with Dr. Skinny.

On a note of understanding - I lived in Texas for about 5 years while my husband went to grad school (he's a native Texan) - it's pretty easy to keep weight on down there. All that tasty Mexican food and barbeque. Mmmm! And then of course you just go from the air conditioned restaurant to the air conditioned car to the air conditioned house to sit on the sofa. We were actually living in San Antonio when I set off on the journey to gain all this weight.

Grim

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