My bootstraps broke

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-22-2004
My bootstraps broke
18
Thu, 02-10-2005 - 9:05am

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-15-2004
Thu, 02-10-2005 - 2:09pm

Boy oh boy. You don't know many times I've written posts similar to this in this very forum. And I've gotten the same responses from Jen and Kiervin. I didn't always want to hear it, but I knew they were right.

I absolutely sympathize. My journey started almost three years ago and it's still not over. To make a long story short, I did not lose weight in a healthy way (because I didn't know better) and I ended up messing up my metabolism big time. In my efforts to normalize my metabolism, I have gained back about 20 pounds and I don't have enough fingers to count how many times I have cried in utter frustration and anger.

Know that I absolutely understand what you're going through and please feel free to email me if you want to talk about this further. The ladies here have been kind enough to allow me to rehash my issues over and over and I don't want to be a bore. :)

*hugs*

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Thu, 02-10-2005 - 2:22pm
I have to run but I wanted to respond to this really quickly.





iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Thu, 02-10-2005 - 4:46pm

I have more time now and was able to read through all the posts.






iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 02-10-2005 - 5:00pm

that's true - it only gets harder as you go along. try losing the last 5 lbs - it feels

Avatar for soleilune
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 02-10-2005 - 5:20pm

Jodi, I'm going to tell you a couple of things that WW hasn't. First, as arrogant as this is going to sound I want you to know that I'm pulling rank on the folks at WW. I'm not only a group fitness instructor but a personal trainer, trained in nutrition & about to certify as a nutritionist, w/ almost 12 years of professional experience. The folks at WW are NOT professionals. They are folks like you w/ some knowledge but not enough & very few are professionals in i any area of health or fitness. WW has one fatal flaw w/ their program - the weigh-in. A scale can tell you one thing and one thing only - your total body weight. It tells you nothing about the composition of that weight, how much is fat, muscle, water, etc. You CAN lose fat w/o losing weight (you could even gain weight while losing fat). You CAN weigh several pounds more or less from one day to the next due to hydration levels. You CAN weigh more at different times of day (does food cease to have any weight once you've chewed it up & it's being digested?). Muscle weighs significantly more than fat, but takes up less space.

That's my first point. Next, we are not all meant to be the same size, shape or weight like some sort of cookie cutouts. How did you decide what you need to weigh?

Third, many Drs. have NOT A CLUE about what I just said. I have an elderly client who's got the body of a body builder and his Dr. told he had to lose weight because he weighed to much for his height! Now this poor man's in a dither because he doesn't know how he could possibly eat better or be more active & yet stay healthy. Does your DR. have any professional training in the area of weight management and areas such as determining what weight is healthy for each individual they dole advice out to? Did you ask or just assume, as does 90+% of the population, that a Dr. always know what they're talking about?

Next, it is accepted knowledge that it is UNHEALTHY to lose more than 2 lbs. per week. Yes, most people lose more in the first few weeks, but that predominantly fluid, not fat. After several weeks, you should be aiming for 1-1 1/2lbs. of weight loss per week. The exception to this are people who are morbidly obese and are on a strict diet under the guidance of a DR. that specializes in treating people in this condition. I must add to this that diets have been proven time & time again to not only ineffective for long term sustained fat loss & weight management, but are often unhealthy and result in you ultimately regaining all, if not more, of the weight lost.

So, I have to say I agree w/ everything that both Jen & Kiervin said. Harsh they may have sounded, but you appear to be standing on the edge of dangerous cliff and they're trying to pull you back from the edge because they're concerned. We all are. You may not know Kiervin well, but she understands your situation probably better than most of us (although I think we've all been in your shoes before), so at least give her words some serious consideration. I haven't gotten to Kel's post yet, but she's become a PT as a result of her own success story & her desire to share that experience.

We care & we're concerned. My final bit of advice is to look for an Overeaters Anonymous group. I know people who have been exactly where you are (having done the WW thing too) and although OE doesn't put you on some convenient little diet plan, they help you deal w/ the issues behind your weight share their experience & support and generally assist you in acheiving long term fat loss & weight management.

I wish you the best of luck & want you to know that I care. Things may look dim at the moment, but they will turn around.

Please take care of yourself.

Soleilune
Avatar for soleilune
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 02-10-2005 - 5:50pm

The problem w/ diet plans is that they're restrictive. W/ diets you spend more time focusing on what you can't have & the precise amounts of what you can have that you don't get to just relax & enjoy food. I remind people all the time that food & eating are not just about sustenance, but are a pleasure, a comfort & often a social activity. There's absolutely nothing wrong w/ having something less than healthy once in a while. You want fast food tonight? Remember you can enjoy it not only w/ those spare points of yours, but who says you have to have a whole big, sloppy, grease-laden feast. Is a burger the big desire? Then have it w/ a side salad or baked potato instead of fries? Love McDonald's fries? Have the fries w/ a veggie burger or grilled chicken burger? Who says a meal has to be all good or all bad?

Enjoy, Jodie. Make wise decisions but don't go overboard, in either direction. And enjoy your weekend away!

Soleilune
Avatar for soleilune
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 02-10-2005 - 5:52pm
Fantastic metaphor, Jean! Mind if I borrow it?
Soleilune
Avatar for soleilune
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 02-10-2005 - 6:01pm
Great points, Jean. I want to add in regards to #1 for Jodie: Since last spring when I quit worrying about how food affected my weight & focused on how it affected my health I've lost only about 3lbs. BUT am down 5 dress sizes. This backs up not only Jean's point, but illustrates the one I mentioned in my post about a scale's inability to tell you anything about body composition. Just imagine what Ah-nuld's BMI is?
Soleilune

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