Topic : 08/22 Unforgettable Weight Stories

Many parents are overweight and pass this on to their kids.  Unhealthy eating habits that start in childhood are hard to break.  Some parents force their children to eat everything on their plates.  Some new moms use baby formula instead of breast feeding.  It is so easy to overfeed a baby on formula.  When junk food is made available to young kids, that's all they want to eat.  When kids have their own money, the first things they want to buy are candy and Mc Donalds.

Parents, when you are trying to lose weight, the family must also change their eating habits...smaller portions...healthy snacks with small portions.  AND limit the TV time.  Try going for an evening walk as a family...or playing games outside...or bicycling.  It seems so easy, but it is so easy to fall back into old habits.  Finding out the source of the problem is the most important.  Have a thourough checkup.  If you are excessively tired during the day, ask your doctor to refer you to a Sleep Specialist.  There are over 200 sleep disorders.  People with a sleep disorder tend to be overweight.  I have Narcolepsy and used to need to sleep all day, in spite of getting a full night's rest.  My husband has sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome, which were waking him up over 300 times a night...he never got past phase I sleep.

Thyroid disorders can also cause Obsesity.  Ask for a complete blood work-up. 

 Also, review your medications with your doctor.  There are many meds out there that cause weight gain.  I was on meds for Bipolar Disorder that caused me to gain 50 pounds in 9 months and then was changed to another med that also caused weight gain.  The meds made me hungry all the time and caused extreme sweet cravings.  When I changed meds, I was suddenly not so hungry and had more energy.

Since being treated for Narcolepsy with Provigil, I don't need to sleep all day anymore.  I also was changed to Bipolar meds which do not cause weight gain.  I have lost 50 pounds in the last year.  I still have 20 to go.  I need to exercise more...a hard habit to maintain.  My weight loss has slowed way down, but at least I'm not gaining.  Since losing all that weight, my cholesterol has come down to almost normal.

Also, take an honest look at your eating habits.  Read Dr. Phil's book.  There is a lot in there about finding the root cause of your obesity.  You are not a fat pig.  You are a person with a disorder that needs to be treated.  Many insurance companies will now cover seeing a doctor for obesity.  Be completely honest with yourself, so you can be completely honest with your doctor.

Good Luck

It's easier to overfeed formula because SOME parents feel that the child 'should' be drinking a certain amount and will keep trying to get the baby to finish the bottle whereas with breastfeeding, the child drinks the amount THEY choose to until they are satisfied.  Also, some parents feed according to a schedule, feeding every 4 hours or whatever, instead of letting the child dictate when s/he needs to be fed.  It sounds like you had a good handle on feeding your baby the right amount (as I did with my bottle fed baby) but not everyone lets the child dictate the amount they consume at each feeding or when they need to be fed. 

Also, if you are over 40, you probably had the old home made formula which was evaporated milk, sugar and water.  Now, if that's not a recipe for disaster, I don't know what is. 

It's easier to overfeed formula because SOME parents feel that the child 'should' be drinking a certain amount and will keep trying to get the baby to finish the bottle whereas with breastfeeding, the child drinks the amount THEY choose to until they are satisfied.  Also, some parents feed according to a schedule, feeding every 4 hours or whatever, instead of letting the child dictate when s/he needs to be fed.  It sounds like you had a good handle on feeding your baby the right amount (as I did with my bottle fed baby) but not everyone lets the child dictate the amount they consume at each feeding or when they need to be fed. 

Also, if you are over 40, you probably had the old home made formula which was evaporated milk, sugar and water.  Now, if that's not a recipe for disaster, I don't know what is. 

I really applaud you, Jenn.  It took a lot of courage to get on TV and talk about what no one ever wants to talk about - that weight loss isn't always the 'happily ever after' ending to the story of our battle with obesity.  I just saw your story (repeated) for the first time today and it was so nice to see someone talking about it.  There are so few people who understand what it's like.  People think you should just be sooooooooo happy to finally be rid of the weight and they don't want to hear it when you talk about the downsides and there are a few.  Some aren't even appearance related.

You are right, removing the skin is a NEED that we have.  It's reconstructive surgery.  I don't understand how insurance companies can encourage us to lose the weight and then just leave us hanging (no pun intended) after we do. It just doesn't make sense to do half the job, IMO.  Just as our obesity compromised our health, so does the loose skin.  It's not just a cosmetic issue.

I don't think there are many (if any) here who would turn down a chance at surgery if it were offered.  I know I wouldn't .  My hubby has said that when I lose the weight he'd be willing to do whatever it takes to get the money for surgery if that's what I want/need but, the thought of spending tens of thousands of dollars on my body and putting us into debt, makes me feel incredibly guilty. 

At this point I am 85# down from my highest weight but I was 140# down at one point.  I have to admit, the looser the skin got, the more panicked I felt.  If that makes people think I'm vain or shallow, well, so be it.  I don't think any of them would volunteer to have inches of loose skin on THEIR bodies.  I could totally relate when you said that at least if you gained some of the weight back, you'd be filled out more. 

I am back working on the rest of my weight loss at this point and I try really hard to convince myself that a saggy size 8/10 will be better than a firm 32 but, I have to admit, there are times when I have my doubts.

Good luck with your recovery.  You are in my prayers. :)