Weight/metabolism/diet

[potsgirl]

Hi Everyone~

Rama's post got me to thinking about how carefully we try to manage our weight issues, and what our doctors have to say about them. I eat more than my nutritionist says I should, and when I go to online tools at self.com or health.com, it says I should be eating about 1500 calories a day for someone my sex, age, and at my exercise level. I eat at least 100-150 calories a day more than that, and still find myself on the thin side.

I know meds, digestive issues, and metabolism can all play a role in our weight loss/gain, and was wondering what other people's experiences were. My cardio thinks I should put on more weight and thinks I'd feel better. I've been at my current weight for about 20 years, and feel fine and like I'm eating enough. What about the rest of you? I keep a 'food diary', and I've also suffered from anorexia/bulimic binging in the past. I've also dealt with anxiety, OCD, and perfectionistic tendencies. I think it would be interesting to learn more about these topics in our community.

Please feel free to share.

Cheers,

Jana

[sue1234]

I have been roughly 30 lbs. overweight for the last 12 years. I am not a person that eats alot of food, more of like a consistent amount eater. I do not own a scale--I just know what my weight is doing when I weigh at the doctors' offices.

I have found out, as I have written about a few times, that I am extremely sensitive to sugar intake causing excess insulin, and then a huge drop into low blood sugar. Since January, I have eliminated about 90% of my sugar intake, and 22 lbs. have literally melted off! And, you have to understand this is without exercise, as I am one that cannot do more than 5-10 minutes of walking. I know all the "normal" people lose this much weight and proclaim how much energy they have gained--I have not. I am very happy to have lost this weight, and know I will continue to lose some more. I also quit eating any bread or "wheat" things. I did not eat alot of junk food to begin with, just some sugared tea and stuff like that.

I don't count calories. I know when I am choosing foods what is "healthy" and what is not as healthy. I try and make sure to incorporate healthy things with the other things.

Because of years of low blood sugar issues, I am a 5-6 smaller meals a day person.

[firewatcher]

My weight is directly tied to my hydration status. I have no idea how much I am supposed to weigh. It has remained fairly steady for the last several years and was very stable before kids. I am on the Chronic Kidney Disease Diet and have to monitor my protein intake. As a creature of habit and being required to cook most meals, my diet is fairly predictable. I'd love to lose a couple pounds as long as it was fat, but it is mostly vanity since I'm a size 10.

[Birdlady]

I couldn't vote in this because the options really didn't include anything I felt was accurate for me.

1) I don't count calories at all, but I pick foods that are healthy.

2) I've never been to a nutritionist. I probably know more than they do...

3) There wasn't a "No" option here. Everything implied yes. Before I was treated for adrenal insufficiency, I was underweight. Now that I'm treated, I think I'm about right for my age/height.

[mountain girl]

I am a size 10 but gained 10 pounds in the past two years since having pots. I also feel my age is slowing my metabolism since I am 46 and not able to be as active. I try to eat healthy foods, whole grains and fruits and vegetables, and not much meat simply because I do not want it. Many of my calories come from Gatorade and I do not like the G2.As long as I can stay at this weight and a size 10 at my age i am not going to complain much.

[potsgirl]

Eating healthfully and maintaining a healthy weight is such a big issue these days. I must say I'm surprised that along with lots of salt, electrolytes, water and moderate exercise that there isn't more importance connected to body weight and composition, healthy eating. I do think it could make us feel better, since of course weight issues can affect our hearts and many other body functions. It's great to hear that some of you are really trying to make healthy choices when eating....Give yourself a hand!

Cheers,

Jana

[Birdlady]

Another thing we have to consider. Even if we eat healthy, that doesn't mean the nutrients in those foods are actually being absorbed or assimilated for use in the body. I'd love to see the POTS researchers do extensive nutrient testing. Maybe there's a common denominator for a group of us.

[potsgirl]

Good point, Dana. I think that there must be a group of us with malabsorption issues. I wonder how effective my pancreas is, or if something else in my digestive system is off, because I tend to have oily stools that float (sorry, TMI) and it's obvious I'm passing some foods through not totally digested. Also, as mentioned previously, I can eat more than I should be able to and not gain weight.

[erickamcc0523]

Eating is a very big struggle for me. At times I can't even eat a bite as just the thought invokes such horrible feelings (I am also recovering from an eating disorder, with no huge relapses the past 2 years, although that is a daily struggle). Other times, I can't stop eating, especially those things that are so bad for me. Thank God it's been over 3 years since I've "compensated" for a binging episode, though. This is all mixed in with stomach problems (5 years of undiagnosed gallbladder attacks and nausea even after it was taken out, GERD...), so I can say that eating is easily one of the most complicated and complex things that I do every single day. Oh, and I stand up some times, too, but that just goes with the POTS.

I really wish that I could eat just for the sake of nutrition and to function as best as I can, but for about 12 years (with 8 especially horrible years), since I was 12, food has long been a very complicated issue for me. I tend towards the "orthorexic" tendencies (specific types of food, especially organic and specific brands) even when I'm not in a disordered state, but doing that is more about being able to cut out a great deal of food that I won't eat than it is about being healthy. I was a vegetarian for 4 years, again not for the sake of health, but more because it was easier to practice my eating disorder if there were whole food groups I wouldn't eat.

Part of why I have been (again, not so much as when I was younger, but it's still a constant battle every day) entrenched with my ED for a long time is that with genetics (my mom is and my grandmother was the same way) I weigh about 20 pounds more than I actually look like I weigh. Even though I know this, getting on the scales is a very depressing and difficult thing for me. My weight is just a number, and especially for me, not a very accurate one to measure my health and my appearance. I would go by just how my clothes fit, but since developing POTS, I've found that I can retain an impressive amount of water and vary between even 2 sizes in the same day. My solution, I suppose, is to find a way not to care at all.

As far as not digesting food how I should... I don't know if part of that is just having a screwed up GI system from abusing it for so long, or if it is truly the POTS and EDS that prevents me from absorbing how I should, but I have funky poo and I've been able to see things get digested very quickly and not well at all, if you catch my meaning (sorry about the TMI ).

[potsgirl]

Hi Ericka~

We sound like we have some very similar issues. Please PM me if you'd like to talk more about ED stuff. It's something we deal with for life, one way or another. You were very brave in your post. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,

Jana

[lieze]

Yeah like Erika sometimes food feels like death to me for some reason.

I think chicken pox crossed all my wires and I feel opposite of what I should like we all know EATING doesn't cause death especially for a person that weighs 100 pounds NOT EATING would. But my mind lies to me and tells me not to. Not trying to sound psycho hear I don't actually hear a voice I just have no appetite and when I eat it makes me feel bad.

My mom took me to a doctor as a child and complained that I was too skinny. He ignored it.

And my cardiologist when I was discharged said okay go home and eat and exercise you are too skinny.

[issie]

I have a sister who has very bad orthostatic intolerance. With her tilt test her heart stopped at 3 minutes. She had anorexia. I wonder if this is an autonomic issue. The only way she was able to start eating with the anorexia was with anabolic steriod shots--like what they give POW's when coming out of the camps and having starved. The doctor said that the brain chemicals change and the hormones get messed up and there is no way for them to eat until those chemicals or in more balance. It sounds like this may be an issue for some of you.

The other thing I wanted to comment on is the malabsorption issue. I have that too. The thing that has helped me the most with that is Enzymes. I take them with before/after meals. It has really helped. Also, if you've had your gallbladder removed, it is absolutely necessary. You don't have some of the enzymes needed to digest fat --(therefore, the floating pooh). Try the enzymes. I don't know why doctors don't tell us these simple things.

[potsgirl]

Issie~

Good info, thanks! Could you tell us more about which enzymes you take and where you get them? I've never heard of that before.

Thanks,

Jana

[issie]

Just get a full spectrum digestive enzyme. You get them at the health food store. They have some that are chewable or capsule form. The ones I have right now I ordered and they are chewable. But the people at the health store could tell you what their best seller is. You need one that will work for all the food groups since you have digestive issues and are not sure which foods are the problem. Go to Whole Foods, they have a good selection. Hope it helps you.

[nmorgen]

I know this is an old post, but I wanted to add that systemic enzymes(not plant based) can help with inflamation. They use them in Europe for pain and inflamation.

[issie]

Yes, this is true. But, you do have to be careful in who you suggest this type to. If, you take the ones with pancreatic enzymes on a regular basis and you don't have issues with your pancreas, in theory, it could suppress your pancreas from producing it's own enzymes. Like for example, if you take thyroid supplements or drugs and you don't need them -- the thyroid starts to depend on the supplement and will quite producing the hormone on its own. This is true with enzymes too. I personally, only take the plant enzymes and they too seem to help with inflammation. I don't want to take the chance of potential issues with the pancreas. If you know there is a deficiency n the pancreas and it needs support (like diabetes) then this particular type of enzyme would be good. Otherwise, I stick with the digestive ones.

[nmorgen]

Yes, this is true. But, you do have to be careful in who you suggest this type to. If, you take the ones with pancreatic enzymes on a regular basis and you don't have issues with your pancreas, in theory, it could suppress your pancreas from producing it's own enzymes. Like for example, if you take thyroid supplements or drugs and you don't need them -- the thyroid starts to depend on the supplement and will quite producing the hormone on its own. This is true with enzymes too. I personally, only take the plant enzymes and they too seem to help with inflammation. I don't want to take the chance of potential issues with the pancreas. If you know there is a deficiency n the pancreas and it needs support (like diabetes) then this particular type of enzyme would be good. Otherwise, I stick with the digestive ones.

I've never heard that before. I know here in Europe enzymes seem to be very popular. They also have a lot of alternative health docs here, which are covered by insurance. Maybe that is why the enzymes are recommended for inflammation. Some people believe that the cooked foods already put us at an enzymatic deficiency as the natural enzymes in food are destroyed with heat.

[comfortzone]

Overweight and using Weight Watchers with success currently......Before that used the Livestrong website The Daily Plate -- and it works well too. The information is better I think on Livestrong.com too -- but there aren't meetings for it. I go to the weekly meetings and track what I eat with the points system which I have an aversion to.......but I have an aversion to being overweight moreso -- so it's weight watcher tracking I do. I have GERD, a perpetually 'red stomach' on endoscopy even with Nexium or Protonix for years. Extensive diverticulosis - past hx in my 20's of IBS. But a lot of that is probably the collagen issue or EDS-HM issue. Lately nausea, Nexium must be twice a day -- heck lately everythings going nuts........

Which I guess is all the more reason to lose weight slow and steady till normal again -- in a years time I think I'll be there....

Walking is really helping a lot -- I think I used to eat away my 'I don't feel well' issues...... I need something salty, I need something sweet, I need to have a full stomach to help me sleep blah, blah, blah.......Now I'm trying to walk away the issues....it doesn't necessarily help how I feel - but it helps the scale move down a bit!

[houswoea]

I've lost about 20ish pounds in the last 8 months. They say it's the pots or the ulcer I got from drowning the pots in ibuprofen, but I don't know. I try so hard to gain it back but I can't. I haven't been size zero since 7th grade, haha.

[potsgirl]

Yay for you!

[houswoea]

Haha, thanks! I'm not super pumped about it, now I'm underweight and my clothes don't fit, but it could totally be worse! Hopefully I can gain it back once I get the weird medical stuff under control.