I know you low-cal dieters don't want to hear this...
#163457 - 03/23/05 04:46 PM
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e_mcmaster
Reged: 01/16/05
Posts: 520
Loc: Norman, Oklahoma
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but have you considered that your metabolism has slowed enough that you cannot lose on 1500 anymore?
Weight loss is not as simple as "BMR + exercise - 500 = food budget" If it was that simple, everyone would be thin and never worry about gaining weight again. For example: my BMR + normal daily activity level (which adds about 900 calories) + exercise = about 2900 calories a day. So according to the above method, eating 1800 calories should cause me to lose a lb every three days. But it doesn't work like that because your metabolism is more complicated than a simple equation.
Most medical professionals suggest going no lower than 1800 calories for weight loss, unless the patient is obese or has a considerable amount of weight to lose (i.e. more than 5 or 10 vanity lbs.), in which they are put on a low-calorie diet for a SHORT amount of time. NOTE: This is not to say that the doctors that advocate it are completely right, but neither are the doctors that tell you it's ok to eat 1200 calories.
Eating too little calories for a long amount of time causes the metabolism to slow down to accomodate the body's feeling of starvation. In short: At some point, you can no longer lose on 1200 calories a day.
My advice: get your BMR actually tested. You may find that you do actually burn the amount of calories a day the online calculators say, or you may find, like me, that after years of low-calorie diets, your BMR is barely over 800.
How do you fix it? Upping your calories. You're going to gain a few pounds at first (I didn't, but most do), but most of it is water weight and you will lose it (and MORE) once your metabolism kicks back into gear. It took me 7-8 months of consistently eating between 1800-2000 calories a day for my metabolism to get high enough that I can now eat 2300 and not gain. And I finally started losing weight and am now at a lower weight than I was when I was eating 1200 and at the gym for hours each day.
Upping sucks, but it's worth it.
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Elizabeth
all those years it wasn't IBS - it was celiac!
send me an email: liz@dopple.net
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Thanks so much for posting this e_mcmaster. This is some really good advice. Your BMR changes as you diet - when you cut calories (extremely) you slow your metabolism, as e said. And your metabolism = your body's ability to burn fat/lose weight. What your body stores as fat or burns or keeps or sheds IS calories in vs. calories out, but it's almost much more complicated than that, which is where metabolism comes into play. Some quick and easy ways to slow down your metabolism? No exercise. Skipping meals or only having one large meal a day. And most importantly, not giving your body the energy it needs.
Also keep in mind that you should not be cutting calories from your BMR - your BMR is not what you burn in a day. It's what you'd burn if you literally lied in bed all day and didn't move. It's what you burn simply because your blood flows through your veins and your lungs keep on breathing. You probably burn around 500-900 calories more a day starting the minute you get out of bed. If you're eating LESS than your BMR, that's trouble. Think about it - you're giving your body LESS energy than it needs to pump blood and breathe air... Now that doesn't mean you're going to drop dead. The body's pretty clever at keeping itself alive - it's going to store every single calorie it can (mostly as fat stores) so that you can live off those. Not only is that insanely unhealthy, but isn't the opposite of what those trying to lose weight are trying to do?
I'm not sure about those numbers as applying to everyone, especially the 1800 one. But I *have* read numerous times warnings not to drop below 1200 (for women), and even that is strikingly low and should only be used in extreme circumstances like extreme obesity. No word of a lie, I overheard a woman at the gym the other day bewilderdly say to her friend "I don't understand why I'm not losing weight... I've done so good today - all I've had is a bagel and a salad." !!!!!!!!  That's just not right.
Ladies, I know I've been harping on this continuously such that I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but PLEASE FEED YOUR BODIES! Sure you might lose some digits on the scale if you're only eating 1200 calories a day - you could lose also weight by eating nothing at all, or by taking a handfull of pills, or lots of other really unhealthy ways that simply do not work in the LONG TERM. You have to eat MORE to LOSE (yes I know, it's a paradox  )
OK rant over  Thanks for this thread e, I think it's really important.
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--------------------
Microscopic Colitis, IBS-A, GERD, Hiatal Hernia
Bethany, Ontario, Canada
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Back when I was first trying to figure out what I needed to be eating on a daily basis, I wish someone had been able to explain it to me a little better... now that I understand it, I hope someone else who doesn't have the benefit of a software program to calculate it finds this useful.
The formula to find your Basal Metabolic Rate which is the number BEFORE you account for lifestyle and activity is:
WOMEN: 655 + 4.36 X Weight (lbs) + 4.32 X Height (inches) – 4.7 X Age = BMR
MEN: 66 + 6.22 X Weight (lbs) + 12.7 X Height (inches) – 6.8 X Age = BMR
As an example, here's mine:
655 + (4.36 x 127) + (4.32 x 62) - (4.7 x 30) = 1336
This is NOT the number that you should be subtracting calories and exercise from! This is the barest bare minimum that your body needs to keep itself going!
You then take this number and add your "occupational allowance", which is an additional percentage of your BMR that takes into account what you'd typically expend going about your day.
Quiet sitting = BMR +30%
Office work (light activity) = BMR +50%
Housework (moderate activity) = BMR +70%
Heavy manual labour (i.e. construction, landscaping) = BMR +100%
Mine, honestly, changes from day to day. On days that I do auction work, I fall into the "office work" category, and my daily calorie needs would be 2004. Other days, I'm pretty well sedentary, and so it would be more like 1737.
That's STILL not necessarily the number you subtract calories from when you're trying to lose weight!
You also have to add in any daily exercise... and extra activity counts. I don't vacuum every day, so on days that I do, you'd better believe I count it. Same for shoveling snow, grocery shopping, and anything else that involves expenditure of energy. An excellent site for figuring out how many calories you're burning with a specific activity is http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.html (thanks Shell!)... I like this one because it takes into account your age, weight, height, and gender - all of those things do affect how you burn calories.
Once you've added all of that together, THEN you can start thinking about decreasing calories.
Interestingly, the site that I got this information from recommends decreasing calories by only 350 a day (from that total number, including exercise), resulting in a weight loss of 1/2 lb a week, because it's a slow, gradual loss that won't sacrifice muscle.
Like has been said before, I think, if you're under the supervision of a doctor with your weight loss program, and they specifically want you eating low calories for some reason, that's one thing. But I definitely agree with what's been said already about low-calorie diets being counterproductive. Not only can it kick your body into starvation mode, but mentally and emotionally, it's very difficult... when I eat less than 1400 calories, I feel like a slug and I can hardly move. (And it's no wonder - my body isn't getting what it needs!) When you get to that point, you're just setting yourself up for binging, overeating, or eating stuff you shouldn't be eating. It just makes the entire process more difficult than it honestly needs to be. Trust me, I've been there. 
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thanks, I was a little confused still so this helps
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Microscopic Colitis, IBS-A, GERD, Hiatal Hernia
Bethany, Ontario, Canada
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Great info girls thanks for this, you are all so knowledgeable on this.
Casey- my BMR on your calculations is :
BMR: 1375.36 and BMR plus lifestyle: 2063
From fitday.com its
BMR: 1398 Plus lifestyle (908- seated work some movement) is 2306
I am pretty active during the day, even though I have a desk job I rarely sit for more than 15 minute stretches without getting up to go to the printer/photocopier etc..I REALLY don't think I can survive on 1563 calories a day so I am going to stick with the other one! I lost 2lbs last week on this so hopefully it will continue..if not then I will have to consider my options..
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S.
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Oh, totally!
#163595 - 03/24/05 04:19 AM
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atomic rose
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 7013
Loc: Maine (IBS-A stable since July '05!)
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It sounds like you're eating a good calorie level for you. You seem to have a good grip on what your body needs to function. I think every BMR calculation I've ever seen has the disclaimer on it that it should be considered a "general guideline only"... if you want an EXACT calculation of your BMR, that requires some medical assistance. And, as always, you gotta listen to your body. If you're not functioning well at all on X number of calories, it's probably a pretty good sign that you need to adjust what you're eating. I was definitely not posting that to get people to check their BMR and eat less! Heh.
I'm mostly concerned that someone might be doing the whole BMR thing wrong as far as counting daily activities in it before you start subtracting, because I know I did at first.
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Ugg...I kind of agree. I've always struggled with this. Leaning abit toward the compulsive side, so I get too caught up in the counting. The problem now is, if I eat too much in one sitting, I get ill. And it seems to be too many calories, not too much food bulk. Could be my imagination, but that's my perception.
Right now I'm eating every three hours (6am,9am,12noon,3pm,6pm,9pm) about 200 calories (give or take) each time. Although, its spring break, so I've been starting the day at 9am lately, loosing that first breakfast. So, while that would generally be right at 1200 calories, its been a little under these past few weeks. Often the "6pm" has a few more calories, because if I wait till 7 or so to eat with my family if they are running behind, I tend to eat a bit more (partially because I'm hungry, partially because I am eating with them). But afterwards I usually feel a bit ill.
Does this seem like too few calories? My BMR according to some calculator online said 1825...  .
I'm just not sure how to consume that without making myself sick. For instance, I may very well have had that yesterday (eating out), but I'm still feeling ill as a result.
Any wisdom?
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~~~Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.~~~
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Do you recommend a GP, nutritionist, naturopath??? I def. want to do this RIGHT...and I have 30lbs to lose. Any suggestions? Thanks sooooo much *big hugs*
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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I have to agree with this too...you have to be really careful when going the low-cal route. I was eating really low calorie for about 8 months last year (not for dieting reasons but because I was really sick and couldn't bring myself to eat) and I got really sick. I was eating somwhere between 500-900 calories/day. Sure, I did lose weight (50lbs) but I also screwed up my body. And I think my body did start to store everything as fat, because although I weight less than I did now, I'm by now means "trim" and I am completely out of shape. Plus, my iron, b12 and potassium levels got completely screwed up and it winded me in the hospital. That's where they started explaining to me about how you need a certain amount of calories to just lie in bed and breathe, and since I was obviously doing more than that, I was hurting myself by not feeding myself enough.
So, please everyone be careful, make sure you're eating healthy!
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So how does this all work for people on low carb diets? Explain.
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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you two are similar height and weight and can do the math for me!  (I am heaviest of all though- for now. )
I figure work days I use 2300 cals and off days with exercise of 40 minutes I use 2000 maybe. I am trying to lose 3 1/2 more pounds by April 14th so hopefully everything is up to par.
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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You know what I suggest Ruchie? A functional trainer. My trainer at the gym isn't one of those who wants you to lift tons of weight or get bulky. He did a full fitness assessment and measured my body fat and so on. He referred my husband (who's about 12 pounds under healthy weight) to a nutritionist. We do exercises that improve balance, core stability, but they're not horrible. He also does stuff with muscle problems and fibro.
I asked him if there was a particular name and he said it was just called Functional training, but there are certifications and things he had to get.
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Erm... don't want to say this but.... low carb diets have actually been shown to speed up metabolism. This is because it requires more energy (calories) for the body to metabolize protein than it does carbs.
To me this is a good reason to eat more protein - but NOT a good reason to go on a low carb diet.
Is that sort of what you were asking Minne?
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Ruchie
#163855 - 03/24/05 06:35 PM
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I wouldn't worry too much about it Ruchie - you're doing exercise and getting around 1900 calories a day, right?
If you did want to look into a professional, you can talk to your GP next time you see her/him for tips. I'd also highly recommend naturopaths - I went to one a few times and was really impressed (would still be going but can't really afford it any more  ) . Or, many clinics have nutritionists as well. You could find a nutritionist or naturopath you're comfortable with and see her/him regularly to help monitor your weight loss.
Despite the way this thread may be making it sound weight loss doesn't have to be dangerous. When it comes to weight loss, slowly = safely. Do it slowly and don't expect too much from your body immediatley (none of this lose 10 lbs in a weekend! stuff) and you should have nothing to worry about!
ps Just got your email now (went in my junk mail, arg) so I'll email you back tonight or tomorrow!
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Very interesting. Yet they must slow metabolism or something because the low carbers complain about putting weight back on so easily. Like Drew Barrymore said, 'you just eat a crouton and you puff up.'
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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Yes, I do believe that 1200 calories is probably too few calories. That online calculation that you did is probably a lot closer to what you need on a daily basis. I know mine is in the 1700-1750 range, and that's before I compensate for any exercise. The younger, taller, heavier, and/or more active your lifestyle is, the more calories you need just to function.
I think the key to eating more, especially at first, is to eat a little more often. Every 3 hours is already pretty good, but every 2 hours gives you more opportunities to get calories. I'm not saying you should immediately do 200-calorie mini-meals every 2 hours, but maybe continue your current schedule, throwing in another smaller snack here and there. Eventually you'll definitely be able to eat more without feeling sick.
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Yep, I'm working on it. The other problem is that eating is consuming so darn much of the day now. The work I do involves *allot* of typing, so it's just not very productive to eat and work at the same time. Maybe I'll eat more in the evenings, or weekends, or such, just make a bit more of an effort to take the time to fit it in. Also, what do you do in situations where it is truly inappropriate to eat, but where you have to be there for quite a good block of time. For instance, I eat before I go to church, and we always go out to lunch together immediately after (another hurdle in itself!) but that's still a good 5 hours or so sometimes between meals. And at least right now, I honestly can't eat anymore at once before I go. Or when "eating time" comes in the middle of business meeting that you are running, or a broadway show, or some other type of event where it would just be truly inappropriate? I mean, in some cases, the people invovled would be quite understanding, but in others, I'm really not in the position to ask.
My sister has already laughed at me. I've been behind with my work, so I've been working furiously every possible moment, excepting faithfully coming down to eat every three hours. I just walked down to get some papers from the printer and she said "What are you doing, it's not "feeding time" yet?!" LOL. Well, at least that shows I've been consistent, hehe.
Thanks again for all your wisdom, it's truly making a difference.
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~~~Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.~~~
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LOL!!
#164112 - 03/25/05 04:17 PM
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atomic rose
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 7013
Loc: Maine (IBS-A stable since July '05!)
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I've gotten the "grazing" comments... time for a feeding... even a couple of jokes about how it might be easier to strap a feed bag on my face. Haha. (Hey, might be onto something there... just kidding!)
I think in those instances where it would be inappropriate to eat, the best thing to do is not eat. I would definitely not eat in church. What I *would* consider doing is packing a few crackers or something of the sort to quickly snack down on before the lunch afterwards. It's not a calorie thing, but rather, if you go that long without eating, sometimes your stomach can be a little touchy if you immediately put a big meal into it.
Now that I see your work situation, it might be a more practical idea to *slowly* increase the amount you eat at your "feedings". By "slowly" I mean taking maybe 2 of those mini-meals and adding 100 calories apiece to each of them. Give that a few days, then do it again with another 2. 100 calories isn't much - you're talking a slice of bread with a thin scrape of jam or margarine, a serving of dry cereal, a banana, 2 graham crackers - so it shouldn't be enough extra to make you feel ill. Your body will get used to the additional food pretty quickly.
I really want to emphasize that you're doing it right, by the way. Small amounts often is definitely the way to go!
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Hi there,
I was just wondering if I could ask you a few questions...
I have been having a really hard time with my weight lately. When I was really sick with my IBS about a year ago I lost loads of weight without really noticing it because I wasn't doing it on purpose. My weight dropped from about 140 to about 125 lbs.
Once I got more stable, and could eat stuff other than rice I gained back the weight I'd lost over the past several months _really_ rapidly. Like, I think I gained about 12 lbs in 3 weeks and then kept going up from there.
Ever since, my weight has basically been slowly increasing and increasing. I have been counting calories, my budget usually seems to be around 1300-1500 calories.. but then I see that might not be wise. I am exercising more (mostly cardio) and yet my weight continues to slowly climb upwards.
I am now up to 163 lbs and I am really unhappy about all this weight gain but I feel lost for what I should do now. I feel like I eat fairly healthy food (way more healthy than I ever did before) but my weight has never gone above 140 lbs before and I feel really uncomfortable in my own body.
What should I do? Should I eat more? Eat less? I don't get it.
I am on two anti-depressants (one of which hasn't helped me at all and I really want to go off but my doc says it's a bad idea), and medication for Colitis which apparently can all effect your weight. Does this mean I should eat even less?
I feel so confused.
Any suggestions would be great!!
Thanks so much if you read this!
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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Hey Steph
#164162 - 03/25/05 07:19 PM
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Vicam
Reged: 02/24/04
Posts: 1955
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Sorry you're having a rough time, I know how you feel, I went through almost exactly the same thing a few years ago. I lost some weight due to tummy troubles (got down to 130lb) and then went on anti-depressants and my tummy problems got better and my weight shot up. I think I topped out at 180lb which is way too much for my height and everything.
Anyways, I think the anti-depressants could really be having an effect in your situation. I know for me, it was just impossible to stop the weight gain. At one point i probably wasn't consuming more than 1200 calories/day (and it was almost all fruits/vegetables) and I was excercising a lot and just being really active, and it still wouldn't stop! I eventually had to wean off the anti-depressants because ironically, I was getting more depressed from the excess weight than I felt before I went on the pills!
Now, obviously if your doc doesn't think you should go off the meds than you have to consider that, but I wouldn't start going real low-cal or anything becuase if your experience is anything like mine, it won't make a difference anyways and it isn't very good for you. Maybe see about switching to another anti-depressant to see if the weight gain side effects aren't as bad.
What medicine are you on for colitis btw?
Good luck!
Kelly
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Hi Steph,
I'm sorry you're having such a tough time of it. I saw your other post earlier and my heart just went out to you. Being on medication that can screw with your weight can make it very difficult to lose. BUT - it's not impossible, as your doctor seems to have suggested.
ADs and other meds tend to slow down your metabolism. Your metabolism is basically the system that works to break down calories into energy for your body 24/7. How efficiently or not efficiently this system works is hugely important for weight loss. The faster your body breaks down calories, the less calories get stored as fat, and the more your body burns off simply digesting and metabolizing.
So you just need to do things that speed up your metabolism to counteract the meds, genetics, age etc.
Cutting calories even further will do the opposite - it will contribute to the slowdown. This is why eating more is actually good for weight loss (seems to make no sense, I know lol) For your weight, 1300 calories a day does not seem like enough. Just doing quick, in-my-head estimates from the numbers you gave, you're probably burning around 2200 calories a day before exercise, give or take about 100-200 depending on your age, height and level of daily activity. Scientific/medical advice generally advises not to cut more than 20% of that to try to lose weight - so you're going to want to try to get your calories up to around 1700-1800 a day.
Do this gradually, adding on about 100 calories every few days before you get up there (shouldn't take long if you're at around 1500 now). Keep in mind this might contribute to weight gain in the short term, but in the long term it will boost your body's *ability to burn fat and calories.* Also, MOST IMPORTANTLY, spread this out over 5-6 meals a day. So you'd be looking at 5-6 meals of about 300-350 calories each. Don't go more than 3-4 hours without eating! This is very important to speeding up metabolism and losing weight.
Keep up with your active lifestyle - that helps lots too. Can I ask what kind of cardio you're doing? There's a right way and a wrong way to do it if you're trying to lose weight. The right way is shorter, more intense sessions - like 20-30 mins of interval training or hills where you really push yourself to the limit. The wrong way, as you see lots of people at health clubs doing, is to get on the treadmill at a brisk walk or light jog and just do that for an hour, bearly breaking a sweat. Obviously, what you do is going to depend on your own fitness level and how much cardio you've done in the past - but basically you need to 'overload' your body in cardio, in a sense, to get it to head to those fat stores for extra energy => weight/fat loss.
Other tips for revving up your metabolism:
- make sure you're getting loads of water every day (min. 0.5oz/lb bodyweight), and enough sleep
- stay away from refined sugar in all its forms as best you can (if you aren't already doing this, this will make a huge difference -- if you are, good for you! )
- consider weight training if you have access to equipment - building muscle will spike your metabolism, as 1 lb of muscle has the ability to burn calories 9x more efficiently than 1 lb of fat. If you want any tips on getting started with weight training (if you are in fact just getting started), just ask! Lots of studies have shown that women who lift weights have much faster metabolisms and thus lose weight faster and generally don't put it back on
If you don't think the antidepressants have helped you at all, why does your doctor think you should stay on them? (Sorry, I've had bad experiences with drug-pushing doctors, it's my nature to be skeptical! )
Please don't beat yourself up over the fact that it's going slowly - that's the healthy way to do it. Plus, you have something working against you with your meds, so if you're not losing weight as quickly as you like, *it's not your fault!* I know that probably doesn't help too much, but we're rooting for you. And one more thing that will certainly help...
Don't let anyone make you feel bad about your body - including you! The minute you start telling yourself you're beautiful, you will be beautiful. And you'll be smiling, and not reaching for comfort foods, and the weight will start to melt away...
Trust me on this one Steph - you're gorgeous!
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That's a good idea, I tried it this evening. I was eating with my family, and they were having stir-fry veggies and pork, so I borrowed a spoonful of those veggies, and cut them up a bit more. Added that and an egg beater to my rice. I'll figure up this evening how many calories it would have been, but I bet I managed an increase. My stomach has been a good bit touchy (and quite a bit gassy!) but I'm not sure if it was the increase in food, or the first addition of vegetables. I'll try to be a bit more scientific tomorrow and try to accomplish both things, but at separate meals to see which (or both, or the combination) is the problem.
Having the crakcers to nibble immediately after church is an excellent idea. I've certainly had the empty stomach, then meal, then D "whoosh" scenario. I'll try to avoid repeating it. Thankfully we often go either to a pasta place or a bagel place, so its not too hard to find safe choices, I think. We have been to the pasta place the last 3 sundays and they were quite helpful, I had plain pasta and they baked a batch of breadsticks for me separate, without adding all the garlic butter and parmesean and such. We haven't been to the bagel place again yet (since I knew what to ask) but they are quite nice people and we are "regulars" so I'm sure they will be helpful. It's a family place, and they make their own bagels and bread and such, so I bet they will know for sure what's in them or not.
So, about the crackers...what are safe choices? The ingredients in club crackers seem alright, but they were surprisingly high in fat. I have some FF Saltines, but I think they taste a bit off, so I've been eating them with things, so that when I need to eat them alone, maybe they won't taste so funny. What about Melba Toast or Wheat Thins? I used to love them both. Don't have a box here to check. There are several things I need to go to the grocery and read, but I'm trying to wait another day or too, because I keep thinking up more and more questions.
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~~~Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.~~~
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Hi Laurel
#164194 - 03/25/05 10:55 PM
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Stephie
Reged: 03/10/04
Posts: 2696
Loc: Vancouver, Canada
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Hello!
Thanks so much for taking the time to read and write such an awesome response to my post, that was really nice of you!
Okay, so I definitely think maybe one of my calories has been trying to eat so little that I haven't been very healthy maybe. I usually try to eat throughout the day but it has been harder lately with school and stuff, so I will have to remember to pack snacks around with me more often. I will start aiming for around 17-1800 calories and see if that makes a difference. I am so used to putting on weight by now that if I do have initial weight gain, I won't know the difference from whatever my body is doing now!
As for exercise, I have an elliptical machine that I try to use every or every other day depending on how much time I spend at home. I usually do one of the programs that are each thirty minutes long, and I sure do break a sweat!! Sometimes it gets to the point where the resistance is so much that I feel like my legs are gonna fall off.
I do have some small weights (2lbs, 3lbs, 5lbs, 8lbs and 10 lbs) and then my boyfriend has some bigger ones that I am sort of afraid to pick up as they are all rusty and gross. I have an exercise video called 'Working out with Weights for dummies' or something like that and it's pretty good.. but I admit I don't do it that often. I like doing the little weights, but I have been so busy that I keep making excuses for not doing it as often as I should.
I have a gym membership but I don't really use it.. I agreed today to go to the gym once a week with my mom. I noticed that the elliptical at the gym burns way more calories than mine and I could use the weight machines and stuff.
Okay, sugar....(can you see where this is going? ) I am pretty bad about sugar. I got a major sweet-tooth this last year, and my doctor also blames my anti-depressants on that. I thought to myself then, "Well then they are just cravings and I can just ignore them" but it turned out to be a lot harder than that. I think that when I do carry snacks with me, a lot of times they have sugar in them (Luna bars, arrowroot cookies, etc) 'cause they are a lot of the safe things for me so I will have to try and think of some snacks that aren't so sugar-heavy.
I intend to talk to my doctor the next time I go to talk about the medication. I didn't want to go on them in the first place, and since they haven't helped I don't think there is any reason to stay on them.
Thanks so much for all your advice, it really helped.. Just to have someone reply is always so nice.
Tomorrow = Gonna try and go sugar free!!.. Or at least sugar-low!
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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Re: Hey Steph
#164195 - 03/25/05 10:58 PM
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Stephie
Reged: 03/10/04
Posts: 2696
Loc: Vancouver, Canada
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Hi Kelly,
I am definitely going to talk to my doctor about these anti-depressants again, I really would like to go off them if they aren't helping. If they were _really_ helping, and they made me gain weight then I could try and just deal with it and work around it but as it isn't doing anything, it seems pretty pointless...
The Colitis med I am on is Asacol - I think it _really_ helped my D. I've only have a few really bad days as far as the D goes since going on it, so I think the medication is why.
Thanks for the reply! Guess I'm just gonna have to keep trying.
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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