Health Update
#217065 - 10/02/05 05:51 PM
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Hey all,
Well, I finally sorted out my whole mystery of why I've felt like complete crap for the last few months. I really thought it was my thyroid, and so did the student health nurse practitioner, but it turned out to be anemia! I never thought I'd think of anemia as good news, but I'm SO GLAD it's not my thyroid. So, they did follow-up tests to see if I was simply not getting enough iron, or if I was getting enough but for some reason not absorbing it. The second outcome would have meant something wrong with my intestines, possibly colitis or something else bad. Thankfully, it turned out that I was just not getting enough iron in my diet. Because of the IBS and my recent tendancy toward constipation, iron pills are not an option for me. I must say that I LOVE the nurse prac for totally agreeing with me on that. So, she set me up an appointment with the school nutritionist for a week from Tuesday. I hope the nutritionist won't give me a problem about following the IBS guidelines, and will help me fit some iron in to my diet safely. In the meantime I've researched about iron-rich foods and I'm doing my best to incorporate them. The nurs prac said it will take about 3 months to get my iron levels back where they belong, but that hopefully I'll start feeling better sooner than that.
I've also gained a few pounds this summer and have been trying the Zone diet. I'm using www.formulazone.com to help me. I put in all my info and they gave me a weekly menu with a shopping list and recipes. It's fairly easy to follow and allows you to restrict any foods or food groups from your diet. So, most of them come out safe automatically. Every once in a while it will throw me a recipe that's too high in IF and not high enough in SF, or that contains artificial sweetners, but it's fairly easy to swap them out for a new recipe. I wouldn't recommend this for people who are not yet stable, since even the safer recipes are somewhat questionable, but for me it's working okay. I'll see if I start losing weight.
On a related note, I have a question that I know I'm going to catch a lot of heat for. Does anyone know if there is really a safe over-the-counter diet pill? I'm frustrated because I only want to lose maybe 8 pounds, not a ton. I don't take in very many calories as it is, so it's hard for me to reduce my diet much more (on zone, I'm getting about 1300 a day). With the anemia, I haven't had very much energy to exercise. Plus, since I really am pretty physically fit, my body doesn't use a lot of calories when I exercise. I have to run on the treadmill for at least an hour to burn 4-500 calories, and be running pretty fast. Meanwhile the heavy guy next to me is burning 2 or 3 times that much. So, what I'm saying is that it's hard for me to create a significant calorie deficit and lose weight. So............ I'd really like to try one of these trimspa or hydroxycut or whatevers. But, if they are going to make me feel like I'm on crack or give me a heart attack (or an IBS attack) I don't want to go near them. I'd appreciate any direct advice or first-hand experience anyone has to share. I just want to know if they're actually safe or unsafe.
That's it for the updates from me!
Panda
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Amanda
I live in the Big Apple, but I don't eat the skin
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Glad it is something you can "fix" and you should feel better once your iron is up. I was very anemic with all 3 pregnancies and it's an awful feeling.
No diet pills are safe hon, that's my opinion, unfortunately BTDT, don't start that route. BUT if you can tolerate green tea it is healthy and is supposed to boost metabolism naturally so that your body burns up your calories (does that make sense?) and also has a appetite suppressant effect (supposedly). It does have caffeine of course so might be a trigger for you. But I'd just focus on getting your anemia under control, your body will be working more positively then and will probably even itself out. If not, just decrease portion sizes some, drink lots of water, and get lots of exercise. Nothing drastic needed! Good to hear your update.
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Take care,
Michelle
...the greatest of these is LOVE. (I Cor 13)
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Thanks Michelle,
I was glad to hear your happy house news too. That sounds like the most painless buying/selling process I've ever heard! Good luck with all that. Today in church the Gospel was the whole "look at the lillies of the field, they don't worry about what they look like, and God provides them ..." Such a feel-good Gospel and I really needed to hear it. It's good to acknowledge how much He takes care of us!
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Amanda
I live in the Big Apple, but I don't eat the skin
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Diet Pills!?!?!
#217074 - 10/02/05 06:32 PM
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Bevvy
Reged: 11/04/03
Posts: 5918
Loc: Northwest Washington State
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Howdy Panda,
Girl, don't touch those diet pills! They're awful. I'm surprised the FDA hasn't banned them. I tried them all. They cause severe cramping, not to mention that they do NOTHING for your appetite, as they claim.
The only diet pill that ever worked for me was Phentermine. We won't go there.....!
While I understand your frustration at "the heavy guy next to [you] . . . burning 2 or 3 times that much," don't you think he would love to be more your size? And, by the way, he's working twice as hard because he's carrying a lot more weight, which is probably all fat, than you.
I've seen so many doctors and talked about The Weight Issue ad nauseum . Unfortunately, there's no diet pill on the market that's safe, and the prescription diet pills are even more dangerous.
Please re-think it.
Bev
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<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
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BTDT? I can't figure it out ...
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Amanda
I live in the Big Apple, but I don't eat the skin
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Don't worry Bev, I would never do anything unsafe. That's why I asked if anyone had info on safe pills. I'll steer clear if they're really as bad as their reputation. Thanks for the concern!
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Amanda
I live in the Big Apple, but I don't eat the skin
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It was an honest question and I don't blame you for asking, it is so tempting but I just know that I've gone that route and they make you feel edgy and irritable and they are just not at all good for you in any way and even addictive, psychologically, you can get to point where you're like "I can't eat until I've had a pill first" - yuck! You dont' want to be there.
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Take care,
Michelle
...the greatest of these is LOVE. (I Cor 13)
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Thanks
#217082 - 10/02/05 06:47 PM
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...for both explanations! 
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Amanda
I live in the Big Apple, but I don't eat the skin
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Hi! Long time no chat! Sorry to hear about your anemia but also congrats on getting to the root of the problem..thats always such a relief. Are you basing your calories burnt on what the treadmill tells you? Because you shouldn't. Its not accurate. As a nutritionist-to-be and aerobics instructor (haven't taught for a while but I remember my stuff) I would recommend that you vary your cardio routine and add weights instead of just doing the same old thing each time at the gym. The body reaches a real plateau with repetitive exercise (like, I used to be able to teach 3 classes in a row for aerobics, but walking up a mountain would still kill me!!!).
As for the diet pills, PLEASE don't go near them. PLEASE. The ONLY way to lose weight IF the weight is excess (what is your BMI??) is finding the right diet for you and the right exercise. Its trial and error. It may be that even if the IBS diet keeps you stable, that it doesn't make your metabolism as efficient as it could be. You could be a more protein orientated person for example. Where is this 'excess' weight from, when did it come on you?
Well, thats my input...always here to help...Good luck!
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Feel the fear and do it anyway!
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Hey Dalia,
Good to hear from you too. That's interesting about the treadmill not being accurate. How the heck are we supposed to keep track? I feel like an accountant when I use all the websites to track my calories, etc. As far as your suugestion to Quote:
vary your cardio routine and add weights instead of just doing the same old thing each time at the gym.
...
That's not exactly a problem because I haven't been to the gym in MONTHS because I have no energy. So, when I DO start working out again (I promise I will) I'll try to do that.
My BMI is about 23 (I guessed on my weight because it's been a couple weeks since I've weighed myself). I think the excess weight is just because I was working so hard this summer and not sleeping much, and probably snacking more. I tried the French Women diet, but I'm just not that disciplined I guess. I only want to lose about 8 pounds, but I'm upset because I was down to my magic number early in the summer and then gained 8 or 9 pounds practically overnight. The weight is all around my lower belly/hips/thighs and I feel like a gross blob. I know I'm a jerk because I'm complaining about being 130 instead of 120, and my size 4's all still fit ... but I was always skinny growing up and I hate the idea of not being the skinniest girl in the room. How shallow, I know. I've just been so stressed and I want to feel good about my body since everything else is kind of a mess. Does that make sense?
Anyway, thanks for your input. I'll let you know how it goes with the nutritionist.
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Amanda
I live in the Big Apple, but I don't eat the skin
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I didn't know you weren't feeling well but that's GREAT that it's nothing serious. Phew! 
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Hi Amanda! Great to hear that it's nothing serious, and good luck with your efforts to get your iron back up.
I'm just going to echo what others have already said here but PLEASE don't go down the diet pills route... it's just bad news all round. Again, I won't just repeat what Dalia and Bev and everyone has said - they've given great advice. I'd just add that the BEST way to rev up your metabolism to help you lose weight is to add in some WEIGHT TRAINING to your routine - adding just a bit of muscle mass to your body speeds up your metabolism like nothing else. Continue with cardio and eat right (not too few calories though! Make sure you're getting enough or your body will think it's starving, etc etc etc you know the deal). Those pills, like slimstyles and hydroxycut and such ("fat burners" they call them now) are just full of such nasty stuff. Plus even the companies don't advertise them as weight loss miracles any more - they sell them as "part of a complete and vigorous exercise and diet regime", kind of like the extra push (it's a clever scheme really, but they'e still totally unnecessary and just plain scary).
Anyway, didn't mean to jump down your throat or anything  Just trying to help! {{{hugs}}} and good luck with your weight loss! 
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I know you've read it a thousand times already! But for the 1001 time...glad it's nothing serious and stay away from Diet Pills! Bad news 
Just take care of your beautiful body, Amanda.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Hi Amanda
Don't be silly about feeling bad about being bigger - its all relative..I'm a pretty tiny 5'3 104 pounds woman, but feel really lumpy if I hit 108...its all about feeling light etc. Moreoever, you prob feel all lumpy (like with PMS even though we don't look bigger to the outside world) because the anemia is making you all sluggish. There is no way to tell exactly how many calories you are burning - just estimations. The important thing to remember is that when you exercise...you burn more calories for HOURS after the actual exercise...so there's a good feeling for you. I suspect the 8 pounds will drop off you as soon as you get your anemia on track and get active again. I don't believe in making tiny food portions, speaking as someone with a huge appetite...it just makes me obsessed with food and all deprived...choose low glyceamic index foods over high glycemic index foods..that makes a big difference, and eat light in the evenings and cut out sugar!!!
Good luck!
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Feel the fear and do it anyway!
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Hi Amanda,
Nice to get an update from you! I thought of you the other day, after you posted about doing the Zone thing a little while ago. I am glad to hear you are doing okay with it, I found too that if there wasn't that option to swap foods with other stuff, I would have been totally screwed. I found it too hard to follow personally because right now I have zero tolerance for any raw veggies and now like 90% of all the raw fruits I have tried. Grr. Anyway, let us know on the Fitness board how you are doing on that too! I've heard the Zone has worked really well for some people, I think it just depends.
I know anemia isn't usually good news, but that's great that it isn't your thyroid. I have a friend who got told a little while ago she was anemic and she is doing great now. I also think seeing a nutritionist is a really good idea. I need help so badly eating healthily with all the food restrictions I have, so I am intending to go see one soon too. I am going to see a naturopath (sp) who works with people with nutrition problems, so I will post if he gives me any good ideas.
I don't know anything about diet pills, really except for all the horror stories everybody has heard. My mom bought me these pills called "Fat Blasters" and they are hydroy-somethingerother and are basically just caffiene from what I can tell and something else, can't remember what. I wouldn't touch them, my Dad took them for a while and he didn't have any bad reactions or anything, but even with them and dieting his weight stayed the same so I think they are bogus.
Good luck, and keep us updated!!
Cheers,
--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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