Weight Loss Support Group

[Miss Scarlett]

Originally Posted by DressyFemme

Greetings all, I am Dressy and am a recovering compulsive overeater (aka binge eating disorder in my case). Been in and out of 12 step programs to address it since 1997.

Well, thanks to the lovely thing called food addiction, it's been awhile since I took things seriously. I went up and over 300 lbs and got really fed up. Then my best femme pal here in town and I decided to pair up and lose weight/work the OA program together. (insert a few weeks of going to meetings, a lot of driving back and forth to each others houses, and femme camaderie). So I have a "diet buddy".

I have been sugar abstinent for a month today! Yippee!! Went to the dr.'s this week and I lost 5 pounds, down from 297 to 292. I was (and am) so happy!

So per the dr. I need to start a regular program of exercise (which is really important) and also she has given me a prescription for metformin.... which scares me because that's a drug often given to diabetics/pre-diabetics (including my partner, Max who has been on it over a year now). Dr. said it should address the "metabolic syndrome" I have as a result of being obese, having high BP (which I'm also on meds for) and having high triglycerides. My best pal tells me not to worry, I'll only be on it for a little while while the weight goes down.

It's been really difficult being off sugar and junk food/baked goods & sugar free items, but the results have been worth it. So far so good! Plus I now have a face to face sponsor and am going to be starting step work next week.

Let's all keep up the good work! Thanks for listening.

DressyFemme

Hi Dressy!

Congratulations on the weight loss!

I can relate to nearly everything you said. I'm a food addict and have the junk food/sugar cravings. This journey has been like quitting smoking - something that took me a bazillion attempts before I was successful. You have to have to right mindset and motivation to do either. My motivation for weight loss was the pancreatic cancer that killed my Mom...that and the photo from my Dad's wedding in August 2008.

Don't be afraid of the metformin. My doctor gave it to me about a year ago for POS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) among other things. The side effects are not bad - a little GI disturbance is all I have experienced. The plus side is it has helped my weight loss. I've lost 130 lbs since October 2008 through a low glycemic index diet and exercise.

My doctor, a weight loss specialist who does not promote bariatric surgery, also wants me to avoid sugar-free products that contain artificial sweeteners and all artificial sweeteners in general. He says that some of them can actually affect your blood sugar - I believe this based on an experience I had many years ago with Crystal Light while I was on Atkins. My little sticks didn't turn purple...not even a smidge.

Another thing he did for me was to diagnose a severe Vitamin D deficiency. For years I was racked with pain from head to toe. I could not walk far and when I did the pain was excrutiating but I pushed myself through it. I had doctors tell me it was my back (mild scoliosis and/or disc issues recommending surgery or meds that didn't work) and people telling me if I would just lose some weight all my issues would go away. I had one doctor in 2005 tell me he didn't know how I was able to walk at all based on my pain. (BTW - I never took the pain pills he prescribed and took Excedrin instead.)

Well, I lost weight (26 lbs in the first 3 weeks) but the pain increased and increased daily - so much for that theory! But my doctor at the first appointment ordered a bunch of labs and at my second appointment told me my D3 level was about 18 (should have been around 50) and gave me Vitamin D supplements - that I am still taking. The pain begain to subside within a month and over a year later I am pain free. I can walk, climb stairs and do so much that Shelia has trouble keeping up with me. I walk at least a mile each day at lunch when I walk my boss's dog and am looking forward to hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this Spring with Shelia.