Don't eat enough, or often enough..suggestions?

[DawnDawnLoveJoy]

Greetings! I'm new (today) so forgive me if this is a question already posted. This may be too long... I have the problem of not eating enough, or as often as I should. Challenges with thyroid & diabetes 2, along with digestion/elimination problems have left me so confused & discouraged (opioids for pain stops body working & metformin keeps it too loose so balancing on a tightrope here). I know the usual answer is "just eat 5 small meals a day"; "force yourself"; "set timers" etc. I have done all of the above, but still struggle. The weight doesn't come off, partly, because of going into starvation mode. I do get this, intellectually...but I'm just very rarely hungry & get full quickly. I do eat healthy 95+% of the time...anyone else in the same boat? Please share what you do? Thank you (BTW I was 124lbs before car accident/illness, formerly wheelchair bound, steroids & other meds took me to 394, now at 225ish but still obese & unhealthy for my size frame ... small bones, 5'8"). Any suggestions or examples are appreciated. Namasté 😘😘😘😎😎😎

[Pineapple27]

Hi and welcome DawnDawnLoveJoy

There are many of us on this Forum who have additional barriers to losing our weight - whether it's age, the side-effects of medication, thyroid problems, disability, illness.... it just means that we will have to put in that little more effort to counting calories and keeping an eye on portion sizes as we are likely to need less calories because of our inability to burn additional calories through huge amount of exercise....

I too always believed that I ate "healthily" but as soon as I started to log the food I was eating, I realised I had been kidding myself! Firstly, my portions were way too large for a short sedentary person and secondly, I just cannot afford to eat the same amount as those who are a foot taller and much more mobile! Keeping a log (which I still do, five years on) is my greatest tool to successful weight loss.

I have a disability that I was born with (shortening of all four limbs as a result of the drug Thalidomide my mum took when pregnant with me). As a result my mobility is minimal - and was further reduced following a serious head on car crash in 2002 when I broke my ankle. I went on to have my ankle joint fused and am still in constant pain with it.

I started my weight loss journey at 14 stone - 5 and a half years ago. I am just 4ft 9" tall and so was classed clinically obese.

I was 49 years old and had been trying to lose weight all of my life since the age of 9. My disability makes exercise difficult (I am very sedentary and use a wheelchair outside of the house).

The one thing that I realised very early on in my journey was that I was just eating FAR TOO MUCH! I was a short, middle aged, sedentary female and I was eating the same as 5ft 9" active man (my now husband!). No wonder I was piling on the weight!

I started my journey at the end of February 2012, and managed to lose 4.5 stone in 2 and a half years through calorie counting and logging/weighing all of my food.

I cannot stress enough how important this part of the weight loss journey is - beng able to recognise just how much we are eating and address that. It is not about cutting out any foods but about being able to make informed choices about the foods we eat Also about learning how to behave differently around food. Just because food is in front of us does not mean to say that we have to eat it! Being able to exercise control and moderate intake is paramount.

I re-gained some of the weight I lost, then lost it again and have now managed to more or less maintain for the past 6 months at around 10 stone. Still considered "over weight".

Ideally I would love to drop another stone to 9 stone and maintain there.

My weight loss journey has been long, but I am still learning new tips and tricks to help me along the way and what's more, still enjoying the challenge! I would say that my behaviour around food has changed massively - I have learned to respect food, to "break" it's control over me, and to be able to modify how I behave with food. Just because food is within sight doesn't mean I have to eat it! I don't see eating the way I do as meaning that I am missing out any more - in fact I am now able to enjoy my life and have regained the ability to do things that I struggled to do or even found impossible to do!

Here are a few of my past posts which I hope you will find helpful and inspiring. I won't try and tell you that my journey was easy - and you'll see that there were many blips along the way, but 5 years down the line, I feel about 20 years younger than I did when I was lugging around 4 stone more.

Please do pop back to the forums and share your journey with us - we are here for you, day and night and happy to share your success or support you when you need it.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

[DawnDawnLoveJoy in reply to Pineapple27]

Pineapple27 I am in tears, thank you for your amazing & inspirational reply. I am very tired & laying down but I will be back with a proper response. Hugs 😘😘😘😎😎😎

[Pineapple27 in reply to DawnDawnLoveJoy]

Aww didn't want to move you to tears! Hope you found some of my experiences helpful...

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Pineapple27]

Super response Pineapple27 😊

[IndigoBlue61]

We all have to find a way of eating and times of eating that suits us DawnDawnLoveJoy 😊

With limited calories available I prefer to eat proper meals and not waste my calories on snacks or drinks, but we are all different.

Have a look at the Daily Diary for some ideas of what others on here eat and how they plan their meals

Anna

[DawnDawnLoveJoy in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Thank you, Anna61...I see how much I'll learn here! Best part is I can re-read the Posts & wander through the different areas offered here for all of us! I agree about choosing my food wisely. If it doesn't taste amazing ... why eat it? That's also part of my challenge with food. Since my fall I don't cook like I did before...so I eat more raw meals...easier to make & have on hand.

Thanks for making me feel so welcomed...Blessings😘😘😘😎😎😎

[Bekahlea]

Welcome, DawnDawnLoveJoy !

I am in a similar position as you in regards to not wanting to eat and not eating enough, mainly because I always thought that eating = increased weight (I blame my doctor when I was a child for putting this in my head). It hasn't been until recently that I have decided to do something about it.

Last week I joined Slimming World for the first time (I'm not suggesting that you do this, but I'm just explaining what I have done recently to change my behaviour) and having someone say to me that it's okay to eat food and to be guided to eat the right food has helped ease my mind a lot. There's no confusion, it's all written down for me what is good and what is considered to have syn points. This isn't for everyone, but it has helped me over the last week. I make sure that every time I go to make a coffee or anywhere near my kitchen, I pick up something to nibble on, whether that's a piece of fruit or whether it's a tiny chocolate bar to add onto my syns for the day. It has seemed to work and I've started eating a little more as the week has gone by.

Counting calories didn't work for me because I have an obsessive nature and I was starting to obsess over the number of calories I was consuming to the point it was making me stressed trying to figure out what the right amount was. I'm hoping that by having a structured diet, know what is good and what is considered bad, it'll help me with my weight loss.

Just increase your amount of food slightly every day and log what you are eating, you will soon see what is going on xx

[DawnDawnLoveJoy in reply to Bekahlea]

Oh Bekahlea, thank you so much for responding with such openness & wisdom. Usually I hear "that's a problem I'd love to have", "easy to fix, just eat", etc...it's wonderful to have some concrete suggestions & someone that truly understands. You are doing fabulous! I am very saddened that your Dr chose to burden you at such a young age. Bravo to you for going past that obstacle & making these changes. You're a very strong woman!! What is Slimming World & what are syn points? I really like the idea of getting something each time I go to kitchen...great idea. My movement is limited, at the moment, but I'm going to add that tip starting tomorrow!! I'm going to set a timer for every 3 hrs to remind me to move & eat.

In July, I completed a Nutrition class along with a diabetes refresher class. The same teacher for both & she really gave us great tools, but I stumped her. She's only dealt with overeating, not under eating. I'm also going to do the diary & this time I'll continue to track it. In the past, I've been so overwhelmed & discouraged... planning for success this time!! My head injury has affected my memory & many things are lost to me. Now I forget so quickly that I need to have things written down. I call it "my redo" since I have to relearn.. smile. I just did a pound to stone conversion & and I'm just over 16 stones. I think I like that better than 225!! LOL Interesting journey ... Glad to have such amazing people along for the ride!

Blessings 😘😘😘😎😎😎

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to DawnDawnLoveJoy]

That’s an excellent place to,start DawnDawnLoveJoy 😊

I still write down every single thing that passes my lips

[Bekahlea in reply to DawnDawnLoveJoy]

Aw, thank you so much for your kind words and I'm glad that my reply has helped you, that's what this site is about. You are not alone and I am sure that there are many people who struggle with eating the right amount of food if truth be told.

Slimming World (slimmingworld.co.uk/) is a diet/lifestyle change program and syn points are a number of points you have to use on things that aren't all that good for you, for example, chocolate, honey, crisps, they are all given a number in the site's database and as long as you don't go over your daily intake amount, you can eat as many synful things as you like (though the numbers do add up quickly!). They have an online version you can use, but it's a little expensive, to begin with, but it might be something to consider. I suffer from anxiety and depression, so I am thinking about switching to the online version because attending the groups in person sends me into a bit of a panic.

That tip sounds like a great start! I have to set myself alarms to make sure I remember to eat my three meals a day at the very least, otherwise, I would forget. Sometimes we just need a little nudge and a reminder before we start developing new and healthy habits for ourselves.

Yeah, not a lot of doctors understand undereating. They just assume because we are overweight, we must eat loads or pick at food, but that just isn't the case. I used to flip from not eating to overeating/binge eating as a coping strategy when I was younger, but the doctors didn't pick up on it. Thankfully, I am in control now. It sounds like you are on the right track with the food diaries, I find that they help a lot and I always try harder when I am monitoring my food intake. Don't get too overwhelmed with worrying about your calorie intake, to begin with, just focus on starting to eat more and the rest will slip into place as you carry on with this forum. I am sorry to hear about your head injury and memory loss, that must be so hard for you, but just keep in mind that you can make new memories and perhaps alongside your food diary you could keep a daily journal of sorts to help keep those memories forever

Haha, yes the stone conversion is less scary than the pounds!

I wish you all the luck in the world, Dawn and if you ever need someone to talk to feel free to send me a message xx

[kiwikyd-nz]

Like Pineapple27 says - try logging the food you eat and looking at where you can possibly make changes or improvements.

And Bekahlea's hint of having something small with tea or coffee sounds like it might help also

[DawnDawnLoveJoy in reply to kiwikyd-nz]

Thank you, Kiwikyd! I agree!! I'm excited to get started!!

Hugs

Blessings

[Dave1961 25kg]

I saw your comment about Thyroid problems and thought I would chip in.

Because of one of medications (Amiodorone) my thyroid function has been consistently under. Not alarmingly but enough for my Dr to say I should get it checked often.

I was recently in hospital for something else and the Dr decided to put me on Thyroxin 3 days a week for the next 6 weeks to try and boost my Thyroid function.

Prior to this I was always tired, waking up exhausted some days, sleeping badly and falling asleep on the couch by 6 p.m.

I am not sure if it's the Thyroxin or a tweak to my other meds but I feel SO much better after 2 weeks on it . More energy than I have had in years!

But if you have hyper not hypothyroidism then just ignore me lol

[DawnDawnLoveJoy in reply to Dave1961]

Thank you, Dave1961 for sharing your experience with me. I'm so happy to hear you are feeling better! It's so encouraging to hear of your success. I always sigh a breath of relief when I hear such great news! WhooHoo to continued healing!

Yes, it's hypo so I'm very interested in checking out Thyroxin. I also have dealt with the fatigue (before my fall) but I now thought it was more from the constant pain I experience. I'm amazed I forgot how Tired I was each day. Geez I will talk with Dr & see if we can try it!

Blessings...nice to be on this journey with such amazing souls!

I live in Palm Springs, CA... wondering where everyone is from?

😘😘😘😎😎😎

[JiminyCricket 7lbs]

From what you've written, you have already managed to lose more than 150 pounds (394 to 225) - is that right? If so, that's a fantastic achievement, you must be really proud! I wish you all the best on your continuing journey.

[DawnDawnLoveJoy in reply to JiminyCricket]

Wow, JiminyCricket, thank you for your reply & reminder. I admit that I forget how far I've come when I concentrate so much on how far I still have to go. I was in a car accident & the weight came on starting with 60 lbs in the first 60 days being on prednisone (steroid) ...then the inactivity (I was in a wheelchair for 9 yrs) & the continued meds (12 yrs off & on with the steroids along with many other drugs for years the diabetes ones & insulin due to high sugar levels brought on by the prednisone the cholesterol, so many things wrong, etc...up to 83 pills a day worth) just kept piling it on. I was revived 4 times & "prayed back" once by my son, Joshua. Long journey but I made it down to 175 lbs, had an issue with my lungs went back on prednisone & gained 40 pounds back ... part of weight off then back on pred & weight back on. This "yoyo" happens each time I'm given them so I now have it in the "allergy section". I no longer have that on my plate!! I worked so so hard to get out of the chair & to release the weight, OMG I'd forgotten the accomplishment. I've been focusing only on the failure of not reaching my goal. What a wake up call...true AHA moment. Thank you, dear one for gifting me with this truth and celebration reminder. Wow, I didn't realize how much I needed this to restore my HOPE & determination. Guess I needed another good cry... tears of gratitude!! I'm thankful for all of the kindness in this forum...amazing. Thank you so much!

Where do you live? I'm in Palm Springs, CA

Blessings 😎😎😎😘😘😘

[JiminyCricket 7lbs in reply to DawnDawnLoveJoy]

I'm on the south coast of England - another beach town! This forum is an incredible wellspring of inspiration and advice and support - I do hope you find it as amazing as I have. Truly I wouldn't have lost any weight, never mind kept going when it got harder, without the people on here. It sounds like you've had a really difficult time, and I'm so glad you're feeling positive and moving forward.

[DawnDawnLoveJoy in reply to JiminyCricket]

Sounds divine!! I seems that many use "stones" with their weight so I presume that they are from the U.K. I have a "Life Experiences List" and England is on that list! I've met some fabulous people from there (we are English but I don't know what area our family was from) and I know I'll get there, one day!

I can't express how Blessed I feel ... I'm not even entirely sure how in the world I found Health Unlocked. Exactly what I need at this time...amazing isn't it?

You are such an inspiration & I appreciate you taking so much time to encourage & teach me. I can see how enjoyable this "ride" is going to be for me!

Hugs 😘😘😘😎😎😎

[Hidden in reply to DawnDawnLoveJoy]

Great loss! You should be so proud!!

[DawnDawnLoveJoy in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, Melhall, you are very kind. Honestly, until today I had forgotten how far I've come...I'm thankful to have "released to the Universe" weight for the "skinny people that need it"!! I haven't "lost the pounds" because when you lose something you want to find it & I absolutely do not want to find one single ounce 😁

Don't get me wrong, I haven't forgotten how far I still have to go on this journey, but I am going to celebrate how far I've come. Walking in Gratitude... Blessings 💞💞💞