The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Katherine]

No, that's not my mood, that's my weight over the coming weeks and months. Okay, so I'm only on day 1.8, but a girl can dream can't she? That was my witty opener, now for the facts...

My name is Katherine (surprise!) & I'm 38 yrs old & approx 335 lbs. I say approx because my scale only goes to 299 & I have not been weighed at the doctor's since March. I have been overweight since I was 6 yrs old. Twice I have lost all my extra weight on the Weight Watchers program, but maintained my goal weight for all of 1 day both times. I've finally come to realize and accept that I do not, can cannot, eat "normally." At the beginning of this year I decided to talk to my doctor about my weight, something I've never done. I told her I was a compulsive overeater. She looked perplexed & asked what I meant by compulsive overeater. I gave her an example...when I wake up in the morning, all I can really think about is eating something sweet. Once I do, then I can get ready for work, think, etc. Her response, and brilliant suggestion, was, "Have you ever thought about just not eating it?" Wow, what a concept for a lifelong fattie! If I had thought of that 32 yrs ago, I'd be an olympic athlete married to Prince Yumyum! Her 2nd suggestion was that I begin taking an antidepressant, even though I am not depressed (sarcastic, yes...depressed, no). It just amazes me how little 99% of the medical community understands about the reality of food addiction, when obesity related illnesses are about to overtake smoking related illnesses in our country.

I guess my point is, this is the first place I have ever heard "You can't handle food," which is the TRUTH. My doctor can monitor my labs, but she will never understand, or for that matter, care, what I am up against. By the way, now that I have read it is actually part of the MF instructions to lick up any spilled shake powder off the countertop, I am 100% sure this is the plan for me.

So, here I am. Hi to everyone who reads this. All is going well & my motivation is high.

Sincerely,
Katherine

P.S. - The Oatmeal Raisin bars ROCK...and this from a anti-raisin activist.

[NikkiNix]

Hello Katherine,


It's great to have more friendly people join up. We at this forum unlike your doctor know exactly what your going through. The people on this forum are hear for you if you hit those rough patches. Keep up the great attitude because that's what going to keep you motivated. I'm hear for ya we are all hear for you so post as often as you want to.


Hope to see ya post often
Nikki

[RavenKat]

Hey Katherine!

I enjoyed your post. :-) Welcome!

I always liked the news stories that reinforced the "Just eat less and exercise" weight loss plan. Really? Ya think? Duh.

Kat

[DutchChoc]

Hi, Katherine. You'll find this to be a group that WILL support all of your efforts and talk you through whatever challenges that you mention. Goood luck to you!

I jumped in here with a single thought about the antidepressant aspect of your encounter. If I recall properly, and don't think I know much about this, because I don't, BELIEVE I've heard people discuss potential curative powers of antidepressant medication upon compulsivity/compulsive behaviors. It might be that that's where the doc was coming from. Just a thought. In general, I think you're right that many people don't understand this problem/issue.

Will hope to see you winning, winning, winning this fight. Take care.

[Nancy]

Well, Howdy Doody and welcome to you, Miss Katherine!

So happy to have you with us on the journey to wellness!

Yepper, many docs just don't understand us. Some haven't spent a day inside our skin or inside our thinkin'.

We welcome your input and value your ideas here so keep checking in, reading and writing and we will all benefit.

[swedishgirl]

Welcome Katherine-
You've made a wise choice for yourself. When I began this journey on January 2, 2004, I weighed 318 and I am now weighing 194. I had tried everything before and out of deperation and life-threatening high blood pressure, chose Medifast. Obviously, it has worked, along with working out 3 times a week at Curves and now I have hope for a healthier, happier future. I don't post often, but read frequently and it's an encouraging place to be. Take one day (even one hour) at a time and you'll get there! God Bless!
Swedishgirl

[Nancy]

Swedish GIrl ~

Oh my! You are below 200 now!!! Yippee and Yahoo!

I am thrilled for you!

[Ria]

Swedish GIrl, you lost 124 POUNDS!!!!!!! YOU ROCK!!!:kool:

[hawaiiwhatnot]

Welcome Katherine!

Your intro left me with a good chuckle. Thanks... You seem to be level headed about this issue, and are on the right road to success. By the end maybe even raisins will be your friend. Look forward to seeing your posts!

Swedishgirl,

Heavens! What a motivation you are! And SO humble! Go Girl!

Camille

[Simmshe]

Welcome Katherine ! As you can see--you are in great company here!

You know, doctors are amazingly ignorant about some things--I even had a doctor who deals exclusively with obese patients and prescribes different weight loss plans to them--insist on giving me his food-based plan when I told him I was there solely to begin Medifast and I saw that he was a Medifast doctor from Medifast's Web site. I told him I didn't want to deal with food at all because I was having serious compulsive problems with food (as I've had for the past 16 years of my life!), and he looked at me like I was an alien. Why "of course" I could eat just one meal a day, or better yet, follow his "star" food plan that has patients clamoring to his office like he's a god of weight loss?!? Some ridiculous, restrictive diet plan (that coincidentally, I tried 12 years ago when I was on my summer break from college--it was more like a fad/crash diet to me). Needless to say, I never returned to his office (except to pick up my medical records), and I decided to just have my primary care physician monitor my progress/do labs.

Anyways, you are in good hands. You have a doctor who will do your lab work, and Take Shape for Life provides support from doctors and nurses (during the weekly phone sessions). You have the support of your health advisor and this great forum, too. Most of all, you have mental fortitude/motivation!

Looking forward to "seeing" you around the forum and hearing of your progress !

Sheryl

[Katherine]

I thought I'd see if anyone had responded to my first post and, wow, so many! Thank you all! The first 3 days are nearly over and I have had virtually no hunger. About the time my tum tum starts to get demanding, it's time for another shake.

I met my sister for lunch today, at a restaurant of her choosing. I had never been there, and really did not want to venture in on day 3 of MF, but circumstances and convenience took over and soon there I was. The chairs were plastic, and as I eased myself into one slowly, to test its strength before giving it the full force of my, um, stature, I though, "This is why I am only having a Diet Coke and have 2 shake packets in my purse & my cell phone alarm set for every 3 hours." I am just so tired of living the way I'm living.

Some of you seemed to relate to my doctor story. I really think the next 20 years will bring obesity more into the limelight of the medical world. I work in the medical insurance field and even in the past 10 years I have seen a huge shift from bariatric surgery never being covered, to the majority of insurance companies covering it. When my own insurance decided to cover it, I really thought about it. I didn't do it, though, because I feel like this is what I have to conquer in my life, this is my challenge, this is the thing I just can't get ahold of. Do any of you ever wonder about this...is the goal getting thin, or learning the lessons I will have to learn to get thin? By the way, I tend to way overthink things.

Anyway, just wanted to thank everyone for their comments.

Peace,
Katherine