RE: Thoughts about Medical Conditions?

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Meg, I can certainly understand how upsetting at your tender young age it must have been to learn you have arthritis already! But take it from an almost 60-year-old woman who has arthritis and HBP, please don't let it throw you off your current healthy path and make you go back to the craziness of dieting! You're already doing and have done wonderful things for your body and health that will certainly benefit you as you get older! And may I say, I wish that intuitive eating was around when I was 25!

Best wishes,

Jeanne

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your replies, Gillian and Jeanne. It's nice to get some feedback. I'm

feeling a bit better about it the past day or two, though it still sucks-- I

think the immediate urge to diet has passed. I really just want to tackle trying

to deal with the pain and maybe get some physical therapy in hopes that I could

improve the situation. My doctor did recommend physical therapy, though even

before I got the diagnosis, that was what I was thinking I would need since I

had a free consultation with a physical therapist at my gym prior to seeing the

doctor and she had recommended a couple of exercises. I guess I just need to

make that appointment and find out all I can about my condition. I really don't

have a good idea yet of where I'll be with this ten or twenty or more years down

the line, which I think is what has been freaking me out a bit.

I was kind of glad that the doctor didn't overtly recommend losing weight,

although she did say I should maintain a low weight and light exercise or

something along with physical therapy. I've been to a doctor once or twice in

the past couple of years where I told them my background and they just told me I

needed to lose more weight and why wasn't I doing anything about it. Didn't I

know it was bad for my health?? Which of course is a very frustrating thing to

hear when it seems like there is never a time I have not been trying to lose

weight. I still feel very much like I want to do IE. I have thought about it a

fair amount in the past couple of months, and I don't think there has ever been

a time in my life when I just resolved to be okay with my weight and not to

diet. Until now at least.

>

> Hi Meg,

>

> You are right, it is common for people with some kind of medical condition

> to be triggered to want to diet. Often they have been told by a doctor to

> lose weight or, like in your case, they think losing weight could make a

> difference in their quality of life. I'm really sorry you have this

> situation to deal with, it sounds like quite a challenge. I am not a doctor,

> nor am I qualified to give medical advise, but I do have some thoughts that

> may be helpful for you. Just remember that you don't want to ignore any

> doctor recommendations, it's best to work with your doctor to come to an

> agreement that works for you and that your doctor is ok with.

>

> You didn't say that your doctor told you to lose weight right now and I'm

> really happy to hear that. From what you have shared, I am assuming that you

> have come to the conclusion yourself that losing weight will make a

> difference in your quality of life a few years down the road. If this is the

> case, then I think you are in a great position. It sounds like you are

> really enjoying applying intuitive eating to your life and you are

> progressing. What you described about your intuitive eating journey so far

> is really exciting and in my experience, both personal and professional,

> your progression is normal and will just continue to get better. The binges

> will become further and further apart and the compulsion will continue to

> diminish. Over time your weight will begin to normalize, meaning you will

> return to whatever your natural weight is. This may not happen as quickly as

> dieting, and no one knows when the weight loss will happen. But the

> important thing to ask yourself is, " What will happen if I go on a diet and

> lose weight? " Of course you'll have that initial weight loss but what has

> happened everytime you've dieted in the past?

>

> As you already know, I'm sure, when we go on a diet, it is almost always

> followed by overeating or binging, followed by guilt and shame, followed

> again by an overwhelming compulsion to diet. Once again you are stuck in the

> diet mentality, and you've obviously done a lot of really great work to

> remove yourself from it, why go back? We always seem to forget the end

> result of dieting when we feel that panic and start thinking about dieting.

>

> Tribole, one of the authors of Intuitive Eating, said in a class I

> took that when she is working with a patient whose doctor has said weight

> loss is necessary, she will talk with the doctor and explain her approach

> and why weight loss is put on the back burner while the other stuff is taken

> care of, like the emotional reasons for eating, relearning hunger and

> fullness, etc. She must do a great job explaining it because the doctor

> usually understands and stops putting the pressure on the patient, knowing

> the weight loss will eventually happen and will be a lasting change.

>

> One other thing to consider is the effect of some kind of activity, it's

> great that you are already involved in regular exercise. Are you doing any

> kind of strength training? My degree is in exercise physiology and I am very

> familiar with all the benefits of improved fitness. There may even be some

> strengthening exercises you can do to prevent any further problems with your

> spine. I can't say for sure, but it's possible. The muscles involved in

> supporting the spine are complex and my guess is you would need something

> pretty specific to target that area. Maybe your doctor can refer you to

> physical therapy to see what you can do. It's amazing what a little bit of

> strength and flexibility can do, and it's recommended often for general

> arthritis.

>

> I hope this is helpful, let us know if you have questions or thoughts.

>

>

> Thanks!

> Gillian

> Gillian Hood-son, MS, ACSM

>

> Get your report, " The 6 Steps to Guilt-Fr*e Eating " at

> http://www.HealthierOutcomes.com <http://www.healthieroutcomes.com/>

> Follow me on Twitter: <http://www.twitter.com/gillianhood>

> http://www.twitter.com/gillianhood

>

>

>

> _____

>

> From: IntuitiveEating_Support

> [mailto:IntuitiveEating_Support ] On Behalf Of Meg Munroe

> Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 9:25 PM

> To: IntuitiveEating_Support

> Subject: Thoughts about Medical Conditions?

>

>

>

>

>

> Hi All,

>

> I feel like this isn't an uncommon question or experience on the listserve,

> but I was just wondering what tips people have when you find yourself in a

> situation where losing weight feels necessary for health reasons, but you

> still want to do the intuitive eating process and can't face the idea of

> another diet.

>

> Okay, so I'm talking about myself. I was just diagnosed with having

> arthritis in my lower back that has caused a small shift in my lower spine

> which is causing me pain. It was really depressing news for me because I'm

> only 25. The doctor thought it was related to my weight when I was a

> teenager, since I was very obese then but lost a lot of it about five years

> ago. I feel very frustrated about this, since I guess even though I am still

> overweight I feel like I'm in much better health than I was when I was a

> teenager. I exercise regularly and enjoy a wider variety of foods. I also

> feel very happy about having discovered intuitive eating, because I just

> want to normalize my relationship with food. I feel like I've been doing

> better with this the past couple of months- not that I haven't overeaten or

> even binged, but I do feel like the compulsion to do those things is

> lessening a bit.

>

> Anyway, this diagnosis is giving me the urge to diet again. I guess I feel

> panicked, like if I don't do everything to lose more weight somehow it will

> be five or ten years from now and I'll just be hunched over in pain. Or

> having a heart attack or something (I've had high BP since high school,

> which has went down much with weight loss and lifestyle change but is still

> borderline).

>

> Sorry to paint a depressing picture. I guess this diagnosis is just leaving

> me a bit at a loss. Thanks for whatever input you might have.

>

> Meg

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your replies, Gillian and Jeanne. It's nice to get some feedback. I'm

feeling a bit better about it the past day or two, though it still sucks-- I

think the immediate urge to diet has passed. I really just want to tackle trying

to deal with the pain and maybe get some physical therapy in hopes that I could

improve the situation. My doctor did recommend physical therapy, though even

before I got the diagnosis, that was what I was thinking I would need since I

had a free consultation with a physical therapist at my gym prior to seeing the

doctor and she had recommended a couple of exercises. I guess I just need to

make that appointment and find out all I can about my condition. I really don't

have a good idea yet of where I'll be with this ten or twenty or more years down

the line, which I think is what has been freaking me out a bit.

I was kind of glad that the doctor didn't overtly recommend losing weight,

although she did say I should maintain a low weight and light exercise or

something along with physical therapy. I've been to a doctor once or twice in

the past couple of years where I told them my background and they just told me I

needed to lose more weight and why wasn't I doing anything about it. Didn't I

know it was bad for my health?? Which of course is a very frustrating thing to

hear when it seems like there is never a time I have not been trying to lose

weight. I still feel very much like I want to do IE. I have thought about it a

fair amount in the past couple of months, and I don't think there has ever been

a time in my life when I just resolved to be okay with my weight and not to

diet. Until now at least.

>

> Hi Meg,

>

> You are right, it is common for people with some kind of medical condition

> to be triggered to want to diet. Often they have been told by a doctor to

> lose weight or, like in your case, they think losing weight could make a

> difference in their quality of life. I'm really sorry you have this

> situation to deal with, it sounds like quite a challenge. I am not a doctor,

> nor am I qualified to give medical advise, but I do have some thoughts that

> may be helpful for you. Just remember that you don't want to ignore any

> doctor recommendations, it's best to work with your doctor to come to an

> agreement that works for you and that your doctor is ok with.

>

> You didn't say that your doctor told you to lose weight right now and I'm

> really happy to hear that. From what you have shared, I am assuming that you

> have come to the conclusion yourself that losing weight will make a

> difference in your quality of life a few years down the road. If this is the

> case, then I think you are in a great position. It sounds like you are

> really enjoying applying intuitive eating to your life and you are

> progressing. What you described about your intuitive eating journey so far

> is really exciting and in my experience, both personal and professional,

> your progression is normal and will just continue to get better. The binges

> will become further and further apart and the compulsion will continue to

> diminish. Over time your weight will begin to normalize, meaning you will

> return to whatever your natural weight is. This may not happen as quickly as

> dieting, and no one knows when the weight loss will happen. But the

> important thing to ask yourself is, " What will happen if I go on a diet and

> lose weight? " Of course you'll have that initial weight loss but what has

> happened everytime you've dieted in the past?

>

> As you already know, I'm sure, when we go on a diet, it is almost always

> followed by overeating or binging, followed by guilt and shame, followed

> again by an overwhelming compulsion to diet. Once again you are stuck in the

> diet mentality, and you've obviously done a lot of really great work to

> remove yourself from it, why go back? We always seem to forget the end

> result of dieting when we feel that panic and start thinking about dieting.

>

> Tribole, one of the authors of Intuitive Eating, said in a class I

> took that when she is working with a patient whose doctor has said weight

> loss is necessary, she will talk with the doctor and explain her approach

> and why weight loss is put on the back burner while the other stuff is taken

> care of, like the emotional reasons for eating, relearning hunger and

> fullness, etc. She must do a great job explaining it because the doctor

> usually understands and stops putting the pressure on the patient, knowing

> the weight loss will eventually happen and will be a lasting change.

>

> One other thing to consider is the effect of some kind of activity, it's

> great that you are already involved in regular exercise. Are you doing any

> kind of strength training? My degree is in exercise physiology and I am very

> familiar with all the benefits of improved fitness. There may even be some

> strengthening exercises you can do to prevent any further problems with your

> spine. I can't say for sure, but it's possible. The muscles involved in

> supporting the spine are complex and my guess is you would need something

> pretty specific to target that area. Maybe your doctor can refer you to

> physical therapy to see what you can do. It's amazing what a little bit of

> strength and flexibility can do, and it's recommended often for general

> arthritis.

>

> I hope this is helpful, let us know if you have questions or thoughts.

>

>

> Thanks!

> Gillian

> Gillian Hood-son, MS, ACSM

>

> Get your report, " The 6 Steps to Guilt-Fr*e Eating " at

> http://www.HealthierOutcomes.com <http://www.healthieroutcomes.com/>

> Follow me on Twitter: <http://www.twitter.com/gillianhood>

> http://www.twitter.com/gillianhood

>

>

>

> _____

>

> From: IntuitiveEating_Support

> [mailto:IntuitiveEating_Support ] On Behalf Of Meg Munroe

> Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 9:25 PM

> To: IntuitiveEating_Support

> Subject: Thoughts about Medical Conditions?

>

>

>

>

>

> Hi All,

>

> I feel like this isn't an uncommon question or experience on the listserve,

> but I was just wondering what tips people have when you find yourself in a

> situation where losing weight feels necessary for health reasons, but you

> still want to do the intuitive eating process and can't face the idea of

> another diet.

>

> Okay, so I'm talking about myself. I was just diagnosed with having

> arthritis in my lower back that has caused a small shift in my lower spine

> which is causing me pain. It was really depressing news for me because I'm

> only 25. The doctor thought it was related to my weight when I was a

> teenager, since I was very obese then but lost a lot of it about five years

> ago. I feel very frustrated about this, since I guess even though I am still

> overweight I feel like I'm in much better health than I was when I was a

> teenager. I exercise regularly and enjoy a wider variety of foods. I also

> feel very happy about having discovered intuitive eating, because I just

> want to normalize my relationship with food. I feel like I've been doing

> better with this the past couple of months- not that I haven't overeaten or

> even binged, but I do feel like the compulsion to do those things is

> lessening a bit.

>

> Anyway, this diagnosis is giving me the urge to diet again. I guess I feel

> panicked, like if I don't do everything to lose more weight somehow it will

> be five or ten years from now and I'll just be hunched over in pain. Or

> having a heart attack or something (I've had high BP since high school,

> which has went down much with weight loss and lifestyle change but is still

> borderline).

>

> Sorry to paint a depressing picture. I guess this diagnosis is just leaving

> me a bit at a loss. Thanks for whatever input you might have.

>

> Meg

>