Thoughts about Medical Conditions?

[Guest guest]

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