Fed Up - Need To Lose Weight And Keep Failing - please help!

oopsadaisydoddle

Pennylane wrote: »

I don't mean to be rude but I wonder whether you are trying each of these "diets" you mention for long enough. Your post sounds so like someone I know who always claimed that diets didn't work for her but she expected to lose after 48 hours!

She also had a thing about buying diet books and magazines and I swear she thought she'd lose weight just by buying them! She never read any of them, just bought them.

I think you have got to address the psychological reasons why you want to eat all the time (you say when you're happy and when you're sad). I don't want this to sound bad either but the person I know who sounds the same as you just used to have this mindset that she needed to eat NOW. She didn't even try to wait say half an hour and see if she was still hungry.

You mention hypnotism - have you looked into that because a lot of people have.

Very reasonable questions - WW I stuck to last year for 2 months along with exercise and lost 1lb. Cambridge I lost 2st 9lb over a few months but I'm struggling with restarting this because it's a very low calorie diet and comes with side effects. The first time I did it I was off work so was able to curl up at home and not do a lot and that got me through the first rough few days.

Low GI and low GL I did a few years back after reading they were good for PCOS - I tried my best at eating a low GI/GL diet over probably a few months but found it quite confusing and ended up givin up admittedly.

I did calorie counting through myfitnesspal and lost about half a stone but put it back on at Xmas! Calorie counting wasn't the best because I was suffering from the bloating and IBS symptoms.

I checked out hynotherapy gastric bands once but didn't go through with it.

When I did SW, I stocked up on fruit and veg which seemed to make me bloating and uncomfortable. It's hard to stick to something when the supposedly good things make you feel uncomfortable and your clothes so tight they make you look pregnant.

Again, I know this may sound like I'm making excuses but if I could find something that makes me feel good (or at least not bad), I'd be happy. I don't have great self esteem but I think the emotional side of things stems from not being able to find something that helps that doesn't make me feel rubbish!

daska

yep, sorry, the advice I got from coeliac uk was a minimum of 2 slices of bread plus a snack each day i.e. at least two separate intakes of gluten rich foods every day for at least 6 weeks. And someone else told me 4 slices of bread a day. I'm going for my blood test next week and I can't wait to stop eating junk again. I had been playing with my food over the last few months and discovered that wheat is a problem, nightshade (tomatos, potatos, aubergine etc) is a problem and the two together set off the real nightmare.

Personally I've found low carb sorted out a lot of problems, my skin, hair and nails were better, I lost loads of weight, my blood sugars were better, my feet were hugely improved, the incontinence was less of a problem - really quite life-changing differences. Back on the wheat and tomatoes and once again I have bloating, pain, purple feet, itchy bum etc. sorry if tmi but I think some people don't realise just how immense a negative impact some supposedly 'healthy' foods can have, even if most people can eat them without a problem!

Ignore that eat well plate and eat what suits your body. Did you try introducing and then removing foods again when you were on Cambridge to see if you could work out which ones made the difference? If you can stomach Cambridge and feel better on it then that gives you a good jumping off point to experiment by adding foods and seeing how you react.

And when you feel compelled to eat, work out what it is you have eaten that day and what it is you feel you're needing. If it's always carby things then maybe you have an addiction rather than a psychological problem.

Fire_Fox

oopsadaisydoddle wrote: »

Thanks Fire Fox. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me.

What is it you do? Do you work privately or through the NHS and do you think it would be worth me seeing someone like yourself if I can organise it? The problem with my surgery is they will only put you in with someone else if you're GP isn't there (e.g on hols) but then he would take over when he got back if that makes sense?

I'd love to get to the bottom of it all and I understand that may take a long long time, it's just knowing where to start properly. What you said about doing a DIY exclusion diet fills me with dread and confusion but I suppose is an example of my GP having an off day.

I wondered if you might tell me what I should be asking my GP for - do you think a referral to a dietician is a start? If I can get a referral my health care might take over. Then at least he can't say I'm wasTing NHS resources for nothing!

No worries, it's my passion! Erm, I don't really like to say my job title because it would be too identifying or too misleading. I work in lifestyle healthcare - physical activity, nutrition, have dabbled in smoking cessation - have had NHS roles but also some for private companies. Qualified to degree level in a couple of healthcare disciplines including extra modules in nutrition and a registration category with my professional body: not a state registered dietician that is a very specific role with very specific qualifications. My background/ original training was pharmacy - lifestyle was retraining - so I know random bits of useless information from that angle too! :rotfl:

From your initial post I thought you'd benefit most from sessions with a state registered dietician or a private medical nutritionist with an honours degree in nutrition, but I now think what you need more than anything is confirmation whether you are or are not coeliac, perhaps the biopsy. If there are undiagnosed issues you can't easily get the right treatment, to me food is medicine and a dietician will be working from the diagnoses they have. I have heard of links between PCOS and coeliac disease, but I don't know whether that is anecdotal or evidence based.

With several diagnosed health issues nobody should be saying you are wasting NHS resources, it's better to get to the root of the problems and teach you how to self treat than have you end up diabetic or reliant on prescription medication. Do you know what your sister said to get her biopsy referral even tho her blood test was negative?

oopsadaisydoddle

Fire_Fox wrote: »

No worries, it's my passion! Erm, I don't really like to say my job title because it would be too identifying or too misleading. I work in lifestyle healthcare - physical activity, nutrition, have dabbled in smoking cessation - have had NHS roles but also some for private companies. Qualified to degree level in a couple of healthcare disciplines including extra modules in nutrition and a registration category with my professional body: not a state registered dietician that is a very specific role with very specific qualifications. My background/ original training was pharmacy - lifestyle was retraining - so I know random bits of useless information from that angle too! :rotfl:

From your initial post I thought you'd benefit most from sessions with a state registered dietician or a private medical nutritionist with an honours degree in nutrition, but I now think what you need more than anything is confirmation whether you are or are not coeliac, perhaps the biopsy. If there are undiagnosed issues you can't easily get the right treatment, to me food is medicine and a dietician will be working from the diagnoses they have. I have heard of links between PCOS and coeliac disease, but I don't know whether that is anecdotal or evidence based.

With several diagnosed health issues nobody should be saying you are wasting NHS resources, it's better to get to the root of the problems and teach you how to self treat than have you end up diabetic or reliant on prescription medication. Do you know what your sister said to get her biopsy referral even tho her blood test was negative?

Thanks again. I actually feel so much better just with someone taking an interest - if only my GP was the same!

My sis has life long problems - she has suffered from chronic constipation since being a baby and she has had hair loss recently and the bloating/tiredness/irritability...that's another thing - I'm constantly tired and Mr Oops would probably say constantly irritable!

I think she just kept going back until she got somewhere. It took her nearly 2 yrs.

ETA - when I say feel much better, I mean positive in the sense that there might be hope for me yet!

oopsadaisydoddle

daska wrote: »

yep, sorry, the advice I got from coeliac uk was a minimum of 2 slices of bread plus a snack each day i.e. at least two separate intakes of gluten rich foods every day for at least 6 weeks. And someone else told me 4 slices of bread a day. I'm going for my blood test next week and I can't wait to stop eating junk again. I had been playing with my food over the last few months and discovered that wheat is a problem, nightshade (tomatos, potatos, aubergine etc) is a problem and the two together set off the real nightmare.

Personally I've found low carb sorted out a lot of problems, my skin, hair and nails were better, I lost loads of weight, my blood sugars were better, my feet were hugely improved, the incontinence was less of a problem - really quite life-changing differences. Back on the wheat and tomatoes and once again I have bloating, pain, purple feet, itchy bum etc. sorry if tmi but I think some people don't realise just how immense a negative impact some supposedly 'healthy' foods can have, even if most people can eat them without a problem!

Ignore that eat well plate and eat what suits your body. Did you try introducing and then removing foods again when you were on Cambridge to see if you could work out which ones made the difference? If you can stomach Cambridge and feel better on it then that gives you a good jumping off point to experiment by adding foods and seeing how you react.

And when you feel compelled to eat, work out what it is you have eaten that day and what it is you feel you're needing. If it's always carby things then maybe you have an addiction rather than a psychological problem.

Thanks for this. Most of the time my 'craving' are carby stuff - that could be my PCOS/insulin resistance at work though. I've had bloods done for thyroid and diabetes and they always come back clear.

I haven't actually been diagnosed with insulin resistance - was just something my doc said once...like when he said I had IBS. I have a lot of skin tags in my groin and under my bra line too which are suggestive of this I believe.

Fire_Fox

OK the information on coeliac and PCOS from a quick Google is not exactly impressive

Celiac Disease & Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (2002) a small study says no link
http://mylist.net/archives/austin-tx-celiac/attachments/20080511/ec9d9d6d/PCOS.pdf


This gastroenterologist says there is
"Q. My question is – are all of these (PCOS, endometriosis, celiac) related? Are there good resources on these diseases if they are or people who actually have all 3? I feel like every few months I find out something new about myself, so I feel like I flit from problem to problem instead of addressing a larger cause.

A. Endometriosis is a completely independent condition, but PCOS and celiac are related. Treatment of the endometriosis should be explored with your gynecologist. The gluten-free diet should help with the other problems, but remember that celiac disease is an inherited condition, so you’ve had this all your life, only to be unmasked by the C-sections. Thus, it will be several months before you’ll see a major benefit of the diet."

[Dr. Jeffrey Aron has been practicing gastroenterology in San Francisco since 1973, and was chairman of the Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Mount Zion Hospital and Medical Center for 19 years ... He was the recipient of the Premier Physician Award of the CCFA, and is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at University of California at San Francisco. He is a charter member of the San Francisco division of the Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition of the American Gastroenterological Association, and an Attending Physician in the Division of Gastroenterology at California Pacific Medical Center.]
http://surefoodsliving.com/2009/02/ask-the-doc-celiac-endometriosis-and-pcos/


This is only a questionnaire study which notes the lack of prior research

Polycystic ovary syndrome is associated with an increased prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (2010)

"Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 5-10% of reproductive-aged women. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic intestinal disorder that affects up to 20% of adults, more often women. We evaluate if there is a relationship between these common conditions.
METHODS
Polycystic ovary syndrome and control subjects were prospectively recruited. A questionnaire was given to determine their gastrointestinal symptoms. Body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat were also calculated ….
CONCLUSIONS
Women with PCOS have a higher prevalence of IBS compared to healthy controls. When IBS is present with PCOS, a higher BMI and percent body fat is seen compared to PCOS alone ....
INTRODUCTION
Although both conditions are common, to date there have been no studies examining the prevalence of IBS in patients with PCOS. In this study we aim to examine the prevalence of IBS in women with and without PCOS."
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10620-009-0890-5?no-access=true



The problem with picking all of this apart is that your cravings and tiredness and mood issues could be the PCOS, could be nutrient deficiencies linked to the PCOS or the digestive issues or restrictive dieting, could be your weight, the binging-dieting or some combination.

oopsadaisydoddle

Fire_Fox wrote: »

OK the information on coeliac and PCOS from a quick Google is not exactly impressive

Celiac Disease & Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (2002) a small study says no link
http://mylist.net/archives/austin-tx-celiac/attachments/20080511/ec9d9d6d/PCOS.pdf


This gastroenterologist says there is
"Q. My question is – are all of these (PCOS, endometriosis, celiac) related? Are there good resources on these diseases if they are or people who actually have all 3? I feel like every few months I find out something new about myself, so I feel like I flit from problem to problem instead of addressing a larger cause.

A. Endometriosis is a completely independent condition, but PCOS and celiac are related. Treatment of the endometriosis should be explored with your gynecologist. The gluten-free diet should help with the other problems, but remember that celiac disease is an inherited condition, so you’ve had this all your life, only to be unmasked by the C-sections. Thus, it will be several months before you’ll see a major benefit of the diet."

[Dr. Jeffrey Aron has been practicing gastroenterology in San Francisco since 1973, and was chairman of the Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Mount Zion Hospital and Medical Center for 19 years ... He was the recipient of the Premier Physician Award of the CCFA, and is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at University of California at San Francisco. He is a charter member of the San Francisco division of the Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition of the American Gastroenterological Association, and an Attending Physician in the Division of Gastroenterology at California Pacific Medical Center.]
http://surefoodsliving.com/2009/02/ask-the-doc-celiac-endometriosis-and-pcos/


This is only a questionnaire study which notes the lack of prior research

Polycystic ovary syndrome is associated with an increased prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (2010)

"Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 5-10% of reproductive-aged women. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic intestinal disorder that affects up to 20% of adults, more often women. We evaluate if there is a relationship between these common conditions.
METHODS
Polycystic ovary syndrome and control subjects were prospectively recruited. A questionnaire was given to determine their gastrointestinal symptoms. Body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat were also calculated ….
CONCLUSIONS
Women with PCOS have a higher prevalence of IBS compared to healthy controls. When IBS is present with PCOS, a higher BMI and percent body fat is seen compared to PCOS alone ....
INTRODUCTION
Although both conditions are common, to date there have been no studies examining the prevalence of IBS in patients with PCOS. In this study we aim to examine the prevalence of IBS in women with and without PCOS."
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10620-009-0890-5?no-access=true



The problem with picking all of this apart is that your cravings and tiredness and mood issues could be the PCOS, could be nutrient deficiencies linked to the PCOS or the digestive issues or restrictive dieting, could be your weight, the binging-dieting or some combination.

I try to avoid Dr. Google! You can always find 'evidence' to suit any side of an argument and not having any medical knowledge means I have no idea which information is credible.

As you can see from the information above, it's hard to know where to start, like you say it could be any of the above that's causing my symptoms!

Would it be worth going back to the GP and asking for a referral somewhere, do you think? If so, can you recommend who I should be starting with?

oopsadaisydoddle

Well i had cheese on toast (1 slice) for a 'brunch' around 10 and i haven't been bloated. I also just had half a bacon bun there and an apple and now I look like I'm about to give birth!

So could be apple or bread of course. I've also just put some veg in the slow cooker for soup and that had leeks, carrots, and pots and parsnips. I snaffled a couple of leeks and carrots until my half bacon bun was ready...maybe it's those!

Keeping_Positive

Hi ooopsa

Ive just been diagnosed with pcos and have been reading up on it today. Scary stuff when you need to lose weight. Im blessed with kids so dont have to worry about that element.

Its been enlightening seeing my symptoms written down. I thiught id check on my favourite forum to see if others have similar problems. I have found it hard to lose weight weight although tbh i havent really tried too hard until now. The best ive done is lose a couple of lb then maintain until more creeps on.

Anyways good luck and chin up i have had to rely on citalopram anti d for a few years which helps along with councelling although that i pay for:-(. Im going to go back to the docs and ask for help with my diet. Also my cousin has ceoliac so there is a sli chance i may

Kp xx

Fire_Fox

oopsadaisydoddle wrote: »

I try to avoid Dr. Google! You can always find 'evidence' to suit any side of an argument and not having any medical knowledge means I have no idea which information is credible.

As you can see from the information above, it's hard to know where to start, like you say it could be any of the above that's causing my symptoms!

Would it be worth going back to the GP and asking for a referral somewhere, do you think? If so, can you recommend who I should be starting with?

I think you want a clear answer on whether you are coeliac, so presumably a biopsy by a gastroenterologist. Everything hinges on that really.

Don't blame you for not Googling and you are spot on to say you can prove or disprove almost anything. :T I start with PubMed which is a highly respected index of published journal articles on health and biology http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
Then I try to stick with sites like Google Scholar, the NHS, universities, charities, governments, fitness/ sports training and registration bodies like the ACSM, degree type textbooks on Google Books, anything unbiased and non commercial. In this case there didn't seem to be much research carried out at all, hence the second link which is NOT a reputable site but the doctor's credentials are at least decent.