to think that the health risks associated with rapid weight loss arent publicised enough.

[carernotasaint]

I first went to Slimming World in 2002.
I lost ten stone in the end. I lost a stone a month for the first seven months.
I started SW in the February of that year.
In early July i was taken to hospital with a suspected heart attack.
It was gallstones.
I was in and out of hospital for the next nine months with constant attacks.
I was prescribed strong drugs like tramodol which didnt even touch the pain.
In the end whenever i had an attack the doctor had to come out and give me a morphine injection.
On Christmas Eve the doc came out and gave me an injection and the next day i couldnt stand up. My legs kept giving way and i passed out three times. I spent Christmas Day 2002 in hospital. When the doc came out i was in so much pain and begging for morphine because of it that he may have mistook me for a drug addict and slightly overdosed me.
I am back at slimming class again now and am still appalled that there seems to be pressure to lose weight fast. You also see the same byline in loads of magazines.
I did find a website at the weekend where a doctor said that you should lose no more than 3.3lbs a week if you want to avoid developing gallstones due to rapid weight loss.

[FlossieTeacakeShouldFakeIt]

I thought SW et al did recommend losing weight slowly. Ive never been to a slimming club, but I knew you weren't supposed to lose more than 2-3lbs a week.

[lucertola28]

Did you go to your doctor before you started slimming world?

I have heard it said for many years to always go to gp before starting any diets for weight loss.

There could have been other causes for your illness and medical problems.

Hope you are doing better now and back to full health.

[NurseJennyLee]

Most slimming clubs/advisors recommend a safe 1-2lbs a week, after the initial 'weight dump' at the start of the diet. My friend told me her SW consultant told her off for losing too much too quickly, she wasn't eating enough at the time. AFAIK they promote healthy lifestyle changes.

[PomBearAtTheGatesOfDawn]

Are gallstones caused by rapid weightloss?
I've never had them, but do have a BIG weight problem, and need to lose at least ten stone, maybe more am too big a coward to get weighed and have had heart attacks, which being so big didn't help.
There isn't that much chance of me actually losing a lot of weight, let alone doing it quickly, but it's always handy to know these things if only to shut my bloody mother up next time she "helpfully" points out how fat I am just in case I hadn't noticed...

[carernotasaint]

Its not SW per se. Its the subliminal messages when everyone caps and cheers big losses like 11 pounds a week or 7 pounds a week.

[carernotasaint]

Thats claps and cheers. Can only type quickly and in short bursts IM WITH TALK TALK.

[carernotasaint]

There is another member at my class who pours scorn on members who lose less than 5 pounds a week.

[carernotasaint]

There was a member last week who lost 2lbs a perfectly reasonable loss and this other member said to her "OH you could have lost more if youd realised the onken yoghurts are now sinned.

[FlossieTeacakeShouldFakeIt]

The leader of your group should be actively discouraging rapid weight loss, and should definatly put a stop to clapping and cheering at people losing too much. It should be known that while losing weight is obviously a good thing that should be celebrated, people do have to be careful to do it properly and should be closely monitored if needs be.

It mist be a hard balance to strike, because weight does seem to come off very overweight people quickly when they start a programme like WW or SW, but if it continues to happen over a long period, the group leaders should be stepping in.

[carernotasaint]

womenshealth.about.com/cs/gallbladder/a/dietinggallston_2.htm

[Kewcumber]

Gall stones are a well known side effect of losing weight fast, although I doubt they expect people to lose as much as you did as fast as you did.

My GP recommends 1-2lbs A MONTH!

Still healthier to lose the wieght and have gallstones removed than still be 10 stone overweight (and I have been 10 stone overweight AND have had gallsones unrelated)

[Kewcumber]

Pombear - talk to your GP and persuade them to refer you to the closest NHS weight management clinic. They are very good and offer a range of diet and lifestyle, drugs and surgery as appropriate supported by counselling and people who have seen it all.

[Kewcumber]

by the way I sympathise abouit being with tlaktalk - am leaving them next week - YAY!

[MrsTerryPratchett]

I am a WW person and they told us AGAIN last week that 1/2-2 lbs was healthy weight loss and any more you should talk to the leader about changing your points.

[carernotasaint]

This other member i mentioned upthread used to attend group the first time i did and shes back now as well.
She used to tell me that I "should" be 10 and a half stone. When id struggled to get down to 11 stone from 21 stone it fucking annoyed me.
Last week she said oh ive lost eleven pounds in two weeks. And then intimated that i should lose 5 in my first week. Really id be happy with 1 or 2 or 3 because ive learnt the downside of rapid weight loss the hard way.

[BigGirlInASmallWorld]

As long as one follows the guidelines of any approved diet, should be fine. As long as there aren't any pre-existing/undiscovered conditions.

[maytheoddsbeeverinyourfavour]

I have had gallbladder problems too, but the doctors I have seen have told me it is very common during any weight loss, fast or slow, and especially when someone has large amounts of weight to lose

Obesity is also a huge risk factor in gall stones

They often remove the gall bladder during weight lose surgery due to these problems

I think if someone is obese or morbidly obese the prioity should be losing weight on which ever way the individual finds 'easiest' be that fast or slow

[Kewcumber]

Can you go to another group - that leader sounds positively dangerous.

The only reason you lose so much in the first week or two is that you lose the glycogen first as its the easiest calories for your body to use and this is attached to two water molecules for each molecule of glycogen. Hence the water loss that everyone talks about. If you have already lost a lot of weight you most likely won't have the excess glycogen and also won;t lose the attcehd water.

[carernotasaint]

Thanks Kewcumber. Especially interesting about the glycogen thing. Its not the leader. its another member thats being a pain. The leader i like and get on well with. I think its the whole weight loss culture that gets to me at times.
More emphasis seems to be placed on looks rather than health.

[carernotasaint]

Gallstones is very VERY painful and the waiting lists for operations are always a lot longer under a Tory Government.

[Kewcumber]

But most people are not morbidly obese and are in fact losing weight for their looks. I'm afraid thats a fact of life as we know it at the moment.

[carernotasaint]

True.

[Firawla]

how do they even manage to lose amounts like 11lb per week?!! that sounds crazy
i did sw and think it was recommended not more than 2.5 lb or 3 per week
cant the leader have a word with this member who is making these types of comment to people about shouldnt lose less than 5lb a week

[ApocalypseCheeseToastie]

I've been doing slimming world for a while now, started doing it online and lost a stone in a month, since going to group it's still falling off, lost 4.5ibs last week, 5.5 ibs the week before. I'm still eating plenty and am certainly not starving myself, nor am I running round angry hamster stylee ( ie i'm still sitting on my arse )

There's bugger all I can do about the rate it's coming off, I thnk a lot of it's to do with the fact i'm so big, I have a long way to go but there's no going back, this weight NEEDS to come off or I won't get to see 40.