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General health

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Original poster

Should I be worried about the amount of weight I have lost suddenly?

15 replies

foxinsocks · 09/07/2015 10:20

I have had a pretty manic couple of years. A divorce, a court case where I had to be a witness/victim (not related to the divorce), very busy job and travel. My weight ballooned from around 62kg to, at its highest, about 73kg in the space of around a year. I had to buy a whole new set of work clothes as nothing fit me. I stopped doing exercise (we cancelled the gym contract on divorce and then I barely had time with work and the kids etc.).

In January, I weighed 72kg and was doing everything I could to lose the weight. I was doing MFP, avoiding snacks etc and trying to do exercise but in reality I wasn't doing a lot as my knees/feet took strain when I put on the weight. I also have extremely heavy periods for 10 days each month. I lost no weight at all from eating healthily.

Around Easter time (still 72kg), there was the big fire at Kingsway in London which meant I could no longer get the bus to work and I had to start walking from Waterloo (around 3km one way). I did this till around June. It was murder for me as I carry a moderately heavy bag to work and my knees and feet took strain. I went to a physio which helped and essentially I had to just push through it (started wearing trainers to work etc.). I was still 72kg just before this happened. I then had a smear (due to some odd symptoms) which came back abnormal and I am due to have a colposcopy in August. I had to see a gynae who said he wasn't too worried as I had a clear smear 2 years ago but that I had HPV in these cells so if they didn't do something about them, they would either turn cancerous or be cancerous already (this is the bit that worries me) - either way they would do the colposcopy soon and see what it said.

Around June, people at work started commenting on the fact that I was losing so much weight. I felt like I had lost a lot as my clothes were loose - I weighed myself and I was around 66kg. So I had lost 6 kgs in around 2.5/3 months. Today I am 64kg and my weight is still dropping. So that's 8kg since Easter. The only thing I am doing differently is walking a bit more. My diet is the same as it was before (I have always eaten pretty healthily).

Obviously I am pleased but I'm also a bit bemused because I don't feel that I have done very much. The gynae (not because of the weight loss) did a scan to check my womb for masses and took a biopsy of my endometrium to check for cancer and there was nothing there.

Should I be worried? Or just chalk it up to the walking?

OP posts:

CocktailQueen · 09/07/2015 10:22

Hmm, it does sound like a lot of weight to lose when you're not on a diet.

I'd go back to the GP and tell hm and ask his advice.

Do you have any other 'symptoms'? Have you had the colposcopy yet?

motherinferior · 09/07/2015 10:25

Yes, go back and get it checked, my lovely.

Woopsiedaisy · 09/07/2015 10:29

I agree. You need to get it checked out.

it may be nothing, but something has changed as far as your body is concerned. If you don't understand that change it would be silly to ignore it.

Original poster

foxinsocks · 09/07/2015 10:32

thanks :). Ok will go back and just run this past the GP.

(Hi MI!)

Colposcopy in August. Had symptoms that pointed to cervical cancer which is why I insisted on the smear (bleeding in between periods, pain in that area). And thank goodness I did tbh as it has come back with HPV plus the abnormal cells.

I also get stomach symptoms - have reflux which I had an endoscopy for many years ago which just pointed to inflammation, and I get flare ups in the whole GI area (inflammation) which result in diarrhoea but they investigated this fully around ooh 8-10 years ago and found nothing suspicious and tbh apart from one bad bout a month or so ago, I haven't had it badly for a while.

OP posts:

SophieJenkins · 09/07/2015 10:41

How tall are you?

What was your normal weight before you put on a lot in the last year or two? Was it about 62kg?

If so then I think I wouldn't worry at all unless the weight loss doesn't stabilise at roughly where you were before.

The walking you are doing sounds like it could make quite a lot of difference to your calorie use. If you are still more than you used to weigh then I would not be too concerned - your lifestyle has altered a little and your body is adjusting itself.

If however it continues to fall off dramatically say below about 60kg then I'd probably go back to the doc at that point.

Are you happier now than you have been while all that stressful stuff was going on? I hope so.

SophieJenkins · 09/07/2015 10:44

btw I'm not you I know, but my normal weight is about 56-60kg and it varies from time to time, I'm around 60 atm but for a long time was about 56. (I'm 5ft7) I think particularly as women our bodies do change weight a fair bit and it's normal. (I keep a stash of clothes in various sizes to accommodate this!)

Original poster

foxinsocks · 09/07/2015 10:56

I'm 1.67m which I think is 5ft 6. Was around 62kg before this happened but that was a long time ago

OP posts:

Twodogsandahooch · 09/07/2015 11:11

Definitely go to GP. You need a thorough review and full set of bloods including thyroid function.

motherinferior · 09/07/2015 11:20

Sophie, any sudden weight loss needs checking out.

SophiePendragon · 09/07/2015 12:01

Yes, you're right, sorry. Ignore me. But I hope it is just normal.

Original poster

foxinsocks · 09/07/2015 12:09

don't worry Sophie, I knew what you meant. Yes I am happier, thanks for asking.

I had a nagging noise in my head about losing so much, especially when people started commenting on it. I was actually surprised when I weighed myself this week and saw I had dropped to 64kg as I've been out for meals quite a lot over the last 2 weeks which would normally mean gaining weight or at least not losing it. It's actually this week that has surprised me more than anything so it does seem to be continuing to fall off.

OP posts:

SirVixofVixHall · 09/07/2015 12:16

I agree to getting it checked. Probably you've been losing weight slowly for a while and it has simply reached that tipping point where people start to notice. But get checked to rule out thyrid problems etc.

motherinferior · 09/07/2015 12:46

I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped. I am off to a hospital appointment of my mother's, which is why this sort of thing is on my mind. I do apologise.

Original poster

foxinsocks · 09/07/2015 12:50

oh no I'm sorry to hear it MI. I hope she's ok. Dealing with hospitals is stressful at the best of times :(

OP posts:

hiccupgirl · 10/07/2015 06:17

I would def get it checked out especially if you know you have been eating well and you feel the weight loss is out of your control.

I'm not saying it is automatically anything serious but I've had steady weight loss for the last 10 months - luckily I was overweight so had plenty to lose and some of it has been down to very bad IBS but after pushing for more investigations, I have got a cyst on one kidney that needs removing. This may be causing the weight loss but it's all a bit unclear until it's removed and can be tested. My weight is more stable at the moment but I know I'm eating more than I really should at my age and level of activity to maintain it.

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