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Original poster

Losing too much weight.

38 replies

ItllBeLonelymumThisChristmas · 18/12/2004 16:40

I wasn't sure whether to post on the weight losing threads but it seemed to be all about losing weight there and I don't want to appear to be rubbing people's noses in the fact that I have the opposite problem. Anyway, this is my problem....

I am 5 feet 8 inches tall and have been steadily losing weight since having my fourth baby 22 months ago. Recently, the weight loss seems to have increased and I am now only 9 stone, 3 pounds. Before havig children I was about 9 stone 10 pounds. I frequently feel tired and run-down and some of you will know I have been quite depressed and stressed lately. Do you think I am losing too much weight? (I am not trying to lose any weight at all) Is that making me feel ill? Or do you think I have an illness whose side effect is weight loss? Any advice?

OP posts:
Original poster
ItllBeLonelymumThisChristmas · 18/12/2004 17:20

I know I definitely never ever skip meals, not even when I am ill. But I also know that I don't always eat that much. Just lately, being depressed, I have maybe only had a sandwich for lunch when normally I would have some fruit, biscuits, cake, anything else hanging around, as well. But I don't feel hungry later on in the day, so I don't make up for it.

OP posts:
RudyDudy · 18/12/2004 17:24

perhaps that's the first place to start - making sure what you do have is as high energy as possible so you don't have to worry about eating more. There are various ways you can fortify your food without increasing the volume such as adding grated cheese or cream to soups and making sure you have high energy sandwich fillings, etc. I hope there's no skimmed milk and low fat cheese in your house

Got to go for now but good luck and keep us up-dated with your weigh-ins

Original poster
ItllBeLonelymumThisChristmas · 18/12/2004 19:04

No, I don't do skimmed milk or low fat things, except maybe yoghurts, but full fat yoghurts are hard to come by. Thanks for the ideas re fortifying my meals.

OP posts:
aloha · 18/12/2004 19:22

A thyroid problem can make you depressed, tired, shaky, stressed etc. Nobody should diagnose depression IMO without also doing some basic screening tests - ie a blood test. Of course, your weight loss could just be a side effect of depression, but equally it could be the other way around. I'd either go back to the GP and request a blood test, or change GPs, which might be an idea anyway, given how unhelpful you seem to find her.

Original poster
ItllBeLonelymumThisChristmas · 18/12/2004 19:30

You're right there (about not getting on with GP). I think I will read up on over-active thyroids etc, eat as well and as much as I can over Christmas - shouldn't be hard: going home to mum's cooking - and see how I am going in January.

OP posts:
NatureDoc · 18/12/2004 22:31

get your adrenal gland checked too - if your doc won't do it contact www.nutri.co.uk for a private blood test - it can really help and has helped alot of my patients in this situation.

Original poster
ItllBeLonelymumThisChristmas · 22/12/2004 18:45

Down to 9 stone 1 pound now! Will there be anything left by New Year?

OP posts:
RudyDudy · 22/12/2004 18:54

is that another 2 pounds in less than a week lonelymum? How how's your appetite been? If there's no change then I really do think you should see a dr to get things like thyroid and adrenal glands checked out.

Original poster
ItllBeLonelymumThisChristmas · 22/12/2004 18:59

Well, my appetite is very poor at the moment so I think that accounts for the loss of two more pounds. What I want to know is why my appetite is so poor? I can hardly eat more than my 8 year old son and I am normally the sort of person who finds supermarket portions way too small.

OP posts:
RudyDudy · 22/12/2004 19:18

LM - sorry I can't be more help now as I have to go out now but there can be many reasons for a loss of appetite. How would you feel about seeing your GP about it? Or would it be possible to see another GP in your practice?

My best idea for now is to eat little and often and try to make it as energy dense as possible - don't worry too much now if it's not the healthiest food in the world, right now you need some energy!

bluemoon · 22/12/2004 21:01

LM, sorry this will be briefer than I'd like as I'm up to my ears in packing etc. to go away for Christmas tomorrow.

Knowing some of the things I do about you from the other thread, while at the same time keeping a totally open mind as to your weight loss I'd want to ask you the following things:

What are you worried that your weight loss / appetite loss might mean?

Your weight loss seems quite clearly to be connected to your eating less so in itself I don't think is enormously worrying. If you did as you suggest and eat loads for a week and still lose weight it would be more worrying.

Appetite loss comes about due to so many different things and I think eating less creates a smaller appetite etc. You know about some of my problems and I struggle to keep to 8.5 stone and am 5,8 as well. My appetite is so small that I can easily go a day with nothing than black coffees with sugar. When my eating was better just after dd was born I'd have been fainting with hunger by 11am if I hadn't eaten. So if you gradually up what you're having I'm sure your appetite will follow.

Are you suffering from any other symptoms? Pain or sickness (AGH!!! ), headaches, pounding heart etc.? I think if there was something seriously to worry about then you would be feeling other things than appetite loss and tiredness. You did mention on the other thread about possibly having a virus?

I do think you should see the GP though. Gosh I know what you mean so much. My GP NEVER takes me seriously any more. I often think that if I was ill and worried I'd go to A&E where I'd be treated anonymously and quickly!

I may not be able to catch up with you again before the end of next week. I hope you manage to get a break and that you eat and feel better.

Original poster
ItllBeLonelymumThisChristmas · 22/12/2004 21:05

Agree with a lot of what you say Bluemoon. Well all of it actually. Not sure what I am worried about, just that I have never been less than 9 stone 10 since being an adult and often a lot more than that and now look at me. Might be stress, recent worries over illness, etc, or might be the start of something serious. Sometimes worry about being anorexic even though I know I am not.
Will try to pig out this Christmas and see what I can do.

OP posts:
RudyDudy · 23/12/2004 08:32

Hi Lonelymum - bluemoon makes a very good point that appetite is actually generated by eating and ironically the less you eat the less you will feel like/ be able to eat. If it helps, you could always set yourself a target amount to eat by lunchtime, dinnertime, etc. Also, you could write down what you are eating which will make you more conscious of doing it. If you really haven't been eating much then it may take a bit of time to build up to larger amounts so give yourself some time. The most positive thing is that you are aware of it happening and are trying to do something about it - so you really are half way there already. Good luck and happy eating

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