Posted by barbaracat on February 10, 2005, at 18:55:48
In reply to Re: sudden dramatic weight gain... explanations? » Racer, posted by CareBear04 on February 7, 2005, at 10:29:17
Your diet is not sustaining you. You're loading up with sugar, either actual sugars like in the Luna bars, or simple carbs, like in the rest of your food. You're not getting enough fibre or protein or complex carbs - not enough long-term fuel. You might have a problem with your insulin metabolism, which is a chicken/egg thing as far as putting on weight.
There's nothing in any diet philosophy that says you can't do moderate exercise, like walking or stretching. You do what you can but don't fool yourself with a bull excuse to skip moving your bod. With your lack of protein you don't want to overdo it, but my goodness, do what you can to keep that metabolism burning brightly.
None of this explains the rapid weight gain, however. It sounds more like water retention or hormonal. If you're getting your bone density checked you might as well get a test for your other sex hormones. You've got to be aware that at 21 year old, you should not be having to think about bone density. Menopause is famous for putting on weight. This is not to say that you're going through early menopause, but it shows that imbalanced hormones and metabolism play a big part in gaining weight.
And then there's the thyroid. A low thyroid will make losing weight near impossible. Be very careful with soy products. They can depress the thyroid and raise estrogen.
I too don't like heavy dense foods. I'd rather eat bread and pasta and butter all day. So I eat fish or do hemp protein shakes. But fish has mercury. What the heck is left? I'd rather be vegetarian but it's so time consuming to do it right. So I eat alot of organic turkey and chicken and try to disguise it in soups and stews. But who am I to say? I know what works and I follow it, but I still have huge health issues. I also know I'd be alot worse with huge health issues and a crappy diet.
So, my dear, all of our suggestions are just suggestions that might help or harm you, depending on what's really going on. Seek a good nutritionist. You could also get a good book on healthy eating, but a nutritionist could taylor an eating plan that's customized for you. You don't need to keep going forever, just a few appointments to solidify things and monitor your new diet. As far as books, I like "The Hamptons Diet" about the best of all of them.
It really sounds like you're wanting to do the best for yourself but don't have a good handle on what that means for you. I think the basics of good nutrition are not rocket science - equal ratios of fresh produce, protein, complex carbs (grains) with some good oils and fats thrown in, and minimize or cut out 'white foods'. But weaning off the junk we're led to believe is good for us isn't so easy. And did I mention aspartame? Bad nasty stuff. Good luck to you.
poster:barbaracat
thread:452680
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/health/20050105/msgs/456033.html