Hello MFP people. (long post)

sls0991

I never introduce myself on here, although I did download the app with the hopes of logging in what I eat. I've just realized that calorie counting is NOT for me and definitely not something I can see myself doing for the rest of my life. I do plan to track the average day just to see where I'm at every so often. I'm just not good with numbers and no amount of encouragement will ever make me want to give math another chance, lol.

So anyway, I've just been accepted for disability at 22 years old. I have microscopic colitis and I am untreated as of right now. My doctors are a bunch of circus monkeys, but that's another story. I also just read the letter from my judge's decision on my disability case and he mentioned all his findings and it included a diagnosis from my endocrinologist (which I was never told about or aware of). Cushing disease? I really don't even know what that is, but from what I have heard, it makes you gain a butt-load of weight. It would make sense, because I have a very limited food budget each month, around $150 (sometimes less). Because of my food allergies (all meat except turkey, all seafood except fish but it still bothers me, oats, barley, rye, dairy, caesin-the protein in mammal's milk, and certain "spring mix" vegetables in those prepackaged salads, not quite sure which one made me sick). So yea, it hasn't been a fun or easy ride at all.

I am now slowly trying to change my thinking and attitude (I've been reading about the Gabriel Method) and force my doctors to figure out what the heck is wrong with me so I have some chance of changing my life. I have done the exercise (I'm very vitamin deficient from the colitis so it is very difficult and one workout takes me days to recover), ate healthier for months and haven't dropped a single pound. The only time I have lost any amount of weight was at the beginning of this month. I went to a park in my town and walked around two times, it wasn't even a mile's worth. It's probably not related but with my health and body who the heck knows, I got extremely sick to the point where I couldn't eat anything. Anything that touched my stomach resulted in instant nausea and pain. It was a good week before I finally went to the hospital and I had lost 12 pounds in that one week alone from not eating anything. I was severely dehydrated, and my CT scan showed severe inflammation in my intestines. ER doctors can't ever tell you much, but I was given two antibiotics and 3 other medications for nausea, vertigo and something else that I can't remember. I finished the medicine as best I could (the side effects were horrible, it made me hallucinate, delirious, etc). This all sounds like a dramatization out of a horror movie doesn't it? Yea I really wish.

So yea, this is my life and what I've been dealing with. I have no idea how I'm going to lose weight. I don't even know where to start. There are things wrong medically and no one will treat me or diagnose me properly for anything. The ER doc I saw was in shock that I wasn't treated for the colitis that I have as he said there are MANY different treatments. I have seen 7 gastroenterologists though, so what do I do from here? Do I pull a John Q and take the doctor's office hostage? I mean... this forum is about losing weight, but how do you do that when your body doesn't let you?

Thanks to anyone who read this load of crap that is my life, lol. Any advice, tips, etc would be much appreciated. Especially if anyone else has any medical issues that are literally preventing them from living a normal life, let alone losing weight, I would love to hear from you.

FitnessWeb34

Im very sorry to hear about your struggles especially at such a young age. You say you were eating healthy but still could not lose weight? What were you eating? It is possible that what you thought was healthy maybe was not as healthy as you thought. I would suggest reading up on nutrition and what our bodies need to be healthy. Also get a new doctor, seriously these guysvget paid good money to treat us and they should do their jobs right. It is just horrible that they have put you through that. This site has some great tips for success. I hope they help you. Feel free to add me as a friend, always here whenever you want to just want get your frustrations out.

amelialoveshersnacks

well hello to you too lol

I will stress I am not a doctor, nutritionist, natural therapist etc etc. If this were me, then I wouldn't be surprised if this post only covered the surface. So my response will be, (jeesh what a catch 22), Just focus on one aspect at a time. Nutrition is more important than weight loss, so you sooner you can heal your insides and manage a diet comfortably the better, then perhaps look at exercising - swimming might be a better alternative to walking as I, myself wouldn't want to put too much strain on my tummy if it's already inflamed, or perhaps just keep the walks short but regular.
A food diary with a 'pain gauge' half an hour after eating, 2hrs after etc might help you pinpoint triggers a little better. I can't stand calorie counting and weighing portions either, but my food diary has allowed me to know my triggers a little better, which funnily enough I feel better when I am eating non gmo, certified organic food. Well that's my thoughts and yes I acknowledge you certainly do have quite a battle on your hands - I hope you find the answers to the questions you seek

sls0991

Thank you both for the supportive replies. When I "dieted" I ate fresh fruits and vegetables, a lot of salad as it was cheap, no dressing mostly because I can't tolerate a lot of dressings. I ate chicken a few times a week, not breaded or baked, just grilled with some salt and pepper. It was PURDUE chicken. I ate deli turkey. I drank nothing but filtered water (that was really hard as water is tasteless and gets boring fast). I also ate oatmeal and added my own fruit (usually bananas or apples). This was before I was testing for food allergies and I can't eat even half of these things anymore (the oats, the chicken/meat, certain ingredients in spring mix salads, milk, etc).

I'm pretty clueless when it comes to nutrition, so maybe I did something wrong, but I didn't cheat or stay from the diet and I chose to eat simple things so it wouldn't be too complicated, stuff I knew (or at least thought) were healthy. I didn't lose any weight, and I did aerobics for exercise during this time as well.

I personally think a lot of it has to do with stress, as my life has been stressful and intense ever since I got sick. Everything is more difficult to do and it's really exhausting. But I think like you both have mentioned, I need to see a good doctor (hopefully this next one will be the charm!) and find out what my body can tolerate and what it can't. When you have food allergies, it's really hard to stay away from everything that contains your trigger (especially harder when you're allergic to multiple items like I am now). It's mind blowing, because I never suffered with food allergies at all in my life other than oranges, but that was very easy to stay away from. It's not like milk or gluten which is in EVERYTHING. I hope that seeing a nutritionist will really help as well.

Thank you both so much for posting!

PrizePopple

If you have Cushings I would advise you to seek advice and assistance from a medically trained professional.

"Cushing disease is caused by a tumor or excess growth (hyperplasia) of the pituitary gland.The pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain. A type of pituitary tumor called an adenoma is the most common cause. An adenoma is almost always benign (not a cancer).

With Cushing disease, the pituitary gland releases too much ACTH. ACTH stimulates production and release of cortisol, a stress hormone. Too much ACTH causes the adrenal glands to make too much cortisol."

Unfortunately it's going to be about far more than diet for you. Even food allergies aside, you have a serious medical condition that needs to be controlled.