I've lost too much weight, look sickly. I'm only 25

Miinzy88
Miinzy88 Posts: 4
in Motivation and Support
Hello All!
I'm here for some advice and hoping maybe someone can help me out.
I've lost 25 pounds in 6 months. I had a very physical and strenuous job at a dog kennel this year.
I was a normal healthy weight of 135 dropping down to 110. My clothes starting falling off... Literally.
I was happy at all the muscle tone I gained but very unsatisfied with other things. My digestive system
is always upset. The skin on my face is no longer vibrant or healthy and I even have wrinkles around
my eyes and mouth. My complexion is terrible and it looks like I'm on drugs. Which I am not.
My eyes are always bloodshot with dark circles underneath. My acne has gotten increasingly worse.
I have major sleep deprivation even when I have seen a doctor. I am so unhappy with the way this has all
turned out. I eat pretty healthy... Most of the time. I do not starve myself by any means but most of the time I
Don't even have an appetite. I force myself to eat. I exercise at least 2/3 times a week for 20 minutes just to stay
active... Not to lose anymore weight. I went from size 11 to 3. I love the fact I can wear these clothes now
But I know deep down it wasn't for the best. I did not mean to lose any weight during this job but naturally I did
And now I am suffering a lot of health issues. I think the thing that bothers me the most is how washed out I look.
At the age of 25 I have sagging skin. Wth!?
I take a lot of vitamins to keep me from being even more unhealthy but honestly I don't think they do anything for me.
I just feel and look like crap all the time. I went to 2 different doctors about this and they said I was fine and I even got blood
Tests done.
My self esteem is totally crap. I see other 25 year olds who look vibrant and healthy and honestly I get upset with myself.
I don't know what to do or how to help myself anymore then what I am already doing. I see skinny girls and they look great and all
But I would love to be toned and strong and fit. That being said, I know what I would have to eat in order to be that way and I know
What kind of strength training I would have to do for that. My stomach can't even hold that much food without getting very bloated.
I drink mostly water and herbal teas. I suffer from a gluten sensitivity and a bit of lactose one as well so it's really hard for me to eat.
Plus I am mostly broke so I can't afford the awesome food I would love to have.
I don't know what to do... and now I look like a druggie. :-(

Sigh.
Any suggestions? Please?

Replies

  • _Resolve_
    _Resolve_ Posts: 735 Member
    Do you weigh/measure/log everything you eat? Can you open your diary?
  • septembergrrl
    septembergrrl Posts: 168 Member
    Eat nut butters, avocado, fish, olive oil, bananas, etc. Healthy high calorie things. And see a doctor.

    [Edited because this came out snarkier than I intended.]
  • kenzietate
    kenzietate Posts: 399 Member
    See a doctor! From your description, this sounds like something worse than just losing 25lbs.
  • Miinzy88
    Miinzy88 Posts: 4
    I used too but it got pretty tedious after a while.
    I am eating about 3 average meals a day and grazing on small things .
    I think I consume about 1300 a day. If that. Sometimes I get so bloated
    Just off of that. I can barley eat anything. :-(
  • Miinzy88
    Miinzy88 Posts: 4
    I've seen 2 doctors and they both said I was fine... I think I happen to disagree.
    Perhaps time to search for another :/
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    You do sound like something is probably wrong. I had a disease pop up in my early 20s that took me getting to 80-something pounds before the docs figured out what it was. My main doc didn't try very hard, honestly. That's the way it goes sometimes with docs :(

    Mine was a malabsorption problem involving a very important vitamin. I did nothing to cause it, lol! That's usually the first thing people wonder. Anyway, it's not a blood test that is run very often, so that's why my lazy doc didn't find it and a new one did (on the first day I saw him). I had symptoms consistent with the need to check for it, but they were neuro tests that the first doc never performed on me. The regular blood tests only showed subtle pointers, but they were still barely within normal, so the 1st doc didn't spot the pattern that was there.

    I was told to exercise more and that it was just stress. I think that's the go-to line for a girl in her twenties.

    Long story short, docs tend to think you're just a drama queen in your twenties. Don't be vague; keep a list of symptoms and when you notice them, and let the doc know that you want an answer for your main complaint. Ask to see a specialist. Do seek a second or third opinion if it's something as big as not being able to eat. You know whether that's a big new symptom that causes problems or not, and don't let them tell you it's more normal than it is.

    Mine was very rare for a girl in her twenties, btw. Figures, with docs not catching it. But somebody has to get the rare stuff or it would be non-existant instead of rare, lol ;) Good luck!
  • Miinzy88
    Miinzy88 Posts: 4
    Oh man, I'm so sorry to hear that. That's really rough. I know what you mean about the doctors not really caring too much. It's sad really.. I've actually considered asking about a malabsorption issue before because when I was researching my symptoms that's one of the things that often came up... Which explains a lot. So what did you end up doing for the problem? Are you alright now? I started to think mine was stress from the job I had but after a few months of not being there and taking it easy a lot of my stress went away so I can't keep using that as an excuse. The doctor also told me it could be that too. They seem to think since we're young that nothing could possibly be wrong but that's so far from the case...
    I think I will look more into this. Thank you for sharing your story :-) I appreciate your help .
  • cjsroute24
    cjsroute24 Posts: 15 Member
    Been tested for Lyme's disease? My neighbor had lyme's disease and she had some of the same issues as you. Just a suggestion. Good Luck!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    For the physical side of things, eat, and lift heavy things.
  • ShapenerFiterrati
    ShapenerFiterrati Posts: 111 Member
    There's something wrong. It's more than losing 25lbs... try to express the big deal to your doctor. It's your health and your right to be fully checked, even if it's just a precaution.

    That's all I can tell you, I honestly don't know much on this topic. :) Good luck hun
  • Bankman1989
    Bankman1989 Posts: 1,116 Member
    you look invisible in your profile pic.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    I've seen 2 doctors and they both said I was fine... I think I happen to disagree.
    Perhaps time to search for another :/

    Go to a specialist if your regular doctor isn't helping.
  • SashleyA
    SashleyA Posts: 122 Member
    I second the seeing another doctor thing. It seems off that you cannot eat more than 1300 calories without having bloating problems. Have you gone in for allergy testing ever? There might be something besides gluten that's causing problems.
  • ncahill77
    ncahill77 Posts: 501 Member
    If the doctor hasn't done blood work schedule a physical which requires basic panels, that is usually a good starting place and it's a way to bypass the doctors indifference.
  • silver_arrow3
    silver_arrow3 Posts: 1,373 Member
    Find a specialist. Perhaps someone like an endocrinologist who specializes in hormonal issues. Something is off balance and needs to be corrected before becoming a bigger problem.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    Oh man, I'm so sorry to hear that. That's really rough. I know what you mean about the doctors not really caring too much. It's sad really.. I've actually considered asking about a malabsorption issue before because when I was researching my symptoms that's one of the things that often came up... Which explains a lot. So what did you end up doing for the problem? Are you alright now? I started to think mine was stress from the job I had but after a few months of not being there and taking it easy a lot of my stress went away so I can't keep using that as an excuse. The doctor also told me it could be that too. They seem to think since we're young that nothing could possibly be wrong but that's so far from the case...
    I think I will look more into this. Thank you for sharing your story :-) I appreciate your help .

    I'm pretty great, thank you! I have permanent nerve damage from the delay in diagnosis, though, and I can't say I'm pleased about the first doc because of that! It was totally avoidable.

    All I have to do is give myself a shot in the butt every month. I'm very good at it, lol. I can't believe that's all it took to give me my life back, but there ya go :)

    I shot up from the 80s to 130 (practically solid muscle!) just from living life with the shots. It was crazy. I would have never guessed what was wrong. I actually had no idea exactly how bad I felt until I got treatment, so it was very, very wrong of my first doc to think I was exaggerating a thing.
  • UCSMiami
    UCSMiami Posts: 97 Member
    Find a specialist. Perhaps someone like an endocrinologist who specializes in hormonal issues. Something is off balance and needs to be corrected before becoming a bigger problem.

    This absolutely.
  • bi0nicw0man
    bi0nicw0man Posts: 56 Member
    Aw, sorry to hear you're feeling unwell and unhappy.

    You mention your dog kennel job is quite physically demanding...so I'm guessing 1300 calories intake just isn't enough for you. Could you up your caloric intake by eating more calorie dense healthy foods? Nuts, cheeses, lean meats, slow carbs (yams, quinoa, rices, etc). Your bloating could be due to too much fibre (ie lots of veggies but not enough fats, etc).

    Just a few thoughts to help.

    But yes, keep trying with the doctor...that's such a rapid weight loss...it can't just be your job and food choices.
  • LuLuChick78
    LuLuChick78 Posts: 439 Member
    -I had a very physical and strenuous job.
    -I do not starve myself by any means but most of the time I Don't even have an appetite. I force myself to eat. I exercise at least 2/3 times a week for 20 minutes just to stay active.
    -My stomach can't even hold that much food without getting very bloated.
    -I suffer from a gluten sensitivity and a bit of lactose one as well so it's really hard for me to eat.
    -Plus I am mostly broke so I can't afford the awesome food I would love to have.

    These are the lines that stood out to me...

    While I think medical testing should continued to be pursued...my opinion is that this is a 'calorie in vs calorie out' issue.
  • Mistymaam
    Mistymaam Posts: 9
    I agree with most...see the doctor. My GI symptoms were a sign of celiac disease. I had SOOO many skin, muscle, bone, etc... probs!! My problem was I gained a ton of weight on a gluten free diet. But, I'm changing that! Get well!!
  • ErinMLB
    ErinMLB Posts: 100 Member
    See a doctor, get as much blood work done as possible , if you think this is something serious find someone who will take you seriosuly. No one here can tell you if/what is wrong, they do not have access to your health records, or blood work.

    Aside from all that, get yourself a high calorie protein shake, from your activity level it does not seem like you are eating enough calories at all. Get one without Whey because that can occasionally bug someone with a lactose intolerance. Eating healthy also does not mean spending a lot of money, check out the recipe page for some good ideas. I really do not think you are eating enough, don't try to add in a whole bunch of calories all at once, do it over a period of time, because your stomach will hurt like hell if you do, try adding a couple hundred more every other day or so.

    Good luck
  • MsJulielicious
    MsJulielicious Posts: 708 Member
    keep getting other opinions if you can afford it. I have had a score of Dr's not really give a s*** or misdiagnose. Hope you get the answers you need and soon
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
    Go to a specialist immediately and Google 'Crohn’s disease'.

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