Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Although I am generally in very good health, and I am not concerned about my weight for appearances sake, I have noticed that recently I have been having a lot of pain in my hips and knees.
To help with the pain, I would really love to lose a little weight. I know it would make me feel a lot better physically and I am hoping that the horrible, debilitating pain will stop.
But again the old problem arises about diet. I have posted here before, and I'm sure some of you will remember those posts. I am not a stupid person, by any means and I fully understand how the relationship between calories/diet/exercise work.
My problem is that I have eaten a certain way for 54 years. For the first 40 of those 54 years, I had no problem whatsoever with my weight. I was slender, etc. Then all of a sudden it was like someone flipped a switch and I packed on 40 pounds within just a few months. Without changing my level of exercise or my diet in any way.
Again, I understand about diet and food. But after you have been eating a certain way for a very long time, it is very difficult to change what you eat. Especially difficult when you really do not like vegetables or fruit. I am a carb person. I do not eat white bread, and i do not eat refined sugars at all (I am not fond of sweets). But I do eat a lot of whole-wheat bread, a lot of brown rice (some white rice too), and a lot of potato products.
I am not an emotional eater either. I eat only when I am genuinely hungry. I do eat more processed foods than I should but only because I am not one to "fiddle" around with food much. I like my food quick and easy. I don't even think about food until I am starving, and then I want to eat right away, not wait 20 minutes for something to be prepared.
I have heard all the recommendations about learning to "like" the food I detest. That will never happen. I would rather suffer than have to eat food that I lothe. What is the joy in life if you cannot have food that you like and instead have to substitute food that you do not like? Please don't tell me that you can fix Broccoli in a way that it does not taste like broccoli, or any of the other horrible foods that I'm sure will be recommended to me.
I would PAY ANYTHING on earth to just be able to have my appetite suppressed. I have purchased every diet pill on the market (prescription and OTC) and nothing works for me. Even phentermine does not work. I am still ravenously hungry.
I am so afraid that if I do not lose weight that soon I will not be able to walk. Right now I can barely make it across the street because of the pain and I know it's not going to get better without my losing weight. I am 40 pounds overweight right now.
If anybody has any ideas or suggestions, I would love to hear them.
If you eat a lot of processed foods this is what happening:
- it makes your blood sugar take dramatic swings and creates hunger
- it is loaded with salt and sugar so it kills your taste buds making food that is not like this taste odd
- the sugar, salt, white flour in those foods create cravings (fake sugar can do this as well)
And it is about will power. Do you want to walk or do you want to keep on eating like this? Be honest about it to yourself. If you stop with those processed foods it will get better. I suggest to find one thing a week to change that you know is bad for you. Start with the easy stuff. What do you eat/do that is keeping you fat that you do not really care about? Sweetie treats? Too many fries? Too big meat portions? Not enough veggies? Make a list of all your unhealthy habits food wise. Check them off one by one as you change them. And post that list on the fridge where you will see it every day.
I have noticed that recently I have been having a lot of pain in my hips and knees.
I am not a stupid person,
For the first 40 of those 54 years, I had no problem whatsoever with my weight. I was slender, etc.
Then all of a sudden it was like someone flipped a switch and I packed on 40 pounds within just a few months.
Before you get to the fourth post in this thread, you should consult a medical professional.
A lot of pain in your hips and knees could be serious.
Packing on 40 pounds for no obvious reason is a huge yellow flag.
Hi 20 Years! If anyone knows about where you at physically, it's me!
I'm 6'6. At 281 pounds, I'm at least 30 pounds overweight, yet last years blood numbers were still good with 187 on cholesterol and 92 on glucose. Age wise, I have 3 years on you. I was real thin in high school and until I turned 21 I still was under 200. Until 4 years ago, gaining weight always seemed to be a problem. Now the problem is getting rid of this fat gut!
Arthritis wise, I have it everywhere; played college B-ball, blew 3 ligaments in my right knee (1970), bad car wreck-tore 2 ligaments in left knee(1971), slipped on ice-almost broke my hip (1987). Need replacements for all.
Charles is right. Get a checkup with your doctor and get those blood numbers looked at! If you can afford it, IMO it wouldn't hurt to see a nutritionist to get you on a good healthy diet. I won't get into what type of KNUCKLEHEAD behavior I was involved in with my eating habits until I was diagnosed with high blood pressure at age 33. I'm on a couple other meds, one of which its side effects is dry mouth, which really is the pits- I'm always wanted to cram food down, I just will not allow it to happen. (most times anyway!)
As a kid I despised veggies (most of us did). But that is what keeps my numbers in the acceptable range. fresh vegetables is the way to go if you have a farmers market nearby. The old saying 5 types of a combo of fruits and vegetables definitely is solid advice. I know you don't like veggies, but what about fruits? Pears, peaches, blueberries, etc.-I love 'em!
Another item food wise; as much as I love eggs, hashbrowns, toast, and meet for breakfast, get into the habit of eating more cereal, especially oatmeal. It's not the most flavorsome, but it's the most beneficial. Cream of wheat is good too! Cold cereal? Bran Flakes, Wheaties, cereals like that. I've eaten enough dry cereal in my day to know which brands have the least sugar content.
I have a few exercises I do daily in spite of 43 years of arthritis, and 26 years plus on medications for BP, pain, etc., etc. I'm hoping some of the posters who undergo a good exercise program get involved because exercise is pretty durn important. I'll be looking in on their posts because my exercise regimen is not cutting it either.
The one item in your post that really got my attention was the amount of weight gained in such a short time. That concerns me. You don't want to lose your mobility, because when you lose that, a little bit of your independence goes with it. Don't get in my position! Get yourself checked out. I don't know if my own advice is all that valid so I am going to be looking in on this thread from time to time.
Hi, 20 Years! I am trying to deal with similar issues. I am one of those yo yo weight gainers. Sometimes I eat when I am bored, sometimes I eat all the wrong things when I'm stressed out and of course that's when I feel hungry all the time. I have started keeping a food diary. That helps a lot; helps me analyze what I eat and look at the calories I'm consuming. I think I've lost fifteen pounds keeping the food diary.
I have a lot of pain in my back, that has kept me from exercising. Massage therapy is helping with that so now I can start getting some low impact exercise.
I hope that you can find some techniques that help you. I think everyone here in the forum will cheer you on through your progress. Good luck!
20yrsinBranson, first I would like to congratulate you for your consciousness on your health. A lot of people know where they are as far as health and body issues are concerned yet they seem to ignore their situation.
As we get older, it is normal, body weight increases naturally especially for men. You are feeling pain on your hips and knees probably because the lower part of your body cannot support your entire weight anymore. The pain could also be a symptom of an illness caused by overweight or aging. We'll never know until you have gone and consulted your doctor.
My problem is that I have eaten a certain way for 54 years. For the first 40 of those 54 years, I had no problem whatsoever with my weight. I was slender, etc. Then all of a sudden it was like someone flipped a switch and I packed on 40 pounds within just a few months. Without changing my level of exercise or my diet in any way.
I was like this up until I turned 25. I could eat junk food, rarely eat fruits and veggies, drink unlimited amounts of soda and alcohol, never exercise and still look like a toothpick. That all changed when I turned 25 and the weight piled on. Like you, I didn't think I could change a lifetime of bad habits overnight. I knew I had to change my lifestyle, but the gap between what I had been doing for years and what I knew I should be doing was huge.
The first thing I realized was to make small steps. You can't undo decades of bad habits overnight. I started small and built on it. First, I stopped drinking soda. Then when I was comfortable with that, I introduced another change and then another. By making one change at a time rather than making a bunch of changes at once, I had an easier time changing my habits.
The second thing I realized was that I couldn't just get rid of bad habits without replacing them with good habits. For example, a lot of times I ate fast food to deal with stress. I'd come after a bad day at work and grab McDonalds. I still have bad days at work, but now I use exercise to reduce stress. It's been shown that you can't make habits go away. You have to replace them with other habits.
Third, I realized you can't force yourself to keep doing something if you don't like it. A lot of people eat foods they despise because they've been told they're good for them. No matter how hard I try, I just can't get myself to like kale. So I stopped trying to eat it, even though I knew I should. Likewise, when it came to exercise, I liked jogging and biking, but never cared for yoga, which is why I stopped making myself do it. It's a lot easier to stick with something you like than something you feel is a chore.
If I were you, I would do the following:
1) Make a list of all the things you need to change in your current routine. What you eat, exercise, proper sleep, etc.
2) Pick one thing to change and only change that thing. Once you've successfully integrated that change into your routine, make another change.
3) Look at your bad habits and instead of trying to break them, see what you can replace them with. If you drink soda now, switch to diet soda. If you crave sweets and eat candy, maybe you can switch to fruit.
1) Make a list of all the things you need to change in your current routine. What you eat, exercise, proper sleep, etc.
2) Pick one thing to change and only change that thing. Once you've successfully integrated that change into your routine, make another change.
3) Look at your bad habits and instead of trying to break them, see what you can replace them with. If you drink soda now, switch to diet soda. If you crave sweets and eat candy, maybe you can switch to fruit.
I think this is excellent advice, especially number 2...
Before you get to the fourth post in this thread, you should consult a medical professional.
A lot of pain in your hips and knees could be serious.
Packing on 40 pounds for no obvious reason is a huge yellow flag.
See a doctor.
You're right! I remember a friend gaining weight in just a month or 2, only to realize he has hypothyroidism! The pain on hips and knees could be arthritis. Better have a schedule with your doctor... NOW!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The pain on hips and knees could be arthritis. Better have a schedule with your doctor... NOW! 
