I am so discusted with myself
By lagirl1966
@lagirl1966 (709)
United States
February 19, 2009 10:07am CST
Hi all,
I have been sick for past 4 years. I weighed about 180 then, and I found out I had Gastroparesis (delayed emptying of the stomach) and IBS-D. I recently did some research online, and found out that I am considered obese. This is making me sick! I only weigh 210 right now so I am not that big. But I feel miserable. I don't know how I got this big. I had always struggled with my weight but now my back is in constant pain, as are my feet and legs. I can't go on any diet. Basically cause I am already on three for my conditions. I cant eat any veggies, or fruits (I am also fructose intollorant) and I can't digest red meats. So where does that leave me? I hardly eat anything at all cause my stomach cant handle it. What I am wondering is, would exercise allow me to lose weight? I have tried but I get so exhausted I feel like I am going to die! This makes me so mad cause before I got sick I would exercise almost 7 days a week! I love watching the biggest loser cause it motivates me. I actually get up and try to do the exercises they do. I won't join a gym cause I cant afford to. I am ashamed of what I look like. I can't even look in the mirror anymore. It discusts me. Any advice?
2 people like this
6 responses
@00BleedingShadow00 (784)
• Philippines
19 Feb 09
Hi there lagirl! Don't give up on yourself. Hang in there! I was also obese and I really felt so sick because of that, but your condition is way far complicated than mine. I think you need to seek advise from a Gastrointestinal specialist regarding your troubled stomach. I am just wondering why you have gained weight well in fact you have Gastroparesis. I am a nursing student and we have tackled the subject inside our classroom. As far as I can remeber Gastroparesis, yes, it is delayed emptying of the stomach. It could be a cause of vagus nerve imparement, stomach surgery, medication that slows down the contraction of the muscles of the stomach, viral infection. If you have hypotyroidism or diabetes it is possible that you will have Gastroparesis.
Since there is a very slow emptying of the stomach you should have at least 6 small portioned meals. Large servings of meals can make your stomach ache. If it is possible for you, you should eat soft or puree foods to avoid stomach discomfort. "Raw" vegetables (but you can still eat cooked) which are high in indigestible fibers, foods high in fat, and carbonated drinks should be avoided.
You really have to go to the doctor because there are some medications that you need to take like, Metoclopramide to stimulate muscle contraction of the stomach and other meds that could help you have a normal gastric emptying. It is possible that your gastrointestinal tract has harbor a large number of bacteria because of the foods that was slowly digested (causes the food to ferment thus growing the number of bacteria in the stomach). I hope I have provided a useful information.
If you really want to lose weight, first you have to do something about your gastro problem. Losing weight takes a lot of patience and effort. I know you can do it. I am now using a site which is called spark people dot com. There you can seek advices from the health experts for free. Don't feel bad about yourself. Be positive that you can change what you are right now.
@lagirl1966 (709)
• United States
19 Feb 09
Hi,
Thanks so much. Yes you are right it is the vagus nerve that is damaged in my stomach. I am currently seeing a GI doctor but he has been no help. The medication you mentioned to help stimulate, is called reglan or Metoclopramide, damaged my eyesight so I had to go off of it. They say it is not good to stay on it cause has such bad side effects. And they are right. I now live with blurry vision everyday. My doctor really dosent care he says I complain. It really pissed me off. I am looking for a new one. I need someone that will listen to me. I have constant daily bloating to. To the point of looking 7 months pregnant. Is is so painful. I have not found anything that can help the bloating. He said there wasn't anything. And with the IBS on top of that, I am miserable everyday. The IBS causes constant gas buildup and I think that is what the bloating is. I will check out that site you mentioned cause I really need some advice on my conditions. I am not giving up. I am going to lose this weight. I don't have diabetes. I do have hypothyroidism though. Maybe that is what caused it. Thankyou for your advice!
@HealthWerks (29)
• United States
20 Feb 09
Yes I agree completely, it would be best to take care of the gastric problem with a medical proffesional first before considering any diets or excericies, it would just be too flustrating to put all your time and work into working out and spending money on diets that may do more harm than good. And as always, before starting any diet or excercise regime you should always have a physician consultation if you have any medical conditions. You will succeede, I know it, becuase this is want you really want. But there steps in achieving your goals, so be patient, and just look at it this way with all the knowledge and success you are going to have in beating this you could help so many others in dealing with this problem...There is always a bright side to everything. Chin up...We are here to supports you :-)
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
19 Feb 09
00BleedingShadow00 - Is is great to hear from someone involved in the medical field - sometimes we take the word of our physicians as gospel, and because of the cost involved or the providers our insurance allows, we don't seek another opinion.
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
20 Feb 09
i too have IBS i have had it for many years.i don,t eat spicy sauces and onions and i do eat fruit but i have a hard time digesting meat except chicken.i have cut back so much.i don,t eat ;oaded down foot with a lot fats and such but before i found out what it was like you you i was sick my stomach blew up a lot and hurt to the point where i couldn,t eat.iam still over weight i think but my mate like the size iam he actually think i should get a little bigger he is out of his mind.he just like large size women.but iam feeling much better these days iam active and iam hardly ever at home.i may eat once are twice a day on a good day i don,t eat a lot.have a senseitive stomach.having IBS there are days where you run off and days you can,t even go. it crazy.well i hope you feel better soon.
@lagirl1966 (709)
• United States
21 Feb 09
annjilena,
How did you lose the weight? You are lucky you have someone that accepts you for what you are. I to can only eat very small amounts of food, then I get so bloated I think I will blow up. I hope that one day this will get better. My GI has done nothing to help me. So I am looking for a new one. I don't eat any spicy things or fats either. Nothing greasy it sends me into a flareup. Thanks.
@academic2 (7000)
• Uganda
20 Feb 09
I advise you do something about your weight instead, there are weight loss ideas you could get from the internet-but cutting on your diet especially of fatty food is one sure way. Also eat little, do exercise and take garlic-it will burn the fats.
Good luck!
@jaymeeliz (505)
• Philippines
19 Feb 09
Well you should consult a doctor because hey know best. When it comes to exercise do light exercises first. Don't push yourself to the limit. Just increase it gradually. If you want easy exercises, I suggest the ones in this website: http://jacklalanne.com/tv.html Just wait for it to load and follow through. It would provide you with six weeks of exercise starting out with light exercises.
@lagirl1966 (709)
• United States
19 Feb 09
Jaymeeliz,
Thanks so much for the advice. I will definetely check out that website. Right now, I want to push myself to the limit cause I want it off so bad. But I will start slow. Thanks alot.
@misskyla (40)
• United States
20 Feb 09
I can imagine your frustration and can understand your wanting the weight off now. I agree you should take it slow and gradually build up an exercise routine. As you progress, you will probably feel better and have more energy. Do ask your doctor for advice or the next one you find for help. I can relate to the not feeling well every day. It is frustrating and difficult to deal with and stay positive. Good luck and hang in there.
@lagirl1966 (709)
• United States
21 Feb 09
Thankyou misskyla,
It difficult living this way. Not only being over weight, but living with these disorders. I have done tons of research and people with my conditions gain weight because the body dosent function normally anymore. And I hardly eat anything at all. I cant eat a normal dinner or lunch. I can barely squeeze down a half a sandwich then I am bloated like crazy. And dinner is not much at all. So you see I cant eat like normal people can. It has to be very small amounts. So that cant be the reason for all this weight. Thanks alot.
@Bohemian77 (277)
• United States
19 Feb 09
That's terrible! I know about the IBS, I have that. The only thing that stopped my IBS was bananas. Now I eat 1 or 2 bananas a day, and I don't have any "episodes". They got so bad, it was like 2-3 hours every morning of pure h*ll. I thought I was going to die :( But I started out eating 2-3 bananas for the first week, then 2 a day, and now I'm down to 1-2 a day. It was the only thing that worked for me.
I also started exercising. I do about 5 minutes of arm exercise, then 30 mins of power walking, mon-fri. They say that if you have to choose between diet and exercise to lose weight, exercise is the best.
I also gave up meat because of stomach problems, though I still eat fish and dairy.
@lagirl1966 (709)
• United States
19 Feb 09
Hi! Which IBS do you have? C or D? I have D and it is not fun! Bananas give me Diarreah. So I cant eat them. You are lucky they work for you. And it is H*LL! I never feel good ever. I agree. I think no matter what you eat you can still lose weight through exercise, I have before and I am praying I can again. I eat fish and dairy to still. Thanks!
@Bohemian77 (277)
• United States
19 Feb 09
I have both. I would go through a period of "c", then "d" hit, and last for several days (almost always in the morning).
@lagirl1966 (709)
• United States
21 Feb 09
Thats horrible. And I thought the diarreah side was awful. Do you get bloating? I get awful bloating everyday. It makes me look like I am 7 months pregnant and it is painful. It tugs on my back and so my back is always in pain. I just wonder with all the nutrients and stuff I am missing if I really will be able to lose the weight.