[yellowted]

I am way overweight, i know i am, i honestly do not eat much at all, take today for instance, i had half a slice of sandwich ham - no bread, about 11am after my carer helped me bathe and dress. I do as much as i can and she does the bits i can't manage. i had a about 250 ml of rice milk at 3pm, by 6pm i was hungry so had 10g of munchy seeds (152 cal per 25g) and at 8pm i have just finished a M&S mini meal (260 cals) with some sprouts and mini sweetcorns(80 cals) i do not drink hot drinks so do not get hidden sugar/cals that way. my drinks are either water, diluted no added sugar cordial or once a day i have 200ml of apple juice but not every day. very occasionally once a month max i will grab a take out chinese or chips, ok i will finish an all in one dish rice, veg and mixed meat from the chinese with a spring roll, but the odd occasion i grab chips from the chippy i always buy a kids portion and leave more than i eat!
My allergies to wheat dairy soy celery and tomato mean i do not have desserts, chocolate, cream, butter ice cream, pizza, biscuits, in fact most things processed. I usually eat fish, boiled chicken or roast meat with microwaved veg and mash or rice boiled with a garlic clove or spices, so i really can't see how i can lose weight.
Ok i am unable to walk and have weak/poor control of my core muscles (i have to use a body harness to sit upright though i try not to use it in the house to make myself try and balance), so guess they aren't burning much, but my house is unadapted, my bed and loo are up a flight of 15 stairs which i have to pull myself up backwards each time i need to change my incontinence pad and to cook my elbows are above my head. i mentioned i have a carer but she is not with me all the time, in fact she works 8-10 hours per week, the rest of the time i am fending for myself. I presently go out as much as possible in my mobility scooter, mainly so i can access a loo easier than at home, but also to meet people else i would end up not seing anyone other than my carer. I do my own shopping and put it away, cook, clean the bits of house i can reach, look after my 6 gerbils and 2 foster rabbits including cleaning their 7 cages and host of tubes every week (carer helps with bunny cage as i can't lift it ), in the warm weather i grow some of my own fruit/veg in my 250 ft garden and have been known to strim the grass a few times too. i scoot 8 mile round trip into the office at least two or three times each week, (i am a director of a charity that helps disabled people by equiping them with the knowledge they need to live as independently as possible in the life of their choice. ) I also volunteer as an advisor for another charity helping long term unemployed and disabled people to find and maintain jobs and i am a board member for a charity helping those with mental health and isolation, sometimes i am roped in to cook berakfast for 20+! so i am by no means a person who is happy laying in bed all day, though there are one or two days a week when i do stay at home on my bed for most of the day to air my bum as much as possible to prevent pressure sores! I swim around 20 lengths whenever i get the opportunity which is rarely now since my carer cut her hours down.
just doing my survival things and 'work' commitments I am exhausted by bed time
I am on about 10 meds a day including steroid inhalors, and codeine but really do need to take these or i end up in hospital.
my doc will not help me with my weight until i can walk which is probably never going to happen.
so eating less - i eat for a sparrow as it is, i eat healthy stuff and very rarely snack between meals, exercise - i do as much as i physically can -

any ideas please how i can lose weight other than not eat at all!

[mazing]

I would really insist that your doctor helps with your weight. I find it very concerning that they are not concerned if you are overweight.

Someone told me that not eating much is as bad as eating bad foods. Your body, because it thinks it's being starved, tries to store as much of the food as it possibly can and therefore means you gain weight instead of losing. That is why most nutritionists suggest 5 small sized meals per day. It means that your body is receiving the nutrients it needs.

I would also suggest maybe looking at seeing a nutritionist or dietician (you should be able to get referral from your doctor and most are covered by insurance, or public assistance if you can prove disability). They can help you come up with a healthy eating and weight management plan, taking into account your allergies and health needs.

While losing weight seems to be your #1 priority, it sounds like finding an apartment or a house that is on one level so you would not have to struggle to use the loo would be of the utmost importance.

There are exercise machines like bicycle pedals that you can use for upper body exercise. They will help you burn calories. Here are two examples (one expensive, one not). http://www.a3bs.com/380-E4-Upper-Bod...FUKd4AodFTsA-Q and http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...e=35-1917412-2

it sounds like you are managing the best you can and are a productive person and an asset to your community despite your disabilities. i also suffer from a lot of food intolerances and they complicate life greatly. i have taken to eating hummus on toast (you would have to have gluten free bread), which i like a lot. here in the states, it comes in many different flavors. of course, you can add your own toppings such as olives, pepper, paprika, sumac or a drizzle of olive oil. i avoid chips (french fries here in the states) as much as possible and instead like to bake potatos in the microwave, shake on some seasoning and drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top. I also do this with yams / sweet potatos. all the best to you!

[Inedible]

When you want to lose weight, it is important to get enough sleep. More than you think you need, probably. I'm talking about quality sleep, too. If you don't get enough sleep it becomes very difficult to lose weight.

The next challenge is to regulate your blood sugar. There are nutrients which can help with this such as niacin and chromium. Cinnamon extract is good, too. Of course, I have no idea how these will interact with your medications. You would do well to discuss blood sugar with a pharmacist or nutritionist. Personally I call Walgreens and ask lots of questions.

[Sabrina]

I felt frustrated for you when reading your post as you really are eating little and healthy too. I don't understand why your doctor won't help you. I don't have any valuable advice but feel for you and thought I would let you know that.

[-jimi-]

I used to eat little, just because if I ate anything near normal I would gain at once. They put me in a type of group therapy where I HAD to eat what the others ate. I explained to them I cannot eat that much because I will get FAT. They said everyone has to eat and I was in starvation mode (I've heard this a lot). And that I should exercise instead. Taking walks. So I did that. I ate small meals of what we cooked, but I started gaining at once. It never stabilized, I never exited the so called starvation mode. I really doubt it even exists. If it did, no one would starve to death but live on air. All that happened was I gained and gained. Unrelated I got sick and ended up in hospital and lost a lot of weight to illness, or I would have turned obese.

At my worst I only needed a very small meal a day, or I would gain. After they started me on thyroid med I got hungrier and I could eat a little more. I don't still eat a normal amount but I still gained about 10 kilos after the hypothyroid diagnosis. So meds let me eat more, but I overdid it and gained way too much.

I just have to face that I actually don't need as much food as others do. Yea, I'm not extremely active but not extremely lazy either. I have a typical high estrogen body with very little muscle mass, so to actually burn calories I would have to do at least twice the exercise of someone else.

Hard luck but what can I do instead of starving myself? Pretty much nothing. I try to balance it and allow some overweight so I get energy to do things. It's not easy. People always have opinions on my eating habits.