|
Depressed About My Weight
I need help as I am thoroughly depressed about my weight and want advice on what to do about it.
I am a 59 year old woman, I am 5 feet 2 inches tall, and I weigh about 180 pounds. I am absolutely addicted to coca cola, root beer, orange and grape soda, potato chips, Taco Bell, and cheesecake. I don't know how to break these addictions and lose weight. I have an elderly father who has a horrible diet. He eats no vegetables, no fruits, lots of processed foods and snacks foods, lots and lots of sugar. He eats an ice cream sundae or a Wendy's frosty everyday and he drinks nothing, and I mean NOTHING but Dr. Pepper and even HE'S in better shape than I am. Okay, maybe he's not as healthy as I am, but he IS skinnier.
I have two grown daughters and I used to feel bad worrying that I taught my youngest bad eating habits. She was overweight in high school. She was still beautiful, but she was 5 foot 4 inches tall and weighed about 155 pounds. Then midway through her senior year, she suddenly started losing weight like crazy. She'd started counting calories and no one knew it until we asked her about it once we noticed that she was losing weight. I tried her method of losing weight (counting calories), but I sucked at it. I'd underestimate how many calories something I ate was or I'd lose track of how many calories I ate in a day. I didn't wind up losing any weight at all.
My daughter was down to her ideal weight by the time she started college, but that didn't last forever. She gained all the weight back after finishing college, but recently lost almost all of it again. Her new thing now is eating the right foods (fruits, vegetables, lean meats, etc.) and portion control. She still indulges in some junk food, but far less. For example, she likes sugar and in the past, when she felt like something sweet, she'd eat half a pint of ice cream or a big ice cream cone or something. Now she likes to buy these teeny tiny little ice cream cones (I believe they're called Blue Bunny Mini Swirls). She also exercises more than in the past. She likes to go swimming or ride her bike.
I did feel guilty that I taught my daughter such bad eating habits when she was younger, but one positive thing about her being overweight (not that this was worth it) was that each time she's started losing weight, I thought she could teach me how to do so as well and we could lose weight together, but I'm getting left behind because I suck at her new methods of losing weight as well. She still lives in town and I thought we could go for a swim or bike ride together, but I'm constantly too tired to go and I can't control myself enough to eat the way she eats.
Tonight, my youngest daughters place had to be fumigated, so she stayed with me. After she'd gotten ready for bed, she came up to my while I was lying on the couch watching TV. She pulled up her shirt and proudly showed me where her ribs are starting to stick out because she's getting so skinny. When she did that, I noticed that not only are her ribs stating to stick out, but her hip bones are too. I was proud of her, but at the same time, I was depressed because I can't even find my ribs anymore. Not even when I breathe in.
Does anyone have any advice on how to successfully lose weight and keep it off?
[ ]
Want to answer more questions in the Health & Fitness category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Health?
It seems you already know what to do but just aren't sticking with it, the good diet (calorie counting included) and some exercise. So I won't go over that again.
What is not fair is that there are 3 body types according to Ayervedic medicine. Its the knowledge of health from India and it is very good. It also covers what foods some body types can process without problems and which ones cause issues is eaten when you shouldn't. and I am not talking about sugar but actual foods. For example I can eat cooked vegetables but totally raw vegetables are something my system can't handle.
As far as exercise, it's even more unfair. Some people can eat all they want, exercise little and still have a high metabolism that burns off all the calories so they look skinny like your Dad. But skinny doesn't equal health. Even skinny people can end up with diabetes or clogged arteries and have heart attacks. Then there is the person in the middle. IF they watch their diet and exercise moderately, they won't gain much weight and what weight they gain, they can get off easily. Then lastly are the body types for who no matter what they eat, even if healthy, it all goes to fat because they get no exercise. THe exercise part really isn't fair because this body type can't lose weight doing the amount of exercise like the other two. Noo...this type has to do double or triple the amount of exercise to keep weight off. This may be where you fit in. I can't say for sure as by what you mentioned, just the few things, I know your diet is a big problem. If I were you, I'd go in for a check up and get checked for diabetes. A person who has taken in too much sugar all their life can develop diabetes later in life. If you continue your diet, then you can welcome having to take insulin shots every day sooner or later. You may not ever have the figure you want but for your body frame, if eating right and exercising, you will come to know what your healthy body weight is and it may never match that of your dad, children or whom ever you compare yourself with. However, knowing you are healthier at our age, (I am same age) is a good thing. When I exercise less, the weight comes back on, even if I am eating fairly healthy.
When you watch your diet and avoid things that put on pounds, don't go strictly without any rewards. People can plan to have a splurge night once a month and look forward to it as a reward for sticking with a diet. Those who shy away from ever having a dessert like cheesecake which also happens to be my favorite, will end up giving up and breaking their diet.
For exercise, it can be frustrating to start when you are so stiff and have little energy. I've had that at times and I don't want to exercise. Even though just walking may not be enough for you, you have to start easy with something realistic. I go to Planet fitness gym which is across the country. They have a policy of no body shaming for people of any weight and as such, discourage the trim people from wearing tight form fitting clothes, no spaghetti straps for example and in my location took out all weight scales because they don't want people to get discouraged. You go at your own pace. ONe thing I find helpful is doing stretches to the best of my ability. I can tell when I haven't done them in a while, muschles have tightened up and when tight, its hard to do some of the exercises. So you might want to join a yoga class, not one that teaches meditation or such but strictly for the stretching. And also do walking and when you feel you've made some progress on the stretching, then move on to more exercise. Attempting a full exercise regime all at once will not only feel like its killing you but its too much for your body to take, like being shocked into losing weight and that doesn't work well. I overdid it once time with the leg weights and hurt a muscle and could do it then for a couple weeks until I was totally healed again. SO don't over do it to start but gradually increase the amount of exercise you've chosen to do.
]
More Questions: |