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Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Reasons To Lose Weight - #5

A doctor told me to.

I will preface this by saying that I don't visit the doctor very often. In general I'm pretty healthy. Or at least I think of myself as being healthy. I do have asthma and allergies, but they don't trouble me all that much. My asthma kicks in during cold, damp weather or when I stay overnight at my parents' house (sadly - I think it must be because it is such an old house, something must trigger my allergies). So I usually only go to the doctor for something specific.

A couple of years ago now I had called to make an appointment and found out that a new doctor had taken over the practice. When I went in for my appointment with the new doctor, the receptionist weighed me before I went in to see the doctor. This was something new.

I had been wondering about my weight for a while. At the time I was around 136 lb and I had been stuck there for a long time (like, years). I was working out at least 5 times a week. I tried to eat a healthy diet most of the time. I counted calories. The weight wasn't budging. I'd been at this weight for a few years, and I'd started to wonder if this was just where my body wanted to be. I won't say I was happy with that weight. I knew it was outside the healthy weight range for my height. But I was also frustrated with trying to lose weight and I didn't know what else to do. So I wondered if I should just accept it. I hadn't lost any weight, but I also hadn't gained, so maybe I was OK at this weight.

So I went in to see the doctor and we discussed the reason I'd come in; then before I left, I asked him about my weight. He looked at my file, then looked at a chart on the wall and told me to lose weight. He said I should be within 120 - 123 lbs. I presented my defense - I work out, I try to eat healthy but my weight stays the same. He didn't budge. I had to lose weight. He told me to exercise and not eat fast food and I would lose weight. That was the extent of his advice. I found it quite frustrating to be honest.

I also found it interesting that I was the one to bring it up. Obviously he didn't look at me and immediately think: this girl needs to lose weight.

But still, there it was. And around that time it seemed that everywhere I turned I was seeing articles that said being overweight by even 10 pounds was a health risk. So apparently I had to suck it up and keep trying to lose the weight.

Nothing changed for quite a while. Which is not to say that I didn't try, because I did. But I didn't get anywhere.

I'd hate to go back to the doctor's office and step on that scale now. I'm not sure what has happened over the past year that suddenly caused me to gain, but here I am. I have to tell you, 136 pounds is looking pretty good to me right now.

It seems to be getting harder. I'm not sure if it's age-related. But now I am even farther away from where I am supposed to be, where I would like to be. I'll keep trying though.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 142.6

BF: Grain Shop High Fibre Crisp Cereal w/milk, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Tomato Lima Bean Soup
Snack: Yogurt w/strawberries & raspberries
Supper: WW Pita Pizza & salad

3 comments:

Shirls said...

I find that very, very intersting that you had to ask the question, obviously until it was pointed it, your weight didn't even cross the docs mind..

I too have done everything right for a long time now and keep going up and down the same 2lbs, some days I'm fine with where I am and some days I'm p*ssed beyond belief about it, I think my response to it all is sadly normal in the case...

the Bag Lady said...

Javachick - how tall are you? The Bag Lady isn't anywhere near what she should weigh for her height, but to have a doctor tell you that you HAD to lose 10 lbs seems a little over-the-top. My doctor hasn't said a word about the 50 or so I need to lose!! (Maybe he's afraid of me...sigh)

JavaChick said...

Shirls - It is tough to keep going when it seems like you never make any progress. I think I was pretty close to just accepting that I was going to stay around 136...until I gained more. Now it really has to go.

Bag Lady - I am 5 feet tall. The top of the weight range for my height is something like 128 lbs. In all honestly, I don't feel good at this weight. I know it is too much. But it is just so hard to get rid of it.