Report from my PCP today, about weight loss

"But its no fun to force food in, when there's no appetite or desire to eat...."

Yes, I have gone through periods of stress in my life (like now, with my family's medical issues) where eating is a chore, something to fit into a stressful and busy day. This has often been accompanied by steady weight loss and as someone who is currently 5 foot 3 inches and a 105 pounds I do not want to lose any more weight.

In my experience when there is no appetite or desire to eat (and in your case there are negative consequences), eating has to be scheduled in like taking medicine. The emotional and physical cues to eat have to be overridden by mental and intellectual ones. The argument in your head has to be something like - I need to eat to stop losing weight. Six small meals, at 9am, 11am, 1pm, 5pm, 7pm, 9pm. Set an alarm, plan ahead on what are the best nutritional choices to help gain weight. It will hopefully slow down weight loss.

In your case the reason for losing weight are likely be physical rather than because of stress. But the reason I am raising this is that as a formally obese person I imagine you have not been in the scenario where your body is not giving you cues to eat. Therefore this is unfamiliar territory and you may need new strategies to combat this.

Hope this helps.
An

Good advice, AN, not disagreeing with you at all, wife and my BCBS nurse made the same suggestions, but not quite that easy, I have a hard enough time forcing a single tiny meal into me at the moment, let alone the thought of eating 4-6 times a day. I am working on it, trying to figure the best way to attack the problem while my doctor sorts out things.

Yesterday, wife/I went out, had mostly a proper meal out, lots of healthy protein plus a full deluxe loaded salad, and late night, ate 3 huge frosted walnut brownies, first major sweets I have had all year. Thought I would die later with the knife sharp cramps in my sides, and feeling like I was going to explode.
Interestingly, I never went to the bathroom, which is what normally happens.

So I weighed this morning, and with great disappointment, lost another 1 lb. and 6 oz. in the prior 24 hours. It seems hopeless at this point. Almost like my body is rejecting anything I eat.

I may try to increase drinking the Boost/Ensure junk to 3-4 bottles today in lieu of actually eating, but that would only be 1,000 calorie total if I remember right, and that's hoping it doesn't come right out my other end.

I think until I see this new internal/gastro doctor, hopefully this coming week, there may not be much of a positive change. The only good thing about this current disorder, is I feel zero discomfort in the not eating part.

At the car show I went to today, t hey had catered a major BBQ deal. The smell was amazing, but at no time, did I feel any sense of hunger of appetite. It still the oddest sensation. I have enjoyed, too much ,eating large quantities of food all of my adult life, so this is very strange phase, if that is what it is, I am going through.

And no, I don't feel remotely depressed about anything in my life. I take everything in stride. My PC, my pain, my fatigue. I don't sit around moping about anything. I don't have to worry about money, working, things like that. I do not believe I am secretly depressed or feeling blue.

Pretty content with my life- got great wife and kids and family, my faith has never been stronger, and I never worry about the future.

There has to be some organic or medical reason for whatever is going on. I will see what tomorrow brings.

D.

Beautiful work, Andrew. BTW, walnut is one of my fave woods of all time, love the stuff.

Funny about the stamp part, I am planning on doing a 4th offering of free US prostate cancer awareness stamps soon again on HW PC. We have so many new guys since the last time I gave them away.

Thanks for this in advance, I will gladly hang it in a noticeable place.

David

David, why would a guy that uses a walker with your leg pain and hip pain and other pain with hip and legs that give out, buy a small interior compact with a manual transmission.

My neighbors son has one and it doesn't look very accommodating to someone in your condition.

Ron

Montee, I just took a look at the Fiat Abarth...wow, that is one small car. I don't think I could get in that car without something "twinging" on me. And there's no way I could get out of the car "like a lady"!

David, enjoy your new car - I hope it gives you some pleasure (and no discomfort). May I ask what led you to choosing a Fiat 500 Abarth as your new car? It's unusual that someone who drove something as large as your Lincoln would go with something like a Fiat but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

An, excellent advice on the small meals throughout the day. High-quality protein is what is needed now to help stop muscle loss and to build up the body's strength. Personally, if I were David, I'd steer clear of raw foods (like salads), especially from a restaurant. I had a nasty case of gastro-something last summer after eating salad from our local pizzeria. The diarrhea was severe as were the stomach pains.

David, if I may suggest: think high-quality protein "snacks" such as an egg, cottage cheese, some chicken. Beef, pork, raw foods are all hard on the digestive system so you may want to consider staying away from them until you know what's going on. Also, Boost/Ensure drinks contain soy proteins and many people cannot tolerate soy (bad stomach pains and diarrhea). You may want to consider eliminating these products to see if things improve.

D.

Handyman sounds like a great find..

Sounds like fun plans !!
Use to enjoy car shows
& boat shoes..

Going to look up your pix of your car..

Years ago I drove from my contract job to parents on a Thanksgiving holiday..
Thru 4 states including DC
sleet, snow & idiots do not a good combo make..
The 'last straw' was when a car flew past us going around 100
Hit ice, spun around & across (thankfully) wide grass median
Then
A short time later passed us AGAIN
At the same excessive speed!

was the last time I made that kinda drive with holiday traffic!

See you next week

Yes
Boat SHOWS.. spell checker got me again !! Been awhile since I checked one out.. last one was the Miami one - it was awesome!

An x was partner in auto parts store so often got tickets to car shows.. really enjoyed the older, beautifully restored ones.

Like the car !! Someone around here has one but I did not know the name of it.

Amazing how different the car seats fits - individual tastes..
Both in car choice & in car seats!!
we are all different. Thank goodness
Camry was as comfortable as Olds but
So far nothing has beat the '56 (57?) Cadillac.. course I was really young with no body aches & pains!! (& best a/c ever!!)
But so much unused space to haul around.. Your gas savings are impressive.

Curious. What were you playing on that top of the line stereo when you were headed to this event? Imagining you driving wicked fast enjoying great tunes, makes me smile.

So hoping this mysterious weight loss can be helped, and fast. Here on the west coast patients are prescribed medical marijuana to stimulate appetite. Is that an option where you are? That wouldn't cover the expeditious evacuations but could work together with something that would.

Also hoping your Mrs. enjoys a safe ride home.

David,

Great that you have such a passion for the fiat.
I love the way it looks, if I didn't need a four door vehicle (I often drive my parents around), I would get it. Love the style, fuel economy, the inside.

An

An, they make the new bigger Fiat, the 500L. 4 doors, seating for 5 with tons of storage space and headroom. Kind of like a combination of crossoever, SUV and mini-van. One of those may be my wife's next buggy sometime next year. She loves her 500, but doesn't like the 2-door part either. Check them out.

Diane, thanks for the smile, can always use one of them.