This post was a cut and paste post of one that Tracy R. had written and posted to one of the USENET groups. I thought her words were very profound, so I thought they should be saved so that everyone can read them.
General Discussion Board
Victoria....
Posted By: Kelley <moonvine1@yahoo.com> (192.62.90.160) (written by Tracy R.)
Date: Tuesday, 14 December 1999, at 4:20 p.m.In Response To: The Medical fight continued: (Victoria)
This is a repost from SSFA on usenet. You might want to talk to this lady as she has some of the same issues it sounds like.
I think it varies from person to person. When I was in the 275 pound range I was fit enough to help lead a low impact aerobics class for Women twice a week as well as take a step areobics class once a week, and standard aerobics and keep up with skinny people twice a week. (Yes, I worked out 5 days a week and did weight training and dance and water sports also). But once I passed 300 pounds my physical abilities bagan to decrease sharply.
I have a hormonal/insulin problem that did help me gain alot easier but, ultimately I control MY body it doesn't control me (in this capacity anyway).
Is it PCOS? I have had PCOS since I was a child. I started gaining weight when the PCOS symptoms manifested themselves. Even doing strenuous exercise 5X a week and following a lowfat reduced calorie diet I could not lose significant amounts of weight. I held steady at about 275 pounds for the few years I was able to maintain that level of physical activity. I really, really tried to lose weight and finally found that I could lose a little on a 500 calorie a day plan, but would go into hypoglycemic shock after a week or so on the plan and once I had to be hospitallized for dangerously low blood sugar. The "maintenence" plan of 1200 calories a day caused me to regain the weight I had lost. I gained steadily on the reduced calorie and fat maintenence plan. Even with physical activity, eating enough to keep from being dizzy and shaky still caused weight gain.
Medical science does not have the answers for us, they acknowledge that there are endocrinological conditions that cause weight gain even with exercise and diet. My endocrinologist has seen patients GAIN weight on a strict hospital inpatient weight loss plan. It happens. In order for me to lose weight with this endocrine disorder, I would have to eat so little that I could not physically function from chronic low blood sugar. Been there done that, fat and able to lead a somewhat normal life was better than losing a few pounds and passing out in hypoglycemic shock every time I tried to do any physical activity.
I say get your hormone problem addressed. I found an endocrinologist who is experienced in cases like mine and he has me on a combination drug/eating plan/exercise treatment and it has given me a 100% turnaround as far as life capacity.
last year I was looking at dying young and immobile with diabetes and chronic hypertension. This year I am mobile and active again, blood sugar readings are totally within normal range, severe infections are gone, cellulitis and tissue damage has ceased, chronic edema is gone, blood pressure is normal, energy level is up, pain is down, mental fog has lifted, many other physical symptoms decreased.
I know it is "against charter" to talk about weight loss here, but since I have been getting treated I am losing a pound a week just doing what I do. (No real special diets just following a healthy way of eating, I certainly do not go hungry. I also take a walk every day.) I don't see the problem because the weight gain was caused by a medical condition that is being treated. I would think we can discuss medical causes for weight gain without having to put blinders on. I would hope people are open minded enough to handle that. If not where are there places for those who gained for medical reasons and who are possibly losing weight from the addressing of those medical reasons to go to share support and stories?
Anyway, life sucked totally and completely until I got medical treatment for the endocrine disorder.
I do know that the little bit of weight I have lost so far is not totally responsible for the improvement in life quality. The endocrine problems were addressed and my symptoms are going away.
Im sorry if this offends any acceptors<
I'm not. I am happy for my health and if the fact that the treatment for my health problem results in weight loss offends anybody, then it is their problem.
I just think we need to be realistic on about being aft.<
I know what you mean. I personally know people who are dying and fat or who are immobilized and fat, and believe me, from the total decimation of life quality I experienced, I think that we need to rethink how we address fatness over a point. Telling a 500 pound person who can barely walk and breathe to just eat healthy and move some and they can be healthy and happy without losing a pound is cruel and patronizing. Telling somebody who is immobilized and suffering to "accept" their body is not a very humane thing to do.
I think there is a world of difference between those who are fat and functional and those who are suffering a loss of life quality. There has to be a different approach to each situation.
When I was barely able to get up and move and suffering badly somebody told me to just "accept" it and get on disability and get a scooter. I wanted to rip her head off for being so insensitive and patronizing.
I am glad I told her off and kept fighting. "Acceptance" and "resignation" are 2 different things. I accepted that this was my body and my life and I had to make the best of it on a day to day basis, but I refused to resign myself to the fact that it could not change and get better. I fought and fought and finally found a doctor to take me seriously and treat my disorder.
I think that when we speak of "acceptance" in the context of the fat and suffering, we need to stand back and examine the reality of the situation. "Accepting" the fact that you will never be thin again is a World of difference than "accepting" the fact that you may never leave your house under your own steam again.
Telling a fat person who is genuinely suffering and in pain and unable to breathe and unable to move around to "accept" it is cruel. I know it was a slap in the face for me. I felt that size acceptance was my enemy for wanting to deny me the chance to fight to regain my health.
What are the fat and suffering to do? "Accept" their diminished life capacity or fight it and risk alienation from size acceptance.
I know people who have walked away from size acceptance because they were badly treated for wanting to lose some weight because they gained more weight and had began to have their mobility and breathing capacity compromised.
I took shit from a few people for losing weight as a result of having a medical condition treated. I was made to feel like a traitor of some sort for daring show my self 40 pounds lighter. Had I had a 40 pound tumor removed would they still have given me shit about it?
I was told I could not discuss the fact that the treatment for my medical disorder resulted in weight loss.
It made me so mad I walked away from the activism aspect of it and now do only social events when I feel like it.
I think we need to open our minds to the possibility that size acceptance is not working for some of us. The fat and suffering, the fat from medical conditions.
Is fat acceptance for all fat people or just for those who are healthy and happy? I was told that it was not for the suffering and fat or those not happy about being fat. I was told it was for those who are positive about fatness and everybody else can join a diet group.
I think that is why there is an upsurgence of online mail lists for the fat and suffering who do not have a problem with fatness per se but who want a more realistic approach to dealing with it.
It is obvious that those who are experiencing a diminished life capacity are not being adequately addressed by mainstream size acceptance.