Obesity is a Disease

Stop Chasing That Fad Diet and Heal Successfully

If you can lose the quarantine nineteen, this article isn’t for you, go eat another cookie. Just kidding. No, eat two. You can run it off or fast or whatever works for you.

This is for those who’ve struggled ALL our lives. We can lose, but we gain it back. Eventually, we just give up. We’re lazy, unmotivated, or don’t have any willpower. You’ve heard it all before and so have I. But you don’t have to accept that!

Understand it as a disease instead and avoid past failures

It’s a disease according to the Mayo Clinic:

“Obesity is a complex disease involving an excessive amount of body fat. Obesity isn’t just a cosmetic concern. It is a medical problem that increases your risk of other diseases and health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers.”

Weight gain is an indicator that my autoimmune disease is flaring up. So please don’t tell me I could lose weight if I wanted to. If you haven’t been through it, you don’t have a right to judge. Nor do you understand my desperation to lose weight again.

Medications, fatigue, and the sun

Don’t laugh at the person holding an umbrella in the sun. We know it’s not raining. My mind is screaming mind your own business! But I politely explain I have an autoimmune disease. I shouldn’t have to explain, but I use the opportunity to educate about autoimmune disease.

I lived forty-nine years with an invisible illness, even to me. I can trace my biggest flare after visiting a tanning bed. Those sessions gave me a great tan for my honeymoon but triggered my disease forever.

After maintaining a seventy-five-pound weight loss for ten years post-bariatric surgery the weight crept up. Bariatric surgery accomplished my goal of avoiding diabetes, so I’m grateful for this. But the pain in my hands and my feet eventually led me to an autoimmune diagnosis.

Some diets were successful to lose fifteen to twenty pounds and find remission in disease activity. But when you stop taking your meds and following good practices, both the weight and flare-up return.

Learn what foods to avoid like processed foods, artificial colors and flavors, and preservatives. You’ve heard it before, read the label. I experimented with a whole food plant-based diet. Word of warning, if you’re not a veggie person this may not be a good option.

What I learned is kale isn’t so bad, and beneficial for inflammation and pain associated with it. Kale is a diuretic and helps rid the body of water retention which increases inflammation. And you don’t taste it in a smoothie, it just looks green.

Weight Loss Options

Surgical options aren’t for those who just want to lose the last fifteen pounds. You can’t just decide you want to have the surgery and schedule it for next week. Generally, a minimum BMI of 40 qualifies for surgery, but some surgeons will consider a qualifying health risk for a lower BMI.

You have to document the history of your past efforts. You get to relive all the diets you’ve ever tried. This isn’t to show you how you failed, it’s to show the doctor how hard you’ve tried on your own to lose weight. Surgery isn’t for everyone. It’s not a cure-all. It’s a tool.

The surgical option isn’t easy. It’s a dramatic lifestyle change. Foods you used to enjoy, might make you sick. You could have trouble with eggs or become lactose intolerant post-surgery. Each individual might have a unique food that they can’t tolerate.

This comes and goes in my experience. Some rich foods cause an immediate upset stomach feeling, if I stop eating the food, I can avoid extremes. I’ve never thrown up from food that didn’t agree with me, but many have.

What about regain?

Yes, it can happen and it did to me. The surgery is a tool, and if you follow your doctor’s advice maybe you can avoid this. But if you find yourself regaining, the sooner you acknowledge it, the sooner you can reverse it.

Go back to basics. Don’t drink for 30 minutes after eating. My sister is a poster child for this. Follow a definite start and stop time when eating is another a must. When you graze, you just mindlessly keep eating. Don’t do that.

A good resource is the bariatric eating website. This is a good place to start to learn about losing regain and they have a Facebook group for support if you need it. They offer products (no this isn’t an affiliate link) like protein powder and bariatric vitamins.

Don’t do this on your own

Return to your surgeon when your efforts aren’t successful on your own. Twenty years ago, I drove four hours away from home to have surgery. Now I have a local option and one of my doctors encouraged me to check them out.

I’m willing to do the work it takes, and follow the advice. This is a plan higher in protein but doesn’t eliminate any food group. I’m using a food journal for a 1200–1500 calorie daily plan.

What’s the next step?

In addition to the diet, I meet with a nurse practitioner to assess my overall health and will learn more in the follow-up appointment.

Maybe you’re struggling to manage your weight and your health and nothing is working. Or it works for a while and then the weight creeps back up. Choose to tackle your weight management like you would any other long-term project.