Weighing In: From Despair to Hope

Weight loss—a common theme in health and wellness blogs, for reasons both superficial and health-related. For me, wanting to lose weight is something I’ve dealt with only in my adult years.

The early years

Growing up, I was a tall and skinny girl. In India, that was not the sign of good health. I always had a good appetite but never seemed to put on any weight. Things definitely changed when I got into my 30s. At that time I was also introduced to hypothyroidism.

20s and 30s

Shortly after I was married, I weighed 140 pounds(BMI: 21). Over the course of almost 30 years, I had gained over 35 pounds. To prepare to write this post, I looked into my recorded weights over the past 26 years. I was surprised to see that my minimum weight in 1994, a few months after arriving in the US, was 139, and that was the same when we left Iowa in 1997 for Chicago.  

We were in Chicago for 3 years, during which time my younger son was born, and hypothyroidism started. I had a lot of extra weight post pregnancy that I did not shed. 

North Carolina

In 2000, we moved to North Carolina.  In 2002, concerned about my weight gain, I started seeing a dietitian to help me, and worked out in the University Staff Health Promotions exercise facilities. I managed to come down to 146 pounds, but in 2004, the trajectory of my weight gain continued for several years. 

Arizona

In 2015, a couple of years after moving to Arizona, my cholesterol was very high, and my doctor insisted I see a cardiologist if I didn’t want to take a statin. The cardiologist while going through my risk factors, decided that I should lose 10 pounds in 6 months, and if the cholesterol levels dropped to a certain point, I would be OK without a statin. I was at 172 pounds (BMI: 25.8)I enlisted the help of a dietitian to help me see areas which I was missing. She recommended logging my food intake using the app MyFitnessPal. Keeping a daily diary helped me lose those pounds, as it did the first time I saw a dietitian in 2003. My cholesterol came down to acceptable levels and I was off the hook for taking statins.

Well, what happens when you stop trying to intentionally watch what you eat? You gain the weight back, of course.

Barriers to weight loss

Menopause and an erratic thyroid made losing weight a beast, and gaining it a breeze. I am sure many of you have experienced that in the past or are doing so even now. Maybe that’s why you’re reading this post.

Health reasons for weight loss

The last straw came when my HbA1C was tested in 2019 and found me to be pre-diabetic. I also had high cholesterol which had to be controlled by diet and exercise, since I cannot be on a statin. I was around 175 pounds (BMI: 26.2).

I started working on portion control. That, unfortunately did not help much. My thyroid also needed to be reined in. In February of 2020, both my husband and I started Intermittent Fasting as I describe in an earlier post. I was able to lose a few pounds doing that, and my HbA1C did go down by 0.1 in 4 months, but I soon plateaued.

Diets to aid weight loss

On the recommendation of my doctor, in addition to Intermittent Fasting, I finally decided to try the Mediterranean Diet, which has been touted by even the American Heart Association as being very good for cardiovascular health. We are not rigidly following it, rather, are being guided by it. I am not keeping a food diary, but am eating a lot more vegetables than I did earlier. I have been much more successful in shedding those pounds, and still have more to lose. To date, I am down to 160 pounds (BMI: 24.3). I would be at a lower point on the scale if I was more diligent. It’s been a slow journey, but has given me hope. It’s exciting to be able to fit into some of my clothes that I’ve not worn in a while. I’m looking forward to my next blood test. Getting to this point, although slowly, has been a major accomplishment.

Exercise & Weight Loss

Diet is the primary way to lose weight, but exercise helps maintain weight loss. Extended aerobic exercise helps burn fat. Strength training builds muscle which increases your metabolism.

If losing weight is one of your health goals and you need help getting on the right track, contact me through the form below. As a Personal Trainer and Coach, through exercise training along with nutrition and lifestyle coaching, I can help you reach your goals.

The above is my journey. Many of the things that worked for me, may work for you, but they may not. You might need to be advised by your doctor about the best route for you. If you have been trying for a long time unsuccessfully, you might need to see a specialist such as an endocrinologist. Health blogs are good to point you in the right direction, but often a doctor needs to be in the picture as well.

I hope you have a chance to check out my posts, Intermittent Fasting and
My Journey & the birth of a blog. Do comment below if the above post has been encouraging to you. Are you on a similar journey?

BMI Calculator

BMI Categories:
Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
Overweight = 25–29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

 “Journey to Health with Priya” provides general educational information on various topics on this website as a public service, which should not be construed as professional medical advice.

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