Help with Weight Gain...

Do you know that you are not alone? Weight gain is at epidemic proportions in the US. Diabetes continues to go unchecked and we continue to veg out after a long day.

I too struggled (notice the -ed) with my weight and the effects of it. Now, however, I eat low-glycemic (not prepackaged) and have lost almost 25 pounds (two pant sizes) and feel great! I can tell you more if you want...or you can view www.transitionslifestyle.com and see for yourself.

Happy to help you to be well!

S.
____@____.com

1 mom found this helpful

So that's what happens when we get older!!! I have put on some extra weight too but I have found a pretty good plan. I bought the Flat Belly Diet book. It is a great resource on what types of food to eat and the correct fats (MUFA's)--beause your body DOES need fat--just the right ones. One of the reasons is why I got the book is that there is no excersise needed. Now I am not condoning that---excersise is a vital part but like you I am a busy mom and don't have time everyday to hit the gym or road. Yes, occasionally I do excersise but not enough to drop all those 20lbs i need to get rid of but the book helps you lose weight with out having to add a daily excersise routine. God bless.

Hi K. - You are definitely not alone - it's most likely an age thing. I have also poured on the pounds the last couple years. I'm 38 and a single mom of three boys, 13,12 and 6. I am past my highest weight wne I was pregnant, too. I've read through a few of the other mom's suggestions and agree with the exercise ball instead of a chair at work. It will force you to use your abdominal muscles for balance and other muscles you don't use when sitting in a chair. I also like the get up 1/2 hour early to do some exercises. Either get a video, go out running or maybe even look into joining a Curves near you. They are open early, for women only and it takes 30 minutes 3x a week. It's helped me to at least maintain my weight going to Curves. There are several Curves' success stories, too. I know one woman at the Curves I go to has lost over 110 lbs. It's all in what you put into it.

Good luck - stay positive. You'll find your nitch.

S.

Please recheck your thyroid

I think you should talk to your doctor. We all gain weight over time (we'll I do...) but 1-2 lbs a month is more than normal over the time weight gain. You may need to adjust your thyroid medication.

I too have trouble finding time to exercise, esp since my children are still young (4 years and 4 mos). Your children are old enough to understand you need 30-45 minutes to exercise. I know it is hard to find time, believe me! Try doing an exercise video or getting a stationary bike or something to do 3-4 times per week either first thing in the am or at night. I try to never miss working out on Sat or Sunday...

Good luck.

K.,
Sounds to me like the culprit is the birth control. A side effect is weight gain. Talk to your doctor.

Sincerely,
S. B.

K.,
First, the birth control is significantly adding to your weight gain. There are many other methods of birth control not the least of which is vasectomy. Secondly, you have so much responsibility for taking care of children that you have forgotten the most important thing you should take care of...yourself.
You have entered the time in life when your metabolism drops significantly and yet you've made no changes to accomodate this.
First, I would recommend you sit with hubby and split up some of your parenting and home care duties. You both work, so the home shouldn't be completely up to you. The kids are his too, so the care and feeding of them and him should not be all up to you either.
Second, you simply must move more. What are Saturdays like for you? If you can get the whole family in on moving more, the fresh air and sunshine would be good for everyone, and there again, I sense that you have the lion's share of kid care on the weekend based upon what you told us in your bio.
Third, I recently have started the Michael Thurmond Diet called The Six Week Body Makeover. The exercises are very simple and the diet is too. While it took a bit of time to figure out how to eat right, I finally have results to show for the effort. This is no sugar, no fats, no salt. It is not impossible! I have learned by experimentation how to make this work for me. And your kids would truly benefit from your efforts to eat healthy as well. You may eat yams, rice, potatos, many kinds of meat, and most veggies. Preparing things in advance is very helpful. Make sure you put tape with a date on everything so you use up the oldest stuff first. I am 52, and I have already lost 23 pounds since the first week in January. It can be done. This diet has you eating every 2-3 hours so planning ahead is essential.
Best of luck and keep us informed!!
J.

It sounds like you have completed your family??? Send your husband for a vasectomy and get off those pills. Birth control pills play havoc on all parts of your system. Don't eat any white food..sugar, white flour, any of the "-oses" (high fructose corn syrup), get a little trampoline and jump for 10 minutes a day. Oh to be 36 again...you are NOT even close to being old! You might want to visit a doctor who specializes in nutrition and food allergies. I have a great one to recommend. If you are interested, please email me....he is wonderful!

Unfortunately K.... your metabolism does slow down after 30. Many women find that they never had to watch what they ate or excercise...but when they got into their 30's ... they all of a sudden had a new body!

Also.. you may want to start keeping a food diary. Many people, including myself, do not realize how much food they are eating... until they write down EVERYTHING that goes into their mouths. Once you know what you eat in a regular day, it's easy to make adjustments.

A good website ... www.caloriecounter.com It's free and you can insert your stats (age, weight, height, gender, activity level, etc) and it will tell you how many calories you should be consuming each day to maintain, to loose, or gain weight. You can record your daily intake as well as your excercises. They have an EXTENSIVE list of both... so no real need to calorie count yourself! It's great! It will also make food recommendations based on your inputs so you are getting a more balanced diet.

Also, you mentioned you are taking some college courses. By chance do you snack in class ... or when studying?

You may also look at your bcp. Those can cause weight gain as well. I would start though by looking at your daily intake and then going from there.

To get some exercise, you could consider sitting on a balance ball at work instead of in a chair. You will be using a lot more muscles to sit then if you sit in a chair. Take the stairs instead of taking the elevator, drink lots of water. Go to someone's office to talk to them instead of calling or doing company e-mail. All these little things add up. You could also once an hour just take a walk around the building. Even 5 or 10 minutes would be good. I used to work in an office ... so I know how hard it is!

Good luck!

With age or bodies, metabolism, and lifestyles change. The biggest problem may well be your metabolism. Have you considered walking during your lunch break at work? If you do that every day, it may be a big help.

Also, while the food you are eating may be healthy, what about portion size? Be sure you are eating the right portion/serving size for all your food - snacks and meals - and that will also help. Also, drink plenty of water. Just remember... Eting healthy does not mean cutting out food groups. Our bodies need carbs and sugars. We just have to be sure they are the right kind and the right amounts!

As for the birth control, it may have something to do with it. Discuss that with your doctor and/or pharmacist.

I also do NOT recommend going on any diets. You may lose weight on a diet, but as soon as you go off the diet you will put it all back on. The key to losing weight and keeping it off is to change the way you eat and exercise. It is a way of life, not a diet. If you are alredy eating healthy foods, this part may not be too difficult. You might want to check out Weight Watchers. They are also online and it can be a huge help! I lost 25 pounds the first six months I was going!

If you do not feel you need the group support, I would check it out online.

Hope this helps some!
N.

Weight gain naturally happens when we hit our thirties due to the body's metabolism slowing down. The fact that you do not exercise and eat enough veggies and fruits are a deterrent to keeping your weight in check. I also went through a weight gain when you did. Here is how i lost it-I threw out all sugar and white flour products from my house and only use canola oil or olive oil. I changed my eating habits to include yogurt, lots of fruit to satisfy my sweet tooth, and fresh veggies and low fat dip for snacking on. I eat small meals with fruit and or veggie snacks in between.Eat only light Bread once a week or so. I only use splenda for sweetener. i have kept off thirty five pounds for years now using this method.
You MUST make time for exercise however. That is a natural health method for keeping your blood pressure down and your whole system runs better. I get up extra early once a week and go to our local aquatic center to swim laps, climb steps whenever possible-go on mini walks during lunch hour, make it a habit to take a walk after dinner a couple of evenings a week. The weekends are great for bike rides or long walks-it is also a great stress reliever, as well as taking one of your children along and having some one on one time. It takes diligence and purposefully setting out to change your lifestyle, but you will love the results. I am 52 years old and feel like I am in my 20's again since doing this-good luck!

Hi K.,
Im M. im 48 with MS.Im thinking if I were you i would talk to my Dr sounds like your Med's.Nothing with age.I used to be a size7 weighing 115 and was dignosed and then after many relapses (they alawys use Steroids)weight gain.Im loseing it now no problem.Its finally starting to leave and unlike you im a finicky eater.I just went for cutting down my portions ,eat what I want and the pounds are rolling off.I also Exercise.You can also ask your pharmasist if one of these meds side effects includes weight gain.Take Care,M. H.

Going for a walk after dinner, or on your lunch break at work will burn calories.

Parking in the back of the parking lot.

Standing instead of sitting at work.

If you trade in your desk chair for an exercise ball you so can do simple stretching excercises.

Look into T-Tapp It's a bit expensive but it works fast and only takes about 20min a few times a week.

Dear K. K.,

I tell everybody to check into weighdown.com. It is not really a diet; it is learning how to go to God for ALL things. The people who used this method to lose their excess weight DID NOT exercise. They just cut down their intake so drastically that the weight just melts off. What made me really take note was when I got hurt at work and I noticed in one of the weighdown Bible studies that a lady who was wheelchair bound who could not exercise at all, was still able to lose all her extra weight and keep it off by continuing to live the way she learned to. The Bible studies are very intensive and can be done over the internet if there is not one in your area or the ones in your area don't fit into your schedule. I realize you are already quite busy, but if it means that much to you, you will figure out a way to work it in. The busiest people are always the ones who get the most accomplished.
Your life can benefit in other ways from weighdown besides losing any excess weight. Weight seems to be just the "tip of the iceberg". All the principles apply to all areas of life, not just over eating. Exercise is fine, but you can lose the extra weight without exercise. Many people were finatics about exercising to the obsessive point and they learned how to have balance by using the principles they learned in weighdown.com. They also have a toll-free number: 1-800-844-5208.
Hope you will check it out and see what you think.

L. C.

As you said, you are getting older and your metabolism will change; but with your added thyroid issue weight gain will be much easier for you. Your thyroid levels could be off, my father had a similar issue and they raised his syntroid until he was able to lose some weight by simple exercise and then dropped him back down to a lower, more conservative level.

You can do yoga or pilates from a video at home, sit on an exercise ball instead of a chair at work or at home, sit ups while watching the tv, an exercise bike in front of the tv always works wonder for me.

Good luck

K., I'm not on it myself, but out of curiosity, I googled "yasmin and weight gain" and found quite a few articles out there on the subject. You are obviously not alone in this one. Do a little research on the net, and then contact your doctor - you may want to consider a different BC. Take it from someone who has gained a lot of weight quickly becaue of medication - you have to make it stop now. I unfortunately got to a weight that has given me horribly high bloodpressure, and has wrecked my already bad knees. I'm now considering more drastic measures such as the lap band because it's too taxing on my body to do aerobic exercise, and walking doesn't cut it. Your health is too important...
GOOD LUCK!

I would talk to your doctor about your birth control. I have had the same problem with birth control. I gained a lot of weight on some of them. I am happy to say that I am on the Depo shot and I have not gained weight on it. I hope this helps!

K.,
One day a week is better than nothing. I wish I had your dilemma. They don't really cater to disabled people at Bally's.
From an alternative medicine viewpoint, I would suggest the following. Find an alternative practitioner. In Ann Arbor there's Bio Energy Medical Center. There they have MIGUN beds and infra red saunas. Both very very healthy and the sauna is excellent for detoxing and weight loss programs. You could have some other organic issues, like your body isn't absorbing properly or you have a blockage. Personally I'd get on some herbal, supplemental therapies for thyroid.
You can juice too. Think of all the fruits and veggies you just don't normally eat. Get a juicer and start drinking your veggies/fruits. A good juicer (Jack LaLaine's or the Champion; can be found on ebay as well) are good ones. Juicing was a milestone for me. But that sauna is good too for detoxing and weight loss.

When I met my husband almost 19 years ago, I was 105 pounds and a size 0. This after having 2 kids. Then a few months after we met, my thyroid crashed.I had had Grave's disease and the "treatment" caused it to die. I had put on about 20 ponds in about 2-3 weeks. Since then I had 2 more children (who each added 20-30 pounds, and have gained a total of 100 pounds. I have tried many diets, exercises, etc. I also have a couple of weight gaining issues. Polycystic disease and insulin resistance and others that contribute. The best exercise I have found to keep it under control is walking. Start by walking for your lunch hour. I listen to techno while I walk (but without vocals) and the beat keeps me going pretty good. I haven't gained any real weight in about 3 years and hopefully I can do more this spring and actually lose some of the gain. When you are sitting you can try to squeeze you abs towaards your spine and repeat it throughout the day. Don't hold your breathe though. Let me know if this helps, L.

Hi K.! This is a subject that really interests me! I am 43 years old, married with 3 children ages 10, 12, and 14. It is hard to do evrything "right" as far as health is concerned in this fast-paced life!! It's very typical to experience what you are - gaining 1-2 pounds/month as we near our 40th birthday! In the last 5 years I've studied this very thing because I became concerned about myself. I've learned a bit about carbohydrate addictions and the Glycemic Index. It is known that about 50% of children born today will develope Diabetes in their lifetime because of the "junk" we eat today. My grandmother passed away due to complications of Diabetes, and my Father-in-law is diabetic and just went on insulin. I am reading a book right now called "Releasing Fat" by Dr. Ray D. Strand on the "expanding of America and our carb. addictions". You are right that you really need to eat more fruits and veggies and also drink a lot more water!!!!! Get rid of the pop!!!!!!!!! I dropped 8 pounds just by getting rid of the pop which is loaded with sugar, which turns to fat! We keep spiking and abusing our insulin levels with all the sugars we eat, and then we crave more breads, cookies, etc. when our levels drop again. It's a vicious cycle! What we need is a lifestyle change. If you could somehow fit at least 20 minutes of walking into your day to get your heart-rate up, that would be a great start! Ideal would be 30 minutes! Walking is still the best exercise! Then carry more apples, grapes, strawberries, carrots, water bottles with you to work and eat those things that won't spike your blood sugar level. I found a company called Usana Health Sciences based out of Salt Lake City, and they are excellent on this subject. I've become so impressed with this company that I became a part of it! I've just finished a 5 day reset program that actually resets your body and gets you off your carbohydrate addictions. It really does work!!!!! Most people loose about 1 pound/day doing this 5 day reset. It gets you on the right path to eating the right kinds of foods. I could go on and on, but I won't:)
Anyway, if you want to check it out, you can go to my website at bhooyer.usana.com, or releasingfat.com to learn more about it. My e-mail is ____@____.com if you have any questions. I'd be happy to help you! Blessings to you! B. Hooyer

Have you had your thyroid levels checked lately to make sure your Synthroid doesn't need to be adjusted?

I am 46 with two college kids. I have always been solid and just right. I exercised maybe a little bit to the extreme & was very religious about it. When I started noticing my weight gain after 43. I toned down the extremes to do pilates & taebo. I wasn't able to lose weight however was able to keep the pounds from adding on. A woman's body is unique & we all have special & different things going on. Just keep on experimenting on what will work out for "you" and don't get discouraged. You are not alone. See your doctor annually.

Hi K.,

just want to make sure that you are seeing your doctor for the blood checks on your thryroid. its possible it has gotten worse and you need your dosage adjusted. most likely age and stress all factor in. even 10 min of exercise in the morning and 10 before bed would help you. last, you could go to your local vitamin shop and ask for a detox kit. not an organ specific one, but a full body one. its kind of a pain but with all the toxins in our environment, they stick to your fat cells and make it harder to lose weight. its good to do them 2-4 times per year. just remember to take in additional fiber with it. you can get a 2 week kit. i feel great when doing it. the hard part is taking the extra fiber because it doesnt taste great. that may be a good start for you

I don't know about you... but when I'm stressed out of my mind, the weight comes on?

It sounds like you have quite a bit going on in your life between home, work and school.

there is a great book (I have it!) the "Office Yoga Book" that gives little stretches to do at your desk. I also have other stretches that can be done that I can email you directly if you wish?

Let me know... Best of luck!

Hi K.,

I also work 8-5 mon-fri, have two children (nine & two) and go to school three nights a week. I found that waking up 1/2 hour early in the mornings is the best time to exercise. I jog around my block three times and I feel great afterwards. It was hard at first, but once I got into the routine it became much easier. If it is too cold/rainy/snowy etc.., I do a 20min workout video. I hope this helps and best of luck!

Hi K.! I experienced the same thing and I also have a thyroid problem. I was on synthroid for 4 years and then all the sudden I started gaining weight and all the other symptoms of the thyroid condition came back. I talked with my doctor and they check my TSH levels and according to those my thyroid was functioning fine. I then saw the Nurse Practitioner in my doctors office and she did further tyroid testing. She checked my TSH, T3, T4 and Reverse T3. Everything came back fine except the Reverse T3 (which had never been checked or mentioned before). I started taking Armour Thyroid a year ago and I feel a thousand times better and lost the weight. Hope this helps. Even if your doctor says your thyroid is working correctly I would ask for further testing and if they would recommend Armour. Hope this helps and good luck!

Three things I learned when I lost 45 pounds by joining weight watchers. I to work 45 hours outside the home, plus have a commute that takes an hour out of my day. I volunteer with a student Organization at OU, and have an active 4 year old and a husband which all keeps me very busy. First make sure your portions are not exceisive in todays world they usually are. I was making a lot of the right choices (ie: we used ground turkey instead of beef in everything), however I was giving myself way to big of a serving.-So read the labels see what constitutes a serving you will be surprised. Second thing add the fruits and veggies, turn them into your snacks. Last thing is make time for the excersise, I know it is hard I finally managed to fit it in after putting my daughter to bed. Yeah, they say you should do it in the morning but you know what my day starts at 5:30 and that is early enough for me. So I work out at 8 pm, and then clean up and get ready for bed that works for me, so that is what I do. Hopefully this helps you a little, oh and I had always been a little bigger now I am the size I was my freshman year of high school, so it can be done - I am 35.

It is possible that your synthroid and your birth control are interacting with each other. Also as you age your metabolism slows down. Talk to your doctor and ask him/her what they think.

Hi K.,
I have had some similar experiences, with hypothyroidism and age and weight gain with children. I tend to agree with the advice to check into your birth control pill. One thing that has helped me the most is the Transitions Lifestyle System, a program with Market America that helps make changes to improve your health and loose weight and keep it off. I became a Distributor with Market America and am impressed with their products and the information I have learned. You can learn more by going to my web portal: www.marketamerica.com/jendiehl and look at Transitions. In summary: eat low glycemic index foods to avoid raising your blood sugar levels too high (have a guide book on my site that helps) don't skip meals (your body will store the fat if it thinks you are starving), you need the food to burn calories just eat a well balanced healthy meal (lots of veggies are always good). Muscle dictates metabolism so you need to exercise about 30 minutes a week if you can, even if it's just simple changes like parking farther away or taking the stairs instead of the elevator it will help. One small change I made is I eat whole foods more, instead of drinking juice for breakfast I eat a piece of fruit so I get the fiber and my blood sugar levels don't rise fast. I read labels now when I shop and am feeling healther and loosing weight and have more energy. There are many health and nutrition products on the web portal. Please check it out and use it to shop to save yourself time, money and stress. Feel free to call me if you have any questions: ###-###-####. You can do the transitions program on line, or just order the book and dvd series for information and support to help, it is very inexpensive and will change your life! Thanks,
J.

Well, K., I am 39 and had the same problem. Never exercised and never worried about it. But, once the anxiety of living in an abusive environment was reduced, and I started college, and I got married, and I had kids, and, and, I weighted over 200 pounds. More than I ever had in my life! I do take birth control and 15+ years ago I quit smoking. Anyway, the only thing that I found that worked for me was Weight Watchers. I know that you are busy and might not have time for meetings; however, you can join online and then use the chat groups and daily blogs for support. It really isn't a diet. It really does change how you eat. And, it also worked to change how my family ate. I don't like a lot of foods, but it showed me how to take the foods I do like and make them healthier. Also, there are things that you can do at your desk, in the car, and on the go. You can do butt crunches and thigh squeezes in your chair/car seat. You can march in place while cooking dinner or perhaps if you get lucky enough to be able to watch a tv program. I also make myself bend in a way that crunches my stomach when I put laundry in the washer and dryer. The other thing I have to make myself do is drink water. I don't like it but I try to do it. As we get older our metabolism changes; and, I found Weight Watchers helped me adjust for that. The only caution that I send out is not to assume that you will lose my not eating. Your body will hoard the fat, if it does not think it is going to get the calories that it thinks it needs. That is part of why healthy choices are so important. I hope this helps. It took 2 years to take off 50 pounds; and, I have to continue to be careful to maintain what I have lost. Good luck to you. Oh, and also praying for strength to persevere helps, too!
B.

K. - You really need to go see a physican to look at what is going on with your weight esp. with the thyroid condition. That kind of weight gain is usual if you have not had a major change in diet.

Having said that exercise is important. I can relate to a busy scheule and managing the house and kids. What a great thing it would be to teach your two kids the importance of exercise. How about a family walk after school? The kids can grab a snack and start their homework then when you get home before starting dinner all of you go for a walk, you'll all get some exercise and you can talk about your day and catch up with each other at the same time. If you can fit this in 3 times a week it will make a difference!

LOL! It gets worse as you get closer to 40 sister. Assuming that there is no thyroid issue (which is definitely worth checking out), You are at the age my friend where "what you used to do or didn't do" just doesn't matter. There's a whole new set of rule when your metabolism slows down.

I tried weight watchers online and introduced just 30 minutes of exercise a day. I dropped 18 lbs. I was amazed at how much more I ate then I needed (eventhough that's how I always ate) and how little I was active throughout the day.

Good luck.

K.,

I hear ya, girlfriend. Although, I happen to be *a bit older* than you (52) and have one adult son (25) and a teenage daughter (16), since I've started menopause, the weight just keeps onacomin! As luck would have it, I joined the Haslett Curves in September and have been a loyal, faithful member since. It really does work and their hours are structured so you can go early in the morning (5:30 a.m.) or after work until around 7 p.m. and on Saturday's from 8 a.m. to 12 Noon. Bianca Glendenning owns the East Lansing, Haslett and Grand Ledge locations, but I'm not sure of the franchisees in Holt and Lansing. Check the one nearest you out - it's great! The *circuit* is designed so you only spend 30 seconds on each machine and 30 seconds on a recovery pad. Two times around the circuit (30 minutes) and you're done! (Well, besides the few minutes you'll spend in the cool down exercises!)Three times a week is all that's really requiered, but I go everyday just beause it makes me feel better and like I've REALLY done something good for myself. Besides, you'll meet other gals in the same situation as you and working hard to correct it, plus you'll just have fun. It's a great environment and I'm truly grateful I became a member last September.

Good Luck!

N. E.
Okemos, MI

The only thing that works for me is a well balanced diet with low carbs and lots of veggies and excercise. I work out in the morning as soon as I wake up, I use videos

I think it's most likly the Pill you're on. All B/C pills trick the body into thinking it's pregnant and therefore you will gain weight (among other things), because your body is thinking it's storing food for a baby. From what I understand, Yasmin is one of the worst ones of the bunch because it stops you from having your cycle for 3 months at a time (or more in some cases). This may also be why your cup size has gone up so much. I only changed a cup size after my 75 lb weight-loss.

Overall, I recommend you read over the little info sheet that comes with your pills each month and discuss all this with your doctor.

And yes, ANY exercise is better than none, even if it's only one day a week. And you can work out in 10 minute intervals to get in your 30 minutes a day; this has been proven to be effective.