When I first began writing about fitness a dozen years ago, that title wouldn’t have raised many eyebrows except for a “Well, duh.” Nowadays, however, it can be seen as controversial. And with good reason. Because the weight loss industry is corrupt as fuck.
For two years (1.5 years ago) I was seeing the most respected respirologist in my city because I was suffering with shortness of breath (SOB). LOSE WEIGHT were his first words to me. You're too heavy and that's why you have SOB. Hurt, but I took what he said to heart and started looking at what I could do.
I read an article about Intermittent Fasting and it sounded like something that would work. I don't eat a lot really, so four hours of eating time was perfect. Done and dusted. And it worked well for my life style and I lost 60 lbs in 6-8 months.
My SOB? Worse! I could barely walk 25 feet without being totally breathless. It was so embarrassing because I was sure others were thinking "if she wasn't so big, she wouldn't be out of breath". My next appointment with the respirologist was coming up and I decided that I was going to tear him a new one (anyone who knows me, knows this wasn't really going to happen, but I wanted to let him know how upset I was). Unfortunately, or fortunately, I ended up in the ER a week before my appointment and was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (IPAH or PH). Idiopathic = unknown cause. Well the appointment with him went a lot differently and he was (almost) apologetic when he saw me. He then arranged for me to be a patient with the PH clinic and wished me well. The last question (he had the nerve to ask this as his last question) was since I lost so much weight in a fairly short time, did I do so with the aid of diet pills. Reasoning was that diet pills can be a factor in the development of PH. He was looking for a loophole to blame the PH on me, not his inept doctoring. If he had just stopped with the fat shaming and done some simple tests, I would have been diagnosed sooner. Instead I was trying to lose weight and getting closer and closer to collapsing and dying. If I were a suing person, I would definitely think I have a good reason to.
Now 1.5 years into my diagnosis I am 50% better, but my life has been considerably shortened. An earlier diagnosis wouldn't have changed my fate, but doctors really need to STOP fat shaming and just do the tests needed to rule out other issues.
That woman from Random House is correct, unfortunately. My husband wrote a diet book called Just Tell Me What to Eat! published by Da Capo. He's an Internist and former chef and the book included 6 weeks of healthy recipes (don't look at me like that, you've never had his Fettuccine Alfredo) along with evidence-based health information. No gimmicks, just "Here's the science. Here's what works. Get back into the kitchen and cut out the junk. Make a lifestyle change - don't go on a diet."
All my adult life I've been overweight, sometimes just a bit, sometimes more. And after retirement, although I tried, I started gaining more. Then I gave up because it's hard and Nana's supposed to be cuddly. When I saw the surgeon about my upcoming hip replacement, he said that it was up to me, and no pressure, but if I wanted to lose some weight it would make the surgery easier and my recovery better. So I did! Using an app I have been monitoring my caloric take and have lost nearly 40 lbs. Having a good reason to do it -- and being given the option by a nice doctor -- I decided that what I could not do for vanity I would do for health.
For two years (two years ago) I was seeing the most respected respirologist in my city because I was suffering with shortness of breath (SOB). LOSE WEIGHT were his first words to me. Your too heavy and that’s why you have SOB. Hurt, but I knew deep inside he was speaking the truth, I tried to lose weight.
Found an article about Intermittent Fasting and it sounded really doable as I was not a big eater anyway and if I stuffed all my eating into four hours - done and dusted! In about 6-8 months I lost 60 lbs.
My SOB? Worse! Next appointment with respirologist I was going to tear him a new one, but a week before that I ended up in the ER. I was then diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension! Nothing I did caused this, it was just my fate. Appointment with him a week later was very different (almost apologetic) and if I were a suing type of person I think I had all rights to do so! The last question he asked me (had the nerve to ask me) before I was sent to the PH clinic was - all the weight you lost, was that by weight loss pills? Reason - because you CAN get PH by abusing said pills. So in essence he was trying to take his fat shaming approach to being MY fault for getting PH when if he had just done some simple tests at the first appointment three years ago, he would have seen I was dying!
I'm looking forward to reading this. I'm 60, and I had this conversation with my doctor about 6 years ago:
Doc: BTW did you know you have PCOS?
Me: DA FUK???????
I've been overweight since puberty, and my daughter has been diagnosed with PCOS so I guess I should have clued in - but the point is endocrinology plays a huge role in body fat, hunger and satiety. I tried WW once - never again. I'm focused now on exercise and healthier eating.
It's all fucked. My daughter was overweight when she was young, and every time we went to the pediatrician they'd bring it up. She ate a healthy diet, played soccer, basketball, did Girls on the Run and dance, and still she was heavy. My son was rail thin, and my husband and have always maintained our healthy weights, so it's clear it's just her genes. My husband was the same as a kid. I finally took the pediatrician aside and said, "NO MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT WEIGHT EVER AGAIN." And guess what? She now is 15 and has anorexia and always talks about how the doctor told her she was obese. I'm not saying that's the single cause, of course, but FFS do they have to tell kids they are obese? The other kids at school sure do let them know so it's not like they are not aware!!!
Society's obsessive focus on weight is so incredibly harmful. We are going through hell in this family trying to undo the damage. I'm so fucking angry.
Yay! I have been reading your blog for some years now and I really want to read Lose it Right. I have been working on losing weight (struggled all my life, like your Mom) in a sustainable, slow way, and have been successful. Your articles and blog posts have been helpful so far!
Looking forward to reading this. I’ve lost nearly 45 pounds and kept it off but the loss has stalled out and I need a reset to continue my weight loss journey. Hoping this will give me the push I need.
James, respectfully, obesity was classified as a disease by the American Medical Association in the ‘80s (and by the World Health Organization - though I cannot recall that date), and treating this particular disease is much more complicated that burn more than you take in. Certainly, not all who are overweight meet the medical criteria for obesity (according to their BMI), but many do. And for those who have been diagnosed with obesity (particularly those with morbid obesity), diet and exercise (alone) are not the solution. I speak from personal experience. In 2005 I weighed 253 pounds and stood 5’4”; I had tried numerous weight loss approaches in conjunction with various fitness regimes. I managed to lose 100 pounds twice in my life, but as most people living with this disease, I ultimately regained those pounds (plus more).
Can we fatties who require surgery to treat our disease get an honorable mention from one who has earned my respect for burning down the world with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
For two years (1.5 years ago) I was seeing the most respected respirologist in my city because I was suffering with shortness of breath (SOB). LOSE WEIGHT were his first words to me. You're too heavy and that's why you have SOB. Hurt, but I took what he said to heart and started looking at what I could do.
I read an article about Intermittent Fasting and it sounded like something that would work. I don't eat a lot really, so four hours of eating time was perfect. Done and dusted. And it worked well for my life style and I lost 60 lbs in 6-8 months.
My SOB? Worse! I could barely walk 25 feet without being totally breathless. It was so embarrassing because I was sure others were thinking "if she wasn't so big, she wouldn't be out of breath". My next appointment with the respirologist was coming up and I decided that I was going to tear him a new one (anyone who knows me, knows this wasn't really going to happen, but I wanted to let him know how upset I was). Unfortunately, or fortunately, I ended up in the ER a week before my appointment and was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (IPAH or PH). Idiopathic = unknown cause. Well the appointment with him went a lot differently and he was (almost) apologetic when he saw me. He then arranged for me to be a patient with the PH clinic and wished me well. The last question (he had the nerve to ask this as his last question) was since I lost so much weight in a fairly short time, did I do so with the aid of diet pills. Reasoning was that diet pills can be a factor in the development of PH. He was looking for a loophole to blame the PH on me, not his inept doctoring. If he had just stopped with the fat shaming and done some simple tests, I would have been diagnosed sooner. Instead I was trying to lose weight and getting closer and closer to collapsing and dying. If I were a suing person, I would definitely think I have a good reason to.
Now 1.5 years into my diagnosis I am 50% better, but my life has been considerably shortened. An earlier diagnosis wouldn't have changed my fate, but doctors really need to STOP fat shaming and just do the tests needed to rule out other issues.
That woman from Random House is correct, unfortunately. My husband wrote a diet book called Just Tell Me What to Eat! published by Da Capo. He's an Internist and former chef and the book included 6 weeks of healthy recipes (don't look at me like that, you've never had his Fettuccine Alfredo) along with evidence-based health information. No gimmicks, just "Here's the science. Here's what works. Get back into the kitchen and cut out the junk. Make a lifestyle change - don't go on a diet."
Didn't sell in droves.
All my adult life I've been overweight, sometimes just a bit, sometimes more. And after retirement, although I tried, I started gaining more. Then I gave up because it's hard and Nana's supposed to be cuddly. When I saw the surgeon about my upcoming hip replacement, he said that it was up to me, and no pressure, but if I wanted to lose some weight it would make the surgery easier and my recovery better. So I did! Using an app I have been monitoring my caloric take and have lost nearly 40 lbs. Having a good reason to do it -- and being given the option by a nice doctor -- I decided that what I could not do for vanity I would do for health.
For two years (two years ago) I was seeing the most respected respirologist in my city because I was suffering with shortness of breath (SOB). LOSE WEIGHT were his first words to me. Your too heavy and that’s why you have SOB. Hurt, but I knew deep inside he was speaking the truth, I tried to lose weight.
Found an article about Intermittent Fasting and it sounded really doable as I was not a big eater anyway and if I stuffed all my eating into four hours - done and dusted! In about 6-8 months I lost 60 lbs.
My SOB? Worse! Next appointment with respirologist I was going to tear him a new one, but a week before that I ended up in the ER. I was then diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension! Nothing I did caused this, it was just my fate. Appointment with him a week later was very different (almost apologetic) and if I were a suing type of person I think I had all rights to do so! The last question he asked me (had the nerve to ask me) before I was sent to the PH clinic was - all the weight you lost, was that by weight loss pills? Reason - because you CAN get PH by abusing said pills. So in essence he was trying to take his fat shaming approach to being MY fault for getting PH when if he had just done some simple tests at the first appointment three years ago, he would have seen I was dying!
I'm looking forward to reading this. I'm 60, and I had this conversation with my doctor about 6 years ago:
Doc: BTW did you know you have PCOS?
Me: DA FUK???????
I've been overweight since puberty, and my daughter has been diagnosed with PCOS so I guess I should have clued in - but the point is endocrinology plays a huge role in body fat, hunger and satiety. I tried WW once - never again. I'm focused now on exercise and healthier eating.
Actually before the Doctor blamed the earache patient for being overweight, he would have first asked the date of her last period
It's all fucked. My daughter was overweight when she was young, and every time we went to the pediatrician they'd bring it up. She ate a healthy diet, played soccer, basketball, did Girls on the Run and dance, and still she was heavy. My son was rail thin, and my husband and have always maintained our healthy weights, so it's clear it's just her genes. My husband was the same as a kid. I finally took the pediatrician aside and said, "NO MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT WEIGHT EVER AGAIN." And guess what? She now is 15 and has anorexia and always talks about how the doctor told her she was obese. I'm not saying that's the single cause, of course, but FFS do they have to tell kids they are obese? The other kids at school sure do let them know so it's not like they are not aware!!!
Society's obsessive focus on weight is so incredibly harmful. We are going through hell in this family trying to undo the damage. I'm so fucking angry.
This sounds brilliant. I cannot wait to read more.
Yay! I have been reading your blog for some years now and I really want to read Lose it Right. I have been working on losing weight (struggled all my life, like your Mom) in a sustainable, slow way, and have been successful. Your articles and blog posts have been helpful so far!
Looking forward to reading this. I’ve lost nearly 45 pounds and kept it off but the loss has stalled out and I need a reset to continue my weight loss journey. Hoping this will give me the push I need.
Nice one Mr Fell, I look forward to reading this. Enjoy the ride and say hi to any bears!
James, respectfully, obesity was classified as a disease by the American Medical Association in the ‘80s (and by the World Health Organization - though I cannot recall that date), and treating this particular disease is much more complicated that burn more than you take in. Certainly, not all who are overweight meet the medical criteria for obesity (according to their BMI), but many do. And for those who have been diagnosed with obesity (particularly those with morbid obesity), diet and exercise (alone) are not the solution. I speak from personal experience. In 2005 I weighed 253 pounds and stood 5’4”; I had tried numerous weight loss approaches in conjunction with various fitness regimes. I managed to lose 100 pounds twice in my life, but as most people living with this disease, I ultimately regained those pounds (plus more).
Can we fatties who require surgery to treat our disease get an honorable mention from one who has earned my respect for burning down the world with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Respectfully,
Jennifer A. Steele
Follower of Fell
Bariatric Surgery: 2005
Starting Weight: 253
Current Weight: 150
I bought your book. I had my mom (lives in Canada) buy it and send it to me. Loved it!
Yay! I always wanted this book but hard to get in Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Land. Looking forward to reading this 😎
Times have changed, James. Update and try to sell the book again.
Oh thank God for you. I hope this grows into a community kind of thing as I can't be the only person here who could use sane, level-headed support.