The first rule when you decide you want to lose weight is to
go have a talk with your doctor. Let him
or her decide if you need to lose weight, how much, what plan you should
follow, what supplements - if any - you should take, and when you should come
back for follow-up visits to make sure everything is proceeding as planned.
It will also be helpful if you bring a list of any
medications you are taking, as well as any over-the-counter supplements, herbal
products, Ayurvedic products, spices for health purposes, and a brief summary
of your medical history. It will be
important for your doctor to know if you have had any surgery, or if you have
heart problems, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, etc. Your doctor will probably know all - or most
- of this, but it won't hurt to put everything done on one piece of paper. Remember to date it and keep a copy for
yourself.
It's especially important to list ALL medications you are
taking because sometimes they can contribute to weight gain. Especially if your weight gain is recent, and
coincides with the commencement of some new medications.
One test your doctor may want to take is a thyroid test to
make sure your thyroid is functioning properly.
Have you also become more tired than normal? Note anything in your life that may have
changed about the time the weight gain started.
Emotional factors can be a big factor in weight gain. Have elements of your lifestyle changed
drastically? Have you moved to a new
city, changed jobs, got married, got divorced, and had a child? All of these factors can contribute to a
change in your health and weight.
Weight gain does usually come down to "calories in
versus calories out", but sometimes there are other medically related
factors that can cause you to put on extra weight.
Another important list to take with you is a list of any
questions you may have for your doctor.
You may want to ask the following things:
* What is my ideal
weight for my bone structure and height?
* Do I really need to
lose weight, or shift my weight from fat to muscle mass?
* Could my health
problems be causing my weight gain?
* What other problems
might I have due to my increased weight?
* Explain the
different weight loss medication options to me?
* What about weight
loss surgery?
Another good item to take with you is a food journal. Keep a food journal for the two weeks before
your appointment, writing down everything you eat, when you eat it, if you were
really hungry or succumbing to a craving, was it an emotional hunger or real
hunger, did you eat sitting down at a table or cramming the food in your mouth
straight from the refrigerator? Don't
worry about what you write, just be brutally honest because it's for your
health that you need to address these issues.
What are your cultural comfort foods? Do you eat at fast food restaurants
often? Do you always feel that you have
to "clean your plate because there are children starving in
Africa"? What kind of programming
and triggers lead to your eating?
If you already have a certain diet in mind, such as the
Atkins Program, or the Mediterranean Diet, bring the details with you so you
doctor can check it out. It's amazing
how many different diet programs there are and it's even more amazing how
uninformed a lot of doctors are about what's available.
Good luck! Keep your
goal in mind, work with your doctor, and remember to include some exercise each
day.
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