From: howard@m.cs.uiuc.edu (Bonnie Howard)
Newsgroups: alt.support.diet
Subject: Re: Losing fat, not muscle
Date: 30 Sep 92 18:43:22 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL

fi@grebyn.com (Fiona Webster) writes:

>Beth Mazur asks:
>>>	3) major depression, including two psychotic episodes
>>>	and multiple hospitalizations --> reversed (although I
>>>	still take antidepressants)
>>>
>>>	4) loss of my job, massive debts, and permanent change
>>>        in lifestyle, as a result of #3 --> not reversed
>>
>>Do you mean to imply that 3 and 4 are common side-effects of VLCDs?

>No, I don't mean that.  I don't understand how simply stating what
>happened to me could constitute any sort of implication about statistical
>likelihood.  My story is just one story--no more, no less.  I see it
>as an important story for the *magnitude* of the catastrophe, though.
>It's like the anecdotes about women (what is it, 10 of them so far?)
>dying on the table during liposuction surgery.  Sure, it's unlikely
>that you'll die of liposuction surgery.  But is getting thinner thighs
>worth risking your *life* for?  I hope not!  I feel the same way about
>the havoc that the Optifast diet wreaked in my life: no amount of
>hypothetical pleasure attached to achieving a societal standard of
>attractiveness, was worth risking my life for.  I wish I had known that
>this was even *remotely* possible, as a consequence.

>Post-partum depression, by the way, is usually quite mild--that is,
>it usually doesn't include the more severe symptoms I experienced:
>hallucinations, psychotic delusions, severe impairment in mental
>functioning (e.g., I was incapable of reading, even just one page,
>for well over a year), loss of all income-earning capacity--just to
>name a few.

>Does anyone have an update on the Federal Trade Commission's
>investigation of deceptive advertising on the part of the "Big 3"
>(Medifast, Optifast, and Ultrafast).  Last I heard, late last
>year, evidence present in congressional subcommittee hearings
>was calling the FTC on the carpet for not having better regulated
>the diet industry.  

>						--Fiona Webster

I have to side with Fiona on the dieting part - I have dieted my way
to being FAT by being on starvation diets... It started when I was 
13 because I was a little on the chubby side and my mother thought 
that I was going to be fat like my aunt, so she decided to take me to
a diet doctor who prescribed (SAFE) diet pills - they made me lose 
weight - I lost 40lbs in one month - well, I looked a lot better, but
did I change the habits - NO!!  This started a lifetime of dieting and
getting bigger and bigger all the time - lose weight - gain weight and
more than what I had lost in the first place.  I lost weight before
I got married by just eating a whole lot less and walking and walking.
Then I had children - well, diet again!!  So finally about 11years ago,
I decided to do the ultimate - Staple - Well, now we are talking major
mess up... I had the stapling done and yes, I did lose the weight - and
my hair and my muscle tone - I use to be strong as an ox - I also came
up with a vomiting problem, that I still have!!!!!  I nearly died with
this whole thing - I ended up having to go to Mayo Clinic in Minn. and
they diagnosed be with being a borderline anorexic (msp) - I read a 
book by Cherry Boone that made me see that dieting that way is not the
right way.  I decided that I wanted to change things, however, my body
was messed up with the stapling.  I have ulcers that flare up and I 
cannot eat a lot of the food that one needs to eat for dieting - I can't
handle roughage and I have a great deal of trouble with meats and other
things to numerous to mention...  I went through a long period of being
severly depressed and did minimal work around the house - things got
really out of hand with my kids - they didn't know what to expect when
they came home.  Sometimes it would be 2 or 3 days before I would get
dressed.

What is all of this leading up to - Don't expect any quick FIX for the
weight problem - it is hard work and learning to live with your body    
and finding out what it is trying to tell you.  You may not ever be a 
size (1), or (10) - find out how you feel and if you feel good about 
yourself - then stay there - don't let someone else measure your worth.!
It has taken a long time for me to learn these things and a lot of tears.

I am not trying to discourage anyone and their dieting - I am saying
use SENSE and change your lifestyle.  If you don't do that, no matter
how much you lose, you will gain it back, because old habits die hard.\

Good Luck to those of you who are winning the game :)))

bonnie
Newsgroups: alt.support.diet