I am 31 and have been facing my weight in some form or another for 24 years. I am in the 220's and have subclinical hypothyroidism. I went through a lot of tests last year and the Endocrinologist gave me the medical advice to "eat nothing white". After that, and a swirl of completely crazy things going on in my life over the last few months, I gave myself permission not to put my weight first on my life list for a little while. (I have four mortgages right now and no salary for the last 3 months because my company is broke.) Anyway, I have bigger fish to fry at the moment than my weight. (It's ever-present and this certainly isn't a license to indulge, rather letting myself not obsess over it.)
But, time has been ticking down on my birth control prescription. I knew that meant a trip to the doctor with a weigh in. Last year I had gyno and Endocrinologist appointments on the same day and I asked the gyno if I could just self-report my weight to avoid the weigh-in and you would have thought I asked for a case of heroin. Subtlety is not their strong suit so after all the nurses discussed this unprecedented craziness of a patient not willing to weigh in, I realized I'd won the battle but lost the war.
So as my packets of birth control dwindled, I started pondering all sorts of craziness - from "gee is it time to have a baby?" to ordering the pill on the web to finding an alternative means of birth control. (That would have been a fun conversation. "Uh, honey, I went off the pill because I can't stand the thought of being weighed at the doctor's office, so now we're going to do this.")
Finally I got up the nerve to just call Planned Parenthood and ASK them if I could avoid being weighed. They have two options for doctor's visits to get birth control pills - you can have the normal full exam or a consultation where they don't do a pelvic exam, but you DO get weighed. Anyway, I'm totally down with the pelvic, it's the weighing that's got me down. The receptionist checked and sure, they'll see me without a mandatory weigh in. What a relief!!!!!!!!
I feel like a human being again. The doctor's office treats everything else with such discretion, it's amazing how public and stressful taking your weight can be. I surfed all over the web to try to find a solution to my dilemma and didn't see one other person who expressed putting off a doctor's visit because of her weight though I am sure someone else on the planet has experienced this feeling. That's why I wanted to write about it here.
Of course, I need to address my weight, I will need to confront it and work toward a fitter life - I just didn't need to do it because of an arbitrary prescription expiration right while in the middle of a major life crisis.
Whew. One less thing to worry about this week. I hope if you were searching for this info like I was, you found it!
My goodness you nearly took the words out of my mouth. I don't know why there aren't a gazillion responses to this. Maybe it's just me and you? But I am the EXACT same way. I even called my doctor and told her I was going out of town before I could get in for my birth control refill plus pelvic exam so she gave me ONE more month. Great...that means I can lose like 8 of the 90 pounds I need to lose Anyways, I went, hopped on and it said 224.5. Ok so I sit down the nurse takes my BP, heartrate, yaddiyaddiyadda, and then goes to her chart and goes, did the scale say 214 or 241? HAHAHAHA I of course say 214 and she says "i figured, you definately don't look 241." Ok so that means I can't go to the doctor even if I am sick until I'm under 214 or she'll think I gained weight. DAMN! You never win!
Just wanted to let you know, that weighing in is the absolute only reason I hate going to the doc's. I'm not scared of the shots, blood tests, pelvic exams, strep tests, breast exams....its the weight. And I've been this way since I was in 8th grade b/c of weight. What a day it will be when I weigh 150 and know the nurses aren't thinking "fat***" in their head LOL
i avoided scales at all costs and that is the reason i am as big as i am now. if i had faced my problem early on i wouldnt not gotten so big.. just a thought!
I completely agree with doctors being too focused on the scale. The nurse who took my weight today just flung the metal weights on the slide. She didn't eve give it time to balance before she wrote the number down. It's a conspiracy JK
Ok- So I don't pay too much attention to the scale, in fact it's against my religion I go by more of how I feel, how my pants feel, etc. I'm a big boned, over weight but very muscular girl. My thyroid quit on me when I was 11 so I have struggled with my weight most of my life (21 years at least).
I went to the GYNO today and I guess this is why I joined today- for support. I weighed in a 225 not the best but I have been walking 3 or 4 days a week and eating healthy. I am not THIN, I know this, but the doctor today asked me about diets. I tried to explain (she didn't let me get out more than a few words at a time) that I have tried everything. She reccommended that I see a nutritionist (ok I can handle that- I just can't afford one) and two I try to join "Over Eaters Anonymous". That last one set me off. I don't gorge myself but I do love bread and pasta and my thryoid is also my problem.
Anyway I'm not making excuses. I've decided I am going to prove her wrong. I am cutting out bread and pasta and I'm going to do it with natural wholesome foods while continuing to excercise. Maybe this time- after 20 years of trying- something different will happen. It just upset me that a GYNO who I've only seen twice so far- once in May 2005 and again today- who knows very little about me can make this recommedation?
I'm here to listen, share, vent, and ask for advice. I'm hoping this site will keep me focused on my goal.
It's not good to just cut any food group out - whole grain breads (first ingredient should be whole grain not whole...flour) and grains like quinoa, whole wheat pasta, etc. are actually very good for us. I don't think the doctor was out of line in suggesting a nutritionist - I've seen one for quit some time and she has been a big help. I am hypothyroid and insulin resistant. As you can see, I have lost lots of weight and am keeping it off.
Dosage for some medications depends on weight. Why not get on the scale backward and tell them not to tell you how much you weigh?
HA! Thats what I did for the longest time!! They got used to it. I don't recommend not facing your true weight though...I gained nearly 40 lbs in a year. (Saw my chart recently) Oh and BTW, getting PG is totally defeating the purpose. Not only are you going to GAIN a substancial amount of weight, you WILL be weighed!!!!!!! Thats how I ahd to finally face it. I was devistated, of course, but now I have a gorgeous baby boy and am nearly 50 lbs lighter!
There was a time when I was over 220 lbs. and went to a gyno. appointment and refused to be weighed. The nurse looked at me like I was crazy. When I went into the exam room she walked in and told the Dr. "I tried to weigh her and she refused". He just laughed and said "that's fine". I knew I had been gaining weight and just didn't want to face it at the time. It was too depressing for me.
There have been times that I didn't want my DH to go to the doctor's office with me for fear he would see how much I weighed. I'd pull the trick of sending him to the car for something, just as the nurse called me in. Lol. Now, I still hate one of my doctor's scales. I see 3 different doctors on a regular basis and 2 of their scales weigh me the same as mine. One of them, their scales weigh me 7 lbs. higher. I hate this. I have told them many times that the scale is way off and all they say is "that's what everybody tells us" but no one has ever bothered to fix it. I could stand it a lb. or 2 off but 7. It takes me months to lose 7.
On my last trip to a new gyno they had the scale right there where everyone walks through ! I hate that . Shouldn't they have a little weighing room or something ?
When they tell me to get on the scale I just say (in an authoritative voice), "I'll be skipping the weigh-in today." Their mouth drops open for a second and then they just go on with the exam.
I'm at my goal weight, but I still don't like someone else weighing me. I tell the nurse or PA right away that I'm going to close my eyes and please don't tell me the number because it just makes me crazy to see a different number than the one I see on my scale when I'm nekkid in the morning. None have ever objected or told me. I think 99% of women, whether they are heavy or not, totally understand this.
You can ALWAYS decline being weighed.
And, I personally think it's nuts to hold women hostage to come in and be seen for birth control refills. Most women are healthy and if they could have them last year they can have them this year. And even for women who have medical problems....PREGNANCY would be MORE dangerous. Sheesh.
BTW, IUDs save women these headaches. Talk to your local provider.
How much you weigh can impact on how much medication you need to treat some conditions. You could always get on the scale backward, let them weigh you and tell them you don't want to know the results.
Weighed at the Doctor's Office - Not So Fast
Anyways, I went, hopped on and it said 224.5. Ok so I sit down the nurse takes my BP, heartrate, yaddiyaddiyadda, and then goes to her chart and goes, did the scale say 214 or 241? HAHAHAHA I of course say 214 and she says "i figured, you definately don't look 241." Ok so that means I can't go to the doctor even if I am sick until I'm under 214 or she'll think I gained weight. DAMN! You never win!
JK 
