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Being fat isn't my fault??

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#1

lalique , 10-05-2007 05:25 PM

I have always wondered how my friends could eat so much all the time, and mostly junk food, and still stay skinny.. I figured it was just my bad luck that I ended up being the fat one. One of my moms friends at work, who was slightly overweight, went to the doctor some months ago for help, after she was told she had Mono, and went 2 months without getting any better. Come to find out she had food allergies. In the 3 months since finding out she's allergic to everything except chicken and peas, she's lost 75 pounds, and now where's a size 2. Not only did she lose weight, but her symptoms of Mono have dissappeared, and she's also noticed a HUGE difference in how well she's sleeps, and good she feels.

So after hearing her story, my mom wondered if I had some of the same food allergies. Since I too have horrible sleeping habits, and have flu-like symptoms on a fairly regular basis.

6 weeks ago I went to my doctor, and she agreed it could very well be possible. She sent me to an allergist. And come to find out, I am allergic to everything under the sun!

I'm allergic to everything except: Whole wheats, most veggies, a few fruits, beef, chicken, fish, and most seasonings including salt and pepper.

Some things I am allergic to are: Refined wheats, cereals, rices, most fruits, pork, and a few specific veggies.

Both my doctor and this allergist agreed that my food allergies could play a large role in my weight. They both think that if I stay away from the foods I'm allergic to, together with exercise (which my lack-thereof plays the other large role in my weigt), I could probably lose most if not all the weight I need to.

Pretty darn interesting if I do say so myself. I would have never thought I could actually be allergic to food.

Anyway for the last week, I've been pretty careful, and haven't eaten anything I shouldn't be, and I have to admit, I'm starting to feel better! I seem to be sleeping a little better at night, and as I checked this morning I've lost 5 pounds.

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#2

ggmugsy , 10-05-2007 05:28 PM

That's AWESOME!! I'm sending my skinniest (and best!) wishes your way!!

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#3

GirlyGirlSebas , 10-05-2007 05:29 PM

Wow! That is incredible. Please keep us posted on your progress.

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#4

tamaralynn , 10-05-2007 05:33 PM

Wow! My mother had the same problem. She was (and still is) allergic to EVERYTHING.

She had to totally develop a new taste of foods and she could no longer eat what she usually liked. She dropped about 50 lbs in under 4 months!! She hasn't gained weight like that since!

*edit* I should mention, that I don't think the doctor or my mom realized at the time that the allergies were giving her the weight.

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#5

Shy Moment , 10-05-2007 06:01 PM

lalique
I never even thought about it effecting weight. My allergy symptoms have gotten worse over the years. When my doc had me checked oh 10-15 years ago the lady laughed and said, "Well you are allergic to these foods and those foods, these plants and those plants. Lets not forget rocks and dirt. I said ROCKS she just laughed and laughed. I am allergic to everything lol.

I have just shrugged it off over the years. Meds tend to make me sick, bad tummy, so I try to stay away from any meds that I don't have to have to live. It never occurred to me it could have anything to do with weight.

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#6

Marseille , 10-05-2007 06:29 PM

strike it, didn't intend to be so nasty

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#7

Shy Moment , 10-05-2007 06:34 PM

Mar
Like I said it had never crossed my mind. I knew 75% of my weight gain was the meds. I knew 25% was me saying well nothing i can do about it so lets eat two Hershey bars instead of one ( just an example, I didn't eat two instead of one ) lol. Would have been nice to not have to take the blame for even that 25% lol.

Edit. It would be nice if they found out some foods cause some people to gain weight because of how the body deals with them.

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#8

hellokitty81668 , 10-05-2007 06:45 PM

Congratulations on this discovery!!!
I have heard that there are people allergic to certain foods, and am glad you found your foods.
cheryl

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#9

GirlyGirlSebas , 10-05-2007 07:12 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Marseille
Weight gain/weight loss is, after all, a very simple mathematical equation so I didn't see how an allergy to a specific food could be causing weight gain.
For most people, weight gain or loss is just a simple equation of calories in versus calories out. However, that is most people, not all people. For instance, I have insulin resistance....which makes my mathematical equation a little trickier. Medical science is still researching these issues and we would be incredibly arrogant to think that we already have all of the answers.

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#10

lalique , 10-05-2007 08:12 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Marseille
So, I just really did not get this. Weight gain/weight loss is, after all, a very simple mathematical equation so I didn't see how an allergy to a specific food could be causing weight gain. I did a little research and most of the information that I am getting says that when you are "allergic" (I use quotes because this type of food allergy is NOT in anyway the same as normal allergies that cause some type of physiological reaction) some people may have stronger cravings for specific foods that can not be alleviated until that food is eaten. They may also have some mild water retention that could cause an extra 5-10 pounds.

However, I think it is important to point out that there is no "allergic reaction" that is causing you to gain weight. To gain weight, you still have to consume more calories than you are burning. To lose weight, you still have to reverse it and burn more calories than you are consuming. Being sensitive or allergic to a food does not change this equation.

We all look for an easy answer and a way to shift the blame for what we put into our bodies, but the truth is, we always have control over what we place into our mouths. It might be VERY VERY VERY hard to exercise that control when there is evidence of a food sensitivity, but that option to not eat or eat less still exists!
Well thank you Dr. Marseille.

My allergist explained it much better than that though, and had a little more to say about it.

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#11

rockinrobin , 10-05-2007 08:24 PM

Lalique, I really hope this turns out to be a postive for you. It sounds very promising and hopeful. Wouldn't that be something? If this unlocks the door for your weight loss issues as well as others. Here's hoping.

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#12

Miss Lili , 10-05-2007 08:51 PM

Lalique, I'm glad you're feeling better. I hope you continue to get good results. The human body is truly amazing in its complexity, and mystery!

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#13

Marseille , 10-05-2007 09:15 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by lalique
My allergist explained it much better than that though, and had a little more to say about it.

Glad to hear it. Obviously I didn't know, or I wouldn't have dug into it! I erased my earlier post, it wasn't an attack on you I was just trying to figure it out...

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#14

murphmitch , 10-05-2007 09:23 PM

I'm just curious. How did they test you for your allergies? The foods that you are not allergic to sound like your basic healthy diet. Are you allergic to dairy also? That seems to be a very common allergy. I would be interested in determining if I have food allergies. Did you consult a regular allergest or was it an alternative medicine practictioner?

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#15

kaplods , 10-05-2007 09:28 PM

It's easy to say "it's just simple math," but the logic is circuitous, because it cannot be disproven. How do you know that you are eating too much and exercising too little? Why you're too fat of course. And if you're eating 800 calories a day and still not losing weight (and too exhausted to lift your head, let alone exercise because you're only eating 800 calories a day? Why it's still simple math, you just need to cut calories even further.

Calories in are relatively easy to measure. Calories out, in terms of metabolism and exercise are much more variable. We don't know every factor that affects metabolism, but we do know some. Medications can affect metabolism, hunger, and fatigue/energy level.

I had a friend in college with severe allergies. The allergies and the allergy medications (steroids, anti-inflammatories, and antihistamines) interacted to increase her hunger, fatigue and water retention, while decreasing her metabolism energy and pain level. After she had allergy shots, she dropped about 50 lbs with no effort whatsoever, even though her calorie consumption increased. Of course being awake more of the day, not to mention being able to reduce the use of steroids boosted her metabolism. So while it still was a mathematical equation, it was far from a "simple" one.

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