View Full Version : Unintentional weight loss! Somebody calm me down please
I am generally an overweight person and I've always dreamed of losing weight the right way. However, as someone with HA, I am now terrified I have some malignancy.
Last September, I tried losing weight by exercising and reducing my food intake for about 3 weeks. By October I had a stomach bug which made me had irregular bowel movements/diarrhea for almost a month. I wasn't able to continue my "fitness plan"
I weighed myself early November and I was about 189 lbs.
Last week I weighed myself and I was 184.5
This morning, I weighed myself and I was 182.5.
As you can see, the numbers just keep dropping and dropping! I am going insane.
The thing is that a lot of my friends and colleagues keep telling me that I lost a lot of weight. I guess this is what started my worrying a month ago.
It is so strange that I wasn't able to keep up with my exercise and diet yet I still keep losing weight! Also, for the past 2 weeks, I've been really eating lots of fast food yet this is still happening.
I really do not have any other symptoms except this one.
It's so hard to believe that anxiety and stress are causing this!
I am the same way. I am a thin person anyway but I weighed myself over the weekend and I have lost about five pounds without trying. I would say if anything my diet has been less healthy than usual and my anxiety, whilst not great hasn't been a lot worse than usual. I don't have any answers but wanted to tell you that you're not alone. This is one of my major worries.
This is exactly what Im going through at the moment. I have lost a lot of weight over the past 4 months or so, dont know how much because Im too scared to step on the scales but it is a lot as my clothes are all baggy. GP says its down to my anxiety which is causing nervous energy which burns off the calories but Im finding it hard to accept. I have been eating normally as well so that has made it harder to understand. I am a naturally slim person and really cant afford to lose the weight.
So youre definitely not alone.
had
Mr Mannering
09-12-13, 09:23
Do you keep a food diary? about a year ago I was getting pains in my stomach and this was triggering my HA I was at a very stressful period in my life. I very rarely weigh myself but this time I did and made a mental note. After what I thought was a little while I stood on the scales and I had lost a stone.. The only reason I weighed in was because people were telling me I looked thinner. OMG!!! a stone!! went straight to the doctor and I had a enema scan to check my bowels etc (not pleasant).... However all results were normal. I have IBS but this was mainly a change due to stress and anxiety and although I felt like I was eating no different. As my life calmed down so has my weight and now I'm worrying about it going back up :)
Thank you for replying, everyone.
cattia, I am sorry to hear that you are going through the same thing as well. How do you cope with this problem? Have you been to the doctors about this concern?
hadenough, I am sort of the opposite. I tend to panic whenever I do not weigh myself. And when I do find the measurement lighter, I panic even more. It so difficult living with this! At least you've seen a doctor about it. It is really indeed hard to believe that we are losing weight because stress. Have you had any tests?
Mannering, no, I generally do not keep a record of what I eat. I do know that I haven't been really eating healthy meals for the past few weeks! I am glad that your results turned out normal. What else did the doctor say about your weight loss? Also, did you feel basically fine and "normal" in spite of the weight loss?
Honestly, this wouldn't have been an issue if almost all the people I met had not mentioned about my weight loss!
Mine started off like yours with a bad bout of diarrhoea that just wouldnt go. I have had a full set of bloods done twice including special blood tests for anything sinister and they have all come back fine.
No I dont feel well, Im exhausted all the time and also look physically unwell - pale and drawn. Im told by the gp that this is caused by my anxiety as well.
had
Keep in mind it's NOT about what the scale says. Certainly, anxiety can play a role in weight loss as it stresses your body and causes it to consume more energy. If you're exercising then you're retaining muscle (which you definitely want) and losing body fat (which you definitely want too!). Don't judge your progress by the scale. Judge it by the way your clothes fit.
One thing you can do is take a photo of yourself now (in a bathing suit or underwear), and then take another 4 weeks later and compare the two. The scale may not change that much but I bet you'll see a difference in the photos ;)
Positive thoughts
hadenough, I am so sorry that you are not feeling well. On my way home tonight, I felt a bit tired. My arms were pretty weak. Once I got home and ate dinner, I felt loads better. I really do not know whether I should just eat all the garbage that I see to at least gain some weight back, hopefully. This is just scaring me. I still cannot believe that there is nothing really wrong with me.
fish, thank you for your reply. Well, to be honest, some of my clothes and jeans have been a bit easier to fit. I really think I did lose weight given the huge number of people saying that I lost this much weight. I really do not know what to think at this moment though. :( I've always wanted to be in the normal range of my weight but this weight loss thing is just unbelievable.
You do realize that it's only 7 pounds in a month and that's not unusual at all based on your OP?
Thanks, fish. I do know it is like 7 lbs or so but I get fixated on the fact that it is a sign of something bad.
I seriously feel okay except I feel that there is this dark cloud hovering over my head everywhere I go. It makes me feel so down that I cannot do anything properly nowadays.
Thanks, fish. I do know it is like 7 lbs or so but I get fixated on the fact that it is a sign of something bad.
I seriously feel okay except I feel that there is this dark cloud hovering over my head everywhere I go. It makes me feel so down that I cannot do anything properly nowadays.
Sky,
That sounds more like depression. I know because I'm dealing with a bit of it in the aftermath of cancer treatment. I feel "Ok" in general and I'm pretty positive "in general" but I have this "blah" feeling that's nagging the heck out of me. The "dark cloud" description of how you feel indicates depression to me.
It's not physical nor dangerous. Talk to your GP about getting a referral to a counselor. Like me, sounds like you need a "perspective adjustment' ;)
Positive thoughts
Hi fish, thank you again for your thoughts.
I did not know you had cancer. I trust you are doing well now. Yes, it really sounds like I am party depressed. I can't seem to shake off this lingering thought at the back of my head.
I look at photos from the last 3-6 months and I can't help but say that I really lost weight. Generally, I lost weight 7 lbs today since October 15.
I know it is not really a lot but is till worries me.
The fact that I am feeling fine, is that sort of a reassurance that nothing is sinister going inside me?
Unintentional weight loss is deemed 1/10 of your body weight .. hope that helps...
Hi pringles, thank you. I just hope that even if you lose 1/10 of your body weight, it can still be benign...
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