I seem to be a medical puzzle. Many of my medical issues are either caused by my weight or causing my weight issues. I am approximately 85 lbs overweight, and I have been fighting that number since age 13. My thyroid doesn't seem to work at all, my female hormones seem to have been out of whack since time began, I am severely iron deficient (but not anemic! My doctor is very confused by my blood work sometimes). I've got Celiac's disease which went undiagnosed and untreated until I was 23, and as a direct result I have so many nutrient deficiencies I'm surprised I'm still upright. I've got ADHD, which may or may not be connected to the Celiac's. This wasn't diagnosed until I was in my 24, and has definitely impacted every aspect of my life.
The weight issue seems to be the most obvious one to fix, but I have come to learn that if I don't treat everything else first, weight loss does not happen.
Thyroid: a screwed up thyroid will affect a person's weight. I personally have hypothyroidism, which means that my thyroid does not produce enough hormone to regulate things like my metabolism. Hypothyroidism causes weight gain, and without treatment the weight doesn't go anywhere.
I have been on a medication for my thyroid for more than six years, but by the time I had it diagnosed I was told that my thyroid was scarred and I would have to be on thyroid medication for the rest of my life. Even treated, my thyroid remains a big problem for me.
ADHD: Having untreated ADHD causes crazy carb cravings and an inability to control many impulses, including the one to snack. Combine these two and one gets a desire to snack on high carb (and usually incredibly salty or sweet) foods and an inability to control the urge to snack. Going to the grocery store is always a challenge for me, although being on my medication helps tremendously. I tend to return with things like cheesy snack crackers and potato chips instead of healthier options. At home, I tend to snack, sometimes without even realizing I'm doing it.
Celiac's disease: The catch 22 of having celiac's disease, especially if one is unaware of it for an extended period of time, is the nutrient deficiencies it causes while being able to cause weight gain at the same time. The abundance, accessibility, and nutritional value of processed food in the US has never been my friend. The celiac's disease causes my intestines to stop absorbing nutrients, and as a result I have more than enough to eat but several nutrient deficiencies. I have never actually had a doctor say it, but these nutrient deficiencies have probably caused my body to be in an almost constant state of starvation, which causes it to try and store as much food as possible in fat stores, causing weight gain. I have more than enough to eat, but before I was diagnosed with celiac's disease I wasn't getting a whole lot of nutrition from anything I ate. The inability to maintain a healthy weight, either being overweight or underweight, can be a sign a celiac's. It is very frustrating.
I have severe depression and PTSD (no, I wasn't in the military, but PTSD can be caused by any sort of serious trauma). My eating habits have never been very good, but when I hit a really low point in my depression or have a very vivid PTSD episode, the first thing I tend to stop caring about is when and what I'm eating. Feeling better is that only thing that matters, even if it is only a temporary feeling. Comfort foods are a huge problem for me. Besides banning them from my house (a difficult endeavor with two kids in the house), I can only limit my exposure to them so much, but I am trying.
I feel like right now I have all of my known medical conditions under some semblance of control, so it might be time for another weight loss attempt. Get it while the getting's good, right? I honestly don't know how long any period of emotional stability is going to last for me, so I am going to try to take advantage of it. Hopefully it will last for a few months at least.
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