Low Carb "Look"

Martha, you look great! Thanks for posting your pics. I like that
format. I have been on the fence about posting myself, as I am far
from my goal but what the heck, LIFE is a work in process.

Pam

Martha Gallagher wrote:

Geocities.com has free websites too. It's pretty easy to create a picture
page using their page wizard.

Speaking of which I added my personal bad, low-carb look picture on my
page. It's hard to know whether I looked that bad because of the camera or
my expression, but I think it's pretty representational of how I did look
then, 'cause when I looked in the mirror I saw the same thing. But, from
the later pictures and what I see in the mirror, I think it has gotten
better. So, maybe it's just a phase.

Martha

http://www.geocities.com/taupewhidbey/dietprogress.html

Thanks, Martha. And I look pretty much like YOUR pic
(line-wise). So did you do anything special to improve the way
you look? Is this perhaps a phase, if I am lucky?

--
Jean B.

Carmen wrote:

Wow! That haircut (and color?) makes a world of difference! Your
long hair made you look older, drawing the eye down but the short new
hairdo perks up your whole aspect! Maybe *that's* what I need - a new
short haircut. Sarge wails "No!" in the background. :-)

Short haircut... Would I ever dare?

--
Jean B.

Carmen wrote:

Jean B. wrote:
I take it this doctor is a GP, not a behavioral health
specialist?

Unfortunately yes. My erstwhile psychiatrist has moved to a very
inaccessible location, and I have not found a replacement for
him. Maybe I will just have to bite the bullet and go to see him
anyway--if he is even where I think he is.

That's rough. Even if you can't get to him, perhaps you can ask him
for a referral closer to you. He knows your situation and may be able
to suggest someone suitable.

I could have gone on Prozac but then had no drug coverage in my
private-pay plan. And now, given what I have read about Prozac, I
would like to try something else first.

My experience with it was that it was a highly effective AD. No
appetite problems when combined with the Wellbutrin, no gastro
problems of any sort and I was back up to my normal speed. The blood
sugar reaction (hypos) made it untenable to stay on it, and I've
regretted that ever since. I think I'd rather go back on it than keep
trying a string of ineffective (for me) ADs. I know that serotonin is
the primary culprit in my case (on Wellbutrin alone there's no
improvement), so there's no real choice but to keep trying SSRIs until
I find another effective one - if there is one for me.

May I ask what in particular makes you leery of Prozac?

Now the possible weight gain and the sexual disfunction. I'd
rather try something that doesn't come with those potential
problems built in.

--
Jean B.

Hi Jean,
Jean B. wrote:
May I ask what in particular makes you leery of Prozac?

Now the possible weight gain and the sexual disfunction. I'd
rather try something that doesn't come with those potential
problems built in.

Below is the prescribing information from the manufacturer:
http://pi.lilly.com/prozac.pdf

If you look on page 16 of the PDF file you'll see that for Prozac, 11%
of the people in the studies reported anorexia decreased appetite in
this context (vs 2% of those given a placebo) and that 3% of the
people experienced decreased libido (vs none on the placebo). That
doesn't mean that some people don't get increased appetite on Prozac,
it just means that it was more common to experience the opposite. Any
of the SSRIs carry the potential for sexual side effects, but they're
also pretty effective at combatting depression too. I wish there were
some magical medication that only ever had *positive* side effects (ie
the reason we take the buggerly things in the first place) with no
negative ones but the world's never known such an animal. I doubt it
ever will.
It comes down to a question of what medication(s) will give you the
most positive effect for the least amount of negative. I hope you can
find a doctor who'll work with you to help you find the right answer.

Take care,
Carmen

Carmen wrote:

Hi Jean,
Jean B. wrote:
May I ask what in particular makes you leery of Prozac?

Now the possible weight gain and the sexual disfunction. I'd
rather try something that doesn't come with those potential
problems built in.

Below is the prescribing information from the manufacturer:
http://pi.lilly.com/prozac.pdf

If you look on page 16 of the PDF file you'll see that for Prozac, 11%
of the people in the studies reported anorexia decreased appetite in
this context (vs 2% of those given a placebo) and that 3% of the
people experienced decreased libido (vs none on the placebo). That
doesn't mean that some people don't get increased appetite on Prozac,
it just means that it was more common to experience the opposite. Any
of the SSRIs carry the potential for sexual side effects, but they're
also pretty effective at combatting depression too. I wish there were
some magical medication that only ever had *positive* side effects (ie
the reason we take the buggerly things in the first place) with no
negative ones but the world's never known such an animal. I doubt it
ever will.
It comes down to a question of what medication(s) will give you the
most positive effect for the least amount of negative. I hope you can
find a doctor who'll work with you to help you find the right answer.

Take care,
Carmen

I hope so too, Carmen. Thank you for that information.
--
Jean B.

On Sat, 13 Dec 2003, Carmen wrote:

Hi Jean,
Jean B. wrote:
May I ask what in particular makes you leery of Prozac?

Now the possible weight gain and the sexual disfunction. I'd
rather try something that doesn't come with those potential
problems built in.

Below is the prescribing information from the manufacturer:
http://pi.lilly.com/prozac.pdf

If you look on page 16 of the PDF file you'll see that for Prozac, 11%
of the people in the studies reported anorexia decreased appetite in
this context (vs 2% of those given a placebo) and that 3% of the
people experienced decreased libido (vs none on the placebo). That
doesn't mean that some people don't get increased appetite on Prozac,
it just means that it was more common to experience the opposite. Any


I can provide a datapoint on this. When I was going to a diet doctor, he
prescribed me prozac as an adjunct to the weight loss program. He asked me
a few pro forma questions that could have been taken as indicative of
depression, but it was definitely a nod, nod, wink, wink kind of thing
(I'm congenitally happy). I found I lost very well while on it.

of the SSRIs carry the potential for sexual side effects, but they're
also pretty effective at combatting depression too. I wish there were
some magical medication that only ever had *positive* side effects (ie
the reason we take the buggerly things in the first place) with no
negative ones but the world's never known such an animal. I doubt it
ever will.
It comes down to a question of what medication(s) will give you the
most positive effect for the least amount of negative. I hope you can
find a doctor who'll work with you to help you find the right answer.


Ditto,

Martha

--
Begin where you are - but don't end there.

Martha Gallagher wrote:

On Sat, 13 Dec 2003, Carmen wrote:

Hi Jean,
Jean B. wrote:
May I ask what in particular makes you leery of Prozac?

Now the possible weight gain and the sexual disfunction. I'd
rather try something that doesn't come with those potential
problems built in.

Below is the prescribing information from the manufacturer:
http://pi.lilly.com/prozac.pdf

If you look on page 16 of the PDF file you'll see that for Prozac, 11%
of the people in the studies reported anorexia decreased appetite in
this context (vs 2% of those given a placebo) and that 3% of the
people experienced decreased libido (vs none on the placebo). That
doesn't mean that some people don't get increased appetite on Prozac,
it just means that it was more common to experience the opposite. Any

I can provide a datapoint on this. When I was going to a diet doctor, he
prescribed me prozac as an adjunct to the weight loss program. He asked me
a few pro forma questions that could have been taken as indicative of
depression, but it was definitely a nod, nod, wink, wink kind of thing
(I'm congenitally happy). I found I lost very well while on it.

[snip]

That's good to know. So, per usual, YMMV. It does seem to be the
antiD of choice now.

--
Jean B.