Weight, Cigars, Doctors!

C

ca21455

Humi Project Leader
I am 54 and have struggled with my weight all my life.

Find if very interesting that my doctors obsess over quiting smoking cigars much more then loosing weight. At the beginning of the year I weighed 270 pounds, had high blood pressure, abnormal liver enzymes, high blood sugar and a number of other negative effects of being over weight. In March I told my doctor I smoked one of two cigars a week (winter is a slow smoking time).

Instead of telling me to loose weight, he commented about how smoking cigars was bad for me and I should quit. I said "what about my BP and blood sugar levels"? He gave me a prescription for both and that was that.

Decided this was crap and did not want to take medications for the rest of my life. So I read up on my condition and weight was the determining factor.

Started a diet in April and I am now down to 200 pounds. My BP and blood sugar are normal and liver enzymes are in the normal range. Not taking medication for any. My latest check up was perfect.


So the medical facts are:
  1. Being overweight is detrimental to your health.
  2. Smoking 1 - 2 cigars a day has minimal health effects especially if you do not inhale
There is a cultural myth that accepts being overweight and treat the side effects with medicine and cigar smoking is evil. By the way, the weight loss program I am on is not covered by the insurance company!

I wish our physicians and insurance companies would wake up and get a grip!
 
Congratulations on your weight loss and reduction of your blood sugar. Controlling blood sugar with diet alone is definitely the hard way.

However, I disagree with you that there is a cultural acceptance of obesity. Absolutely the best medical advice that anyone can follow is "DO NOT get fat!

I wish you continued success in what is going to be a daily battle for the rest of your life.
 
I was/am in a similar situation.I struggled with being over weight my whole life I'm now 40 and finally decided to do something about it. I was 321 pounds when I finally decided to lose some weight so off to Weight Watchers it was. I weighed in this week at 216 this week down 105 pounds since I started over a year ago.
I also went to a Doctor that was more concerned about my 1 or 2 cigars a day than me being over weight. Since I dropped the weight all my numbers are in check and I feel 100% better over all. My goal is to drop another 20 pounds my motivation better heath and I reward myself with what else better boxes of cigars.

Congrats on you weight loss and better heath. Enjoy ! those cigars. In fact if you PM me you address you can enjoy one on me.
 
Maljunulo said:
Congratulations on your weight loss and reduction of your blood sugar. Controlling blood sugar with diet alone is definitely the hard way.

However, I disagree with you that there is a cultural acceptance of obesity. Absolutely the best medical advice that anyone can follow is "DO NOT get fat!

I wish you continued success in what is going to be a daily battle for the rest of your life.
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I agree there is a lot of emphasis on losing weight, however my point is in my experience the medical profession is much more aggressive on quiting smoking. In addition the insurance companies will PAY for you to quit smoking but most will not pay for you to loose weight.

skullnrose said:
I was/am in a similar situation.I struggled with being over weight my whole life I'm now 40 and finally decided to do something about it. I was 321 pounds when I finally decided to lose some weight so off to Weight Watchers it was. I weighed in this week at 216 this week down 105 pounds since I started over a year ago.
I also went to a Doctor that was more concerned about my 1 or 2 cigars a day than me being over weight. Since I dropped the weight all my numbers are in check and I feel 100% better over all. My goal is to drop another 20 pounds my motivation better heath and I reward myself with what else better boxes of cigars.

Congrats on you weight loss and better heath. Enjoy ! those cigars. In fact if you PM me you address you can enjoy one on me.
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Congrats and keep up the good work!
 
Congrats!
Doctors don't make money telling you to lose weight. But they do when you fill those scripts ;]
 
Hey my doctor smokes with me :) He says cigar smoking does not effect your liver, blood sugar, etc. However, it as we all know, can cause cancer of the jaw or tongue. Last check up I had for my 40th I was told to get my cholesterol down and to cut back on soda and breads with the blood sugar thing. I did both over the last six months with exercise and diet, but nothing was said about cigar smoking. I smoke maybe two or three times a month, my doctor smokes that much in a week:ss God bless him!!!
 
I wholeheartedly agree that people in general are more concerned with smoking than with weight loss. I started smoking about 3 cigars a day with a walking program (not while on treadmill of course) and have since lost about 30 lbs. My wife is accepting but her friends preferred me fat and smoking less. I just don't get it.

Congrats on your weight loss...100lbs is quite the achievement.
 
Congrats on your weightloss, fellows. I think part of the message here is moderation. You moderated your weight, and your other vitals fell into place. Maintaining moderation in your smoking will probably not impact your health dramatically. But, anything in excess (cigars, ice cream, beer, steak, etc.) can throw you out of balance.
 
Congrats on the weight loss.
Without overweight, sick, or injured people doctors have no jobs. When you get down to it, an idealistic doctor's job is to work himself out of a job.

And like he said:
Ozz1113 said:
Doctors don't make money telling you to lose weight. But they do when you fill those scripts ;]
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In addition the insurance companies will PAY for you to quit smoking but most will not pay for you to lose weight.
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Like my insurance company. They have a free smoking cessation program, but if you want to go to their weight loss classes there is a copayment every time you go. I went to the weight classes and didn't find them that useful.
We need to compile a list of Cigar/Pipe Smoking Doctors.
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My sister sent me an ad in e-mail from a magazine (I'm guessing from the 1950s) that said that more doctors smoke Camels than any other brand of cigarettes (as if that were some kind of endorsement).

I would like to know what you guys are doing to lose that much weight that quickly. I am fighting the same lifelong battle, and not having a lot of luck.
 
Congratulation on the weight loss! :tu

I've lost a total of 25 but recently found 6. :) If I could drop another 20 and get to or just under 200 pounds, I'd be happier and may be able to stop taking one or both of my bp meds.

I tell my doctor nothing of my smoking. I have emphysema and just don't want to hear it all and I DO NOT intentionally inhale cigar or any other smoke other than second hand. I've stayed off cigs since my lung collapsed twice within nine days back in 2001 and subsequently had to have my right upper lobe removed. That was not much fun and convinced me to quit. Oddly, watching my Mother die of lung cancer was not convincing enough.
 
mikeyj23 said:
Congrats on the weight loss.
Without overweight, sick, or injured people doctors have no jobs. When you get down to it, an idealistic doctor's job is to work himself out of a job.
Click to expand...


That's why I want to do acute/critical care. I can vent the patient :ss.

I'm just starting out in my 3rd year rotations, and I do seem to use the script pad a lot more than even talking or touching the patient. Unfortunately, that's the way the insurance companies and others want it to go. They get reimbursed that way. But, it's not always the more you do, the more you get paid anymore. Medicaid took care of that. It's much easier to Rx chantix or wellbutrin than actually coach the patient into quitting, or losing weight, and quicker so we can try to keep those 15minute appointments.
 
what program did you use to loose the weight. congrats. im trying to loose weight myself but with a pregnant wife we have so much crap in the house
 
bige610 said:
what program did you use to loose the weight. congrats. im trying to loose weight myself but with a pregnant wife we have so much crap in the house
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Thought I'd throw my :2 in. In the past month, I lost around 15 pounds. I used to weigh right around 215, and now I weigh right around 200. I'm about 5' 11''. All I did was go from eating 3 normal meals and snacking when I was hungry to eating 6 small meals and no snacks in between. All I drink is water, milk, and alcohol every now and then. I also ran about 1 mile every morning. Then I broke my leg last week :c so I can't go for my run. But, I've been keeping up with the meal schedule, and I've lost around another pound in a week, even without the exercise (hard to be sure because of the cast, but at least I haven't gained since the break). This method worked excellently for me, and I'd suggest the process to anyone. Oh and if it matters, I smoke one cigar each day, and maybe one day on the weekend I'll have 2.
 
congratulations or your weight loss, people taking personal responsibility for things is always good, especially something as personal as your physical health. I admire your attitude and fortitude.

as for doctors being motivated by money in what treatments they prescribe, I hope that's just cynical talk. I prefer to think that in this case it's about being too much of a pansie to hurt someone's feelings with the F[at] word
 
yayson said:
as for doctors being motivated by money in what treatments they prescribe, I hope that's just cynical talk. I prefer to think that in this case it's about being too much of a pansie to hurt someone's feelings with the F[at] word
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Either way it is still inappropriate treatment...
 
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