FAQ/Weight Problems

• When I visited you in July I immediately left and went on the South BeachDiet and lost 8 lbs but I regained it.
• Ok to bike instead of walking? (How to excercise properly)
• Overweight, tired all the time, skin problems
• Overweight, exercising, constantly hungry but can lose weight.
• Lost 89 pounds! Turned my life around...
• Headaches, Weight Gain, No Energy
• Menopause: 60 lbs overweight, rash, internal shakiness, memory.
• Weight gain, skin problems(dark spots), fatique & sweating

When I visited you in July I immediately left and went on the South BeachDiet and lost 8 lbs but I regained it.
Sat, 30 Oct 2004
Question:
When I visited you in July I immediately left and went on the South Beach Diet and lost 8 lbs. As soon as I got off of it I regained the 8 lbs in a matter of two weeks.
Dr Roby Responds:
So, you thought you had a weight-gaining virus? ...and that you could diet for a few weeks and get over it?? I think you should eat like that...the rest of your life. It isn't a weight-loss diet, it is a healthy way of life diet. Take a small break each week on Friday or Sautrday night.

Ok to bike instead of walking? (How to excercise properly)
Monday, October 14, 2002
Question:
I am scheduled to see you on the 28th of this month. I would like to know if bike riding outdoors would do for exercise instead of walking? I look forward to our appointment and feeling better real soon!
Dr. Roby Answers:
Go to a bike shop and get a pulse meter. This strap fits around your chest and reads out your pulse on a wristwatch type device. The key is to keep your pulse below the level at which you begin to use adrenalin for your effort. For me, at age 61, that is 110 beats per minute. For a 20 year old it is 140, and 130 for a 30 year old and so forth. Anytime your pulse gets above that number you must stop and ask yourself ..."what exactly am I tryintg to do here?...If it's training for the Olympics, then, yes, bust your butt and get that heart rate up to 100% of predicted maximal heartrate (170 for me). If it's recovery from a heart attack or trying to develop collateral coronary arteries to prevent a heart attack, then you want 70 to 80% of PMR (predicted maximal heartrate). If it is to lose fat...and feel good...then you must not use adrenalin, you must not exceed 50 to 60 % of PMR. This means you go...SLOW.
LONG, SLOW, DISTANCE. That is the key to weight loss and fitness. I look forward to seeing you. Keep a diary of how you feel each day, what your activities are, what you eat, drink, etc.,. The more detail you provide, the better job I can do.
Don't forget to say your prayers.

Overweight, tired all the time, skin problems
Sunday, October 13, 2002
Question:
I just got back on my hormones after being off of them for a year. I really did not want to go back on drugs, however, the menopausal symtoms were getting bad, forgetting words, things, sleeplessness, minor hot flashes more frequent. I really would rather do hormones the natural way. Could you suggest a way? Also it is almost impossible for me to lose weight. I follow a good diet, as suggested, I have exercised and I only lost 7 pounds in two months. And that was working really hard. Is it possible to put my hormones in balance so I can shed these pounds (220)?
Dr Roby Answers:
Yes, I think it is possible to get your hormones back in the kind of balance they were in a few years ago, before you began having all these problems. Your doctor tells you your hormones are "perfectly normal...for a woman of your age".....
I don't want hormones that a normal for my age, I want the ones that were normal ten or twenty years ago.
We can do that.
See my section on "Hormone Allergy" on the website: http://www.onlineallergycenter.com. Many types of allergy have their basis in hormone reactions. This is particularly of ladies who experience increasing symptoms as they undergo hormone changes, usually in their late twenties or after the babies are born.
Check out that section and let me know how those characteristics apply to you and then I can get more specific. You may find some useful areas to explore in your search for medical solutions. Areas such as dietary changes, low level exercise and alternative approaches to solving medical problems.

Overweight, exercising, constantly hungry but can't lose weight.
Monday, October 14, 2002
Question:
I'm over weight and I've been exercising and I can't really find a way so I can really stop eating I'm constantly hungry and I still can't lose weight. I figure It's my hormones beside all that I have phorasis and they say that it's from my nerves and of course I'm always caution from every thing that happen around me because I get nervouse and Im constanting getting mad for nothing and something feel depressed and want to know if this is from my hormone imbalance. and if it can be helped.
Dr. Roby Answers
I think weight problems are always hormonal in nature. You probably didn't have this problem a few years ago. Then the hormones begin to change and everything starts to go to hell.
See my section on "Hormone Allergy" on the website. Many types of allergy have their basis in hormone reactions. This is particularly of ladies who experience increasing symptoms as they undergo hormone changes, usually in their late twenties or after the babies are born.
Check out that section and let me know how those characteristics apply to you and then I can get more specific. You may find some useful areas to explore in your search for medical solutions. Areas such as dietary changes, low level exercise and alternative approaches to solving medical problems.

Lost 89 pounds! Turned my life around...
Sunday, September 29, 2002
Question:
Dear Dr. Roby, Hey...got a question for you. My daughter is staying hungry 24/7. I can remember at her age I was also... I solved my problem by sneaking food, and by 12 was over 200 pounds. She is 8, will be 9 in a few weeks, 4'8", 118 pounds.
I can't keep her on a strict Atkins. My parents, while agreeing that it has been very good for me, seem to think it would be mean to her. I try to keep her with low carbs, no sugar, where I have control, and my parents try to do low sugar.
I am going to try making sure she has more protein in the mornings, and send her a small chef's salad even on the days she wants to eat at school. Any other ideas?
I have lost 89 pounds!!!! It's really, really slow now. I weigh 294, but have increased my exercise program gradually over the last two years until I can do 3 miles on the treadmill in an hour. I have gotten strong enough now that I am starting to work on the elliptical machine because the treadmill is not really enough for me. I am also lifting weights, and really enjoy the feeling of power I get from that.
My daughter and I are going to do the Alzheimer's Memory Walk in Austin on October 19th. This will be her third year (she has raised over $200 every year, with the money going to find the cure for Alzheimer's), and I have been there but it will be my first year to WALK!!! I really appreciate how much you have helped me turn my life around.
Dr. Roby Answers:
89 POUNDS!!! Congratulations! I am SOOOO proud of you. You make me very happy to be a physician.
Basically, you CANNOT burn body fat when you are in an emergency! Your hormone imbalance results in your body responding to progesterone in an allergic fashion. This means that any time you need cortisol for allergy, energy or stress...your body responds with adrenalin instead. As a result, you stay in a state of emergency as a result of the adrenalin you use for all these needs.
One of the primary causes of adrenalin in your type of body is the hormone progesterone. When we "neutralize" that reaction using the progesterone drops you can stop using adrenalin as your primary hormone and there is some POSSIBILITY that you can resume normal metabolism of body fat as an energy fuel.

Headaches, Weight Gain, No Energy
Wednesday, August 07, 2002
Question:
I just got done reading your article on estrogen. I am so happy because this is me to a tee. I was beginning to think there was no hope for me and I was just going to die fat with no energy.
Every day I have headaches, no energy, I feel like sleeping and eating junk food. I have all the unsightly hair (which started after my child was born 14 years ago). For about two years now I have been getting fatter and fatter (from 150 to 240). I recently went to the doctor because I figured I must be a manic depressant... I have been on wellbutrin and effexor for 3 months now. My attitude has gotten better but I still have no energy, headaches and crave junk food.
Can you please tell me what to tell my doctor or can you help to get me on extra hormones.
Dr. Roby Answers:
Tell him to read the section on hormone allergy. the tests are for the components of the "hormone factory" that is est, testos, dhea, cortisol and thyroid.
See my section on “Hormone Allergy” on the website. Many types of allergy have their basis in hormone reactions. This is particularly of ladies who experience increasing symptoms as they undergo hormone changes, usually in their late twenties or after the babies are born.
Check out that section and let me know how those characteristics apply to you and then I can get more specific. You may find some useful areas to explore in your search for medical solutions. Areas such as dietary changes, low level exercise and alternative approaches to solving medical problems. The lab tests are often normal, but LOW normal. so, we raise them to higher normal.

Menopause: 60 lbs overweight, rash, internal shakiness, memory.
Saturday, September 28, 2002
Question:
Present work-related stress causing overload on adrenals....any sudden demand such as a minor traffic accident will cause my body to visibly/uncontrollably shake.
Menopause since age 54. Now age 59. Memory difficulty at times. 60 pounds overweight...taking Herbalife weight-loss/nutrition products for 1 1/2 years. Only able to lose 20 pounds and cannot maintain the loss. My body just won't let the weight stay off. I like the nutrition but there's too much/too many sugars for my hypoglycemia. I did not gain weight due to a lack of Herbalife products. The moment I stop the Herbalife products, I immediately and quickly put the weight back on....which sends me back to the products. This is not a solution!
I get a rash above both ankles each November that lasts throughout the winter and becomes increasingly worse as time passes. Itches only in the evening, when I relax, and at bedtime, when I relax even more. Nothing...not even a dermatologist has helped. Was told my socks were causing it as I wear them only in the winter around the house. So I wore them all summer.....NO RASH! ...but November is coming.
Osteoporosis. Cannot find a calcium that I assimilate well. Occasionally feet hurt in the morning when I awaken. So painful that it is hard to walk. Lasts a short while and doesn't reappear until following morning. Problem stopped when I stopped dinking diet colas. Comes back if I do drink them.
Depression on weekends and holidays. My life is too lonely. However, at age 32 with similar lifestyle, it was not depressing. I got out. Motivation to do so now is low.
Solve my weight problem and it's easier for me to deal with everything else. I hate being overweight. I used to be an athlete. This is the pits!
Currently on Chinese herbal remedies for menopause. They help but I prefer homeopathic remedies....provided they are NOT produced by major U.S. drug companies. I know the drug companies now claim their drugs are also made from nature....but what they come up with is not natural for the body. I don't want their drugs. There are better/safer ways.
I hope you can help me.
Dr. Roby Answers:
Many of your questions relating to allergy and other symptoms are addressed in my section on "Hormone Imbalance" on my website. Please read that section again. Let me know how much of that material applies to you. I can then address your specific questions much more efficiently.
Obviously, your hormones are not what they used to be. I measure estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, cortisol, DHEA, thyroid and get levels of Progesterone Antibodies (IgG and IgM). When you have these values it is pretty simple to begin to push your hormone balance back where it used to be.
Your immediate attention might be addressed to a low carbohydrate diet (like Dr. Atkin's) and at least one hour of slow (I emphasize slow) walking.

Weight gain, skin problems(dark spots), fatique & sweating
Sunday, September 15, 2002
Question:
I have gone to the doctor several times to have my thyroid check since the birth of my son 2 and a half years ago. I walk/run 25-30 miles per week and have been known to gain 1/2 while eating healthy and doing this kind of exercise. The doctor tells me that my thyroid is working fine even though before I had my son I weighed 148 and now maintain about 180 lbs. I can't eat any less than I am eating or exercise anymore than I am. Do you have any suggestion in how I can get the weight off without feeling as though I am running my self in the ground?
I also sweat for no reason. The gynecologist tried to give me some kind of hormorne shot which only made me gain 8 more pounds. I have brown spots down the side of my face that came out after I had Jake and red splochy patches at times. I have fatique and no sex drive. I also have drainage everyday of my life. I have given my family doctor all of the symptoms and she did a blood test and told me there was nothing wrong with me. I should feel better. It is not happening. My dad lives in Austin and I am interested in coming to your clinc if you think you might be able to help me. What days are you in Austin? Do you ever come to Dallas?I have a wonderful life and a beautiful family, I would just like to enjoy them more. My question is do all these things together add up to some underlining cause that can be fixed?
Dr. Roby Replies::
See my section on hormone allergy. I think you are the "poster girl" for what I deal with. Yes, your hormones are "normal", but the range of "normal" is huge! Your hormones were certainly a lot "more normal" two or three years ago.
Come and see us.
Many of your questions relating to allergy and other symptoms are addressed in my section on "Hormone Allergy" on my website. Please read that section carefully and let me know how much of that material applies to you. I can then address your specific questions much more efficiently.