# Why can't I catch a stinking break?-- the whiny thread. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 12, 2002, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678 "2002-06-12T18:20:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/1 "2002-06-12T18:20:32Z")
This is my whining thread. I’m going to whine and whine and if you don’t like it, I’ll personally go kick your ass-- or I would if I wasn’t so fucking weak. 12 weeks ago I started Weight Watchers because I’m fat and it was wreaking havoc with my well-being. 23 lbs I’ve lost so far. That’s good, right? Except I’m really very, very anemic. I found out just how anemic I was a year and a half ago when I passed out and woke up in the ER. So, after months of taking pills that screw with my digestive system so much I was crapping tar and plenty of spinach and steak, I was on an even keel finally. Until recently when the bad things that I know are signs of even worse things to come start happening. That “not-quite-here” feeling. Headaches, leg twitching, dizziness and that scary heart-racing thing. So I call my doctor who tells me to come see her and to start on those nasty pills again. Plus eat a nice 8 oz steak a day. An 8 oz steak is half my allotted “points” for the whole day! I ask about spinach and other green leafies-- those I can eat with abandon, they’re **no** freakin’ points. “Oh, those things are good to eat and you should eat as much of them as you can,” says doc, “but for a good iron fix, red meat really is best. It is absorbed more readily and used more efficiently in your body.” The universe is against me. I’m tired and my head hurts. Excuse me, I’ve gotta go crap some tar. ---
**Author:** ![miamouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@miamouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miamouse)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/2 "2002-06-12T18:30:44Z")
Couldn’t you take iron pills or worse that liquid iron supplement? Or is that what the pills are for? Wouldn’t iron pills and iron in a steak and iron in green leafies be too much iron? Congrats on the 23 pounds! Stuff is looser huh? oops sorry for trying to cheer you up, back to grumping… ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/3 "2002-06-12T18:44:58Z")
The iron pills are what turn my crap to tar. My doc will take a blood sample to see how low the iron is. She has recommended doubling up on those crapmaster pills in the past (for only a week at a time, though). \*I don’t wanna take the pills. I don’t waaannaaa! I’ll starve if I havta eat steak. Staaaaarve, I tellya. Moooommyyyy\* ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/4 "2002-06-12T18:53:41Z")
I look on dizzy spells and fainting as a pleasant break in the day. Kind of a mini-vacation. ---
**Author:** ![Apricot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@Apricot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apricot)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/5 "2002-06-12T19:07:12Z")
Have you tried Slow-Fe? It’s time release iron, sometimes helps out the intestional problems, not prescription too. I used to be chronically anemic, the only thing that helped out, finally, was reducing my periods. I didn’t even have heavy periods, but going on the pill was kept my iron up for the last 5 years. Just that little bit helped out enough for me. Check out the following for some info on why spinich doesn’t help your iron levels: [http://medlib.med.utah.edu/NetBiochem/hi9.htm](http://medlib.med.utah.edu/NetBiochem/hi9.htm) and why vitamin C will help absorbtion: [http://sickle.bwh.harvard.edu/iron\_absorption.html](http://sickle.bwh.harvard.edu/iron_absorption.html) You have my sympathy. I’m on a diet now, it’s harder than I remembered. Jane ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/6 "2002-06-12T19:21:07Z")
Hey **Apricot**! It was menorrhagia that put me in the iron hole that I don’t seem to be able to climb out of. Still suffer from it and even the pill (which are different than the Crapmaster Pills) doesn’t staunch the flow to any degree that is helpful. Dear **Eve** , Having a wonderful time! The shooting stars followed by sudden blackness are really quite a sight. The landscape is a little surreal, but I can sometimes get the natives here to feed me narcotics. Wish you were here! Love, Biggirl. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/7 "2002-06-12T19:45:39Z")
Not that cookies are great for the WW diet, but molasses is a decent source of iron so molasses cookies are good. Also, WW loves beans (mucho fiber, not too many calories) and if you cook beans in an iron pot, it ups their iron content. What I’m getting at here is that I think your first line of defense ought to be to up your iron intake in as many natural ways as possible (there have to be better ways than 8 oz of steak). I am sure you can do this and not screw up your WW points too much. What about baby squirrel? Does baby squirrel have a high iron content? (runs like hell) ---
**Author:** ![Anahita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9a28c/32.png) [@Anahita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anahita)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/8 "2002-06-12T19:46:19Z")
Steak is allowed, nay, encouraged in the LowCarb way of eating. I’m not pushing it down your throat, but I’ve eaten, dealt with my own borderline (well, not anymore) diabetes and anemia AND lost 21lbs in just under 7 weeks. YM will definately V, but it’s a suggestion. 🙂 I think you are lovely. If you lose a lot of weight, will you be “LessBigGirl”? Or “MediumGirl?” ---
**Author:** ![Abe\_Babe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ab097/32.png) [@Abe\_Babe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abe_Babe)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/9 "2002-06-12T19:49:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Biggirl \* > > Dear **Eve** , > > Having a wonderful time! The shooting stars followed by sudden blackness are really quite a sight. The landscape is a little surreal, but I can sometimes get the natives here to feed me narcotics. > > Wish you were here! > > Love, Biggirl. Whatever you do, don’t buy anything the natives offer you at full price. They jack the price up on everything. You have to try and haggle. And take lots of pictures. Bring back some souveniers Maybe a t-shirt for the kids that says "My mom passed out and crapped tar, and all I got was this lousy t-shirt. And thanks for putting the term “crapping tar” into my vocabulary. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/10 "2002-06-12T21:35:22Z")
I’ve heard blackstrap molasses is also very good for anemics…don’t know about the points, though. My SIL is anemic, but if she takes an iron pill it makes her vomit. Good luck getting things straightened out. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/11 "2002-06-13T00:06:53Z")
Iron injections are available. They hurt like a you know what, but they don’t generally irritate the GI tract. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/12 "2002-06-13T01:08:25Z")
Biggirl - I’ve heard that Vitamin C increases the uptake rate of iron from your green leafy veggies and red meat. (AND a nice orange juice has no fat! Win-win!) Coffee does the opposite. The single best piece of advice I got when I was trying to stop being anemic was to stop drinking it. But you probably knew that already… Good luck whippin’ your body into shape. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/13 "2002-06-13T01:55:53Z")
**Biggirl** - Congratulations on the 23lbs! A good friend of mine lost about 60 lbs on Weight Watchers and she looks great! She’s kept it off for more than a year now too! Ok, I donated blood a couple of weeks ago, and I guess my iron was a kinda low (which is odd for me, but go figure). Canadian Blood Services gave me a list of iron rich foods to eat. One of the highest iron foods is…Cream of Wheat! I was totally shocked, but apparently it’s fortified. If you have it with some fresh fruit it will help with the absorption of the iron. Cream of Wheat is very low on the point count, I think. Anyhow - give it some thought - I personally LOOOOOVE Cream of Wheat, but I know even the thought of it makes some people need to hurl. (Which, I suppose, is another way to lose weight…😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/14 "2002-06-13T05:13:59Z")
You could try Total. I’ve been eating that and taking a pill supplement while I’ve been dieting. I’ve been anemic before (only a bit, but still, made me feel crappy). I feel fine right now. Plus, Total is yummy! ---
**Author:** ![Squish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Squish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squish)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/15 "2002-06-13T06:39:31Z")
First of all, congratulations on the weight loss! That is a **major** accomplishment. \ As to the anemia, though, I dunno. Not to try to cheer you up, but at least the medics will do something for you. I faint and have dizzy spells from low blood pressure (geez, it’s so nice to lie on the floor of that nice little shop and look up at the swimming lights and all the concerned faces…) and all _I_ get is: “Low blood pressure? That’s great! It’s good for you!” It is? Then how come my mother and grandfather _died from it_, you useless twerps?! ---
**Author:** ![Gravity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gravity/32/14322_2.png) [@Gravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gravity)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/16 "2002-06-13T13:29:08Z")
When I went in for my check-up appointment a few weeks ago (3 months since I’d been diagnosed with diabetes), the doctor was really concerned about my iron levels, which have always been low. “I’m gonna write you a prescription for some iron pills. I want you to take two a day. When we do your next blood test in six weeks, we’ll look at how that’s going.” “Should I change my multivitamin to one without iron?” _the doctor glances down at the lab results_ “At this point, I don’t think that it will make any difference. You can just keep taking whatever you’re taking.” When I got home, I saw that the new iron pills were **each** 361% of the RDA. Yipes. I have to admit that I’m only taking one a day, and my regular multivitamin (with 100% iron). I _really_ don’t want to get sick from taking more than **800%** of the RDA. So far, I’ve been lucky. I haven’t had any of the cramps or stomach upset that the doctor warned of, and no constipation, either. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/17 "2002-06-13T13:42:09Z")
How about liver & onions? What is the Weight Watcher line on that? I love it, personally, and I also believe you cannot eat too much spinach. Popeye was really on to something. Congratulations on the weight loss. Stick with Weight Watchers; they are the best. (Based on 20+ years of watching my ex go from one expensive diet to another with no results except with Weight Watchers.) ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-catch-a-stinking-break-the-whiny-thread/113678/18 "2002-06-13T14:49:15Z")
BigGirl, WW allows you to earn an extra point through additional exercise daily. (20 minutes above what you are doing, I think.) Do you have the time and energy for that? It’s only a point, but every little bit helps. Also, are you at the top # of points for your range? Sure you might slow your loss down a bit, but it would be worth it to feel better.