@jk, Volunteer Mentor Thanks for the supportive words. When most of this started I was exercising a great deal. I used to play indoor soccer, completive volleyball 1 to 2 night per week, then Dancefit or jazzercise 1 to 2 nights per week. The doctor said my cholesterol was as good as an athletes. At that time, the reason for my weight gain by any provider was because my diet must have too many calories. However, I have never been a big eater or a binge eater. After my daughter was born, I would get exercise but just not in the Gym kind. I love gardening and would spend a great deal of time working in my yard. Of course chasing after a child and house work. As my child got older we would pick an activity to do together each year, like racquetball, off road bike riding, and ice skating. The interesting part is the more I worked in the yard the more I would gain weight which seemed very off to me ~ not sure with those other activities. Even water weight gain should come back off again rather easily but this weight did not. Many people told me it was probably muscle weight since that weighs more than fat but I read that muscle weight gain should only be about 10%. I was gaining more than that each summer. I have worked with dieticians and we make some minor adjustments here and there. It takes me a while but I will loose 10 pounds but eventually it will come back on again. I did try the 'Fit for Life' diet that utilized Medifast products. I did start loosing some weight but started having serious issues with constipation. They told me to keep drinking more water which I did but that did not stop the constipation issue. As this problem keeps progressing of course I keep loose energy to keep doing these things and I start to do less and less. Now I have a slipped disk that is pressing on my spine and for the last 2 years have been barely able to do anything in the yard or much house work. By this time though, the weight has already accumulated.

I did read some of these articles / authors that have been suggested in these comments ~ thank you to those that shares this information. I had already been taking a Kelp supplement per my sister's suggestion. However, from this information I have added a few more supplements like B1 & B2 & Ashwagandha. I am feeling a little less sluggish. Not where I would like to be but every little bit helps.