The Weight Loss Support Group - 2017

[little cutie66]

I am very upset, I gained 3 pounds. Well I was with my friends this weekend had a great time, but i eat and drank to much. Today I'm off from work. I'm going to work out and eat very healthy again.

 

[parsleysage]

I am very upset, I gained 3 pounds. Well I was with my friends this weekend had a great time, but i eat and drank to much. Today I'm off from work. I'm going to work out and eat very healthy again.

Often you can have a big swing up after a weekend due to sodium intake. I would bet that weight comes off pretty quickly! Don't be too upset, just get back to your healthy habits and you'll be great!

I've only managed to lose .5 lbs over the last couple weeks after having some overeating episodes. Still moving in the right direction!

 

[parsleysage]

How did everyone do this week?

I had a 1.75 lb gain. I'm not surprised; I went off the rails completely on Friday and it usually takes several days for a big spike to come back down. I'm not super concerned at this point; mostly I am trying to get back into the habit of honest food logging, day in and day out. I did that for nearly 2 years before my husband got hurt and I've been out of the habit for so long.

I'm also working on increasing my steps after I figured out my iPhone counts them for me. My average was embarrassingly low... and the worst part was my amputee husband's highest step count was higher than my highest!

So we've been taking short walks together and I took a walk today in between classes. Still nowhere near the 10k mark you are supposed to shoot for but I got about 4500 in today. Mom and I are taking a trip to Harry Potter at Disney World the first week of March so I need to get some conditioning in between now and then so I can walk all day!

 

[Winchester]

I gained two pounds, fully expected it to be more, due to Sunday's dinner. I'll get it back off.

Anna, 4500 steps is better than no steps! Keep up the good work! Good for you! (And good for Patrick, too!)

 

[sargon]

I tend to weigh"from time to time"(in part because I have my scale in my basement...) , but 2016 was a very good year for me in terms of weight. I lost enough weight to be about half way to my goal, so I am hoping to have a similalrly successful 2017.  

Here are some of the things that helped me in 2016 and no doubt will in 2017 as well. I'd love to know things that have worked for others, as some will no doubt help me.

-Living with a much smaller person, because watching my housemate eat maybe 70% as much as me makes even my diet seem generous!

  also, it just grounds a person to share meals with some one else.

-Gourmet water: when i hit my first weight goal, I bought a reverse osmosis water filter system and some Yeti mugs(well yeti type), so that i always have access to lots and lots of delicious cold water.   Drinking water is important when dieting, but in a lot of places the tap water is just not very appealing, so filtered (if you aren't he DIY type, most grocers sell filtered water pretty cheaply, you just refill the jugs each time)  Gourmet water doesn't just help humans to drink more water, it also is great for cats, too!

*protein shakes: I struggle to get enough protein (partly because I just plain don't really like meat ( especially chicken) very much), so it's a way to get extra protein in me when i am dieting.   (i have also been making them more of a green smoothie type deal, to add extra nutrients, which makes them even more filling!)

*occasionally going out to eat: as long as I have a light breakfast and lunch before, and don't do it too often, letting myself enjoy a really nice meal helps to keep me feeling like there is plenty of food the rest of the time.

*tv dinners; they are cheap, taste okay, easy, and, most importantly, portion controlled.   being able to nuke up a calorically appropriate meal helps make it easy.

-veggies that I like as snacks:  I enjoy munching on red, orange, and yellow peppers, as well as he odd carrot, so when I want a snack, having those available helps

-Greek yogurt: it is low calorie, tastes good, and high protein.   I use it as a snack, desert, or even  a couple of them as a light breakfast on the go!

-a daily multi vitamin: always a good idea, it's even more important when dieting, since  weight loss is physically stressful to the body and less food= less nutrients

-counting calories and protein: just knowing what you are eating can be motivating and helpful ( plus you discover foods that aren't worth it that way!)

* any things I marked with an * are things that work for me and many others, but most definitely not for some other people ( ie maybe eating out  once in a while is just too hard)

 

[parsleysage]

Hey folks! How is everyone doing on their goals and weight loss?

I lost 2.5 lbs over the last couple weeks (missed last week's weigh-in) and yesterday I had my highest-ever step count of over 6,500! I know you are supposed to do 10k so that number is pretty pitiable but I was pretty proud! I found a friend to meet me and go walking, so it made the 2.3 miles a lot more fun than on my own. 

I quit all forms of sugar as of the 1st of the month. It was easy at first but now day 6 I'd love to at least have a small treat, a cookie or piece of candy. But the point of cutting it out was that sugar seems to make me crave more sugar, so I won't give in even to a small little something. I do plan to have a dessert next week on Valentine's Day. Hopefully the promise of that reward will help me avoid compromising. I'd like to make sweet stuff a rare treat that I can really enjoy instead of something I mindlessly eat to make me feel better. This sugar ban thing all started Tuesday night when I made myself sick eating Reese's peanut butter eggs I bought on special at the drugstore. I felt like something the cat left the in the litterbox and I was so disgusted with myself. I said, NO MORE!!! And woke up Wednesday and stuck to it, and from then have had no soda or any sweet stuff. The only thing I haven't changed is my peanut butter; I will not eat "all natural" peanut butter. It might be better for you but it's disgusting, and peanut butter is an important source of fiber and protein for me. So I'm keeping my creamy JIF!!!! 

 

 

[Winchester]

Good for you Anna! It always helps to have support for walking. Keep up the great step-work!

And yeah, keep that peanut butter. I can't eat natural PB either and I figure if I'm going to eat PB, then it's going to be good stuff (only in my case, it's Skippy Super Chunk! 

 ) 

I had a bad week last week. A lot of stress, a lot of just bad eating going on. The weekend didn't help, nor did those cookies I made last week. I drank a ton of soda. So yesterday (Monday) I started keeping a food diary again. Hopefully that will help me get back and stay on track.

 

[foxxycat]

I haven't had any luck loosing...too much eating..too much emotional eating. the changes I made..add veggies to each lunch and dinner. fruit at breakfast. eating more chicken instead of crackers. I haven't gone to a fast food store in about 3 weeks which is a big deal considering I don't get home until 7 most nights. I have been making salad at night with rainbow salad mix and eating a good amount of that. But I still love my crackers..my downfall. This week I am trying to cut down my portions but not too much where I am hungry. and of course move around more. I try to pace back and forth for 5 minutes of every hour at work to at least get the blood moving....

 

[Winchester]

Managed to lose 3.4 pounds last week. Surprisingly.

 

[parsleysage]

Great job, Pam!!!! Probably took off some water weight from the "bad" week.

I gained .75 this week, but I honestly had a great week and did a lot of walking. I'm wondering if maybe because I'm increasing my activity I'm having a small amount of water retention. Or maybe some other factor. I was a little disappointed, but not too down.

I'm reading a book called "Body Kindness" about how to stop dieting for weight loss. It's pretty good -- a little challenging in that it asks the reader to stop trying to lose weight, no logging food or avoiding carbs, etc., and I'm not 100% behind that. For me it's because my weight is truly a health issue and not just "I'd feel/move better if I lost 20 lbs" type situation. So I wonder if I'm maybe not her target audience... but even so there are a lot of good tips and ways to look at things and avoid negative self-talk. Looking forward to finishing it! 

 

[Winchester]

Thanks!

That sounds interesting, Anna! With me, it's also a health thing in that, if I gain even five pounds, my BP skyrockets. My blood pressure seems to be directly tied in to my weight. If I keep my weight at an even level, my BP goes along fine. Gain five pounds and.....whoosh! Up it goes. That has a lot to do with why I walk. As long as I do a fair amount of walking, I can keep my need for BP meds down to a low roar. I take the absolute minimum I need and, as long as I walk faithfully, my BP seems to do OK. Even my doctor sees that. So that's why I walk.

Don't be disappointed! You're on the right track, honest, you are. 

 

[catlover19]

I gained a little weight back since last time I was posting in here. I got lazy and started eating junk again. I started working out last month and I've lost a lot of inches but only a few pounds because I'm building muscle. I currently weigh about 17 pounds more than I did last summer but my measurements are almost the exact same.

 

[handsome kitty]

I've fallen too far off my diet and need a serious talking to.  I've quit listening to myself.  chocolate and sugar cravings are out of control.  Last night DD made gluten free/soy free brownies.  they are soooo chocolatey and good.  I had a piece for breakfast with a banana. 

 

[ginny]

A little history:  

After some very concerning symptoms I had back in Oct 2013 - I had lower extremities numbness/tingling/heaviness in my legs - I feared diabetes at the very least, MS or some neurodegenerative disease at worst.  (My mom had Parkinsons.)  Neither one was completely ruled out when I went to three different doctors to evaluate it.  So in Nov that year I started the Paleo diet. (No processed foods, no sugar - only very limited natural sugars like raw honey - no dairy, no grain, no vegetable oils - processed oils are high in Omega-6 - no legumes - not sure if I missed anything but that's basically it.)  

I lost 22 pounds from Nov 1 and January 15 - and I'm peri-menopausal.  TMI but anyway.  I had a very good reason to stay healthy.  I was caring full-time for my mother who could not care for herself at all, which was very stressful with only very minimal help (help I had to beg for) from my siblings who live fairly close by, plus there was the stress of watching her go downhill, as well as working fulltime while hiring caregivers to care for her while I was at work.  That was a MAJOR stressor.  We couldn't afford an agency, and the ones I found by newspaper ad were less than desirable to say the least.  Still I did find 2 people who covered my working days fairly well.  I worked mainly all weekend - 16 hour shifts Sat/Sun and then I worked one 8 hr shift during the week.  It usually never worked out that way due to my patients hospitalizations and different things that came up.  I still don't know how I got through that time of my life still intact.  My top weight was 165 then.  I lost down to 143, and since I'm short, it was a major difference.

Then my mom died in July 2014.  I still stayed on Paleo for a time, with minor discretions here and there, and I maintained that weight loss.  Then I thought "who do I need to be healthy for?" So little by little I went off the diet, and started gaining weight plus all the health and digestive problems I had had before I went on the diet.  Many parts of the diet I still adhered to because it's not a bad diet at all.  Even so I gained weight.  After about a year, I had put back on every bit of that 22 pounds and about 5 or so more.  

Fast forward to today.  This past weekend working I noticed, well I've been noticing this happening for a while - pain in my kidneys with repositioning patients and bending over.  Even sitting back against a hard chair really hurts on my left side at my kidney.  I've finally come to terms with something I've been trying to deny for the longest time.  My dad had Polycystic kidney disease.  His dad had it, his brother, my oldest sister and at least 2 or her kids have it as well.  I'm having the same symptoms he was having before he went into complete kidney failure, namely high blood pressure and kidney pain.  I had a moment of epiphany after work Saturday where I decided I did have someone I wanted to be healthy for: my kitties.  And me too.  They are all the family I have at this point and I don't want to lose them.  

So on Saturday night, I said to myself "I'm starting the paleo diet again and see if this helps in any way.  I believe it will from what I've been reading recently about Ketogenic diet and PKD.  Also I've read much about genes not being exactly the death sentence they used to be.  What is known about the human body continues to evolve.  It has been demonstrated that genes can be turned on or off by diet and lifestyle.  

The bottom line is this:  I'm scared.  I don't want to lose my house and especially I don't want to lose my kitties.  They are all I have, and I'm all they have.  I don't want to end up on dialysis and out of work if there is something I can do to slow down this disease process and hopefully even turn it around.  

I'm scared enough to do something.  So as of Saturday evening, I've restarted the Paleo diet again.  It's high fat/mod protein/low carb.  And I'm looking for a doctor who can guide me in this process and monitor my results.  My weight just now (after lunch with clothes and shoes on) is 172.  My blood pressure - in just 2 days of this diet - has gone from 138/74 yesterday to 104/67 this morning.  That's just from eliminating grain and sugar and using much less salt and minimal dairy (hard cheese.)  

 

[handsome kitty]

 
A little history:  

After some very concerning symptoms I had back in Oct 2013 - I had lower extremities numbness/tingling/heaviness in my legs - I feared diabetes at the very least, MS or some neurodegenerative disease at worst.  (My mom had Parkinsons.)  Neither one was completely ruled out when I went to three different doctors to evaluate it.  So in Nov that year I started the Paleo diet. (No processed foods, no sugar - only very limited natural sugars like raw honey - no dairy, no grain, no vegetable oils - processed oils are high in Omega-6 - no legumes - not sure if I missed anything but that's basically it.)  

I lost 22 pounds from Nov 1 and January 15 - and I'm peri-menopausal.  TMI but anyway.  I had a very good reason to stay healthy.  I was caring full-time for my mother who could not care for herself at all, which was very stressful with only very minimal help (help I had to beg for) from my siblings who live fairly close by, plus there was the stress of watching her go downhill, as well as working fulltime while hiring caregivers to care for her while I was at work.  That was a MAJOR stressor.  We couldn't afford an agency, and the ones I found by newspaper ad were less than desirable to say the least.  Still I did find 2 people who covered my working days fairly well.  I worked mainly all weekend - 16 hour shifts Sat/Sun and then I worked one 8 hr shift during the week.  It usually never worked out that way due to my patients hospitalizations and different things that came up.  I still don't know how I got through that time of my life still intact.  My top weight was 165 then.  I lost down to 143, and since I'm short, it was a major difference.

Then my mom died in July 2014.  I still stayed on Paleo for a time, with minor discretions here and there, and I maintained that weight loss.  Then I thought "who do I need to be healthy for?" So little by little I went off the diet, and started gaining weight plus all the health and digestive problems I had had before I went on the diet.  Many parts of the diet I still adhered to because it's not a bad diet at all.  Even so I gained weight.  After about a year, I had put back on every bit of that 22 pounds and about 5 or so more.  

Fast forward to today.  This past weekend working I noticed, well I've been noticing this happening for a while - pain in my kidneys with repositioning patients and bending over.  Even sitting back against a hard chair really hurts on my left side at my kidney.  I've finally come to terms with something I've been trying to deny for the longest time.  My dad had Polycystic kidney disease.  His dad had it, his brother, my oldest sister and at least 2 or her kids have it as well.  I'm having the same symptoms he was having before he went into complete kidney failure, namely high blood pressure and kidney pain.  I had a moment of epiphany after work Saturday where I decided I did have someone I wanted to be healthy for: my kitties.  And me too.  They are all the family I have at this point and I don't want to lose them.  

So on Saturday night, I said to myself "I'm starting the paleo diet again and see if this helps in any way.  I believe it will from what I've been reading recently about Ketogenic diet and PKD.  Also I've read much about genes not being exactly the death sentence they used to be.  What is known about the human body continues to evolve.  It has been demonstrated that genes can be turned on or off by diet and lifestyle.  

The bottom line is this:  I'm scared.  I don't want to lose my house and especially I don't want to lose my kitties.  They are all I have, and I'm all they have.  I don't want to end up on dialysis and out of work if there is something I can do to slow down this disease process and hopefully even turn it around.  

I'm scared enough to do something.  So as of Saturday evening, I've restarted the Paleo diet again.  It's high fat/mod protein/low carb.  And I'm looking for a doctor who can guide me in this process and monitor my results.  My weight just now (after lunch with clothes and shoes on) is 172.  My blood pressure - in just 2 days of this diet - has gone from 138/74 yesterday to 104/67 this morning.  That's just from eliminating grain and sugar and using much less salt and minimal dairy (hard cheese.)  

My sister also has kidney issues and is on a paleo/AIP diet.  She has to limit the amount of protein she eats.  Also potassium?  Something else, if you google it you will find it if you don't already know.  Anyways she has had damaged kidneys for about 15 years and through diet has managed to stay off kidney meds and has maintained their relative health.  So diet is definitely the way to go.

 

[ginny]

 
My sister also has kidney issues and is on a paleo/AIP diet.  She has to limit the amount of protein she eats.  Also potassium?  Something else, if you google it you will find it if you don't already know.  Anyways she has had damaged kidneys for about 15 years and through diet has managed to stay off kidney meds and has maintained their relative health.  So diet is definitely the way to go.

Thank you. That's encouraging!  Yes potassium and phosphorus have to be managed.  My last Bun/creat numbers were all normal in April 2016, so I'm due for blood work soon.  I have always had great difficulty getting enough protein in my diet.  I don't really like meat and I can't stand beans!  I could exist on a high carb diet very easily.  So, I don't expect protein management to be any problem.  I'm glad to hear your sister is doing well.  

 

[handsome kitty]

 
Thank you. That's encouraging!  Yes potassium and phosphorus have to be managed.  My last Bun/creat numbers were all normal in April 2016, so I'm due for blood work soon.  I have always had great difficulty getting enough protein in my diet.  I don't really like meat and I can't stand beans!  I could exist on a high carb diet very easily.  So, I don't expect protein management to be any problem.  I'm glad to hear your sister is doing well.  

Beans aren't Paleo.  Eggs have protein.  Also if you make bone broth that has protein and contains some amino acids that are good for you.  https://wellnessmama.com/5888/how-to-make-bone-broth/  You can buy it at the store but it's pretty expensive.  I bought an electric pressure cooker to make mine - then told DH "thanks for the Birthday gift."

She has a computer program that helps her track her numbers.  She says it hasn't be updated at the source and the newer Operating systems can't support it.

 

[ginny]

 
Beans aren't Paleo.  Eggs have protein.  Also if you make bone broth that has protein and contains some amino acids that are good for you.  https://wellnessmama.com/5888/how-to-make-bone-broth/  You can buy it at the store but it's pretty expensive.  I bought an electric pressure cooker to make mine - then told DH "thanks for the Birthday gift."

She has a computer program that helps her track her numbers.  She says it hasn't be updated at the source and the newer Operating systems can't support it.

Yes I know beans aren't paleo and I couldn't be happier!!  That's one restriction that hasn't bothered me in the least.  I have two cartons of bone broth in the cabinet but don't have the courage to try it.  I'll just have to do it.  I've got a nice stainless steel old-fashioned (like my mom had) pressure cooker.  

I had the fitness pal app at one point but stopped using it.  I'll have to get it back.  Maybe your sister could try that one.  

 

[ginny]

Having a bowl of fresh fruit at the moment.  And I don't even miss sugar atm.  Tonight about 9pm will be the real test though.  

I think I can do this.  It's widely known that diabetes and kidney failure, or any other disease for that matter, go hand in hand, so I'll have to limit fruits too.  But I don't think it'll be a problem.  You can reach a satiety level fairly easily before you've consumed much of it.  It's whole food after all, and so the fiber and water help with that.  

When I was allowing my self to cheat all over the place, I was mainly eating sugar and other carbs, and it's taken it's toll

 Last April I was counseled about pre diabetes with my blood work.  I can't let this happen and I won't.  

I weight 172.  

  That's really insulting.  I'm not even going to count calories because I didn't before.  My goal is to get healthy, not lose weight, but on this diet I know I will lose so I'm not concerned.  I'm just disgusted with myself right now.  

 

[ginny]

I couldn't help but weigh myself, almost same time of day, clothes and shoes and I'm almost down 2 pounds!  I literally have forgotten just how satiating this diet is.  I eat 2 meals a day.  This morning I had 2 fried eggs, 3 pieces of bacon and a piece of buckwheat bread (buckwheat is neither buck nor wheat....it's a seed).  Just now ate a salad from Chik-fil-A - a grilled market salad with my own viniagrette.  Ate the whole thing.  I wasn't ravenously hungry at all.  Grain is what makes you ravenously hungry.  It also give you gas.  I've no gas ever since I started this and I sure don't miss it either!  

I hope this weight loss stays the same until Monday or goes down further!  Two pounds per week sounds about right, doesn't it?