52 years old male....and 412 lbs....help

[samkat01]

Hi all,
I just came back from the doc 2 weeks ago wed. Went because of knee and back pain (8/10) and I was shocked by the tone he took with me. He said there was nothing he could do because of my weight. He said no one would touch me to do any surgery and if I wanted to be around much longer I'd better lose a bunch of weight, What a shocker!!!! I have started atkins but due to my physical mass I am unable to do much exercise at all (can only walk 100 ft before giving out) glad to say I now weigh 398. Would like to hear from anyone with advice

[EverLosing]

Re: 52 years old male....and 412 lbs....help

The very best advice, my friend, is DO NOT under any circumstances give up! While you may feel the tone of the doc was uncalled for and it shocked you, it'll click a little bit down the road that he was exactly right and if his advice kicked you our way, he did the right thing! You have the power to walk in there several months from now and blow him away! That's the picture you have to replay in your head every day!! It WILL feel good! I promise! It will be worth every struggle! I'm going to the doc soon and I can't wait to see him...actually can't wait for him to see me!! I weighed 211 on his scale in February. I'm lurking around the upper 160's right now. The last weight they had charted for me was 248 lbs a long time ago and he was tickled pink with 211. I can't wait to see his face when I'm around 165 lbs.

Just don't give up. See the doctor's words as his gift to you even though I am sure it didn't feel like that at the time. He shocked you maybe because he thought you needed to be shocked. Take his words and make them your motivator. That really can work for you! It is mind over matter, man! Really, it is because when you lose all that matter, you'll still have your mind!! And your health. And your life! It's worth every effort! As you progress, you'll gain some much missed energy and movement will get easier. Push yourself each day to do a little more activity than you did the day before. You CAN do this. Go spend some time over in the celebration forum. You'll find people there who have defied the odds and done it! You'll find hope.

The Celebration Forum ! - Atkins Diet

[imagood1]

Re: 52 years old male....and 412 lbs....help

You've done exactly what your doctor was trying to get you to do....if he would have talked normally to you there's a chance you wouldn't have listened. Since you started Arkins already his words got through to you in a hurry!

If you have problems walking try using your upper body -- weight training may be the way to get you started. Are you close to a pool where you can go and walk in the pool? It is easier on your joints to work out in water. You can sit in a chair or on the couch and do leg lifts. You can stand slightly away from a wall or door and do a modified push up - sit in a chair, cross your arms over your chest and bend forward for a modified ab crunch. There are other ways to start getting your strength and stamina going. Look at exercises and see how you can modify them to suit you until you can get your strength up enough to start walking.

How are you doing on eating? Have you seen the recipe sites? Are you using FitDay to track your food intake? Are you eating the proper foods (only food on the acceptable list) and drinking a minimum of 64 ounces of pure water daily?

If you need anything we're always open and ready to help!! LOL

One of the best things you can do is purchase the 2002 Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution book (DANDR) – if you can’t find one locally www.half.com and www.Amazon.com have them pretty inexpensively – mine was under $5.00 with shipping.


Atkins bars and shakes are NOT acceptable during induction – they are made with non-induction ingredients and cause stalling in many people – you can use them further up the Rungs but not to begin with. Also remember - if it’s not on the acceptable food list – it doesn’t go in your mouth!

Here are links that will help get you started. Make sure you are preparing induction recipes only until you are ready to move onto OWL.

Rules of Induction:
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ead.php?t=6782 (What are the Rules of Induction?)
Induction Acceptable Foods List:
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ead.php?t=6781 (What foods can be eaten on Induction?)

Recipe Sites
http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/menus.html
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-diet-14-day-induction/58513-never-ending-induction-recipes.html
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-diet-14-day-induction/6807-induction-recipe-basics-more-recipes-added.html
http://www.sugarfreesheila.com/RecipesPage.html

www.fitday.com get a free membership and track your daily food intake. Track NET CARBS daily … and also use the journal, for your daily moods, etc….it’s a great tool to help you.

Drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water each day, including:
Filtered water
Mineral water
Spring water
Tap water

After your 64 ounces you can have the following:
Clear broth/bouillon (not all brands; read the label)
Club soda
Cream, heavy or light (limit to two to three Tablespoons a day; note carb content)
Decaffeinated coffee or tea*
Diet soda made with sucralose (Splenda); be sure to count the carbs (may cause a stall in weight loss)
Essence-flavored seltzer (must say "no calories" and should not contain aspartame)
Herb tea (without barley or any fruit sugar added)
Lemon juice or lime juice (note that each contains 2.8 grams carbohydrate per ounce); limit to two to three Tablespoons

*Excessive caffeine may cause unstable blood sugar and should be avoided by those who suspect they are caffeine dependent. Everyone should try to avoid caffeine.

Grain beverages (coffee substitutes) are not allowed. Alcoholic beverages are also not permitted during Induction; those low in carbohydrates are an option, in moderation, in later phases

Good luck on your journey.

[imagood1]

Re: 52 years old male....and 412 lbs....help

also -- I forgot to say this....check the Century Club - you will find a lot of encouragement there from people and they may be able to give you some help that others of us may not think of.

Good luck to you!!

[sallyseachange]

Re: 52 years old male....and 412 lbs....help

You've had great advice from the others, so I'll just welcome you aboard! Good to have you with us.

Post lots, make friends and use the board for the whole lot it offers. You can do this. We'll help... after all, we're all in this together!

[sham]

Re: 52 years old male....and 412 lbs....help

Hi welcome im not going to say this diets easy its hard work you have to count carbs prepare foods and drink lots of water and mostlySTAY CHEAT FREE or you have to start induction all over again.I will say the diet gives you energy,fast results in weight loss,controls carb cravings,calms your appetie and hopefully willget you to your goal.Just to motivate you i will share that last july i weighed 283 and nearly a year later today im 183 it takes dedication and you have to have the willpower.The doc was firm on you for your own good he wants you to take responsibility of your lifestyle and lose weight for health benefits.We only live once do it for yourself make this the last diet your going to ever do don't give up!

[JohnSantos]

Re: 52 years old male....and 412 lbs....help

I was shocked by the tone he took with me

Be shocked, brother. Be very shocked. You're waking up to the fact that you can't live your life anymore like you are. You must change.

I'm in your shoes. The nurse COULDN'T FIND MY PULSE I was so fat and unhealthy at 378 lbs. Research Atkins, fill your fridge with good stuff and start. Stay strict for a month. That's all I'm asking - a month. You'll drop 25 lbs, which doesn't sound too amazing but you'll feel 100% better.

I understand the exercise too - when I stepped on an elliptical machine at 378 lbs, my fat arse was gonna pass out after 10 minutes on level 1. I had to sit down on the gym floor cause I felt horrible. Everybody was staring at me.

Now I'm doing an hour at level 9 at 2.5 speed. AFTER ONE MONTH. My size 54 belt is now falling off, and so I bought a new one yesterday - size 48 now... AFTER ONE MONTH.

Get on this diet, suffer through the first week of misery, then enjoy the weight loss and feeling better. I WAS EXACTLY LIKE YOU - so I completely understand what you're going through. Start walking. It'll be around the block first day, second day around the block two times, then you'll be walking 4 miles a day in no time. I don't care if you're 52, just walk every day. Don't skip days.

Do you seriously want to live your life this way?

Read about me here:

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-low-carb-success-stories/75667-i-cant-live-morbidly-obese-heres-why-post1070091.html#post1070091

[imagood1]

Re: 52 years old male....and 412 lbs....help

This was the last post I can find for you -- I hope you are on plan and loosing weight.

[samkat01]

Re: 52 years old male....and 412 lbs....help

I'm back.... my weight is down to 391 lbs now and have decided to adhere strickly to atkins starting today 7/20/09. Thanks to all for the support. 1 big question - gotta have my diet sodas - is diet mtn. dew that bad?

[imagood1]

Re: 52 years old male....and 412 lbs....help

Diet Soda's (and regular sodas) aren't something they want us drinking -- the Diet Mountain Dew has aspartame which can cause stalling and slower weight loss....Diet Rite is made with Splenda and comes in 3 or 4 flavors.....my money would be on Diet Rite but only 1 every once in awhile. A minimum of 64 ounces of pure water is what is suggested since it has no calories, no sweetners, no chemicals and will help flush the nasties and fat out of your system.

Ingredients in Diet Mountain Dew:
Carbonated water, concentrated orange juice, citric acid, natural flavors, citrus pectin, potassium benzoate (preserves freshness), aspartame, potassium citrate, caffeine, sodium citrate, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, gum arabic, sodium benzoate (preserves freshness), calcium disodium edta (to protect flavor), brominated vegetable oil, yellow 5

Ingredients in Diet Rite:
carbonated water, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, potassium benzoate (preservative), potassium citrate, sucralose (Splenda brand, a non-nutritive sweetener), acesulfame potassium

[Sherri]

Re: 52 years old male....and 412 lbs....help

Hi Sam,
Oh how you're words sound so familiar to me. I was listening to them from my doctor 5 years ago. I, like you, took heed in his words and did something about it.
I couldn't exercise at first. Like you, I took baby steps and walked just as far as I could each day. With each passing day I gained momentum and endurance and was striving with leaps and bounds before to long. Just stick with it.
This is a very healing woe (way of eating). Take one day at a time, one meal at a time and you will get into your rhythm of weight loss.
I was scheduled for a weightloss surgery but had to lose weight before they would touch me. I started Atkins and well, the rest is history. I never needed that surgery after all.
Atkins reversed my Type-2 Diabetes. I feel as though it saved my life and continues to do so.
Keep with it, you'll be so glad you did. Plus, after a few months, you can go back to your doctors and probably hear a different tone from him. You can return the shock.
Wishing you the best of health and lite.
Sincerely, Sherri
P.S. I would like to invite you to come check in at the Century Club Roll Call each day. Lots of folks there with great support.
See you at the CC.

[Sammy J.]

Re: 52 years old male....and 412 lbs....help

Wow,

you got a lot of good advice.

You might want to read "your fat can make you thin". It's Atkin's again, but very limited calories.

YOU CAN DO THIS, ONE DAY AT A TIME!

[HoosierDaddy]

Re: 52 years old male....and 412 lbs....help

I'm in your shoes (probably one of the reasons we both weigh over 400 lbs at the start of the diet, big shoes. . .) and I'm exactly your age. I didn't do it because a doctor wanted me too, I did it for me.

There's a lot of good advice here, and the forum is a great support group, so use it. I do take umbrage with your doc's tone of voice. I kept a neurologist (relapsing/remitting M.S. albeit very mild AND PTSD) for three years who double booked his appointments, kept ordering MRI's despite the four lesions we knew about (expensive) and dismissed me abruptly and quickly at the end of the appointments. He was/is an ***, and he seems to forget that I hired him. . to help me. . .not abuse me.

I do think that you are on the right path though, but I sure wouldn't take crap from a doctor like that. Tough love is okay, but rude is just plain old rude.

[bizzlekitty]

Re: 52 years old male....and 412 lbs....help

My story is similar to yours and I thought I couldn't exercise either due to my arthritis, fibromyalgia and weight. I didn't exercise much much first year on Atkins and still lost about 60 lbs. I would have lost more if I had exercised.

I started out really really slow when I did start, like 5 mins on the treadmill at a time and not shying aware from walking places. Then I upped it to 10 minutes, and then 15, 20 and 30. I also started lifting weights at the gym and other exercises I could do at home (you can use canned good or other things if you don't have any weights) and floor exercises of leg lifts, etc.

I messed up when I hit a plateau, then injured my shoulder and let myself fall off the wagon and regained too much of the weight back. Big mistake. But I'm back on track now and doing much better.

My knees and back are SO much better, especially with the exercise. I now do 2-3 mile walks and do strength training 2-3 times a week and use my recumbant bike when the weather isn't good.

Do Atkins. Do it right. Get rid of the soda (you'll thank yourself later) and drink water or tea (unsweet) instead. I found the more soda I drank, the less water I did. Go clean for 3-4 months on Induction/extended induction and clean yourself of all the bad habits and craving.

Then watch the weight come off.

Stick around here for support. can be your lifeline.

[mission to lose]

Re: 52 years old male....and 412 lbs....help

Hi,
Don't give up, and as far as exercise, you don't have to start by running. Try looking for exercises online or even youtube for wheelchair bound people or people with limited movement. In Chicago there is a program on TV for exercise that is done entirely while sitting on a chair called "Sit and Be Fit".
Hold on, I just checked Sit and Be Fit is on you tube. Check it out! Hang in there.