365lb ~~ my quest to lose weight!

[Helena-in-England]

Re: 365lb ~~ my quest to lose weight!

New blood test this week.

Triglycerides 1.3 - perfect!

1.69 is cause for concern and over 2.26 is high.

Overall cholesterol 5.5 - good

Less than 5.7 is good.

HDL ratio 4.2

HDL (good) cholesterol 1.3 - acceptable

Above 1.56 is perfect. Under 1.04 is bad.

LDL (bad) cholesterol 3.6 - bordeline high.

Needs to be under 3 to be perfect.

Blood pressure 144/96 - too high

TSH 2.54

More detailed reading refused, as 2.54 is normal.

Fasting glucose 4.9 - perfect

(Should be between 3.9 and 5. 9

[Helena-in-England]

Re: 365lb ~~ my quest to lose weight!

On this page you can see the bunch of tossers who have been responsible for "helping" me to good health for some years. The one in the white shirt is very fat, fatter than he looks in the photo. There is another photo of him further down.

Hastings General Practice Vacational Training Scheme

He is so fat his stomach sits on his legs when he sits on his chair.

He told me to lose weight. I stifled a smile as I said "And what do you recommend for that?" He pointed to his stomach and said, "well, I've never found anything that works, as you can see."

He referred me to an endocrinologist, and when my appointment card finally arrived after an 18-month wait, it turned out that I was to see the top specialist in the whole of our county, a man with so many letters after his name they were longer than his name! - so I was really at getting the very best advice possible.

I will never forget him. He actually smelled rich (they are extraordinarily well-paid!) and had impeccable manners. I felt priviledged to have the attention of such a lofty consultant. He spent 90 minutes taking down my entire medical and dieting history, listening intently and asking lots of questions.

He then stood up and said he wanted to see me again in 6 months' time, at least three stone (42lb) lighter, and to make an appt with his secretary on the way out. I said "But how am I to lose weight? Nothing I have tried has worked." He smiled gracefully, replied: "If I knew that, I'd be a millionaire", shook my hand, and ushered me out of the door.

I didn't bother to make another appointment, I just rushed out of the hospital and sat sobbing in the bus shelter.

Helena

[RitaCeleste]

Re: 365lb ~~ my quest to lose weight!

Yeah, sorry about the pitch for $600 bloodtests. But I do think its some kind of stall because you can get into ketosis and burn fat. Just play with it until something happens I guess? One day you'll be smaller or you'll be able to say you tried it ALL!!! On the style network here is a show called Ruby about a woman on a diet. She lost really good then stalled for no apparent reason. Not sure how its going for her now, but it does happen. I snagged a butt today and now I'd like another. Cold turkey is probably best for me but I don't seem to making a go of that. I've quit so many times, I was tired this morning and had no other ill effects. GRRRR!!!! I don't think my body much cares if I smoke or not, its just me that wants them.

[Helena-in-England]

Re: 365lb ~~ my quest to lose weight!

I have decided to cut the pork. Now I am even more restricted: beef twice a day, and herbal tea and water.

I'm staying this weekend at a Hilton Hotel. I bet steak is the most expensive thing on the menu, BUT I have to remember how much money I am saving by not ordering a starter, dessert or wine, etc.

I think I ate a bit too much protien yesterday.

I had 3oz cold pork for breakfast, then a whole pound of minced beef fried with one whole onion for lunch, then an 8oz sirloin steak for dinner. That is 27 oz of meat!

Today that will be down to 16 oz, just two sirloin steaks and nothing else.

[Helena-in-England]

Re: 365lb ~~ my quest to lose weight!

I have now given up pork. It keeps giving me indigestion and I wonder if I am sensitive to it and maybe that is causing me to stall?

I gave away all my cheese and bacon, which I spent ages in the supermarket choosing.

Yesterday:

Water
10am One hour water aerobics

12 noon 8 oz sirloin steak with onions, mushrooms and cream
Water

1pm Explosive and uncontrollable bout of diarrhoea
2-5pm Felt so ill spent the afternoon asleep in bed

Nothing but water until

10pm one ounce of cheese and four cherry tomatoes

Today

8am 8 oz sirloin steak
water

[bellajgw]

Re: 365lb ~~ my quest to lose weight!

LastChance...while I haven't read through the entire thread yet, though I will, I promise, I truly applaud you for trying so hard even though your culture/community is against you. Dr's can be a trip. I'm so glad I finally found me a good one. Keep up the good work and eventually your body will reward you!

Secondly, if you are looking to exercise yet cannot, I have something that may help. Many may laugh but I used this stuff after an accident when I couldn't move much and I still lost inches and pounds, surpringly. It was specially designed for people who can't do aerobics, walk far, or at all! All based on oxygenating your body and your cells to encourage metabolism and fat burning ability. It's called Oxycise and here is their website: www.oxycise.com Take a look, read up on it, watch their videos, read their success stories, and see if its something you may be interested in. I'm not a spokesperson, an affliate, or anything, but I thought it may be helpful in your case. I myself have moved onto more aerobic activities but I still use it when I've hurt myself.

While everyone may have their own opinion on it and it may be a little dated, its still a good way to help you move a bit, breathe better, and it REALLY helps you sleep better, thats for sure.

I hope your tests go well!

[IrishIrish]

Re: 365lb ~~ my quest to lose weight!

Helena,

I read through your posts. I decided to "pile on" with the advice since I know of what you speak. I've been there.

When I began Atkins, I only went to work and came home and couldn't walk more than the distance between getting left off at the door of my office building and taking the elevator to my office. Every step was pure torture for me and a day did not go by that I didn't require pain meds just to function.

I started Atkins and did it exactly the way Dr. Atkins recommends in DANDR 2002. My blood sugar was dangerously high as was my blood pressure. I took too many medications to count including three insulin injections every day, countless finger pricks to test my blood, several oral medications for my diabetes, several medications for hypertension. I had an assortment of other medical problems. Every night before I went to bed, I just prayed that I would wake up in the morning.

I could not exercise, or so I thought. I would sit in a chair and move my arms to music in the beginning. And as I lost weight and time went on, I would move a little more.

It is possible for this plan to work for you. It took me a while to get where I am but I've lost a lot of weight. But mine is now a success story where I am concerned. I'm not worried about being a size 4 ... my goal was improving my health. I no longer require the medications I once did. My blood profiles are perfect. I exercise five times a week, I walk, I swim, I do weight work, my stength has improved, my stamina has improved enough that I was able to hike trails in the Grand Canyon, recently and I wasn't the slowest one on the trip! Life is good. It can be for you.

[Helena-in-England]

Re: 365lb ~~ my quest to lose weight!

Wow Irish am I reading that right? You weighed nearly 500 pounds but went to work each day? Then you had the nerve to take your life by the horns and take control, and create a revolution inside your own body?

I can scarcely believe that you were so big and now you are so tiny! Do you have a journal that I can read? I'm only 365 bt 178 seems like a faraway and impossible dream to me. 178 is 12 stone in English weights. OMG I haven't been 12 stone since I was about 16. It's something I can only dream of.

Your weight loss is so totally amazing to me I cannot find words to describe how it makes me feel, except that I want to read more about your amazing journey!

Wow

Helena

[Helena-in-England]

Re: 365lb ~~ my quest to lose weight!

Good news at last!

I don't own scales and promised not to weigh more than once a month.

However I was at the pool today so paid my 50p for a ride on the weight machine.

Shocked and amazed to find I have lost 11 pounds. Yes, 11 pounds, since my last weigh-in which was on 16 Sept. So that is 21 days.

Oh Lord, please don't let this be the only 11 pounds I ever lose!
Please make it the beginning of an amazing journey, the one I have hardly dared to dream about, lest it set myself up for an even bigger disappointment!

Helena

[RitaCeleste]

Re: 365lb ~~ my quest to lose weight!

You can probably weigh once a week or every other week now that things are moving. It might give you a better idea of what is happening. Are you loosing slower, or are having water come off all at once? Hard to tell or tweak the diet with a weigh in once a month. I'm so glad the scales moved. Its a beginning! More pounds will follow. I hope that you are past your stall and can add a little green stuff. Stalls can be tricky, they can make you think you can't eat anything. If you weigh once a week, its less scary to add something and see once you know what to expect. But yeah, you busted threw your stall and more pounds will come off! YAY!

[Helena-in-England]

Re: 365lb ~~ my quest to lose weight!

Hi Rita

I went shopping last night and bought Induction veggies. So I am moving up the rungs a bit, from ZC to induction. Obviously I have to keep a close watch on this to discover how much I can tolerate without falling out of ketosis.

A stall that comes at the beginning is very hard to judge or know what to do with, for it seems to be saying "This WOE is wrong for you, try something else". In this instance I stuck with it, and lost 11lb without changing.

I'm v happy!

[Helena-in-England]

Re: 365lb ~~ my quest to lose weight!

My first day on induction proper.
Things are not going too well...

I made Dr Atkins own recipe red cabbage coleslaw. Had it for breakfast with a big roast chicken breast with skin on and plenty of mayo.

Within a few minutes of eating I felt all funny inside. Not ill, but kind of excited and a little shakey. Am wondering if this is the feeling of insulin rising, blood-glucose rising, adrenalin rising, or some kind of other reaction. I've felt this feeling before, but certain have not felt it during my six weeks on zero carbs. Whichever it is, I don't want this happening at this stage.

This does not bode well. I wonder if it is the wine vinegar?

Now, just two hours later, I feel hungry, as though I could eat a whole meal again. I am concerned because (a) if I ate a steak, I typically would not feel hungry for 8 hours and (b) it is this kind of feeling that has contributed significantly to my weight gain.

While I was piling on the weight all this year, it was quite the usual thing for me to eat a full meal then eat another one straight afterwards, or an hour afterwards.

I'm dismayed that even a "good" carb like red cabbage can set me back to craving, overeating etc. I really wish I had not eaten it now. Of course I made up a good lot of the coleslaw and as much as I hate waste I fear that it is going to end up being thrown away.

I have just ordered fifteen one-pound bags of steak mince from my butcher. To save money, I am going to eat more hamburgers and less sirloin steaks!

The other veggies I bought are: brussels sprouts, broccoli, salad, cucumber, mixed capsicums and spring onions. I deliberately did not buy tomatoes because I know that I just love them too much, that they taste sweet and will doubtless start off sugar cravings in me.

[RitaCeleste]

Re: 365lb ~~ my quest to lose weight!

I usually eat broccoli with a slice of cheese. Cucumbers like they are or with salt. Canned french style green beans or Asparagus. Lettuce I tend to put too much cheese or dressing on but I still have some. Someone mentioned that cabbage is good fried in bacon grease. If you have some left you could measure it out and try that recipe to test it again and see if the cabbage or the other stuff in the other recipe getting to you. I have better luck with hunger if I spread the carbs out a lot and don't put too much in me at one time too. Like eating a whole can of the green beans would make me want a potato. Also I eat the bowl of broccoli, and then follow it with a hamburger or something when makes me feel a little hungry later. I know its silly to eat things one at a time, but its kinda how it works out. If I ate the hamburger and broccoli at the same time it might not work, but the broccoli then the hamburger satisfies me.

[Helena-in-England]

Re: 365lb ~~ my quest to lose weight!

Hi Rita

Well the experiments with veggies has not gone well. I've enjoyed eating them, very much, maybe too much, but OMG they have knocked me out of ketosis!

What a pity!

Seems I really do have to be zero carb!

[RitaCeleste]

Re: 365lb ~~ my quest to lose weight!

I find my ketones don't show up on the strips at all times of day. How much fat I ate, did I have veggies a couple of hours ago, did I walk all affect what's on the strips. I won't get a reaction on the strips everytime I test. If I don't get a reaction, I wait a couple of hours and test again. Since you are really sensitive you could try a low carb salad veggie maybe a couple of times a week instead of everyday and see if you still loose weight. Its okay for those strips not to turn for a little bit after eating it if they go right back in a little while. Even too much protein and mine will drop out for an hour or two. Its also okay if they just turn a little. Some people get no response from the strip and still burn fat. I thought I had to eat 20 grams of carbs or three cups of veggies. Most days I don't do that so I understand about having to watch the carbs. What I didn't think I could do moving up the rungs was to eat a food once or twice a week, leave off something else and still keep carbs low and loose. That's the only way I was able to go up rungs. I could noway keep adding 5 more grams of carb and loose. But its worth it if you find you can have 5g or 10g a day or every other and still loose weight. Any bit you can handle is good. And just cause is isn't working now doesn't mean it won't work in a couple of months either. A body can heal and get better at burning the fats. It can take time and some testing.