Losing weight in 2004

“Okay- this is now driving me crazy...I have been REALLY good about my food intake and water intake and working out(except the last 3 days due to bad cold) since the 5th and I was all excited to weigh in and guess what?? I weigh EXACTLY what I weighed on the morning of the 5th. Still 132. WHAT IS UP WITH THAT??? I swear, I have not cheated AT ALL and my clothes feel like I am losing. AARRGGHHHH! I am discouraged.”

“trailtrekker...you're losing fat, but gaining muscle. that's great!

I on the other hand am stuck... :(”

“You're stuck at skinny, you are, Gem...”

“Doing very well here. Pants are getting looser. Lost about 4 pounds in first week. Feeling real good. Went to doctor the other night. Told him I started Atkins and asked his take on what I was doing and also to see what his opinion is of the diet in general (since the last time I asked him was quite a while ago). He said he thought it is a good diet (as diets go). But, the only problem with it is on a long term basis. He said that down the road, it needs midification. I told him my plans, which (as discussed here last week) were to get through induction and, as I get through induction and start arriving towards my goals, to introduce more carbs back into my diet. But, not as much as I was consuming. I was getting ridiculous. He said that was the modification that he was talking about. It's along the lines of the good/bad carbs separartion that Birch and a few others had brought out. He said that, for me right, I was doing the right thing. As stated before, my triglycerides are high and have been for a year now. I am on 200 mg of Niaspan a day, plus 160 mg of Tricor. This is a significant amount of medicine. And, still, as of a month ago, my reading was 402. According to him, these high readings of lipids in the blood are caused by the carbs, not fats. So, he said the diet is perfect for me right now, again with later modification to come. Hey, it is the one thing I haven't tried. I am to be tested again in about 6 weeks. THAT will be a big test of the merits of my efforts. My pants are loosening up, so i have no doubt that i can lose weight. But, let's see if I can knock out a significant health risk too.”

“Make that 2000 mg of Niaspan (maximium dosage)”

“Jaysus Murphy!

I'm one of the lucky ones, my blood lipids are all naturally low.

Now if I could just get my body lipids lower...lol...”

“Congrats on your weightloss! To all of you!!!”

“I've taken off eight pounds since getting my lard-ass back on Atkins. I regained all the weight I lost last year by slipping off the diet over the holidays and am now trying to get it back off.

I do remember when I was young and skinny. I really do.”

“Trailtrekker, try measuring yourself so you can see the changes you are making. If you just look at weight, then the exercise you do makes it look like nothing is happening.

And I did not walk this morning.”

“I am hoping you are right, Gem. It doesn't feel like muscle - I'll keep at it though! Thanks for the encouragement!”

“trailtrekker, do like that guy did on his webpage and take pics of yourself every month and post them so we all can see.

The boxers are optional...”

“There's a blood drive today that includes a screening of cholesterol, lipids, etc. It will be interesting to see if they have changed after 10 weeks of dieting.

To trialtrekker: the less weight you have to lose, the harder it is. If you were 100 lbs overweight, you'd drop it fast, at least at first. But with only a few pounds, your body gets stingy. Especially if you are currently in your body's preferred weight. For many of us there is a difference between the weight the body is happy with and the weight society deems ideal. Also, if you don't normally retain much water, you won't lose weight as quickly. One of the reasons for the big loss the first week (I lost 9 lbs) is that I was dumping water. Odd, the more I drink the more I get rid of. TOM can make a difference too - so stick with it another week and see how you are feeling. If the clothes feel loose - then you're doing great.”

“I don't know if you know about this site, but http://www.fitday.com is a free site. Awesome site. Ugly but a great diary, resource, etc....”

“...my blood pressure was down, too.”

“I'm goin hiking tomorrow--so there!! Sounds like everyone is doing pretty well--I'm pleased for you--keep it up!!

Problem with Atkins that my boyfriend had was that he got used to eggs in butter and all so when he went off of the diet he gained quickly. You either have to be on Atkins or you have to be on the low fat healthy foods diet--the two don't mix--it is one or the other.

Correct me if I am wrong Dr. Pathman but don't we change fats and proteins and complex carbohydrates into simple sugars before we burn them?”

“Maryphyl, I believe the big problem with simple sugars is that they are readily absorbed. With complex carbs, your body has to break them down first, meaning the initial rush of sugar into the bloodstream isn't there.”

“Bit- Won't do that boxer thing-how about thongs? hahaha! NOBODY will be seeing this body for a while!”

“oh come on Trailtrekker, we can handle it. If your shy you can email me one in private. I won't show it to anyone ;)”

“Everyone but me seems to know so much 'bout nutrition. I dont know a complex carbohydrate from a bowling ball! Gotta reread my Nutrition for Dummies book so I can understand what y'all are talking 'bout. Until then, I'll just keep on running and avoid ice cream. :)

Almost didn't run this morning, but then I reminded myself of every gf who has ever broken my heart. Fuel!”

“Yeah, sure Ewker!! I'll get right on it.”

“What is Glycemic?
I heard choosing foods with a low glycemic index (GI) can help you lose weight. True and why??”

“Gemini-

Glycemic Index is a system used to "rate" or categorize carbohydrates. It is a system that was originally designed for diabetics to use when making food choices.

I doubt that low G.I. foods will cause one to lose weight. I have read that low G.I. foods help one to feel fuller longer (but that also has to do with fiber etc...). The biggest benefit of low glycemic food is that its most likely going to be a food in a very natural state. Whole oats,rice,lentils etc... Whole unprocessed foods are higher in usable vitamins and minerals (also more readily available) plus many low G.I. foods are high in fiber. The benefit of that (besides regularity) is that fiber is essentially undigestable. You body works it over for a long time trying to get the nutrients (feel fuller longer potentially) then a large percentage is left as waste.

I will give a neat example of how fiber benfits you. Lets say you eat a slice of bread that is 30gram carbohydrate and has 3 grams fiber. You body cannot digest the fiber so essentially you have only eaten 27 grams of fiber which is a savings of 12 calories. Doesnt sound like much. But the benefits are more then 12 calories worth.

I hope this helped.”

“the glycemic index i believe was explained earlier in the thread.
it's prett simple, really. glucose is given a value of 100. that's the highest value on the index. that means it raises your blood sugar the fastest. foods with a lower gi raise blood sugar levels at a slower rate.
lower gi foods help give a more constant flow of energy while higher gi foods tend to invoke an insulin response and make FAT, which you don't want. do a search on glycemic index table and you should be able to find the gi for just about any food out there.”

“you bastard, i had a feeling you were gonna beat me to it.”

“I was at the bookstore earlier this evening and I saw a weight loss book by Dr. Phil. Am I missing something? Isn't he sorta chubby? Whats next, George W. Bush's Ten Easy Steps to Achieving Intellectual Greatness?”

“OK, I'm joining you all in this weight loss adventure. Hell, I even took day 1 photos! I must say, I look pretty bad. I didn't realize how much I have let myself go. The photo of my back is nauseating. That's one huge spare tire. I also took measurements. Although I won't post my photos yet, I will post the measurements.

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 261 on 1/13/04 - 259 on 1/14/04
Chest: 52 in
Abdomen (belly button height): 44.5
Beltline: 40
Hips (ass): 47
Thigh: 26
Calve: 17
Bicep: 18
Forearm: 13.5
Wrist: 7.75
Neck: 18

Back in '99 I hit 296 lbs a year after finishing the AT with a 235 weight. I admit, I felt pretty darn good with the way I looked at 235 so I started working on my weight. In 3 months I was down to 226 but felt pretty bad. I was doing 3 hours of cardio/day minimum and doing 10 mile runs every friggin day for awhile. That was a recipe for disaster! On top of that I was eating at most 1200 cal/day. No weights. Basically I was on a starvation diet. Yesterday, I looked back at food logs of that diet and noticed something that really stood out. In the beginning I was taking in 2300-2500 cal/day but dropped the intake thinking less calories is better. Plus I was only taking in 20-30 grams of protein/day.

Well anyway, I have seen the light and been bitten by the bug again. I'm starting up my exercise routine again but will eat more calories from wholesome foods. I'll be going for a minimum of 2000 cal/day following 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% fat. Morning walk/hike of 3/3.5 miles and a 50-60 minute run/jog 5X/week. Additionally, this time I'll be pumping some serious iron again. I can't believe I have 100 lb dumbells in my closet.

Well, here's to my transformation. I'll post pics when I have abs in 5 months. :)”

“Join the fun Rock! Its a bitter pill to swallow when you wake up one day at 290, especially when you were once so much healthier. I know, I lived through that, and I was quite literally almost in tears when I saw that scale (289 to be exact, a bit more than two years ago). As your post points out, there is a right way to lose weight and a wrong weigh (sorry, had to do it). Sometimes you have to live the yo-yo a couple times before you discover that the short term benefits of starvation diets are just that...short term. In the long run, slow and steady wins the race. GL.”

“I came home to a freezer full of food including Twix and Girl Scout Cookie (Samoa) ice cream.

I cut my usual two bowls to one.

I don't dare look where the chips are kept.”

“Hey, thanks about the GI info. One more thing I have to look out for. :)”

“Be glad the nutritionists got to you before I did Mary Phyl.

Happy, happy, joy, joy...

My "gym" is being restored today.


Sandia Peak
The temperature is 29 degrees, it is Snowing
and the winds are calm.

Base Depth: 13 in.
2 in. new snow in the last 12 hours.

We have a big low funneling Baja moisture up to us. Life will be good for the next couple of weeks.”

“I walked today - 4.8 miles - to make up for not walking yesterday. But I walked sort of slow for me - 3.2 mph. Somehow a jar of dry roasted peanuts got into my car!!! And I have been munching on them before and after work.”

“I"ve fallen off the wagon in the last two days. I'm stressed about getting through the logistics of my new class, plus a billion other things at home. But again, tomorrow is a new day, right?

(Someone yell at me, please!)”

“YELL! )8-(”

“Just knock it off, young lady. Or you will be sent to bed with no dinner tonight! There!”

“i hope you don't expect everyone to post measurements....ahhh, I hate measuring myself every week, I can't stand to write them down. Heck now, I will NOT post them in the net!!”

“smileygirl, you will probably be off your diet this weekend. With all the food, beer,wine and liquor you don't stand a chance”

“Gee, thanks for your support, Ewker!!”

“Smiley, if you think positive you can do it. Just bring your own food and don't eat all the good stuff that everyone else is bringing. Oh yeah NO DRINKING, have a good trip :)”

“I'd like to get my exercise routine to support my diet with a little left over for weight loss. So far it hasn't happened, but I could always hike more and more often.”

“Gem, post your measurements. Embarrassment is a great motivator! :)

Aren't you guys gonna rag on me? Some friends you are! Come on, lay it on me! Call me fat! Call me a girly man! Call me something! :)”

“something”

“To be perfectly honest, rockman, I didn't even know guys HAD measurements.”

“i picked up a set of these tonight. i've had my eye on them for a long time now. i was gonna wait a while longer but impulse buying got the best of me. i got the pro rexan 5-45 set. i'll soon be adding the 45-85 pound addon set.
i lost my cheat sheet for a link so, can someone help me out?
www.powerblock.com”

“heehee, I did the horizantal leg press (I think that's what it was called) today at the gym...and I did 295 bs 13 times.

LOL Watch out Mr. Universe!!”

“so much for aerobics on the snow. I'm still at work. :(”

“Good job Gemini!”

“Ducttape, those powerblocks look like a great idea. In Sass' and my first apt we had one large bedroom. It was a vry ight fit with my weight bench jammed in there...somethine like this woulda been nice.”

“Now, if you could only hire someone to come and lift 'em for ya.”

“Down 12 as of this morning.”