Day 71 of Phase 5: Another drop. What are your weight loss obstacles (and a catalog of mine)? Are you overcoming them?...and I can have the a/c on higher now (not as heat intolerant) and 90% of my shoes don't fit! PLUS: Dang, the organic blackberries are a-rocking my world!

Whoa? Really? I guess IF and working out on an empty stomach did help fat loss.

Tanita-san: 208.4

That's -1.8 lbs since Sunday's weigh-in.

I'll have to continue that experiment. :D See if this is atypical or if I can expect a solid drop on days when workout after an IF. If I see a pattern of stronger drops with it, it will be my exercise eating system of choice.

I was lightheaded a bit this AM, so I checked my B.P. after getting up: 105/66. Pulse: 55

Wow, no wonder I was getting lightheaded. Good thing I get my labs done today and see the doc soon. May be time to ditch Ramipril altogether. I'm on a tiny dose (she halved my lowdose in Jan when I was passing out from low BP). I may not need it anymore. Fingers crossed.

For those out there with medical/metabolic impediments to weight loss: keep reading, keep learning, keep trying, see professionals (but be aware that sometimes the science takes a while to catch up to the "world is flat" sort of phenomenon in nutrition). It's worth investing in books, dietitians, cognitive therapists, whatever it takes to heal your issue. Sometimes, healing your issue may be as simple as AVOIDING SUGAR AND REFINED/PROCESSED FOODS ALTOGTHER .

Every body/DNA has particulars, but "modern" foods don't seem to benefit a whole lotta us. Figure out what gives you energy, a good mood, and doesn't pack on pounds, and eat that way. I suspect if you go to MORE fruits and veggies and ditch the stuff in boxes and aluminum cans in supermarket aisles, your body is gonna respond.


I have multiple metabolic strikes against me. I kid you not. I am a mess. (Less of a mess at 209 than 299, tho.) I have hurdles that many of you probably do not. Behold the catalog of my obstacle course:


I have a super low metabolism and am post-menopausal (which don't help none, I can tell you), I have several chronic health disorders, I have Metabolic Syndrome, including insulin resistance/prediabetes that made my skin turn charcoal grey-to-nearly-midnight-black in spots it was so bad, and that's not completely resolved YET with 90 lbs loss. I have hypothyroidism. I also take 2 medications that increase appetite.  And I had a DNA test that confirmed I am one of those with markers for obesity AND low metabolism and a higher than normal propensity to absorb fat and not wanna release it without high effort. I was a former binge-eater. I'd eat enough for three men at a pop until I was in horrible bully-busting pain from being overstuffed. I tied food to comfort. And suffering from depression (since age 9), I would hit food when an active depressed cycle showed up.

The impediments to exercise have been: a set of bad knees, mostly the left, which has a torn ACL since 1989, a bad right ankle from a childhood fracture that makes some footwork in Pilates really difficult, an right knee that has succumbed to decades of obesity and makes awful crunchy noises. Asthma (bad, since infancy). Bursitis, L shoulder. And just being BIG. Anyone who exercises when morbidly obese deserves a pat on the back, cause moving AT ALL at that size is a herculean effort, much less moving with effort with weights or walking briskly. Plantar fasciitis that hasn't been as bad as 13 years ago, but can flare up if I do too much on my feet. Much improved with weight loss and mostly wearing sneakers or flats or very well padded shoes. No stilettos for moi.



So, you think you got it bad? (And you may have it worse than me, but that should clear it up that I have to fight for every ounce off.)


If I can lose, chances are you can. If I could stop binge-ing (10+ months with no binge so far), you can. If I could cut down to 1800, then 1700, then 1400, then 1200, you can. If you need to.


If I, a dedicated exercise-hater and couch potato (and I still love being on the couch reading or watching J-dramas and anime) can exercise regularly, you can.

Believe you can. I couldn't do it until I began to step out in faith and worked on learning why I binged/overate and committed to exercising (when I did NOT NOT NOT want to move).

So, what are your weight loss impediments? I know many of us have these individual obstacles, emo and physio. What makes it hard for you?

Okay, I gotta shower and do my curls for the lab work and then do some Whole Food-ing.

BACK..........

Well, had a hard time finding shoes to wear out. I've been pretty much living in sneaks, so it's been a while since I put regular dress shoes on.

Most of my shoes, I just discovered, don't fit. I must have lost more off my feet. I had to put a shoe insert and cotton in my red flats that I bought in February....they were flopping off my feet. My sandals just slip off or my foot slides off to the side. I don't buy cheapo shoes .Most are $100 , some a bit more, some less. And now..I can't wear them? Egads.

Oh, well. I will live in sneakers until goal weight if I gotta. :D

Oh, and I had to start wearing one of my fave rings on my index finger. I had moved it from ring to middle finger late last year. Now even middle finger...too loose. I guess it'll be a thumb ring soon. Wedding band (the "fat" one I got when I ballooned to 240+, not the original) is on middle finger. :)

Really nice day, warm. High 80s. I didn't use the car's a/c. I've noticed since dropping the last 20 that I'm not as heat intolerant. I can keep the air at 76 or 77 instead of 70 and 71, which was my norm through 2010. That's nice. :)

Oh, and to the commenter who asked about the book recommending fasting workouts, see THE NEW EVOLUTION DIET by De Vany. :D

I'm off to break my fast now that my bloodwork/urine have been taken. I went to Whole Foods, got some goodies. Had a craving for Swiss chard, so got some (it looked purdy). Got cooked turkey breast and chicken skewers from the deli, as well as some hard-boiled eggs , so I don't have to think about supper for hubby or have to go through the annoyance of cooking/peeling eggs for snack/salads. I got some fruits and veggies (I hit the Farmer's Market yesterday, so I was pretty well stocked). Some cheeses. From the meat area, I got pork chops and chicken cutlets.  Some Fage. I didn't get nuts, cause I like the walnuts from Fresh Market better.

My breakfast-lunch combo will include some breakfast stuff I like (boiled egg, fruit--mango, strawberries, raspberries,, blackberries, nearly all organic--not the mango, it's local, we have a tree, so it's half-organic, since we use a "non-toxic/green" pesticide/lawn care service) and some lunch stuff (organic mesclun, shredded carrots and beets, cucumber, red peppers, an organic locally made garlic-dill-EVOO-apple-cider-vinegar-sea-salt dressing, skewer-grilled chicken with vegetarian green curry sauce (which I can have as it's not got fish sauce). And Mrs Dash table blend for my eggs instead of salt. :D  I also sipped on some unsweetened coconut milk (only 50 calories, and it was pleasantly milk-like, and since I stopped buying milk and only use unsweetened Almond Breeze lately in its place, I looked at this as a possible second milk replacement. I like it.)

Ooh, I'm making myself hungry. Which is fine. Haven't eaten since dinner last night. I can be hungry. :)

Do something health-promoting today, okay?

UPDATE: BUY THE BLACKBERRIES. Normally, I skip them, cause they're often not sweet and it's not worth the expense. This batch of organic blackberries today were terrific. I only bought 'em cause I saw a lady just load up with like 4 pints of them, so I asked, "Um, are they sweet right now?" She said, "Oh, they're lovely." I trusted her. And I wanna go back and get a bunch more. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who needs cake?

Is Sugar Toxic? Well, I am on the "Yes" side of the debate aisle....and it scares me poopless to think what I've done consuming the crap for 50 years.......beware, a rant...

 "If Lustig is right, then our excessive consumption of sugar is the primary reason that the numbers of obese and diabetic Americans have skyrocketed in the past 30 years. But his argument implies more than that. If Lustig is right, it would mean that sugar is also the likely dietary cause of several other chronic ailments widely considered to be diseases of Western lifestyles — heart disease, hypertension and many common cancers among them.

Some time ago, I posted on my old blog the link to the youtube video of Dr. Lustig's SUGAR: THE BITTER TRUTH. That and Gary Taubes first book on carbohydrates and their link to fat storage/obesity/diabetes/heart disease got me to start weaning off sugar, bit by bit. I think they are both onto something. And it's VERY scary.

Read the article. Even if you have doubts or disagreements, read it. If you're insulin resistant or diabetic, you had really better read it, especially the last paragraphs dealing with I.R. And if you eat sugar and HFCS, please, please, take a few minutes to read it. If you forget about this post, you'll find the link on my right sidebar for "Is Sugar Toxic?" If you want a hard copy, I believe it will be in this coming Sunday's NY TIMES.

I was diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome in 1998 (Syndrome X was the term I heard a lot back then for the syndrome). I have Insulin Resistance. Changes in my diet kept me from going full-blown diabetic in 2004 when I was at my highest weight. Thank God. As I lose weight, I hope to burn off the toxic fat in my liver. Yes, I have fatty liver (and I do not drink). Reading the part in this article about the possible correlation with cancer is terrifying. I have been I.R. for two decades plus. What the hell did that do to me?

Did I start to get fit in time? I ask myself this question a lot. I'm 51.

Like Allan says, "Sure, take your time. Being fat is no problem." This article says there's a time bomb and it may be well related to sugar/HCFS consumption and insulin resistance/diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome.

Time bomb.

Yeah, let's keep stuffing down those sugary treats and justifying them as just "a little sweet something" cause we have a craving, we're stressed, or coworkers keep bringing them in, our period is coming, our in-laws bug us, the weather sucks, it's Christmas, it's Mardi Gras, it's Easter, it's Fourth of July, it's Halloween, it's Thanksgiving,  it's my birthday, your birthday, his birthday, their birthday, my anniversary, his anniversary, the President's speech is on, the next Harry Potter movie is on, it's a blue moon, it's an eclipse, it's a meteor, it's Monday, it's Friday,  oops, it's the PMS thing again, and another Friday, and it's ABCXYZ... ad infinitum...

It's just a treat. No biggie. A sweet something that makes us feel good.

Only that treat is being used often, every day, twice a day. How many treats are in our food journals each day, day by day? Sugar-including treats? HCFS-riddled treats?  A cookie or two here. A Skinny Cow there. A chocolate VitaTop (sugar--third ingredient) here. A 1/4 can of Pepsi there. A frozen yogurt here. A 1/2 cup of Ben and Jerry's there. Oh, look, a handful of M&Ms and a Pop-Tart slipped in that uber-stressful day. Maybe a 90-calorie Quaker granola bar get snapped up for an in-the-car breakfast. (Count how many times sugar comes up in the list of ingredients. Gasp freely.Go look at your granola's ingredients. I dare you. )

I can't do those justifications anymore..not with any amount of ease. I'm too scared of the damage already done and the damage that would be yet-to-come if I went back to sugary ways.

Note no one is talking about an occasional, special treat. We eat this crap daily in the US. A lot of us eat it several times a day in all sorts of foods....

See if you can do sugary treats and foods and sodas with mental ease after reading the article. After watching Dr. Lustig's video. See how calm you can be handing that second slice of birthday cake, side of ice cream to Juanito, that bag of lollipops or that Three Musketeers bar to lil Emily, the candy apples and cotton candy at the fair to Jenny, or the couple Oreos or Froot Loops breakfast to Caleb, Jr?

What are they eating in school that you can't control readily? Do you even know? (Watch the recent Jamie Oliver program on the LA area's school food. OMG! ) Sweetened chocolate milk. Sugar-added pancake syrup. Sugar-fruit yogurt. Sugar laden pizza sauce. Danishes. Brownies. Sugary cereals. The chocolates for fundraisers for the band. Any vending machines nearby? What do they have?

Then maybe the young ones are on the way home, and they pick up some treats--gum, chocolate bars, ice cream cones, milk shakes. Then while doing homeowork, some trendy new treat gets munched on. Maybe hit some jelly beans when it's time to watch tv. Or caramel popcorn. Or a few Nilla Wafers washed down with some "fruit juice beverage" that's essentially sugar water. Or a Coke or a Dr. Pepper.

Maybe dinner has meat drenched in bbq sauce (HFCS second ingredient)  or they use up a 1/2 cup of ketchup on that burger with fries (HFCS # 3, corn syrup #4 ingredients) or there's sweet-n-sour Chinese or a honey-mustard dipping sauce for the nuggets that's more sugar or corn syrup than actual honey. And what are they drinking with dinner? Sugary fruit punch? Sugary lemonade? Hawaiian Punch? Regular soda? Flavored/sugared milk?

Just see if maybe you don't think twice...three times...about what mainlining all that sugar's gonna do to your babies....what it already is doing...

Me, I regularly call sugar-- online and offline-- "da debbil". I do believe it is the devil in the human diet. One of them, for sure. The Big One, perhaps.  It's pervasive in the US (read labels). It's addictive. (Take away a kid's--or PMS woman's treats--and try not to get killed.) It's fattening.

The devil in the diet.

"Isocaloric" is not "Isometabolic", says Dr. Lustig. (See the article for definitions.) We forget that, I think.

Here are the concluding paragraphs:

Most of the researchers studying this insulin/cancer link seem concerned primarily with finding a drug that might work to suppress insulin signaling in incipient cancer cells and so, they hope, inhibit or prevent their growth entirely. Many of the experts writing about the insulin/cancer link from a public health perspective — as in the 2007 report from the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research — work from the assumption that chronically elevated insulin levels and insulin resistance are both caused by being fat or by getting fatter. They recommend, as the 2007 report did, that we should all work to be lean and more physically active, and that in turn will help us prevent cancer.

But some researchers will make the case, as Cantley and Thompson do, that if something other than just being fatter is causing insulin resistance to begin with, that’s quite likely the dietary cause of many cancers. If it’s sugar that causes insulin resistance, they say, then the conclusion is hard to avoid that sugar causes cancer — some cancers, at least — radical as this may seem and despite the fact that this suggestion has rarely if ever been voiced before publicly. For just this reason, neither of these men will eat sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, if they can avoid it.

“I have eliminated refined sugar from my diet and eat as little as I possibly can,” Thompson told me, “because I believe ultimately it’s something I can do to decrease my risk of cancer.” Cantley put it this way: “Sugar scares me.”

Sugar scares me too, obviously. I’d like to eat it in moderation. I’d certainly like my two sons to be able to eat it in moderation, to not overconsume it, but I don’t actually know what that means, and I’ve been reporting on this subject and studying it for more than a decade. If sugar just makes us fatter, that’s one thing. We start gaining weight, we eat less of it. But we are also talking about things we can’t see — fatty liver, insulin resistance and all that follows. Officially I’m not supposed to worry because the evidence isn’t conclusive, but I do.

Rant Done.

Now I'm going to bed (this will be published hours from now) singing a bit of an old Randy Stonehill song: "Shut de do'. Keep out de debbil. Shut de do'...keep de debbil in de night...shut de do'...keep out de debbil...light de candle...evvything's all right..."

Day 11 of Phase 4: Where I have a couple weepy moments, exercise hard, haven't much of an appetite, and call up to get a pro's input to personalize me, tell you 7 things about me, and thank my supportive fatfighting pals!

Scale: 234.2 (nekkid, post poop, post pee)


Yesterday:
Calories: 1173
Water for challenge: met
Exercise: rest day

Slept: a scosh under 7 hours
Hunger: a bit hungry round dinnertime, but that's it
Mood: still frustrated, a bit down

Okay, so Pilates is done today (55 minutes). She did a set of exercises that served as my alternate side lunges and, since I can't do regular push-ups either, we did several sets of modified ones on the barrel.

On the good front: one of the trainers who hadn't seen me in a bit came up to the Reformer right before we started working out and said, "Mirta, you're looking so good." I went, "Huh?" She said, "You're looking good! Really good!"

That was a nice thing.

Mid-exercise, I had another weepy bit. The trainer asked if I wanted to stop. I said no, and just kept doing my thing while tears leaked out. I wiped my face and pushed on. The hell with that. My chemical/emotional thing might be whack, but I'm not gonna let it interfere with my Pilates. :D

Trainer was great. Very positive, upbeat, encouraging...and I felt much better afterwards, as is usual with a good workout. I always feel better when I'm done and blood is pumping, joints are loose, muscles are warm...

Appetite has been on the low side and I didn't wanna make meals. But I am drinking my water, had my eggs/toast...yadda.

I already cooked the chicken for dinner (last night), so it's just a matter of adding the veggies and stuff.  I really like that Montreal seasoning, and so does hubby, so it's a keeper.

Because I have felt this emotional blip and have had the weight stall and am increasingly concerned about the starches/carbs with my insulin resistance/Metabolic syndrome, I made an appointment to see a local registered dietitian. This is the practice.  And this is the registered dietitian with whom I made an appointment TOMORROW.  I'm gonna take the challenge eating plan, print my food log since Jan 2 (I didn't log Jan 1 as we were out a whole lot), if I can--let's see what my old printer'll do--and discuss how I can stay in the challenge's 1200 calorie range while making a plan that addresses my hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance/diabetes risk, allergies (including seafood and citrus), hypothyroidism, autoimmune state,  eczema, asthma, and can incorporate foods I enjoy and allow for safe eating out. I'd feel better having this tailored to my own host of medical issues.

It's expensive (first visit is 200 bucks and subsequent less lengthy ones are 65 bucks. Ouchie. BUT...if we can find a way to keep me low calorie, healthy eating, and address those many individual screwy issues of mine to boot, I'll have peace of mind about the contiuing journey.

I also want to ask my doc to check my labs in a month after starting whatever program I'll be on--she may well say the challenge packet is fine, or she may modify it--to see if internally there's no issue cholesterol-wise or sugar-wise from the added carbs and that the emotional/mood issue isn't from the thryoid meds needing adjustment. Folks with thyroid issues know how mood is really affected by fluctuations. I've felt a bit shaky and apprehensive and I've had an increase in lost hairs in the shower, and it could be that I tipped a a bit into hyperthyroid from losing a mite 10 pounds since my mid-December consultation (although you'd think would make me show a scale drop,  the "hyper" thing if it's so, but anyway,  I was told to keep an eye out for symptoms as I lost weight when I saw endo mid-December.)

I feel better already having done that and to have continuing official monitoring while I'm working the lower-calorie/more exercise thing.

Anyway, on to a cheery thing: I got an award, as I mentioned, from Karen of Sunshine's Heart blog. Here it is:

Synonyms of stylish:

Synonyms: à la mode (also a la mode), au courant, chic, cool [slang], exclusive, fashionable, fresh [slang], happening, hip, in, modish, sharp, smart, snappy, supercool, swell, swish, trendy, voguish

I'd never be tagged as stylish in the real world as I am not someone who tends to follow fashion trends and my hair is natural, not in the current mode. BUT...I like "sharp, smart, snappy, supercool." Oh, okay, so supercool doesn't apply to me. But I'll take it. Whatever it means, I'll take it. Thanks, K!

Here are the particulars of the award:

1.Post the award and link it back to the person who gave it to me.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

There's a third thing about choosing 15 other bloggers. Um, okay, this is the part of awards I don't like, cause it starts to feel chain-lettery. So, here:  If you're on my blogroll and haven't gotten this, consider yourself tagged if you wanna. If not, I'm okay with that. :)


Well, 1 is done and 3 is covered. Here's 2...and you probably already know this stuff if you've been reading me from this and Once Upon a Diet:

1. I was born in Cuba, but my heart is American--so much so I was called a "cubana arrepentida" when I moved to Miami from The Bronx, which essentially meant I was too acculturated to the US and not "Cuban" enough for the Miami Cuban contingent. Too effin' bad. Both my flags are red, white and blue, and I love me the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the US, and apple pie. Though I haven't had any of the latter lately. My English is better than 99% of the native-born peops of the US I have met, even though for the first few years of life, all I heard was Spanish;  which just goes to show you become what you love. (I love fat, so I  guess that shows, too.)

2. I am a dual "ophile"--for Britain and for Japan. I'd love to take a Literary/Historical tour of Britain and see the historical sights (I know more British monarchs than US presidents) and literary ones (like where the Bloomsbury group hung out, the Lake District that inspired Wordsworth, the Bronte parsonage (Jane Eyre has been my fave classic novel since I was 9), and anywhere mentioned in Austen novels. I want to see the great cathedrals and museums and battlegrounds. AND...I want to do an Historical/Otaku tour of Japan, and see traditional teahouses, Kyoto shrines, Harajuku, castles, museums, and anywhere mentioned in cool animes. :D And , if possible, tour a manga publishing house. And Ghibli Studios--because I love me Miyazaki films! Who wouldn't wanna fly in the sky with O-Totoro!  And if I can get a good close up look at lots of those Japanese hotties with spiked hair and tight jeans, all the better.

3. I am married to a man who is ridiculously amazing. Why he married ME is a continuing mystery. But I confess that I am not worthy. He is a modern Rennaissance man--creates electronica music, has multiple software patents, drums wonderfully in various genres from jazz to J-rock, once set a Guinness record with his team for Ultimate Frisbee, has authored a book, speaks Spanish and English and some Portuguese and Yiddish, is tall and handsome, loves God, loves his country, never loses his temper, dosen't drink or smoke or cuss,  is great with kids, with dogs, with cats, is unliked by none, and after 28.5 years together, is still super-adoringly nuts in love his fat Cuban-American wife. :D  I am also a lot biased.

4.  I collect science fiction and fantasy art, books with retro SF Richard Powers covers,  and lip glosses. There is no connection that I can think of, other than they are beautiful and make me happy.

5. I edit at an online SF magazine and have sponsored and judged various SF contests (poetry, short fiction, and art).

6. I always do my own toenails and polish them with OPI varnish, usually some shade of red, from orange red to true red to blue red to burgundy red. I love me red toenails! Right now, I'm wearing DEAR SANTA shade that I put on for Christmas/New Year.

7. I like to sleep on my back. I hadn't been able to for 6 years, until just recently, due to obesity. I would choke in my sleep from the fat--sleep apnea. I've slept on my back for a month.

There it is. Seven things about me.

I'd like to thank the folks who offered encouragement to me this rather emotional week. I love you for it. Hugs all around.

Okay, time for more water and a snack. Happy Thursday to all!

UPDATE added: Just got back from doing my walk--25 mins. Gorgeous outside. Raspberry sherbet glowy clouds and chilly for Miami and breezy and it felt really good. Being all stretched out from Pilates (we did toe/heel stuff on the Reformer) means my feet handled it pretty good.