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?

Day 19 of Phase 4 Challenge: Still not very hungry, still losing: 70 POUNDS LOST!!! :) Orthostatic Hypotension....so....Made appt with Primary Doc, And today I see the R.D. for a follow-up. Plus Yesterday's particulars, "Walking in the Rain..."

Scale: 229.0

Seventh straight day of loss, even though I doubled my salt intake yesterday. And I'm now officially 70 pounds down from highest home-recorded weight of 299. Yes!!!!!!

Now, why increase sodium? Isn't that a bad, bad thing?

I've been having orthostatic hypotension--it's been increasing in the last couple months, but got so bad Wednesday, I had to lie down and hubby got worried--and in general, my BP has gone way down. I think the triple combo of:

1. more weight loss
2. starkly reduced carbs from previous eating plan
3. lowered salt intake this week

combined to do this. I may need to be on less or off my BP meds.

My blood pressure yesterday without taking my regular dose that day (left it for evening, when I usually do morning, cause I was afraid of it affecting me too much during the active hours of the day) after walking, right after getting home and still all blood-pumping from the exercise: 125/68 with a pulse of 76
Forty minutes later when I was "calm" again: 129/71 pulse 66 on right arm, 117/63 on left.

Before bed, after supper, after dose, after three salty meals: 113/58 with a pulse of 60.

This morning after waking and bathroom: 111/60 with a pulse of 60

I think those number would be fine if I had no symptoms, but I was woozy at Pilates and when I'd get up suddenly from the couch. Normally, my diastolic was in the 70 to 80 range when checked at the doc offices and at home...and I was HEAVIER than I am now when I got started on them....so....maybe...

I'm hoping the added sodium yesterday (I pretty much doubled Thursday's sodium intake from that of Wednesday's), will keep things a little perkier BP-wise until Monday's doc appt.

Yesterday:

calories: 1119
water: met
exercise: Pilates and walking
mood: very, very good!
hunger: pretty low

I've had an issue with taste-pickiness. This happens to me sometimes, since forever. I'll cook chicken or steak or some meat, taste it, and something in my mouth rejects it. Happened with last night's palomilla I made mostly for hubby (he loves his palomilla). I took a small bite, went, EW, and tried to figure out yet again how to fit protein. Since I needed some sodium, I hit a couple ounces of deli ham. Not a lot of calories, didn't make me gag. Ate my veggies and had my yogurt/nut/fruit snack for dessert instead. Yum. So, today, I'm gonna go see if there's some fresh rotisserie turkey and if my mouth will tolerate it. If not, it will be tofu for me.

My walk was kinda fun, if solitary. "Walking in the rain with the one I love, feels so fine; walking in the rain with the one I love on my mind..." Anyone remember that one from the seventies?

Yes. It rained. I can't remember the last time I voluntarily walked in the rain. :) Nice smell of wet grass and foliage. Kept me cool. And curly people know what rain does to curly hair--yes! It gets curlier. No problem there. hahahah

Today, the R.D. A rest day, probably, since I don't wanna risk too much wooziness.

Belly fat is noticeably lessening, for a dang change. :)

Okay, another day to work our plans. Let's be healthier tomorrow. Happy Friday, folks!

Day 18 Phase 4 Challenge: Not hungry--like at all; blood pressure meds may need ditching; Whoo, I BROKE INTO THE 220s!!!!!! ...And hooked by WHY WE GET FAT....

Scale: 229.6

Holy Whoas!

Very happy. This puts me now in 1996ish weight zone. More time travel backwards fat-wise.

For a couple months, I've had some wooziness on standing suddenly. Yesterday, after my walk, before dinner, when hubby came through the door, I stood up suddenly and just got dizzy. I had to lie down. I took my blood pressure and it was 118/60 and 123/61 (I took it twice, spacing the time).

I thought back on when I got on blood pressure meds. Yeah, I was in the 230s. So, it's quite possible that my low dose Ramipril is gonna be history. Right now, I may be stradding that zone where the meds will do too much for me at peak (when the drug is strongest in the circulation), while keeping me normal at non-peak.

I will have to see the doc to get her recommendation, cause wooziness, I don't like. Definitely the combo of losing more weight and cutting back salt have dipped my BP.

Yesterday's Particulars:

Calories: 929
Water: met
Exercise: walked 25 mins
Mood: excellent
Hunger: pretty NON-existent.

I really was not hungry. Had my usual multi-veggie egg white omelette and fruit for breakfast, with lowfat cheese instead of fat-free as I've been eating quite low-cal, so had leeway. I had zip appetite for lunch. I drank my fluids. Made chicken breast with some buffalo sauce and a lot of spinach and mushroom on the side. I ate maybe 2 oz of the chicken and forced myself to finish the veggies. I just was NOT HUNGRY. I was too low cal--less than 600-- so I rummaged my brain for what to get up my protein and nutrients (esp calcium ), so I made a Greek yogurt/walnuts/strawberries sundae and had a protein shake. That was actually pleasant and stimulated the appetite.

Am reading several books at once (I dip in one, then I dip in the other). The one that is most interesting to me of the three/four is WHY WE GET FAT by Gary Taubes. I had read his controversial GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES a few years back and thought it was amazingly interesting, with all the case studies, the historical-scientific-anthropological info. This one is an easier read, but certainly does make a compelling case.

In my case, his assertions have worked out. I do better lowering my starches/carbs. It worked for me on my own from June one (when I finally broke my years long dithering by going lower carb). I stalled when I added a lot more starches/carbs early in Phase 4. I began losing again immediately when I curtailed bread/pasta/rice/etc.

My insulin resistance is pretty bad. The skin of my inner thighs/armpit/back of neck had turned nearly black with Acanthosis Nigricans. It's MUCH lighter now in all those places (got better when I started lower carb). For me, the experiment is over: I don't do well on higher carb meal plans, no matter how much the government wants to push them. My body does not handle these. It just takes food and makes it stored fat. That's what insulin DOES.

If you suspect you're insulin resistant, you need to read WHY WE GET FAT.

Anyway, happy day, folks. I have Pilates today (hope the wooziness doesn't return). Energy has been great, and I hope the less sleep I got last night (stayed up late reading) won't impede my workout.

Be well...