Lifestyle Changes

[N8XE]

Damn it! I am only 41!!!

Had my first session of physical therapy today because of some rotator cuff problems. It really helped. I think it all started when I tried to lift my table saw up (it is about 300 lbs) and pulled something in my collar bone/shoulder area. That was 7 years ago. It took a while to heal, and which is typical for me, I just dealt with it instead of going to the doctor. Over the past 6 months, it now hurts everyday and my shoulder area gets sore and stiff (especially in the morning). It has started to affect my sleep on some nights.

So the physical therapist said the "A" word today... Arthritis with inflammation. She suspects it is being contributed by my occupation (I am a software developer and my posture is horrendous). Luckily, I can start using these wobbly chairs that encourages better posture and I can stand at my workstation when I want (the desk moves up and down).

Oh yeah, my blood pressure has been high and my knees are bothering me. I am overweight (248 lbs) so I will be doing something about that. I have lost 6 lbs already since I started eating less processed food and sugary things and eating whole cooked meals at home.

But the thing that sucks the most? I need to cut back on my beloved Crown. Need to cut back from 5 to 7 servings a week.

Since the shack is torn down, I can't get on 75M to complain about it all... so I figured I would complain here :)

Jason N8XE

EDIT: I meant to add that all my numbers are good... Triglycerides, Cholesterol, and glucose levels... so that is going for me!

[WX7P]

I'd just dump the alcohol altogether.

I can't begin to explain how much better I feel since I quit imbibing. I went from crazy high blood pressure down to normal and more importantly with no meds.

Saves money too.

[KG4NEL]

I'd just dump the alcohol altogether.

I can't begin to explain how much better I feel since I quit imbibing. I went from crazy high blood pressure down to normal and more importantly with no meds.

Saves money too.

Sobriety is too extreme for me. :lol:

I will say this - if you start running or any kind of impact-based activity, get to a real store and find someone who'll work with you to find the right shoes. Just walking into a Foot Locker or whatever and buying what looks good on the rack will knock everything out of whack right quick.

But even 30 min or so of lactate-inducing cardio on a bike or elliptical is good. Anything to get the O2 in, and the CO2 out...

[N8XE]

I have been biking lately... only about 1 or 2 times a week. I love my bike!!

Jason N8XE

[KG4NEL]

One of these days, I keep telling myself I'll get into either mountain biking or kayaking. I think since my other cross-training activity is running, shredding my arms to the point of uselessness would be a better call, lol.

[K0RGR]

Right now, I'm paying Medifast a whole lot of money to get me back to a state of merely a little fat. I haven't been there since I was about 40.

The secret of the Medifast diet is simple. You get two meals that consist of 5-7 oz. of lean meat and a green vegetable. Every 2-3 hours, you need to eat a high protein, low carb snack. Medifast sells some
very expensive bars that are made mostly out of soybeans, but I think there are commercial ones out there that are similar enough. They do have good protein shakes. We usually have a shake in the morning,
then a bar about three hours later. Mid-afternoon, a typical meal is a chicken breast on a salad. Then bars every couple hours until dinner time, which is again protein and greens of some kind. There has been some increase in physical activity as a result of being able to do more things now, but not a lot yet.

The program works. I'm down 51 lbs. since February, and wife is down almost 20 - but she was a lot skinnier than me to start. I no longer need to call Omar the Tentmaker when I need a new shirt.

My body tuned to crap at 40. That was also when I was diagnosed with diabetes, which is a major factor. But I've become much more aware of the foods we eat now, too.

If you get Netfllix, there is a great documentary out there, titled 'Fed Up'. It talks about the role of sugar in the obesity epidemic, and they make a very compelling case. All you have to do is look at
the packaging and see how many grams of sugar there are. Four grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar. A 12 oz. Coke has 39 grams - that's just shy of 10 teaspoons of refined sugar,
or 10 sugar cubes. You don't even put that much sugar in your iced tea.

Refined sugar triggers the production of insulin, which converts carbohydrates directly into fat. Excess insulin and excess carbs = fat. Simple sugars are converted into triglycerides.

But what about sugar free drinks? Unfortunately, the artificial sweeteners also trigger the body's release of insulin, and the same formula applies, you just don't have the extra carbs from
the sugar itself. But, I and many other people believe that diet drinks actually make you hungrier. If you are having trouble with that diet, lay off the pop.

But soft drinks are a drop in the bucket compared to prepared foods. Three reduced fat Oreos have 14g of sugar - that's 3.5 teaspoons of refined sugar. A 20 oz. Orange Julius has about the
same as a 12 oz/ Coke - 38 g. That Starbucks Mocha frappuccino has 47 g. A 28 oz, Slurpee has 63. A Cinnabon has 55. Eggo waffles with no syrup are OK. Here's a handy reference, but
you can get these numbers from the packages of everything you buy -
http://www.sugarstacks.com/

Here's another list of things that are surprisingly high in sugar - http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/sugar-shockers-foods-surprisingly-high-in-sugar?page=4

As the documentary explains, we are hooked on sugar from infancy - our baby formula is loaded with it. Politics, not science, has created the impression that sugar is good for you, when it's actually very toxic.

We can't just eliminate all sugars, many are naturally occurring. My wife and I are bummed because watermelon is not allowed due to it's high sugar content. But giving up sweet stuff is a quick way to lose weight. And so is reading labels and understanding what a gram of sugar means.

[KG4NEL]

I went to black coffee when I quit soda at 25. But I was ruining my teeth faster than getting diabetes...

[KC2UGV]

Right now, I'm paying Medifast a whole lot of money to get me back to a state of merely a little fat. I haven't been there since I was about 40.

The secret of the Medifast diet is simple. You get two meals that consist of 5-7 oz. of lean meat and a green vegetable. Every 2-3 hours, you need to eat a high protein, low carb snack. Medifast sells some
very expensive bars that are made mostly out of soybeans, but I think there are commercial ones out there that are similar enough. They do have good protein shakes. We usually have a shake in the morning,
then a bar about three hours later. Mid-afternoon, a typical meal is a chicken breast on a salad. Then bars every couple hours until dinner time, which is again protein and greens of some kind. There has been some increase in physical activity as a result of being able to do more things now, but not a lot yet.

The program works. I'm down 51 lbs. since February, and wife is down almost 20 - but she was a lot skinnier than me to start. I no longer need to call Omar the Tentmaker when I need a new shirt.

My body tuned to crap at 40. That was also when I was diagnosed with diabetes, which is a major factor. But I've become much more aware of the foods we eat now, too.

If you get Netfllix, there is a great documentary out there, titled 'Fed Up'. It talks about the role of sugar in the obesity epidemic, and they make a very compelling case. All you have to do is look at
the packaging and see how many grams of sugar there are. Four grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar. A 12 oz. Coke has 39 grams - that's just shy of 10 teaspoons of refined sugar,
or 10 sugar cubes. You don't even put that much sugar in your iced tea.

Refined sugar triggers the production of insulin, which converts carbohydrates directly into fat. Excess insulin and excess carbs = fat. Simple sugars are converted into triglycerides.

But what about sugar free drinks? Unfortunately, the artificial sweeteners also trigger the body's release of insulin, and the same formula applies, you just don't have the extra carbs from
the sugar itself. But, I and many other people believe that diet drinks actually make you hungrier. If you are having trouble with that diet, lay off the pop.

But soft drinks are a drop in the bucket compared to prepared foods. Three reduced fat Oreos have 14g of sugar - that's 3.5 teaspoons of refined sugar. A 20 oz. Orange Julius has about the
same as a 12 oz/ Coke - 38 g. That Starbucks Mocha frappuccino has 47 g. A 28 oz, Slurpee has 63. A Cinnabon has 55. Eggo waffles with no syrup are OK. Here's a handy reference, but
you can get these numbers from the packages of everything you buy -
http://www.sugarstacks.com/

Here's another list of things that are surprisingly high in sugar - http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/sugar-shockers-foods-surprisingly-high-in-sugar?page=4

As the documentary explains, we are hooked on sugar from infancy - our baby formula is loaded with it. Politics, not science, has created the impression that sugar is good for you, when it's actually very toxic.

We can't just eliminate all sugars, many are naturally occurring. My wife and I are bummed because watermelon is not allowed due to it's high sugar content. But giving up sweet stuff is a quick way to lose weight. And so is reading labels and understanding what a gram of sugar means.

It's all much, much, much simpler than all of that:

Calories in > Calories Out = Fat production to store excess energy
Calories in = Calories Out = Maintaining weight
Calories in < Calories Out = Weight loss

Fed Up! is loaded with a bunch of malarkey (https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/does-the-movie-fed-up-make-sense/), that attempts to convince people there's magic diet cures. Medifast works because it puts you on a calorie restricted diet, with controlled macronutrients.

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled what you're doing is working for you. However, it may not be sustainable, as you'll really need to learn how to budget caloric intake with caloric burn. I would start transitioning from the Medifast plan into calorie counting programs, like Weight Watchers (Which works if you understand it's pitfalls), or MyFitnessPal :)

[W5BRM]

Im using MyFitnessPal. Pretty good program.

I'm trying a LCHF diet for a few months to get my blood sugar down and lose weight. Been on it for almost a month. So far my average BS has dropped from 300 to 120 according to my meter. I've lost 17lbs. Gonna see how my cholesterol labs look in October to see if i can/should stick to the way of eating.

Also joined a FB group promoting it so i can compare whats going on vs what should be happening with my diet. Nice group of people. Well controlled and no bullshit from anyone. Not the usual scum of humanity like the rest of the internet...lol

[WØTKX]

As I get older (yech) I have to fight my weight a little more. Always get a little tubby in the summer, 'cause I'm not skiing twice a week or more. I'm at about 215 now, muy "happy weight" is about 185-195. I hit just under 200 this spring, and my doctor(s) were not too alarmed as I have been slowly going up after fighting cancer for over four years.

It's really hard to avoid the processed foods working long and sometimes weird hours. But I know I feel a hell of a lot better when I eat my own food from a lunch cooler. Given the choice I LIKE chicken, seafood, veggies and fruits just fine. Get hungry, just want to eat!

I've been after my probiotics for a while, this does help. But it's goofy with the probiotic products out there. I'm gonna try switching to kimchee and/or fresh kraut soon.

[K0RGR]

It's all much, much, much simpler than all of that:

Calories in > Calories Out = Fat production to store excess energy
Calories in = Calories Out = Maintaining weight
Calories in < Calories Out = Weight loss

Fed Up! is loaded with a bunch of malarkey (https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/does-the-movie-fed-up-make-sense/), that attempts to convince people there's magic diet cures. Medifast works because it puts you on a calorie restricted diet, with controlled macronutrients.

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled what you're doing is working for you. However, it may not be sustainable, as you'll really need to learn how to budget caloric intake with caloric burn. I would start transitioning from the Medifast plan into calorie counting programs, like Weight Watchers (Which works if you understand it's pitfalls), or MyFitnessPal :)

I've been there and done that, and Medifast has a lot in common with Weight Watchers. They are both low calorie, low carb approaches, but Medifast is harder on the carbs and sugars and pushes more proteins. About the only sugars we get are the fructose in the limited amount of fruit we can eat. We can't have high carb vegetables, either. But I find that Medifast's meals make me happy about about 1500 calories a day, which is a lot less than I got on Weight Watchers. Eventually, we will reintroduce some of the higher carb items. If there is a miracle of any kind, it's that their approach doesn't
leave me hungry, in spite of the very limited calories.

I've battled the bulge most of my life. I was a fat kid, and at age 20 I decided I'd had enough, so I started doing the Atkins diet, and lost over 100 lbs.. I kept it off until I was in my early 30's and got a desk job, and soon ballooned up again. So I made up my own diet which was actually fairly close to what I'm doing now, and lost 100 lbs.. again. I kept that off until I developed an auto-immune problem in my early 40's and had take large doses of oral steroids to control it for over a year. That resulted in diabetes and huge weight gain. That weight has been with me ever since. Along the way, I've
tried every 'scientific' diet there is, including the Mayo Clinic Diet - which also advocates low carb, green vegetables, and lots of protein. I'm actually a patient of the guy who wrote that book!

Weight Watchers worked for a while, and stalled. So far, I have not hit any roadblocks with this Medifast program. It is highly endorsed by all of my doctors, too. It's the first diet that has worked
well with my diabetes and insulin use - I've had lots of help managing it when needed. I believe that insulin does, in fact, make it harder to lose weight, if not actually add to the problem. On this
diet, when my blood sugars drop too low, I just eat a small protein snack.

As for Fed Up!, they make many valid points, and they are not advocating any kind of diet. They just want to make people aware of the amount of sugar they are consuming, and where it comes from. The source of the calories does matter. 100 calories of protein is much different from 100 calories of sugar. They do not have the same effect on the body.

I disagree with just about everything in the article you cited. Rather than countering the video's arguments with real scientific investigation, they respond with questions about the use of the scientific method by the authors of the video. That's the same tactic used by the tobacco companies and global warming deniers. I wonder if RJ Reynolds pays for 'research' done by that organization. Until they
can show some Real Science to refute the claims in the video, I don't give them much credence. Instead, they cite a lot of anecdotal crap.

[K0RGR]

Im using MyFitnessPal. Pretty good program.

I'm trying a LCHF diet for a few months to get my blood sugar down and lose weight. Been on it for almost a month. So far my average BS has dropped from 300 to 120 according to my meter. I've lost 17lbs. Gonna see how my cholesterol labs look in October to see if i can/should stick to the way of eating.

Also joined a FB group promoting it so i can compare whats going on vs what should be happening with my diet. Nice group of people. Well controlled and no bullshit from anyone. Not the usual scum of humanity like the rest of the internet...lol

Amazing how a low carb diet can reduce blood sugars isn't it? Mayo charges me a $30 copay for a bottle of insulin, and I was shelling out over $400 every three months for it. Now, I'm down under $100, and aiming for zero or as close as I can someday.

I tried being a vegetarian for a year, and it had much the same effect, but I didn't lose any weight that way. You need to eat protein to keep your metabolism from shutting down.

[W5BRM]

Yup i agree. My A1C was 9.6 in June.

I'm still having a bit of a problem fluctuating my sugar as I'm still learning what i can/can't eat. I've learned Splenda is a no go! Tried making bullet proof coffee with it and it spiked the hell out of me this morning lol.

I'm trying like hell to keep off insulin cuz my job goes byby if i get the needle. Ive always been lax in controlling my diabetes and let the meds do the work but now im flipping that all around. Just hope it isn't too late for my pancreas

[X-Rated]

I'd just dump the alcohol altogether.

I can't begin to explain how much better I feel since I quit imbibing. I went from crazy high blood pressure down to normal and more importantly with no meds.

Saves money too.

Congrats Janet. I wish I could quit alcohol. I still break out a beer once every few months.

[XE1/N5AL]

I still break out a beer once every few months.

I'm trying to cut back to just one can of beer per day!

14200

Actually, I rarely drink. I have probably consumed 4 (or fewer) bottles of Pacifico beer so far this year. I like beer, but I just don't get around to drinking it very often.

Matt.

[KC2UGV]

I've been there and done that, and Medifast has a lot in common with Weight Watchers. They are both low calorie, low carb approaches, but Medifast is harder on the carbs and sugars and pushes more proteins. About the only sugars we get are the fructose in the limited amount of fruit we can eat. We can't have high carb vegetables, either. But I find that Medifast's meals make me happy about about 1500 calories a day, which is a lot less than I got on Weight Watchers. Eventually, we will reintroduce some of the higher carb items. If there is a miracle of any kind, it's that their approach doesn't
leave me hungry, in spite of the very limited calories.

I've battled the bulge most of my life. I was a fat kid, and at age 20 I decided I'd had enough, so I started doing the Atkins diet, and lost over 100 lbs.. I kept it off until I was in my early 30's and got a desk job, and soon ballooned up again. So I made up my own diet which was actually fairly close to what I'm doing now, and lost 100 lbs.. again. I kept that off until I developed an auto-immune problem in my early 40's and had take large doses of oral steroids to control it for over a year. That resulted in diabetes and huge weight gain. That weight has been with me ever since. Along the way, I've
tried every 'scientific' diet there is, including the Mayo Clinic Diet - which also advocates low carb, green vegetables, and lots of protein. I'm actually a patient of the guy who wrote that book!

Weight Watchers worked for a while, and stalled. So far, I have not hit any roadblocks with this Medifast program. It is highly endorsed by all of my doctors, too. It's the first diet that has worked
well with my diabetes and insulin use - I've had lots of help managing it when needed. I believe that insulin does, in fact, make it harder to lose weight, if not actually add to the problem. On this
diet, when my blood sugars drop too low, I just eat a small protein snack.


Maybe WebMD can sum up the points I'm trying to make a bit better: http://www.webmd.com/diet/medifast-diet

Again, don't get me wrong: Thrilled you are doing what's working for you. Eventually, you'll need to transition to real food, however, and it really helps to have an understanding with real food's caloric values compared to your daily needs.

I'm doing the same as you, just slowed, and just by counting calories. ~1 lb/wk loss, on average.



As for Fed Up!, they make many valid points, and they are not advocating any kind of diet. They just want to make people aware of the amount of sugar they are consuming, and where it comes from. The source of the calories does matter. 100 calories of protein is much different from 100 calories of sugar. They do not have the same effect on the body.



The only difference is nutrient density and satiety. But 100 calories is 100 calories is 100 calories.



I disagree with just about everything in the article you cited. Rather than countering the video's arguments with real scientific investigation, they respond with questions about the use of the scientific method by the authors of the video. That's the same tactic used by the tobacco companies and global warming deniers. I wonder if RJ Reynolds pays for 'research' done by that organization. Until they
can show some Real Science to refute the claims in the video, I don't give them much credence. Instead, they cite a lot of anecdotal crap.

There's lots of science basically refuting "Fed Up!":
http://nutritionstudies.org/fed-up-with-fed-up/

Here's a whole lot of people very experienced in weight management weighing in:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10027376/fed-up-documentary/p1

Basically, "Fed Up!" is laying out (yet another) case for blaming something other than ourselves for obesity. Obesity boils down to personal choices, nothing more, nothing less.

[KG4NEL]

IIFYM.

[NY4Q]

Damn it! I am only 41!!!

Get you some sort of a bike and get into cycling. It's easy on your body (unless you don't keep the rubber side down), and in time, will get you back in control.


EDIT: I meant to add that all my numbers are good... Triglycerides, Cholesterol, and glucose levels... so that is going for me!

Excellent!

[KC2UGV]

IIFYM.

Exactly :)

[N8XE]

Get you some sort of a bike and get into cycling. It's easy on your body (unless you don't keep the rubber side down), and in time, will get you back in control.

Yes, I love my Trek Hybrid. Essentially a road bike with straight handle bars. It is light which is nice. I try to ride at least once a week which is not adequate. Lately I have been working on home improvement stuff so I am pretty active lately (yesterday I was moving furniture into storage).

I am down some weight since cutting back.

Jason N8XE

[KG4CGC]

Eat lots of seaweed. Raw kelp among others.

[NY4Q]

Yes, I love my Trek Hybrid. Essentially a road bike with straight handle bars. It is light which is nice. I try to ride at least once a week which is not adequate.

I started riding on a Specialized Hybrid and was doing random rides. Now I get in an average of 100 miles a week. If you have a Garmin or Smartphone, check out Strava. You can create segments (challenges) and you can track your progress as you get stronger and more fit. It's pretty cool. Its a great motivation tool.

[KC2UGV]

Yes, I love my Trek Hybrid. Essentially a road bike with straight handle bars. It is light which is nice. I try to ride at least once a week which is not adequate. Lately I have been working on home improvement stuff so I am pretty active lately (yesterday I was moving furniture into storage).

I am down some weight since cutting back.

Jason N8XE

Hybrids are where it's at for me too. Drop bars are too narrow for my tastes, and don't give me the control that feels right. Riding a hybrid Schwinn right now.

[KG4NEL]

I started riding on a Specialized Hybrid and was doing random rides. Now I get in an average of 100 miles a week. If you have a Garmin or Smartphone, check out Strava. You can create segments (challenges) and you can track your progress as you get stronger and more fit. It's pretty cool. Its a great motivation tool.

I do the same with Endomondo, I bought in before Under Armour bought them out. It's like running against yourself in a video game.