grdell's Weight Loss Blog - Week 11

[Captain Maltese]

Well, I don't say the BMI is a perfect tool. It tends to give an indication but as you say, any less than standard bodyframe is going to fit less than perfectly to the tables. Anyone with more than the average amount of muscle mass can throw that table in the bin. For the record: My own BMI, at the worst, was 38. Today it is 28.

[Autumn52]

I just wanted to say that I have a lot of respect for what you are doing grdell. Not only are you helping yourself with this thread but you are helping a lot of other people who deal with the same issues. I want to wish you good luck not that I think you need it. Your determination is a real inspiration. *Hugs*

I agree with what you said about BMI as well. There are to many body shapes and gentics that play into our body mass. I think each person has a body weight and size that they feel comfortable with, they feel good/healthy. I have a friend who according to these professionals/doctors is overweight but she is the healthiest person I have ever seen. She enjoys life, she is beautiful outside and inside and she is the most energetic happy person I know. She is comfortable with her weight and when the doctor told her she needed to lose 20 pounds she told him no way. He ask her why and she said that she was happy, comfortable and healthy and she did not see any need to conform to what society or doctors said was better when her body told her what made her happy. I was so proud of her. I am happy that you told that stupid doctor what you thought about the BMI shit. If more people would stand up like that maybe the health industry would take it more seriously.

Thanks again for sharing your journey with us.

*Huge Giant Hugs*

[grdell]

Sorry again for going off like that, I know you didn't mean anything by it. It's just a really sore point for me. 150 pounds is totally unrealistic.

[Captain Maltese]

Sorry again for going off like that, I know you didn't mean anything by it. It's just a really sore point for me. 150 pounds is totally unrealistic.

*hugs* It is okay. Also, don't bother about setting a lower end goal. Consider every ounce lost that stays lost, a victory.

[Izu]

The BMI is totally overrated. You should find yourself a specialist who have one of those special measuring equipments - you step on it, hold onto some handless and in a minute it gives you your weight, the % of fat in your body, % of muscles, water, pulse, etc. This way you can just go for fixing the %of muscles - the higher the better, and the % of fat - the less the better. I know a guy who looks like ten times thinner than me, but he is all muscles and actually weighs tons a lot more, so his BMI is into the overweight-almost obese region. *rolls eyes* And mine? My BMI is in the perfect golden middle for my height, but I still look fluffy and somewhat fattish - last summer I went to a resort for healthy life - climbing mountains, working out, eating good food, and they had that machine there and our fitness instructor/mountain leader showed me that my muscles were much less than they should be and I still have fat I need to burn in order to get a nicely toned body instead of the fluffness I have now.

[Tschel23]

Here's a little bit of fun, though. Although the weightloss isn't steady, you will find that your width will diminish steadily. Put aside one of your biggest pants and put it on once in a while. Having to hold up with both hands something that once was tight as a second skin, is very encouraging. Good luck grdell.

I agree, this is a great way to check your progress. Because you see yourself daily you don't necessarily see the ways your body has changed. This is a great way to see firsthand how well you are doing.

[Tschel23]

I happen to know grdell personally and live nearby. He's my bff, I love him dearly. I can't even picture him at 150 lbs. He would truly look emaciated. he is broad of shoulder and has that naturally stocky, dense muscle. I am a massage therapist, I see all sorts of body types. I know a few people with his body type and even with a healthy lifestyle they have a stocky appearance. This is perfectly natural.

Xandi, your friend did the right thing. Doctors don't always know what is best for us. They see us once, maybe twice a year or so. They don't get the opportunity to get to know us personally. We each need to find what works for us. The BMI is bogus, it fits a very small spectrum of "standard". Human beings vary so significantly by individual there is no way this would work for every one.

You go, grdell, and I'll be with you every step of the way to root you on!

[grdell]

Burned 280 calories at the gym today. I'll only post these numbers when I reliably know them, which means only on cardio days, where the machine tells me how much I did. On resistance days, I have no idea.

Yesterday, again, the diet went off without a hitch, although I do admit that it's starting to get harder. But my resolve is unshaken. For lunch I had a light salad and a boneless, skinless chicken breast braised with onion, garlic and pepper. Tasty and satisfying! And in spite of that, I still had room enough in the diet to have cheese on my pasta again.

I know I'm only on day four at this point, so it's very, VERY early on, but so far things are going well and I remain optimistic. You have no idea how much this blog is helping me stay on track! Knowing that I have to post my progress daily keeps me on the right track.

I just wanted to say that I have a lot of respect for what you are doing grdell. Not only are you helping yourself with this thread but you are helping a lot of other people who deal with the same issues. I want to wish you good luck not that I think you need it. Your determination is a real inspiration. *Hugs*

Thank you. Everybody's support means so much to me. I just know that this is what's going to make the difference this time.

By "this time" I mean that I've been trying to take weight off and keep it off pretty much my whole life. It's occasionally been mildly successful but never long-term. A constant uphill battle. But now I need to for health reasons, and that's just one more reason to make sure that this time is the time that it really happens for good.

And hearing things like this just makes me so excited and proud. Thank you. All of you. Really.

I happen to know grdell personally and live nearby. He's my bff, I love him dearly.

I love you too!    And I know you'll be there to kick my butt when I need it, and that means so much to me. I can never thank you enough.

[Captain Maltese]

I went on the weight every morning for a year and a half. Every Monday morning I wrote it up in an excel sheet that gave me a nice graph to look at. It is motivating to see the progress even if it is slow and sometimes climbs a little back up.

Don't forget to start those meals with at least one big glass of water. It fills the stomach and makes you feel full quicker, so the hunger goes away faster.

Chicken isn't the only lean meat out there. Pork, minus the fat rinds, is also an alternative. Proteine is generally important because your excercising makes the muscles grow, and the body needs proteine for that. So don't go all green.

[grdell]

Chicken isn't the only lean meat out there. Pork, minus the fat rinds, is also an alternative. Proteine is generally important because your excercising makes the muscles grow, and the body needs proteine for that. So don't go all green.

Oh, I know. I'm getting protein from various sources. I could never go full vegetarian anyway - I like meat too much. But protein is one of the things that I'm keeping a scrupulous eye on.

[Captain Maltese]

There's a lot of good food out there with a low glucemic index, too. Like beans and peas. Makes the salad that much chewier for one thing, and can be eaten in place of the starch-rich food. A plate of pork, carrots and beans with tomato sauce is pretty yummy and keeps your stomach busy all day.

[Ryven]

Only reason I mentioned the blender is because jams etc. have added sugar, and with summer here, the fresh stuff that's better diet-wise is going to be in season.

Not all jams have added sugar nowadays.  If you look for the jams that are catered toward diabetic populations, they usually have lower sugar or no added suger somewhere on the label.  I just thought jam would be easier since using a blender adds an extra step, dirties an extra piece of equipment, and you end up with seeds if you're using raspberries.

[crystaltears]

I'm in a similar boat, grdell, so far as trying to lose weight for a long time... What's come down to finally making me put forth a concentrated effort is actually just the fact that I miss all the activities I did when I was younger. Grew up as quite a tomboy, you see, and now most of the things I once did for fun would leave me winded.

My BMI is somewhere between 38.0 and 40.7 (I don't actually own a scale so I can't really know for sure).

Something I find helpful this time around is the reasoning being simply that I miss what I had and the fact that I'm looking forward to doing so many fun things. I figure.. I can't go on a serious diet unless I plan to eat that way the rest of my life. I can't go on an extreme exercise routine unless I plan to maintain it the rest of my life... Because just dipping into either will mean losing weight until I stop, and then it will start coming back.. So this time around I'm working up endurance and aiming to do things I like to do.

I also think this blog is awesome, because I can read along with your efforts and successes and empathize with the steps you're taking to lead a healthier life.

I wish you all the success in the world, and will be following your efforts.

[grdell]

Had my full-on demo of the Gravity machine today. Holy cow, what a workout! The trainer really pushed me to my limits and beyond, and I am seriously looking forward to doing this workout regularly starting next week. Two days a week, with two days in between. I'm thinking I'd prefer Tuesday/Friday, and I'll just do cardio Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. I have always taken Sundays off - that's my absolute rest day. But this way, my muscles will have time to recover between workouts. He even showed me the stretches they do at the end - right there on the machine. Awesome.

Yesterday I made a big batch of sauce with ground turkey, crushed tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, olive oil and Italian seasonings. Very low sodium and a decent amount of protein per serving (200 calories, 62 sodium, 13 protein). I had some over 3 ounces of whole grain macaroni and it was a very fulfilling and flavorful meal. I froze half the sauce - after portioning it out into containers - because I won't be able to eat it all while it's still good.

Not everything was perfect yesterday, though, since Thursday is my day when I do tutoring and attend knitting circle. So I was out of the house for most of the afternoon and evening, which meant eating out. But I did okay in having only one slice of cheese pizza at a restaurant that I know makes everything from scratch with quality ingredients. I don't know the nutrition facts, obviously, but I don't think it was any kind of deal-breaker, so I'm not worrying about it at all.

So here I am in day 5 and everything is so far, so good!

[Tschel23]

I don't imagine that one slice of pizza put you too far off track. besides, if it is from where I think it is from kudos to you for being able to restrain yourself to just one slice!

[grdell]

Good news and bad news.

First, the good news. I was good with my diet yesterday. Better, in fact, than I would have thought possible. You see, I was to attend a party where I had promised I would make and bring my cheesecake. I did make the cheesecake and I did bring it, and - here's the important part - I DIDN'T HAVE ANY. It worked out well because everyone else ate it all up and left none for me, but I could have taken a slice - and a big one! - for myself and no one would have objected. So it seems my self control is doing just fine.

Or so I thought.

On to the bad news. Well, I usually go to bed between 10:00 and 11:00. I didn't even get home from the party until 12:15. So I went to bed late and still wired which meant I didn't actually get to sleep until much later. When the alarm clock went off this morning, I just couldn't drag myself out of bed, so I didn't go to the gym today. But I still think overall that things are okay. One of the things that I was told many times last time I was losing weight was that I have to be able to forgive myself for being human. I can't stick to an absolute schedule and do everything perfectly correctly ALL the time. So, I'm going to slip every so once in a while - AND THAT'S ALL RIGHT. It's not a derailment, it's just a hiccup, and things can go on as normal afterward. I can't beat myself up over these things. All I can do is minimize them.

It's all about mindset. And I am determined that I am not going to count this as a failure. Not even a temporary setback. Just a tiny stumble that I can continue on from and not think about again.

And I will.

[Sylk]

I went on a 4 week hiatus due to the fact that I couldn't cram cooking for 180 people on two different back to back weekends, working out, school, work and 3 kids all into a day.  Now that I am back on track, it's like starting over. But this too shall pass. I love to exercise. My trainer said to go 3-5 times a week and I was going 5-6.  I hope to get back to that soon.  With my work schedule, it's sometimes difficult.  With the summer months and everyone scrambling to take shifts for people so they can go on vacation, it's even worse. however, I will prevail.

Last week I noticed that my scrub pants of a certain style were sliding down a lot.  Today I have noticed that I'm going to have to buy new underwear.... those are slipping too.  While my scale doesn't reflect any weight loss, my clothing reflects several inches missing.  I'll take that.

My reward after it's all said and done?  A Hot Motorcycle and some leathers to ride it with!

Sylk

[Oniya]

Have I linked you to the 15-minute office workout yet?  It's designed as a light workout for people who 'don't have time' or 'don't want to get sweaty' and might be good for days when you can't make it to the gym but still want to get a little exercise in.

[Izu]

Oni gave it to me back when I was first starting here on E. It's quite good, easy and it actually works. People can't even imagine how little things help a lot too.

[grdell]

You may have noticed there was no "Day 7" post. That's because Sundays don't count. I still maintain my diet (I actually wasn't all that hungry yesterday), but I don't go to the gym, I don't worry about anything, I just chill and relax.

So, on to week 2. First, the stats:

Current weight: 224 pounds (6 pounds lost)
Current stomach measurement: 47 inches (1 inch lost around my midsection)

Calories burned at the gym today: 370. I'm back up to thirty minutes on the elliptical machine. Now I just have to slowly increase the intensity.

I officially signed up for the Gravity machine training today - it's expensive, but I'm paying for five weeks. If it's as good as the trainer says it is (and I believe it is - it kicked my ass when I tried it Friday), I should know by then. If it works I'll pay for five more weeks, and if not, I'll stop and do something else.

A word about my pace:
I know some of you are going to say "Six pounds in one week?! That's not healthy! You can't keep that up! You'll gain it all back!" I know some of you are going to point out that the last time I lost a lot of weight, it was just as quickly as this and that it all came back. I would like to point out that I blame my doctor for that. If I can avoid any more interference from him, I'll be fine. And I intend to. Jerk. That's my doctor I'm calling a jerk, not you. 

As for the naysayers that say that once you "go off the diet" you gain it all back when you lose it too fast... Well, that's just it. I don't consider this a diet. I don't think of this as something I've only got to do for six months and then I return to doing what the hell ever I want. I consider this a lifestyle change. This diet isn't temporary. It isn't something that I'm ever going to come off of. It's a shift in the fundamental way I think about eating. Right now I am in a loss phase, so I am restricting my calorie intake more than normal. But the high blood pressure thing isn't going to clear up and blow away. I have to be vigilant about my sodium intake for the rest of my life and I know that. It's no different from a diabetic having to monitor their sugar for the rest of their life. Once I attain my goal, will I start eating more again? Of course. I'll have to. If I don't, I'll keep losing and get underweight, and I don't want that any more than I want to remain overweight. But I'm never going to return to my old habits. I have to remain forever vigilant, and I know that. What makes me think I have the self-control to do that? Because I know that all of the strictest restrictions I'm under RIGHT NOW are only temporary. I'll be able to have occasional treats and nights out and so forth later. That keeps me going NOW. What will keep me going later is the knowledge of what I had to go through to get there. I'll not let all my hard work be undone by carelessness.

I believe I can do this. I hope you do, too. Because in all honesty, you - all of you here on E - are helping me along more than you can realize. I hold myself accountable to all of you and that gives me the control I need. I thank you all.

[crystaltears]

I believe I can do this. I hope you do, too. Because in all honesty, you - all of you here on E - are helping me along more than you can realize. I hold myself accountable to all of you and that gives me the control I need. I thank you all.

I believe you can do it, grdell. I'm with you all the way.

[Izu]

Muahaha. I beat you. I burnt 470 calories on cardio and god knows how many on weights. :3

But congrats for the loss! And I won't tell you how bad it is, because... BS. *rolls eyes* The more weight you have to get rid of the faster it will come off. Been there done that. I need to lose like 15ish more pounds to be perfectly happy with my weight, but they come off ten times slower than the first 50+ pounds I lost.

And I'm sure you know it, but I want to remind you - don't be surprised if at some point at time you just freeze and stop losing weight. Your body needs to get used to the new weight, so plateaus are to be expected. Some last for a week, some for a month, but don't give up. No retreat, no surrender!

And btw - this blog totally keeps me motivated to keep on going with my diet and fitness. *hugs* 

[grdell]

Muahaha. I beat you. I burnt 470 calories on cardio and god knows how many on weights. :3

Yes, but I haven't been to the gym in a while. I don't want to kill myself. Cardio strength is a gradual process, too. Don't you worry, though, I'll get myself up to that eventually, too!

[Captain Maltese]

I agree with Izu. Your blog is an inspiration. Hmmm, perhaps I should consider those weights of mine again... and all the rest of the training gear I have at home but never touch.

[Izu]

I haven't gone to the gym in a month and before that I went only three times after a 9month break >.> Though I did ride bike 10ish times since the weather got better in April.

Though if I have to be honest I have no idea what I'm doing at the gym x'D It's a small one and the 'fitness instructor' is no fitness instructor, just the owner who makes sure you've paid. -sighs-  If I had a car I could go to the capital for real classes like that gravity machine thing you mentioned, but I'm in our other apartment while studying for the state exam, so no time... and I can't go to our apartment in the capital because I can't study there - mother and brother are there >.>

-sighs- but some workout is still a workout, right? x'D

*pokes Cap*