Lose Weight or Die Soon

I'm way too ADD for meditation... I don't get it -but one of the better meditation cd's i've listened to - and doesnt take itself too seriously...
 
Slow day at work, the first day of our new Fiscal Year. Happy New Year!

I figured I would write out a bit of my "plan" so that I would concretize it. I started this odyssey after my Dr.s Appointment on the 10th of July. That's when I begged for 90 days to fix my obvious problems contributing to my Hypertension. I wallowed in self pity for a few days and managed to get all of my shit in one sock by the 15th. So I am calling that the offical start date.

My "plan" was and still is to work on my food (diet) and start walking in the mornings again from mid-July until the beginning of August. Then in August start doing some light weight training and some more vigorous cardio on alternating days.

So today it starts. I have been kicking around the idea of joining a gym or hiring a personal trainer or some other thing (a class or something). Since I have some health issues I am just going to start doing some real light weight training mostly to get in the habit of doing it and to get my body used to doing the different moves, while I decide on the best move forward.

Ultimately I'd like to get to the point where I was weight training 3 - 4 times a week and running as my main form of Cardio. But I bet that will be awhile.

My hope is to be in much better health when I see the Doctor for my follow-up visit around October 15.

So I move forward!
 
Hey, where else is there to go but forward? ;) Glad to hear your game plan, and a word on meditation and blood pressure and all that: all these books I read on sports say to visualize your goals. Visualize this, visualize that, yada yada, when you're performing black magic, visualize your enemy, deety dah (J/K). But no, they all have a point. It sounds way lame but when I do it, it DOES cause the brain to influence the body and yeah, it works. Amazingly well. Astounding!
 
We have a lot of the same goals. I've been working on increasing my cardiovascular stamina for a while now. I'm going to start running on sunday, using the couch to 5K plan that a few others around here are doing. You should check it out when you get to a place where you feel comfortable with running.
 
Iwan,

I was recently on the 5K to couch plan, which is why I am here again. I did check into the C25K plan and immediately got swept into the gadgetry (ipod and downloading music and stuff) but didn't go far with it.

Oddly enough, I'm sorta doing it on my own. My daily walk is about 3-1/2 miles. Starting last Monday I walked the entire walk but ran from the closest telephone pole to my house. Each day I run from the next pole. By Monday I'll be running the length of my street. On average there are 30 utility poles per mile (this varies by terrain) so in roughly 90 days I'll be running the whole thing. Sort of a Milo of Crotona thing...

Anyway I did 24 minutes on the lifecycle at level 5, and lived.

Moderation is for people who can't take late onset muscle soreness...
 
I've lost another pound making the total 12.8 gone. So YAY!

I'm glad to see even a small loss. Seems like last week I didn't lose anything (well, nearly patience). I hoped in this first 12 week phase to lose at least 30 lbs. Me being the analytical type neatly divided the desired loss by the numer of weeks and arrived at a target loss of 2.5lbs per week. Or roughly 1% of my body weight. Very tidy.

So when I lost nothing last week (well okay, 0.2 lbs) I got concerned. To get back on track I'd have to lose 4.8 lb (for those of you following along with the math) to remain on target.

Then I realised I was becoming obsessive. Not good. So as long as I am losing and getting healthier I don't really need to stress over the numbers. The trouble with goals is to know the difference between challenging and unrealistic. My goal shouldn't be to lose X pounds by some arbitrary date. It should be to learn how to live a satisfying, active life that will support a healthy weight. I (still) trust that my body will shed that which is unnecessary and will grow strong and healthy. It will take as long as it takes.

David

That I can do
 
David I think you are doing awesome 12+ pounds in 15 days is terrific! I'd like to be able to manage that trick.

The interesting thing, is if you do the math on how many calories you need to maintain your current weight vs. the number you need to maintain your goal, you'll find that number to be very small.

I know for me, at my weight and what I hope to be, it's like 100 cals a day. So, what I decided is that if I can consistently eat 100 fewer cals a day, eventually my body should take me to my desired weight. It will take a long time, but it should be painless.

Maybe take the time to figure out those two numbers for yourself. That might help to give you a boost, when you feel like you are stagnating.

Keep up the awesome work. I know when you get back to the Dr, they will be shocked with the improvement. And you'll be running by then too!

You're doing great!
 
Thanks Bigdogmom,

Last year when I first came to this forum, I did do all the calculus. My plan then was to figure out the calorie requirements for a man the size I wanted to be, and then eat that many while ramping up my exercise. Eventually I must lose weight, I figured. I did lose weight until I stopped exercising and allowed my calorie intake to creep upward.

My thinking was sound, but the execution was poor. This time round I am sort of doing the same thing, without the strick adherence to the numbers, but more attention to healthy eating. It is a more relaxed approach, for instance, I only log calories into FitDay if I think I might've eaten too much (or too little).

The big difference is in my motivation. I've been fat for 40 years but it hadn't endangered my health in an obvious (to me) way. Now it has and I must change. So I will. I have no doubt that I will be successful.

Anyway, nice walk this AM, I ran the length of my street. Weight and BP are both steady.

Happy Monday!

David
 
Glad to hear you identified the problem of being to obsessed with the numbers. That wreaks havoc on a lot of people.

As a side note, something I've seen 'help' a lot of people is the conscious act of changing their identity. If they've been overweight for a majority of their life, they most likely see themselves as "that fat guy." When they start dieting, they simply become "that fat guy who is dieting." The fat guy identity never leaves.

When this is the case, reverting back to old habits is almost inevitable. Our minds like consistency. Just as we physiologically strive to maintain homeostasis, our minds like repetition. Ditching the fat man mentality without replacing the identity pretty much sets yourself up for failure since your mind wants that consistency.

Easier said than done but definitely something to think about and work towards.
 
Hi Steve,

It's easy for me to get obsessive about a great many things. When I get that way about weight loss I lose lots of weight, but then, thinking it's under control, my attention shifts to other things and I slide back.

I am trying to remain focused on the weight loss, without obsessing too much about any particular aspect (like calorie totals or scale numbers).

I actually don't want to sound like I am coming down hard on Bigdogmom's suggestion about checking the calorie totals. Her point was well taken- the difference between the number of calories needed to lose weight and needed to maintain or gain are not so many. It's true, a couple hundred extra a day is all it takes me to balloon up over the course of a year or a decade. Especially when I become sedentary.

But what you said about changing the "Fat Guy" mentality is spot on. Since I have been obese since long before puberty, being the "Fat Guy" is programmed into the firmware.

It's not easy to change that (I expect) and recalling my brief experiences with living at a healthy weight, I got little help from my friends and family, who thought I lost weight too fast or lost too much or had changed too radically.

It will definitely be something I'll be thinking a lot about as I get smaller.

Thanks for stopping by!

David
 
David - I didn't think you were coming down. I can obsess about numbers as well and I too try a relaxed approach, but right now it's been a bit too relaxed. LOL Just wasn't sure if you knew the difference was so minimal.

I too like Steve suggestion and have tried something similar, but never quite crossed the bridge all the way. As Steve says it's easier said than done.

Hopefully this time your family will realize that, in your case it is a life or death necessity. If they can't grasp that, then something is very wrong. GL with them as you progress.
 
Well today is my official weigh-in and I'm 266.7! So I lost a bit more weight. The evening cardio has helped a lot. I am putting off the weightlifting until I've had a chance to talk to the Doc about my shoulder. It hurts too much.

It is a bit better since we got our million dollar temperpedic bed (the most expensive thing I ever bought that I didn't drive home). But heavy lifting hurts the bad way.

I'm looking for stretches that target the shoulders and arms if anybody has any resources!

David
 
How do you like that bed? especially in the summer?

I bought one a few years ago that I returned after about 2 weeks - it was unbearably hot to sleep in...

I've had a bad shoulder due to carrying too much weight in the form of laptops and suitcases and such over said shoulder... And up til recently - couldn't move my shoulder over my head...

What has worked for me to get some mobililty back in it - was lateral raises with weight ( I think that's what they are anyhow - I have the weights in my hands and raise my arms in front to shoulder height then back down - then do it from the sides and back down)(though I started at a very very low weight) and arm circles with weight... but do get clearance from your doctor first..
 
The bed itself is fine, we bought the magic mattress cover that is supposed to breathe and it does make a difference. The store threw in 2 temperpedic foam pillows also and they are too hot. In the summer I sleep with only a top sheet and we keep the AC set on "meat locker" so I'm okay.

I was dragged to the bedding store, whining and fussing to try out mattresses. SWMBO had gone there previously to scope things out and had narrowed the choices to three. The first two were very comfortable then I lay down on the temperpedic bed and I heard a chorus of angels and I went Ohhhhhhahhhhhh... This is the one.

The price was sobering but my back pain which I've suffered with forever is gone. The shoulder is still an issue though.

Here is where I am a stupid, pigheaded male. I don't really want to go back to the Doctor until I've lost at least 20 lbs and the BP is low enough baseline so that when it spikes up high just because I am in the office it is still low enough that he doesn't instinctively reach for his prescription pad after taking the reading.

So I am inclined to wait until my October 15 appointment to discuss the shoulder issue. Dumb, I know. But right now the pain is not so much. I did mention it at my last appointment, but considering the BP issue he didn't really pay attention, sort of like a man who is bleeding to death complaining about a pimple.

David
 
is your bad shoulder the same shoulder you might lug stuff with - either in your hand or slung over your shoulder? It took me a couple of years to get an almost legitimate diagnosis on mine...
 
David - I agree with Mal. I had to quit carrying purses that go over the shoulder. Major issue with the shoulder neck area, so that could affect you as well with a brief case, etc.

I also understand why you'd want to wait to see the Dr.

One other thought that works for me. I'm a side sleeper and a shaped pillow has done wonders. It supports the neck and lets that entire area relax.
 
At first I thought I was just sleeping on it wrong. I sort of throw it up toward my head and rest my head in the crook of my elbow (if that makes any sense). I thought this because it is often sore when I wake up.

But recently that is a little better. But I get sharp pains. I have a sneaking suspicion I know what the problem is (aside from a recent fall).

One of my quirky hobbies is woodworking using 18th and 19th century handtools (or reproduction handtools). The other day I was planing some wood for a project and it was stressing exactly the muscle group that hurts. Back in January I renovated an apartment that we rent out and had to prepare a lot of stock. I may have overdone it. It is very vigorous work.

So at least this gives me some clues as to what needs to be stretched and worked.

David
 
Thanks Steve!

I read through the articles briefly and will need to re-read them when I have time to focus more. Then I will likely have some questions. Thanks again!

David
 
Last night I slept on the floor with a cute boy and now my neck isn't so hot ;) Hope yours starts to feel real good, real soon! Have a great day :D
 
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