Lots of weight to lose...help.

I'm a lot older, 61, but have been on over 26 diets in my lifetime so far.  I figured I've lost and regained hundreds of pounds.  I have been at a normal weight many times, but several years ago,  I just let things go.  So, now I have about 80 pounds to lose.  I've started attending Curves on a regular basis, have cut down on cheese, cut out milk totally, am buying organic produce when I can afford it, and am eating no red meat unless it's grass-fed bison. I rarely eat processed foods, and buy only free renge hormone and antibiotic-free poultry. That said,  I have type II diabetes, so am insulin resistant, and I think that factors in to very stubborn fat cells.  After the holidays, I am going to set one goal a week and KEEP to it--such as being vigilant about portion size, huge reduction in carbs (I try to eat whole grain only, pass on bread, but I don't like whole wheat pasta, sorry). I wish you well.  I keep waiting for the "magic bullet" or "fat spinitron" but, alas, it hasn't appeared.  I guess it comes down to moving more and eating less.  I wish you well on your journey.  Some of the books I am using are: Anti Cancer by Dr. David Servan-Shreiber, The Ultra-Wellness Cookbook, South Beach Diet Cookbook, and my many other cookbooks that feature whole foods. I'm also reading The China Study, but I'm not ready to go vegan. 

I used to have major leg cramps when I was on statins.  Make sure you are getting enough magnesium and potassium.  Stay well-hydrated.  I have knee pain, I think as a result of my weight.  Love that you signed up for kick-boxing!  I know I started to feel less depressed when I began a regimen of better eating, supplements and upped my Vitamin D levels.  I've got to believe we can do it!!!

You should try the app my fitness pal, it is really good to easily track your calories and there is a lot of support.

Amy

www.myfitnesspal.com

cs34 – I’ve been overweight since I hit 40. The pounds just kept creeping on, until I weighed 204 last year.  I had severe fibromyalgia (often spending the day in bed or on the couch) and was taking a dozen different prescription medications.

Then in September 2011, I was dx’d with BC, and had a BMX w/TEs in December 2011. I was fortunate in that I didn’t need chemo or rads, so I was surprised when my MO told me I had to take Arimidex for 5 years. (I’m 100% ER+)

I told her there was NO estrogen in my body, because I was 15 years post-menopausal and 14 years post-hysterectomy.

She very kindly replied that estrogen is produced in body fat, especially belly fat, of which I had plenty.

At that point I had no snappy comeback, so I started thinking about what I might do to give me ammunition to refuse the AI. (I REALLY didn’t want to take it!!!)

I decided to enter Kaiser’s weight management program. It’s open to the public, and based on Optifast. I had considered it two years ago but the thought of going on a liquid diet seemed impossible to me, and I cancelled the day of the Orientation.

But this time I showed up, and learned that the next class would not be for several weeks. I decided to start myself. I switched out meals for Trader Joe’s Whey Protein smoothies, and Progresso Light Soups. I also made lots of soups, getting ready to eliminate food from my diet.

Because this was a Very Low Calorie diet, I had to be cleared medically to participate. This took physical exams and extensive lab work, but I was o.k. to go. In March of this year, we started. I was in a cohort of 11 other people, and we would remain together for the next 8 months. I was taken off ALL my prescription medications except for thyroid.

On March 26, 2012 I began Optifast. I had managed to lose 16 pounds from my pre-BMX weight of 204, so I started at 188. I am 5’5” tall. I wore a size 18 dress/pants, and a 1X or 2X top.

Amazingly, the meals were tasty and filling. I was never hungry.

We had to weigh in weekly, see the nurse for vital signs, and stay for a class/group session. I grew to love the other members of my cohort. (I was initially dreading that part, since I HATED Weight Watchers groups with a passion.) We also had to have regular extensive lab work, and meet with the physician every few weeks.

The other thing we had to do was exercise. I knew this would be a challenge for me with all my health issues, but we were given pedometers, and told our daily goal was 10,000 steps. For the first time, I found myself volunteering to walk to the mailbox to get the mail! Anything to get more steps in…

We could also do ANYTHING and have it count for exercise… housework, laundry, gardening, a quick walk to the end of the block…all they wanted us to do was to not be sedentary.

Within a few weeks the pounds began to fall off. But more than that, I started noticing that my fibromyalgia pain had gone from about a 9 on my pain scale to around a 2 or a 3. Then I made the connection: Optifast is gluten-free!

I started feeling good enough to actually walk for exercise. In the beginning, I had to hold on to DH’s arm to limp down to the mailbox and back. Then I walked to the end of the block and back. Then around the block…until finally I was power walking for an hour. I was so proud of myself!

I also started back in my water aerobics class at the local rehabilitation hospital. Their indoor therapy pool is heated to 94 degrees – heaven on sore joints and muscles!!! I did 90 minutes of pool exercise three times a week.

We were on the liquid diet for four months. In July 2012, we started “Transition” where real foods were slowly re-introduced, and Optifast products were reduced. None of us wanted to do this – we didn’t believe we could lose weight while eating real food. Our guidelines were the American Diabetes Association diet. It all had to do with limiting food choices, and portion control. If it wasn’t on my list, I didn’t eat it.  When Transition ended after 14 weeks, we started “Lifestyle” (calorie-based meal plans) which will continue for another year.

A few weeks ago, I met my goal of losing 60 pounds. I went from 204 to 144. I also lost more than 65 inches all over my body. I went from a size 18 dress/pants to a size 8. My chest measurement (under the New Girls) went from 40” to 32”.

But the best news of all: I feel better than I have in 20 years. I am STILL off all prescription medication except for thyroid, and yes, Anastrozole. (I realized that my MO only had my best interests at heart. Fortunately, I have very minimal SEs.) My fibromyalgia pain is still minimal, and I have remained gluten-free.

The MO says I have further reduced my risk of recurrence by 23% just by losing the weight.

It was a long road, but I just got up every morning and did what I was supposed to. I made changes in my lifestyle to accommodate my diet. DH was wonderful and supportive. The months flew by.

Sometimes it’s hard to figure out who you want to be once you’ve been through BC. I decided that my body was worth taking care of, and losing this weight has made me realize that there were SO many benefits to getting healthy! I know that being physically fit is no guarantee I won’t have a recurrence, but in the meantime, it has helped me in so many other areas. I now feel strong and capable, instead of weak and sick.

All you have to do is start. All you have to do is get up every day and put one foot in front of the other. Forget about the long run. Just concentrate on doing the best you can each hour, each day. And if you make a bad choice, so what. You have to live your life. Food isn’t “good” or “bad”. WE aren’t “good” or “bad” according to what we put in our mouths. And stay off the scale. We can’t live or die by the numbers. They don’t define us.

Please let me know if you want any more information about the plan I was on.

Wishing you success in whatever you choose to do…I’ll be one of your cheerleaders!!!!

Hi, Jomama2 -

Unfortunately, the one downside to Kaiser's Optifast program is the cost. It's $4,300 for the year and a half program. This includes all the medical exams, lab work, diagnostic work, and Optifast products.

The price is the same for both Kaiser members and non-members.

The director did say that sometimes non-members can be reimbursed by their insurance companies for the medical part. AND - the cost of the program is tax-deductible!

The good news is that it's payable in small installments.

We did have two members that commuted in from an hour away. You only have to go in once a week - to weigh in, pick up your products, and attend class.

2 hours ago kayb wrote:

It was really encouraging for me to see how much exercise compensated for calories I took in. I never felt deprived because if I wanted to eat something fattening, I could check to see how much exercise I needed to do to balance it.

kayb - LOVE IT!!! That is exactly what I have to learn. Now that we're off the Fasting Phase and the Transition Phase of our Optifast program, our "Lifestyle" phase (maintenance) is calorie-based. I'm still getting the hang of it.

The first time I heard that a there are 3,500 calories in a pound, I just about fell off my chair! I asked if that meant I had to cut back 350 calories a day for ten days just to lose a pound, and the instructor said yes, or just exercise more each day. DUH!!!! That never occurred to me...

So now I'm going to post charts everywhere telling me how much or how little exercise I can do to burn more calories.

Timbuktu - 

kayb - I'm not feeling so dedicated tonight, as I had both ice cream AND popcorn this afternoon!!! But I only had a bowl of veggie soup for dinner, so maybe that will offset it... I think I'm just pushing the envelope to see how much I can get away with before the pounds start creeping back up again. 

As for programs, I'm totally stoked by the "Lose It" program on my iPhone. Instead of typing in all my foods, all I have to do is scan the bar code with my phone and it automatically imports all the nutritional data. How cool is that!!! 

Now all I need to do is get my butt out there and "Move it, move it...."