I need to be healthier. Badly. Individual efforts have not sufficed, so I'm hoping the support of friends, family, and anyone who happens along this blog can help me along.
Walked 2.5 miles in 40 minutes at the rec center. Back soreness and leg chafing suggest a day off from walking - possibly Thursday. Open to other recommendations too.
YOU ARE NOT EATING ENOUGH FOOD! I'm looking at your daily logs thinking at less than 1/2 your body size, that is NOT ENOUGH FOOD FOR ME! You're not doing a diet that seems sustainable. It reeks of "I'm trying to lose weight" rather than, "I'm beginning the extremely long, life altering process of experimenting with lots of different foods to figure out what tastes great, seems exciting, and isn't fattening."
So, please, take a cooking class, or maybe experiment with those make-a-meal services, or there is some service around here that is super healthy but they make and deliver the meals. A life change involves a huge variety of foods that you LIKE and won't get bored with the way you will with that daily log. :)
*stepping off soap box* :-) I'm still thrilled for you doing all this.
I agree with Elizabeth on this. I know you have seen a nutrtionist - has she recommended what your daily caloric intake should be at your weight and with this excercise regimen? When Chris was trying to lost weight and started biking to work - I had to send him with a TON of food. As he lost weight and adapted, his caloric requirements did decrease and he wasn't as hungry. There are lots of on-line food diaries that will calculate your intake for you. I would be happy to help you here. What I would do with Chris is plug in the next day and see what I needed to do to get in the target range of calories....
You know how much I LOVE to cook and make food. Just come over, give me your constraints and we can figure out some more food options for you. You can easily bake a chicken breast - in the oven at 350 for like 20 min...
With two kids, I also can help you with snacks = my life is snacks.. "Mom, I'm huuuungry!"
I knew I should have made my acronym ICITE. :-) I want to know everything ya'll think (that includes the non-commenting lurkers), brutal and otherwise.
Elizabeth, there's one factor you leave out: diabetes. My blood sugar must go down, and quickly (as well as triglycerides). There are 2 ways to do that - restrict carb intake and exercise. Once those numbers have stabilized in a good spot, then I will be open (and tempted!) to eat more. Right now my energy level is good - my cravings are taste-based, not low energy - even with the stepped-up exercise, and I really like these foods. I know the simple menu will eventually bore me, and I'm looking forward to seeing how I can branch out as time goes on, but the first step in my extremely long, life altering process is to stop my body from damaging itself. I can't begin to tell you how much I look forward to getting past the beginning of this journey.
Alyssa, I'm always up for food! Maybe we can figure out a time next week to talk recipes and take another bike ride. For specific calorie calculations, I'm probably going to return to a nutritionist soon to get a better handle on the process. Pretty much as soon as I get the chemistry under control.
Craig, I'm good for Saturday morning - how early can you do it?
Thanks for keeping me in line and thinking about these things!
Scott had the same problem with chafing, and he found that wearing bike shorts under his clothing (or basically anything that will stick to your leg and take the chafing instead of your skin) pretty much solves the problem. He wears them every time he does walking/jogging or whatever might cause thighs to rub together.
On the food note, as long as you're working with a doctor or a nutritionist, that's the important part. I think part of why people are worried is that if you don't eat enough to sustain a slow weight loss (2-3 lbs/week) most people's bodies will go into starvation mode and their metabolism will drop hugely. Bigger people require more energy (calories) to move than smaller people, so a diet that would be perfectly enough calories for a 250 person to sustain safe weight loss patterns would cause starvation mode in somebody that's 350. You'd get a lot of weight loss at first, then the metabolism would drop and suddenly the weight loss would quit happening, and we know you don't want that!
Scott lost like 80 pounds and I watched him do it... and learned more than I ever wanted to know about nutrition and weight loss in the process. :)
As I saw Jen already recommend I would also recommend a snug underlayer.
However, if it is hot or you don't want to wear an extra layer then get some "Glide." It is a anti-chafing product that-as a curvy woman who likes skirts and as a traveler-I swear by. You can buy it at Run-Tex. It is packaged in a gray deodorant stick (kinda looks like deodorant actually) that you rub wherever you are getting chaffed. It works as a preventative and/or to help you heal if the damage is already done. It really works. If you are going to be sweating a lot you might need to reapply after an hour of activity.
You want brutal opinions, eh?
ReplyDeleteYOU ARE NOT EATING ENOUGH FOOD! I'm looking at your daily logs thinking at less than 1/2 your body size, that is NOT ENOUGH FOOD FOR ME! You're not doing a diet that seems sustainable. It reeks of "I'm trying to lose weight" rather than, "I'm beginning the extremely long, life altering process of experimenting with lots of different foods to figure out what tastes great, seems exciting, and isn't fattening."
So, please, take a cooking class, or maybe experiment with those make-a-meal services, or there is some service around here that is super healthy but they make and deliver the meals. A life change involves a huge variety of foods that you LIKE and won't get bored with the way you will with that daily log. :)
*stepping off soap box* :-) I'm still thrilled for you doing all this.
-Elizabeth
I agree with Elizabeth on this. I know you have seen a nutrtionist - has she recommended what your daily caloric intake should be at your weight and with this excercise regimen? When Chris was trying to lost weight and started biking to work - I had to send him with a TON of food. As he lost weight and adapted, his caloric requirements did decrease and he wasn't as hungry. There are lots of on-line food diaries that will calculate your intake for you. I would be happy to help you here. What I would do with Chris is plug in the next day and see what I needed to do to get in the target range of calories....
ReplyDeleteYou know how much I LOVE to cook and make food. Just come over, give me your constraints and we can figure out some more food options for you. You can easily bake a chicken breast - in the oven at 350 for like 20 min...
With two kids, I also can help you with snacks = my life is snacks.. "Mom, I'm huuuungry!"
I am free Thursday night.....
Alyssa
I'm good for Saturday morning around Old Settler's.
ReplyDeleteI knew I should have made my acronym ICITE. :-) I want to know everything ya'll think (that includes the non-commenting lurkers), brutal and otherwise.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, there's one factor you leave out: diabetes. My blood sugar must go down, and quickly (as well as triglycerides). There are 2 ways to do that - restrict carb intake and exercise. Once those numbers have stabilized in a good spot, then I will be open (and tempted!) to eat more. Right now my energy level is good - my cravings are taste-based, not low energy - even with the stepped-up exercise, and I really like these foods. I know the simple menu will eventually bore me, and I'm looking forward to seeing how I can branch out as time goes on, but the first step in my extremely long, life altering process is to stop my body from damaging itself. I can't begin to tell you how much I look forward to getting past the beginning of this journey.
Alyssa, I'm always up for food! Maybe we can figure out a time next week to talk recipes and take another bike ride. For specific calorie calculations, I'm probably going to return to a nutritionist soon to get a better handle on the process. Pretty much as soon as I get the chemistry under control.
Craig, I'm good for Saturday morning - how early can you do it?
Thanks for keeping me in line and thinking about these things!
Hey Charles!
ReplyDeleteScott had the same problem with chafing, and he found that wearing bike shorts under his clothing (or basically anything that will stick to your leg and take the chafing instead of your skin) pretty much solves the problem. He wears them every time he does walking/jogging or whatever might cause thighs to rub together.
On the food note, as long as you're working with a doctor or a nutritionist, that's the important part. I think part of why people are worried is that if you don't eat enough to sustain a slow weight loss (2-3 lbs/week) most people's bodies will go into starvation mode and their metabolism will drop hugely. Bigger people require more energy (calories) to move than smaller people, so a diet that would be perfectly enough calories for a 250 person to sustain safe weight loss patterns would cause starvation mode in somebody that's 350. You'd get a lot of weight loss at first, then the metabolism would drop and suddenly the weight loss would quit happening, and we know you don't want that!
Scott lost like 80 pounds and I watched him do it... and learned more than I ever wanted to know about nutrition and weight loss in the process. :)
I am really proud of you!
:) Jen
As I saw Jen already recommend I would also recommend a snug underlayer.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if it is hot or you don't want to wear an extra layer then get some "Glide." It is a anti-chafing product that-as a curvy woman who likes skirts and as a traveler-I swear by. You can buy it at Run-Tex. It is packaged in a gray deodorant stick (kinda looks like deodorant actually) that you rub wherever you are getting chaffed. It works as a preventative and/or to help you heal if the damage is already done. It really works. If you are going to be sweating a lot you might need to reapply after an hour of activity.