Starting Now

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Starting Now

Postby yarnpetter » Sun Oct 16, 2011 9:24 am

Hi all,

I've been lurking for a while (a couple of years actually) always planning on starting the program "tomorrow". I have fully believed in this program for a while and have been talking it up among my family. Then almost a month ago I had a conversation with my mom. She has fibromyalgia, stage 3 kidney disease and migraines. Because of her kidney disease they had taken her off many of her meds for her fibro and her migraines and she was miserable (heck, she was miserable ON the meds- off was worse). I suggested that since the doctors couldn't help her with her pain anymore that maybe she should try this program- what did she have to lose? Well, suffice it to say, after almost a month she is almost a new person. She still gets the occasional headache and some fibro discomfort but she is participating in life again and it is visible in looking at her she feels better. She states she was 50% better in 3 days and it just gets better every day.

So, what does that have to do with me? Well, I'm kinda embarrassed that I have known and believed in this program for years and still haven't started it. Part of my problem is that though I have a significant amount (almost 200 pounds) of excess weight all of my other health markers are very good. My cholesterol is 134 at last check with a good ratio of HDL to LDL. My triglicerydes were good (I can't find the report right now and don't remember the number but they were well in the normal range), my fasting blood sugar was 92, Heart rate-72 and blood pressure 117/72. I have been telling myself I was one of the "healthy obese" you hear about.

So, a couple of days ago I went for a fitness assessment to join a new health club. It was good for me and an eye opener. I scored in the 90+ percentile for my age in strength activities but in at 1% for cardiovascular fitness. 1%- there is pretty high mortality risks associated with that. Heck, I'm in the "at risk" level for increased mortality based on cardiovascular fitness alone for a 70 year old (I'm significantly younger than that). That is, hopefully, the wake up call that I need. It is very hard for me to work on increasing my endurance at the weight I am- exercising is just very strenuous.

So, my plan- I am beginning the McDougall regular plan and beginning a daily exercise plan. I can get another fitness assessment in 3-4 months to see how I am progressing. I know I derail my progress often by getting on the scale and having my mood dictated by what it says. So, I plan on staying off of the scale until my next fitness assessment. This plan, for me, is about getting healthy. If I follow it, it is not possible for me to not lose weight, so I am simply going to trust that.

I plan on journalling what I eat and what exercise I do daily here.

So, that is me- wish me luck.
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Re: Starting Now

Postby Norm » Sun Oct 16, 2011 9:55 am

I'd wish you the best of luck, but truthfully, having found this program, you've already been luckier than most. All you have to do is change what you eat and the food takes it from there.
As you can see from my weight ticker below I currently have over 200 pounds more to lose, so I know how hard it is to exercise. Just do what you can. Changing your diet alone will get you started losing weight, which will make it easier to exercise. The more you lose the easier it will be to exercise.
I didn't worry at all about weighing myself when I first started changing my diet. Now I weigh myself every two weeks and I think that is often enough to show if any recent changes have affected my weight loss, but far enough apart so I don't obsess over the scale. You'll find your own balance.

-Norm
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Re: Starting Now

Postby pinkpinkycat » Sun Oct 16, 2011 9:56 am

I am new to the program as well. I just started this past Thursday. I wish you much success and you can do it!!! :D
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Re: Starting Now

Postby Rosey » Sun Oct 16, 2011 10:15 am

You will feel so much better eating this way and losing weight too. If you mom still has some pain after a few months have her try taking gluten out of diet as well. I was still having little bits here and there till I took it out now I'm not having any pain unless I let something off plan slip back in.
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Re: Starting Now

Postby yarnpetter » Sun Oct 16, 2011 6:06 pm

Wow everyone- thanks for the welcome. I will pass on your suggestion to my mom Rosie- thanks.

So today I went and bought some new running shoes (not that I run :eek: ) and have a bag ready to take to the health club tomorrow. The plan for tomorrow is cardio and stretching. I plan on doing some level of cardio every day and then doing resistance work on Tuesdays and Thursdays and one day over the weekend.

I picked out some recipes for next weeks meals. Tomorrow morning I am going to have the baked sweet potatoes and fruit. I tried oats today and don't think I'm quite there yet. For lunch I am going to take black beans and rice mixed with salsa and if I have time I'll put it all over a salad. I work all over the place so lunch has to be something I can eat in the car while pulled into a parking lot. Fast food is so convenient for that it's going to be hard to break that habit. I am hoping to get time to work out between work and an after work appointment and then pick up some veggie sushi for dinner.

So, that's my plan for tomorrow. If I get hungry in between lunch and dinner I will stop at a Wendy's and get a baked potato.

Ok, we'll see how tomorrow goes. I am very much a creature of habit. I know that once I get these plans to be my habit it won't be a problem to continue. But, they are not a habit yet so it may be a struggle for the first week or so.
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Re: Starting Now

Postby Gramma Jackie » Sun Oct 16, 2011 6:19 pm

Wow--great to hear about your mother! It took me almost 5 years to really get serious about doing this plan. During that time I developed high blood pressure and sleep apnea. As far as the sleep apnea goes, I went to a sleep clinic and they said I stopped breathing 100 times each hour! :eek: They put me on a CPAP machine with a mask that covers my entire face and I have air blowing on my face all night long. I struggle with the air hose like fighting a python every night. :\
The sleep doctor said I had to lose weight. My family practice doctor wanted me to try to lower my blood pressure by eating a low fat diet. So----that is when I decided I had to get on board with the McDougall plan and I did. I've lost weight and my blood pressure has gone down. I am hoping to get rid of the CPAP machine after I lose weight. If I can do this program, anyone can. It's fun being on the message board and getting encouragment from others. :-D

p.s. While some people (esp. very active people) can lose weight with the regualr Mcdougall plan, I have hypothyroidism that doesn't respond well to thyroid medicine and so have a very sluggish metabolism. So I am on Maximum Weight loss.
Gramma Jackie
 

Re: Starting Now

Postby lmggallagher » Sun Oct 16, 2011 8:40 pm

Wow -

Glad to hear of your Mom's success in tamping down the fibromyalgia problems and to Rosey too, your discovery too on the gluten which you shared with me on my first day too. I am just started 2 days ago myself so I can't offer sage advice of the old timers, but have lost a pound a day so far and am pretty excited by that! And boy am I ever excited every time I see someone else's weight ticker - you folks are so supportive and have had great accomplishments. This is a great place to be for support and ideas how to handle other hurdles in our lives, that I know for sure on day two :)

Good luck to you!
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Re: Starting Now

Postby toadfood » Mon Oct 17, 2011 8:15 am

Welcome! It sounds like you have a great plan in place, and I love your user name (I'm a knitter, crocheter, and yarn petter, too).
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I have to stay with my turtle energy. Slow and steady wins the race. -- Letha
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Re: Starting Now

Postby yarnpetter » Mon Oct 17, 2011 1:59 pm

Well today is half over and is going OK I guess. Breakfast went poorly and I ended up eating my normal breakfast. I think I need to try something a little simpler tomorrow until my taste buds change. Then I forgot my lunch at home. So, I went thru Wendy's drive thru and got 2 baked potatoes. They did not have broccoli or salsa so I asked for ketchup and mustard to try out Rosey's suggestion from another thread. Instead I was given a kid's size cup filled with mayonnaise. So, I went thru a local mexican restaurants drive thru and got a side of plain refried beans and a side of salsa and put that on one of the potatoes. I know the beans are veggie but they probably have some oil- best I could do today.

I'm about to eat the other potato now with the rest of the salsa and then go for a walk. Its a beautiful day out so I'm going to walk in the neighborhood or go to a park instead of going to the health club. The rest of the day my plan remains the same. I do need to stop at the store and pick up some fruit though.

Hope everyone is having a great day.
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Re: Starting Now

Postby landog » Tue Oct 18, 2011 8:17 am

Good luck to you on your new life!

Wendy's has saved me many a time! I eat mine with pepper. You will adust to the foods you eat. Try to have a "no oil" mantra - attention to detail and time will work in your favor.

Welcome!
-dog
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