50 lbs to lose !

jaycoup15

So I went to the doctor yesterday and found out I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a enlarged heart! Wow...this is what fast food can do to you in ten years! So now I have to take control of my health. My doctor wants me to focus mainly on fat and so far I can see where I am going wrong. Right now I am also emotional eating..soooo Here we go!

By the way, I am 40ish...lol and a special education teacher! I Would love to meet some accountability partners!

ejb06070

Hey,

I have 77 left to lose, already down 58. I'm 22, and with the exception of obesity I have a clean bill of health. I know a lot about hypertension and a little about hyperlipidemia, but not much in regards to cardiomegaly.

I can try my best to hold you accountable (and give you recommendations for "challenges"... one of the ones I'm doing now is 25 down by Christmas, might be one to try)

ladipoet

If your doctor is telling you to avoid all fats, the your doctor is wrong about fat. Sure trans fats are bad for you (the worst), but fat is good for you. In fact your body requires fat to lose fat. If you don't get enough fat on a daily basis you basically end up starving yourself on a cellular level. You actually need fat to live. If a person was able to cut out 100% fat from their diet, they would quite literally die. You just need to make sure you eat fat from healthy sources (olives, nuts, avocados, etc.). Google Ketogenic Diet. Here's a link to a well written, easy to understand book about why and how it works: http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Science-Carbohydrate-Living/dp/0983490708. I follow a Ketogenic Lifestyle. I've eliminated 112 pounds to date. My diary is open so friend me if you want to. I got my mom on this lifestyle too. We've been on it now for a couple weeks shy of a year. She has been taken off ALL her high blood pressure medication and her cholesterol meds have been reduced to (currently) only a half a pill a day. I'm confident that by the end of 2015 she will probably be off all meds for cholesterol as well. Our doctors are VERY happy with us! lol Mom has also eliminated somewhere between 50-60 pounds.

manymanymore

Don't avoid fat, but avoid processed food as much as possible. Try to eat a big plate of salad at least once a day. Limit your carb taken, such as pizza, pasta and bread, and give up your soft drinks. Don't add sugar and cream to your coffee. Other than that, track MFP on the calaries, and you'll be fine.
Try to add some exercises to your daily routine and you can start with walking.

Thatonechickoverthere

Enlarged heart? I've never heard of that before, how bad is that?

ejb06070

@tiffanymariearpaio An enlarged heart is known as cardiomegaly (megaly means abnormally enlarged, and cardio means heart). Normal causes are hypertension (high blood pressure) or CAD (coronary artery disease). Blood may not be pumped by the heart effectively, which can result in congestive heart failure. For most people, lifelong treatment using medications is necessary, but for others, it improves over time. Damage to the heart muscle (such as that caused by hypertension or hyperlipidemia [high cholesterol])

Some of the symptoms include weight gain, fatigue, palpitations ("racing heart beat"), leg swelling, and shortness of breath. Medication such as lisinopril (for hypertension) with hydrochlorothiazide (water pill) can be really helpful in controlling both hypertension and cardiomegaly. If it goes uncontrolled, cardiomegaly may eventually cause heart failure.

Thatonechickoverthere

Thanks @ejb06070

carriedee5

Hi! I'm on the same journey. Im trying to lose at least 60. Needing to get healthy and fit, not to mention, I wanna look good in clothes! Maybe we could motivate each other.