New Goal: 40 lbs in two months

calexander72

Hello Myfitnesspals...

I am getting back on the wagon and with this new tool (to me anyway) I see that it will easily be possible. Tracking what you eat has never been easier. I am 5 days in and 4 lbs down and that is because I have been too sore from my first trainer session at the gym to do much.

A little about me. I'm a 43 yr old male who has type 2 diabetes in my family and have been hypoglycemic for some time. I am sure diabetes is just around the corner. What a roller coaster sugar for energy is. If you have experienced the rush, the shakes, the headaches, the anxiety of needing food NOW, getting low then high on sugar and being screwed up for the rest of the day because of stress you know what I mean. After a while it turns into misery even eating every 3 hours. I did 10 pushups and it killed me, the second set were knee style. Just doing 20 wide stance squats has had me hobbling as a gimpy dude for days.

The high protein low sugar diet I'm doing is going to work better for sure. I've done atkins before with success but this is less difficult. Previously on atkins I was down 15 lbs in two weeks with zero energy for the first week. (Practically bedridden all but my time I had to be up working to financially survive and that is a sedentary office job! This time I am feeling much better, more energy, less sleep required and less headaches. Quality of life with this diet is much higher!

Anyway, I've done HCG with success previously as well but the extreme cost of the injections (cheap self injections at that!) is nothing to sneeze at. So this time I decided to get a trainer, a gym membership and get on the ball without all that. I don't care to be a muscle maniac, just height / weight proportional again and generally average healthy. It feels good to get closer to being in control of my diet and sugar levels. Cutting down to small amounts of cokes and water instead helps tremendously as well.

I doubt anyone will read this but had to get this written down on how exhilarated I am to work with MyFitnessPal and the lower sugar diet (to me anyway). Check back on my progress in a couple months to see how I made out!

Happy Presidents Day!

Sincerely,
Chris

calexander72

P.S. If you think that is too much weight for 8 weeks, I started at 287 lbs so the percent loss of 7% a month is not so large... I should mention that I've done this before. Time to do it again!

If and when I can get down to my 190 lb goal this year I will be extremely happy!!!

Floridaman789

It's better to lose it slow that way you can keep it off. I'm also type 2 . You can ad me as a friend if you would like to. We all need support.

calexander72

Thank you Floridaman, I have been an emotional eater all my life. My dad went from 225 down to 175 at 68 years old eating healthy as a type 2 person. It can be done so don't get discouraged. He wasn't on insulin but he was on blood pressure medicine due to a couple serious quick surgeries that happened due to blockage. I think he is on victoza and that has helped him a lot and he is active. He had back problems too and had to have surgery due to degenerative discs and once they were fused and he recovered he did well. He has just rebuilt the deck on the back of my house pretty much by himself. It is a 2x12 structured 2nd floor deck so you get the idea. Hang in there

ghearinn2014

Feel free to add me as a friend. I am a 43 year old that has recently had a heart attack. I do not have diabetes but am following a low carb, high protein, low fat diet. I have a total of 50lbs to lose of which I have lost 12. Total life change needed for me and any help and support is appreciated. I have not added exercise in yet as I just went thru heart cath and doc won't let me yet. Looking forward to it though.

MarziPanda95

I know you're saying that it's 'not a lot' because you're starting out at 287... but that's still an extremely unrealistic and extremely unhealthy goal, sorry. You will lose a lot to begin with because of water weight, and then it will slow down. Maximum healthy weight loss is 2lbs a week, 3lbs maybe if you're very overweight to start with. You're talking about doubling that. I'm sorry but that's not going to happen - or if it does, it's not going to happen in any way that is healthy or sustainable. You need to rethink your goals and expectations.
Good luck!

calexander72

ghearinn2014 wrote: »

...I do not have diabetes but am following a low carb, high protein, low fat diet. I have a total of 50lbs to lose of which I have lost 12. Total life change needed for me and any help and support is appreciated.

Good going, I'm sure you feel way different at 12 lbs lost already. Keep up the good work and slowly add in some extra walking as soon as you can.

MarziPanda95 wrote: »

I know you're saying that it's 'not a lot' because you're starting out at 287... but that's still an extremely unrealistic and extremely unhealthy goal, sorry. You will lose a lot to begin with because of water weight, and then it will slow down. Maximum healthy weight loss is 2lbs a week, 3lbs maybe if you're very overweight to start with. You're talking about doubling that. I'm sorry but that's not going to happen - or if it does, it's not going to happen in any way that is healthy or sustainable. You need to rethink your goals and expectations.
Good luck!

I appreciate your concern but extremely unhealthy and unrealistic is what I was already doing at 3500+ cals a day. Cutting out the sugar tanks my calories thus the dramatic weight loss. I drink over a gallon of water each day and take vitamins including not only a multi but extra b12, d, potassium, magnesium, a folate supplment, and a vitamin c supplement. It is going to happen. Been there done that and am back on the horse. Thanks for your discouragement.

calexander72

Cutting three of these a day as a stress eater will sure help with weight loss. That is where I was - very bad habits. Never worried about it, just dealt with the death blow due to the sudden energy loss of getting hungry constantly. Explained it away due to my hypoglycemia - the whole time making it worse.

Hornsby

The problem is that if you are eating this much now, what are you going to do when you stall? Cut calories even further? Or when you get to your goal weight?

You keep mentioning that you have done this before and that you were successful with this type of diet...but you are back here. If you can't maintain it, it isn't successful. Whether you lost the weight or not.

The goal of MFP is to lose slowly on the most amount of calories possible. This sets people up for success for the long haul.

calexander72

Hornsby wrote: »

The problem is that if you are eating this much now, what are you going to do when you stall? Cut calories even further? Or when you get to your goal weight?

You keep mentioning that you have done this before and that you were successful with this type of diet...but you are back here. If you can't maintain it, it isn't successful. Whether you lost the weight or not.

The goal of MFP is to lose slowly on the most amount of calories possible. This sets people up for success for the long haul.

Thanks, it isn't the plan to even stay where I'm at now. I hope to exercise more once I improve flexibility and lots of cardio (eliptical, walking, hopefully running!!!) and weights three or more times a week. Add some weights will help my metabolism as a male as you obviously know from your picture. Congrats on figuring it out for yourself.

I haven't maintained it due to various emotional reasons and none that matter here. It was all my fault. I have a food addiction. Breaking it cold turkey is the best way for me. Taking control back because I know I can and will. If I'm eating somewhat balanced at 1900 ~ 2000 calories now with lots of water for the past few days, when I get down to 1800 and more cardio it will really benefit my goal.

There are lots of guys that do programs like this - I am on the slow end of total weight loss in what I've seen from others / experienced in my 43 years. I am definitely not special by no means. I don't expect to stay at a pound a day and expect it will level off yes. And at that point hopefully my trainer will kick my butt in new ways to accelerate it again.

Thanks for your concern.