Third Quarter of 2016: We Can Do This!!

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  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    Pam--I hope the appointment with the dermatologist goes well. The hair appointment is something I have on Saturday also. Good job on finding things to donate. The lemon pound cake sounds yummy.

    I need to get some breakfast down and get ready for work. Have a great day.
  • PamS53
    PamS53 Posts: 1,953 Member
    My retail therapy was a success! I dropped off my donations then headed over to my favorite shopping area. There is a sub courthouse there where I had hoped to get my handicapped parking placard renewed, but the parking is very difficult around there (unless you already have a handicapped placard). Mine has expired and I'd been debating with myself whether to renew it or not. I'm doing pretty well walking now, but still can't do long distances without really suffering and I don't know what to expect when I have the last surgery in a month or so. I decided to leave it up to fate, meaning that if I found a spot near the courthouse I would go in and renew it and if I didn't find a spot nearby I would forget about it, at least for today. So as fate would have it, there was a spot right across the street, so I parked and went in, took a number and sat down to wait for my turn. After about five minutes a clerk announced that their computers were down and it would be at least half an hour before they were expected to be up again. I decided not to wait, so I left and went to The Cheesecake Factory and had lunch, then hit a couple of stores that I could park close to and found some things for me and a gift for a friend before coming home.

    We've had a nice slow drizzle of rain all day, which is very nice. Our temperature is about 20 degrees lower than normal, too, so that makes a nice change for August in Texas.
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    Pam--It is great when retail therapy is successful. Oh, I have had visions of Cheesecake Factory before you mentioned it. The nearest one is 3hours away in Columbus, Ohio but some of us usually make a trip just to eat there once a year. You need to renew the handicap sticker or card. Does the doctor have to approve it before renewal?

    Subbing was exhausting today so I just nuked a Lean Cuisine pizza for dinner.
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    Since it is so hard for me to lose weight, I decided to see how many calories were required to maintain my current weight. I used three different online calculators and they all came to about the same number--1460 calories a day for my current activity level. I know the doctor once told me that it would be hard to lose unless I exercised big time. 1460 calories versus 1200 calories. There is little room for mistakes in eating. In theory, I might lose almost a half pound of fat every week.
  • PamS53
    PamS53 Posts: 1,953 Member
    Jean, yes the renewal does require the doctor's approval, which he had already given. I had all of the paperwork but without the computers I was told they couldn't do anything. This was actually our second attempt to renew it. The first time DH tried to do it, but didn't have my driver's license with him, which he was told was necessary. The form asks for the driver's license number but nowhere does it say that the actual license must be shown, but the clerk insisted so he gave up on it that day.

    I'm fortunate to have so many good restaurants near me and Cheesecake Factory is one of my favorites, though I don't go very often as it is too tempting for me. I don't like cheesecake but they have lots of other things that I love, especially the rye bread. I could almost make a meal of that alone!

    It's nice to have things like a Lean Cuisine dinner for those nights when you're too tired to cook or don't feel well and want something quick and easy. How long will you be subbing with this class?
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,670 Member
    Jean - you're right there's very little room for mistake in eating (or for a splurge). I think I stay in that control mode for so long and then just snap. I think our bodies were designed for hard physical labor, not our modern computer jobs with exercise tacked into our free time.

    Pam - the first time I renewed my handicapped permit I told myself I'd only use it when there was no close parking AND my foot was screaming. In my head at least that worked pretty well. Eventually I did let it go even though here in Maryland after awhile no doctor is needed for renewal. I don't think I ever had to go in person to renew.

    We had a lot of thunder and lightning last night. I assume rain to go with. Which means there will be a ton of cleanup at the colonies this morning. Oh, well, it's exercise! LOL!
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    Maryanne--What started me looking up that info were several posts on the MFP talking about losing weight on minimum of 1700 calories. They talk about adding in calories based upon exercise, etc.

    I read a post on Facebook this morning about a person who got up at 4am in order to get their morning run in on the treadmill before going to work. I just don't think that lifestyle is meant for someone who is old or perhaps I just treasure the few hours of sleep I can get.

    I thought with all the exercise and limited eating I did while working might result in a weight drop of at least a fraction of a pound. Bottom line, it didn't!
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,670 Member
    At the end of my life will I be sorry I didn't get up at 4 am to do the treadmill???? NO!!
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    I get up at 3am often, but not to use a treadmill. That is when Midnight likes to alert me to the fact he has slept and is ready to be fed again. He tackles my hair and if that doesn't work, he then tackles my ankles. I then get my exercise by going to the bathroom and adding a few nibbles of food to his bowl. Then I exercise my ability to climb back into bed.
  • Helene610
    Helene610 Posts: 2,852 Member
    mdubbs1 wrote: »
    At the end of my life will I be sorry I didn't get up at 4 am to do the treadmill???? NO!!

    I have to admit your comment provoked a smile from me. I can't imagine getting up at 4 Am and staying up for any reason short of going to the hospital.
    PAm..When DH renewed his handicapped parking permit, we sent the paperwork in to an office up in Boston. It took them a few weeks but they mailed out the renewal. One thing that got me was they dated the permit from the day they received it so he lost the better part of a month of it's valid dates. I don't know if it was even possible to do it in person. By the time the renewal was expired, he was getting around pretty well so we just let it go.

    The lemon cake sounds yummy. I love anything lemon.

    Jean...I hope the fluid retention passes and you get your rings back on. You work so hard at it that it's a bummer that it takes so long for you to see any progress. I guess it falls into the life isn't fair category.
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    Helene--Sunday will make one month of being "good." I've logged food every day and kept track of calories and nutritional values. I'm not going to get up at some ridiculous hour in the morning to exercise. At 1200 cal a day, that is about 250 less than what is required to maintain my current weight. As a result, real weight loss after water loss isn't going to take place at the one to two pounds a week. I used 3 different calculator sites and they all gave me the same figure. It is either exercise big time or cut calories below 1200 a day.
  • PamS53
    PamS53 Posts: 1,953 Member
    I saw an interesting weight loss story this morning on Good Morning America about a man who weighed over 600 pounds. He threw out all of the food in his house and vowed to walk 1 mile each way to the local WalMart to buy food for each meal. So three times a day he made the round trip then ate his meals. In a year he had lost 200 pounds. Somewhere along the way he figured out that dairy was a trigger for him so he cut that out of his diet and he began losing weight again. He's now down to a healthy weight, has a child, and recently had surgery to remove 30 pounds of excess skin. I guess I don't want to lose weight badly enough to do that.

    My visit to the dermatologist was uneventful. Today I had an appointment to get a haircut and highlights, but the stylist never showed up. I waited 20 minutes and called her but she never returned my call. I'm getting discouraged about finding a new stylist. This one was recommended by a friend, so I had high hopes for her.

    On the way home I stopped at a sub courthouse (different one than where I tried on Monday), and successfully renewed my handicapped placard, after a very short wait. So I guess fate or karma was trying to balance the scales for my failed hair appointment, lol. I stopped at the grocery store after that and picked up a few things I needed to bake a birthday cake for my volunteer gig. I got a notice this morning that a cake was needed for tomorrow for a resident and I figured I had time to do it so I volunteered. Since I was unable to fulfill my commitment to them for the first half of the year I've been trying to accommodate as many requests as I can now that I'm able to do so.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,670 Member
    Jean - I can't even imagine how discouraged you are. Less than 1200 calories a day? That would be hard if not next to impossible!

    Pam - Can't imagine my hairdresser retiring and what I'd do - maybe go au naturel like my sister? Except that's not a good look.

    Helene - I know people for whom 4 am is easy (and my late mother was one) but I like to sleep. Preferably around 9 hours a night!
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    edited August 2016
    Pam--Congrats upon getting the handicapped sticker renewed. There was also a feature on the Today Show about a woman who lost an enormous amount of weight. The motivating moment came when she became stuck in a turnstile at Disney. She reduced the calories and began exercising, which she could do only 5 minutes at a time when she first started. This is the video at Facebook of it:

    https://www.facebook.com/today/videos/vb.12566691349/10154461897036350/?type=2&theater

    If the link doesn't work, this is a screen shot of the before and after.

    5rk8swnn5iov.jpg

    Maryanne--The reality is that I have to exercise. I used to do it but got out of the habit. I was hoping the walking at work would help but so far, it hasn't. My former doctor (now deceased) told me that I would not lose unless I exercised along with cutting back. Age and metabolism are the major factors in play. I guess I have to think of it as medicine I have to take.

    I have an orthopedic appointment on Monday. My right leg is having major pains at various unpredictable times.
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    Off to work today, a great way to spend Friday. Tomorrow, I go to the city for a very needed haircut and color.

    Still eating right and waiting patiently for the scale to show it. No, the clothes don't show it either.
  • Helene610
    Helene610 Posts: 2,852 Member
    Jean, below 1200 calories doesn't seem right. Remember when we were on NS, they stressed if you did too few calories, your metabolism would stall and you wouldn't lose any weight? I remember some people tried adding 100-200 calories more than the'd been eating for a couple of days. then they'd drop back to 1200. That seemed to jump start their metabolism into losing mode. And if you are adding in exercise, adding in that little bit temporarily shouldn't cause a set back. It sounds like your metabolism is hanging on to calories because it thinks it's in starvation mode. dropping too low will do that. The other thing you can do is just work on health and forget about what the scale says. If you're not gaining a lot of weight and you're eating healthy and getting some exercise, that is more important than what a scale says. I can imagine how frustrated you are right now. But I think cutting calories below 1200 will be worse for you in the long run.
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    edited August 2016
    Helene--I know the drill about going below 1200 calories. I've added calories and it resulted in a gain. I maintain at a little over 1400 calories. I haven't gone below 1200 calories except on a day I couldn't eat because of a test. Yes, I lost water weight but fat loss afterwards stalled. I eat an enormous amount of protein because of the thermogenic effect created by burning protein. I've logged all this so I know what happens.

    The only solution is to exercise more, but right now my right leg is in intense pain which is resulting in my seeing the ortho on Monday. There is much research that says 1000 calories is acceptable for a short period of time. I haven't done it. I lose and then stall for a month which is frustrating.

    Right now, I'm recuperating from a great day of subbing despite the leg pain. I guess I will nuke something for dinner.
  • PamS53
    PamS53 Posts: 1,953 Member
    I think I've finally found a hairstylist that I like. I got my hair highlight d and cut today and so far I'm liking it. I'm reserving final judgment until I've washed it and worked with it myself, but I do like the color a lot. And she was very nice and personable, so I think I'll enjoy working with her. She's also young enough that she shouldn't be retiring anytime soon, lol!

    I've come to the conclusion that if I weigh a little more than the recommended weight for my height and bone structure, I'll just have to accept it. With my metabolism, only extreme dieting and a lot of cardio seem to work for me to lose weight at this stage in my life. Unfortunately, with my various joint and back issues, doing a lot of cardio isn't an option any more. I'm trying really hard to not gain, but I'm at least 10 pounds heavier than I'd like and I just don't see myself losing them. I seem to be continually gaining and losing the same three pounds, and staying right on the border between normal and overweight BMI. As long as my BP, cholesterol, and blood sugar numbers stay in a healthy range, I've decided not to worry about it.
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    Pam--Remember the old "set point" theory in dieting? There supposedly was a natural point that your body wanted your weight to be and if you wanted to go below that, you had to do all types of things to make the "set point" go lower, You are in a decent range of weight, but I am borderline overweight/obese.

    I was once overweight but then lost height which threw me into the obese label. Most people here don't consider me "obese" but the average person here is overweight. The older you get the harder it is to lose, so lose it while young. I'm with you on doing a lot of cardio. Two years ago, I could easily do it but now I can't. I'm definitely in the sedentary category which requires a whole lot less calories to maintain the weight.
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
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    Definitely went over in the sodium, but that was because of prepackaged items for lunch and snack at work, and an NS entree for dinner. I didn't have handy my usual protein bar which was low in sodium, so I just grabbed another one which was higher in sodium. If at home, I can balance these things out more easily by planning ahead but this day I just went with the flow. It isn't only the total calories but it is also the macros involved.
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    Good moring! I see that NS has a special going today announced via email that if you order $100 of a la carte, shipping is free.

    The scale finally moved. I am down 10 pounds from the time I returned from Branson in June or 7 pounds from July. No loss in August until now. Patience is not one of my virtues.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,670 Member
    PamS53 wrote: »
    I think I've finally found a hairstylist that I like. I got my hair highlight d and cut today and so far I'm liking it. I'm reserving final judgment until I've washed it and worked with it myself, but I do like the color a lot. And she was very nice and personable, so I think I'll enjoy working with her. She's also young enough that she shouldn't be retiring anytime soon, lol!

    Interesting how that becomes an important criteria after you've had a couple people - hairdresser, doctor, etc. - disappear on you!
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,670 Member
    KonaKat wrote: »
    Good moring! I see that NS has a special going today announced via email that if you order $100 of a la carte, shipping is free.

    The scale finally moved. I am down 10 pounds from the time I returned from Branson in June or 7 pounds from July. No loss in August until now. Patience is not one of my virtues.

    Well, yeah!

    Patience isn't one of my virtues either.

    I think thinking of exercise as a prescription makes sense but in the long run is self destructive for many of us. BUT I don't know how to think of it any other way. Intellectually I can understand that if it was fun I'd stick with it but exercise has never been fun for me in all my 66 years.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,670 Member
    I usually have a minimum of 3 books going at once - kindle, paper and CD. I've never had any problem keeping track. But right now my head is spinning.

    On audio I'm listening to The Theory of Death by Faye Kellerman. On paper I'm reading David Baldacci's Memory Man.

    BOTH of them have a detective named Decker. And BOTH of them have special mental abilities caused by accidents as a key plot point. I gotta admit my first thought was why in heavens did David Baldacci not come up with a different name for his detective? Does he not read Faye Kellerman?

  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,670 Member
    That was supposed to be YAY! Not yeah!
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    I love Wendy's Grilled chicken sandwich, so I am having it for dinner along with a side salad. The sandwich is my bread for the week, and the chicken is so yummy.
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    I've had fun with these calculators based upon a health study done in Canada. How long will you live? Sodium eaten? Nursing home? Medical care?

    https://www.projectbiglife.ca/
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    xvv7vfib0bph.jpg

    I'm satisfied with the protein as it is in the range expected for me on my current program. I try to keep the carbs below 100 so I'm over today as well as the sodium. Those values are not the same as the ones generated by MFP when I signed up and used for the basis of comparison.
  • Helene610
    Helene610 Posts: 2,852 Member
    I've never learned to love exercise either. I think we were born too soon. I watch these kids at the Olympics and I'm so impressed by the hard word and dedication they have for their sport. aThey must love what they do or I can't believe they'd spend years doing it if they didn't love it. And of course they're in great shape due to the hours they put it. They are amazing.
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    Another rainy day. I started the day with Quaker Weight Control oatmeal. I haven't had it in a month.
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