It's time to get serious!
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beachwoman2006
Posts: 1,214 Member
I'm posting this as a reminder to ME.
So I had a doctor's appointment yesterday for follow-up of my BP. Everytime I go see him my BP is through the roof even though it's almost always normal when I take it at home. So the beginning of March, we decided that I would take my BP at home in the morning (before coffee) and in the evening and bring the record in with me to PROVE that my meds are working fine at controlling my BP and that what he's seeing is my "white coat syndrome". Remember that I'm a "new" patient for him since I moved here and FINALLY switched to a doctor down here. My doctor in Raleigh (for more than 20 years) KNEW that I had white coat syndrome so didn't freak out when it was high in his office.
The good news is that he now BELIEVES me LOL My BP has averaged 139/72 at home for over a month. I sat down in his office yesterday and the nurse took my BP -- 162/89 and that's lower than it usually is there.
The bad news is that we talked about my weight. This is the first time in YEARS that a doctor has talked to me about my weight. I'm currently 9 pounds above my goal weight and, honestly, my goal weight should be lower because I'm 3" shorter now than I was when I reached goal.
My weight yesterday (fully clothed -- jeans, short-sleeved shirt and flip-flps was 149 which puts my BMI at 29.1. In order to get back to a BMI below 25, I need to lose 22 pounds. I see him again the end of September and he would LIKE to see me at 127 by that time. That's 5.5 months from now which means I need to average a loss of 4 pounds a month.
I have a plan
I'm going to start out being more conscious of portion sizes (HATE the thought of weighing and measuring) and journaling on MFP. If, after a couple of weeks, I'm not seeing any results then I'm going to bite the bullet and rejoin WW. I'm not even going to tell them that I'm a lifetime member. When I get back to my official WW goal weight, then I'll discuss the fact that I want to drop my goal weight. OR I'll leave it at 140 and just not pay WW for attending meetings.
So I had a doctor's appointment yesterday for follow-up of my BP. Everytime I go see him my BP is through the roof even though it's almost always normal when I take it at home. So the beginning of March, we decided that I would take my BP at home in the morning (before coffee) and in the evening and bring the record in with me to PROVE that my meds are working fine at controlling my BP and that what he's seeing is my "white coat syndrome". Remember that I'm a "new" patient for him since I moved here and FINALLY switched to a doctor down here. My doctor in Raleigh (for more than 20 years) KNEW that I had white coat syndrome so didn't freak out when it was high in his office.
The good news is that he now BELIEVES me LOL My BP has averaged 139/72 at home for over a month. I sat down in his office yesterday and the nurse took my BP -- 162/89 and that's lower than it usually is there.
The bad news is that we talked about my weight. This is the first time in YEARS that a doctor has talked to me about my weight. I'm currently 9 pounds above my goal weight and, honestly, my goal weight should be lower because I'm 3" shorter now than I was when I reached goal.
My weight yesterday (fully clothed -- jeans, short-sleeved shirt and flip-flps was 149 which puts my BMI at 29.1. In order to get back to a BMI below 25, I need to lose 22 pounds. I see him again the end of September and he would LIKE to see me at 127 by that time. That's 5.5 months from now which means I need to average a loss of 4 pounds a month.
I have a plan
I'm going to start out being more conscious of portion sizes (HATE the thought of weighing and measuring) and journaling on MFP. If, after a couple of weeks, I'm not seeing any results then I'm going to bite the bullet and rejoin WW. I'm not even going to tell them that I'm a lifetime member. When I get back to my official WW goal weight, then I'll discuss the fact that I want to drop my goal weight. OR I'll leave it at 140 and just not pay WW for attending meetings. 2
Replies
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Oh I'm also going to try to start being a more active member of this group. Sometimes just posting my thoughts and feelings helps. And seeing that I'm not the only one who has these problems also helps.2
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Good for you, Cindy. My blood pressure is creeping up on me, so my doctor wants me keeping a close watch on it.0
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@GavinFlynn1 -- I highly recommend that you get an at-home BP monitor. The one I use is the Microlife. It measures both BP and heart rate. It's easy to use and very accurate (we tested it in my doctor's office and compared their reading with it -- it was right on the mark). I think they now make the ones that just wrap around the wrist; but my doctor says those aren't as accurate. They're accurate for pulse but not so much for BP.
It definitely creeps UP (no pun intended) on you. I wish I had bought an at-home BP monitor sooner. But kind of like my weight, I think I didn't want to know what it was.
You know me...I have a spreadsheet where I record both my morning and evening BP readings AND heart rate in both arms (who kenw that the readings could be different??) and have one cell that's an average over the month
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So happy to hear from you. I saw you mentioned on the FB GoaD site the other day. Thought you may have moved on. We NEED you here..if just to TEASE!
A friend of mine was just discussing her white coat syndrome, good to know your Dr now believes you!
As far as weight loss goes, last year and 2017 I have been on a 52 pounds in 52 weeks challenge. Last year I dropped 37# , I was doing well up to Aug when I had knee surgery.
This year I was on target until I gained 3# end of March. Fourteen weeks in I've lost 11#
A pound a week always seems so "doable" (in my mind) but it's tough for me to sustain consecutive weekly losses. But a pound a week goal will get you were your Dr wants you to be.
The MFP 2017 52# in 52 weeks challenge is on the Challenge Forum page if you're interested.0 -
Thanks @Jimb376mfp ! I may get into it once I get my head back in the game!
No, I was out of town for several days helping one of my best friends pack to move from NC to Oklahoma. We've been friends for more than 20 years and have been through a lot together. I'm going to miss her! But geez...does she have a LOT of stuff. I packed 27 medium boxes from just her kitchen! And that doesn't count the 8 boxes of stuff packed to go to a local charity thrift store.
Day 1 -- I've weighed and measured everything I've eaten (ugh!) and journaled it at MFP. And I'm done for the night!1 -
Hey Cindy! I've wondered where you went, since I came back to regularly checking in Jan 1.
Good for you for getting back to it before 22#s turned into 44. It's 'funny' how we know what to do but it can still seem just beyond our reach ... until it isn't, and we're back on track and watching the scale go down. Here's hoping yours moves with plan A, but if not, plan B it is.
I have a question. Hope you don't mind. You said:
"If, after a couple of weeks, I'm not seeing any results then I'm going to bite the bullet and rejoin WW. I'm not even going to tell them that I'm a lifetime member. "
Will you base your goal on your current height then, or just stand really tall and go with your old height? Just curious.
Looking forward to watching your progress! You've got this! One way or another 0 -
Good to see ya Cindy for sure.Making me take mine now. 120/66 69 pulse. Sometimes up a bit seeing my oncologist. Maybe white coat.0
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Good to see ya Cindy for sure.Making me take mine now. 120/66 69 pulse. Sometimes up a bit seeing my oncologist. Maybe white coat.0
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I am a bit shorter. Maybe an inch snorter than my official WW height.0
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Welcome back Cindy! I missed you. And you've GOT THIS!!!
Ok, checking mine now too. lol
BP-113/66
HR-640 -
Doesn't it suck getting older & shorter! I have lost almost 3 inches in the last 5 years. I keep complaining to my wife that she needs to stop growling ( she has always been taller than me but it was just by 1/4 inch when we got married 6 years ago) I tell her that at this rate I am going to need a step stool just to kiss her.
I have been taking my BP and sugar every morning since my heart attack over 10 years ago. It always helped me to bring those records in to my Dr. As for the weight loss, You got this! You know what to do! We will all be here to listen and post when you need it.
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Cin, don't scoff, but a little simple yoga might help you get some height back. It got me back 1/2 inch. It also helps with my BP. AND you could argue it is not real exercise. Love seeing you post.1
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Us lifers who stay somewhat engaged need to take inventory every once in awhile. It's easier to lose 22# then 122#. Good luck Cindy.1
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Cindy, I have started taking BP readings daily this month after noticing it was up at my various Dr appts. I have never had a problem and don't want one. I suspect higher weight lower cardio. My walking has had some gaps with health problems. But I agree tracking is well worth the small investment in a home machine. You can get the 22 off. You know the drill, whether or not you like it. Get it done and get back to maintaining as you have all these years.0
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@linmueller You asked, "Will you base your goal on your current height then, or just stand really tall and go with your old height?:
Technically, I *guess* I could stick with my original goal weight at a height of 5'3" in 2002. Realistically? Who would I be fooling by doing that -- other than myself? I'm 15 years older and 3" shorter. So let's be real -- at only 5' tall, I SHOULD weigh less than 140!
I'm still not sure which I would do. The pro of keeping it the same is that, in only 3 pounds (yes, I was at 145 when I weighed this morning), I would no longer need to pay WW. I know that I didn't REALLY lose 4 pounds between Friday and this morning. I'm pretty sure that at least 2-3 pounds of that is because I was fully clothed at the doctor's office and au natural when I weighed this morning
The con is that WW isn't really too happy with members going way below their official WW goal without a doctor's note. BUT, if a doctor sets my new goal weight to 127, then I'm going to have to pay until I get there anyway. So I guess it's one of those potAto/potahto things.
I'm really hoping that I won't have to rejoin WW because I'm sure (based on what I've seen) I wouldn't be thrilled with the new program so probably wouldn't follow it and wouldn't really have any support for the plan that I would prefer. Why bother to pay to have someone weigh me once a week? I can do that at home. In fact, I already weigh myself at home every morning and record it in a spreadsheet. I can weigh and measure food, log my weights, and journal my food using MFP for free and I can get the support I need from the people here.
Well, THAT sure turned into a rambling train-of-thought didn't it? LOL0 -
Frankly, I was a bit concerned about where you might have gone. Of course I want to say something supportive. Instead I'm going to do something.
Funny, but when I first started WW I could hear one of my grade school teachers spouting the cliche "You're only cheating yourself." And suddenly it didn't sound like bs.
As of now my goal weight is revised down to 180 lbs. Thats only an educated guess. It's months until my annual physical. If there's an opportunity to get a good read on my height before that, I'll redo these #s. They have a medical scale at the gym, not sure about the height thingy.
PS I have good BP but actually game it at the Dr.
Years ago I read that a good looking nurse can mess up a guy's BP at the doc. I take a deep breath, exhale and my mind goes to Allerton Park outside Champaign IL., banks of Sangamon Creek. I can hear the water, the birds, & the wind in the trees. Works.1 -
@88olds You must have been typing your response at the same time I was typing mine! LOL "You're only cheating yourself." is exactly what I was saying in response to Lin's question. I *could* fool myself into thinking that 140 is okay for me; but I'm cheating no one other than myself!
As far as "gaming" it at the doctor's office, I have tried everything. I sit very quietly and stare straight ahead imagining myself sitting on the beach watching the waves (always calming for me). I've tried just letting my mind "go" and not thinking about anything. Nothing seems to calm me. I told the nurse on Friday that I thought they should write me a prescription for Valium so I could take one before I come in for an appointment.
The fact that the doctor thought 162/89 (the reading on Friday) was "good" should give you an idea of how high it is sometimes when I go in there The highest it's ever been in a doctor's office is 220/110!! He told me that if he didn't know that I had a provisional diagnosis of "white coat syndrome" and wasn't being treated for mild HBP, he would have sent me straight to the hospital LOL 0 -
@manladdvm Oh trust me...I would never scoff at yoga. I did yoga when I was working (we had yoga classes two days a week) and was amazed at what a workout it was! I came out of those classes sweating like a pig! But you're right...it doesn't seem like exercise which is great for someone like me.
Strange you should mention it because I dragged out my yoga CD yesterday and decided to get back to it. Once I feel comfortable with it, I'll probably start participating in the yoga classes they do on the beach on Saturday mornings down here.0 -
Cindy, TOL has shrunk to 5''0" also, but her doc signed her off for 147#. He's had too many patients (of age) die after a bad round of flu, pneumonia , etc.
He's going to sign me off at 225#, which is above my "goal".0 -
There's a woman client at the Pilates studio who says she gained 3" in height. But she's 40 years younger than I am.
Cindy- I think you raised this issue quite awhile ago. Couple of years? I never forgot, just kept pretending. Pretty sure the research is do one of these- grow older with a few extra lbs, relax and enjoy. Or go skinny.
Once you got the weigh less idea in my head, I can't unscramble that egg. Sure my feet will thank me.0
