Downsizers Team Chat - MAY 2022
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Hello Downsizers! My name is Cara and I'm one of the motivators for this group. I'm 55 years old, live in Richmond, VA and began losing weight in April of 2021. My starting weight was 250 and I lost over 100 pounds in less than a year - I recently hit my goal weight in March. I stuck to daily calories of 1,200 and never went above that number - not even once. I started adding exercise to my routine in December and am really enjoying being active. My doctor and I are still trying to figure out where my weight is going to settle. I had never been able to get below 150 lbs. as an adult - but I am currently at 144. My weight has kind of re-settled around my abdomen - it has never done that before - so my doctor is having me take things week-by-week to see if I can make this abdominal tire budge!
Check-in:
4/30:
Calories: 1,186
Exercise: 70 minutes elliptical
Steps: 17,806
A big welcome to @lallstar @ldyhawk and @catherinrose4 - we are so happy to have you here!
@roz0810 Amazing loss for the month of April - and great goals for May!
@gharvey2753 Congrats for this week's loss!
@28Haveitall2020 Binges happen - it's a new week - the important thing is to get right back on plan and move forward - you can do it!
@lindamtuck2018 I'm so glad you were able to manage a trip to the mall! You are a superstar!
@red1185 Great loss this week - it takes a lot of effort to stick with the program when things get busy - great job focusing on your goals - and that dinner does sound delicious!
@Cheesy567 Another great loss and excellent goals - congratulations!
@aactuallyaash Very impressive steps for the week!
@Jpedno Great job sticking to your 5k training - consistency is key and you are doing it!
Congratulations to our top losers - great job everyone!
I hope you have all been having a wonderful weekend!
Cara5 -
@peng123
Thanks Cara! You're an inspiration!1 -
I am still getting oriented with using MFP community groups. I understand there is a weigh-in that is to be posted so I just scrolled down to the ‘Post Reply’ section here. I started my scale weight when I enrolled this time last week.
Lallstar
PW: 244.8 (4/24/22)
CW: 239.4 (5/1/22)
Down 5.4!
Goal: food prep!3 -
good evening everyone. time for another week. i hope you enjoyed your weekend.
check in for 5/1:
steps - 7867 plus 20 minutes exercise bike moderate intensity.
calories - 1560 or close. wanted to be higher but am full. very healthy dinner of tilapia and roasted squash.
exercise - gym this afternoon. only 7 machines and 20 minutes bike. walk with daughter after dinner in the cold wind. 33 minutes. i hope i didn't catch a cold.
daughter wants to go to knott's berry farm on tuesday. 2 hours each way. just her and i doing one final trip before my surgery, since it may be a while before my strength and stamina return. those are her words, not mine.
@lindamtuck2018 i will weigh in friday before heading to the hospital. i will try to post it but i may just do it after i get back.1 -
a bit about myself... THIS IS A VERY LONG POST. SORRY IN ADVANCE.
My name is Roger, 57, 6'3" - which seems to be a good age in this group, married with an adult daughter, 33, who refuses to move out.
As a kid i was thin. i started getting fat while in the Navy. i was kicked out in 1995 because of my weight. afterwards i just kept getting fatter. in 2003 i got testicular cancer. i weighed 475 lbs. my last work was in 2008 and i haven't been able to work since. it started with my back and then my weight. i was unable to stand up straight for over 2 years and then one night my back popped and released whatever was being grabbed. i got up the next morning with no pain. i went to my dr. and asked for a stress test so i could start exercising. i was to big for the treadmill so i wound up with a chemical test. i passed with flying colors, but i was 520 lbs. i joined a gym and lost 60 lbs only to be chased out by "fat shamers" mocking me behind my back, but in mirrors in front of me. i was 460 lbs but not comfortable mentally. i gained weight and lost mobility. in 2012 i had a medical incident with one of my blood pressure meds. my b/p dropped to 50/0. i should have died that night and my wife and daughter would have woke up to a dead body staring at them. my wife heard my one call to her before i blacked out while sitting up straight. she woke up, came out and found me. i spent 3 days in the hospital getting tests. in 2017 i became house-bound. i had become so large i couldn't fit in a car, couldn't stand for more than 2 minutes, could only bathe 2-3 times a week because of the pain. in feb 2019 my dr. called and told me he couldn't renew my prescriptions since i hadn't seen him in 2 years. i had to tell him i was housebound and was unable to get there to see him. he referred me to home care thru the v.a. i started that program on march 20, 2019 at 566 lbs.
I started trying to eat better and getting my head straightened out by meeting with a nutritionist and behavior therapist every 2 or 3 weeks for over 2 years. it took 6 months to lost my first 30 lbs since i was still fighting myself and learning how to do it properly. starting in october 2019 i started losing 10-12 lbs per month until october 2021. during that time i decided to get gastric bypass so i was put in the weight clinic while still in the home care. i had my first appointments the day the president shut down the system. i was 479 lbs. over the next year i got all of the testing for surgery done. i passed them all. when the v.a. was able to do weight loss surgeries again i had a sit-down with my drs and we all decided to hold off since i was still losing weight steadily.
I am now to low for surgery but they are still willing to give it to me for "maintenance purposes". if i were to get it now i would only lose about 25 more lbs. I will pass, but keep it as an option in case i start climbing. Today i was 222.2 lbs, which is my lowest since about 1990. i have decided that i have hit the goal line, since i don't expect to lose much more. friday, may 6, i am having my first skin removal surgery. we are planning on at least 5 surgeries, thru the v.a., with about 6 months between for healing.
How i did it...LOGGING!! i have logged my food since december 1019. at first i wasn't counting calories or the amount i ate, just what it was that i put in my mouth. over time i started checking my portions and modifying my eating. i have weighted myself every day since june 2019 and logged that as well. i walk several times a week, usually 6-8 miles a day and go to the gym 1-2 times a week for light exercises. my first walk was all of 300 feet, took 4 1/2 minutes and i took 279 footsteps. i counted each one between gasping for breath. i walked at night so my neighbors wouldn't see me. i waddled like a duck since my legs were so fat my feet were wider apart than my shoulders.
When i started this journey i was on 2 blood pressure pills, 8 fish oil pills, baby aspirin and then added a couple other pills daily. now i have 4 fish oil pills, baby aspirin, vitamin d. i am just starting an iron suppliment and will be starting a multi vitamin after surgery. i no longer have high blood pressure but do have orthostatic hypotension, meaning my b/p drops low sometimes when i am standing. my heart rate has gone from 95bpm to 55bpm sitting up and 50bpm laying down. at my pre-op it was 44 sitting up so they got a bit excited.
my final tally is...344 lbs lost in 37 months without surgery or medication. i thank everyone who has helped me in this epic trek daily. i cannot thank everyone, including everyone here, enough for the support i have received.7 -
Roger you are such an incredible person with an awesome story... You truely are an inspiration to many ..I am sooooo very proud of you and your accomplishments
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We are off to go on our 1st walk of the week ... I have really learned to listen to my body(I am generally stubborn ... I can no longer do 5 days a week walking ...so I will be doing 3 days of walking and 2 days of Piyo (which I absolutely love)2
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@red1185
Fantastic loss! Your supper sounds delicious.
@Cheesy567
Great loss! I think with your road trip last month staying even during April is a big win. Keep up the great work.
@aactuallyaash
Nice steps for the week. Do you walk very often?
@Jpedno
Wow, a marathon! You are raising money for a great cause. Have you done one before? Are you new to running?
@peng123
Crazy steps! You must do a ton of walking. How money miles do you have to walk for the May badge? Did you get the April badge? I don’t know how you stick to under 1200 calories no matter what. That takes dedication. You are just amazing!
@lallstar
Very nice loss! You posted your weight correctly. I like your goal.
@rwood566
Roger, you are one amazing human. Your story is so inspiring. You have overcome so much and still reached your goal. I wish you the best with your upcoming surgeries.2 -
Congrats to our top three weight losers!
Week 4
@888Angie888
@gharvey2753
@MeowScout
April
@gharvey2753
@888Angie888
@jayenguk1 -
Steps: 12,251
Exercise: laps, water aerobics, arms
Badge Progress: 4.8/150.2
My May badge for my Apple Watch is to walk 150.2 km for the month. This works out to 4.8km per day or approximately 6,000 steps a day. My non converted steps are between 5000 and 5500. I am thinking of ways to increase my steps. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. So far today, I did a couple of laps around the apartment while my coffees were brewing. Thanks in advance for the ideas.2 -
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@lindamtuck2018 can you please give me your steps for 4/29 ...4/30 was 6556 correct?1
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Happy Monday, Downsizers! Here's my check-in:
5/1:
Calories: 1,145
Exercise: 70 minutes elliptical
Steps: 13,830
I had a great April - managed to close all the rings on my Apple Watch - which means I exercised every day and burned at least 500 calories each day doing so. I'm hoping that May is just as good!
@aactuallyaash Thanks so much for the friend request - looking forward to seeing all the amazing things you will do!
@lallstar Amazing loss this week! Congratulations! I see that you are going to focus on food prep this week - I food prep every week and it has made an enormous difference in my weight loss and maintenance.
@rwood566 You are my ultimate inspiration! I know you are nervous about your upcoming surgery - but I know you are going to do great - and I bet you will be so happy with the results! You know we will be thinking about you and sending positive thoughts for a quick recovery!
@Megan_smartiepants1970 Great idea with regard to listening to your body - so glad you have decided to mix up the walking with Piyo! Which Piyo classes are you taking?
@lindamtuck2018 Great steps and laps! I did get my April badge - yay! My May challenge is different than yours - I need to close all three rings on my Apple Watch for 25 days. I'm on the phone all day for work - so if I don't have to be in front of my computer, I get up and walk while I'm chatting with clients - I get a ton of steps done that way. Otherwise, I usually get 8,000 steps each time I exercise.
@Morethanjustanumber Excellent steps! Keep it up!
I hope you are all having a wonderful start to your week!
Cara4 -
Megan_smartiepants1970 wrote: »@lindamtuck2018 can you please give me your steps for 4/29 ...4/30 was 6556 correct?
Did I forget to post the 29th? I didn’t have it added up so sorry. I have 6,856 for the 30th but I may have made a typo when I posted. Fat fingers! 😂
29th 15,042
30th 6,8562 -
Happy Monday, Downsizers! Here's my check-in:
5/1:
Calories: 1,145
Exercise: 70 minutes elliptical
Steps: 13,830
I had a great April - managed to close all the rings on my Apple Watch - which means I exercised every day and burned at least 500 calories each day doing so. I'm hoping that May is just as good!
@aactuallyaash Thanks so much for the friend request - looking forward to seeing all the amazing things you will do!
@lallstar Amazing loss this week! Congratulations! I see that you are going to focus on food prep this week - I food prep every week and it has made an enormous difference in my weight loss and maintenance.
@rwood566 You are my ultimate inspiration! I know you are nervous about your upcoming surgery - but I know you are going to do great - and I bet you will be so happy with the results! You know we will be thinking about you and sending positive thoughts for a quick recovery!
@Megan_smartiepants1970 Great idea with regard to listening to your body - so glad you have decided to mix up the walking with Piyo! Which Piyo classes are you taking?
@lindamtuck2018 Great steps and laps! I did get my April badge - yay! My May challenge is different than yours - I need to close all three rings on my Apple Watch for 25 days. I'm on the phone all day for work - so if I don't have to be in front of my computer, I get up and walk while I'm chatting with clients - I get a ton of steps done that way. Otherwise, I usually get 8,000 steps each time I exercise.
@Morethanjustanumber Excellent steps! Keep it up!
I hope you are all having a wonderful start to your week!
Cara
That is awesome closing your rings every day. Congrats on your April badge as it was a tough one. That’s a smart way to get steps. Here’s to another perfect month!1 -
@Megan_smartiepants1970 Great idea with regard to listening to your body - so glad you have decided to mix up the walking with Piyo! Which Piyo classes are you taking?
I bought the beachbody PiYo dvd's ...I absolutely love them ..but I can't follow their schedule so I am only doing 2 days a week for the month of May
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JimBoden3
Weigh-in Day: Monday (May 2, 2022)
PW: 225.6
CW: 229.6
SW: 240
This is the 2nd weekend in a row to be out of town. Previously it was with my youngest son in Indianapolis for a soccer tournament (we're from St. Louis) and this last weekend it was to move our older son back home from college at The Ohio State University as well as meet up with our oldest daughter so my wife and her could pick out a wedding dress (they found one!) so lots to celebrate but these weekends of eating out for every meal are taking a toll. We have one more trip this weekend coming up for our other daughters graduation from Indiana University. I'm happy to be celebrating these milestones but I see another week of gains in my near future (although this last one likely includes some water-weight as that's big jump for me in 1-week's time.2 -
@lindamtuck2018
I do enjoy a stroll lol. Unfortunately, the weather isn't on my side yet and I don't have too many nature walks around me so these steps are from one of the longest aerobics youtube video video I've done so far, an hour and 20 minutes!1 -
@lindamtuck2018
It’s a half not a full marathon (I’m not crazy). I have done maybe 6 (probably 2-3 of those walking at least some significant portion with friends). But the last one was in Nov. 2017– I have struggled to train at this higher altitude - about 6,800 ft here in Santa Fe. I was at just under 5,000 ft when I lived in CO and was training often.1
This discussion has been closed.