Need a 5 month miracle! Advice-givers invited!

bigsargswife

I can speak highly of strength training - I've been doing the New Rules of Lifting for Women program and seeing some great results (not on the scale, but with the tape measure). I have a friend who uses an insulin pump and she has been finding that working out hard in the evening has led to some pretty stable blood sugar levels through the overnight. It was unexpected, but she's been thrilled.


Personally I would avoid the "Body by Vi" challenge, just because so many of the people pushing it are pushing it just for the sake of getting their own products for free. It doesn't convince me that people really believe in the product, vs just trying to sign people up to get free product so they can try it themselves. That, and shakes are not FOOD.

Thank you for your advice. I have heard so many people talking about that Lifting for Women thing; I'm going to research it more. Do you have any links you can post that you've found helpful with that program?
And don't worry, I'm not going the "Vi" route. I've heard enough about that too. Not for me.
Thanks again!

PS. I just bought the lifting for women book on Amazon.

dovesgate

Ah - you're the same height and 10lbs lighter than me.

Your BMI is 32.2
(http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/)

I use the calorie deficit chart from this link (smart guy, he's a trainer and he's lost weight too):
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

And here's his guide to losing weight:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/49690-the-banks-plan?hl=the+banks+plan&page=3#posts-3047049
(sorry it starts on page 3; it kept showing an error with my username in the website address - weird!)

So by using this link, you'd set your goal at 1.5lbs per week instead of 2. (This is what I am set at.)

This last week I made a couple changes for myself by weighing my food with a scale instead of using my measuring cups. I also didn't notice it but I cut my sodium intake in half. I ended up losing 5.4lbs this last week with these two changes.

KareninCanada

Thank you for your advice. I have heard so many people talking about that Lifting for Women thing; I'm going to research it more. Do you have any links you can post that you've found helpful with that program?

There is a group here called NROLFW, and there is a website as well - www.thenewrulesoflifting.com - where you can get a lot of questions answered.

bigsargswife

Ah - you're the same height and 10lbs lighter than me.

Your BMI is 32.2
(http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/)

I use the calorie deficit chart from this link (smart guy, he's a trainer and he's lost weight too):
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

And here's his guide to losing weight:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/49690-the-banks-plan?hl=the+banks+plan&page=3#posts-3047049
(sorry it starts on page 3; it kept showing an error with my username in the website address - weird!)

So by using this link, you'd set your goal at 1.5lbs per week instead of 2. (This is what I am set at.)

This last week I made a couple changes for myself by weighing my food with a scale instead of using my measuring cups. I also didn't notice it but I cut my sodium intake in half. I ended up losing 5.4lbs this last week with these two changes.

Holy crap, I've never lost 5 pounds in a week!
Thank you for all of that info!!!!

bigsargswife

Thank you for your advice. I have heard so many people talking about that Lifting for Women thing; I'm going to research it more. Do you have any links you can post that you've found helpful with that program?

There is a group here called NROLFW, and there is a website as well - www.thenewrulesoflifting.com - where you can get a lot of questions answered.

Thanks! I just bought the book too.

millerll

Are you near a military base? Most bases (at least in the Air Force) have a Health and Wellness Center, or something similar, where they have some type of body fat measuring device. The AF uses the Bod Pod, and it's highly accurate. As a dependent, you can make an appointment to have your body fat measured for free. Once you know how much BF and lean mass you have, you'll be better able to track your actual fat loss, versus a number on the scale. It's very helpful as you measure your progress. You can get re-checked every 6 weeks or so to see how you're doing.

I also agree on the New Rules book, or the Bodybuilding.com plan. Both are great. Ditto the food scale - best little device in my kitchen!

In the end, you may not lose 50 pounds in 5 months, but I'd bet that with a sound eating plan and exercise, you can drop a LOT of body fat. He won't see the number on the scale, but he'll sure notice the change in your body shape. Good luck!

bigsargswife

Are you near a military base? Most bases (at least in the Air Force) have a Health and Wellness Center, or something similar, where they have some type of body fat measuring device. The AF uses the Bod Pod, and it's highly accurate. As a dependent, you can make an appointment to have your body fat measured for free. Once you know how much BF and lean mass you have, you'll be better able to track your actual fat loss, versus a number on the scale. It's very helpful as you measure your progress. You can get re-checked every 6 weeks or so to see how you're doing.

I also agree on the New Rules book, or the Bodybuilding.com plan. Both are great. Ditto the food scale - best little device in my kitchen!

In the end, you may not lose 50 pounds in 5 months, but I'd bet that with a sound eating plan and exercise, you can drop a LOT of body fat. He won't see the number on the scale, but he'll sure notice the change in your body shape. Good luck!

The base isn't close but I would drive for an assessment! Thanks for that great idea!
And I'm glad everyone has been so helpful on here tonight. I am officially not worried about the actual number anymore thanks to you all. I'm just wanting to get healthy and enjoying buying clothes again. New clothes, healthier body, husband home. Bring it on!
Thanks again for the encouragement!

khaddar

My biggest word of advice is to eat lean, clean and green! I'm on the Tone it up diet plan (you can google it), and it has changed the way my body looks and feels, it's amazing! Just cutting out processed foods (you wouldn't believe how many foods have high fructose corn syrup in them!) makes you feel like you have so much more energy. I also eat five meals a day on this diet plan (two of them are smaller like snacks), and it helps keep your metabolism going and would probably be better for your diabetes. I really recommend you look into the plan!
The girls from Tone it up also have free workout videos on youtube if you look it up. They post new ones every week or so. My advice to you is to find something you really like doing and keep doing it every week (This is running and hot yoga for me). Then also try something new every week to keep your body from getting used to the same exercise. That's why those videos are so amazing. Bodyrock.tv also has some very challenging videos (I pretty much collapse when I try to do them!).
Good luck hun, sounds like you're on the right track and your husband will be in awe no matter what!

bigsargswife

Thank you everyone SO MUCH! I have officially let go of the numbers game and am looking forward to being healthy no matter what the scale says!
I appreciate the time you each took to give input into a stranger's life. You've helped me have a clearer goal; and for me that's a big deal right now with everything else that I have going on!
It's midnight here so I'm off to bed BUT please feel free to continue posting anything you all have to share! I will check on here again in the morning!!
God bless!

bigsargswife

My biggest word of advice is to eat lean, clean and green! I'm on the Tone it up diet plan (you can google it), and it has changed the way my body looks and feels, it's amazing! Just cutting out processed foods (you wouldn't believe how many foods have high fructose corn syrup in them!) makes you feel like you have so much more energy. I also eat five meals a day on this diet plan (two of them are smaller like snacks), and it helps keep your metabolism going and would probably be better for your diabetes. I really recommend you look into the plan!
The girls from Tone it up also have free workout videos on youtube if you look it up. They post new ones every week or so. My advice to you is to find something you really like doing and keep doing it every week (This is running and hot yoga for me). Then also try something new every week to keep your body from getting used to the same exercise. That's why those videos are so amazing. Bodyrock.tv also has some very challenging videos (I pretty much collapse when I try to do them!).
Good luck hun, sounds like you're on the right track and your husband will be in awe no matter what!

Thank you! I will look into that too! I appreciate it!

Goodnight all!

chikpea83

My friend who has Type 1 Diabetes and an implanted pump suggests seeing an endocrinologist on a regular basis along with/in addition to your nutritionist. He/she will design a detox program based your individual specific needs and probably offer something right in his/her office. After she starting visiting her endocrinologist for regular detox, she was able to maintain her bloodsugar levels better and get in better physical shape, because she had more energy and even swore she had clearer thinking after a session.

The same friend also got in terrific shape using one of those little trampolines (36" wide?) that burnes more calories than many types of exercise, but be sure you get the one that can tilt (see included instructions) - you can find them used on craigslist all the time with all the DVDs/instructions included for $20 - $65. If you have small children, I recommend the kind that folds in half that you can store in the hall closet. It's such a fun way to exercise on a rainy day! And if you put it in the living room, you can hop on for 10 mintues while you watch TV, take a break from reading, catch up with neighbors when they stop by unexpectedly, blast your favorite CD while no one is there, brush your hair before bed. I saw her do all these things on her mini-trampoline. However, she does not recommend hopping on while you brush your teeth, clip your nails, or read a book. She's crazy enough she may be speaking from experience. I'm never quite sure with her. : )

I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH "EAT LEAN, CLEAN AND GREEN!" I am over 40 and have rheumatoid arthritis. I've never felt better both physically and mentally than I have after adding these basic things to my lifestyle:
1) only consuming things with total sugars of 9g or under (not total carbs - that's different, but you probably already know that) 2) cutting out all artificial sweeteners (there are so many reasons why, not the least of which is fluid retention)
3) stop drinking sodas
4) stop consuming caffeine (1 8 oz beverage reduces your ability to absorb vit B by 30%)
5) eat organic as much as possible, most especially dairy products (the non-organic ones tend to be loaded with hormones, antibiotics, etc.) and meats
6) stop eating prepacked foods from the grocery store or fast food altogether
7) before consuming anything, ask yourself these questions (steps to eating "greener" make you tremendously healthier):
a) Did it grow in the earth or exist in nature the way it is now, or has it been cooked/alterned in some way (other than those things that were alive and are now dead)? Was it bleached or enriched? If so, why?
b) Does it have more than five ingredients? If it does, there's probably a better choice I could make.
c) How far did it travel to get on my plate? The longer it takes to get on your plate, the less nutritional benefits it provides.
d) Is there a local farmer, rancher, grower, or organic farm I could have obtained this from instead of the way I did?
f) Was this seafood caught wild and come from the nearest ocean? This industry is hurting badly. Read the labels on your frozen fish. If it comes from a country other than ours, I suggest not eating it. The reasons are many and the internet is loaded with educational information about why. I'll let you check that out.

It's a good idea to join a local food co-op. Try to find one that is connected to an organic farm or farm co-op. You can search the internet to find a local farm near you that participates in a program that drops the vegies (and sometimes meats) right off to you or can be picked up locally. There is usually a co-op you can join. As a member you may go pick your own vegies or receive a box/bag once a week/biweekl/month for you and your family. In the box, there will be vegies, grains (sometimes breads baked by others in the coop), and maybe even meats depending on the coop you join along with recipes of the things you can make with the items included. So even if you don't know what to do with star fruit, spaghetti squash, and pickling cucumbers, you won't be working without some guidance and ideas loved by those who grew the food. You might even get to know some new "neighbors" in your community you didn't know before. You might even learn to grow a few things and want to have a "share" in growing a small portion of the food for the co-op in the community garden. It's a great way to teach children how to appreciate the earth and what farmers do for us. Here are some websites to help guide you in your search:
- www.localharvest.org/organic-farms
- www.pickyourown.org
- www.eatwild.org
- www.localorganic.net.

If you can't locate a farm within a reasonable distance, then try to find a local organic grocer, egg grower, or pasturizer. Here are some websites to help with that:
- www.organicstorelocator.com
- www.thegoodhuman.com

If you must dine out, which is essential to most of our modern lifestyles, search the internet to see if there are restaurants that buy local, buy organic, and buy wildcaught fish/seafood (that is also local if you are near a local source), and make things from scratch. Don't be afraid to ask for things without sauces/gravies/fried items when going to these places. We experience that the love us locals (especially those they know support the local farmers/ranchers the same way they do) and will bend over backwards to accomodate our nutritional needs at all our local favorites. The website will be called something like: Local First, Go Local, Be a Local/Buy Local, Locals Supporting Locals, Locally You, Local, etc. If nothing else, visit your chamber of commerce for a list of businesses that grow foods/meats/seafood or prepare them to sell.

Beware of things labeled "diet, low calorie, low fat, heart healthy, light, and no sugar added." The food marketing industry is cashing in on our unfortunate obesity problem as a way to make money. They've been doing it for so many years. The majority of those items contain other forms of sugar. For instance, one top-selling "light" yogurt maker (I will not say the name) loads it's prodcut with high fructose corn syrup. I don't consider that "light." Another famous "baker" loads it's "light" breads with high fructose corn syrup (her bread did taste good, though). Most of the products out there with llabels touting that there is "no sugar added" either have high fructose corn syrup or other things that cause blood sugar changes (even sucralose causes this with some people). Any food with any form of sugar or any form of sweetener can make you retain fluid and halt weight loss faster than just about anything you could do. AND I don't have to explain that it can cause insomnia just like a big cup of coffee can if consumed late in the day.

Some specific food suggestions:
- substitue sweet potatoes or blue potatoes (they have fewer carbs and more nutritional benefits) for white potatoes
- substitute brown rice for white rice (there are even quick cooking kinds and steam in the bag kinds without bad stuff in them)
- substitute cereals high in fiber AND without corn syrups
- substitute any corn product with a brown/whole grain rice or pasta product (stay away from corn tortillas & corn bread)
- substitute whole grain or multigrain pasta for white pasta (our favorite is Barilla Plus, because it's high in protein and made mostly from bean/legume flour - it helps maintain glycemic balances)
- make sure every bread, pasta, tortilla, flat bread, hamburger bun, cereal, etc. (or any other grain-based food item that doesn't come to mind just now) has less than 10g sugars and more than 4 grams fiber

Your husband sounds like a really great guy. He will be so happy you have made lifestyle changes that make you healthier and be in his life and grow old along side him. Try not to get caught up in hype of the numbers and unreasonable goals that can make you sick in addition to being overweight, especially with Type 1 Diabetes. It's not worth the risk...especially to the man you are trying to impress. Concentrate on getting strong, getting healthy inside your body AND mind. Gaining weight (150 lbs extra) was the worst pyschological damage I ever did to myself. Losing it in an unhealthy way would only be punishing my body twice as much and my mind ten-fold. Technicially, both are forms/kinds/levels of self-mutulation. If you already did one of them to yourself, please don't do the other. Besides, if you set unreasonable goals, you'll be disappointed, feel guilty, and punish yourself by either eating something that makes you gain more weight or foregoing calories you need to function and heal the damage the extra weight has done as you shed pounds. There's no reason to punish yourself or treat yourself badly just because you already did it to gain the weight. Forgive yourself for gaining the weight you did, forgive yourself for disfiguring your body the way you have, forgive your self for the stinkin thinkin that got you to an unhealthy weight. Live with the body you have. Accept for what it now is: a temporary house for your innards while you are building the beautiful temple where they will eventually reside for the rest of your life. Be grateful you have it just the way it is, because it gets you from point A to point B every day, doesn't it? Look in the mirror every night before bed and every morning when you wake up and thank the girl who stands there staring back at you for loving you enough to do something healthy about your situation. The one in the mirror loves you for what you are doing. Let the one staring in the mirror love her back for waking up before it was too late to fix it.

Lose the weight by healthy means no matter how long it takes and never go back to the lifestyle that allowed you to gain it (even if you and husband plan future pregnancies - never lean on that for an excuse since you know you have issues with gaining weight), and you'll never have to do this EVER again. I know this is the last time I ever will no matter if it takes me the rest of my life to undo what I have done. I will find a way that makes me the healthiest and fitest I can be. In the end, that's the goal that's going to count way more than what size dresses we wear or what or measurements are or how much we weight. Let's find it together for ourselves and those we love who want to have us in their lives for as long as they can! I buried 3 friends/family members in the last 4 months who were all obese and were at risk for the diseases that killed them because of it (breast cancer, lung disease, colon cancer, stomach cancer, and heart disease). Last year, I had to be beside dying or ailing friends younger than 35 who probably wouldn't have been where they were if they were not obese. I don't want to see anymore beautiful, young women (yes, I mean you) have their lives cut short because of obesity or dieting.

happygolucky2169

I am a diabetic too and struggle. I eat the 1200-1500 range and still am not doing nearly as well as I like and my nutritionist doesn't understand it. The best I have figured so far is to eat the complex carbs when needed and a lot of protein and veggies. It feels like my doctor or my nutritionist focus as much on my weight. Mostly everything is based off bloodsugars.

I have really given up on getting to a number for goal weight wise. I have changed my goals to be fitness related such as run 1 mile, do a 5k, do 1 pull up. And whatever weight I lose on that journey will be just the side effect.

Man diabetes sucks though!