Excited for doctors appt....until I went

lorcart

I'm so discouraged right now. I had my first doc appt. since losing weight. I've been working my *kitten* off (literally). I was so excited to see the lab results...until I went. Took my BP....same as before. Looked at lab results...same. Cholesterol...same....everything..SAME....honestly I had the healthiest labs when I was a freaking smoker! I quit, gained a ton of weight and it all went to hell in a handbasket. I should just be a fat smoker again and maybe it'll all get better!

soldier4242

Labs be damned there is nothing healthy about being a fat smoker. I don't know why you would let the labs dictate your motivation anyways. If you have given up smoking then good. If you are working your *kitten* off (literally) then good. Stick with it and make as many healthy decisions as you can. If you take your body to a health place then your labs will get there in time. Don't let this doctor visit be a reason to fall back in to old habits. If anything this just means you need to work even harder.

coolvstar650

I have said this before, but...

Sometimes it really takes a while to make an impact on the numbers...you body will try to hold on to its SOP for a while. My dad (63) has had the same experience. His numbers move so slowly, and he eats right and exercises 6 freaking days a week. BUT his numbers do move, just not nearly as fast as he wants them to.

ausped

I lost almost 100 pounds and still have to take bp medicine. Dr. is happy with my weight but says high bp might just be genetic for me. Don't let your numbers discourage you. Keep plugging along. You will eventually feel better even if your numbers don't tell the story.

xsmittles

Don't let it discourage you, use it as motivation to keep at it!

13suzie

Seems "they" are learning that exercise has little to do with cholesterol. I'm an avid runner (logging at least 40 miles a week) and I eat pretty clean - when I got the high cholesterol message I couldn't believe it. Anyhow, my doc put me on omega 3 supplements (fish oil) and the cholesterol dropped a ton in just one month! Just a thought. Anyhow, keep up the good eating and exercise because there are so many immeasurable benefits. Good luck!

lorcart

Thanks guys, I really do know I'm doing all the right things. I'm just being a big pouty baby right now! lol I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing because regardless of the stupid numbers...I feel SO much better. She is going to do a calcium scan to take a look at my arteries. She was THRILLED at my weight loss and told me to be patient and keep doing what I'm doing. I just had to vent....thanks!

Timshel_

Labs be damned there is nothing healthy about being a fat smoker.

Exactly. I know you are frustrated and just speaking out, but don't get too discouraged. Think about it this way. It took you years to get to the point you said enough is enough and started making the changes to a healthier lifestyle. You need to give your body that kind of time to work its' way back too.

Think about all you have already accomplish on the scale and off. Just keep at it!

cebreisch

It's taken me losing 117 pounds for my cholesterol to finally start moving!!! And it's a pain in the butt waiting for those numbers to finally move. UGH! I understand.

Stick with it, it'll come!!! KNOW that you're taking steps to become more healthy - and that it'll come.

cngeike

Labs be damned there is nothing healthy about being a fat smoker. I don't know why you would let the labs dictate your motivation anyways. If you have given up smoking then good. If you are working your *kitten* off (literally) then good. Stick with it and make as many healthy decisions as you can. If you take your body to a health place then your labs will get there in time. Don't let this doctor visit be a reason to fall back in to old habits. If anything this just means you need to work even harder.

I agree with Soldier.

concordancia

I took a look at your diary. You seem to be following a low fat diet, but reducing carbs while be careful of what kinds of fats has been shown to have a greater effect on blood work. Check out information on South Beach, Sonoma and Mediterranean diets, which all have a similar philosophy of lots of protein and veggies, limited whole grains and a moderate amount of healthy fats from fish, nuts and olive oil.

A couple of times this week, you had green beans with rice, served with more rice. Instead of that extra rice, get some more protein!

Instead of a tortilla for breakfast, use a half tbsp of olive oil, or use one egg and two egg whites. Err, looking at your calorie totals, add both!

Eat half the sweet potato and more turkey...

I really want to say something about lean cuisine, as well, but that is one of my weakness, too

neandermagnon

I have said this before, but...

Sometimes it really takes a while to make an impact on the numbers...you body will try to hold on to its SOP for a while. My dad (63) has had the same experience. His numbers move so slowly, and he eats right and exercises 6 freaking days a week. BUT his numbers do move, just not nearly as fast as he wants them to.

^^^^ this

eat healthy

exercise

stick to your calorie target

the numbers will catch up. they may take time.

also what concordancia said. Low fat diet isn't necessarily the best diet. Your body needs healthy fat, and some healthy fats can actually protect against metabolic disease. For olive oil, get cold pressed oil, because heat can damage some of the nutrients in fat, while cold pressing preserves it. You don't even need to eat huge quantities of oil, but you need some. It's calorie dense so measure and count the calories in them carefully, but do eat them. Oily fish is particularly good. Grilled gently, not overcooked.

lorcart

Ok, well first of all the "green beans and rice...and rice" isn't exactly accurate to what you think it is. It's just what I named the recipe. It's not twice the rice..I promise! lol It's actually green beans, tomatoes and lean hamburger...on rice....only once! lol We have just always called the green bean "mixture" green beans and rice. I just saved the recipe for the green beans, tomatoes and lean ground beef as "green beans and rice", but the recipe itself has no rice in it. Then I add the rice to my diary. So it isn't really tellin you the story. As for lean cuisine, you don't see it often on there...but I do eat them occasionally.

lorcart

And I do cook with olive oil, I just don't always add it to my diary. I also take fish oil tabs and eat salmon occasionally. I know it just takes time, but DAMN IT I wanted to see SOMETHING!

darwinwoodka

Try a D3K2 supplement -- that was what dropped my cholesterol like crazy. Omega 3s help a lot too.

concordancia

Ok, well first of all the "green beans and rice...and rice" isn't exactly accurate to what you think it is. It's just what I named the recipe. It's not twice the rice..I promise! lol It's actually green beans, tomatoes and lean hamburger...on rice....only once! lol We have just always called the green bean "mixture" green beans and rice. I just saved the recipe for the green beans, tomatoes and lean ground beef as "green beans and rice", but the recipe itself has no rice in it. Then I add the rice to my diary. So it isn't really tellin you the story. As for lean cuisine, you don't see it often on there...but I do eat them occasionally.

But you are still eating three servings of white rice at a time!

MinnieInMaine

Not sure about the rest of it but I know for sure with cholesterol/lipids that, as someone else said, it can take the body a little time to adjust. As a matter of fact, my totals actually went up last year because I was going through one of those cycles. They're back down this year so my doc and I are quick happy.

Sounds like you're making some good healthy changes. For BP, I've heard sodium intake can be a big factor so make sure you're tracking that and cut down when you can. For choleserol, I'd also suggest making sure you're eating plenty of whole grains (100% whole wheat bread, steel cut oats) and green leafy veg (spinach, kale, broccoli, etc) and snack on nuts (almonds, walnuts).

Are you doing cardio exercises?

Keep up the good work and hopefully next year you'll see better results.

cwolfman13

I haven't been able to control my BP with diet (pretty much a hereditary thing), but I have made substantial improvements in RE to lowering my LDL, raising my HDL, and lowering my triglycerides.

Losing weight is an important component here, but even more important is the foods that make up your diet when you're talking about these numbers.

To raise HDL and lower LDL...Get your Omega 3s. Take fish oil pills for starters, I take 2 x 1,000 mg salmon oil pills daily. Get more fatty fish in your diet as well...salmon, tuna...I eat salmon or tuna at least 2-3 times weekly.

Cook with more olive oil...eat avocado...eat nuts (almonds and pistachios are particularly heart healthy)...get those heart healthy fats in your diet. Also, get your soluble fiber (oatmeal)...I eat oatmeal pretty much every morning except weekends. Also, just get more fiber in general...lots of veg, fruit, and some whole grains.

Watch your saturated fats. Over consumption of saturated fats leads to high cholesterol..much more so than dietary cholesterol. Saturated fats are one of the few micro nutrients I actually track.

If you have high triglycerides, you'll want to watch your carbs in general, but particularly your intake of refined/added/processed sugar...this would include white rices, white breads, etc. I get the vast majority of my carbs now from veg, fruit, and some whole grains...very little refined sugar in my diet, but some...just minimal. I do occasionally indulge in regular pasta and real tortillas (I'm from NM...a tortilla is pretty sacred)...but I keep those things to a minimum.

For you BP, watch your sodium and keep it down and keep your potassium up. I do all of these things and have made excellent progress on my blood work, but my hypertension seems to be hereditary rather than dietary. Also, if you're not doing so, get out and get some exercise...3-5 times per week for 30-45 minutes. Even just walking helps a lot.

lorcart

Ok, well first of all the "green beans and rice...and rice" isn't exactly accurate to what you think it is. It's just what I named the recipe. It's not twice the rice..I promise! lol It's actually green beans, tomatoes and lean hamburger...on rice....only once! lol We have just always called the green bean "mixture" green beans and rice. I just saved the recipe for the green beans, tomatoes and lean ground beef as "green beans and rice", but the recipe itself has no rice in it. Then I add the rice to my diary. So it isn't really tellin you the story. As for lean cuisine, you don't see it often on there...but I do eat them occasionally.

But you are still eating three servings of white rice at a time!

uuh NO, I'm NOT...it's just what I named the recipe!!! It's green beans, tomatoes, lean ground beef....that's what is currently named "green beans and rice". NO RICE in it...just 1. green beans 2. tomatoes 3. lean ground beef. Served on...1. rice. That's all the rice...no more....

concordancia

Ok, well first of all the "green beans and rice...and rice" isn't exactly accurate to what you think it is. It's just what I named the recipe. It's not twice the rice..I promise! lol It's actually green beans, tomatoes and lean hamburger...on rice....only once! lol We have just always called the green bean "mixture" green beans and rice. I just saved the recipe for the green beans, tomatoes and lean ground beef as "green beans and rice", but the recipe itself has no rice in it. Then I add the rice to my diary. So it isn't really tellin you the story. As for lean cuisine, you don't see it often on there...but I do eat them occasionally.

But you are still eating three servings of white rice at a time!

uuh NO, I'm NOT...it's just what I named the recipe!!! It's green beans, tomatoes, lean ground beef....that's what is currently named "green beans and rice". NO RICE in it...just 1. green beans 2. tomatoes 3. lean ground beef. Served on...1. rice. That's all the rice...no more....

You have entered 1.5 cups of rice on each day you have eaten this. That is three servings of rice.

lorcart

I do exercise 6 days a week. 6 days cardio and 3 days weights. (just so no one thinks I can't do math either the days I do weights I ALSO do cardio). I have a Fitbit and I just let it do the adjustments instead of logging each exercise, so it looks like I don't exercise, but I do.

lorcart

OMG Ok, yes, I'm a freaking rice addict..that's what I eat..rice rice rice...I'm good with that...I know what I'm eating and I didn't realize how very important it was to label everything so everybody else could be happy with it. I'll try to do a better job. In the meantime, i have a pile of rice calling my name..cause that's all I can think about right now.

ninerbuff

While BP can change significantly, cholesterol is more genetic since even reducing dietary cholesterol doesn't affect it much at all.
Just keep it up. Especially after being a smoker, your endurance and stamina have been greatly affected and what you may perceive as hard work, may be average for another person of your same height, weight and age.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Goal_Line

Be patient. Your only a 1/3 of the way. I'll bet $100 that after you drop another 30lbs your labs will be improved.

rell2k13

Labs be damned there is nothing healthy about being a fat smoker. I don't know why you would let the labs dictate your motivation anyways. If you have given up smoking then good. If you are working your *kitten* off (literally) then good. Stick with it and make as many healthy decisions as you can. If you take your body to a health place then your labs will get there in time. Don't let this doctor visit be a reason to fall back in to old habits. If anything this just means you need to work even harder.

lorcart

Thanks guys...I'm going to ROCK the next visit in 6 months. Can't wait!

makaiya

i'm a respiratory therapist and i work in both a regular hospital and a nursing home.

fat smokers don't do well. neither do skinny smokers. and i want to smack them both for wanting breathing treatments before and after they go out for smokes.

so, save yourself a beating from a respiratory therapist and don't freaking smoke.

lorcart

haha I don't plan on going back to smoking..but DAMN..my numbers were SO much better when I did! :P