Losing Weight with tracking and habit change

mskatz1966
mskatz1966 Posts: 36 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I am a 75 year old diabetic who has been overweight since my mid-40's; hit 265 at my highest. Height 5'8"; was a thin kid growing up, skin and bones in fact as a young teenager. I am a food addict but my food addictions did not catch up with me until my mid-40's. Then my 10-15 lb. weight swings from 180-195 transformed themselves into 25-30 lb. weight swings. Diagnosed with phase 2 diabetes in 2004 and have been managing it with oral medicine and now, Trulicity--an injectible, I take weekly.
Started a careful weight management program through the oversight of a weight management expert, a nurse practitioner named Aihua Hu with about 10 years of experience.
Have lost 11.8 lbs in the first three weeks. Aihua suggested tracking some new habits: 1) no snacking; 2) low carb diet (try to stay under 100 carbs per day); 3) no eating after 8:30; 4) drink one cup of water before meals; 5) at least one hour of no screen time before bed. She added some new exercise habits today--including 2-3 days of resistance training and 5-6 days of 30 minutes of cardio/aerobic work..
Committed to losing 40-50 lbs. and keeping it off. Off to a great start. Wish me well. I look forward to communicating with many of you.
Michael S. Katz
Professor Emeritus, San Jose State
P.S. I live in Palo Alto and use the 24 hour fitness center on California St. in Mountain View, Ca.

Replies

  • AustinRuadhain
    AustinRuadhain Posts: 2,573 Member
    Welcome to MFP! I hope the app and the community help you meet your health goals!

    If you'd like a group of friends and some structure for accountability, I'm a member of an MFP group that is wonderfully supportive. It's a monthly team weight loss challenge (the goal being for all of us to win!). If you join, you get assigned to one of several teams, and your weigh-ins would start counting for the team in June. There are optional daily check-ins -- very helpful when you use them, as you check in on how you are doing on your plan for yourself as regards food, water, exercise, plus any other health goals you had for the day. Weigh-in is weekly on whatever day you choose. People on the teams share challenges, victories, ideas and generally cheer each other on. Feel free to join, if this sounds appealing!
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10743634/june-2019-fat2fit-weight-loss-challenge-support-group-registration-page
  • mskatz1966
    mskatz1966 Posts: 36 Member
    I tried join but did not succeed-- the first time there was a "join" button in gree on the page but not the second time it just said "op tions" and when pressed the only option was "leave group."
  • KeithWhiteJr
    KeithWhiteJr Posts: 233 Member
    mskatz1966 wrote: »
    I tried join but did not succeed-- the first time there was a "join" button in gree on the page but not the second time it just said "op tions" and when pressed the only option was "leave group."

    If the only option is "leave group" then it sounds like you successfully joined! :)
  • AustinRuadhain
    AustinRuadhain Posts: 2,573 Member
    mskatz1966 wrote: »
    I tried join but did not succeed-- the first time there was a "join" button in green on the page but not the second time it just said "options" and when pressed the only option was "leave group."

    Hi there! It sounds like you did succeed in joining the group! (When I go to the group and look at the Options, I see only Leave Group.) If you did leave, you can simply rejoin.

    Next, head to this discussion. This is the discussion thread where people post a message to get themselves into the June challenge:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10743634/june-2019-fat2fit-weight-loss-challenge-support-group-registration-page/

    You want to post a reply message that includes the following:
    ** MFP User ID: (Your MFP screen name) @mskatz1966
    ** Weigh-in Day: (Day of the week you would like to weigh in on) fill in the day you want
    ** Starting Weight: Whatever your starting weight is
  • KyleSennett
    KyleSennett Posts: 1 Member
    Congratulations on the weight loss! I have diabetes in my family, I watch my diet closely because of that. I was at 295 last November and have lost 68 lbs, about 40 to go to my goal weight. I made a complete change in my diet and first started doing cardio 5x a week, and tracking both. Two things that I attribute to my success other than that were that I tracked everything -- my macros, everything I ate, every activity, and I promised myself I would only make goals that were 100% achievable. I also eventually made the rule that whenever I go off the wagon a little, I don't try to "make up the time," I just move on, back on the plan. I found by trying to still squeeze missed cardio or workouts into the rest of the week, I got caught in this eternal cycle of overdoing it. So, forgive yourself for missteps and just keep on forward. I have also made the change to working out with free weights only, barbell and dumbbell, and I am very pleased with the much faster muscle development and I am losing weight with less restrictive dieting. I find I am super hungry for protein on weight lifting days. If you can't do free weights, I would still recommend you use resistance bands or machines at the gym. I found that after the first few weeks of dieting only, I wasn't getting the results I wanted, and as soon as I started going to the gym the results were dramatic. I'm 46 and male.
  • mskatz1966
    mskatz1966 Posts: 36 Member
    Congratulations,Kyle, on your discipline and fantastic achievement with weight loss. Good for you to have started before you acquired phase 2 diabetes, something that accounts for approximately 50% of strokes and heart attacks. Have just started working with a trainer--only 3 sessions. but I appreciate the wisdom here, especially the idea of not making up time and overdoing it--one of my tendencies. I have approximately 40 lbs. to go and have eliminated one of my diabetic medications--glipizide. I also have a continous free style libre glucose monitor--costs me about $120 a month but I no longer have to prick my fingers to get blood sugar readings and can easily see which foods shoot up my blood sugar (e.g even carrots and tomatoes can give blood sugar an extra boost). I am on a no sugar, no white flour, low carb diet--tracking and weighing everything.
  • mskatz1966
    mskatz1966 Posts: 36 Member
    My weight management coach has emphasized to me two things: 1) identifying some bad habits that need to be "changed"; 2) maintaining consistency in whatever program you set up for yourself. I now track the habits I am tryig to change (no late night eating; no eating in front of the tv; no computer before breakfast; a cup of water before meals, and several more. This tracking of new habits parallels my fitness pal's tracking of food and exercise. We all know very well our "negative triggers" for eating inapropriately and/or overeating. Most of you are not "food addicts" as I am, with sneak eating habits (hiding food until no one is around; eating food while shopping in grocery stores, late night binging while watching tv, etc.). Everyone' issues are different and everyone's program must be based on a deep, honest form of self-knowledge and not just knowledge of foods and their nutritional value.
  • mskatz1966
    mskatz1966 Posts: 36 Member
    Went on a one week retreat in San Jose but commuted to and from retreat; was able to eat breakfast at home and buy salads and chicken wings/breasts/ etc. at Safeway a mile away; lost another 2.5 lbs. Down to 229.2 as of last Tuesday, June 12; started at 247.6 Had a low fasting blood sugar this morning--first morning low blood sugar--50, but did not feel week; went to 146 in an hour or so after eating some honeydew melon. Have stopped taking one of my diabetic medicines--glipizide. I used to take 2 a day; then one a day; now none. Still take maximal dose of Truliity once a week; and 1000 mg. of metformin.
  • mskatz1966
    mskatz1966 Posts: 36 Member
    told to give up metforming if blood sugars stay low. sensor for freestyle libre not working well.
  • mskatz1966
    mskatz1966 Posts: 36 Member
    How do I post a picture?zh8cjk30ue8l.jpg
    not posting well here. Advice
  • mskatz1966
    mskatz1966 Posts: 36 Member
    boazth38ty1y.jpg
  • mskatz1966
    mskatz1966 Posts: 36 Member
    ok--pictures inserted.

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