Progress and check in thread

ideas2
ideas2 Posts: 1,261 Member
@bloomnsunshine @jaded989 @swimmom_1 @cory17 @Ladybug8882021 @Jem594 @WTGNicole

In case part of the problem with participating more actively in the group is that we are not experienced users of the forum and have had difficulty finding the group again, I found out that if you mark the star by a thread to make it a favorite it should send you a notification anytime someone posts to the thread. I am suggesting this as a thread to mark as a favorite, and then we can all ¨check in¨ and report our progress or struggles at times.

I continue to read and modify my plans for lifestyle changes. I had a period of rapid weight loss, I believe I have lost 16 pounds over the last couple of months, but the last couple of weeks I have hit a plateau. I tried a Lumen for awhile to ¨hack my metabolism¨ but I returned it after confirming with their nutritionist that it really wasn´t designed for someone with as much insulin resistance as I have. I don´t recommend it for anyone with half their weight to lose.

Lately, I have had my gut microbiome tested and confirmed my suspicion that an imbalance of bacteria is affecting my metabolism. I am implementing some dietary suggestions from Viome and have ordered pro-biotics from them and two different companies. If anyone is curious about what I am learning in that regard, I am finding it fascinating. Most recent book to recommend is ¨Total Gut Health.¨

I am doing the October Ultimate Accountability Challenge group (or something like that, if you want to do the November one and can´t find it let me know and I will look it up.) That group, which restarts with different members each month has been helpful to me. I recommend it. It is extremely well organized.

Please check in here if you can and let me know how you are doing and if the idea of making this thread a favorite one is helpful.

Susan

Replies

  • swimmom_1
    swimmom_1 Posts: 1,302 Member
    edited October 2021
    I continue to do well. I started at 255 9/14/20. My Gallbladder surgery 5/3/21 I was 240.5 lbs. Had lost that 14.5 lbs without much effort. Changed jobs in September, (no longer having a micro manager) and protein shake for my work day breakfast and a store bought small salad for lunches. Started MFP and Keto 5/14/21. As of 10/24 I'm 182.6, down 72.4 lbs. Losing approximately 10 lbs/month. Doing 150 minutes 3x/week on my Elliptical on my off work days.
    Mary
  • WaterlogDog
    WaterlogDog Posts: 4 Member
    Hi All! This is my second go around with MFP. I was an addict to it 10 years ago. Back then I had lost 53 pounds and was crazy fit and active. Age has slowed me a bit. This time around Hubby and I kick-started some weight loss with keto to help control his diabetes. I was losing weight slowly, probably because I wasn't that active. Recently though, I've been having a TMJ issue that really started giving me some problems. In May I couldn't open my mouth enough to get food in. I couldn't chew, it hurt to swallow, lick my lips etc. Before I knew it, I was down 32 pounds. Physical therapy has gotten me to where I can eat again, but I will be getting jaw joint replacement in the near future. Before I get to where I can eat without any pain, I want to relearn accountability and control in my diet. I'm not fanatical about any particular plan. I'm a "in moderation and keep moving" kind of person. As long as I maintain a healthy intake of food that's balanced and nutritious and stay active for some time each day I think I can keep this going.
  • ideas2
    ideas2 Posts: 1,261 Member
    @WaterlogDog

    So glad to have you here with us. That sounds like a painful way to lose weight, but you have made it into a good stimulus.

    Trying to reduce the insulin resistance and the inflammation is a major goal of mine. I started this group trying low fat inspired by Mastering Diabetes, but after a lot of reading decided there is better evidence to support low carb for lowering insulin resistance, so now I am doing low carb. Trying to make it more a lifestyle I am actually doing a ¨liberalized keto¨ that includes at least 12 hours of fasting, 8 hours of keto, and then a bit more carbs for a 4 hour window (trying to keep it below 120 g net carbs for the day.) Like you, my husband and I are working together on being healthy this time around, because we both tested in the pre-diabetic (really close to diabetic) range on our last tests.

    Have you tried mindfulness for stress control? (I am retiring as a psychotherapist but recall having a client seek me out for help with that after her physical therapist explained that TMJ usually also has a stress component to it. Between her physical therapy and practice at stress reduction techniques learned in psychotherapy, especially mindfulness, this young woman was able to stop her symptoms. Sounds like your case is more severe, but I still think mindfulness is potentially at least somewhat helpful to almost everyone.)

    Susan
  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 1,767 Member
    edited October 2021
    Hey all, I have never been tested for prediabetes, at least not any time recently, but I am 100% sure that I have developed insulin resistance. My mother became borderline diabetic in her later years and also carried excess weight for most of her adult life (skinny before having children, but never after).

    I did keto a couple years ago for about 18 months and enjoyed it for the most part but restricting carbs that much is just not realistic for me for the rest of my life, although I do think I am carb sensitive so try to be mindful of the carbs I do eat.

    This time around I am looking for a plan FOR LIFE and working on developing good habits.

    @ideas2 I looked into the liberalized Keto you mentioned but the carbs come at the wrong time of the day for me (for good reason). I am partial to grains (bread, muffins, cereal etc) for my first meal of day 😀 but I am definitely fasting for minimum 12 hours overnight and delaying that first meal each day until I am truly hungry. So far, so good 👍

    As of today I am on MFP for 75 days and have found the tracking and site/app info to be so helpful! And I am down around 18 lbs so that's great too. Closing in on 20!

    How is everyone else doing? What's working, whats not - do you need a ((Hug)) 🫂 or want to celebrate 🤗 ??
  • swimmom_1
    swimmom_1 Posts: 1,302 Member
    @Ladybug8882021
    I have always found, many years ago before Keto was a term or WOE, that if I ate bread (carbs) for breakfast, I would CRAVE a sandwich for lunch and so on all day long. By having a omlette and bacon on non work days or a low carb protein shake with fat on work days, I don't crave the carbs anymore!
  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 1,767 Member
    Thanks @swimmom_1 for your insight, very interesting!

    I do not so much crave the carbs at breakfast, I just like those breakfast foods, along with egg dishes or fruit. I have not noticed eating them translating into a greater desire for carbs all that day, but I will pay attention to that (and look back in my diary too).

    I set my macros at 20% protein, and that is my main target each day while limiting carbs.
  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 1,767 Member
    I just watched a Ted talk where this science math guy demonstrated that we lose fat by breaking it down and then breathing it out as CO2 (84%) and the rest as H20 (16%), so interesting!
  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 1,767 Member
    edited October 2021
    Hello, came across an interview done when the book 'The Fast 800' came out, and then looked it up. @ideas2 you are probably way ahead of me on this!

    Here is a quote from the description:
    "Dr Michael Mosley started a health revolution with the 5.2 Fast Diet, telling the world about the incredible power of intermittent fasting. In this book he brings together all the latest science - including a new approach: Time Restricted Eating - to create an easy-to-follow programme. Recent studies have shown that 800 calories is the magic number when it comes to successful dieting - it's an amount high enough to be manageable but low enough to speed weight loss and trigger a range of desirable metabolic changes."

    So instead of advocating for 2 days of fasting (but allowing 5-600 calories), in this book he advocates minimum 12 hour overnight fasts, 800 calories a day (with adequate protein, very important) for up to 8 weeks. And claims you will have rapid weight-loss!

    I am extending my overnight Fast times as I am able, 12 hour minimum, but I have not been overly restricting my calories (using MFP guidelines for 1-2 lbs a week) but now I'm entertaining going as low as 800 calories (or as close as I get, maybe just aim for under 1000) a few days a week? Not really his program, any thoughts anyone?
  • ideas2
    ideas2 Posts: 1,261 Member
    @Ladybug8882021 I think there is a big difference between doing an 800 calorie diet a couple of times per week and doing it everyday. I think if you are going to do it every day, you do need good medical supervision. Here are a couple of references: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/very-low-calorie-diets/ https://www.wired.co.uk/article/food-replacement-diets-actually-work If you do aim for under 1000 a few days a week, you might not need medical supervision but will need to be more scrupulous about the nutritional density of the foods on those days.
  • ideas2
    ideas2 Posts: 1,261 Member
    I just watched a Ted talk where this science math guy demonstrated that we lose fat by breaking it down and then breathing it out as CO2 (84%) and the rest as H20 (16%), so interesting!

    I saw that one too! It has made me think more about the importance of drinking enough water when trying to lose weight.
  • ideas2
    ideas2 Posts: 1,261 Member
    swimmom_1 wrote: »
    @Ladybug8882021
    I have always found, many years ago before Keto was a term or WOE, that if I ate bread (carbs) for breakfast, I would CRAVE a sandwich for lunch and so on all day long. By having a omlette and bacon on non work days or a low carb protein shake with fat on work days, I don't crave the carbs anymore!

    My husband and I found the same thing. It has only been since I started here that I even tried a low carb or keto diet, and the thing that impresses me if how much less hunger I have!

    In fact, it is clear to me that when I have eaten little carbs for the day, the hunger I do feel passes easily and if I REALLY want to eat, it is an emotional craving.

    Yesterday was a good example for me. It was planned that my session with a client yesterday would be our last one and she will see another therapist and I would retire tomorrow, but in the middle of the session the police came to her to investigate the exploitation of a young child. Given her own history and her love for the child, this put her in a crisis too severe for me to terminate with her and retire right at this moment! I wanted to eat carbs throughout the afternoon, but at least it was clear to me that this hunger wasn´t physical. It is just my mixed feelings about wanting to be responsible and help her but also having been hoping to be able to focus on my own needs more with this being my time planned to celebrate being able to do that. So my retirment is going to be somewhat delayed until we can feel more comfortable with her transition to another therapist. I was successful in making hot green tea, sweetening it with monkfruit, and resisting cravings by trying to recognize and deal directly with my emotions.
  • jaded989
    jaded989 Posts: 176 Member
    I wish I could do Keto. A couple years ago (last time I was on MFP) I was doing Keto and quite successfully. I think I lost a little over 40lbs in about 4 months but then came the medical issues. Keto is great but not for everyone. As someone with a compromised kidney, I should have paid closer attention to the warnings regarding Keto. That of course is totally on me, not the fault of the diet plan at all. So now I am kind of winging it. I stay away from added sugars and most processed carbs. I usually hover around the 1000 calories a day. I aim for 1200 but often find myself short. I had started worrying about stalling my metabolism due to coming in under 1000 a day so I might have to do some research on this 800 calorie a day idea.
  • swimmom_1
    swimmom_1 Posts: 1,302 Member
    @jaded989
    PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOUR KIDNEYS! You dont want to become a chronic kidney patient! I'm an RN and do Dialysis treatments at a hospital. It gets to us the chronic HD pts that come into the hospital weekly that don't follow their diets and come in with their levels all out of whack. You can tell the ones that do listen. We rarely see them. The ones who don't listen come to the hospital like its the Hilton and expect every whim of theirs to be taken care of while there.
  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 1,767 Member
    edited October 2021
    @jaded989 - there are several YouTube videos featuring Dr. Michael Mosley and he has a community website too.

    I wish The Fast 800 was available for kindle, I would order it.

    Yes, you have to be much more selective and reasoned in your diet choices, as does @ideas2, when you have medical conditions to take into consideration.

    So sorry you had to delay your retirement - so close! That must have been somewhat devastating - I understand why you are doing it and applaud you for putting your patient's needs above your own plans.

    Keep on keeping on gals!
    Shout out to @WaterlogDog, @Jem594 and @Swimmom_1 😘
  • jaded989
    jaded989 Posts: 176 Member
    @jaded989 - there are several YouTube videos featuring Dr. Michael Mosley and he has a community website too.

    I wish The Fast 800 was available for kindle, I would order it.

    Thanks, I will probably check it out this weekend