The Over 300 Club

Hi everyone, hope everyone is doing well. Had my weigh-in this morning and last week lost another 4 lbs. bringing me to 17 lbs. lost in the 2 1/2 weeks I've been back to MFP. A good start and I can't wait to see the scale move some more and my clothes fallin off :bigsmile:

Hi, gang, I am just checking in quickly, I have an appointment in a few minutes. So, I weigh in on Fridays for another thread I belong to, and every other Monday for a Biggest Loser Contest my work is running. On Friday, I had lost the pounds I had gained and two more, so my ticker could finally move. Then, today when I weighed for the biggest loser contest, I had lost an additional 3 lbs. Go figure. I don't get it. I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong, but still. Everyone, lets talk about specific things we want to learn, work on or specific challenges we might want to accept.

4suredistime, YOU ROCK! I love that you share whats going on with you so openly. I think you are right. we gotta embrace who we are, the good, the bad and the ugly! That is the only way we will change. Regarding TOM weighing, most experts (I don't know who they are, but I have heard this time and time again on threads from people who seem to do their homework) agree that either we should not weigh during that time, or we should not put a whole lot of concern in what the scale says then.

I am copying an article I got from mothernature.com. There is a boatload of information about water retention and our period out there, so this is just a sample. Take it for what its worth.



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Water Retention

Help for That Bloated Feeling

Water: It's the essence of life.

Without it, your body could not regulate its temperature or deliver nutrients to your cells. Water lubricates your joints and acts as a built-in shock absorber for your eyes and spinal cord. In fact, your body is about 60 percent water.

If you're bloated, it can feel more like 100 percent.

Your fingers swell and your rings get stuck. Your ankles look and feel like a pair of mighty tree trunks. Pants fit tighter, and your bra may become uncomfortably snug. Even the headaches and back pain of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are associated with water retention and have been traced to excess fluid in the disks between the vertebrae and the spine, as well as inside the skull.

What's going on? Occasionally the cause is a life-threatening heart or kidney disorder. More often, though, the cause is a high-sodium diet packed with processed foods and salty snacks.

Women are at added risk for water retention, doctors say, because of the rise and fall of hormone levels. The drop in progesterone the week before menstruation can make your body retain water. So can estrogen replacement therapy.

Often dietary changes and a little exercise are enough to relieve the bloating and swelling--even when the cause is hormonal, says Suzanne Trupin, M.D., head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign.

"Across the board, most Americans tend to retain fluid because of the American diet," she says. "We're accustomed to too much salt. The first thing I tell women with a water-retention problem is to take the salt shaker off the kitchen table."

Why We're Waterlogged

Like water balloons in a swimming pool, your cells are filled with water and surrounded by it. Normally the amount is controlled by sodium and potassium levels and by your kidneys and hormones. But many factors--from diet to disease--can knock this system out of kilter, leaving excess fluid in your tissues and causing a condition called edema.

A high-salt diet pumps extra sodium into your blood and body fluids, gumming up the mechanism that pushes water out of your cells. "The cells will hold onto extra water and will enlarge," says Dr. Trupin. "This will cause water retention whether there's a hormonal imbalance or not, and whether you're a woman or a man. About 20 percent of the population is very sensitive to sodium and may therefore suffer from high blood pressure in response to a high intake of sodium."

Heart failure is a more serious cause of retention in which the pressure of blood backing up in the veins forces more fluid into tissues. Kidney problems can lead to water retention in two ways: If the kidneys fail, salt can accumulate in the body and attract water. Or a kidney malfunction called nephrotic syndrome can contribute to low protein levels in the blood, which weaken the blood's ability to draw water out of tissues. Protein deficiencies, tumors and cirrhosis of the liver may also lead to bloating and swelling.

All these problems require immediate professional care, says Susan Thys-Jacobs, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, particularly if you can poke the swollen skin and leave a dent.

"If a woman comes in with severe swelling of her legs and complaining of shortness of breath or chest pains, this may be a heart, lung or metabolic condition," she says. "Or if she has a bloated abdomen, she may have fluid in the abdomen." That might be associated with any one of a variety of causes, such as malnutrition, liver or kidney disease or even a malignancy, according to Dr. Thys-Jacobs.

Some medications, including steroids and birth control pills high in estrogen, may also cause water retention because they act on the kidneys to retain more sodium.

The Food Connection

Doctors are less sure why women with PMS retain water. British physician Katharina Dalton, who has researched PMS for 45 years, has suggested that the problem is related to the fact that when women have PMS, their blood sugar levels may fluctuate abnormally--which indirectly leads to bloating.

What does this mean? In her book, Once a Month, Dr. Dalton says that when a person doesn't eat for many hours, blood sugar gets very low. This causes the body to release adrenaline, which signals the body to let go of some of its stored sugar from cells in order to balance out the blood sugar. When sugar is taken from the cells, they fill up with water, and this is what causes the bloating, weight gain and water retention symptoms in those with PMS. In women with PMS, the body reaches the point when it will release adrenaline a lot sooner than it does in other women, Dr. Dalton notes.

Other experts see a sodium link. When your blood breaks down progesterone--as it does a week before your period--your kidneys are prompted to retain both water and sodium. At the same time, a powerful water-retaining substance called anti-diuretic hormone may also be released, further influencing your body to hold onto fluids.

Water, Water Everywhere

Experts say the following tips will help ease that waterlogged feeling.

Reduce sodium. "I suggest women try to bring their daily sodium intake down to 1,000 milligrams," says Dr. Trupin. This is a drastic reduction from the recommended level of 3,500 milligrams a day. "That means not eating most canned foods with salt added and staying away from any prepackaged food that's high in salt--like potato chips, snack foods and preserved meats like bacon, ham and bologna." Snack on fresh fruits and vegetables instead. Avoid processed foods, particularly canned and frozen foods. Besides cutting the sodium, you will reduce the fat in your diet and add fiber and nutrients.

Read the label. Packaged foods carry labels that will tell you how much sodium is in a serving, says Dr. Trupin. Pay attention and tally your intake through the day.

Stall the shaker. Don't salt food while cooking and tasting it. And stay away from the salt shaker when you're at the table. Try a salt substitute or experiment with herbs and spices for added flavor, recommends Dr. Trupin.

Shake it. Exercise widens blood vessels, increasing the amount of fluid that goes to the kidneys to be excreted, says Dr. Thys-Jacobs. A half-hour of exercise three times a week will help your body get rid of excess water.

Take calcium. In a 1992 study of ten women at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center in North Dakota, researchers found those who took 1,336 milligrams of calcium a day had fewer water retention and other PMS symptoms. An earlier study at Metropolitan Hospital in New York City found that 33 women who took 1,000 milligrams of calcium daily experienced a 50 percent reduction in bloating and complained less about breast tenderness.

"I don't think we know at this time why calcium works this way," says Dr. Thys-Jacobs. "There are so many good reasons women should take calcium every day. This is one more."

Eat small meals. If water retention is a problem in the days before your period begins, try eating small meals spaced about three hours apart. These meals should be rich in starchy foods like breads, crackers, pasta, cereals, potatoes and rice. According to Dr. Dalton, this maintains steady blood sugar levels so your body doesn't rob cells for stored sugar and thus keeps the cells from filling with extra water.

Try a natural diuretic. "Have some pink grapefruit juice or some lemon in water," suggests Dr. Trupin. This will get your cells to let go of extra water.

Another well-known diuretic is caffeine, but most experts don't advise it as a weapon against water retention because too much can make you jittery, and it can rob your body of calcium and iron.

Beware of drugstore diuretics. Over-the-counter diuretics may offer fast relief, but they may also drain potassium from your system and cause some side effects like weakness, confusion, heart palpitations and increased blood sugar levels. Also, some diuretic drugs may raise the level of uric acid in the blood, increasing the risk of gout.

Yes I think everyone gains during that time. I know I do. 4suredistime I wanted to say thank you it was me that will not post me weight . I think everyone here is so great and brave , for being able to post there weight. When I was younger I told a so called friend my weight I at that time was allot less. then I am now above 300. Let's say I was the butt of all the joke's. I am sure you get the just of it. But since that time I have not said my weight out loud for fear that I might be a joke again IT is a real issue for me and I am working hard on it. But thank you for letting me that I am in a safe place here.

Yes I think everyone gains during that time. I know I do. 4suredistime I wanted to say thank you it was me that will not post me weight . I think everyone here is so great and brave , for being able to post there weight. When I was younger I told a so called friend my weight I at that time was allot less. then I am now above 300. Let's say I was the butt of all the joke's. I am sure you get the just of it. But since that time I have not said my weight out loud for fear that I might be a joke again IT is a real issue for me and I am working hard on it. But thank you for letting me that I am in a safe place here.

I know how you feel, it seems like despite all the politically correct langauge we are adopting, which is generally good, its still ok to joke about "fat" people. So, no pressure from us, but I also agree with everyone, this is a safe place. Thanks for being as open as you can, because I think it will help. You'll notice my ticker says how much I've lost, not what my weight is. I only very recently added my weight to the bottom line there. The important thing is, you are here, working on your issues and hopefully gaining strength and confidence every day! I am looking forward to the day I can get DOWN into the 300 lb range! We all have our trials!

Would like to chime in and be part of the group!

I've been over 300 for so long I dont even know how long, but now I'm five little stubborn lbs away from seeing 299.

Thanks to everyone for being willing to post on here....its tough to do sometimes, but I love the strength I see in everyone and the support is awesome!

Have a great day everyone!

:smooched: Just joining the over 300 club. Not online alot but would like some support. Don't get much at home. Husband doesn't understand because he has never been overweight. He thinks it's easy to just not eat. I just keep chugging along.

I hear ya! As much as I love that I have the hubby who DIDN"T grow a paunch when he hit 50, it does have it's down side. Hang in there and remember you aren't doing this for him! (He just gets the fringe benefits!)

I was ready to throttle my DH last night. I mentioned that I might not go for a swim last night, cause 2 a.m. the night before and I was way too tired.....he suddenly decided to become the swim police! Saying ONCE - "Go, you will feel great afterward" is encouragement......Saying "Go swimming!" every 15 minutes is going to suck the joy out of the process. I love swimming, so I am really trying to have the mindset that it is a guilty PLEASURE and not exercise.....

If he really wanted to encourage me - the dishes would be done while I was gone!!!:laugh: :laugh:

BTW, I did go for a brisk 40 minute walk at work in the sunshine yesterday, so I wasn't a total slacker! Actually I was pretty happy with myself about that 'cause my knees felt really good - a sign that things are looking up as the scale goes down!!!!

Hi everyone, I am wiped out today. I was up until 2 AM last night and was up at 6 AM . I just finished my 2 mile walk outside. I did it a tad slower today- 3 minutes slower 37.5 minutes. That was with my 10 year old and an 19 month old in a stroller so I guess that's not so bad. My dh bought me a bike last night. I tried it out when we got home. I think I'm going to be putting in a lot of miles on it. I hope to do my 3 mile watp workout after the baby gets picked up around 5.30 this afternoon. I logged all my foods for the day and within my allotments . I will drink my gallon of h2o . I hope everyone has a great day. :bigsmile: Cindy

Ok, so paddlemom, I need more information, did you go swimming last night, and were the dishes done when you got home? :happy: I need to know this! Cindy, good workout! congrats on that! I so admire people who get up early after a late night. I work most nights until about 9:30 or 10:00, get home and wind down and then go to bed late, but I can't seem to drag myself out that early! :noway:

4suredistime - WOW! Your new av is AMAZING! You have obviously lost weight! You look great! In fact, you look marvelous! Absolutely marvelous! :flowerforyou:

You're my hero!

Ok, everyone, good luck today, and drink your water!

I just wanted to say thank to everyone here. You are all so supportive and wonderful. 4surethistime and stillkriste You both are so wonderful and I thank you Also maybe a tricker like yours is the way to go I thank you so muchfor your words . I hope everyone Has a great afternoon.

Hi guys, I'm getting ready to wind down for bed and I decided to pop in a say goodnight. I hope everyone had a great day. Even though I was super tired today I still managed to walk 4 miles and ride my new bike for 15 minutes . I would have rode longer but it started raining. My heart rate monitor said I burned 145 calories in those 15 minutes. My heart rate stayed at 70 % of it's max the entire time. I am going to add a bike ride to my daily routine. I hope everyone had a great day. I'm hoping to get up at 6 am and do my 3 mile watp workout. Sweet dreams everyone- Cindy