Wellness

[KonaKat]

@Tyak 25 pounds down by June is a reasonable goal. I'm 75 so I know the imipact of arthritis. Don't let arthritis keep you from being active. Follow your doctor's suggestions, but most doctors recommend some type of exercise to help with the arthritis. Easy does it! I have arthritis of the knees so long distance walking is out and steps are difficult. I do, however, use a heavy duty mini-cycle which functions much like a recumbent bike but ddoesn't take up the space.. This has greatly reduced knee pain.

Check out the Cubii,Jr. sold on the Q. I don't have it but I do have a similar one which I got from Amazon. It is addictive. I watch Netflix, etc. and pedal away.  You need a heavy one so it won't move when you pedal and you need one with several resistance levels.

[Isobel Archer]

Started whole food plant based diet last Monday.  Down 3 pounds.  

It is a bit challenging - especially coming off Atkins, but I've done the whole thing - no oils, processed food, animal products - EXCEPT last night when I hosted a dinner for a birthday and I did have some haddock.  Had to try it and it was delicious - as were the veggies - which I will definitely fix again.  I was good in not having any cake - but then I didn't make it so didn't feel the need to sample.

Haven't been good about exercising - due to the weather and some jazzercise classes being canceled etc, but hope to get back on track this week.

Hope the challenge is working for others.  The important thing is to make the commitment for health - and if some days we don't do everything we wanted to, we don't give up - we just start again.

[SeaMaiden]

January 8,2018   Monday   One week check in

Well I stepped on the scale this morning and  I really thought I would see at least a pound or two down... I have been watching and measuring out my portions, and stepped up my activity on my fit bit...  eating healthy as I always do.... Yet I weigh the same as I did a week ago.

I feel like I lost a pound or two just by how my clothes feel and how I look in the mirror... but the scale does not lie....  OH WELL.  I will not let this get me down and will move forward...   Sounds like several of you are doing good! That is wonderful!

I have had a bit of Sciatica going down my right leg.  My ankle throbs at night keeping me from sleeping well.  I think is is from using my treadmill and my inside bike more this last week  that I had not been using until we started the challenge. I was just walking outside before this and started adding the inside exercise... any suggestions for sciatica? Is it just something that will go away? I can feel  the twinge of pain it in my  right hip and the same nerve pain going down my leg to my ankle.  During the day it is tolerable as I keep my mind busy... but at night it  throbs. Maybe stretching would be good?  I am not someone who stretches much at all.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. Look forward to hearing how things are going for you. 

[sidsmom]

@SeaMaiden

Argh!

When you begin a new lifestyle, we all want to

see things immediately, yes?!  

I really think your body doesn’t know what’s going on and

in a short time it will say, 

”OH....so you ARE serious about this!!”

...and the scales will favor/show your commitment.

Hee.

[KonaKat]

@Isobel Archer

Congrats upon your weight loss and following the plan. This gives you the boost you need to continue.

@SeaMaiden

I can understand the disappointment. Everyone likes immediate results but sometimes the scale doesn't tell the entire story. Do yoiu feel better? I have known people who followed a plan faitfully but then on the second or third week they had a loss. Also, you have been exercising more. Exercise in someone who has not done it at the current intensity may not lose. Why? The intense execise may tear tiny little muscle fibers which causes inflammation and water retention in a small degree. As someone who had sciatica big time and lost feeling in feet which required physical therapy for several weeks, try  doing some leg stretches before you begin to do a warm up.

My severe sciatica stemed from a fractured spine that never healed right so it acted similarly to a slipped disc. The adjacent areas of the spine would slide and trap or pinch the nerves. If the PT didn't work, I was headed for a spinal fusion. I still have to do some exercises at home to keep the two areas of the spine aligned.

I lost 1.1 pounds and met my exercise goal. On Sunday, I increased the resistance by one notch to make the pedaling more difficult. In addition to increasing resistance, I am working on drinking more water by having 2 glasses at each meal and one mid-morning and mid-afternoon for a total of 8 glasses. I still like my coffee so I'm visiting the bathroom often.

[gloriajean]

Hi it's me, Gloria.  When I started Oct. 30 on the Fast Metaboism Diet, I lost 2 pounds the first week, 2 pounds the second week, after that I stayed the same for awhile, but I lost inches around my midriff bulge and that was fine with me.  To date I have lost 9 pounds, but I'm going slow and that's okay.

If the scale is not being nice sometimes, you are still losing, you are losing inches, and inches are great!!  Do not be discouraged. At first I didn't know how we could survive without corn, peas, wheat or dairy, which is what that diet requires, but we are using brown rice pasta, just as good and I make our hot dishes like before, and we are used to the diet and don't miss that other stuff.  Since the diet, and no gluten, my husband has had no leg cramps at all and before that every night and they were terrible. I haven't been good on exercising.  I have my ropes to do exercises with, recommended by my physical therapist, but I have a knee that bothers me, so I have to limit what I can do. My husband is doing this diet with me and he has lost 17 pounds so far.  

That's it for this week.  Any questions, I'll be happy to answer.

[icezeus]

Checking in for 1/8/17. I was able to get my walk in today so I am pleased. I am not so sure about tomorrow since it's supposed to be rain. I think I have a walking DVD here that I can dig out if the weather does not cooperate with me on Tuesday. It's boring as heck but I would rather do that if it will help me stick to my goal of walking Monday-Friday.

I had a very good first week. My starting weight was 180 and today I weighed in at 172.4. It's encouraged me to keep doing what I am doing.

[phoenixbrd]

@SeaMaiden  Wish I could "talk" to you.  Hang in there and, if I might suggest, keep a daily journal to find what is working/not working for you.  I am down 5+ pounds,  this week I've been successful staying with my protocol:

IF  18:6  but I don't limit myself if I experience true hunger (rare) or go longer if I don't experience hunger...the time can vary but use this as a baseline

Food:  I don't limit myself but practice mindful eating and vegan whole plant based (    I really don't like to categorize but this tells you about the quality and quantity of what I'm eating) I'm sos free with the exception of perhaps a tbsp of maple syrup - maybe in a cp of tea for dessert, chia seed pudding, or freshly made salad dressing and only l tbsp a day.  However, I'm rethinking that tablespoon after rewatching Forks and Knives when the doctor would not accept the patients at death's door if they would not 100% stick to a plant based diet w/o oss.  I had a new appreciation of how critical every bite that goes in our mouth either harms us or encourages us on our health journey.   I don't experience true hunger (comes from the mouth and not the stomach), and if I did I would eat a plant that provides satiety.  (I do not practice restriction or count calories however I'm considering getting back on the board just to log my nutrition for the day).   I always have potatoes/sweet potatoes on hand.  I'll share my current favorite potato recipe if anyone is interested.

Exercise:  Not an area of focus but 30-60 min daily is a target....don't sweat it if I don't make it daily because even though I know it is good for my health/well being, it is not instrumental in my weight loss.  It is all about the food.

Journal & Scale: Post weight daily and measurements weekly.   Daily....scale first thing in the morning before getting dressed.  I've been doing this for years and have a very clear idea of the consequences of my meals the day before.  I know it varies daily based on what I ate the day before and I am acutely aware of what impacts my weight loss/gain

Meditation:  Critical for this journey both physiologically as well as psychologically

Sleep:  At least 8 hours, also another critical component for the same reasons

Water:  Start my day with 32oz of fresh lemon water 

Wishing everyone the best on this journey...your way may not be mine, but I know it works for me!

[SandPiper]

1 week check in. I lost 6 pounds. I’m sure some of it is water. Today I moved incline on treadmill up 2 notches. I drank 44 oz of water today and that’s huge for me. 

Congrats to everyone for getting through Week 1. 👍 

@SeaMaiden  I agree with @KonaKat and @sidsmom, all of a sudden your body will get on board. Just thinking, maybe you lost inches.

Onward - Week 2

[CLEM]

I hang my head in shame because I haven't lost an ounce.  My plan was to cut out sweets and other extra non-essential stuff and practice portion control in January.  I was sure I should have lost something because I am beginning to feel lighter around the stomach area, but no.

Am still waiting for my copy of the Mayo Clinic Diet which should arrive about now.  Hope to get some inspiration.