Losing Weight @ MindSay

Your health so important for us so we inform you about last health news.

 

Daily weighing key to keeping lost pounds off 

 

Losing excess weight is often easier than keeping it off. A new study shows that stepping on a scale every day, and adjusting eating and exercise habits accordingly, can go a long way in helping dieters maintain a weight loss.

 

"If you want to keep lost pounds off, daily weighing is critical," said Dr. Rena R. Wing in a statement accompanying the study appearing in The New England Journal of Medicine this week. "But stepping on a scale isn't enough. You have to use that information to change your behavior, whether than means eating less or walking more. Paying attention to weight -- and taking quick action if it creeps up -- seems to be the secret to success," noted Wing, who is director of the Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center at The Miriam Hospital and professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown Medical School in Providence.

 

The finding comes from a study in which Wing and colleagues split 314 successful dieters who'd lost at least 10 percent of their body weight -- averaging nearly 20 percent of their body weight or 42 pounds -- within the last two years, into a control group and two intervention groups.

 

Women in the control group received newsletters in the mail four times per year on the importance of eating right and exercising.

 

Women in the intervention groups were taught -- either in face-to-face group meetings or via an online program -- techniques known to prevent weight regain such as advice to eat breakfast, get an hour of physical activity each day and weigh themselves daily. The women reported their weight weekly and were given a goal of maintaining their weight to within five pounds. Women in the intervention groups were also introduced to a color-based weight-monitoring system.

 

Women who remained within three pounds of their starting weight after the weekly check-in fell into the "green zone," and received encouraging phone messages and green rewards, such as mint gum. Gaining between three and four pounds landed women in the "yellow zone" and prompted advice to tweak their eating and exercise habits, while gaining five pounds or more landed one in the "red zone," prompting advice and encouragement to restart active weight-loss efforts.

 

The investigators report that significantly fewer women in the intervention groups regained five or more pounds during the 18-month long study; 72 percent of women in the control group regained five or more pounds, compared with 46 percent in the face-to-face intervention group and 55 percent in the Internet group.

 

"The Internet intervention worked, but the face-to-face format produced the best outcomes," Wing said. Daily weighing was key to keeping the weight off, the authors say, noting that women in the intervention groups who stepped on the scale each day were 82 percent less likely to regain lost weight compared to those who did not weigh themselves daily.

 

However, in the control group, daily weighing had little impact on the amount of weight regained. This suggests, Wing said, that women in the intervention groups used the information from the scale to make constructive changes in their eating and exercise habits.

 

SOURCE: The New England Journal of Medicine, October 12, 2006. Reuters Health

Healthy Weight Loss

so apparently my lab results did come back nice and speedy. my thyroid is fine apparently, however, my blood sugar is a little high. by a little high, i mean the normal range is 65-99, and mine was 102. i'm not diabetic or pre-diabetic, but i do need to watch my blood sugar. the physician, jackie, hence the quote from her that is my subject line, said that she thinks for me its mostly due to my weight (in a bit nicer terms) and that she wants me to lose 5lbs by May. (in may she wants me to come back and get my blood sugar checked again.) she gave me a little brochure on eating right and exercise and there's a link on there for www.mealsmatter.org/tools. i've been on there and i think that if i post some of the things on here, maybe it will help me regulate myself better (or help u guys help me if y'all want). it definitely sucked to get weighed again- i'm up to "about 164lbs."

now, the last time i weighed myself was back in the last week of november/first week of december when me n cyn would still go work out together after class sometimes. (that's another thing that makes getting exercise hard for me, i have no one to go with, and i'm scared that if i go by myself i'll 1. see cyn, or worse 2. see cyn there with mara) when i weighed myself then, i was about 150lbs. this means that in the past 2 n a half months i've GAINED ABOUT 14 POUNDS. seriously, wtf jennifer? n getting dumped sure as shit didn't help that...but yeah, so i guess in a way this information is also all a big "fuck you" to all the ppl that told me i wasn't fat n didn't need to lose weight.

Your Total Energy Expenditure is 2067 calories/day.
This is the approximate number of calories you need to consume to maintain your current weight. If you eat more calories than this on a regular basis or reduce your activity, you will gain weight. If you eat fewer calories than this regularly or increase your activity, you will lose weight. Keep in mind that your total energy expenditure may vary from day to day based on how active you are.

Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 29.1.
BMI is a measure of whether you are at an appropriate weight for your height. Check the following table to see where your BMI falls. Keep in mind that if you are extremely muscular and fit, the BMI may falsely classify you as overweight or obese.

	Underweight:	<18.5
	Normal:	18.5 - 24.9
	Overweight:	25.0 - 29.9
	Extremely Overweight:	>30.0

Your BMI indicates that losing some weight would benefit your health. Although individual metabolisms vary, generally cutting back 500 calories a day [1567 for me] will help you lose about one pound per week, which is a healthy rate of weight loss. This is best done by minimizing your extras (foods high in fat and sugar) and by watching your portion sizes from all food groups. Being physically active will help shed pounds and inches even faster.

• Eating iron and folate-rich foods is important throughout the years you menstruate to prevent anemia. If you have anemia, your blood does not carry enough oxygen to the rest of your body, which can cause a lack of energy and other health problems. Good food sources of iron include red meat, poultry, dried peas, beans and lentils and enriched breads and cereals. Folate, a type of B vitamin, is found in dark-green leafy vegetables, dried beans and peas and in fortified cereals and grains.
• Consuming three cups of low-fat or nonfat dairy foods when on a low calorie diet may help enhance weight loss and reduce abdominal fat in adults.
• The calcium recommendation for women in their 20s is 1,000 mg per day, or three portions of high-calcium foods daily. The following chart of calcium-rich foods shows how much you need to get approximately 300 mg of calcium (which equals one portion). Calcium-fortified foods are another option if you have trouble consuming enough calcium from natural food sources.

Milk (nonfat, 1%, 2% or whole)	1 cup
Cheese	1-1/2 ounces
Yogurt	1 cup
Pudding	1 cup
Broccoli	5 1/4 cups
Dried beans or peas, cooked	5 cups
Almonds	3/4 cup
Tofu processed with calcium	1-1/2 cups
Corn tortillas	6

What counts as one cup of milk?

1 cup milk or yogurt 1-1/2 ounces natural cheese (cheddar, mozzarella) 2 ounces processed cheese 1/3 cup shredded cheese 1/2 cup ricotta cheese

2 cups cottage cheese 1 cup pudding or custard made with milk 1 cup frozen yogurt 1-1/2 cups ice cream

What counts as a cup of fruit?

1 cup fruit 1 cup 100% fruit juice 1/2 cup dried fruit 1/2 large or 1 small apple 1 large banana 32 grapes

1 medium grapefruit 1 large orange 1 large peach 1 medium pear 2 large plums 8 large strawberries

What counts as a cup of vegetables?

1 cup raw or cooked vegetables 1 cup vegetable juice 2 cups raw, leafy greens 2 medium carrots or 12 baby carrots 1 large sweet potato 1 large ear of corn

1 medium boiled or baked potato 20 french fries (contains discretionary calories) 2 large celery stalks 1 large bell pepper 1 large tomato

Aim for this much every week:

Dark-Green Vegetables 3 cups/week	Kale Spinach Broccoli	Romaine Collard greens Turnip greens	Mustard greens Bok choy
Orange Vegetables 2 cups/week	Pumpkin Butternut squash	Sweet potato Carrots	Winter squash Acorn squash
Dry Beans & Peas 3 cups/week	Tofu Pinto beans Kidney beans	Lentils Chickpeas Black beans	Garbanzo beans Soy beans Split peas
Starchy Vegetables 3 cups/week	Potato Corn	Green peas	Lima beans
Other Vegetables 6 1/2 cups/week	Tomato Onions Green beans Iceberg lettuce Cabbage Celery	Cucumber Peppers Cauliflower Mushrooms Artichoke	Summer squash Asparagus Beets Eggplant Zucchini

How much is one ounce of grains?

1 slice bread 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal 1/2 cup cooked rice 1/2 cup cooked pasta 1/2 cup cooked cereal 1 mini bagel 2 small biscuits 5 whole-wheat crackers 7 square or round crackers

1/2 English muffin 1/2 hamburger or hot dog bun 1 small muffin 1 pancake (4-1/2 in) 3 cups popped popcorn 1 small flour or corn tortilla 1 corn tortilla 1 packet instant oatmeal

What counts as an ounce of meat and beans?
A typical healthy portion is 2 – 3 ounces (or the size of a deck of cards).

1 ounce lean meat, poultry or fish (a chicken drumstick is usually 2 – 3 ounces) 1/4 cup cooked dry beans 1/4 cup baked or refried beans 1 egg 1 tablespoon peanut butter or other nut butter 1/2 ounce nuts or seeds

1 sandwich slice of deli meat 1/4 cup (2 ounces) tofu 1 ounce tempeh, cooked 1/4 cup roasted soybeans 1 falafel patty (2 1/4 ”, 4 oz.) 2 tablespoons hummus

so i guess that's everything. also, keep in mind that this has been supposedly calculated to fit my height and weight and family history, so if ur thinking about going on a diet, ur better off doing this shit urself on that website. and if u couldn't tell, this entry is largely just information to help me out. to maintain my weight, i need:

6oz of grains a day
2.5 cups of vegetables a day
2 cups of fruits a day
3 cups of milk products a day
5.5 oz of meat and beans a day

so yeah, again i have lots more that i want to say, but i wanna run into sims world and pig out while i still can, lol.

I honestly don't know what direction to take right now.

Finding good thyroid help for men is like trying to find your way out of the labyrinth with your eyes covered. I just don't think I can trust my new endocrinologist; he doesn't seem to knowledgeable about Armour Thyroid or any other medications other than the one med that has caused me nothing but trouble: Synthroid. When I first met him, one of the things he told me was "I recommend my patients use Synthroid." However, it's the one med on the market with the most negative side affects. I've been on it for 10 years and all I have to say is "FUCK THAT!" I'm only 21 years old and I have more health problems than a dead person; AND THEY'RE DEAD! I've been losing hair, my nails are yellow, my skin is always dry and flaky. I can't seem to lose weight, but I can sure as hell gain it!

I still don't know WHY I have hypothyroidism. They told me my blood tests came back normal, but then why don't I have the energy or motivation? Why am I still gaining weight every single day? I just feel like sitting down and crying, because it seems more productive than listening to a doctor who just doesn't want to take the time and research why I am the way I am. Doesn't this seem a little unusual?

I want to know why I have an underactive thryoid.
I want to know how to correct the problem.
I want to lose weight and keep it off.
I want a normal metabolism.
I want clear mental health and a stress free life!
I just want to live a normal life; am I really asking that much?

Where else am I supposed to get this information? I've been searching online for thyroid support forums. I did find StopTheThyroidMadness.com and RealThyroidHelp. They are both support blogs/forums for people with Thyroid disorders and the treatments that worked for them. I really feel like I can get a great push in the right direction, but only so far. I still need to find a doctor that can help me. I don't think my current one is of any help. I do have another appointment at the end of the month and I'm going to discuss everything that's been on my mind. If he or his RN can't answer me appropriately then I'm leaving their clinic. This is all just madness and believe I want to stop the madness.


Tschuess!

I must start looking at myself. I have avoided myself for decades. I am caught in a vicious circle of inertia--and I have put myself here.

 

I am overweight.

I am out of shape.

I am sad.

I don't feel worthy of feeling well.

 

Some of this is conditioning, most of this is choice. I have chosen to be conditioned. I have copped out on myself. Until now.... or what passes for now.

 

I need to change. I need to be more healthy. I need to lose weight. I need to exercise. No brainers, right? They're no-brainers if you're already there. They are giant obstacles if you're standing in my shoes. Those three things are my Mount Everests. I am at war with myself and I am losing miserably.

 

I can't stand to look at myself in any mirror and avoid them at all costs. I won't have my picture taken. I avoid social situations because I am chock-full of self-loathing. This has GOT to change! This is not ME! I'd like to think I'm somewhat intelligent, have a fairly good sense of humor, and am not butt-ugly (underneath all this... this... me).

 

What's stopping me, you ask? Fear.

I fear what I'd be like were I smaller. I fear how people will react to me being smaller. I know how I feel now. I know I am miserable, but what am I going to be like in that proverbial "after" picture? Will I lose myself- my internal self? It's about the only piece of me I like!

 

I am stuck in the "better the devil you know" state of inertia.

 

Today I begin my Grand Metamorphosis.

Today I will exercise.

Today I will begin eating better.

Today I will begin the journey of ten thousand calories.

 

Today I weigh 270#

Today I am 5'6" tall

Today I am in my mid-forties.

 

Tomorrow will be a better day.

I have never seen instant results when dieting before... my normal pattern of weight loss would sometimes be several weeks before I would see a flush of weight, for example.. week 1-0 lbs.. week 2-0 lbs week 3-6 lbs... then repeat pattern. It was flusterating. And it took me like 8 months to take off 40 lbs...

 

I started to avoid breads and pastas on  Monday.  Wednesday I went full on into low carbing, looking up some old recipes, I will share them here if anyone is interested.

 

Drum roll ::::::::: As of today I have lost 9 oops 7 lbs! :::::::::::: (can't do math very well apparently..lol!)

 

Cool. I know that won't continue, but what a nice start, one that I am not used to having that kind of encouragement. What is making my body react differently this time? Maybe that it's been 2 years since I low carb'd and dieted and my body is out of that yo yo metabolism. Also, I am feeling so much better, drinking VEMMA every day I think also has contributed to my body being prepped so to speak to begin shedding the poundage :)

 

I would love to lose a couple more pounds before we head up to NY for the week, would be nice to just have my clothes fit me nicer, yanno?

 

Last night for my supper, I made breakfast Flax Pancakes. They were yummy.  I made them in my GT Express cooker, man that thing is so handy! I decided that the next time I will make a double batch, and actually save the leftover to pop into the toaster the next day to crisp it up on the outside, cause in the GTE they are perfect shape and thickness to toast.

 

Flax-What's nice about flax is that it has a nutty taste, fiber cancels out the carbs, so you are getting 0 carbs that will raise blood sugars. ( ECC=Effective Carb Count)

 

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Low-Carb Pancakes (Flax Seed)

(1 serving)

• 1/2 cup of ground flax seed meal
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup of cream
• 3 Tablespoons of cottage cheese
• 2 Tablespoons of oil or melted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  
  Simply mix together all the ingedients with a whisk - batter should be a bit runny. Cook on a lightly greased skillet as you would any pancake recipe. Drop batter on surface large spoonfulls.
  
  Cook until each side is lightly browned.
  
  Serve with butter and a low-carb store bought syrup. Or for an interesting low-carb topping, mix 1 Tablespoon of sugar-free jam with 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons water and microwave for 45 seconds.