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Old 05-25-2006, 12:33 PM   #1  
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Default I have a disease...

It's called Obesity. But I am lucky, there is a cure. The perscription is 1800 calories, taken daily. Exercise will help the calories do their work and water helps too.

This is my new way of thinking. If I went to the doctor and he said I had something wrong, I would do whatever he told me so we could fix it. I get leg cramps due to dehydration (& weight I imagine) but if I stay VERY hydrated, I don't get the cramps. 2 or 3 days off water and I will get charlie horses all night and they will stay cramped throughout the day. So what do I do? I stay hydrated!! Well, of course I do, duh. Who wouldn't do something so simple. Water isn't my drink of choice, I much prefer diet pop. But I drink tons of water and slip the pop in here and there when I feel like I can "afford" it.

Who also wouldn't do something so simple as limit their consumption of calories to 1800 calories a day, every day, no matter what to combat Obesity. I realize that it may not be that simple, but I am also thinking that maybe it just is that simple.
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Old 05-25-2006, 12:40 PM   #2  
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Sandi, that is wonderful.

And who says it can't be that simple? We all have our own reasons for doing this. It's like Sarah was saying the other day..we wouldn't let our kids or pets gorge themselves into oblivion...so we remove that choice and do not allow it. Sarah has done that now for herself as well. It's simple...but it works.

I love your idea...and you're absolutely right. We wouldn't avoid our insulin if we had diabetes, or even our mastectomy if we had breast cancer...so why can't we make it that simple and follow out treatment for obesity? We can....and you can do this!!!!!



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Old 05-25-2006, 03:47 PM   #3  
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when I started trying to exercise, I remember I completely hated it. I would skip days all the time. Then I've feel bad, because I wanted to lose weight, and get in better shape. Rob exercises every day, and he encouraged me. It really did take me a long time to get into a routine, and the more I managed to do, the easier it got -- especially after I had a number of days under my belt where I stuck to my exercise plan. It was so easy to psych myself out not to do it. The only way I finally did get myself into gear was to NOT think about it, just do it.

I know eating and losing weight can have all kinds of different implications for each person. Sometimes for me making myself not think about it and just follow a plan DOES help. It's a bizarre thing.
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Old 05-25-2006, 04:05 PM   #4  
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Yeah, I think that 90% of the battle is finding that "click" in your mind, that force that will get you though the calls of old habbits and temptations. For some of us, it might be a vision of what we want to become, for some a vision of what we want to stop being. It could be looking at our situation in a new light or a specific goal that can only be reached through a lighter and healthier body.

I suppose it's related to the concept of "doing it for yourself"...doing what for yourself? What is the true goal, what is the true reason? I wonder if it is really enough to have "losing weight" as the goal. When I was 250 lbs, it wasn't a good enough reason to change my lifestyle. Would it be a good enough reason when I return to 250? Would it be a good enough reason when I reach maintenance weight?

And fear..well fear is fleeting. That which scares us becomes familiar so quickly. I used to be afraid of 300lbs, but now I'm afraid of 400. Wouldn't I have just become afraid of 500 if I had gotten to that point? If I ever reach 190, how in the world could I expect myself to fear 200, which I now long for so greatly? Even those "little" physical symptoms that scream to us that we need to change NOW become so easy to ignore if they don't kill us right away.

I think that diagnosing yourself with a condition, and then treating that condition as a life-long affliction can be a great way to find your "click". It gives you a clear image of exactly what your issue with the weight is, and a strong reason to follow through with the months and years of actions that will be needed to resolve that issue (and keep it resolved). 90% of the work done!
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Old 05-25-2006, 09:31 PM   #5  
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Sandi,
You gave me an "ah-ha." I have been trying and analyzing why I could go for 9 months during my last pregnancy without junk food or sweets (well I know the sweet answer, they made me vomit) BUT the point is how could I do it for so long and then now NOT! The reason is tied to your post: I did it because it was to "treat" my medical condition, ie pregnacy. I knew I had one chance to grow my baby and I wanted to do everything in my power to see that she would be healthy and carried to term.

That's my "click." It isn't a tramatic occurance or an embarrasing moment or a life scare. It's simplier than that. It's matter of fact. It's the concrete concept that has been alluding me.... I have a disease and the treatment is 1800 kcals daily with regular exercise.

THANK YOU!
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Old 05-25-2006, 11:24 PM   #6  
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Sandi,

Try taking some potassium for your leg cramps. Dehydration, if it means that you are peeing out a lot of the water you take in, can also wash potassium out of your system. That loss of potassium can mean terrible Charlie Horses at night.

Of course, potassium works best with magnesium and calcium, so you could take all three.

I don't agree that obesity is a "disease". Maybe a "health condition" that needs treatment.

I'm all for anything that helps you get that "click". For me even that isn't doing it though. I liked what Andoreth said the other day about sitting and evaluating what it is that you really WANT. I still haven't decided. I think that is why I'm struggling as much as I am. For years I "kind of" wanted to be back to 130, thin like I used to be with that cute figure I used to have.

But that "kind of" was really an ambivalent feeling because that cute figure didn't come without its share of problems. Being heavier is in some ways EASIER. Now that I'm older, that 130 doesn't appeal to me near as much as it did. I don't think I would even look good that small any more. I wish I could believe that I would, but I think it is too late for that. I'm 50 after all. I was only in my 20s when I was that small.

I might like being as small as I was in my mid 30s though when I was going to the gym 3 times a week, but I was unmarried then and had more time and more motivation for losing. I wanted to get married again, and without feeling confidence in myself, guy shopping just wasn't in the cards.

That deciding what you want, REALLY want. Who you want to be, what you want to look like and what steps you are wililng to take to get there, and deciding that you want it BADLY enough to do the work involved. That is what I need to work on. At this point all I know is what I DON'T want to be (fatter than I am), and so I'm working at this from the wrong direction I guess. Because obviously you are never going to be "fatter than you are". I mean even if I gain 5 pounds or a 100 I won't be "fatter than I am" at that point!

Deciding what you want, how you will deal with it and then staying by your resolve. That is SO hard for me right now. It wasn't hard at the beginning of the year, but I'm thinner now than I was then (by about 20 or so pounds) and it doesn't seem so imperative that I continue taking the weight off.

Finding motivation again after doing well for awhile and slipping off the "wagon" is so hard sometimes.
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Old 05-26-2006, 03:40 AM   #7  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JacobsMommy
It's called Obesity. But I am lucky, there is a cure. The perscription is 1800 calories, taken daily.

Is that prescription in addition to what you're already eating? Because if so, I think we may have found your problem!
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Old 05-26-2006, 09:34 AM   #8  
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Sherry, I highly recommend that you don't give medical advice unless you are a physician. Potassium can kill you if there is too much in your body. Most electrolytes fall into a narrow range of appropriate levels in the body. Too much or too little can be very harmful. Taking a multivitamin is probably okay for most people but to take specific supplements such as potassium, that should be prescribed by a physician after reviewing bloodwork results. Some people cannot even eat bananas because that raises their potassium to above normal levels.

Sandi, I've often said that losing weight isn't rocket science. Theoretically it is a matter of calories burned being greater than calorie intake. We know this and know like you have said that if we intake a healthy number of calories then we can lose weight probably quite easily. It is just a matter of getting our emotions on board with what our brains are telling us. I know a woman who had weight loss surgery and has lost 22 lbs this past month because she can only eat 600-800 calories a day. Well if we ate that much we'd lose 22 lbs a month as well! She knew that as well but she couldn't do it without surgery. All the surgery does is provide a good reason not to overeat, if she tried it (especially so soon after her surgery) she'd be vomitting it up in 2 seconds. If we can somehow emotionally do what she had to do with surgery, that is give ourselves a good reason not to overeat, we'd be able to lose weight just as quickly. Long term though even surgery won't keep the weight off. I've seen too many people though who don't follow whatever regimen they need to follow to keep their health on track regardless of what disease they may have. There are a lot of people who won't take their medications or follow their diabetic diets and they are just as sane and intelligent as we are. Would you say that is stupid? I would but then I am just as stupid when I eat stuff I know I shouldn't and don't exercise and I know that ultimately it will cost me. I will die before my time and likely my last years will be uncomfortable or painful. I have seen this first hand in the hospital so I know what I am talking about. It is hard to find that motivation to keep on losing weight and I hope that whatever 'click' has happened will help keep you motivated to lose weight.
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Old 05-26-2006, 11:28 AM   #9  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jen
I've seen too many people though who don't follow whatever regimen they need to follow to keep their health on track regardless of what disease they may have. There are a lot of people who won't take their medications or follow their diabetic diets and they are just as sane and intelligent as we are. Would you say that is stupid? I would but then I am just as stupid when I eat stuff I know I shouldn't and don't exercise and I know that ultimately it will cost me. I will die before my time and likely my last years will be uncomfortable or painful. I have seen this first hand in the hospital so I know what I am talking about.
Jen, I never said that people who don't follow their medical regimen...or that we, who sometimes can't/don't follow our plan are stupid! Nor did I say people who don't are less than sane, or unintelligent!

So let me clarify, I guess: MOST of us wouldn't avoid our insulin if we had diabetes, or even our mastectomy if we had breast cancer.

I believe that Sandi has a very good working point here.... after doing the emotional work, treat the medical condition, and keep it as simple as that.

I'm sorry if what I said bothers you.


Linda

Last edited by famograham; 05-26-2006 at 01:35 PM.
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Old 05-26-2006, 12:03 PM   #10  
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Potassium can kill you if you take too much. Absolutely I agree with that. Potassium supplements in the stores are like "3 percent" of the RDA however, and most vitamins give you a great deal more than "3 percent" of whatever you are supplementing.

For this reason I believe that the "safety" part of potassium supplementation is built into the mineral supplements themselves. But absolutely no, you shouldn't take too much. However Charlie horses while sleeping can be a sign of not enough potassium in the body. When I have had them and have supplemented potassium, they have gone away. A good "multivitamin" if it contains potassium (and some do, some don't) will probably be enough as well. But that same "multivitamin" probably also contains no more than "3 percent" potassium.
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Old 05-26-2006, 01:55 PM   #11  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SherryA
Deciding what you want, how you will deal with it and then staying by your resolve. That is SO hard for me right now. It wasn't hard at the beginning of the year, but I'm thinner now than I was then (by about 20 or so pounds) and it doesn't seem so imperative that I continue taking the weight off.

Finding motivation again after doing well for awhile and slipping off the "wagon" is so hard sometimes.
I hear you on that one! I have envisioned lots of things I want to do, and some of the positives of being thinner (clothes, health, activity level, self esteem, etc.). On the other side of that coin, I wonder what I get out of being heavy. I can't help thinking there is something powerful I get out of it or I wouldn't be holding on to the weight for so long. It's comfortable, it's familiar, it protects me...maybe stuff like that.

The truth is I don't find it that hard to do the exercise, but I LET myself wander off the eating plan. Usually my thinking is something along the lines of "well, I worked really hard with the exercise, I deserve a treat!" or "I've spent several days pretty well on program, I deserve a treat." I know in my heart that losing the weight would be the biggest treat of all, but it just a matter of consistently convincing my brain of that!

sometimes just having a plan, and following it each day and not thinking about it keeps me going. plus, having a journal that I put my results down in every week (and how much exercise). I have to say, seeing over time what I'm doing and how I'm doing makes a big difference. I HAVE to face the good and the bad. I sound like I'm contradicting myself, but somehow in my brain it makes sense.
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Old 05-26-2006, 03:16 PM   #12  
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To Jacobsmommy
I used to suffer from leg cramps or charlie horses that would bring me to the floor at night. My doctor suggested or told me to drink at least 100 oz of water a day. He said leg cramps are the result of not enough water in the tissue or joints. I tried it and it actually worked. As for the potassium issue , I think i would talk to him about that one. For me , I have high blood pressure so too much potassium would be dangerous,esp if you take medication.

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Old 05-26-2006, 08:56 PM   #13  
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I once read that minerals are something that will not taste good if you don't need them. There are salt substitutes that you can buy which have potassium in them. If you use them on your food and they taste nasty, then you don't have that particular mineral deficiency. If they taste good to you, then your body needs it however.

I also heard once years ago, that gasoline smells good to those with an iron deficiency, but not to other people. I mentioned this casually at the time to a friend of mine and she said she had never heard that, but that in her family her sister was the only one who had iron deficiency problems and that she was also the only one in the family that gasoline smelled good to.

Possibly true, possibly not. If taking supplements bothers you, eat a few potassium rich foods and see if that helps the cramps or see if they taste good or nasty to you. Too much potassium IS dangerous. I agree with that. But too little can cause health problems too. On Atkins people tend to lose potassium (particularly in the beginning of the diet) and he advocated taking some potassium. But he also included warnings with that advice. Charlie horses and leg cramps at night were signs of potassium deficiency according to him. He was a cardiologist. I'm not sure if people on other types of diets lose as much water weight and potassium as those on low carb diets do, so it may not be true for you. Sure ask your doctor about it if it worries you.
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Old 05-26-2006, 09:12 PM   #14  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dragonwoman64
On the other side of that coin, I wonder what I get out of being heavy. I can't help thinking there is something powerful I get out of it or I wouldn't be holding on to the weight for so long. It's comfortable, it's familiar, it protects me...maybe stuff like that.
I hear you. What DO we get out of being fat? Maybe something as simple as identity. It has become a part of who we are. The language we use regarding our attempts to get healthier are in themselves "negative" too when you think about it. "losing weight". Who wants to be a "loser?" When in most of our regular life is "losing" considered a good thing?

Someone sees you and they say "You've lost weight". Does that sound like a compliment? Say they saw you and said "I hear you lost your big game yesterday..." is that a compliment? No it is pointing out your "failure". Losing weight isn't a failure of course, but a success. It just doesn't sound that way.

I was listening to some motivational tapes one time by a speaker named Brian Tracy. He had done a lot of research into various ways of looking at life, and one of the things he said that I thought was interesting is that the subconscious mind can't process a "negative". That if you want to accomplish anything you can program your subconscious mind by using "affirmations" But these affirmations can't be worded in negative words. For instance you can't say "I don't smoke any more". Mind doesn't get it. You can say "I am smoke free" or "I am a non smoker".

I think one way of helping ourselves to "lose" weight is to drop the word lose. Think instead about what we are gaining. "I am gaining a better body" or "I am gaining a healthier, stronger body". "I only eat good nutritious healthy delicious food."

I think for me? I don't want to "lose" a part of who I am. That sounds very extreme and drastic, even knowing that it is a part of me that is only excess and unneeded stored fuel. My fat is a part of me. Maybe I don't LIKE being fat, but when I'm thinking about how I must "lose" it, it is demotivating. Gaining more health, gaining more ability to move pain free, gaining strength? Those things sound really good.

A lot of times it is just a matter of how we think about it. To me "losing" weight equates to "losing" the ability to eat all the things I love. That is an unbalanced and stupid thought process that we should be able to overcome. Maybe just a mind set change would make the difference.

A thought just occurred to me. Since language is so powerful and since the language we use here is "losing", it makes me wonder what other cultures call it in their language. I was reading a book about how "French women don't get fat". One of the things she described was a lady enjoying her particular little favorite sweet and calling it (in French) "my tiny adorable sin".

Her point was that only in French would a sin be called both "adorable" and "tiny". I wonder how they refer to removing a few pounds. It could be that the language makes a lot of the difference.
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Old 05-27-2006, 05:36 AM   #15  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by famograham
Jen, I never said that people who don't follow their medical regimen...or that we, who sometimes can't/don't follow our plan are stupid! Nor did I say people who don't are less than sane, or unintelligent!

So let me clarify, I guess: MOST of us wouldn't avoid our insulin if we had diabetes, or even our mastectomy if we had breast cancer.

I believe that Sandi has a very good working point here.... after doing the emotional work, treat the medical condition, and keep it as simple as that.

I'm sorry if what I said bothers you.


Linda

Actually Linda I don't think I was even going by your post when I wrote that part. I was thinking of myself and family and people I have had as patients in the hospital. IMHO opinion people can be very stupid when it comes to their health. We can be very wise when it comes to offering advice but it is so much easier to say than to do. I think I am stupid fairly often when it comes to watching my weight. I'm not going to candy coat it and say that it isn't dumb to eat stuff I know I shouldn't. I can't blame everything on some kind of emotional problem. I must be a real basket case if everything I eat is the result of something emotional prompting it. No, sometimes I am downright stupid, I know what I should be doing and I don't do it. I am not beating myself up, I am being honest. Maybe if I could be this honest with myself all the time I would follow my plan and be losing weight. Too often I give myself excuses to eat what I eat and to not exercise and all I am doing is wallowing in denial.
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