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06-19-2014, 11:40 AM
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#1
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Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 54
S/C/G: 279/257/180
Height: 5'7"
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Howdy and WOO HOOO!
I don't imagine my story is much different than a lot of people on this forum. I'm so glad that I found it. It's easier to admit to the anonymous masses that you weight nearly 300 lbs than it is to admit it to people who know you and love you, but don't really have a weight problem.
Five weeks ago today, I went to see my doctor. I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes and weighed in at 279 lbs. He insisted that I begin taking Insulin for the diabetes and assured me that if I didn't do something about my weight that I would have a very short and unhappy life to look forward to. He then proceeded to put me on a VERY limited calorie diet (800 calories per day), told me to give up Diet Coke, and start some kind of exercise plan.
As of today, I am down 17 lbs and have managed to kick the Diet Cokes to the curb and stay pretty close to the daily recommended calories. I still need to start exercising. So, that is my goal for this week. I will walk on my treadmill for 30 minutes per night. Now that I've said it, I will have to follow through!
Thanks everyone for sharing my journey with me. I'm looking forward to being a healthier, thinner, me by the end of this year!
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06-19-2014, 01:18 PM
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#2
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Michelle the Vegan
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Bliss-a-go-go!
Posts: 5,410
S/C/G: >207/under goal/150
Height: ~5'9" of Snark
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Welcome to the site! Just 800 calories a day -- wow -- I don't know how you do it! I'd be crippled by headaches and hunger!
Congratulations on your losses and the positive attitude that is easy to hear in your post! I look forward to hear about more successes from you!
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06-19-2014, 09:39 PM
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#3
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Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 54
S/C/G: 279/257/180
Height: 5'7"
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Thanks so much, Mrs. Snark. It has definitely been a challenge, but in a very short time, I realized that I was going to have to get used to eating a lot of salad and green beans, or I would starve to death. Now, I've learned that diet foods aren't what they used to be. There are a lot of low calorie options out there that are actually quite flavorful. I need to see if there is a recipe section on this board so that I can share some of the awesome low calorie/high volume meals I've discovered. It's great to meet you, and your progress photos are awesome! I'll have to have a look at some of my old photos and start keeping a photo journal.
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06-20-2014, 07:23 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Robles Junction/Three Points AZ
Posts: 484
S/C/G: 432/180/200
Height: 5'11
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Welcome and best wishes on your WOE.
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06-20-2014, 08:45 AM
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#5
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Michelle the Vegan
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Bliss-a-go-go!
Posts: 5,410
S/C/G: >207/under goal/150
Height: ~5'9" of Snark
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HeeHawHoney -- I eat alot of salad and green beans myself! Quite yummy! There is a Volumetrics thread you might like, too, since they focus on high volume low cal food! I think it is in the General Diet Plans section I think, check it out!
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06-20-2014, 12:12 PM
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#6
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Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 54
S/C/G: 279/257/180
Height: 5'7"
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Oh, Mrs. Snark! Thank you so much for enlightening about the Volumetrics thread. I had never heard of such, but that is almost exactly what I am doing!
SatinPumpkin, I have seen your progress photos as well. You are truly amazing.
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06-20-2014, 01:17 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 296
S/C/G: 85/85/55
Height: 170
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Congratulations with wegith loss!! Great job!! Yes sport is very important! I also started with long walks. Now i am buying a bicycle;-)) good luck to you!! Keep going and do not forget to post threads here! It helps to follow all of your goals;-))
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06-20-2014, 03:40 PM
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#8
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Contract job medical field
Posts: 97
S/C/G: 253/234/145
Height: 5'4"
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Best of luck Honey--- I'm in it with you and trying for mini-goals. Keep up your posts and I will read them.
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06-20-2014, 07:21 PM
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#9
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Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 54
S/C/G: 279/257/180
Height: 5'7"
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Thanks, Gingerjv and kmruby1! I will definitely keep updating. I also realized that I was mistaken about how long I've been on this diet. It was not 5 weeks on Thursday, it was 4!
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06-24-2014, 10:07 AM
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#10
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Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 54
S/C/G: 279/257/180
Height: 5'7"
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I made it!!! Got on the scales this morning, and I have lost 20 lbs!!!
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06-24-2014, 10:58 AM
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#11
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Guest
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I would look up Dr. Eric Westman. Also Dr. Jeff Volek, and Dr. Phinney.
Dr. Westman in particular has gotten many hundreds of patients off of insulin. Sometimes within days or weeks. I don't know if you would call it reversing diabetes. But for all intents and purposes these people do not have diabetic symptoms the rest of their lives.
I have little doubt your metabolic syndrome/diabetes was most likely caused by too many carb consumption.
My personal advice would not be to restrict calories at all. That is just going to make you less healthy IMO in the long run. Most people regain. But if you think that you can...well go for it. Are you willing to eat 800, 1000, 1200 the rest of your life?
I personally would become fat adapted and keep your insulin steady throughout the day. With reduced carb consumption you would manage diabetes indefinitely with no medicine required. I would shoot for between 50 to 70% of calories from fat and if you are diabetic less than 50 grams of carbs a day and if you can manage in the 25-30 range.
Do that for a month or two and you will be amazed. And no need to count calories on this. Without the carbs your appetite will drop tremendously. But as I said research Eric Westman. Many diabetics are now living insulin free for the rest of their lives. Losing weight, getting everything in check. Eating fat is incredibly healing for bodies that went decades on the fat is bad advice. Especially good quality saturated fats.
Also note the current research is there are two types of LDL. One, large particles are benign. Only the small dense ones which tend to get oxidized are harmful. Carb eating really ups the small dense ones. Fat eating reduces the small dense and ups the large ones. Fat also ups HDL a LOT.
The most predictive marker for heart disease is triglycerides over HDL. High fat consumption reduces tri and ups HDL.
Last edited by diamondgeog; 06-24-2014 at 11:03 AM.
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06-24-2014, 12:03 PM
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#12
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Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 54
S/C/G: 279/257/180
Height: 5'7"
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Thanks, diamondgeog. I do plan on asking my doctor about increasing my calories or about going the low carb/Atkins/Paleo route when I go back to him in August. I have been doing pretty well following the 800 calorie diet because I accidently discovered Volumetrics (glad to know it has a name). I do plan a cheat day every other week, and that helps me to stay on my plan the rest of the time. Like you said, I am almost certain that my weight gain and diabetes were caused, in large part, by too many carbs. However, it might also be attributed to my father who was diagnosed with diabetes when he was around my age. He, however, was not overweight, but I most certainly am.
Last edited by HeeHawHoney; 06-24-2014 at 01:08 PM.
Reason: Bad grammar
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06-24-2014, 12:12 PM
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#13
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Guest
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It's important to understand the connections between genetics and diet. My grandmother got diabetes, my uncle got it, I was well on my way.
Now I never worry about it. I absolutely have the genetics for type 2. BUT whether those genes ever get expressed or not is almost entirely under my control. Especially if I had the knowledge I have now for my entire life.
There is a lot of interesting research on epigenetics. For instance I now am a fat burner. I always had the genes for that but my diet was suppressing that ability. Now through diet those genes are being expressed.
Put it this way. Around 1900 almost nil type 2. Now 1 in 10, one in 10! in America are diabetic. I can assure you that genes do not change that fast in 3 or 4 generations. It's been because of diet primarily then other lifestyle changes.
Interestingly a sizable percent of people not overweight have metabolic syndrome or pre-diabetes. For whatever reason they don't get overweight but the carbs are still having other impacts including in many eventually diabetes.
Last edited by diamondgeog; 06-24-2014 at 12:15 PM.
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07-05-2014, 10:59 AM
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#14
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Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 54
S/C/G: 279/257/180
Height: 5'7"
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Diamondgeog, I have some questions about low carb dieting. Almost 2 weeks ago, I decided that I would give low carb a try while also attempting to stay close to my doctor advised 800 calories per day. I did manage to keep it in the 1000 - 1100 calorie per day range, and was consuming the "induction" phase recommended amount of 20 net carbs per day. I am very disappointed to say that I have not lost any more weight on this plan at all. As a matter of fact, I gained weight and my blood sugar numbers were often running higher. Finally, I got such a headache that I missed most of a day at work and, after feeling like I was going to die in my office all day the second day, I just couldn't force myself to come home and cook and eat one more low carb meal. So, I found myself picking up pizza and breadsticks for my boyfriend and myself. 4 breadsticks later, the headache was completely gone and hasn't come back. I am forced to believe that the low carbs were giving me that headache.
So, what am I doing wrong? Is it just that low carb might not sit well with me, or is it something simple that I can change?
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07-10-2014, 07:05 PM
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#15
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Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 54
S/C/G: 279/257/180
Height: 5'7"
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Whew! I am back on track. I've lost three of the four pounds I gained on the Atkins diet. Just don't understand how I went wrong on that one. My sister said that she had similar results when she went low carb too. My brother lost about 60 lbs doing that diet, but he's the one in the family that doesn't have blood sugar problems.
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