I can so vouch for the gel seat. Hubby and I bought bicycles a couple summers ago. I wasn't at my highest weight, but I was at least 20 lbs heavier than I am now.
I tried to do online research, but I couldn't find any information on the weight limits of bicycles, so I wasn't even sure a bicycle was a possibility at my size. Finally, I had to break down and ask a live person. Hubby and I went to a bike shop, where instead of laughing at us (which I was expecting) the young, skinny, competitive cyclers that owned the shop gave us enthusiastic pointers. They told us to go for simple, sturdy construction (with no springs and fancy suspension systems).
We decided on Walmart cheapies to gain practice on, with plans to buy good bikes when finances warranted.
My hubby (fat, but Mr. No Butt) was fine on the standard seat. I however was in excrutiating pain (both in the butt and more frontal inner thigh region - I think I walked bow-legged for a few days, and didn't let hubby near me, if you know what I mean - he teased me that I had been sexually assaulted by the bicycle, and I sort of felt that way).
The biggest gel seat Walmart sold solved my problem. Hubby can't ride anymore because of balance issues with this nerve and joint problems, but I plan on upping my tolerance this summer and fall. If I can get to the point that I'm on the bike more than an hour, I'm going to start looking online for an even wider gel seat.
I just want to THANK each and every one of you for your input! When I read your profiles and see your sucessful weight losses it is really motivating!
I am going to get an appointment Monday with Doctor and just kinda take it from there...It took me six years to get this way...I guess I need a big helping of "calm down and get a grip baby"!
Love to you all and I hope I can count on ya'll for future support!!!!
I don't know if any of you have ever watched 'Survivorman' on the discovery channel. He said if you eat nothing but protein for even just a few days your body will get protein poisoning which leads to diarea and dehydration because you're not eating enough fat or something and then you could die.....I dont know if it's true just what I heard.
He said if you eat nothing but protein for even just a few days your body will get protein poisoning which leads to diarea and dehydration because you're not eating enough fat or something and then you could die.
Uh ... I question this.
If you eat too much of anything and nothing of everything else, you can get sick. Your body needs a variety of nutrients to survive. You need protein. You also need fat. You also need carbs. You also need veggies and fruits. If you deprive your body of any of those for a long time, you'll get sick.
200 years ago sailors used to get scurvy and die because they didn't eat any fresh fruit or veggies on their ships. All they ate was meat and bread for hte most part because it kept better.
But there's a difference between eating 150g of protein as part of a more extensive diet and eating nothing but meat for a handful of days in a survivor situation as well.
What I believe he is referring to is "rabbit starvation." If you eat exclusively protein, with no fat or carbohydrates, it can make you quite sick, quite rapidly, especially if you do not have excessive reserves of fat (Survivorman, as I've watched it, seems to be assuming that most people lost in the wilderness are not packing alot of extra weight, to begin with).
Also, with more protein, a person does need more water, and if someone were "lost" in the wilderness, they may or may not have access to adequate amounts of moisture to properly deal with a high protein diet.
So, I would advise anyone (in the wilderness or on the couch) not to eat ONLY very lean protein (with no fat or carbohydrates or without plenty of water), but I don't think it's a problem the average person encounters.
Question: On the liquid diets don't those people go for like the first three months or so at a very low caloric intake? What about the people who can barely eat after Gastric bypass surgery?
I don't want to hurt myself, just take off about thirty or so then kick up the activities...
I did Optifast for 12 weeks...600 calories in the form of five protein shakes per day. Originally the program was designed for 16 weeks, but folks were having too much trouble.
Here's the deal about that.
1) they make you sign a huge release telling you that it is a dangerous diet and has lots of side effects.
2) even on 600 calories a day weight loss slows and stalls. (You want frustration about a plateau, try eating 600 calories and exercising for a week, and don't lose a pound!)
3) once you start "refeeding" it is almost impossible to maintain the weight loss because your metabolism has slowed so much.
When I did it I loss 99 pounds in 24 weeks...it sounds good, but I was also exercising 3-4 hours per day (I would walk aerobically to and from work for 1.5 hours, plus additional exercise) and when I started eating I kept my eating below 1000 calories daily. As soon as I reduced my activity and increased my food at all I started to gain...50 pounds in one year. (Okay, once the weight really started to creep up the exercise diminished and the eating increased as well.)
In the long run I have ended up with kidney problems. A direct result of this? Maybe not, but I doubt this episode was good for my health!
I hesitate to answer questions like this since my mileage varies due to my kidney disease. I know that FOR ME, my kidneys are working very hard to function around the cysts. They have to work even harder to process animal protein. Plant proteins (quinoa, beans, peanut butter, etc) are better for me. I wouldn't see why this would be too different for someone whose kidneys are healthy & normal. Large amounts of animal protein making them work harder? But it would be an interesting thing to ask when you go to the doctor.
I think brown rice, whole wheat pasta, shredded wheat cereal, any kind of grains that are whole & have a lot of fiber would be ok.
"Tired...", going to a doctor for help, as long as s/he is well-informed regarding nutrition and weight loss, is an awesome step on this journey. I started by going to my doc, who has been my doc for years, but who recently completed a specialty in bariatric medicine (non-surgical). I was disheartened in the beginning when she didn't offer any quick-fix medications and said she "hoped for" a 1/2 lb. loss per week! Now, I am grateful that I have not used any medications for weight loss (there are several out there right now). I have also lost an average of 2-3 lbs. per week on 1600-1800 calories per day. At my last visit, I asked her why she had originally "hoped for" such a low number of pounds lost per week. SHe said that it is vital that people go into this with realistic expectations in order to succeed and that 1/2 lb. loss per week is more the norm than the 2-3 I am losing. I appreciate that she gave me a dose of reality.
Finally, I had surgery 2 weeks ago and have not been cleared for exercise yet (I was also unable to exercise for 2 weeks before the surgery). I am maintaining my calories for the most part, but without exercise, I have gained a few pounds back. I know how hard it is to start exercising. IT is so vital, though, for healthy, long-term weight loss. A great way to start is to wear a pedometer and figure out your average steps for a few days. Then, increase those steps by a mere 500-1000 per week (this is 1-2 times around the block -- depending on the block). Get to 12,500 per day and you have gotten in your daily exercise! I did this when I had to stop doing any "jarring" exercise. I took four 15 minute walks a day some days to get them in. Other days, when I couldn't take 4 walks, I would put laundry away 1 piece at a time or clean the house by walking one thing at a time to each room. SOmetimes, I would park further away. Other times, I would offer to get things for people in other rooms. Little changes really add up (as much as I have always hated the millions of articles that say that, I must now admit that they are right).
Hi I know there is a lot of info out there. And you had recieved a lot of great suggestions and I have another one for you. Have you thought of putting some fruit in your smoothies? And some flax seed oil (mufas). Add some peanut butter(mufas) (the all natural kind). Maybe some oatmeal cooked and cooled first. You can also get protien from low fat dairy. And dark choclate in moderation is also good for you it contains monounsaturated fats(mufas for short). Avocado are also a mufas all in moderation.
I did read it actually, Lisa. Apparently the rest of my post was accidentally altered in the "edit".
It's interesting to see that used, as not many lay people are using that acronym, it's not caught on like "EVOO" (extra virgin olive oil, which I refuse to use because Rachael Ray coined it! ).
If you're going to do be doing a lot of protein, make sure it is plant protein- animal protein will leach calcium from your bones if you're over doing it, so take a calcium supplement.
The idea that too much protein can cause your blood to become toxic is true, but only really happens to diabetics. You are suppose to increase your water when you increase your protein, so just be careful that you're not truly over doing it on the protein. Too much protein can- as everyone has said put a strain on your kidneys- the more strain on your kidneys the more strain you put on your heart.
Apparently the rest of my post was accidentally altered in the "edit". 
).
