That's awesome, Eagle! To what do you attribute the new lows lately?
This morning I was back to my low of 143.2. Feels good to be back after two weeks of bloat!
Well- I'm hoping it's that I'm trying to keep my carbs fairly low. I have a chronic gut dysbiosis however, and it's possible the weight loss is a symptom of that. I got sick of being SO close to goal and the scale not moving, so I got more serious about watching what I'm eating. I'm not starving myself, by any means, but I try to keep my portions reasonable, my carbs low, and no eating after 6pm or so (most nights, anyway). I haven't been working out at all, but I have been pretty physical lately because we're building a deck at the new house so I'm walking a lot, lifting heavy things, stuff like that. So a lot less time in front of the TV watching Netflix, lately.
Congrats on 143! Bloat is the pits, for sure! I think my TOM will be next week (I'm in perimenopause, so it sort of shows up when it feels like it, and skips some months entirely) so I'll probably see a bounce up next week.
Eagle - Sounds like with your careful eating and active lifestyle, that your weight loss could most definitely be due to your efforts. I'm sorry you deal with a chronic gut dysbiosis. I have IBS and wouldn't be surprised if it's largely due to gut flora issues. Way too many rounds of antibiotics. Did you see a gastroenterologist for a diagnosis? I've just been seeing my primary, and learned through trial and error how to manage my condition. Has your dr been of much help?
I was disappointed today bc my firestick wasn't working. *insert dramatic horror movie music* That's what I use to play BoD on my tv, so that I can work out watching that big screen rather than my tiny laptop. I'll have to get someone who knows tech better than I do (i.e, almost anyone) to identify the problem. I actually missed doing 21 Day Fix. I did my old beloved standby BBL instead since I have that dvd set.
Lunkah, you made me laugh with the *insert dramatic horror movie music* part. My brain did just that! Scree! Scree! Scree! Scree! Haha. I know on a few occasions I wasn't able to connect to BoD and I was so disappointed. I just use my laptop with an HDMI cable to our TV to stream it. Eventually I'll get a Roku or something but for now this works.
My illness and diagnosis is kind of a long story. In April 2016 I began having horrible stomach pain. The pain was so severe on one occasion that we thought I had an ulcer that had perforated. I went to the ER but they couldn't find what was wrong so they sent me home. I had an ultrasound, CT, upper endoscopy, and saw 5 different doctors. No one could figure it out. My primary care doc is a Naturopath and I was sitting in her office for the umpteenth time and I saw this look of defeat in her eyes that scared me- she had run out of ideas. She said my next option was probably to be sent to a specialist outside, such as Mayo Clinic. I said I would do anything she wanted me to do, and she said, "Anything?" I said yes, and she said, "I want you to eat nothing but lamb, rice and pears for the next 10 days." So I did- and I got better. That cued us to it being some type of allergy or sensitivity. So she sent me to the Allergy Clinic where I got tested for allergies (I'm allergic to corn and garlic- I ate both all the time) and also I have food sensitivities to histamine and salicylates. More testing revealed that the flora in my gut is way off, and that dysbiosis is what is causing the allergies and sensitivities. My diet is still only about 35-40 foods now after a year but if I'm careful I'm pain free. My problem is I like to cheat a little on my diet and eat things I know I shouldn't, and that's when I start hurting again. It makes weight loss easier because many of the foods I used to overeat I can't have at all- no pizza, no bacon, no cheese, the list of what I can't have is really long and really tasty, haha.
Like your IBS, I had way too many antibiotics and very likely this problem with my gut was forming over the course of many years, and crashed down on me last year. I am hoping it heals.
What protocol do you follow for your IBS? I read up about all gut issues - IBS, leaky gut, SIBO, Crohn's, etc- because a lot of it crosses over.
Haha, you're an excellent singer bc "scree scree" was the exact diddy I had in mind. Fortunately that's all better now. I'll be doing one of the 21 Day Fix workouts soon. I'm skipping the ones that involve a lot of floor work. I needed to get rid of my old yoga mat. It was irritating my skin and asthma. It always did, so I never used it much. I decided to finally give it away. Can you rec a yoga mat? I think I'd need one of the pricey ones. I'm willing to shell out for one that doesn't make me feel sick, but I'll probably need to wait a couple of months. I have lot of big expenses coming up.
I'm so sorry about how painful your condition can be! I understand the cycle of pushing things a little too far, and experiencing pain again. I'd like to get my allergies tested too, to find out if something like that's going on with me as well. Is it an allergist who can also test our gut flora, or someone else for that part?
I've always had a touch of IBS (perhaps bc I was on antibiotics at only 2 weeks old?), but it started getting worse about 6 years ago, and then really bad about 3 years ago. At first, I thought I kept getting food poisoning bc I'd get rly bad stomach cramps and diarrhea (sorry if that's tmi!). In time, I realized it was a reaction to specific foods. My worst triggers are garlic, onions, cabbage, and basically any large amount of fiber. When my condition was at its worst, even half a serving of veg would make me sick. This was rly hard for me and made me totally change how I eat, bc my diet's always been heavy on produce. Between 2014 and 2016, I gained about 40 pounds, and I'd estimate about 15 or 20 pounds of that is from having to change my diet. To keep my stomach comfortable, I ended up eating lots of empty carbs. (The remaining part of the weight gain was from becoming way, way too inactive.)
Anyway, in time I got fed up and decided to just stop eating any fiber at all for a couple of months. The only produce I ate was mashed potatoes (a serving didn't bother me), and I didn't eat any grains either. I also was better about taking my probiotic every day. This extended break from all fiber/produce really helped me heal. I then slowly started reintroducing produce and found that I could handle about a serving at a time (usually), although there are still some foods where even a taste makes me v sick. I've also discovered that something as simple as taking beano every time I eat produce helps A LOT. It's like night and day. I'm still not back to normal, but thing are much, much better. Bathroom issues have swung the other way though, and now I'm often battling with constipation. Can't win.
I did the first workout in 21 Day Fix again. It was much easier today. I love when that progress happens! Based on your exercise history, you might want to skip 21 Day Fix and go straight to its tougher version. It's called something like 21 Day Extreme. The original could be made more difficult by increasing the weight amounts though, so that might be enough to offer you a challenge.
The gut flora test is just a stool test - which you have to do at home (yuck) and then send in. The first one they tested me for lots of things but the only thing that came back abnormal was my gut microbes- I was missing 2 of the 3 good ones, and had like 3 that were bad but not the horrible bad ones like C-Dif, just not good.
I completely empathize on the diet challenges. Just before I got so sick, I had been doing the "Whole 30" and just getting sicker and sicker. It seemed like the healthier I tried to eat, the sicker I got, and why would that be? Well, it was all the salicylates in the produce. In the end I had to stop eating a ton of different produce. I can have potatoes, leeks, yams, asparagus, carrot, beans, kale, green beans and butternut squash. For fruit I can tolerate pears and banana. And I can tolerate oats, as in oatmeal. That's it. All the other veggies and fruits? Off limits. And this is for someone who LOVES veggies and fruits. I used to eat vegan about 2/3 of the time (two meals a day, with meat only at dinner). Now I eat a LOT of eggs (so much that I'm truly sick of them) and more meat than I would really like.
The way I feel these days, the standard 21 Day Fix is probably right up my alley. I've gotten weak. I need to gain some muscle! I stopped at Walmart yesterday for cat food and litter and made the mistake of not getting a cart. I had to put the litter down 3 times on the way to the car because I was getting so tired. It's only 32 lbs. I used to be able to curl 35's. (Way back when, not recently).
Thanks so much for the info on the tests! Coincidentally, I'm good with oats too. I really feel for you about how many foods you've had to cut out. I can relate so much to how your diet was primarily plant-based. Curling 35's, omg, you were a fitness monster. I think you'll recover your muscle tone pretty quickly once everything settles down with the house and you're able to workout again. I'd basically turned into a marshmallow after two years of no exercise lol, so I was surprised how quickly I started to feel/see gains in strength.
I'm so happy there's so many people in here to relate to! I'm 5"0 feet and weight 145 lbs. A year and a half ago I weighted 105lbs... so I have gained 40 lbs and since I'm super short thats not a healthy weight. This week I've been going to the gym and eating healthier than before😊 I am planning to lose these 40 lbs by February 14th , because I started my 6 month weight loss journey on August 14💪🏽😁 what do you guys think?
Last edited by Albanyalejandra; 08-16-2017 at 07:01 PM.
I'm so happy there's so many people in here to relate to! I'm 5"0 feet and weight 145 lbs. A year and a half ago I weighted 105lbs... so I have gained 40 lbs and since I'm super short thats not a healthy weight. This week I've been going to the gym and eating healthier than before😊 I am planning to lose these 40 lbs by February 14th , because I started my 6 month weight loss journey on August 14💪🏽😁 what do you guys think?
I think that is totally do-able, and you've set a good realistic timeline for your weight loss! I wish you the best of luck and hope you'll post here while you're in the 140's!
So I had an NSV today- my pants have almost all gotten too big on me. Some are in danger of falling off while I wear them, and my husband told me I look like a gangster in my jeans (saggy butt, haha). I usually buy my clothes online but I didn't even know what size I was. I've gone from an 18+ (they were tight) last year to wearing a loose 12 now. The smallest I've ever been since I was a teen (and I was skinny then) was an 8. So I went to the store today and grabbed an 8 and a 10 off the rack. I decided to try on the 8 first, and when I held it up it looked so small and I was like, "No way will this fit." But I figured I'd see how close I was. Well- they fit. I didn't even have to suck in my gut to put them on. I'm just astounded that I'm a size 8 now- at least in Levi Strauss I am, haha. I need to order some clothes and I'm crossing my fingers they'll fit when they come in.
Well done getting to the gym and eating healthier. I think your weight loss goal is achievable, but it's also slightly on the fast side. That would require losing over 6 pounds a month. Although doable, there may be some months where you're doing everything right and average about 4 pounds for that month (or slightly less). Of course, depending on your metabolism, you may lose it all even before Feb! I mention this though just to manage expectations and express that what you have control over is your healthy behaviors, but the scale may not always respond with that level of loss each week. Even so, with your plan, I'd say it's definitely possible that you could lose it all by Feb and, at most, it might take another 2 or so months more than that. Either way, you'll be in awesome shape by Feb.
Well, wish me luck- I just placed an order for size 8 stuff. *Nervous*
On a less positive note, my weight did bump up a pound, I've been 142.2 the past couple of days. Not a big deal, but I always get a little bummed when the scale goes the wrong direction.
Yeah, a bump up can be frustrating. I find the more I want a particular goal weight/loss, the more annoying the scale fluctuations are. I really want to lose as much as I safely can before my vacation in late Sept. So it was a bit disaapointing when I got down to a low of 143 last month, then bumped up to 145 at the start of this month. I'm only today down to a new low - 142.6.
Part of myself -- the majority of myself -- is cool with whatever pace, but another part really, really wants to be no higher than the low 130s for my vacay, and the lighter the better. That's bc I'll be doing a lot of walking, and on my last walking-intensive vacation in April, my feet were in agony. I weighed in the low 150s at the time. I'd never experienced so much foot pain when at my normal weight. Back then, I could walk 10 miles a day and feel totally fine, but that wasn't my reality in April. I've decided rather than pressuring myself to be at a certain number, I'll think of how the exercise is increasing my strength which will likely help me handle more mileage than in April. And who knows, maybe I don't need to be as light as I think for my feet to feel better. Plus, I've invested in two pairs of v expensive shoes that are supposed to help, as well as expensive socks. I also plan to start doing weekly long'ish walks soon to prep. So I've done what I can, and will just have to accept where I am physically by the trip, and, if need be, reduce my miles while there.
It's probably obvious that my feet hurt rly, rly, traumatizingly bad in April!
Last edited by Chunkahlunkah; 08-18-2017 at 11:39 AM.
I'm sorry you deal with a chronic gut dysbiosis. I have IBS and wouldn't be surprised if it's largely due to gut flora issues. Way too many rounds of antibiotics. Did you see a gastroenterologist for a diagnosis? I've just been seeing my primary, and learned through trial and error how to manage my condition. Has your dr been of much help?
I understand the cycle of pushing things a little too far, and experiencing pain again. I'd like to get my allergies tested too, to find out if something like that's going on with me as well. Is it an allergist who can also test our gut flora, or someone else for that part?
I really feel for you about how many foods you've had to cut out. 
Killer NSV, you're doing so well! 
at your gangsta look.
