Ohai, everyone, may I come back?
Two years ago, I lost 20 pounds doing low-cab. Then life got more stressful, with a lot of travel and taking care of elderly parents, and I starting eating carbs again. Specifically, potatoes, potato chips, and, when I was with my parents, breads. (My diabetic Dad eats very very little bread, but my mother, who has an entirely different body type and metabolism, eats lots and lots of bread). I’m assuming my body wants the serotonin for an antidepressant effect. As you have guessed, all that weight came back.
Over the last few years, since I reached the age my father was when he was diagnosed with diabetes, I’ve tested my fasting blood sugar, and now the numbers are, every so often, creeping into the pre-diabetic range. I’ve wondered if my thyroid, always at the lowest end of normal functioning, is getting wonkier, since weight gain has been persistent, I’ve started feeling cold at times, and my neck has been sore, and some days I’ve been so fatigued i haven’t been able to do much of anything. On those days, it seems as if the food I eat isn’t being turned into usable energy, but is stored, instead. So I wonder not only about the happiness of my thyroid, but also about the ATP cycle and the mitochondria.
I just don’t have it in me to be as strict with my diet as I was before. I am trying to add in more non-starchy veggies, to make sure I get more micronutrients. I don’t buy bread or pasta, and in most restaurants I can leave it.
Walking several miles during the day, lifting weights, and meditating keeps my blood sugars in the nice, healthy normal range, and that’s about all I know of to increase and encourage mitochondria. Timing is important: a two or more mile walk before breakfast seems to kick up my metabolism and make me happy. When I was a lot younger, I used to run five miles before breakfast. I don’t expect to be able to do that again, but being active right away in the morning really works for my system.
Oh, and I found a great, short workout, called the T-Tapp total workout. I looked at pictures of it online, and immediately thought that it looked too easy to be effective. However, I got the video anyway, and it is a really good workout, and really does trim up the body. I look as if I weigh 40 pounds less than i actually do. As I’m about 65 pounds overweight, that’s pretty good.
Thanks for letting me natter on! It feels good to say all this to people who understand.
One of my coaches is always saying, “But is has the word rest in it! That’s good!” Mmmmm, 10 seconds rest is just enough to be a tease, IMO. Now that you mention it, though, at least it gets you into and out of pain quickly.