The SDMB Weight Loss Club!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
61

liirogue said:

“I can’t run or jog (which I want to do… I love that runner’s high and the energy it gives me) because my knees just kill me afterwards. Any suggestions?”

Well, assuming there are not muscle, tendon, or joint issues with you knee I would say it is general conditioning issues. I struggled the first three weeks on the treadmill with knee, shin, and ankle pain. I found out it was simply a matter of conditioning as after the third week it began to disappear and now is non-existent. My father, who is a marathon runner at 54, told me it was conditioning and dang-gummit he was right. I did go to a foot/ankle specialist over foot pain but that was not related to this. I’d have to say go see a doctor and have it looked at. If there are no obvious issues, try doing a walk/run in intervals. It is what I do and I found at first it was easier to handle and a great motivator to increase the run portion by around 10% per week.

62

LaurAnge, consider joining Weight Watchers and attending meetings in person (if there’s one in your area.)

In 2002 I got back up over 160 briefly, but have stayed on the low end of the 150s during most of the time I’ve been a Weight Watcher. I am confident that I will lose my remaining weight before my 35th birthday. That confidence comes from the meetings; they are what have helped me maintain my weight. A bunch of (mostly) women in a room who all share the same issue is powerful. I’ve been a WW for almost three years; I know the leaders and many women who have remained, maintained, gained or reached their goals.

When I reach my goal, I will still attend WW meetings. Shoot, I might even work for them. It frikkin’ works.

Anyway… Not dissin’ anyone else’s plans, just testifying to the one to which I ascribe.

:slight_smile:

63

Thanks Tansu and utrafilter for the interval training explanation. I suppose it would work with a stairmaster?

64

As long as you control the speed by moving your legs, it’ll work. I personally don’t like stairmasters, but if you want to try it, go for it.

A piece of advice for the guys: do NOT try this interval training on a bike.

65

I think I will try that interval training today, actually… I have a treadmill, but I’m sure that I can find some way to make it work… and it keeps me from slowing down without knowing it.

MeanJoe- the problem with my knees is that the kneecaps are “too tight”- the cartilege on the back of the kneecap is the consistency of marshmellow, so all the pressure goes straight to the bone with little cushion. I had one operated on arthroscopically (sp?) but it didn’t do much good, and the doc pretty much told me I’d have to live with any pain I incur :frowning:

66

As long as you control the speed by moving your legs, it’ll work. I personally don’t like stairmasters, but if you want to try it, go for it.

A piece of advice for the guys: do NOT try this interval training on a bike.

67

Wow! That’s a terrific mental image! Any time you want to post photo evidence, Tansu, you just please go right ahead. It would surely assist the marketing campaign for the Cleavage Beer line of pubs. Oh, and you know how there’s another thread going on right now about the next LonDope or BritDope? Any chance of making all the men happy by demonstrating this wonderful achievement?

68

I’m not short, but I used to have a hell of a time on that thing. I couldn’t get a good pace going, I had trouble keeping my balance (!), and like you said, it wasn’t a “normal” movement pattern for me either.

A few weeks ago, however, I got on one one just to keep my mother company on her treadmill. I usually used the stairclimbers, but those were on the other side of the room from where she was (and this little trip to the gym was more about hanging out with her than working out, especially since she gets totally wiped after about 15 minutes of walking on the treadmill–but hey, she’s 73 years old), whereas there was an elliptical trainer right next to her machine.

For some reason, holding a conversation while I was on the thing worked, I guess because it took my focus off of “This is weird, this is weird, I’m going to fall off, this is weird”, and before I knew it, I’d done 10 minutes on it. Now I do 35, sometimes with no hands, even. :wink: And it seems to burn calories faster than the other machines, so I’m officially devoted now. (And, like you, I wreak havoc with my knees, ankles, and shins when I try to run, so I appreciate the low-impact quality of the thing.)

Still, if it just doesn’t work out for you, maybe you could start out walking on the treadmill, and gradually work up to running? Or maybe talk to your doc about some knee supports or something?

69

I’d be happy to, but it’s all explained in the Body For Life book I mentioned before. Not only does the book exlain it better than I can here, but I don’t want to take the information out of context.

As I said in my previous post, the reason I like the BFL book is that it provided me with good information I’d never had before (during about 8 years of trying and failing to lose weight) about three related subjects - attitude, diet and exercise. What’s more, it gave me enough info about these three areas to enable me to put together my own programme, and here I am one heck of a lot fitter and 30 lbs lighter within 9 weeks. If you take the ‘20 minute workout’ info out of the context of the other info in the book, I don’t know if it would still be appropriate.

70

A small note for those of you on weight training programs: According to Glamour magazine, your body “gets used” to an exercise program in about 6 weeks, and figures out a more efficient way to do it, therefore decreasing its effectiveness. So, if you’ve been using the same machine or exercise at the same weight for six weeks or more, try bumping up your weight, even by just a pound or two, to shock your body out of its little rut!

BTW, by the time I reach goal weight, I will need an entirely new wardrobe, so that will be my reward! :slight_smile:

71

Okay, I tried the 20 minute work out (or interval workout, if you will) just a little ago on my teadmill and let me tell you… I am sweating like a piglet! I’m not too horribly out of breath, but I definitely got a good workout. And yes, it is possible on an electric treadmill, just a bit more difficult, and it may take some time to get the settings right. As a big plus, my knees don’t hurt :slight_smile:

And the hubby found out what I was up to with ya’ll, and being as competitive as we are, we made out a contract, which you can see in the thread here if you are interested (it’s a good way to get SO’s involved):thread

Good luck everyone, and keep us updated!

72

Aw dang, the link doesn’t work… Here it is: corrected link

73

Count me in!

I wasn’t going to at first, because it looked like everyone had only about 10 or 15 pounds to lose. Heck, that’s what I lose just having my period every month! Teeheehee! But then some of my heavier brothers and sisters weighed in…um, no pun intended!..so here I am!

I think, so far, I have the most to lose. I have lost 30 pounds since January and have about 105 left to go. I started out at 270, am at 240, and would like to be around 135.

I have not altered my diet and exercise until recently.

About eight years ago I started inexplicably putting on weight. At the time I weighed 140 and jogged every day my time and the weather permitted - about 3 to 5 times a week. Then my legs started aching during my jog. I cut down on my exercise more and more as it became more and more intolerable. My weight continued to climb. After 8 years I was 270 and nearly an invalid - walking to the mailbox was so painful to my legs I was in tears.

Then I changed doctors, who did routine blood work that indicated hypothyroid. I have been takin synthroid since December and within a month the pounds started melting off, and, I COULD WALK PAINLESSLY AGAIN!

I was so livid, because I have been to countless doctors tyring to find out what was wrong with me and no one did this simple test. Not only is it a test that should be done on ANY new patient, but also:

[ul]
[li] I had hypthyroid when I was a baby[/li][li] I had “classic” symptoms[/li][li] I am a female type 1 diabetic, and female type 1’s have a 25% chance of developing hypothyroid[/li][/ul]

Aaaarrrgggghhhhh! Why are doctors so STUPID? Or lazy? Or whatever they are?

Anyway, I figured if I’m losing this easily without even trying, how much more would I lose if I tried?

This was my diet before:

Breakfast- milk and 45 g cho
Lunch - 2 proteins and 45 g cho
Dinner - 2 proteins and 45 g cho
Snack - milk and 30 g cho

I kept my fat less than 10 g, so my total calories was around 1300.

Now, I am doing this:

Breakfast - milk and 30 g cho
Snack - 15 g cho
Lunch - 2 proteins and 15 g cho - all in vegetables
Snack - 15 g cho
Dinner - 2 proteins and 15 g cho - all in vegetables
Snack - milk and 15 g cho

of the five non-vegetable cho’s I have, at least two are fruit. My fat is still the same, so now I am at about 1000 calories. Not a whole lot, but since I have spread out my food and cut down on the starches and started exercising again, I have been able to cut my insulin fully in half, which alone will aid in weight loss since insulin triggers the growth hormone which promotes fat deposition.

My exercise is as follows (remember, I have not exercised regularly in over eight years):

Walk 1 mile 3 days a week (I have not set myself a time limit yet)

Ride exercycle at 60 rpms for 20 minutes 3 days a week

Aerobics tape 3 days a week (I use a tape specifically designed for large women)

I plan to increase all those as I become more conditioned.

I don’t know if my new regime will help me lose faster yet or not since I have only just begun this week.

74

Thanks for joining Lorinada! Just because you have a little extra to lose doesn’t mean you don’t need the support we hope to provide here :slight_smile:
I’m glad you got your problems (mostly!) straightened out!

75

219 (one pound gone) for da Quas’! :smiley: I’m almost sure it didn’t come off the hump, though! :wink:

Just watched cals and carbs today, and no beer after the bike ride.

The proof in the pudding will come tomorrow night when I have to go back to work (7p-7a). That is a very stressful time for me, and I would appreciate y’all’s thoughts.

Thank You!

Q

76

You got my thoughts and prayers!

77

You’re not the first person to tell me this, so please don’t think I’m arguing, but I am so pissed that white rice is now a bad food. For years I thought this was the ultimate health food, plus I really like it. I’ve seen very damn few fat chinese people in my life.

Somehow, I’m gonna find a way to lose while eating white rice.

Of course, it appears that I’m going to lose more weight thru stupidity anyway. I weighed in at 226 yesterday, Then I realized that I had weighed fully dressed with my boots on. Naked, I weigh 22.5 lbs.

Then I went to sleep. Slept over 8 hours, which is highly irregular for me, I usually get 5.

When I woke up, I weighed 218.5. I lost four pounds while I was asleep. How is that possible? I took no pills or chemicals of any kind, not that I believe any of those claims are real.

After a day at work and two meals, I now weigh 219.5. Go figure.

78

White rice is not necessarily a bad food, but it is bad if you’re addicted to sugar, like I am. See, white rice turns to sugar in your bloodstream quickly, giving you the same “sugar high” that chocolate does. Fine if you don’t have a problem with sugar in general. Me, however, once I get started on sugar I can’t get enough. Therefore I have to avoid things that cause that rapid rise in blood sugar. So, if you’re not a “sugar junkie”, there’s no reason that white rice can’t be part of a healthy diet for you.

Good luck!

79

Unforunately the stairmaster is the only piece of equipment I own. I wish I could afford to buy an elliptical trainer but, alas, do not have the funds.

I did try the interval training yesterday evening and it was great! Like liirogue said, I was sweating like a piglet. I alternated 5 minutes moderate speed with 1-1/2 minutes high speed. The 30 minutes flew by and I felt like I’d had a really workout.

80

Wow. :eek: :wink: