So this has been kind of a good news/bad news kind of post.
The bad news is that I've been busy and I haven't been posting much on my blog. I just looked this morning and realized that it's been nearly an entire month since I've written anything. Seriously, bad me.
In my defense, I spent more than a week caring for a relative who had surgery, so it hasn't been as though I've been twiddling my thumbs and doing absolutely nothing.
On the plus side, my weight is down a few pounds from where it was a month ago. This morning's weight, after running and going to the bathroom, was 220.4. That's down four pounds since last month.
Now most people would be pretty damn unhappy with losing only four measly pounds in a month. Normally, I would be too, except for one thing: my goal for the holiday season was simply to maintain my weight.
Now I know the holiday season for most people starts with Thanksgiving, but that's not how it works in this house. The holiday season starts around the middle of October. The Kid and The Wife both have birthdays, which of course are accompanied by dinners out (The Kid always wants to go out for Mexican food, which is the worst possible thing I could eat) followed by tons of birthday cake. Next comes Halloween, and the gluttonous amounts of candy that get brought in by The Kid, even when we don't buy candy to pass out, like we did this year in deference to my diet.
My birthday comes in November, and then we have Thanksgiving. Both tend to be gluttonous feeding frenzies, and then comes December with Hanukkah and Christmas. The entire month of December seems to be one giant excuse to eat nothing but crap, so the fact that I've lost a little bit of weight with all this terrible temptation everywhere pleases me to no end.
The other exciting bit is that I am now just two pounds from being obese. Now I know most people don't see obesity as something to celebrate, but if you are on the downward trend from morbid obesity, becoming obese is an accomplishment.
I'm happy about my weight loss, too, because my doctor has changed my script for thyroid medication twice, and each time it's changed I feel like I'm thrown for a loop. Every time the dose has been increased, I've felt better, but now my labs say I'm taking too much medication, so they are dropping my dosages. With each drop, I've felt more and more out of gas, so I'm not sure things are trending exactly in the right direction.
Blah.
I'm still working my way through the Bridge to 10K program, and this week is my 17th week of running. This week's run consists of three 15-minute runs, separated by a minute of walking. I have to say that this morning's run seemed a lot harder than last week's workout of four 10-minute runs.
I did make it his morning, so I'm happy about that.
So even though I've been naughty about blogging, I've been good with weight loss, so I guess that's all good. The fact that I've lost four pounds during a period when my goal was simply to maintain makes me pretty darn happy all the way around.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Back to Where I Left Off
Over the summer, I was diagnosed as having a thyroid problem. I started taking thyroid medication, and in what seemed like an instant, I dropped about 20 pounds. I was super motivated, I was back on the diet and exercise bandwagon, and the weight seemed like it was falling off.
And then, just as quickly as it started, the weight loss stopped. I've been stuck on a plateau for about two months that just wouldn't seem to break. I tried reducing my calories, increasing my calories, doing more exercise, doing less exercise, but nothing seemed to help.
Then, just as mysteriously as it started, the plateau broke, and I'm losing weight again.
At the end of October, I completed Couch to 5K. I wasn't sure that I'd be able to finish, but I did, and now I'm working on the Ease into 10K program. Although there is a Bridge to 10K program designed for folks who completed Couch to 5K, I decided to go with the longer 10K program, simply because my running speeds are so slow I figured working on shorter runs and doing them at faster speeds might help.
On Saturday, I ran for about 34 minutes. I covered just under two miles, and my average speed was 17:50/mile. Slow. The first mile I ran 17:01, which was quite a bit better, but I just started to get tired and slowed way down.
I'm still working at it. The longest run I've made was 37 minutes at an average speed of 17:43. Hopefully, I will speed up at some point.
I had originally thought that I might be able to hit a 10-minute mile before the end of the year. Now, I'm simply hoping that I'll be able to make a 15-minute mile by then.
As for my weight, I was happy to see 224.4 show up on the scale this morning. That's the lowest I've been since April 2009. Once again, I am within a stone's throw of being merely obese instead of morbidly obese.
So now, I am back to where I left off of my diet, more than a year and a half ago. I hope I will be able to stick things out this time.
And then, just as quickly as it started, the weight loss stopped. I've been stuck on a plateau for about two months that just wouldn't seem to break. I tried reducing my calories, increasing my calories, doing more exercise, doing less exercise, but nothing seemed to help.
Then, just as mysteriously as it started, the plateau broke, and I'm losing weight again.
At the end of October, I completed Couch to 5K. I wasn't sure that I'd be able to finish, but I did, and now I'm working on the Ease into 10K program. Although there is a Bridge to 10K program designed for folks who completed Couch to 5K, I decided to go with the longer 10K program, simply because my running speeds are so slow I figured working on shorter runs and doing them at faster speeds might help.
On Saturday, I ran for about 34 minutes. I covered just under two miles, and my average speed was 17:50/mile. Slow. The first mile I ran 17:01, which was quite a bit better, but I just started to get tired and slowed way down.
I'm still working at it. The longest run I've made was 37 minutes at an average speed of 17:43. Hopefully, I will speed up at some point.
I had originally thought that I might be able to hit a 10-minute mile before the end of the year. Now, I'm simply hoping that I'll be able to make a 15-minute mile by then.
As for my weight, I was happy to see 224.4 show up on the scale this morning. That's the lowest I've been since April 2009. Once again, I am within a stone's throw of being merely obese instead of morbidly obese.
So now, I am back to where I left off of my diet, more than a year and a half ago. I hope I will be able to stick things out this time.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
I Completed Couch to 5K
Well, I did it.
On Friday, I went out and did my third run of week 9, thus finishing my final week of Couch to 5K. I was surprisingly nervous about the run, even though I absolutely knew I could do it. I'd done an extra run last Saturday and went for 34 minutes, plus I'd completed the 30-minute runs on Monday and Wednesday.
I guess I was worried something bad would happen and I wouldn't graduate.
But I did. I finished my 30-minute run and all was just fine.
Of course the truth is that I'm not sure I've really graduated the program since I'm not really anywhere near running 5K at this point. This morning, I went for an extra run, and I covered 1.95 miles in 34 minutes. That's a blinding average speed of 17:38 minutes per mile. (Can you hear the sarcasm?)
On Monday, I will start the 10-week Ease into 10K program. Although I could have jumped right into the 6-week Bridge to 10K program, I figured that going with the longer program will give me a few more weeks of short intervals so I can work on increasing my speed.
At this point, I have three goals I would like to achieve:
On Friday, I went out and did my third run of week 9, thus finishing my final week of Couch to 5K. I was surprisingly nervous about the run, even though I absolutely knew I could do it. I'd done an extra run last Saturday and went for 34 minutes, plus I'd completed the 30-minute runs on Monday and Wednesday.
I guess I was worried something bad would happen and I wouldn't graduate.
But I did. I finished my 30-minute run and all was just fine.
Of course the truth is that I'm not sure I've really graduated the program since I'm not really anywhere near running 5K at this point. This morning, I went for an extra run, and I covered 1.95 miles in 34 minutes. That's a blinding average speed of 17:38 minutes per mile. (Can you hear the sarcasm?)
On Monday, I will start the 10-week Ease into 10K program. Although I could have jumped right into the 6-week Bridge to 10K program, I figured that going with the longer program will give me a few more weeks of short intervals so I can work on increasing my speed.
At this point, I have three goals I would like to achieve:
- Complete Ease into 10K and be able to run for a full 60 minutes without stopping. Unless I get sick, injured or have to repeat a week, I expect to meet this goal on January 17.
- Be able to run 5 miles without stopping. Given that I can't even cover two miles within 30 minutes, I have a feeling this goal will take much longer to achieve.
- Be able to run a 10-minute mile. At this point, this goal seems really far off, but it's on my radar. Right now, I can't predict when I might be able to do this, but maybe I'll have a better idea in January.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Couch to 5K - Week 9
Perhaps I am being a little premature in declaring victory here, but this morning I made my second of three 30-minute runs that are scheduled for this week. I wasn't worried about completing the run this week, because I already knew I could run for 30 minutes. Last week, I was running for 25 minutes, and on Saturday I went for a "just because I feel like it" run.
Okay, well maybe the word run is a little overstating things. I'm huffing and puffing along at roughly 3.25 MPH, which is a speed most fit people could out-walk.
But I digress. I went out on Saturday and I jogged for 34 minutes. I felt like I could have gone on even longer, but my left knee was hurting intermittently during the run, and I figured discretion was the better part of valor. I kept going until I was almost home, and then I walked the rest of the way.
Yay me.
So this week's 30-minute runs haven't seemed so bad. I am fully confident that I will make Friday's run without any problems, though the weather isn't supposed to be so wonderful. The forecast is for rain, likely starting early morning. I suppose I could get up really early and try to beat the wet weather, but I don't have any reflective clothing, and I don't want to get run over by a sleepy commuter on his way to work.
So, I'll run at sunrise and hope the storm front stays away until after I run.
Knowing my luck, fat chance. I'll run anyway, and perhaps I won't stink as much if the rain washes all the sweat away.
In other news I'm within about 3 lbs of my lowest recorded weight back in 2009. Even though my weight is just a bit higher, my percentage of body fat is lower than it was around the same time. Back then, it was 48.6%. This morning, it was 47.1% That is an improvement, I guess.
I'm still discouraged that I'm not seeing more progress.
Next week, I am going to start the Ease into 10K program. Even though I'm still not able to run 5K in 30 minutes, I figure the best thing I can do is increase my workout time. The 10K training program sets a goal of running for an hour without stopping.
My personal goal is that I would like to be able to run 5 miles without stopping.
Okay, well maybe the word run is a little overstating things. I'm huffing and puffing along at roughly 3.25 MPH, which is a speed most fit people could out-walk.
But I digress. I went out on Saturday and I jogged for 34 minutes. I felt like I could have gone on even longer, but my left knee was hurting intermittently during the run, and I figured discretion was the better part of valor. I kept going until I was almost home, and then I walked the rest of the way.
Yay me.
So this week's 30-minute runs haven't seemed so bad. I am fully confident that I will make Friday's run without any problems, though the weather isn't supposed to be so wonderful. The forecast is for rain, likely starting early morning. I suppose I could get up really early and try to beat the wet weather, but I don't have any reflective clothing, and I don't want to get run over by a sleepy commuter on his way to work.
So, I'll run at sunrise and hope the storm front stays away until after I run.
Knowing my luck, fat chance. I'll run anyway, and perhaps I won't stink as much if the rain washes all the sweat away.
In other news I'm within about 3 lbs of my lowest recorded weight back in 2009. Even though my weight is just a bit higher, my percentage of body fat is lower than it was around the same time. Back then, it was 48.6%. This morning, it was 47.1% That is an improvement, I guess.
I'm still discouraged that I'm not seeing more progress.
Next week, I am going to start the Ease into 10K program. Even though I'm still not able to run 5K in 30 minutes, I figure the best thing I can do is increase my workout time. The 10K training program sets a goal of running for an hour without stopping.
My personal goal is that I would like to be able to run 5 miles without stopping.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Another Wednesday, Another Run
I'm still on my C25K week 7 holding pattern, so I walked for about 5 minutes, ran for 25, and staggered home. By the time I made it back to the house, I was dripping with sweat. When I wiped my face, I left a huge wet spot on my shirt. It's amazing how sweaty I get during these workouts.
I've been doing a good job sticking to my diet (counting calories mostly, while trying to keep carbohydrates and fat under control) but I'm still not seeing the losses I'd like to see. I feel like I should increase my exercise again, but I'm just so tired most of the time I don't know what else I can do.
I'm running three days a week, and walking the other four. On the days I run, I cover about two miles. On the days I walk, I'm doing about two or three miles, depending on the day. Regardless of whether I walk or run, I come home red-faced and sweaty every time.
Everybody has told me that the running should be getting easier. This is now the eighth week I've been doing it, but honestly it doesn't seem easier at all. Every morning I'm glad for having done it, but I certainly don't enjoy exercise while I am doing it. I dread going out and am relieved when it's over.
Maybe this will become more fun after I lose some more weight.
I hope so!
I've been doing a good job sticking to my diet (counting calories mostly, while trying to keep carbohydrates and fat under control) but I'm still not seeing the losses I'd like to see. I feel like I should increase my exercise again, but I'm just so tired most of the time I don't know what else I can do.
I'm running three days a week, and walking the other four. On the days I run, I cover about two miles. On the days I walk, I'm doing about two or three miles, depending on the day. Regardless of whether I walk or run, I come home red-faced and sweaty every time.
Everybody has told me that the running should be getting easier. This is now the eighth week I've been doing it, but honestly it doesn't seem easier at all. Every morning I'm glad for having done it, but I certainly don't enjoy exercise while I am doing it. I dread going out and am relieved when it's over.
Maybe this will become more fun after I lose some more weight.
I hope so!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Slogging Along
This week, I feel like I'm slogging through mud. I've been extremely tired, and I've really felt like I've had to struggle through my workouts. I've been doing Couch to 5K with an Internet buddy, and because of various things going on in her life, she's gotten a bit behind on the runs.
I'm running a holding pattern (basically repeating week 7) while she's catching up. On Monday, I walked for 5 minutes, jogged for 25, and then walked the rest of the way home. Total workout time was about 39 minutes or so, and I really struggled. I wanted to give up every step of the way, but I didn't.
This morning, we walked for 2.29 miles, and it seemed like a real struggle. I came home all hot and sweaty, even though I only averaged 2.69 MPH.
Everything is just so darn difficult. My legs are so sore that I hobble around the house like a cripple in between workouts.
Why is this so hard?
In the weight loss department, I'm slowly losing. It just seems so frustrating, though. I feel like I have been dieting forever, and I haven't made all that much progress. The bulk of the weight I've lost so far was right after I started thyroid medication, and since the beginning of September my weight hasn't really changed all that much.
I'm trying to work up to walking three miles a day on my non-running days, but most mornings I don't really have that much energy. I'm tired all the time.
Oh, and get this: the doctor I saw last week said that fatigue is not a symptom of being hypothyroid. I call bullshit.
I'm running a holding pattern (basically repeating week 7) while she's catching up. On Monday, I walked for 5 minutes, jogged for 25, and then walked the rest of the way home. Total workout time was about 39 minutes or so, and I really struggled. I wanted to give up every step of the way, but I didn't.
This morning, we walked for 2.29 miles, and it seemed like a real struggle. I came home all hot and sweaty, even though I only averaged 2.69 MPH.
Everything is just so darn difficult. My legs are so sore that I hobble around the house like a cripple in between workouts.
Why is this so hard?
In the weight loss department, I'm slowly losing. It just seems so frustrating, though. I feel like I have been dieting forever, and I haven't made all that much progress. The bulk of the weight I've lost so far was right after I started thyroid medication, and since the beginning of September my weight hasn't really changed all that much.
I'm trying to work up to walking three miles a day on my non-running days, but most mornings I don't really have that much energy. I'm tired all the time.
Oh, and get this: the doctor I saw last week said that fatigue is not a symptom of being hypothyroid. I call bullshit.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Couch to 5K - Week 7
Well it's actually hard to believe, given my history with starting and stopping exercise and diet programs, but I'm still doing the Couch to 5K program. I've completed everything to Week 7, Day 1. This means that I'm now "running" for 25 minutes at a stretch.
I put the term "running" in quotes because I'm not going very fast. It happened Monday I decided to do my run on the treadmill, and after walking my warm-up time on the "warm up" setting of the treadmill, I couldn't even keep up with the slowest "fat burn" setting.
I suck. The truth is that I can't run a whole lot faster than I can walk. It's pretty pathetic, but at least I'm making an effort.
In other areas, I have some good news and bad news.
The Good News
The good news is that I've lost 20 lbs since my last doctor's visit.
The Bad News
I'm still trying to find the right dose of thyroid medication and I continue to feel like crap. This morning I went to see my Nurse Practitioner, and she informed me that I am now hyperthyroid. Since I'm still showing many of the hypothyroid symptoms, she referred me to an MD who works in the clinic. I'm really kind of irritated about this, because I'm tired of feeling crummy and I'm tired of having to hassle with this folks week after week in a futile attempt to get my medications right.
The question I want answered is, if I am now hyperthyroid and still dieting, why haven't I seen any incredible weight loss over the past few weeks? The truth is, the 20 lbs I lost happened within the first month. My weight loss as absolutely stalled since Labor Day, so it doesn't make any sense.
I'll go see the doctor (and miss some more work, which will make me insanely popular) and we'll see what happens.
But goodness, I'm getting VERY tired of this!
I put the term "running" in quotes because I'm not going very fast. It happened Monday I decided to do my run on the treadmill, and after walking my warm-up time on the "warm up" setting of the treadmill, I couldn't even keep up with the slowest "fat burn" setting.
I suck. The truth is that I can't run a whole lot faster than I can walk. It's pretty pathetic, but at least I'm making an effort.
In other areas, I have some good news and bad news.
The Good News
The good news is that I've lost 20 lbs since my last doctor's visit.
The Bad News
I'm still trying to find the right dose of thyroid medication and I continue to feel like crap. This morning I went to see my Nurse Practitioner, and she informed me that I am now hyperthyroid. Since I'm still showing many of the hypothyroid symptoms, she referred me to an MD who works in the clinic. I'm really kind of irritated about this, because I'm tired of feeling crummy and I'm tired of having to hassle with this folks week after week in a futile attempt to get my medications right.
The question I want answered is, if I am now hyperthyroid and still dieting, why haven't I seen any incredible weight loss over the past few weeks? The truth is, the 20 lbs I lost happened within the first month. My weight loss as absolutely stalled since Labor Day, so it doesn't make any sense.
I'll go see the doctor (and miss some more work, which will make me insanely popular) and we'll see what happens.
But goodness, I'm getting VERY tired of this!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Couch to 5K - Week 1
Yesterday The Wife, The Kid and I finished up week one of the Couch to 5K running program.
In a word, I suck at running.
Now I'm certainly doing it, but being so old, fat, and out of shape, I probably run more slowly than a fit person could walk. I know it's completely pathetic, but I'm at least doing it, even though I feel incredibly self-conscious.
Every time a car passes me while I'm running down the street, I hold my breath. I'm waiting for the driver to roll down his window and to shout something like "Fatty!" at me.
So far, it hasn't happened, but I'm afraid it will. Last week, before we officially started Couch to 5K, I decided to run down a hill. A couple of young guys were getting into their car. As they did so, they burst out laughing.
"Are they laughing at me?" I wondered. I tried not to feel bad and I tried not to think about it.
I hate having to exercise in public, even though we are doing it in the early morning hours, when there aren't a lot of people around. I feel like everyone is staring at me, the big overweight blob that's lumping down the sidewalk.
At least this is better than exercising at a gym, where everyone except me has a slim and perfect body.
In a word, I suck at running.
Now I'm certainly doing it, but being so old, fat, and out of shape, I probably run more slowly than a fit person could walk. I know it's completely pathetic, but I'm at least doing it, even though I feel incredibly self-conscious.
Every time a car passes me while I'm running down the street, I hold my breath. I'm waiting for the driver to roll down his window and to shout something like "Fatty!" at me.
So far, it hasn't happened, but I'm afraid it will. Last week, before we officially started Couch to 5K, I decided to run down a hill. A couple of young guys were getting into their car. As they did so, they burst out laughing.
"Are they laughing at me?" I wondered. I tried not to feel bad and I tried not to think about it.
I hate having to exercise in public, even though we are doing it in the early morning hours, when there aren't a lot of people around. I feel like everyone is staring at me, the big overweight blob that's lumping down the sidewalk.
At least this is better than exercising at a gym, where everyone except me has a slim and perfect body.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Dieting Makes Me Anti-Social
This weekend, The Wife and I are going to be getting together with a former co-worker. He recently got in touch with us after probably six years of no contact, so we invited him up for a visit.
Although I will be glad to see him, there's a part of my that doesn't want to visit.
Part of me doesn't want to see him because I'm embarrassed to let someone I've lost touch with see just how enormously obese I've become. Part of me doesn't want to see him because his visit will include eating, and even though I'm perpetually on a diet, I always feel like I am being judged by what goes into my mouth.
An old high school buddy recently found me online, and I've been reluctant to visit with her for the same reason.
Last night, my father called and wanted to go out for hamburgers. I split a cheeseburger with The Kid, and still felt like a fat pig. Even though I had half a burger, two onion rings and maybe five french fries, I still felt disgusting. I had counted calories, and I was well within my limits for the day, but I felt gross.
The cheeseburger, by the way, was delicious. I just felt like I should go walk on the treadmill for two hours to make up for it.
So every time someone says, "let's go out for coffee" or "let's go out to eat," I just want to run away, find a hole and die.
It's not that I don't like hanging out with people. It's just that being on a diet (again) makes me even more self-conscious about my weight. Being on a diet makes me feel anti-social, even though I like people and I like having friends.
Although I will be glad to see him, there's a part of my that doesn't want to visit.
Part of me doesn't want to see him because I'm embarrassed to let someone I've lost touch with see just how enormously obese I've become. Part of me doesn't want to see him because his visit will include eating, and even though I'm perpetually on a diet, I always feel like I am being judged by what goes into my mouth.
An old high school buddy recently found me online, and I've been reluctant to visit with her for the same reason.
Last night, my father called and wanted to go out for hamburgers. I split a cheeseburger with The Kid, and still felt like a fat pig. Even though I had half a burger, two onion rings and maybe five french fries, I still felt disgusting. I had counted calories, and I was well within my limits for the day, but I felt gross.
The cheeseburger, by the way, was delicious. I just felt like I should go walk on the treadmill for two hours to make up for it.
So every time someone says, "let's go out for coffee" or "let's go out to eat," I just want to run away, find a hole and die.
It's not that I don't like hanging out with people. It's just that being on a diet (again) makes me even more self-conscious about my weight. Being on a diet makes me feel anti-social, even though I like people and I like having friends.
Dreading the Doctor
Right now, I'm not actually seeing a doctor, but instead a nurse practitioner, but I thought "Dreading the Doctor" was a much better title for today's post.
Tomorrow, I'm supposed to call my NP to let her know how I am doing with respect my thyroid medications.
I am really starting to despise these weekly calls because every week the call goes the same way. I say I still feel tired, beg for an increase in dosage, explain why I think it's necessary, listen to the NP's concerns about why she thinks the dose shouldn't be increased, counter her concerns, get another script for a week's worth of medication and go to the pharmacy to pick it up.
I am tired of having these weekly conversations where I have to explain myself. My NP works for me, not the other way around. Instead of coming across like a helping professional, I'm starting to feel like my NP is a gatekeeper.
No, that's not right. She doesn't feel like a gatekeeper. She feels like my drug dealer. Every week, when I'm out of dope, I have to go crawling back to beg for more.
I hate this feeling. I hate it almost as bad as being completely exhausted and not being able to lose weight.
It's not the greatest feeling to know that I've being diagnosed with a chronic metabolic problem for which I will require medication for the rest of my life. It's even worse to have to deal with medical providers who make me feel like I have to beg for medication that I should just be able to go buy. The medical professionals should listen to me, because I have to live in my own body, not make me beg for something that I know I need.
But tomorrow, I'll suck it up and beg anyway.
Tomorrow, I'm supposed to call my NP to let her know how I am doing with respect my thyroid medications.
I am really starting to despise these weekly calls because every week the call goes the same way. I say I still feel tired, beg for an increase in dosage, explain why I think it's necessary, listen to the NP's concerns about why she thinks the dose shouldn't be increased, counter her concerns, get another script for a week's worth of medication and go to the pharmacy to pick it up.
I am tired of having these weekly conversations where I have to explain myself. My NP works for me, not the other way around. Instead of coming across like a helping professional, I'm starting to feel like my NP is a gatekeeper.
No, that's not right. She doesn't feel like a gatekeeper. She feels like my drug dealer. Every week, when I'm out of dope, I have to go crawling back to beg for more.
I hate this feeling. I hate it almost as bad as being completely exhausted and not being able to lose weight.
It's not the greatest feeling to know that I've being diagnosed with a chronic metabolic problem for which I will require medication for the rest of my life. It's even worse to have to deal with medical providers who make me feel like I have to beg for medication that I should just be able to go buy. The medical professionals should listen to me, because I have to live in my own body, not make me beg for something that I know I need.
But tomorrow, I'll suck it up and beg anyway.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Where the Hell Have You Been?
Yeah, I've been AWOL since February.
Why?
I got really, really, really frustrated. I've been dieting off and on for most of my adult life, and I've been intermittently blogging on this topic since 2007. My weight has been up and down, with a low that still gave me a BMI over 40.
I've lost weight, but only if I practically starved myself. I did Cambridge Diet shakes, I've tried intermittent fasting. None of it was really bringing the weight down like I thought it should, especially considering how little I was eating.
Around January of this year, we got a Wii, and I faithfully started working out every day. I started doing 30 minutes a day, then an hour, then 90 minutes. After three months, some days I was up to doing two hours of step aerobics a day. No, I wasn't doing all two hours at a single sitting -- I broke it up into three 40-minute stretches.
But guess what? Even after all that, my weight really didn't come down all that much. After a month of really making a concerted effort at weight loss, I'd only lost three pounds. My lack of amazing progress continued, despite my good efforts, until the end of March, and then I just gave up.
Fuck it, I thought. If I was going to work that hard and eat that little and see nothing for results, I might as well give up.
And so I did. I felt like crap and I looked like crap, but I just ate what I wanted and really didn't put on that much weight. By that point, my weight was hovering pretty close to the weight I was back when I started in 2007.
I figured I just had a crappy metabolism, and way too much stress on my plate. The Kid had been acting out in some pretty horrible, terrible ways and my stress levels were sky high. I wasn't sleeping well, I'd wake up in the middle of the night feeling as if someone had turned on the adrenaline valves.
So when I went in for my annual physical back in July, I complained to my nurse practitioner that I wasn't feeling well. I was tired, I was cold, I was trying to lose weight and the weight wasn't coming off, and I'd even gained weight during times when I was really limiting calories and increasing exercise.
She looked at my chart and noticed that my thyroid values (which had been taken a year before by another doctor) indicated that I was hypothyroid. She checked my chart, and we discovered that labs taken as early as 2006 were also hypothyroid.
I have been needlessly suffering for at least four years, and probably longer.
The nurse practitioner ordered new lab work, and once we got the results, she started me on thyroid medication.
And I feel better. I don't think my dosage is quite right yet because I still feel tired. Granted, I'm not exhausted to the point of paralysis like I was, and I've got the energy to exercise without feeling completely dead afterward.
This week, I even started the couch to 5k program. The Wife, The Kid and I have gone running twice this week.
So yeah, I'm still old, grossly overweight and out of shape, but I'm giving it a try.
And since I started the thyroid medication a month ago, I've lost a bit more than 20 lbs.
I'm embarrassed to admit how much I weigh right now, though. I'll update my sidebar when I'm less disgusted with myself.
But that's why I haven't blogged.
And now I'm back.
Why?
I got really, really, really frustrated. I've been dieting off and on for most of my adult life, and I've been intermittently blogging on this topic since 2007. My weight has been up and down, with a low that still gave me a BMI over 40.
I've lost weight, but only if I practically starved myself. I did Cambridge Diet shakes, I've tried intermittent fasting. None of it was really bringing the weight down like I thought it should, especially considering how little I was eating.
Around January of this year, we got a Wii, and I faithfully started working out every day. I started doing 30 minutes a day, then an hour, then 90 minutes. After three months, some days I was up to doing two hours of step aerobics a day. No, I wasn't doing all two hours at a single sitting -- I broke it up into three 40-minute stretches.
But guess what? Even after all that, my weight really didn't come down all that much. After a month of really making a concerted effort at weight loss, I'd only lost three pounds. My lack of amazing progress continued, despite my good efforts, until the end of March, and then I just gave up.
Fuck it, I thought. If I was going to work that hard and eat that little and see nothing for results, I might as well give up.
And so I did. I felt like crap and I looked like crap, but I just ate what I wanted and really didn't put on that much weight. By that point, my weight was hovering pretty close to the weight I was back when I started in 2007.
I figured I just had a crappy metabolism, and way too much stress on my plate. The Kid had been acting out in some pretty horrible, terrible ways and my stress levels were sky high. I wasn't sleeping well, I'd wake up in the middle of the night feeling as if someone had turned on the adrenaline valves.
So when I went in for my annual physical back in July, I complained to my nurse practitioner that I wasn't feeling well. I was tired, I was cold, I was trying to lose weight and the weight wasn't coming off, and I'd even gained weight during times when I was really limiting calories and increasing exercise.
She looked at my chart and noticed that my thyroid values (which had been taken a year before by another doctor) indicated that I was hypothyroid. She checked my chart, and we discovered that labs taken as early as 2006 were also hypothyroid.
I have been needlessly suffering for at least four years, and probably longer.
The nurse practitioner ordered new lab work, and once we got the results, she started me on thyroid medication.
And I feel better. I don't think my dosage is quite right yet because I still feel tired. Granted, I'm not exhausted to the point of paralysis like I was, and I've got the energy to exercise without feeling completely dead afterward.
This week, I even started the couch to 5k program. The Wife, The Kid and I have gone running twice this week.
So yeah, I'm still old, grossly overweight and out of shape, but I'm giving it a try.
And since I started the thyroid medication a month ago, I've lost a bit more than 20 lbs.
I'm embarrassed to admit how much I weigh right now, though. I'll update my sidebar when I'm less disgusted with myself.
But that's why I haven't blogged.
And now I'm back.
Friday, February 5, 2010
400 Calories an Hour
When The Kid gets on the Wii Fit, she's so tiny she barely burns any calories at all. I've been doing a lot of exercise, and she's been duly impressed when she sees my daily calories burned averaging above 600 each day. I've had a couple of days where I've really worked hard, and I've managed to burn over 1,000.
It's a scary thought, but I'm so fat that I burn about 400 calories in an hour on the step game.
I'm glad that I can burn so many calories, but all the exercise doesn't seem to be making much of a difference.
Yesterday was an eating day, and I gained a pound and a half overnight. I was a little disappointed to see the scales jump that much, but I had lots of energy today and was able to put in just over two hours of exercise.
I just wish my butt and stomach would start to get smaller and my clothes fit better.
But so far, I'm hanging in there. Alternate day fasting seems to be working for me.
It's a scary thought, but I'm so fat that I burn about 400 calories in an hour on the step game.
I'm glad that I can burn so many calories, but all the exercise doesn't seem to be making much of a difference.
Yesterday was an eating day, and I gained a pound and a half overnight. I was a little disappointed to see the scales jump that much, but I had lots of energy today and was able to put in just over two hours of exercise.
I just wish my butt and stomach would start to get smaller and my clothes fit better.
But so far, I'm hanging in there. Alternate day fasting seems to be working for me.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Met My First Goal of the Year
On Sunday, I met my first goal of the year. It was to weigh-in and exercise daily with my Wii Fit. I hit my goal, which I was very pleased about.
I promised myself a reward for hitting it, but now I can't think of anything I want. I guess bragging rights that I exercised daily are good enough.
Of course last month's weight loss was not all that impressive. I think I lost all of about 5 lbs.
I have two goals for February:
So far, it hasn't been too bad sticking to plan on the fasting days, though yesterday was really hard. It wasn't so hard because I was hungry, but because I'd finished my can of chocolate Cambridge mix and was back to the strawberry.
Yesterday morning, I drank less than half of my shake and I simply could not stomach one more mouthful of the stuff. It was so bad I told The Wife to throw the rest of it away. I'm going to stick to chocolate from now on.
I ended up finishing up the day not with shakes, but with a small amount of grilled chicken for lunch and some baked salmon for dinner. I'm pretty sure my calorie counts were under the limit, because my weight was down this morning.
The one thing I'm noticing, though, is that I'm rapidly losing my tolerance for food that falls short of excellent. I find myself frustrated and even angry when, on my eating days, something lands on my plate that doesn't taste absolutely delicious.
Take today's lunch, for example. The Wife made a stir fry with some chicken and veggies we had on hand. We were supposed to have a better lunch, as I'd made a trip to the store, but once I got there I discovered I couldn't pay because The Wife had borrowed my credit card for something and failed to put it back in my wallet. No wallet meant no groceries, so we made due with what we had on hand.
Before I started ADF, it wouldn't have occurred to me to complain. I would have scarfed up the lunch and not given it a second thought. But today, knowing that I won't be eating tomorrow, I was really pissed off. I had to bite my tongue so as not to berate my wife for serving me anything less than delicious.
I've only been doing ADF for a bit more than a week, but already I'm noticing that it's making my profoundly demanding in my expectations for food. I've never been a picky eater (probably one of the myriad reasons I'm morbidly obese) and historically I'd pretty much eat anything you put on my plate within reason. But now, I only want excellent food. When I don't get it, I feel shortchanged and angry.
I promised myself a reward for hitting it, but now I can't think of anything I want. I guess bragging rights that I exercised daily are good enough.
Of course last month's weight loss was not all that impressive. I think I lost all of about 5 lbs.
I have two goals for February:
- Exercise and weigh-in every day.
- Stick to alternate day fasting until the end of the month.
So far, it hasn't been too bad sticking to plan on the fasting days, though yesterday was really hard. It wasn't so hard because I was hungry, but because I'd finished my can of chocolate Cambridge mix and was back to the strawberry.
Yesterday morning, I drank less than half of my shake and I simply could not stomach one more mouthful of the stuff. It was so bad I told The Wife to throw the rest of it away. I'm going to stick to chocolate from now on.
I ended up finishing up the day not with shakes, but with a small amount of grilled chicken for lunch and some baked salmon for dinner. I'm pretty sure my calorie counts were under the limit, because my weight was down this morning.
The one thing I'm noticing, though, is that I'm rapidly losing my tolerance for food that falls short of excellent. I find myself frustrated and even angry when, on my eating days, something lands on my plate that doesn't taste absolutely delicious.
Take today's lunch, for example. The Wife made a stir fry with some chicken and veggies we had on hand. We were supposed to have a better lunch, as I'd made a trip to the store, but once I got there I discovered I couldn't pay because The Wife had borrowed my credit card for something and failed to put it back in my wallet. No wallet meant no groceries, so we made due with what we had on hand.
Before I started ADF, it wouldn't have occurred to me to complain. I would have scarfed up the lunch and not given it a second thought. But today, knowing that I won't be eating tomorrow, I was really pissed off. I had to bite my tongue so as not to berate my wife for serving me anything less than delicious.
I've only been doing ADF for a bit more than a week, but already I'm noticing that it's making my profoundly demanding in my expectations for food. I've never been a picky eater (probably one of the myriad reasons I'm morbidly obese) and historically I'd pretty much eat anything you put on my plate within reason. But now, I only want excellent food. When I don't get it, I feel shortchanged and angry.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Hmm, Maybe Not
Well the first couple of days of alternate day fasting were looking pretty promising, but this morning, things weren't looking so great.
I expect on my non-fasting days to see my weight go up. What I didn't expect was to see it skyrocket overnight. When I weighed in this morning, I'd gained 2.5 lbs.
That's not so good. I was especially surprised at such a big gain because I'd exercised for more than two hours yesterday. My Wii Fit estimated that I'd burned 915 calories for the day, so that should have been more than enough to offset my eating.
I guess not. I think I'll have to do this a couple of weeks before I'll be able to determine whether the overall trend is in the downward direction or not.
On January 1, I set a goal of weighing in and exercising every single day for a month. Assuming that I exercise tomorrow and Sunday, I will have achieved that goal.
I was going to give myself a reward for meeting the goal, but I can't think of anything I want.
For February, I have two goals in mind:
I expect on my non-fasting days to see my weight go up. What I didn't expect was to see it skyrocket overnight. When I weighed in this morning, I'd gained 2.5 lbs.
That's not so good. I was especially surprised at such a big gain because I'd exercised for more than two hours yesterday. My Wii Fit estimated that I'd burned 915 calories for the day, so that should have been more than enough to offset my eating.
I guess not. I think I'll have to do this a couple of weeks before I'll be able to determine whether the overall trend is in the downward direction or not.
On January 1, I set a goal of weighing in and exercising every single day for a month. Assuming that I exercise tomorrow and Sunday, I will have achieved that goal.
I was going to give myself a reward for meeting the goal, but I can't think of anything I want.
For February, I have two goals in mind:
- Continue weighing-in and exercising daily.
- Stick to the alternate-day fasting regimen for the entire month.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
So Far, So Good
So far, the Alternate Day Fasting seems to be working. Of course I've only been at it for a few days, but the initial results seem promising. On the days that I fast, I'm down about a pound and a half. On the days I eat, I've been up roughly half a pound.
The overall trend, at least, is downward.
We'll see how I feel about it after a couple of weeks on this program.
So far, the fast days haven't been super bad. I'll admit to being hungry -- very hungry -- but it's not as bad being on straight Cambridge because I know I won't have to be hungry tomorrow. The problem with the Cambridge shakes alone is that they don't taste very good, and if you are really sticking to the diet, you know that there's no break in sight.
Even when you switch to the plans that allow food, there are many things that are still forbidden, and you still go around being a little bit hungry all of the time.
I'll have to see if the trade off of being very hungry part of the time is better than being a little hungry all of the time.
But the initial results are promising, and it seems easier to stick to than the shakes alone.
The overall trend, at least, is downward.
We'll see how I feel about it after a couple of weeks on this program.
So far, the fast days haven't been super bad. I'll admit to being hungry -- very hungry -- but it's not as bad being on straight Cambridge because I know I won't have to be hungry tomorrow. The problem with the Cambridge shakes alone is that they don't taste very good, and if you are really sticking to the diet, you know that there's no break in sight.
Even when you switch to the plans that allow food, there are many things that are still forbidden, and you still go around being a little bit hungry all of the time.
I'll have to see if the trade off of being very hungry part of the time is better than being a little hungry all of the time.
But the initial results are promising, and it seems easier to stick to than the shakes alone.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
A New Approach
Since the exercise alone doesn't seem to be working, and I tend to gain back weight faster than I take it off with Cambridge, I'm trying a new approach. I've decided to try alternate day fasting for a few weeks.
Alternate day fasting is just like it sounds. You fast for one day and eat normally the next. A number of studies have suggested that it might be an effective weight loss tool, as well as offering some of the health benefits offered to those who practice calorie restriction.
I'm curious if it will work for me.
I've also bumped up my exercise again. I'm now doing three 36-minute periods of exercise per day -- one before breakfast, one before lunch and one before dinner. I know that it would probably be better to exercise after my meals, but given I'm so prone to exercise-induced urticaria, I don't want to take the risk of having food in my belly. Pretty much every time I've broken out in hives is when I've exerted myself some time after a meal, so I want my stomach as empty as possible.
So far this month, I haven't had a full-blown episode of hives caused by exercise. There have been a couple of times where my scalp has started to itch and I thought I was going to break out in welts, and even a time or two where I had one bump pop up, but so far (knock on wood) I haven't had a major outbreak that's covered me from head to toe.
Believe me, there is almost nothing as bad as being covered from head to toe in welty, itchy hives. Not only does it look terrible, it itches like nobody's business, and inevitably I get welts in places I can't reach or I shouldn't scratch in public. (Think my pal Oscar)
The only cure, of course, is to take an antihistamine tablet, which gets rid of the itchy hives, but in turn sends me off to an unavoidable four-hour nap. The nap is usually a blessing, as I generally fall asleep before the hives have disappeared, but it's a real killer when it comes to trying to do anything productive.
So, we'll see how it goes.
Since Monday, I've been alternating days of Cambridge shakes with regular food, and I've lost a little bit of weight. We'll see what the end result is this Friday, and if I'm happy with my results, perhaps I'll even update my sidebar, which I haven't done in nearly a year.
Yeah, I know... Bad piggy! Bad!
Alternate day fasting is just like it sounds. You fast for one day and eat normally the next. A number of studies have suggested that it might be an effective weight loss tool, as well as offering some of the health benefits offered to those who practice calorie restriction.
I'm curious if it will work for me.
I've also bumped up my exercise again. I'm now doing three 36-minute periods of exercise per day -- one before breakfast, one before lunch and one before dinner. I know that it would probably be better to exercise after my meals, but given I'm so prone to exercise-induced urticaria, I don't want to take the risk of having food in my belly. Pretty much every time I've broken out in hives is when I've exerted myself some time after a meal, so I want my stomach as empty as possible.
So far this month, I haven't had a full-blown episode of hives caused by exercise. There have been a couple of times where my scalp has started to itch and I thought I was going to break out in welts, and even a time or two where I had one bump pop up, but so far (knock on wood) I haven't had a major outbreak that's covered me from head to toe.
Believe me, there is almost nothing as bad as being covered from head to toe in welty, itchy hives. Not only does it look terrible, it itches like nobody's business, and inevitably I get welts in places I can't reach or I shouldn't scratch in public. (Think my pal Oscar)
The only cure, of course, is to take an antihistamine tablet, which gets rid of the itchy hives, but in turn sends me off to an unavoidable four-hour nap. The nap is usually a blessing, as I generally fall asleep before the hives have disappeared, but it's a real killer when it comes to trying to do anything productive.
So, we'll see how it goes.
Since Monday, I've been alternating days of Cambridge shakes with regular food, and I've lost a little bit of weight. We'll see what the end result is this Friday, and if I'm happy with my results, perhaps I'll even update my sidebar, which I haven't done in nearly a year.
Yeah, I know... Bad piggy! Bad!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Very Little Progress
This morning, when I stepped on my Wii balance board, I was told that today was my 41st day using the system. We got the unit in December, but I wasn't too consistent about using it until this year. I've consistently weighed in and exercised every single day since the first of the year.
On some days, I've exercised as little as 30 minutes. Most days, I'm doing more than an hour and a half. On some days, I've exercised as much as three hours, including time spent playing Wii Fit Plus and various flavors of Dance, Dance Revolution.
And how much weight have I lost since the first of the year?
A whopping three pounds.
It hardly seems worth it. Lots of sweating, turning down foods I want to eat, and trying to do the right thing for very little results.
At this rate, it will be close to three years before I get all the weight off.
I was doing Cambridge for a few days, but I got too tired and I went back to eating. I'd lost about six or seven pounds, and turned around and gained it all back within two days. Worse, I wasn't stuffing my face full of crap. I was trying to make good food choices and to exercise even more, but it just didn't seem to matter.
So now I'm trying something different: alternate day fasting.
The idea is that you consume less than 500 calories on your fast days, and try to eat normally on the days that you are not.
We'll see if this goes any better. I am just getting so completely frustrated.
On some days, I've exercised as little as 30 minutes. Most days, I'm doing more than an hour and a half. On some days, I've exercised as much as three hours, including time spent playing Wii Fit Plus and various flavors of Dance, Dance Revolution.
And how much weight have I lost since the first of the year?
A whopping three pounds.
It hardly seems worth it. Lots of sweating, turning down foods I want to eat, and trying to do the right thing for very little results.
At this rate, it will be close to three years before I get all the weight off.
I was doing Cambridge for a few days, but I got too tired and I went back to eating. I'd lost about six or seven pounds, and turned around and gained it all back within two days. Worse, I wasn't stuffing my face full of crap. I was trying to make good food choices and to exercise even more, but it just didn't seem to matter.
So now I'm trying something different: alternate day fasting.
The idea is that you consume less than 500 calories on your fast days, and try to eat normally on the days that you are not.
We'll see if this goes any better. I am just getting so completely frustrated.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Few Results
I know it's only been a couple of weeks since I started seriously exercising, but I haven't seen any results.
I've been spending sometimes as much as three hours exercising per day, and still I haven't lost an ounce.
I'm frustrated.
I'm going back on Cambridge again.
Yech!
I've been spending sometimes as much as three hours exercising per day, and still I haven't lost an ounce.
I'm frustrated.
I'm going back on Cambridge again.
Yech!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Trying Again
As of the first of the year, I've been back on a diet again.
We got a Wii for the December holidays, so we've been spending a lot of time playing the exercise-style games.
I've seriously working out since January 4th. So far, it seems like a lot of effort, a lot of starving, and very little result.
I'll let you know how it goes.
We got a Wii for the December holidays, so we've been spending a lot of time playing the exercise-style games.
I've seriously working out since January 4th. So far, it seems like a lot of effort, a lot of starving, and very little result.
I'll let you know how it goes.
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