Motivational Thread Starting Sept 2, 2013: Mark,set, go!
 

Come on guys get your goals up. It's a brand new week. Last week we started real strong (numbers) and had a pretty weak finish (drop outs).

I had pretty excessive goals for vegs and exercise because I wanted to break my plateau (which I did) and get to my goal weight of 160. I must say I was a little burned out by the time to weekend came. These maintenance goals are a little lighter on the exercise:

Goals:

1. Lots of water
2. 2 hours exercise
3. 50 veg/week

Thanks for starting us, Robin!

I'll join with simpler goals than last time.

1) Eat better (cut out the junk)
2) Drink more (water that is)
3) Gym or walk 3x this week
4) remain positive

I like this week's simplicity.

I will focus on still more F&V. Last week I was well on track, but ended up with only 9 servings over Sat and Sun. The bright side is I could not eat much of anything...and only very soft things... The dark side is the 22 stitches I got on my chin in the emergency room... :( I always thought you are supposed to use your hands when you are falling down and break the fall, instead of landing smack on your face...

I will try some gentle yoga as far as exercise goes.

Hope this week is better for all of us!

Daily calories:
8 glasses of water:
exercise:
2 fruit 3 veg:
Post daily:
Get back into the 160's

Kocia, what the heck happened to you? I hope you are OK!

Yes tell us what happened!

Fourteen years of running - my third fall on the trail.

The previous times I somehow knew to put out my hands and ended up with only scrapes and torn clothing. Not this time, though.

I am pleased to say the Emergency Room was empty on Saturday morning. And after seeing my wound (and cringing!) they called in a plastic surgeon. Yeah - get this - I got a Fifth Avenue plastic surgeon to work on my wound! How cool is this?!

Just after going down hard though, before assessing which body parts needed medical attention, with blood gushing out of a huge cut on my chin, bone exposed... - what did I do first? I stopped the Garmin GPS Forerunner... So, you know, later, when I log things - so that later I get accurate data on speed and distance...Reflex. Pathetic, I know. :rolleyes:

'Too' being the operative word there!

I was adopted, so not sure about the genetic part. But I do have a good I idea what the problem is. I had one of those cholesterol tests done this time where they directly measure the lipid components rather than estimating some of them. While the overall cholesterol number didn't change, the culprit was obvious. The chart with "Lifestyle Suggestions" for my "high risk" values state: Limit intake of refined carbs (that would be sugar) and alcohol (whine, I mean - wine). Yup, I knew that, but seeing it in black and white confirms it. Gotta cut back on the chocolates and claret. And the sangiovese, and the tempranillo, and, well, you get the idea.

Goal for this week:

• Under 35 grams sugar / day: M- no,

- Donna

I'm giving a shout out to Mern and RS. Where are you? :(

All right here comes a new month and another set of goals. That surpizing are just the same as last week. It is raining here so no walking out side. I will do my vid and walk in the living room.
Kocia sorry to hear about you fall. Ii always hate getting stitches. Hope it heals well.
so here are my goals

daily goals
water-8 cups min
exercise 5 days
log everything I eat
post at least once a day.

Wow, Kocia, that sounds like a hell of a fall. OMG you must be sore and a sight!

Right on Libby, where are Mern and RS today?

So Donna, clearly you do understand why your numbers were still high. I had no idea that sugar was related to high cholesterol. My brother-in-law claims that his doctor told him just to take the pills that there is no sense in dealing with his diet !@!@:eek:

It is raining hard here too, lucky I had a "wee" walk before it got going strong.

Goals:

1. Lots of water: M-Y
2. 2 hours exercise: M-30mins walk
3. 50 veg/week: M-10

Daily calories: 825
8 glasses of water: Y
exercise: N
2 fruit 3 veg: 2-4,
Post daily: Y,
Get back into the 160's
Another good day and getting stronger.

Hello all. I don't know how you all can survive on 8oo to 900 calories a day I know it works for you, but IO would be either sick as a dog or eating everything in site in about 3 days.
I go my exercise in today. it cleared up and tomorrow I will be out cleaning up more of the yard. Nyda

daily goals
water-8 cups min-m=y
exercise 5 days-m=y
log everything I eatm=y
post at least once a day.m=y

Hello all on this "not really Monday even if I think it is."

Since I've been missing goals for the last two weeks I think I'll just have two this week:

1. Measure and record everything.
2. Stay under 1600 calories.

Good week to all.

Cholesterol, the good, the bad, the ugly.
 

Well, I've had some time to think about this. Sounds like your brother-in-law received the same knee-jerk medical treatment that I did a while ago: 'Your cholesterol is high, here's a prescription for statins.' I dislike the 'pill for every problem' approach, so I politely declined the script and told my doctor I'd like to try alternatives first.

I was really put off by the reports of muscle damage, & "cognitive impairment," not to mention diarrhea, constipation, gas, and worse adverse effects. (1), (2) I mean, I wanted to exercise more, and the directive to "tell your doctor if you experience muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness," confused me. Aren't those also the side effects of lifting weights? Oh right, all I need is the pill - Forget that exercise stuff.

Anyway, the first six months of diet and exercise lowered my total cholesterol by about 15%. But not only was that not enough, by year end the value had a rebound. Sounds like a typical diet experience, right?

So I did a little more research. It seems that not only is there "good" and "bad" cholesterol, but there are sub-types. And there's are cholesterol tests that not only estimate the levels of good and bad cholesterol, but directly measure the stuff. So I got one of those. The one that was more accessible to me. On the plus side: no fasting, minus: expensive. The provider has a chart (3) showing nominal values and suggestions for improvement. Some say 'Choose: sterols and stanols, high fiber foods' Others say 'Limit: refined carbs, alcohol, Stop smoking.' Well I don't smoke.

So, it appears that statin drugs are not the suggested remediation for my problem, (from this source anyway). A data point that reinforces my loathing to take them. Along with the fact that nearly all studies involving statins do not include the female gender.

Not to mention the risk of all those uncomfortable side effects. Oh, wait. I already did. I mean, would I really know if I was being "cognitively impaired?"

Anyway that's where I'm at, at the moment. Hope this wasn't too much information.

- Donna

It is easier to prescribe medications, plus - if the troublesome values don't go down and, say, something bad happens to the patient - the doctor can't be blamed - he prescribed the standard treatment.

1) Eat better (cut out the junk)- better, not perfect
2) Drink more (water that is) -yes
3) Gym or walk 3x this week -no (went to gym yesterday, need to go back slowly)
4) remain positive - yes

Park Ave surgeon, eh Kocia? That was funny about turning off the "meter." I agree with you on doctors; they are just covering themselves. My doc told me I couldn't affect my bp by diet but when I lost 10 pounds, I lost 10 points of high bp. Still trying to get the cholestrol lower than 200 tho (the bacon and egg sandwich I had this morning for breakfast prolly didn't help lol but in my defense: local eggs, no nitrite bacon. I know I know.) My sugar was great last time (94) and it tend to be borderline high (106-116.) And there is everything: heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cancer and more in my family.

Ok off to start my day

Libby, thanks for the shout out which I just now read. I had every intention of being one of the weekend warriors, but didn't make it due to family stuff going on--nothing bad or sad--just busy. I spent a good part of yesterday visiting, too, and didn't even think about logging on.

Donna, I am totally with you on avoiding the statin medication. I know I've posted this to you several times before, but it may be news to the newbies here: it wasn't a pretty site watching my mother die of dementia after taking statin meds for 12 years. Even despite that, I do not understand why anyone would accept the other serious admitted risks of statins. I don't put any meds in my mouth for which I have not first learned the possible side effects and decided whether I was willing to accept those risks. We are the masters of our bodies--doctors aren't. It also was not fun that my mother did not know any of her family, including her children--cognitive disorders can be the epitome of loneliness as well. There are doctors like mine who are willing to help their patients help themselves.

Robin, thanks for starting us off. "no sense in dealing with his diet." Yeah, my Mom took statins for 12 years and in her dementia, she had "no sense." Now two sisters-in-law of mine also have been on statins for many years and even with their severe memory loss, their docs still keep prescribing statins for them and their kids don't protest. Some people think of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia as "memory problems"--yeah, and they are also terminal brain diseases. I'd rather die of a heart attack tomorrow than to die from dementia or spend the rest of my life with any cognitive disorder. Seriously, my mother may not have known she had a cognitive disorder, but for two years she screamed daily in paranoia, afraid the health care providers and other patients at the nursing home were trying to kill her. Sometimes TMI is a necessary evil for letting others know to take their risks more seriously. On a happier note, when my diet, exercise, and fish oil capsules didn't quite take me to normal blood cholesterol, my doc suggested I consider adding over-the-counter red yeast rice, and that did the trick. Caution to readers of this post, though: do not take red yeast rice without your doc's knowledge and blessing. Your doc needs to figure the correct dosage for your condition and blood test results.

Hope, so good to see you here! I so admire your courage--I know you're struggling to keep your head above water. I saw you made another post today. I have to make a school run to pick up my granddaughter, but will catch up with you later.

Kocia! Yikes--so sorry 'bout your fall and your wound all the way to the bone!

Nyda, it's nice to have a new month and a new set of goals. I will do the vid in my living room today, too. Good job on getting in your exercise. My calorie range is 1200-1600 per day. If I eat below 1200 I get ravenously hungry and eat stuff I shouldn't.

Mel-Mc, I was thinking of yesterday as Sunday and today as Monday even though I'm not drunk or demented. Best wishes on your nice simple goals.

My son did another duathlon on Saturday and came home with a silver medal.
He was second in his age category and forth over all. That's my boy. I'm hoping next year to get into a couch to 5k training program.
I have been trying to vary my meals and am a little high in calories for this time of day. Supper will have to be a big salad and tea. I hope that every one is doing well.
Good to hear from you Mern.

Libby! Congratulations to your son! :) And congrats to YOU on encouraging his athletics. :) How old is your son?

That couch to 5K training program sounds awesome. I hope that works out for you.

Smart decision--varying meals is one of the keys to not getting burned out on any eating program. Enjoy your salad and tea. Can you throw some low calorie protein like chicken or tuna in it to help yourself feel full longer?

I'm so glad I don't have to cook today. DH went to a picnic with some of his retiree buddies so I'm just going to have a chef's salad (tossed salad with skinless chicken breast) with low carb ranch dressing. But I may treat myself to a diet cola.

Snack tonight will be a bit more chicken breast and a 5g net carb tortilla spread and rolled up with 2 teaspoons of peanut butter, sprinkled with a packet of artificial sweetener and a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder. Feels like I'm cheating, but I'm not. :)

Hi everyone!
 

I am trying again as of 1 September. :D

My goals:

Calories per day 1600 - 1700
exercise at least 1 hour a day - cardio and fat burning (one day a week off)
30 minutes a day for stretching and weight training
Only have White wine once a week when I go dancing (will cut out about 500 calories so that I can drink about 5 glasses of white wine)
have an activity every other day - like biking to the grocery store etc
3 liters of water a day
6 - 7 veggies/fruits a day
40% Protein comsumption a day

Current weight 265
Height 5'8"
Female
I not telling my age!
Location: The Netherlands

First Goal: From 1 Sep - 15 Jan. 2014 (4 1/4months) 50 pounds
Second Goal: From 1 Feb - 5 July (5 months) 30 pounds

Goal weight 185. (This may like like a lot of weight for a woman but I will be back in my SIZE 12 jeans at 185 and that's all I care about.:D My birthday is 5 July so I am hoping to make it!!!!!)

Becky

My son is 30 years old. He has only been competing for 3 years but has always been a participant rather than a spectator. If he could get a sponcer
and some better equipment he would be unstoppable.
I gave up artificial sweeteners and pop last month because I thought they were giving me headachs. It has helped a lot to stop the cravings for sweet food.
I do love dark chocolate but one piece every few days is enough. I have had the same bar in the freezer for 2 weeks and have only eaten two pieces.
I'm going to give another shout out to R S. and I hope this time she hears me. If I didn't have this site to come to I would be miserable and bigger than I was.

Welcome Becky. Those look like great goals.

Thanks Libby!

I am also logging everything in this tool as will as downloading my daily workouts in www.polarpersonaltrainer.com.

:p

Happy Tuesday all. I took a bunch of papers over to the lawyer today. I said I wanted to know what the battle plan was. I have a hard time in frount of computers for long periods. There are days I only get on the computer to log my food and post here. I don't listen to music as much as I used to because sounds bother me on a lot of days.
Donna I had my cholesterol checked the summer. The doc said the good cholesterol needed to be a bit higher, but over all the numbers were not to bad
Libby congrats on your sons win. It doesn't matter how old he is. You can still brag all you want he is after all your son.

Crack. Smash. Boom.

The sounds of my goals being broken. I didn't deal well with changed plans. I was meeting my parents at a certain restaurant and had made plans that were within my goals. When I went to pick my mom up to go to the gym first I was told we were going to the Chinese buffet instead. I didn't go crazy but I didn't meet my daily goal either. That fifth crab Rangoon was just indulgence. :eek: My broken goals are revenging themselves as a stomach ache.

Mel, maybe you burned enough calories at the gym?

Daily calories: 825, 1030,
8 glasses of water: Y, Y
exercise: N, Y,
2 fruit 3 veg: 2-4, 0-4
Post daily: Y, Y,
Get back into the 160's
I'm heading out for a short walk. Maybe I can burn off a few calories before bed.

This site is hoppin busy today!~nice

Thank you for sharing Donna and Mern. We need to be INFORMED consumers of health care......I know that if I had a "high cholesterol" these are things I would want to know. I honestly don't know any of my "numbers"...even though I have had blood tests twice this year.

Welcome Becky, were you here before?

Libby congrats to your son. You sound so inspired today:)

Goals:

1. Lots of water: M-Y, T-ok
2. 2 hours exercise: M-30mins walk, T- 30 mins swim
3. 50 veg/week: M-10, T-6

Welcome, Becky! Wonderful goals--shows you're really planning on working hard. :) I always say the numbers on the scale aren't important--what's important is how we look and feel in our clothes. I'm only 5 feet tall and at 203 I was wearing a size 18 and I didn't look poured into them. I can see that a five foot 8 lady would look great in a size 12. By the way, my birthday is July 6--and I'm telling my age--I'm 67.

Libby, wonderful that your son has been competing for three years. :) I can understand that giving up artificial sweetener has helped you stop cravings for sweets. How about the headaches--any fewer? Kudos on the chocolate control. I'm lucky I can get sugar free dark chocolate that I really love. It's great to hear you find a lot of support here. Your reports reflect a very nice job so far this week.

Nyda, best wishes on your legal issues. I don't listen to music much, either, although I do enjoy classical music and gentle symphonies. Loud music, jazz, and rap make me very nervous. Congrats on your cholesterol numbers. :)

Mel-Mc, Chinese restaurants are one of my worst enemies. I have no control over the mounds of lo-mein noodles and sesame chicken that leap onto my plate--and the sodium level isn't good, either. Sorry 'bout your stomach ache. Big gentle cyberhug to ya!

Robin, I never remember my blood pressure numbers, but they're always in the optimal range. I never concern myself with numbers for any other tests that always run normal, either. I do have access to all my blood test results and vitals 24/7 on my online medical chart through my doctor's office. I really like that. Hey, girl--nice reports so far this week.

Donna and her provider chart, and you with on-line records. We could debate the pros and cons of medicare lol. I don't think my doctor has a computer lol

A new day and I'm reasserting my goals: to stay under 1600 calories and to weigh, measure, and record everything so I know if I keep goal 1. And for today I'm adding a goal of 2 liters of water to wash all that Chinese food sodium out.

To the discussion of our health numbers; I have the lucky genetics to have perfect numbers. Last month as part of a project at work I let them weigh and measure me then check my blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar. The nurse, who actually had her pamphlets on the subjects already out when she saw me POUTED :rolleyes: when my numbers all came back not merely good, but optimal. She didn't know how to address my weight issue without trying to scare me on the other numbers. But I've yet to meet any sort of health professional who could. Eventually she shoved the paperwork back across the table at me and told me I could try to get my good cholesterol a few points higher.

This is my first week here and my first week of trying a new strategy. My goals for this week are:

Keep carbs under 100 at least for today thru Friday. It's a modest goal, but I've tried drastic things for many years which I couldn't hold to and which gave me a messed-up stomach. Oh, another goal is to do my exercises each day, including the weekend.

One more: Continue to log my food each day.

Hi!

No I have not been on this site before .. that I can remember. I know I registered for this site about 5 years ago - but I never actually participated.

Thanks for the welcome. :D

Hi Mern!

Thanks for the welcome. :D

Wow libby .. I understand that you want to lose weight and ... I thought that was a typo ... but your calorie count is way too low.
Everything I've ever read about weight loss says no matter how big you are ...going below 1200 a day is a no no for several reasons. This will backfire on you ... eventually.

Be careful.

I have been eating like this for a long time. If my calories go over 1100 a day I gain weight so to lose weight I have to eat low calories or exercise like an athlete. I must be an anomaly. I am only losing an average of 3 pounds a month. If what I am doing is wrong than how can I make it right and still lose weight? I don't know what else to do.

Is any one using the dietitian part of the site and is it any help to you?

1) Eat better (cut out the junk)- better, not perfect, no, no
2) Drink more (water that is) -yes, yes, yes
3) Gym or walk 3x this week -no (went to gym yesterday, need to go back slowly)no
4) remain positive - yes, no, YES

Have you tried carb counting instead of calories?