(Deeeep breath...)
All right. Here's the story.
I packed on the pounds when they made me take steroids for my hearing loss back in March/April. I was absolutely ravenous for a couple of weeks. The rapid weight gain caused my blood sugar level to rise from 95 to 145. The doctor said I had to get that back under control, and recommended the South Beach Diet.
I've been on it for a little over 2 months.
Now, I am not gonna tell you my weight, and don't even ask because I don't own a scale. And I'm not buying one. With wide shoulders & hips and a long torso, it takes about 15 lbs. of weight loss to even show up on me. Or make my clothes fit differently, even. If I stick to a diet religiously and lose 1.5 lbs. in a week (or worse, gain 1/2 lb.), I can't even see the difference, and that is extremely discouraging.
So I prefer just to go by the mirror and how my clothes fit.
Now for the good news. In the past two months, I have gone down two belt notches, and my pants are getting very baggy. YAY!!!
I go back to the doctor at the end of July for blood work to see if the blood sugar level is back under control. I feel sure it will be.
Way to go Eva !
You are looking good girl, it really is nice when clothes are not tight on your body.
I am finding I can eat what I want, even naughty things like chocolate as long as I am burning up calories.
My waist came down from well over 40" to around 32-33" and steady at that for 6 months. The last time it was that small I was in my mid 20's.
After a rough stretch,
(okay, about three days....) I am at a new low.
217.3
===
What do you like best about the South Beach Diet, Eva? I mean besides the fact that it's helping you turn into the person we shall refer to in the very near future as Sleekeva.
===
Been taking long walks through the city as part of this get-fit scheme of mine. Seeing all kinds of things, but walking too fast to take good notes...
Maybe I need to start carrying my tape recorder again.
==
Every time I read about your situation, Hiama, I shake my head in shame. My biggest physical impediment is a new plantar wart on my right foot.
Kudos, kiddo.
Joe
Eva--
Steroids are Absolutely Not Fair. At least you escaped 'Roid Rage.
Hiama--
All those inches almost translate into subtracted years...wonderful.
Joe--
Slow, steady progress. Your lapses aren't hitting the scales so your metabolism has probably speeded up.
I'm still drifting between 122 and 125, depending on water retention. By the end of the month I'd like to see 121....if wishes were horses then beggars would ride.....
I'm back to my weight before my Montreal trip.
I think the rapid loss is due to the stress at work.
Well done, folks. I'm impressed and inspired.
Now for a nice lunchtime jog...
Pigged out on pizza Monday and Tuesday. Couldn't force myself to complete the second set of my workout on Wednesday. Thought I'd wrecked things this week but alas, I worked out today and I seem to have lost another pound from last week. Woohoo!
Almost 20 down.
10 more to go.
Am being also good. Worked out yesterday, the diet is not rebelling against me anymore. Heading to New Jersey for the weekend - potentially dangerous, but I will hold on to that dominion whether she likes it or not.
Joe -- Would I still recognize you? (Serious question.)
The South Beach Diet is not that difficult. My doctor preferred it to Atkins...Atkins is too high in saturated fats, and I'm already on a cholesterol-lowering drug (family history, y'know.) SB teaches you the difference between "good fats & bad fats" and "good carbs & bad carbs." For instance, I can have all the olive oil, canola oil, avocados, etc. I want, because they actually raise the good cholesterol level. I think it's a good plan...lean meats, good oils, plenty of fruits & vegetables, whole grains, etc. It's been almost 10 weeks, and I haven't gotten bored with it yet. When I eat out, I most often order a sandwich and remove the bread. That isn't where the taste is anyway, it's in the filling. A typical dinner around here now is grilled meat (filet, pork tenderloin, chicken breast, etc.) with sliced fresh tomatos and maybe a small baked sweet potato or whole wheat pasta. Hummus dip and tabouli are both made with olive oil, so I eat a lot of that, too...just like I did before. Hershey's makes a very good low-carb chocolate bar, and Russell Stovers makes good low-carb chocolates, too, so I haven't gone a day without my chocolate fix.
One interesting note...
Exercise doesn't help me with weight loss. It just makes me much hungrier. There is a physical reason for this. I had thyroid cancer some years back, and my thyroid was completely removed. Now my metabolism is set by a little blue pill I take every day. There is no way to raise it. That is one of the reasons the doctor recommended SB. If I ever do exercise, I need a plan that will allow me to eat more, he says, or I will be miserable. The physiology is just different now.
Weekend of exercise -
Saturday I went for instruction/introduction to open water swimming in the Royal Albert Dock - green water and wetsuit made it odd but OK.
I'm glad I tried because I took part in my first triathlon on Sunday - 400m swim (in a lake, with wetsuit); 19km bike; 5km run.
I felt OK throughout but realised that my lack of much practice on the bike led to me being slower on that than I could/can be...more practice to come!
I'm really happy to have completed it (even if it is much shorter than the full Olympic 1500m/40km/10km that I'll be doing on 1 August in the docks!). I think I have the endurance. Now I need to work on pacing myself correctly - not too hard, not too easy!
KP
Kitchen Pete--
You are either trim and buff or full of self-confidence. I wouldn't appear in public in a wet suit. Congratulations.
KP
Outstanding! If I tried that, they'd be rowing out to fish me out of the lake. Are you willing to tell us your time?
1st of August, a little over 2 weeks left to train, right? That should be doable though. If PDiddie - the real one - could run a marathon without any coherent training to speak of, I am sure KP will pull off the Olympic triathlon no problem. Hooray!
Come on, dag. PDiddie - the real one- must have trained for that marathon. He's a determined man and willing to stick his neck out but I can't believe he didn't train.
I had to check into that and he did train altho' not as strenuously as many, I suppose.
Webpage Title
He said somewhere he trained for some 2-3 weeks! If he did just that and finished, imagine what KP will do to the rest of em! They'll be finished too!
Thanks for the support and encouragement.
I know I'll complete it - unless I pick up an injury or something silly in the meantime/during the race - but I'm keen to "do my best", which means my aim is to complete it inside 3 hours, if I can.
I've been swimming, running and doing gym sessions for some months to get ready for this. I've been ignoring the bike, somewhat, and I paid for it on Sunday. I just didn't know what pace to set myself - I think I could have pushed myself more. Interval training and some long rides over the next couple of weekends should sort that out.
Swimming in the wetsuit was always going to be strange. I've been doing weights to strengthen the "rotator cuff" muscles of the shoulders - which tire before the larger muscle groups. I'm glad I have done that (the result of personal trainer advice) as I'd be in real trouble turning those arms over inside the rubber without that strength.
More practice - down in the Serpentine (lake in Hyde Park) - I think.
I'm really looking forward to the real thing. I now need to get sponsorship sorted out. I think it warrants raising some money for charity - it's not a walk in the park!
KP
George wrote:KP
Outstanding! If I tried that, they'd be rowing out to fish me out of the lake. Are you willing to tell us your time?
Swim (including transition- I got out of the water in about 07:45) - 09:23; bike - 44:56:00; run - 26:00:00; total - 01:20:21
I can get the first transition faster, the bike faster and run the same pace for longer, I think
KP~
Very respectable times, my man!
KP,
Nice start, wish I was joining you, I'll be there in spirit.
Suggest you get cleats if you haven't got them for the bike , they make a difference, more power for the whole cycle.
You're on track my man, even effort throughout so you have plenty left for the run. I wouldn't overdo it on the bike, make sure you get some energy drink on the bike and water, it'll be too late by the time the run starts.
