I'm soooo excited to hear about the successes that people are having on Bo's plan! Have you seen this note from Teri?
"Hi Bo
I went for my yearly physical, my doctor recommended that I go off my high blood pressure medication. I will cut it down for several weeks but he thinks all will be well so I can stop using it completely. I have been taking it for about 13 years so I am really excited. Thank you for a great food plan and your encouragement.
Teri"
(I don't know Teri, but I'm VERY excited for her! Way to go!)
I had lunch with my mom yesterday. She is down 20 pounds and is wearing clothes that she has not been able to fit in for a very long time. Yipee!
I had surgery last week to take out my gallbladder and gallstone. I have been hitting the Empower shakes and soups pretty heavily since then, as I need to stay away from fat until my body gets adjusted to life without a gallbladder...and solid food does not currently agree well with me.
The good news in all of that is that FINALLY I am back on the plan...after a month on my "hundred mile diet" and then two weeks on business trips. (I took my food with me, but, you know. When someone else is buying lunch, it's hard not to order something.) And then my surgery. It has been quite the autumn, so far.
The other good news is that FINALLY I am down into the 160's! When I look back at my records, I see that the last time I was this weight is when I briefly dipped into the 160's in April and May of 2001. I remember that spring. We took a Caribbean cruise during Easter break. I spent the previous fall, winter, and spring on a low-carb eating plan and OXYCISE. (Oxycise is a breathing and isometric exercise regime and it worked really well for me that year. I was just thinking yesterday that I may need to pull out the old VHS tapes to get my tummy muscles in shape after this surgery.) After getting back from the cruise, my intensity wore off, and then, after 9/11/2001 happened, it was comfort food all the way.
2001 was a long time ago. Before that, it was 1995 when I was at this weight. It's nice to finally see you again, 160's. You're just in time for a new decade. You're welcome to stick around a while.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
A little detour
I had an ultrasound yesterday. NO!!! Not THAT kind of ultrasound! I'm almost fifty, remember?
On a couple of business trips over the past three weeks, when I've eaten out in restaurants (read that: pigged out in restaurants) I have had severe pain in my upper abdomen, as well as nausea and vomiting. After extensive online google research, and after conferring with friends who have had similar symptoms, I self diagnosed and went to the doctor to have my self-diagnosis confirmed. Gallstones. Right there on the ultrasound, clear as day, before God and everybody.
Risk factors include: obesity (check), age (check), female (check), sedentary (check), North American (check), family history (check), rapid weight loss (HAPPILY check).
Did you know that about a third of people who have bariatric surgery develop gallstones in the rapid weight loss phase right after the procedure? Well, I have not had bariatric surgery, but I've lost weight at a rate that is kind of similar to people who have had surgery.
Apparently, when you have a very low fat diet, the gallbladder doesn't have to do its work of squirting out bile for fat digestion. The bile (and it's component parts) hang out in the gallbladder and the parts can start forming gallstones. (There are other ways gallstones form, too, but this seems to be the one related to low-fat diets.)
Most of the articles I read emphasize that the risks posed by obesity outweigh (no pun intended) the risks posed by gallstones. One of the articles suggested that adding some fat occasionally might help prevent them, and most of the articles said that moderate physical activity would help prevention.
Chances are, I've had gallstones for quite a while (I have one over 1 inch in size...I'm sure that didn't develop recently!), but the lack of gallbladder activity caused more "sludge" buildup and it showed symptoms after a heavy, fatty meal.
"But wait", you say, "what are you doing eating a heavy, fatty meal?" What indeed! Just excuses...business trip, conference lunch, no way of easily mixing up an Empower meal for lunch, yada, yada, yada. (To try to justify myself, I will say that I did NOT eat the very tempting bread and butter, nor the chocolate covered creme brulee...but the chicken alfredo did me in!)
I don't know what my next steps are. I'm waiting for a phone call from my doctor to discuss the ultrasound results. In order not to have another attack, I'll need to limit my fat intake. But no problem there, I have a cupboard full of low fat Empower foods!
On a couple of business trips over the past three weeks, when I've eaten out in restaurants (read that: pigged out in restaurants) I have had severe pain in my upper abdomen, as well as nausea and vomiting. After extensive online google research, and after conferring with friends who have had similar symptoms, I self diagnosed and went to the doctor to have my self-diagnosis confirmed. Gallstones. Right there on the ultrasound, clear as day, before God and everybody.
Risk factors include: obesity (check), age (check), female (check), sedentary (check), North American (check), family history (check), rapid weight loss (HAPPILY check).
Did you know that about a third of people who have bariatric surgery develop gallstones in the rapid weight loss phase right after the procedure? Well, I have not had bariatric surgery, but I've lost weight at a rate that is kind of similar to people who have had surgery.
Apparently, when you have a very low fat diet, the gallbladder doesn't have to do its work of squirting out bile for fat digestion. The bile (and it's component parts) hang out in the gallbladder and the parts can start forming gallstones. (There are other ways gallstones form, too, but this seems to be the one related to low-fat diets.)
Most of the articles I read emphasize that the risks posed by obesity outweigh (no pun intended) the risks posed by gallstones. One of the articles suggested that adding some fat occasionally might help prevent them, and most of the articles said that moderate physical activity would help prevention.
Chances are, I've had gallstones for quite a while (I have one over 1 inch in size...I'm sure that didn't develop recently!), but the lack of gallbladder activity caused more "sludge" buildup and it showed symptoms after a heavy, fatty meal.
"But wait", you say, "what are you doing eating a heavy, fatty meal?" What indeed! Just excuses...business trip, conference lunch, no way of easily mixing up an Empower meal for lunch, yada, yada, yada. (To try to justify myself, I will say that I did NOT eat the very tempting bread and butter, nor the chocolate covered creme brulee...but the chicken alfredo did me in!)
I don't know what my next steps are. I'm waiting for a phone call from my doctor to discuss the ultrasound results. In order not to have another attack, I'll need to limit my fat intake. But no problem there, I have a cupboard full of low fat Empower foods!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
I'm baaaack...
Well, I’m back from my month long “100 mile diet”. Not a weight loss diet, you understand, but an “eating local” diet.
My husband and I, along with a few other people from church, only ate food that was grown within 100 miles of our town. It was a fun thing that we had planned for the past year. It went well. Lots of potatoes (from our garden), local corn and donut peaches (from a fruit stand), blackberries from a nearby vacant lot, zucchini (also from the garden), and very expensive meat and chicken. Oh. And milk and butter from local dairies.
Sound fattening? Surprisingly, for the amount of food I ate, there was minimal weight gain. Like 2 pounds. Other people in our group (people who hadn’t been on a strict empower foods plan before the 100 mile experiment) actually lost weight. I’ve got to think that it had to do with eating fresh, whole foods. I need to think through the implications for when I am on a maintenance plan.
Today I’m back on Bo’s plan. I am looking forward to seeing this through until my 50th birthday in early November. You remember that I agreed to try Bo’s plan from June until my birthday…just to see what would happen in that time frame. Kind of like a science experiment.
The experiment worked great for me. 19 pounds from June 14 to August 15, is a pretty successful experiment, in my book.
Other results. I went through the whole summer without having any allergy attacks. Most summers I have very bad hay fever from about July 1st to August 15, but this year, no hay fever. Most summers I’m popping claritan or zyrtec ever day with little effect.
Is it a coincidence that my only no-hay-fever summer in forever is the same summer that I’m on the Empower foods? I don’t know. But I like it!
I’ve heard stories of other people’s results (beside the weight loss): cholesterol levels coming in way lower than before and and not having to take as many Tums or Prilosec. If you have any stories about side benefits to this Empower foods journey, post it in the comments below.
The best things about being back on the plan? 1) The convenience of not having to make everything from scratch and 2) snacks at 10 am !
My husband and I, along with a few other people from church, only ate food that was grown within 100 miles of our town. It was a fun thing that we had planned for the past year. It went well. Lots of potatoes (from our garden), local corn and donut peaches (from a fruit stand), blackberries from a nearby vacant lot, zucchini (also from the garden), and very expensive meat and chicken. Oh. And milk and butter from local dairies.
Sound fattening? Surprisingly, for the amount of food I ate, there was minimal weight gain. Like 2 pounds. Other people in our group (people who hadn’t been on a strict empower foods plan before the 100 mile experiment) actually lost weight. I’ve got to think that it had to do with eating fresh, whole foods. I need to think through the implications for when I am on a maintenance plan.
Today I’m back on Bo’s plan. I am looking forward to seeing this through until my 50th birthday in early November. You remember that I agreed to try Bo’s plan from June until my birthday…just to see what would happen in that time frame. Kind of like a science experiment.
The experiment worked great for me. 19 pounds from June 14 to August 15, is a pretty successful experiment, in my book.
Other results. I went through the whole summer without having any allergy attacks. Most summers I have very bad hay fever from about July 1st to August 15, but this year, no hay fever. Most summers I’m popping claritan or zyrtec ever day with little effect.
Is it a coincidence that my only no-hay-fever summer in forever is the same summer that I’m on the Empower foods? I don’t know. But I like it!
I’ve heard stories of other people’s results (beside the weight loss): cholesterol levels coming in way lower than before and and not having to take as many Tums or Prilosec. If you have any stories about side benefits to this Empower foods journey, post it in the comments below.
The best things about being back on the plan? 1) The convenience of not having to make everything from scratch and 2) snacks at 10 am !
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
10%
Just a note to say that I have reached the 10% milestone. I've lost 19 pounds, which is 10% of my starting weight. So I'm only 90% of the woman I was 57 days ago!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Results and plans
Another pound lost this week. 173.2. That is 18.4 pounds lost in a bit less than two months (I got the calculator out for that one). I was hoping for another half pound, so I could say I'd lost 10% of my body weight. Next week, maybe.
The bloodmobile was at work this week, so I stopped by to do my part. I often get disqualified at the "do you have enough iron in your blood" booth, so I was curious what the impact of this diet would have on my iron levels. I thought it might be on the low side since I'm not eating a ton of red meat (nor regularly taking multi-vitamins, if the truth be known). Happily enough, my iron levels were nice and high. Blood pressure was good and my pulse was nice and low.
I got up on the table and they poked my arm...nothing. They probed around a bit...still nothing. Called for the supervisor and did a bit more probing...no luck. So we got on the table facing the other way and they started in on the other arm. Couldn't find a vein there, either, despite four of them giving it a try. So they bandaged me up and sent me on my way. And since I'm such a good girl, I didn't even take one of their cookies! Ironically, the blood bank called the next day to tell me they needed my blood. I told them that it really wasn't the best day for them to call me...that they should try again in a few weeks.
It's not the first time something like that has happened. I had kind of hoped that drinking all the water that I do on this diet would have made my veins nice and plump and hydrated. Didn't turn out that way. I guess I really need to be very diligent about getting in all my water.
Next week-end, I am going to go on a pre-planned, month-long hiatus from the empower foods diet. For about a year, my husband and I have been planning to do a "100-mile challenge diet" from August 16-Sept 15. We will only eat food that is grown within 100 miles from our house. There was a TV show on the food network that followed a group of people doing this, and the idea caught our imagination. We have invited a few friends to join us and we have been hitting the farmers' markets in the area to see what is available.
It looks like it will be mostly veggies, berries, eggs, (small amounts of very expensive) meat, and dairy. There is no sugar grown in the Pacific Northwest, so I don't think refined carbs will be a big problem. (Also, no coffee or tea!) We found some locally grown and ground whole-grain flour and bought a small amount. There is also some greek yogurt made around here that I might try. It is denser than regular yogurt and high in protein. My plan is to stick to a high protein, low carb plan and not gain any weight. Portion control will be key. I have some basil, dill, and cilantro in the garden. Salads and eggs will be my friend.
I will go back on the Empower foods diet on September 16 and carry it through to my 50th birthday in November. Then we'll see where I am and what the plan going forward should be.
The bloodmobile was at work this week, so I stopped by to do my part. I often get disqualified at the "do you have enough iron in your blood" booth, so I was curious what the impact of this diet would have on my iron levels. I thought it might be on the low side since I'm not eating a ton of red meat (nor regularly taking multi-vitamins, if the truth be known). Happily enough, my iron levels were nice and high. Blood pressure was good and my pulse was nice and low.
I got up on the table and they poked my arm...nothing. They probed around a bit...still nothing. Called for the supervisor and did a bit more probing...no luck. So we got on the table facing the other way and they started in on the other arm. Couldn't find a vein there, either, despite four of them giving it a try. So they bandaged me up and sent me on my way. And since I'm such a good girl, I didn't even take one of their cookies! Ironically, the blood bank called the next day to tell me they needed my blood. I told them that it really wasn't the best day for them to call me...that they should try again in a few weeks.
It's not the first time something like that has happened. I had kind of hoped that drinking all the water that I do on this diet would have made my veins nice and plump and hydrated. Didn't turn out that way. I guess I really need to be very diligent about getting in all my water.
Next week-end, I am going to go on a pre-planned, month-long hiatus from the empower foods diet. For about a year, my husband and I have been planning to do a "100-mile challenge diet" from August 16-Sept 15. We will only eat food that is grown within 100 miles from our house. There was a TV show on the food network that followed a group of people doing this, and the idea caught our imagination. We have invited a few friends to join us and we have been hitting the farmers' markets in the area to see what is available.
It looks like it will be mostly veggies, berries, eggs, (small amounts of very expensive) meat, and dairy. There is no sugar grown in the Pacific Northwest, so I don't think refined carbs will be a big problem. (Also, no coffee or tea!) We found some locally grown and ground whole-grain flour and bought a small amount. There is also some greek yogurt made around here that I might try. It is denser than regular yogurt and high in protein. My plan is to stick to a high protein, low carb plan and not gain any weight. Portion control will be key. I have some basil, dill, and cilantro in the garden. Salads and eggs will be my friend.
I will go back on the Empower foods diet on September 16 and carry it through to my 50th birthday in November. Then we'll see where I am and what the plan going forward should be.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Well, I had hoped...
I had hoped to be able to tell you that I was at my drivers license weight this week. I hoped to be able to tell you of the years of renewing my license at the DMV and laughing nervously when asked if there was anything that had changed. Of looking wistfully at the drivers license weight and knowing that I would likely never touch that again. I wanted to title my post "drivers license weight!!!", but I can't. Why? Because I slid RIGHT PAST that weight and am now LOWER! I think I have had the same weight on it since I moved here 14 years ago...and I probably rounded down then! So, in case anyone is counting, I've lost 17 pounds so far, from June 14 to July 31. Whoohoo!
My clothes are starting to look a little ridiculous on me, being so baggy, so I took a little trip through my closet. (I should mention that I hate to spend money on clothes, so rarely throw anything out.) There are a number of suit jackets that have been too uncomfortable to wear for a couple of years, being too tight through the arms and shoulders. All of them are nice and loose, now, and some are too loose. Unfortunately, it's not really suit jacket weather right now, so it will be a few weeks before I wear them to work. There is one double breasted jacket that I have worn hanging open, unbuttoned, for years. I was able to button it comfortably today. Last summer, I did a very unusual purging of my closet and got rid of a few things that I wish I had now. Oh well.
I would recommend this empower food plan to anyone who needs some extra help to lose weight. To those who feel that weight loss is really beyond your grasp; who feel that it would be nice, but you know in your heart that it's just not going to happen. Well, it's happening for me, and it could for you, too.
(There is a link to Medical Weight Loss Center's facebook page in the heading at the top of the blog.)
My clothes are starting to look a little ridiculous on me, being so baggy, so I took a little trip through my closet. (I should mention that I hate to spend money on clothes, so rarely throw anything out.) There are a number of suit jackets that have been too uncomfortable to wear for a couple of years, being too tight through the arms and shoulders. All of them are nice and loose, now, and some are too loose. Unfortunately, it's not really suit jacket weather right now, so it will be a few weeks before I wear them to work. There is one double breasted jacket that I have worn hanging open, unbuttoned, for years. I was able to button it comfortably today. Last summer, I did a very unusual purging of my closet and got rid of a few things that I wish I had now. Oh well.
I would recommend this empower food plan to anyone who needs some extra help to lose weight. To those who feel that weight loss is really beyond your grasp; who feel that it would be nice, but you know in your heart that it's just not going to happen. Well, it's happening for me, and it could for you, too.
(There is a link to Medical Weight Loss Center's facebook page in the heading at the top of the blog.)
Monday, July 26, 2010
Cheats =(
I just got back from a half-hour walk during my lunch hour at work. It is the first walk I've taken in a long time. One of my goals was to walk 10,000 steps every day, but I just have not done it. That is my main cheat of the week. Really, lack of exercise is my downfall, and has been over the years. I'm not sure how to re-program the brain to like to move. I was a sedentary baby, a sedentary child (report card said "Brenda reads too many library books. Needs more physical exercise."), a semi-sedentary teen (does drill team count for exercise?) and, you guessed it, a sedentary adult (although now they call it couch potato).
There are a couple forms of exercise that I like: snorkeling - I can snorkel for hours in the Caribbean and not get tired of it. I joined the YMCA to be able to use the pool, but they had the pool full of swim lessons when it was convenient for me to go. And I don't think mask and snorkel are encouraged there. dancing - I love, love, love wedding receptions where there is a DJ and dancing. My daughter took me to a couple of zumba classes, but they were a bit outside my stamina zone. I was good for the first 20 minutes, but they go a whole hour. And after the last one, where there was a very defined "bump" in one of the routines, my hip hurt to walk for a month. I liked drill team, where you got to use your brain to memorize a routine (touch back, touch front, touch back, around the knee...you Highland Scots will recognize that!). Maybe I need to find a class where they work on a routine, but then do not perform it (no audience needs to see thunder thighs). Ideas are appreciated.
The food program is going very well. Virtually no cheats there. My husband has jumped on the band-wagon and is just finishing up his first week. This program is great for those who need significant food intervention.
Oh! I lost a couple more pounds this week. Yipee!
There are a couple forms of exercise that I like: snorkeling - I can snorkel for hours in the Caribbean and not get tired of it. I joined the YMCA to be able to use the pool, but they had the pool full of swim lessons when it was convenient for me to go. And I don't think mask and snorkel are encouraged there. dancing - I love, love, love wedding receptions where there is a DJ and dancing. My daughter took me to a couple of zumba classes, but they were a bit outside my stamina zone. I was good for the first 20 minutes, but they go a whole hour. And after the last one, where there was a very defined "bump" in one of the routines, my hip hurt to walk for a month. I liked drill team, where you got to use your brain to memorize a routine (touch back, touch front, touch back, around the knee...you Highland Scots will recognize that!). Maybe I need to find a class where they work on a routine, but then do not perform it (no audience needs to see thunder thighs). Ideas are appreciated.
The food program is going very well. Virtually no cheats there. My husband has jumped on the band-wagon and is just finishing up his first week. This program is great for those who need significant food intervention.
Oh! I lost a couple more pounds this week. Yipee!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
It's the little things!
I lost another pound this week. That makes about 13 pounds in the last 34 days. (I hope my math is right! Did it in my head.)
My last summer's regular jeans are my holey gardening jeans this year. Last summer, I had to go a long, long time between washing them in order to get them buttoned. The shrinkage in the dryer was just too much. THIS summer, straight out of the dryer, I can pull them down without unbuttoning/unzipping. Not a very useful skill, I know, but STILL. Like I said, it's the little things!
Another little thing. In three more pounds, I'll be at the weight on my driver's license. I've been perjuring myself for years. =)
My last summer's regular jeans are my holey gardening jeans this year. Last summer, I had to go a long, long time between washing them in order to get them buttoned. The shrinkage in the dryer was just too much. THIS summer, straight out of the dryer, I can pull them down without unbuttoning/unzipping. Not a very useful skill, I know, but STILL. Like I said, it's the little things!
Another little thing. In three more pounds, I'll be at the weight on my driver's license. I've been perjuring myself for years. =)
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Pssst...
shhh....I don't want to say it too loud, because it might go away...but...today...the scale STOPPED before getting to the 180's. Yep. 179. I haven't been in the 170's since 2004!.
You know how a digital bathroom scale always bounces around the numbers before it actually stops on today's weight? Well, the last few days, the 178s and 179s have been showing up in the numbers show. (I was excited that the scale was even THINKING about the 170s.) Today it settled on 179 Whoot, whoot!
Remember I said I usually have a 20 pound range that I bounce around in? For the last few years my range has been 180 to 200. After last Christmas, I was at 200. I did an loose Atkins-type diet from January to March trying to get below last year's weight for my health screening at work. (If we don't meet a certain health score, we are not eligible for the lowest priced health insurance. Weight and waist circumference play into it.) On that diet, I went from 200 to 187, lost another pound over the next month, and then in May, on vacation, I gained 5 pounds back. You see what I mean, when I say I bounced around in the range? It was in June, when I was around 192 that I visited Bo and decided to give her Empower Foods plan a try. That was LESS than one month ago!
I feel VERY empowered to have broken through the bottom of my 20-pound range! It is very encouraging and motivates me to keep on. Thanks Bo!
Edited to add: This success comes after a week with 1) 4th of July potluck at church, 2) wedding on Monday AND 3) wedding on Friday! It helps to keep a bar and a proticinno drink in my purse when I go to functions. It's nice to have something sweet to eat or drink while everyone is eating wedding cake.
You know how a digital bathroom scale always bounces around the numbers before it actually stops on today's weight? Well, the last few days, the 178s and 179s have been showing up in the numbers show. (I was excited that the scale was even THINKING about the 170s.) Today it settled on 179 Whoot, whoot!
Remember I said I usually have a 20 pound range that I bounce around in? For the last few years my range has been 180 to 200. After last Christmas, I was at 200. I did an loose Atkins-type diet from January to March trying to get below last year's weight for my health screening at work. (If we don't meet a certain health score, we are not eligible for the lowest priced health insurance. Weight and waist circumference play into it.) On that diet, I went from 200 to 187, lost another pound over the next month, and then in May, on vacation, I gained 5 pounds back. You see what I mean, when I say I bounced around in the range? It was in June, when I was around 192 that I visited Bo and decided to give her Empower Foods plan a try. That was LESS than one month ago!
I feel VERY empowered to have broken through the bottom of my 20-pound range! It is very encouraging and motivates me to keep on. Thanks Bo!
Edited to add: This success comes after a week with 1) 4th of July potluck at church, 2) wedding on Monday AND 3) wedding on Friday! It helps to keep a bar and a proticinno drink in my purse when I go to functions. It's nice to have something sweet to eat or drink while everyone is eating wedding cake.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Woohoo! Someone noticed!
Two different people commented today that it looks like I'm losing weight! I love it when that happens! Usually I need to lose about 25 pounds before anyone notices.
I'm getting into the swing of things with the diet. It is becoming normal life. I still am hungry in the late afternoons, but am learning that if I get my mind on something else, I just push through it. It's kind of like pushing on in the half-marathon even though my legs or feet hurt.
Being able to eat a morning snack and an afternoon snack is kind of like having a nice surprise every day, "Oh, goody, it's 10:00. I get to eat my snack!"
I'm getting into the swing of things with the diet. It is becoming normal life. I still am hungry in the late afternoons, but am learning that if I get my mind on something else, I just push through it. It's kind of like pushing on in the half-marathon even though my legs or feet hurt.
Being able to eat a morning snack and an afternoon snack is kind of like having a nice surprise every day, "Oh, goody, it's 10:00. I get to eat my snack!"
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