Health and weight loss

[Droopy]

My step-father is 57 years old. He is a big man- 6'2" 320 lbs. He has had high cholesterol and high blood pressure for a while and he was recently diagnosed with pre-diabetes. I'm 34 years old and I'm also a big man- 5'10" and 275 pounds. I have not developed the health problems that my step-father has, although I do have slightly elevated cholesterol. But I'm going to take a lesson from my step-father and not wait until I have serious trouble before I do something about my health.

For a long time I had no idea why I was so big. For a while now I've only eaten one meal a day with maybe a snack some other time in the day. It was usually a big meal, but it didn't seem like it was 280 fucking pounds big. A typical meal for me would be a foot long sub with a small bag of chips and a soda. I also get quite a bit of exercise on my job. I'm a trucker and I have to hand unload my truck every night. For about three hours I get a pretty good workout. It just didn't add up.

My step-father went to a diabetes class at the hospital the other day and he discovered why I'm having trouble with my weight. He said that if you don't eat often enough your body goes into "starvation mode." When it does get calories it will have a tendency to store as much of it as fat as possible to have reserves for when food is not forthcoming. Added to that is that I would have my big meal right before going to bed and we have the reason why I can't lose weight with my current lifestyle.

So, I have started eating more often and cut back a little on that last meal of the day. The result is that I've lost 5 pounds in the last 2 weeks. I've also quit consuming caffeine. It was playing hell with my digestive system. The next step is to start eating more vegetables and fruit.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear Droopy....

Those are very smart moves on your part!

A lot of folks don't know about the "starvation mode" that the body adopts.

Here's to your continued good health, and weight loss!

:applause: :applause:

[Droopy]

5. Thank you, Peggy

I have to quit smoking, too, but I'm not ready to do that yet. The one thing I wish I could change about my life the most is my smoking habit. I wish I could go back in time and not steal that first pack of smokes from my step-father when I was 11. It seems like things would be so much different now if I could do that.

[LynzM]

2. Good for you, Droopy

What your SF learned at the class is quite true... your body will do better with smaller, more frequent meals, especially if they're high in fiber and complex carbs and protein. Adding more fruits and veggies is always good, too. Good for you! :)

[Droopy]

6. Thanks, LynzM

This is going to be hard for me, but I think I will be ok. I remember that one time when my psychiatrist had me do some blood work he checked my blood sugar level and he said it was kind of high (109). I went to my family doctor to have it checked again and he said that 109 was alright especially if you have eaten recently before they take the blood. It turned out that I was supposed to fast for 12 hours before the test, but I didn't know that and had eaten shortly before they took the blood.

But for those couple of days that I thought I was turning into a diabetic it scared the hell out of me. It's not going to happen if I can help it.

[Nicole]

3. I eat 6 times a day.

I started doing that after being diagnosed with hypoglycemia. I used to skip breakfast, snack at lunch & eat a big dinner. I now eat 3 meals, the biggest one at breakfast, plus 3 snacks each day. I feel much better & it also helps me maintain my weight.

[Droopy]

7. Good deal

Your former eating habits are the same as what mine were a couple of weeks ago. Did that contribute to the development of your hypoglycemia?

[Nicole]

12. I'm not sure if it did or not.

I do know for sure the new diet has helped it though. I haven't had any problems since improving my diet.

[SPKrazy]

28. Good for you

keeps the metabolism roaring better too

:hi:

[Nicole]

29. It does help do that.

My metabolism & energy level both show the benefits of the change.

:hi:

[SeattleGirl]

4. Nice going, Droopy!

As soon as I read that you were only eating one meal a day, I thought, well, that's a lot of the problem right there. I'm glad your SF passed that info on to you. Good for you to changing your eating habits AND for dropping those first pounds!

[Droopy]

9. Thanks

I never thought that eating more often would help me lose weight. The trick is not to eat too much which I have a history of doing. That's how I got so big in the first place.

[hippywife]

8. Good going!

Adding more fruits and veggies and cutting back on (not totally eliminating) the obvious fats and unhealthy oils will help, too. I've lost almost 20 lbs. very slowly and deliberately over the past few months because I was diagnosed diabetic and have high cholesterol. Another big thing is reading labels and opting for things that have whole wheat flour rather than enriched wheat flour and totally steering clear of anything with corn syrup, especially high fructose corn syrup. Whole foods are a much better dietary option than fast eating, but it takes a little time and planning. Once you get started it gets easier to do.

Getting yourself used to drinking water is a huge step forward and helps alot!

Keep it up! :hi:

[Droopy]

10. Congrats on the weight loss

Yes, I've cut out that high fructose corn syrup as far as I can tell. I used to drink regular pop sometimes as well as a lot of Diet Coke. I've almost totally stopped drinking pop and now I drink about a gallon of water a day. I think that has helped me a great deal.

[hippywife]

15. I've never been a big pop/soda drinker

but I loved Kool-aid! Dumping that habit and replacing it with water is what I attribute the first 10lbs of loss to. I crave water now and it's the only thing that will quench my thirst. That was a huge hurdle for me but it's gotten to be second-nature now. I guess an old dog can really learn new tricks. ;)

[CTyankee]

19. High fructose corn syrup is in LOTS of things that aren't soda.

I discovered it in whole wheat bread! I now read labels like a fanatic and totally avoid the fructose syrup.

[hippywife]

21. We do too!

It's amazing how many things it's in these days. There are very few kinds of store bought bread without it. Even the so called whole wheat varieties have it along with enriched flour rather than actual whole wheat flour. We ready every label anymore.

[undeterred]

11. I gained a bunch of weight after a certain age

and have been unable to drop any of it. Every year I have resolved to but my resolve was not enough. While its true that my activity level is lower than it used to be, and I do have a sweet tooth, it was hard to understand the sudden middle age weight gain. Losing 10 pounds now and then was an enormous effort.

Just 3 months ago I went on a drug called topomax for my migraines. Its an anti-seizure medication and can have a lot of different side effects, some good (weight loss, loss of headaches) and some bad (confusion, liver changes, kidney stones). I declined the drug two years in a row before agreeing to it. Well, guess what. I have been on a very low dose for 3 months and so far all I have is one good side effect- the loss of 20 pounds and my sweet tooth. The weight is coming off slowly. I have a diminished appetite and no sweet tooth. My headaches are slightly better. No adverse side effects. The weight loss is virtually effortless. I can't tell you how different that feels from dieting. This is how it should be.

The other day I went shopping, and as I was putting groceries away, I realized that I had not bought a single dessert- that's when it really hit me. The medication has killed my sweet tooth. What a blessing. Now if it would just get rid of my headaches too.

I have heard weight loss doctors are using it... I got it from a neurologist for migraines, but I am overweight and this is a real benefit for me.

[Droopy]

16. Speaking of medication

I've heard about this prescription weight loss pill call called Xenical. Do you know anything about it? It's supposed to work by keeping your body from absorbing about 1/3 of the fat from the food that you eat.

Congratulations on the weight loss.

[undeterred]

17. Thanks. I've heard of Xenical.

I would talk to a doctor who specializes in weight loss and ask about it. If something blocks absorption I would be afraid of it causing diarreah, but maybe thats not true.

I've also ordered some stuff on the internet which promised everything but did absolutely nothing except waste my money.

When I was afraid of the topamax, it was because I read messageboatds and the things people said about it were just awful- and none of them turned out to be true for me. Probably the people I was reading about were on higher doses.

[hippywife]

22. With all the recent issues with medications

I would steer clear of them for weight loss. Unless it's an absolute dire situation, you may be buying more trouble.

It sounds like you're not having trouble losing the weight without them. And you have another great advantage, men have much faster metabolisms than women do, so you lose weight alot easier.

[KurtNYC]

13. Congrats and best wishes for continued success

Sounds like you are on the right road. I spent many hours studying nutrition when I created some mutrition software 3 years ago. A couple more things that I think more people would benefit from knowing:

- diet soda is associated with weight gain. Yes DIET soda. Why? because your body learns that there are no calories in things that taste sweet and then fail to digest things that have real fructose/sucrose in them properly. Also diet soda can make you hungry for sweets since your body gets hungry for the sugar that really isn't in diet soda (and other artificially sweetned products). Real soda is not much better but at least it doesn't screw up your metabolism. Best substitute for soda: water.

- your body does much better getting its calories from solid foods. Limit liquid calories -- soda, shakes, fruit juice, etc. Again, the body doesn't react properly to liquid calories. Could be evolution. Until recently we got all of our calories from foods which are chewed. Chewing triggers the rest of the digestive process. Liquid calories hot wire the process.

- eating once a day is a bad idea -- you covered this one very well.

- your body wants to be a certain weight. Once you have been large, the body works to maintain that weight. It will adjust appetite and metabolism to get back to the highest weight you have attained. (this sucks but it can be beaten).

There are more of these but in brief I think the most helpful thing I could convey to you is to find and eat more of the foods you already like which are better for you. You are going to get your calories from somewhere eventually. Many people try to limit their calories and wind up periodically binging on all the wrong stuff. Far better to keep eating, just get full on the right stuff and don't allow yourself to get into the "I need to binge" mode.

Some good sources for the calories you need: almonds, chicken, roast beef (it's lean), pasta, rice, granola (even the sugary stuff), cranberries, grapes, red wine (in moderation), whole grain breads, fish, etc. Keep some of those handy to avoid going for the bad stuff.

Hope you and your father do well.

[Droopy]

14. I used to drink a lot of diet pop

We're talking 4 liters a day of Diet Coke. I quit drinking that because it started giving me diahrrea. Now I drink about the same amount of water a day instead of the pop. I think that has helped me a great deal.

Thanks for the rest of the advice and I appreciate the well wishes.

[undeterred]

18. Thats great and its good for your teeth too!

Good luck with this. I know its hard when you eat out a lot.

[CTyankee]

20. Tell me how the set point can be beaten.

I've dropped weight in the past only to have it go right back up. I find I have to give up something else to keep that from happening. I tried upping my time and pace on the treadmill and even trying to go on the treadmill 6 days a week. That didn't do much weight wise. Is the way to beat this just keep subtracting calories. The thinnest people I know are ones who do not eat very much. I observe how they do a lot of moving food around the plate and putting very little in their mouths!

[KurtNYC]

25. High protein diet

Here is a summary of research done by drs in the Netherlands (where they say "thermogenesis", I would say "metabolism"):

Body-weight management requires a multifactorial approach. Recent findings suggest that an elevated protein intake seems to play a key role herein, through (i) increased satiety related to increased diet-induced thermogenesis; (ii) its effect on thermogenesis; (iii) body composition; and (iv) decreased energy-efficiency, all of which are related to protein metabolism. Supported by these mechanisms, relatively larger weight loss and subsequent stronger body-weight maintenance have been observed. Increased insulin sensitivity may appear, but it is unclear whether this is due to weight loss or type of diet. The phenomenon of increased satiety is utilized in reduced energy-intake diets, mainly in the ad libitum condition, whereby sustained satiety is achieved with sustained absolute protein intake in grams, despite lower energy intake. Elevated thermogenesis and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) appear to play a role in high-protein induced satiety. Under conditions of weight maintenance, a high-protein diet shows a reduced energy efficiency related to the body composition of the body weight regained, that is, in favor of fat-free mass. Indeed, during body-weight loss, as well as during weight regain, a high-protein diet preserves or increases fat-free mass and reduces fat mass and improves the metabolic profile. In the short-term this may be supported by a positive protein and a negative fat balance, through increased fat oxidation. As protein intake is studied under various states of energy balance, absolute and relative protein intake needs to be discriminated. In absolute grams, a normal protein diet becomes a relatively high-protein diet in negative energy balance and at weight maintenance. Therefore, 'high protein negative energy balance diets' aim to keep the grams of proteins ingested at the same level as consumed at energy balance, despite lower energy intakes.

http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v30/n3s/abs/0803487a.html

in simpler language what they are talking about is the Atkins diet. The real Atkins diet -- not the bacon cheese burger fake one. To translate some of the above - protein is like a slow burning, high quality fuel. It can stabalize your metabolism, create satiation (at lower calories intake) and get your body "happy" with a new lower weight. But anyone who is starting Atkins needs to read one of his books and do it right. Might also be good to find a friend who has been successful with Atkins and a doctor who understands it. (The first 2 weeks are pretty radical.) Study after study, confirms and reconfirms. Atkins.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

23. Good start

I lost 10 pounds during Lent by giving up sugar and other white carbohydrates, such as white flour, white rice, and potatoes.

I ate protein foods, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and a little fruit.

Since I still have some spring clothes that I need fitting into, I'm going to continue on this regimen, having indulged in sweets during the family's Easter dinner.

[Beausoir]

24. Absolutely! I was the same way. I wouldn't eat until I was ravenous. And I was still obese.

I changed things in August by going to a good nutritionist.

Now I realize that food is fuel for my body. I HAVE to eat several times during the day.

I've lost 35+ pounds and am still going.

It is a painstakingly slow process, but even though I am still fat, I am feeding my body the RIGHT things.

Very low fat. Very low carbs. Lots of vegetables and some fruit. ( I don't like fruit)

I also drink more milk. It really helps me.

Keep going! Even though the pounds are slow to come off, your heart is a happy camper!

[grace0418]

26. Good for you Droopy! Yes, the one meal a day thing is a real problem.

Although it doesn't really matter when you eat, actually. One big meal any time of day isn't good. As you now know, it's much better to eat every few hours in small portions.

I've lost 67 lbs. in the last 10 months. I used to skip breakfast. Now I eat many times a day, and I make breakfast a priority. Oddly enough, I feel like I eat more than I used to. I just eat smarter. And fruits and veggies are key, I hope you can work that into your diet soon.

As far as exercise goes, it sounds like you get a lot of strength exercise in due to your job, but maybe you need a bit more cardio. Or at least more stenuous cardio. Your body has probably adapted to whatever cardio benefit you get from unloading your truck. So maybe you need to take a brisk walk once a day or get some swimming in when you can.

Anyway, you didn't necessarily ask for advice but since I am going through it I thought I'd offer a little. In any event, I'm really happy for you. You will feel so much better as the weight really starts coming off. I know I do, even though I still have a ways to go before I reach my goal. Good luck with everything!

:hi:

[susanna]

27. One thing I would tell you, honestly -

Eat at least a couple times a day (you were right about the starvation mode thingie).

Next, stick to WHOLE foods. Make your own sandwiches with ingredients you trust, and drink water to wash it all down. Some things to avoid:

1) high fructose corn syrup
2) partially hydrogentated vegetable oils
3) "natural flavorings" (fancy word for MSG)

All of those things should help over time. :-)

[MissMillie]

30. While all of what you about "starvation mode"

Please remember that genetics plays a role, not only in your weight but on things like cholesterol and sugar levels.

This is not to say that you shouldn't be making the changes you are making. You should. Everyone should eat healthy meals and snacks, and everyone should exercise. Even if you have a genetic pre-disposition for obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol, you wouldn't want to make things worse with a lack of activity and a poor diet.

Keep up the good work.

[noonwitch]

31. I joined a gym a week ago!

I started out riding the stationary bike for 20 minutes, sitting in the jacuzzi for about 15 minutes, then swimming several lengths of the lap pool.

I feel healthier-according to the readout on the bike, I'm riding 3.8 miles in 20 minutes-the first day, it was 1.8, and I've upped the resistance.

When I bought a new swimsuit over the weekend, I got a size smaller than I was wearing when I bought my fall clothes!