Continued effort, continued success
(from the Maintenance chapter of 90/10 Weight-Loss Plan by Joy Bauer)
Monday, November 30, 2009
My Mission for 2010: Keeping the Weight Off
I loved this part of the article, Dieting Dilemna: Keeping Off the Weight, http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=52487.
"You must find the balance -- in diet, in exercise -- that maintains your new weight, without having extra weight creep back on," says Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, MD/LD, director of nutrition for the WebMD Weight Loss Clinic.
Your mission: "If you can keep the weight off for one full year, you've gone through every birthday, every holiday," Zelman tells WebMD. "You have figured out how to do it and proven you can keep it off."
So that will be my mission for 2010. Find the balance to keep the weight off...
"You must find the balance -- in diet, in exercise -- that maintains your new weight, without having extra weight creep back on," says Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, MD/LD, director of nutrition for the WebMD Weight Loss Clinic.
Your mission: "If you can keep the weight off for one full year, you've gone through every birthday, every holiday," Zelman tells WebMD. "You have figured out how to do it and proven you can keep it off."
So that will be my mission for 2010. Find the balance to keep the weight off...
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Not Taking Life For Granted
One day towards the end of the September, I went for a run & woke up the next morning in pain. I was to leave for the airport for a business trip in just very soon and was about 2 and 1/2 weeks away from participating in my first 5k.
I couldn't get in to see a doctor on my trip...We were at a remote location & had a very busy schedule. So, I called a family friend & my former doctor for advice. She told me to ice my legs down, keep them elevated, and take some pain medication.
When I got back, I made an appointment to see a Dr. By then, I was still in a great deal of pain and discomfort - in both knees, my left knee especially. I was having problems being able to bend my knee and sometimes I felt that my knee wasn't able to support me.She examined me - noting how swollen my knees looked & my lack of range of movement. She sent me to get some x-rays.
Got the x-rays. Those came back 'abnormal'. They sent me to get an MRI. That came back 'abnormal'. The Dr. asked me to come back in and let me know that they were concerned about what they were seeing. That there appeared to a 'something' on my tibia - that we would need to do more testing and perhaps see a bone specialist and a biopsy. I was also told to take it as easy as possible...They were concerned I would break my leg. And, told me that I shouldn't travel (I had another business trip coming up).
I went to get a Bone Scan. They didn't complete it properly. So, I had to get another Bone Scan. I also had to cancel my business trip (I was so upset about that I had been looking forward to that trip for 2 years). That Bone Scan came back 'abnormal'. They sent me to a bone specialist.
This is most definitely one of the hardest things I've ever gone through in my life. Trying to stay positive, but I was in a lot of pain & discomfort. Believing for the best, but seeing the 'abnormal' images on the different tests.
Finally, I got in to see the Bone Specialist. My mom came with me. Hoping for the best...bracing myself for the worst. I learned that I have a non-ossifying fibroma (learn more about it here). It's benign group of cells that develop around a bone - usually the tibia. It's most commonly caught in situations like mine...an x-ray. They rarely pose an issue and if so, they perform surgery to remove it.
Okay! Great! He gave me the okay to get back to moving. But, I thought I am still in a lot of pain and discomfort. He told me that if that is the case, it's not do to the non-ossifying fibroma. To give it a couple more weeks or so and then he would refer me to a Sports Medicine Dr. He mentioned that it could be a couple of things...possibly Patellofemoral Syndrome.
Well, the next day...It hit me...I don't want to wait weeks more. It took almost 3 weeks to get this figured out. So, I started calling around Sports Medicine Drs. The first one that could get me in the next day...I went to see.
The Sports Medicine Dr. examined me & he also confirmed my diagnosis from the Bone Specialist w/ some other orthopedic specialist who happened to be in the office. He confirmed that I had Patellofemoral Syndrome (learn more about that here). He wanted me to continue to rest, prescribed me some medicine, and to put ice & moist heat on my knee. Lastly, I was to work with physical therapist.
He gave me the okay to walk the 5k..I wanted to at least complete it. And I did...The highlight for me was getting past by a lady in cast from her knee to her foot. LOL!
So almost 2 months since my world was turned upside down, I am nearing completion of my physical therapy!
I had just turned 29 when this happened. I will not not take life for granted. I will work to be & stay healthy. I will eat reasonably & exercise regularly. I will take care of what goes into my body. I am committed more than ever.
Every morning I get up early to go to the park and exercise, my neighbor is outside smoking a cigarette. I am reminded everyday - I make a choice to be healthy & she made a choice not to be. I make a choice not to take for granted what this body gives me...strength to work, play, love, serve, & experience. I will strive to live the best life I can!
I'm so thankful for good health!
I couldn't get in to see a doctor on my trip...We were at a remote location & had a very busy schedule. So, I called a family friend & my former doctor for advice. She told me to ice my legs down, keep them elevated, and take some pain medication.
When I got back, I made an appointment to see a Dr. By then, I was still in a great deal of pain and discomfort - in both knees, my left knee especially. I was having problems being able to bend my knee and sometimes I felt that my knee wasn't able to support me.She examined me - noting how swollen my knees looked & my lack of range of movement. She sent me to get some x-rays.
Got the x-rays. Those came back 'abnormal'. They sent me to get an MRI. That came back 'abnormal'. The Dr. asked me to come back in and let me know that they were concerned about what they were seeing. That there appeared to a 'something' on my tibia - that we would need to do more testing and perhaps see a bone specialist and a biopsy. I was also told to take it as easy as possible...They were concerned I would break my leg. And, told me that I shouldn't travel (I had another business trip coming up).
I went to get a Bone Scan. They didn't complete it properly. So, I had to get another Bone Scan. I also had to cancel my business trip (I was so upset about that I had been looking forward to that trip for 2 years). That Bone Scan came back 'abnormal'. They sent me to a bone specialist.
This is most definitely one of the hardest things I've ever gone through in my life. Trying to stay positive, but I was in a lot of pain & discomfort. Believing for the best, but seeing the 'abnormal' images on the different tests.
Finally, I got in to see the Bone Specialist. My mom came with me. Hoping for the best...bracing myself for the worst. I learned that I have a non-ossifying fibroma (learn more about it here). It's benign group of cells that develop around a bone - usually the tibia. It's most commonly caught in situations like mine...an x-ray. They rarely pose an issue and if so, they perform surgery to remove it.
Okay! Great! He gave me the okay to get back to moving. But, I thought I am still in a lot of pain and discomfort. He told me that if that is the case, it's not do to the non-ossifying fibroma. To give it a couple more weeks or so and then he would refer me to a Sports Medicine Dr. He mentioned that it could be a couple of things...possibly Patellofemoral Syndrome.
Well, the next day...It hit me...I don't want to wait weeks more. It took almost 3 weeks to get this figured out. So, I started calling around Sports Medicine Drs. The first one that could get me in the next day...I went to see.
The Sports Medicine Dr. examined me & he also confirmed my diagnosis from the Bone Specialist w/ some other orthopedic specialist who happened to be in the office. He confirmed that I had Patellofemoral Syndrome (learn more about that here). He wanted me to continue to rest, prescribed me some medicine, and to put ice & moist heat on my knee. Lastly, I was to work with physical therapist.
He gave me the okay to walk the 5k..I wanted to at least complete it. And I did...The highlight for me was getting past by a lady in cast from her knee to her foot. LOL!
So almost 2 months since my world was turned upside down, I am nearing completion of my physical therapy!
I had just turned 29 when this happened. I will not not take life for granted. I will work to be & stay healthy. I will eat reasonably & exercise regularly. I will take care of what goes into my body. I am committed more than ever.
Every morning I get up early to go to the park and exercise, my neighbor is outside smoking a cigarette. I am reminded everyday - I make a choice to be healthy & she made a choice not to be. I make a choice not to take for granted what this body gives me...strength to work, play, love, serve, & experience. I will strive to live the best life I can!
I'm so thankful for good health!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
I Cheated....
I cheated....over and over and over again....
Yes...I said no shopping until I got to at least 135...(read about that here). My clothes were fitting better and after that got they got too big, I was able to fit into items I haven't been able to wear in forever....
It all started so innocent...I just went out looking at what I would buy when I got to goal...Then I went out looking some more so I could "budget".
Then one day I found a few things that were such a good deal...I couldn't say no...I'd keep the receipt & exchange if necessary. I didn't spend over $15 on the items...
But things really went down hill, when I went to Chicago (Mignificant Mile!) a few weeks ago. I "needed" a nice dressy jacket for the meetings I was going to. I found one...In a size I haven't been in a long time :) Then, in Chi-town....I kept running into great deals....
I've been shopping every week since...A few items bought...But, I kinda wanted to doing some serious shopping this weekend....even with 4.2 lbs to go....However, was busy w/ other errands & engagements, so I didn't get my way.
Kinda happy that I didn't get to do anything...Forgot all about the Black Friday...I can pick up some good deals then & hopefully, I will be a little closer to my goal.
Yes...I said no shopping until I got to at least 135...(read about that here). My clothes were fitting better and after that got they got too big, I was able to fit into items I haven't been able to wear in forever....
It all started so innocent...I just went out looking at what I would buy when I got to goal...Then I went out looking some more so I could "budget".
Then one day I found a few things that were such a good deal...I couldn't say no...I'd keep the receipt & exchange if necessary. I didn't spend over $15 on the items...
But things really went down hill, when I went to Chicago (Mignificant Mile!) a few weeks ago. I "needed" a nice dressy jacket for the meetings I was going to. I found one...In a size I haven't been in a long time :) Then, in Chi-town....I kept running into great deals....
I've been shopping every week since...A few items bought...But, I kinda wanted to doing some serious shopping this weekend....even with 4.2 lbs to go....However, was busy w/ other errands & engagements, so I didn't get my way.
Kinda happy that I didn't get to do anything...Forgot all about the Black Friday...I can pick up some good deals then & hopefully, I will be a little closer to my goal.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Overweight Women Overestimate Physical Activity?
I stumbled accross this article today and thought it was so interesting. I definately can say that this was true for me. The heavier (unfit) I was the more innacurate about just how both the quality & quantities of my workouts.
http://www.health.am/ab/more/overweight_women_overestimate_physical_activity/
Overweight women overestimate physical activity
Young women, especially those who are overweight, tend to overestimate their levels of physical activity, according to a new study.
After losing weight, however, white women overestimate their physical activity levels to a lesser extent. In contrast, African American women continue to overestimate their physical activity as much as before losing weight, researchers report.
The finding could be useful in helping people keep the pounds off, the study’s lead author told Reuters Health.
“It can be hypothesized that women who overestimate their physical activity may not feel the need to be as physically active,” said Dr. Gary R. Hunter of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“This can be important for preventing weight gain since we, as well as others, have previously found that relatively high physical activity levels are important for maintaining weight,” Hunter said.
Black women tend to be less physically active and more likely to be overweight than white women, previous researchers has determined. Studies have also shown that people tend to overestimate when asked how much they exercise. So Hunter’s team set out to compare black and white women’s perceptions about their physical activity.
The study included 20 white and 21 black premenopausal women who were overweight at the start of the study, but who lost weight during the study. The trial also included a control group of 20 white and 14 black women who were not overweight.
The women reported their physical activity levels before and after losing weight.
Most women, regardless of their weight, overestimated how much physical activity they performed, Hunter’s team reports in the June issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
“Premenopausal women overestimate physical activity with overweight premenopausal women overestimating physical activity almost twice as much as normal weight women,” Hunter said.
After weight loss, the level of overestimation dropped dramatically in white women, so much so that they were similar to the black and white women who had never been overweight, Hunter noted. But African-American women continued the same level of overestimation even after losing weight, the study found.
“Overestimation seems to be related to muscle function, especially muscular strength,” Hunter said. He noted that fit women tended to overestimate their physical activity less often than women who were not as fit.
There were signs that black women, but not white women, experienced a reduction in physical fitness after they lost weight. Physical activity may have become easier for white women who lost weight, so they may have perceived that they were less active.
Because of the decline in fitness level, physical activity may not have become any easier for black women, which may explain why they continued to overestimate their activity levels, according to the report.
The results of the study “support the concept that exercise training designed to improve fitness and especially strength fitness may be important for increasing free-living physical activity by changing how physical activity is perceived,” Hunter said.
SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2004
http://www.health.am/ab/more/overweight_women_overestimate_physical_activity/
Overweight women overestimate physical activity
Young women, especially those who are overweight, tend to overestimate their levels of physical activity, according to a new study.
After losing weight, however, white women overestimate their physical activity levels to a lesser extent. In contrast, African American women continue to overestimate their physical activity as much as before losing weight, researchers report.
The finding could be useful in helping people keep the pounds off, the study’s lead author told Reuters Health.
“It can be hypothesized that women who overestimate their physical activity may not feel the need to be as physically active,” said Dr. Gary R. Hunter of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“This can be important for preventing weight gain since we, as well as others, have previously found that relatively high physical activity levels are important for maintaining weight,” Hunter said.
Black women tend to be less physically active and more likely to be overweight than white women, previous researchers has determined. Studies have also shown that people tend to overestimate when asked how much they exercise. So Hunter’s team set out to compare black and white women’s perceptions about their physical activity.
The study included 20 white and 21 black premenopausal women who were overweight at the start of the study, but who lost weight during the study. The trial also included a control group of 20 white and 14 black women who were not overweight.
The women reported their physical activity levels before and after losing weight.
Most women, regardless of their weight, overestimated how much physical activity they performed, Hunter’s team reports in the June issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
“Premenopausal women overestimate physical activity with overweight premenopausal women overestimating physical activity almost twice as much as normal weight women,” Hunter said.
After weight loss, the level of overestimation dropped dramatically in white women, so much so that they were similar to the black and white women who had never been overweight, Hunter noted. But African-American women continued the same level of overestimation even after losing weight, the study found.
“Overestimation seems to be related to muscle function, especially muscular strength,” Hunter said. He noted that fit women tended to overestimate their physical activity less often than women who were not as fit.
There were signs that black women, but not white women, experienced a reduction in physical fitness after they lost weight. Physical activity may have become easier for white women who lost weight, so they may have perceived that they were less active.
Because of the decline in fitness level, physical activity may not have become any easier for black women, which may explain why they continued to overestimate their activity levels, according to the report.
The results of the study “support the concept that exercise training designed to improve fitness and especially strength fitness may be important for increasing free-living physical activity by changing how physical activity is perceived,” Hunter said.
SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2004
Is It Just Me?
Or, Do you hate it when you read a weight loss blog/story and the writer fails to mention the height....
200lbs and 5'2 and 200lbs and 5'9 is a big difference.....
200lbs and 5'2 and 200lbs and 5'9 is a big difference.....
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