Loosing Weight

[Glenda]

How in the world can I loose about 60 pounds before I have surgery? I can't even walk from one end of the house to the other without getting winded and my heart starts beating so hard. I've cut out all the sweets and I've started a stretching and breathing program but it's not helping loose the weight. Have anyone got any suggestions? I would sure appreciate your advice. I've probably tried every diet that has been around without much success.

My surgery will probably be sometime in June or July. That would only be about 10 pounds a month. Please help!

Love and God Bless, Glenda

 

[Nancy]

Hi Glenda-

Any chance that some of that is from fluid retention? Lots of folks with impaired heart function can accumulate quite a bit of fluid. I think there are quite a few people here who started losing lots of fluid once their heart was pumping better. Not trying to discourage you, but maybe it's just another avenue to investigate.

Joe who is very slender normally, gained about 25 pounds when he had very serious CHF last January (2003), and just recently, he was in the hospital for a lesser problem with CHF, and lost 9 pounds overnight, all fluid.

I wish you success.

 

[Jan]

Weight Loss

Weight Loss

Hi Glenda

You could try the Weight Watchers plan,

it is fairly easy to follow,

if you cannot get to the meetings you can do the plan on line.

basically it is a low fat plan,

just an idea

good luck

Jan

 

[Christina]

Glenda,

I am going to echo Jan from Liverpool, UK. I am so impressed with her. She's lost 68 1/2 pounds in a little over a year with Weightwatchers. It is an excellent program with supurb support. Maybe you won't lose 60 pounds when you go into surgery in June or July but any loss is better than none. So, get going girl and don't waste anymore time.
It is about portion control Glenda, so you'll have to get used to that. But you won't be hungy, I promise you that.
The sign-up cost at WW is $20.00 and after that it is $12.00 a week. You can eat normal foods you buy in the grocery store. Losing weight is 80% diet. You simply can't eat more than your body burns otherwise you'll gain weight. It also would be a good thing to eliminate all your white foods, white flours, white rice, white noodles, junk foods, sweets etc. Don't even have those foods in the house, because you know they're gonna be calling you and telling you eat me, eat me and will power only goes so far! Other carbs like whole grains, brown rice, fresh or frozen vegies, fresh fruits are GOOD for you. Those foods have lots of nutrition and your body needs it to survice.

I hope I have helped, and wish you all the best.

 

[Glenda]

Thanks for all the advice. Yes, I have tried Weight Watchers several times. I'd lose some and then if I went off the program I would gain it all back. I do know this has to be a life time commitment.

The "Gleevec" medicine that I take for CML caused me to gain 40 pounds. And yes, a lot of it is water gain. The doctor put me on Dyazide and I lost the water gain but I can't seem to lose anymore.

I am going to try the no sugar, no white flour, etc. It will be hard because I think I'm addicted to this stuff. I've got to do something. Say a little prayer for me!

Love and God Bless, Glenda

 

[McCln]

Hi Glenda

Hi Glenda

Perhaps you need to eat more fruits and vegitables. That could also mean no more white bread, no more regular soda, and no more potatoe chips. These things are starches that also turn to sugar and if you do not cut them down, cut them out. Potatoes are my weakness. But I try to keep it down, because of the diabetes I have. And please try to walk, even just around the house for ten to twenty minutes a day. You never mentioned your weight. I lost 65 pounds in the last nine months. Never try to lose weight to fast, it messes up your immune system when you lose too fast. Just keep hanging in there, eat more fruits and vegitables and walk eveyday. You will lose the weight. Good luck and be good.

Caroline
09-13-01
Aortic valve replacement
St. Jude's valve

 

[Glenda]

Congratulations Caroline on your weight loss! I think 65 pounds in nine months is great! I don't eat potato chips or potatoes and never drink pop so that won't be hard for me to give up. I do like my sweets and all kinds of breads and pastas. But I know deep down I've got to do something. So starting tomorrow, Monday, February 9 , I'm going to get busy and lose some weight. I know deep down I can do it if I set my mind to it. Thank goodness I do like fruits and vegetables. In fact I'm on some vitamins that are mainly made up of fruits and vegetables and a few of the other necessary minerals that we need. I'm a Type II Diabetic so I test my blood sugar all the time and keep it under control. I just think you can't lose weight without strenous exercise and that I can't do. I can walk but not very fast and not for very long. My chest gets hurting too bad if I push myself too hard.

Everyone wish me luck. Maybe if I hold myself accountable to you guys it will give me the "want to" to follow through.

Love and God Bless, Glenda

 

[tommy]

Glenda,

I do wish you well. Getting started with conviction is important. Go for it!

 

[Jean]

Glenda, the key words were ... I lost while on the program but gained it back when I went off. Yep, that is why they say it is not a diet,but a lifestyle change. I know it is a cold hard fact, but I have had to slap myself in the face everynow and then to get it across to me too. We Americans eat crap! We have to stop it and not even consider starting again. If you found out you had been eating something with poison in it, would you keep eating it? Good luck, be kind to yourself in other ways than food and don't beat yourself up too much when you slip....you have the rest of your life to conquer this. And as said above, every pound you lose is a victory!

 

[Glenda]

Well today was the big day. Start the new way of eating. I spent Saturday with six of my precious grandchildren and guess what? I caught a really bad case of the flu from one of them. I had to leave in the middle of our church service last night and I've been up all night going at both ends. (I know that a little more information than you wanted to know, but I didn't know how to say it tactfully.) I am sooooooo sick. There is not a muscle in my body that doesn't hurt. I had the flu shot so I really didn't think I would get this so bad. It's probably because of the CML and everything else that is going on with my old body. My body just doesn't fight things like it used to. I haven't even been able to keep 7-up down. Then on top of that my husband just came home a few minutes ago from work. He's got it! So it looks like we're going to be down a couple of days.

It might be a good way to start the diet. (ha)

Love and God Bless, Glenda

 

[tommy]

Oh my Glenda! Hang in there. Not a prescribed weight loss program, but you and your husband may come out of this a few pounds lighter.

Glad to hear that you and your husband does things together.

 

[Glenda]

VERY FUNNY! ! This is one thing I would just as soon not do together. You know how "men" are when they are sick! (ha)

Love and God Bless, Glenda

 

[tommy]

You know how "men" are when they are sick!

Glenda, don't go there! I'm warm, patient, quiet, considerate, compassionate, helpful around the house, and a big liar.

 

[Abbanabba]

Hi Glenda,

Hope you're on the mend from your nasty little virus (..ugh!..).

One of the best things I've found for weight control is to eat as little processed food as possible. The more fresh stuff you can eat the better. The only pre-packaged things I buy are rice, pasta, whole-meal flour, etc.... I make as many things from scratch as I can - that way I control what I'm eating and exactly what is going into it. It also means I avoid a lot of the extra sugars, salts and preservatives.

I leave the chips, and bikkies, and chocolates and all the tempting things in the shop - that way if they're not there (at home) I can't eat them. I allow myself treats on the weekend if I'm out with friends, but generally, once you can cut these things out of your diet, you don't always miss them (..but knowing you can have these things occassionaly makes it easier to skip them the rest of the week..). It works for me, anyway.

Another helpful eating plan is the low GI strategy. Again, most of the food is all fresh and healthy, but because of the low glycemic content it also means you're cutting down on foods with high natural sugars (..or that break down into sugars..). The foods you are recommended to eat keep you feeling full for longer and hopefully decrease your need to snack.

Wishing you every success!!

Anna : )

 

[tommy]

Anna,

Sound strategy.

What's a bikkie?

 

[Glenda]

Anna, I was just reading about the GI diet and I plan to look for the book store.

Ugh! is right. What a terrible way to loose 6 pounds. My appetite has still not returned. Maybe this is a good thing. I've got to take a elderly friend (92 years young) to the doctor today so it will be good to get out of the house. We have had 6-8 inches of snow and ice but it started melting yesterday.

To all of you: Thanks for all your wonderful advice, now if I can just put it in to practice. I'm sincerely going to try this time. I've also been off sugar for about a week. For me, that's a really good start.

Anna, like Tom, what is a bikkie?

Tom, I sure you're all the things you said. Men don't lie!

Love and God Bless, Glenda

 

[Peggy in Alaska]

Weight Loss

Weight Loss

Glenda:

I will echo "Weight Watchers". It is such a sensible plan and you don't need strenuous exercise to lose weight.

I have several WW recipe books at home, and they are great. I make a lasagne now that is 295 calories a serving and tastes as good as the original [well almost because it doesn't have italian sausage in it!]. You can get WW recipe books at Amazon.com, at used prices.

I've been off and on the program several times, almost made my goal but then several deaths in the family just did me in,

I'm back on the program and have lost almost 10 lbs. in 4 weeks. Slow and steady wins the race.

 

[ccrawford]

Glenda - Whatever you do, make sure you coordinate it with your doc so he is involved and you don't have a problem. You need to learn more about how many calories are in the food you eat, and how many calories you can burn off by walking,ect. There a a few books on the market that have huge lists of foods and their calories. They are a pain to fool with, but thats the way to learn. Another tip is to think about hunger pains as being positive - the more you have, the more you are going to lose. Try to find a mixture of foods that will fill you up without adding a bunch of calories. Drinking a lot of water during the day can help as well. Set some short term goals for yourself, and get persistant. We know you can do it and we'll be rooting for you. Chris.

 

[Abbanabba]

Oh, gosh-darned Australian slang...!!! A "bikkie" is not some long-haired, bike-riding rebel - in case you were worried (..heh heh..), it's just short for biscuit (..we have the most dreadful habit of shortening just about every word in the English language ..)

Cheers
Anna : )