I need some help. I am over weight and have high BP. I have walked 3 to 4 miles a day for over 4 months, 4 to 6 times a week. I watch what I eat and make healthy choices. I have not lost one pound or one inch. I went to the doc and she put me on meds. Which I couldn't take because they made me loopy and I have a 4 year old that I have to take care of. I had blood work done a little over 6 months ago and nothing came back on it. Has this happen to anyone? What did you do to break through and see changes? I have got to where I don't even want to walk the 3 to 4 miles because it seems pointless. I know that the walking works. Both my sister have done it for years, after having children and just when they had gain alot of weight, so it works. They are both so little the wind would blow them away, and they still do the in home walking today! I just don't know what to do or even ask the doc to test me for are anything.........
Hi Jamie,
Try www.sparkpeople.com it is a free site that you can plug in your numbers and it will help you come up with an eating and exercise program to lose the weight.
I also exercise to www.FIRMdirect.com they have some intense workout videos and systems and to me it is fun and keeps me motivated.
If you join sparkepeople my name is jennip1, look me up.
Good luck.
Jen
I had started gaining weight for no reason a year and a half ago, and ran across the book Feeling Fat, Fuzzy or Frazzled... (It's cheap on amazon). It is all about our thyroid, adrenal, and sex hormones, and how they are all connected, where if one gets out of whack, the others get off too. It totally explained my issues. The author is an MD (his wife is an RN, PhD, and cowrote it, last name Shames) and he recommended finding a different practitioner if you're not getting anywhere with your doctor, such as a physician's assistant, or a Naturopathic Physician, or a chiropractor, or whoever will really work with you. I found an ND (Nat. Phys.) who was marvelous. She spent 90 minutes with me on the first visit, and 60 minutes in subsequent visits (which is typical). She used the same saliva tests that Shames recommended in the book. They are a lot more accurate than blood tests, and she found that I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which is profoundly common, and explained why I've always had the symptoms of low thyroid, but no MD could ever find it. Anyway, she put me on an anti inflammatory diet (cutting out gluten/wheat being the most important part) and prescribed a number of non-drug treatments. I got more help in 7 months of seeing her than in a lifetime of seeing traditional MDs, and got pregnant as well, which was my ultimate hope. You can find one on naturopathic.org.
I do know a number of people who have had success with weight watchers, after thinking they were eating well but not losing any weight.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Hi Jamie,
I assume they tested your thyroid- that would be one thing to test if not. My MIL struggled with weight for several years before having to have her thyroid removed.
Also, my husband is a former personal trainer. I am not sure what your eating habits are, but he always says that losing weight is all about caloric intake. You can eat healthy and make wise choices about WHAT you eat, but if you are overeating, eating large portions, or eating throughout the day, then your caloric intake is generally going to be much higher- therefore making the weight very hard to lose even with exercise. Anyway, it's something to think about. Hope this helps.
I would go back to the doc again and have more tests run. Especially on your thyroid. I am on weight watchers and it is working for me. Sometimes it is not about what you eat alone, it's what you eat together! Some foods work well together towards digestion. I know this is not real informative, but hope it helps some.
First of all, exercise first thing in the morning. If you take a walk first thing every morning it will change your metabolism for the day.
Second, get a minimum of 7.5 hours of sleep every night. If you getting woken up in the middle of the night by a little one you need to increase the number of hours. I read research recently that says that it changes your metabolism when you do not get enough sleep. The minimum amount of sleep needed to not gain weight was 7.5 hours per night. In the research study women who did not get 7.5 hours of sleep per night gained weight.
Third, go on a specific diet such as Weight Watchers or a diabetic diet. You can research the information online. A diabetic diet is a healthy low carb diet. That is what I am on.
Try it for a month before you weigh yourself. Weighing every day is discouraging. When I lose weight fast I also gain it back just as fast. I am slowly losing weight at every doctor's appointment. I go to the doctor every three months and I am losing at least 5 pounds every time. But the key for me is that I have not gained anything back! Good luck with it!
Hi Jaime, the only thing that has ever really helped me see consistent results is the South Beach Diet. A cardiologist developed it for his heart patients, and saw the benefits of weight loss. It would be perfect for your BP and weight issues. It is a commitment to cutting out the wrong carbs and making the right choices on foods, but there's no measuring of portions and relatively speaking it's easy to follow. The biggest weight loss occurs in the first two weeks, but after that it's about a lb. a week, and exercise can improve that. Reading the book is also an eye opener on why we gain weight with the wrong foods. It's a healthy lifestyle. Highly recommend if you're serious about the commitment. Good luck!
Jamie,
Everyones body is different. Are you watching your portion control. My husband is diabetic and when we met with the dietician she just gave us foods that were better choices and talked about the preparation. We were already doing the prep and initiated some changes. When he went back to the dr. his levels were still up so we went back to the dietician. We saw a different one who really focused on portion control. To our amazement our portions were usually double of the recommended size. The other thing is if you drink a lot other than plain water, it could have calories.
Sweet tea, soda, coffee with creamer/sugar,milk or juice. The other thing you might try is walking at a brisker pace. If your not getting your heart rate up then you won't burn as many calories. Good Luck
Try exercises which raise your heartrate (learn what your's should be when working out). More aerobic work out methods will help in boosting your metabolism which your siblings already have which is why they stay slim. Yours has probably been so slow for so long that it needs help. Healthy foods with the proper portion control along with eating more often will fuel the body better and aid in getting your system working like it should again. 5-6 small meals a day is so much better for you anyway. Sweat, sweat, sweat! If you aren't sweating you probably are not raising your heartrate therefore not doing enough to break the cycle. Good luck with your health and good for you for doing what you need to ensure the best life for you and your family!
Hi Jamie, I'm Nancy,
You didn't say "how" overweight you are. If this is just a few pounds, or 30 or more, or how muscular you are and if you have a tendency to pick up muscle quickly. (That might make a difference in my recommendation.) I'm sure you've heard of the "plateau" everyone reaches at some point in their weight loss: your body may just have adapted to what you're doing and you just need to change your routine. Your system will respond if you "shock" it with a new routine - sort of like shaking it to wake it back up!
Try a stationery bike instead of walking (I have high BP too, and this has been the easiest exercise to adapt to), or try calisthentic-type exercises (jumping jacks, etc. if you work out at home) or an aerobics routine - keeping your heart rate in mind. I also take a low-dose BP medication and it works really well with no side-effects. Do you belong to a gym? (Most of them have day cares now.) When I was able to work out at a gym, I would always talk to women who looked in-shape (like I wanted to look) about what they did, and they're always willing to share. I've had good luck changing my routine from time to time. I wish you the best. -Nancy
My advice is to buy or go to the library and check out the book Body for Life (I forgot the author's name and I loaned my copy to a friend.) I have lost 16 pounds and it really works. It's a combination of changing eating habits and specific exercises. It's changed my life and I'll never go back to my old eating habits again. Good luck!
Sounds like you're in a bit of a fitness slump. Try mixing things up a bit. Short bursts of energy help you burn more calories. Try running for one minute, followed by 5-10 minutes of walking, and then run again. This is the best way to get your heart pumping and increase your energy. You could also try carrying weights and doing arm exercises while you are walking and incorporate squats, lunges knee lifts into your walking. Doing the same workout day after day will only help you maintain, not lose, your weight.
The same thing was happening to me!!! It's really weird! It's like the more exercise I did and the healthier I thought I was eating, the more I gained! I, too, had went to my doctor and they did the blood testing and prescribed weight loss meds. DIDN'T WORK! Finally, after I was put on blood pressure medication (at age 28!!!) I broke down and went to see a Bariatric Doctor. Wow, what a difference! These people are specialized in this area! I was immediately put on a specialized diet which is supplemented with a rough cardio workout 5 times a week along with B-12 injections and HCG Injections. I have been going for 5 weeks and I have lost 18 pounds!!! I feel wonderful and my kids definately notice a difference in my stamina and attitude! I hope this helps! Good luck and God bless!
Hi Jaime, I have a friend who started a weight loss program on-line about 1 year ago. He has lost 100 lbs in that year. He is looking to lose about 50 more and is still on the program. The program offers you a sense of community, but also anonymity too.
How do you do it? By tracking your progress, recognizing improvements, rewarding yourself, and creating a support network (I am definitely there for him! - and there is the on-line community forum too). These processes can help you stay motivated and continue your meal and exercise plans, which will bring you that much closer to reaching your wellness goals.
The online weight management site is just $6/mo. as part of a whole health and wellness program.
You can go to http://www.switchingstores.com/danipen to get more information on reaching your wellness goals.
I have 2 suggestions:
1. Have your thyroid levels checked by an ENDOCRINOLOGIST, not your family doctor. Results are often misconstrued or misread.
2. Have yourself tested for Celiac Disease. It is an intolerance to wheat gluten. Look it up online and see if you have any of the symptoms. Sounds to me like your body is in starvation mode and latching ahold to what little fat it can because it doesn't know when it will get it again. This is from malabsorbtion of nutrients from what you eat everyday due to Celiac disease and causes people to become overweight and obese. No amount of exerciuse will take that kinda weight off.
I have both of these autoimmune diseases, they go hand in hand quite frequently. Although I am not obese, I am somewhat over weight and I eat like a bird and have a 4 year old myself..so I am busy busy all the time.
Jamie, you don't mention your weight so am not really sure if you are in fact OW, or if you just wish you were smaller. You definitely need to continue with your walking routine. It will help with your blood pressure. Also, the fact that you got laid off can add a lot of stress and that can cause weight gain centralizing on the mid section.
I'm taking Herbalife products and I have seen tremendous change in my body.
I truly encourage you to not compare yourself to your family members. You are you. And you are special in every way just like God intended.
Jamie, my name is Trish, and I'm a personal trainer. Although, I do not know your whole medical history, the first thing I would ask you, is if you "weight train"? Do you do any type of resistance type training? Walking is FANTASTIC! But, your muscles are the "heat/calorie burning machine of the body"!
You can do many weight bearing exercises at home, but if you need motivation like I do, and don't want to be in mixed company,you can join a "Women only" club. These are very good to get started!
Please feel free to email me, privately. I can discuss your situation in more detail, if you feel comfortable doing this!
Trish
Try weight watchers, and stick to what they say. I ate a lot of smart ones dinners. With a small salad, it seems like nothing, but as you loose, it gets better. They taste good. Between meals, you can eat a snack, a small apple, or low fat crackers and 1 wedge of laughing cow cheese. You are going to have to cut way back, and that is what ww does for you. Good luck.
I'm SO sorry to hear of your situation. Can be so defeating when were in it. Where I haven't experienced the BP issues myself, I had maintained all the weight that I had gained with my 3 year old when I had him - and I just recently lost it all after having my 5 month old - and also I have more energy than I had as a teenager. AND the best part is this was all an unintended consequence of what I had to do to help restore health to my infant. Long story short - my infant had horrible digestive and senesitivity issues and very high white blood cell count - so much so that it dumbfounded our peditrician and we were then sent to the pediatric GI specialist - long ardeous process. But to get to why I'm responding to your post - I was put on this juice to drink myself which "oxidated my breastmilk" and cleared out his white cells and helped reduce the protien content in my b'milk so it was bland on his super senesitive system AND a wonderful un-intended consequence is that I have lost all the weight that I have been carrying around since my toddler was born (Dec '05) and I now have more energy than I did as a teenager. This stuff is awesome! My whole family is on it now. My Sister's IBS symptoms are gone, mu Dad's knees don't hurt anymore, my Husband feels like he's sharper at work, and my toddler's poop is GREAT! I'm such a believer in this stuuf that I even signed up to be a distributor of it (and all this b/c we were in desperate need of healing for my Baby's health). You can buy some retail online at https://www.mymonavie.com/monavieformommies or if you live locally (west Nashville) I can get you a bottle at my wholesale cost to try. We saw changes in my Baby within 3 days (but remember he is 15lbs), I felt a bit better within a week, but by the time I had finished my 2nd bottle in about 3 weeks I was feeling Great! I am not telling you this to try and sell you something, I am just offering info on what I've found that may be an option of help for you. Heck - even before I had kids if I knew about this stuff and how great it workd for me nothing could have stoped me from getting some. But then again it was not on the market at that time.
Jamie - I know others have mentioned Weight Watchers and I just want to reinforce that IT WORKS! I joined for a 9 week program (I think it was like 9 weeks for $99) and I got off my butt and actually went to the meetings. I lost 30 pounds which is what my goal was. I have NO willpower, I hate to exercize except yoga or walking, and I only joined Weight Watchers because my boss wanted someone to do it with. This was about 3 years ago and I am still maintaining the weight I want to be. It works. No drugs....no 'miracle' herbs or anything - just education. It worked for me. And - NO I do not work for Weight Watchers! LOL