Obesity Discussion Forums

[jennav]

This is my way of making myself accountable:

I was always a good size for me. I wore a size 7 clothes and I was fit and comfortable. My weight fluctuated by 5lbs on any given season - no more than that.

In 2003 I had knee surgery....put me out for 2 months on my butt, then took almost 4 months after that to get back to close to normal activity. One month after normality in 2004.......Then came knee surgery #2......same deal, another 6 months to get life back, a little heavier than before. One month later I was nearly crippled with a disease that no one figured out until the end of 2005. I was scheduled for brain surgery in Jan 2006, but at the last minute they decided that an alternative spinal cord surgery might (might) do a better job. -- Spinal cord surgery Jan 2006, 8 months of slow healing and finally I'm ok. So I am ready for excercise and a diet......but with a lot more weight on. EXCEPT, a couple months later, hubby and I (more like just me) gets pregnant. Doc says.....very high risk (because of my other issues, not weight or age) so NO excercising, NO dieting for the baby. OK.....I spend the last 5 weeks of pregnancy in the hospital and have my daughter 6 weeks early (c-section, yet another surgery to heal from). NO dieting while breastfeeding! Great! Now my daughter is about to be one, so doc says it's ok to start a reasonable diet because baby is no longer getting prime nutrition from me even though she still nurses.

So here I am, trying as hard as I can, but knowing that no matter what I've been through, I still could have prevented this, early on. But now I have to endure some suffering to get back to my normal. How will I get there? I can't be fat for my daughter's second birthday. I'm tired of hiding from the camera, my husband is in most of the pics with our baby because I just can't do it. How sad.

I hope I can do this.

Thanks for listening!

[0Samantha0]

Hi jennav!
It's great to see that you a re ready for that, and that you are willing to put in all the efforts to achieve your goal. I'm quite new here too, but people seem to be very supportive, and at least to me- inspiring.
Keep it up, you will succeed!

[jennav]

Thank you so much.

[Mama of 5!]

Im so sorry for all that you have endured. Try to stay positive and upbeat. Know that there are many people who care and especially that beautiful baby. What an inspiration right there, I know cause I have 5 little inspirations myself. I want to be around for grandchildren so Im getting my butt in gear and doing what I have to.

You can do it. With the support of people who are doing it with you, makes it so much easier. Hang in there.....we are all right with you.

[jennav]

Okay, so my plan is showing initial results - down another pound, and by no means am I hungry. I have always only drank water, so I don't have anything to cut there, the food though - that's my weakness. So I decided (docs permission) to do a radical (for me) change. I have commited myself to only eating things that occur in nature, or with minimal interference from humans. So all veggies, fruits, and animals, but nothing manufactured like bread, cake, ice cream, pasta, dressings, prepared food of any kind, etc. I eat whenever I am hungry, and I am feeling good. When I said foods with minimal interference, I meant something like olive oil or natural peanut butter from a peanut crushing machine......still from a pure source with nothing added. I am still getting all of my food groups, and I don't feel deprived, except when hubby eats junk in front of me, that gets old.....

Now one day each week, for one meal, I eat whatever I want, I choose Sundays, because that's the night when I cook dinner for family coming over, so this way I can eat whatever I am cooking for them, but I don't need to overdo it because I eat plenty of fresh fruits and veggies during the day, so dinner doesn't have to be a giant chow-down for me.

So far, I am feeling good, not weak, tired or banging my head against the wall like other times n the past. One thing you will never see from me is pill-popping, I nurse my daughter, so everything that goes in me, goes in her, and I could never do that to her - she keeps me focused on the big picture.

[MikeB]

Add oatmeal to your breakfast and make sure you're counting your calories and macro split. Make sure to eat PLENTY of protein, around 150g a day and do your best to add some type of resistance exercises.

[jennav]

I definitely have plenty of protein, I gave my doc a menu of what I ate last week and he approves. - Oatmeal is in my diet, but only steel cut oats, no rolled or instant stuff - and nothing in it but fresh fruit or cinnamon.

[jennav]

2 more pounds - yipee!!

[Alia]

Congrats on the weight loss. I love your diet plan, I want to try it out myself (right now I'm just counting calories).
What are you doing for exercise?

[jennav]

Right now I am walking with my husband 3 times a week and I also use a ball for core strengthening excersizes. Next week I am going to start using my gazelle 2 times a week, in between the walking days.

I have a knee issue that doesn't let me do things like jogging or even weight excersizes with my legs, so I have to work around that.

[SueK24]

Hi jennav,

Congrats on your new start and your progrerss so far! You're making good choices. Taking things one day at a time will help you accomplish your goal. Steel cut oats are a good addition to your diet. They are about the only grain I eat.

My cousin uses a gazelle, due to knee problems. She likes it a lot.

Keep up the good work!

[jennav]

The gazelle is definetly nicer to my knees that any other mavhine right now. I wish I could swim, but I don't have an available pool.

[SueK24]

I'd love to have a pool available, too.

Your new way of eating sounds a lot like the way I eat. I've been doing the Zone for over 13 years. My whole family eats this way and we love it!