Speeding Up The Metabolism

[catalina_francisco]

Ok, you know how much I hate doctors - I don't bother hiding it. But I'm kinda surprised to find they missed this. My doctors are CONSTANTLY bugging me about whether or not I eat ice. Probably cause I show similar symptoms to what you were saying. Walking room to room exhausts me, stairs just ain't happening. Etc. I'm always like 'dude, half my teeth are rotting out of my mouth. Even if I wanted ice it would hurt to eat it.' Then they give me a confused look.

Either way, I'm glad they figured it out. If I were you I'd check out beet root - it's a natural form of iron and it won't make you nauseous.

I figure perhaps some of them were aware but as they had already diagnosed the anemia, thought it was not necessary to concentrate on the ice aspect though after cracking a tooth on the damn stuff while trying to not eat it so much, it might have been interesting to know why even that wasn't enough to stop me craving and giving in to it yet again. Of course, I keep getting told by everyone here that the medical field is not that great and the best way to get anything done is to complain so much they have t do something to stop you coming back, but that is not my style so I am pleased I have found one I can get some sense and reliable knowledge and treatment from and who does not see his purpose in my life to increase my Dutch by refusing to speak english...maybe it is because he is not Dutch himself and doesn't see it as productive to preventing my death.

I'm getting some beetroot today as it is one thing no-one else in the house will be tempted to raid as well. I'm also into licorice (love it so that is a plus and excuse to eat more), getting in some more dried apricots, raisins and cashews and downing it all with steak and orange juice on top of the medications. Would love to find some liver but as most butchers around us are Islamic, it is not easy to find, nor in the past have I found it as nice as I am used to in Oz. This latest scare has really put the wind up F so I have been on a no-sex, no-fun regime (though to tell the truth I have not been conscious enough to care for a week or so), and he has taken over the cooking and keeping the house running while I am not able. He is looking forward to my beginning to recover enough to resume the usual though, and then will see what eventuates at the hospital.

Catalina

 

[callinectes]

I have lost 62 pounds in the last 10 months. I has been a lot of work and I have fallen off the wagon a few times (Five Guys burger and fries on Wednesday cough cough) but ya gotta figure it is just one day and go on with life.

I am doing a modified version of the South Beach Diet. Basically, I just follow the general guidelines of good fat/bad fat and good carb/bad carb. You can still have plenty of carbs, just choose the right ones. Ditch the processed shit.

One of the best things I did was start keeping a food diary. I am using myfooddiary.com. It is a pay site but there are plenty of good free ones out there too. The food diary was an eye opening experience!! It is amazing to see how the few M&Ms here and 3 crackers there adds up so quickly! Once I got a grip on that crap the pounds really started coming off.

I do not count calories, I simply concentrate on making good choices. I use the food diary as a tool to help me see how I can actually eat more food by volume when it is good food. Now, without even trying I generally eat 1300 to 1600 calories a day just because I have learned to make good choices.

A typical day for me will be:

Breakfast: yogurt with granola or oatmeal (with a glass of milk if I don't have yogurt) low fat dairy is helpful with weight loss

mid-morning: low fat cheese or a piece of fruit

Lunch: (usually my largest meal)
salad loaded with veggies, grilled chicken, fruit, maybe some sugar free pudding

mid afternoon:
nuts or a 100 calorie bag of popcorn

Dinner:
usually a sandwich and some fruit or fresh veggies.



Water -- girl, you are just going to have to get over that. I don't think water is truly making you sick. You may not care for the flavor of the local water of just have a mental block with it. Try adding a small amount of juice to it and see if that helps. I often put lemon in my water. Yes, juice is sugary, but a small bit of juice in your water is infinitely better than a chemical laden soft drink, diet or otherwise.

Exercise- try Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD. It is an ass-kicking workout but it only lasts about 20 minutes and doesn't have a bunch of complicated moves. The workout consists of 3 circuits of 3 mins strength training, 2 mins cardio and 1 minute abs. There are three different workouts on the DVD so you can progress from the easiest to the hardest..which will take more than 30 days, LOL

Recipes..Keep it simple

You don't have to give up Southern food! Peas are in right now, make some hopping john with brown rice. It is awesome and full of protein and fiber. Go ahead and use a little ham when you cook the peas, just trim it well. I also like to use a flavoring called "Better than Bullion". The ham base adds a great smokey flavor to the peas.

Get local tomatoes and a little Duke's mayo (regular not low fat as it has lots of sugar) and make tomato sandwiches on white wheat bread (nature's own makes a good one). Yumm!

Marinate fresh tomatoes, cukes, and vidalias in Italian dressing. again, yum!

Roast some yellow squash with a little olive oil in the oven.

You get the idea...

If I think of more later I will post.

Good luck! You can do it.

 

[Desdemona]

OK, I'll give you full disclosure here

I used to weigh over 300 pounds myself so I know what it is to be significantly overweight and out of shape and over it. I lived it for years. Additionally, I was born and raised in the south, so I know all about loving/preferring southern foods.

The blood sugar drops you experience are very real and are definitely related to your weight and to your food choices. This is an oversimplification. When you eat highly refined foods or simple sugars, your blood sugar temporarily goes high and then plummets. It's called reactive hypoglycemia. That's when you get that sort of shaky, hungry, low blood sugar feeling. It's awful.

First things first. When you choose carbs, go for complex carbs. Apples, beans, raw veggies or lightly cooked veggies, etc. Avoid sugar, honey, maple syrup, molasses etc as much as possible. Even milk products may cause some sugar highs and lows in some people because of the milk sugars.

An example of a way to eat veggies, get squash, onions, eggplant, bell peppers or whatever you like and cut up into cubes. Toss in a baggie with a little olive oil with herbs, salt and pepper and garlic. Spread on a cookie sheet and roast for about 20 minutes at 425. I usually turn it over once. While the veggies are roasting, you can make a meat or something else to go with it. Check with a fork to see when it's tender. You know oven temps vary widely so it may take longer or shorter in your particular oven.

I also find hummus to be a real good snack that sticks with you and doesn't cause sugar spikes. Instead of regular pita chips or other chips, I get whole spelt (see next paragraph about spelt) tortillas and cut them in wedges. I place on a cookie sheet under the broiler or in a toaster oven until they're crisp and use those for scooping up the hummus. I also snack on raw nuts. Yes, they're high in fat, but it's a good fat and I only eat a couple of ounces at a time.

I think I read in a post of yours somewhere that you don't live in or near a big city, so health food stores are hard to come by. If you can do it, whenever possible, go to a larger city health food store and stock up on multi-grain spelt bread (if it has flax seeds and/or quinoa in it, even better). The spelt, flax seed, and quinoa won't cause such dramatic blood sugar highs and lows because they aren't refined like white and whole wheat flours. The other thing to look for and maybe order online if you're a pasta lover is spelt or quinoa pastas. They cook the same, but you don't metabolise them the same as semolina pastas. And yeah, it is more expensive. I wish it weren't. However, I find that we fill up much faster on this stuff so we eat less and it lasts longer in the pantry.

At our house, we eat mostly low carb. Right now, we're experimenting with new ground turkey recipes because T is trying to avoid pork and beef. If you add spices to it, you really can't tell the difference. Last night, we used ground turkey sauteed with cayenne pepper, garlic, rosemary and oregano as pizza topping. (I bought a gluten free pizza crust mix.) It tasted like a sausage pizza. I'm not kidding. We added lots of veggies and some low fat mozzarella cheese. We were stuffed after 2 pieces each.

http://www.supercook.com/index.asp has amazing recipes. You enter in what you already have in your pantry and it gives you recipes you can make based on what is already there. I've had great success with it. I hate looking in a cookbook, finding a recipe, getting all worked up to make it, and then having to go to the store for one or more items.

Your body needs water and lots of it. If you don't like the taste of the local water, get sugar free koolaid or lemonade mixes and make them. That flavors the water and makes it easier to drink the amount you need. You need at least 64oz of water a day to kick up your metabolism. Avoid caffeine, it will stimulate your hunger. One caffeine based drink a day should be the absolute limit. Others have already addressed the ice crunching thing, so I won't go there.

In terms of exercise, you gotta go low impact. Walking and swimming are good. Biking is good. Another exercise that worked well for me and was fun when I was heavy is belly dance. It's very accessible for women of all sizes. You don't have to have rhythm. Believe me. I can't do regular dancing, but I can belly dance. There are lots of instructional DVDs out there if you don't have local instruction. Be sure to look for beginner ones, though. (You can generally get them in used book stores that sell used DVDs.)

OK, here's the other disclaimer. I didn't lose 180 pounds by diet alone. I had surgery. It's not for everyone and is a huge lifestyle change. No it isn't the easy way out. It's difficult beyond your imagination. But, so is all weight loss and lifestyle change. I still have to work at it each day. I wish you all the best in your efforts to get healthier.

 

[Netzach]

PM is right, I tend towards low-carb. My diet has been crap for a coupla months though, and I am showing the effects in general health, ugh. I'm diet-sensitive. When I am eating right, I feel great. When I eat like crap, I feel like it too.

Anyway, there are a number of ways. This post will be long, so go grab some mixed nuts and get ready to read.

1) Figure out what sort of diet works for you. Low-carb diets tend to do good things for me. Low-carb would destroy MIS. She needs a fairly high carb diet, period. You could be low, high, or balanced. Moooost likely, looking at where you carry your weight and your bone structure, low carb would probably work for you.

2) Eat smaller meals more frequently. If you are not sleeping for the evening, eat every 3-4 hours or so. If you are hungry, eat something small and proper with an eye towards nutrition, not killing a craving. If your body has food all the time, even if it is not a huge amount, it will not feel like it is being starved. It will think that food is in good supply and it does not have to horde resources and slow down your metabolism.

3) Lift weights! Now, there's loads of way to lift weights, and some of those ways don't even require weights. The core to the issue is that you needs to be doing movements that involve as many joints as possible, against some form of resistance serious enough that you are only able to do a certain number of repetitions. That number varies in certain ranges depending on your goal.

You want to lift weights, or, more properly, get some resistance training, for a variety of reasons.

a) It builds muscle, if done right, and diet is right, etc. Muscle is biologically active tissue, meaning it burns calories even when inactive. You could be sleeping, and the muscle in your body is still queitly burning small amounts of cals, unlike the fat which burns basically nil. More muscle means more tissue cooking off that potato chip you ate. This is good stuff.

b) Lifting weights in the right way is a REALLY good way to get excess metabolic effect. Excess metabolic effect is what happens when your metabolism goes slam into overdrive because you have tasked your system brutally, and the body starts burning massive quantities of energy to meet those demands. Exercise properly and you will switch that metabolic boost on for hours after you are done. I've hit it hard and sweat for hour slater. Sounds nasty, and is, but it is a sign that your body's furnace is ON.

c) Lifting, especially heavy lifting in compound movement causes excellent hormone response. Yes, in women as well as men.

A lot of women are afraid of this, because lifting weights will boost their testosterone. Yup, it will. By a little. Enough to cause you to build alittle muscle and possibly burn off some fat. You have T in your body right now. You have to. Having a bit more won't hurt you, and will help. And you won't grow a mustache. You also won't grow loads of muscle and look like a dude. Men have incredibly higher T-levels than you do, and men still have to take steroids to get the big muscles. Lift. You will build some muscle, and look far better for it.

d) And this is another point where people look at me like I'm nuts - lifting, done properly, is safer than most other forms of exercise, and, done right again, FAR healthier for your joints than just about anything else short of swimming. My joints have improved vastly since I started lifting. I'm obssessive about form, and it pays off in good lift numbers and joints that aren't jacked up.

e) Lifting is fat friendly. Let's face it, jogging ain't gonna happen when you're obese. There's just too much moving around to do it any kind of comfortable. Weight lifting takes place generally in one spot, and you can easily control your loading to better match your fitness levels, instead of just assuming that you can do whatever movement because that gym bunny over there can do it.

Most lifts are also done are more calm speeds. Well, not olympic lifting, but we're not talking about that.

f) Lifting will make you stronger. Everyone can be stronger, and getting stronger means that you are more capable of handling your own body weight. This both helps relieve stress on your joints (as the muscles are doing their job and actively are supporting you joint, and this means less joint pain), and means that you will move better.


(If you want specific advice on how to lift weights, what you will beed, etc, that will need to be another topic for another post. So ask, and I will do so.

And remember there are bodyweight only maneuvers that can challenge you to the same extent that heavy weights do. They just tend to be harder to perform than barbell weighted stuff.

Pretty much each one of those points above can be expounded on. Let me know what mor einfo you want.

If lifting is your idea of mind-numbing blehhhh no matter what (it is as good as he says, I just hate the gym) get a swiss ball - the stupid looking bouncy ball and a video to go with it. I swear, that thing is the best investment I ever made.

Do crazy thigh toning - those are the largest muscles in your body and will thus pull in your metabolism more when you work them. That sadistic wall-sit wall-squat thing they made you do in gym class is great for you.

I also scored a perfectly FINE nordic track out on the curb with a sign saying "free" - this happens every summer - go garage saling for things like that if there's anything you think you might actually use - make a plan, and use it. Even just hopping on and off 10 min a day.

Whatever you do (and the belly dance thing may be a perfect example) the likelihood of you continuing to do it because you LIKE it is higher, so start with either what you like or what you like as a fitness goal. I'm nordic-tracking this summer because I want to nordic ski this winter - and I'm way too heavy and unfit to just leap in as I am.

 

[SubKekiLee]

Well bunny Ive lost 60#in the last year....I can reiterate to you the same thing the other fellow posters have said.. WATER is the huge key cut out all soda even diet soda.. Diet soda has chemicals in it to cause Belly Fat.. and then I agree with homburg in the fact that you have to be able to cheat but dont go too far out there and then if you do fall off the wagon.... DONT be so hard it happens eat it and enjoy it and then make another promise to yourself youll do better the next day.. there is a free food diary program called calorie count the website is http://www.calorie-count.com it is free and it does have fast food locations in it so you can track if you dont eat at home... as for exercise youhave to start out slow and build up... to a level your comfortable with.... I wish you much success in your endevors and if you need any support Im just a PM away

 

[graceanne]

I figure perhaps some of them were aware but as they had already diagnosed the anemia, thought it was not necessary to concentrate on the ice aspect though after cracking a tooth on the damn stuff while trying to not eat it so much, it might have been interesting to know why even that wasn't enough to stop me craving and giving in to it yet again. Of course, I keep getting told by everyone here that the medical field is not that great and the best way to get anything done is to complain so much they have t do something to stop you coming back, but that is not my style so I am pleased I have found one I can get some sense and reliable knowledge and treatment from and who does not see his purpose in my life to increase my Dutch by refusing to speak english...maybe it is because he is not Dutch himself and doesn't see it as productive to preventing my death.

I'm getting some beetroot today as it is one thing no-one else in the house will be tempted to raid as well. I'm also into licorice (love it so that is a plus and excuse to eat more), getting in some more dried apricots, raisins and cashews and downing it all with steak and orange juice on top of the medications. Would love to find some liver but as most butchers around us are Islamic, it is not easy to find, nor in the past have I found it as nice as I am used to in Oz. This latest scare has really put the wind up F so I have been on a no-sex, no-fun regime (though to tell the truth I have not been conscious enough to care for a week or so), and he has taken over the cooking and keeping the house running while I am not able. He is looking forward to my beginning to recover enough to resume the usual though, and then will see what eventuates at the hospital.

Catalina

The beet root I buy comes in capsul form, and it does more for me than any stupid pill ever did. And I'm not the only one. I learned about it while I was preggers with D. My doctor had me taking iron three times a day and it was making me so sick I couldn't leave my bed. Another lady at the doctors office mentioned the beet root for the same reason. Said it'd worked for her without making her sick. I didn't say anything to the doctor, just switched, but at my next visit my iron levels were MUCH closer to where she wanted them, and the visit after that I was doing good.

 

[madetotakeit]

I have to agree, that water is very important. I've lost 50 in the past year. Converting over to drinking water primarily isn't as hard as it seems. I used to be a major ice tea addict (unsweetened or artificial sweetener.) I was amazed at how fast my craving went from tea to water. I bought a filter to go on my tap and a two gallon container I keep filled in the fridge. I've read that drinking it very cold helps speed up your metabolism but I can't remember what random fitness magazine I read that in.

Eating smaller amounts more times during the day is also helpful. I try my best to do this (not always easy because if left to my own devices I will go nearly all day before I remember to eat.) I'm diabetic and have had this preached to me by every doctor I know. The Mayo Clinic has a guideline for diabetics that also works well for hypoglycemics (essentially pre-diabetes.)

I know it has been said before, but snacks actually help. As was suggested, yogurt is a great mid-meal snack or part of a meal. Just watch the sugar amounts, some of them can be high. If you have a Publix near you their no sugar added is really quite good. Nuts are a great snack, full of protein and omega-3's. I eat my larger meals either at breakfast or lunch with smaller meals closer to sleep time since I won't be exerting myself. Days when you know you are going to play you will want to reverse that to keep from crashing. You can find pre-cooked frozen chicken breast (or even un-cooked frozen if you have a counter top grill) that can be warmed, sliced, and thrown on some raw spinach with some almonds, bacon, and ranch dressing (if you are watching carbs you can have it.) Makes a very tasty salad that will stick with you and the crunch from the almonds is great. Takes about five minutes to throw together.

As for exercise, I have limitations on what I can do because of my knees. I bought a Gazelle (runs about $100 new) which I have to commend. It is very easy on joints and beats the hell out of a treadmill. The suggestion to search garage sales for cheap equipment is a great idea. I would check Craig's List as well.

Don't forget you will plateau every so often. It's annoying and frustrating, but just keep up the routine you set for yourself and it will start working again.

 

[Homburg]

Thanks for all the great advice!

I have a couple of specific questions for y'all, things I'm sort of unsure about, but also feel free to chime in with any more general advice you may have.

#1--As far as strength training goes, I have to admit that my lazy ass likes the idea of a lot of work in a short amount of time. This is something I might actually do, even if I hated it, because I'd tell myself, "Bunny, it's only 15 minutes." My question is about the logistics of it. I'm not going to be able to wear all my major muscle groups out in 5 reps with a set of 3-pound hand weights from Wal-Mart. Going to the gym counts as public humiliation and thus is a hard limit. This apartment is too small for much in the way of equipment. What kinds of equipment could I use that would give me the greatest amount of results for the least amount of money and space taken up?

Well, you can work all the major muscles in your body with very little equipment. You just need to be creative, and willing to do some inevitably silly looking stuff. The problem with most of the no-equipment and low-equipment movements is that you cannot as easily adjust them to your level of fitness.

1) Bodyweight exercises - With just a few pieces of equipment (mostly a pull up bar of some sort, and I am not necessarily referring to one of those that you mount on the wall), you can work every muscle with bodyweight. It can be tough to hit certain groups, but you can hit the major ones. If you want to go this route, let me know. I have loads of resources for it.

2) Adjustable plate-loaded dumbells - Really fantastic, not all that expensive, and does not take up much space. Just make sure that you get solid steel handles. Hollow handles SUCK. If I was forced to choose one single piece of equipment to work with, plate-loaded dumbbells would be that piece. Remember that you can likely pick up weight plates dead cheap on the second-hand market. Hit the paper, freecycle, craigslist, etc.

NOTE - I prefer a plate-loaded barbell, but I understand that space is a concern.

3) Bands/strands - Yep, those big freaky rubber bands. They're awesome. They have a bit of a weird loading curve because the resistance changes as you stretch them, but a good set of bands is awesome. They're also good if you can't have heavy stuff around due to thin floors or noise. The downside to these is that the bands/strands available at places like walmart are largely crap. If you are interested in this, I will find you good sources. They aren't cheap, but they aren't as expensive as buying a full weight set. The thing is that you will come out ahead if you buy better bands. They won't break on you randomly, and you don't want an inch wide rubber band snapping on you when you have it stretched out 6ft.

For cardio, I can give you all sorts of info. I would personally suggest away from ellipticals. They are very unnatural insofar as the movement patterns they make you perform. For folks with certain injuries, they aren't a horrible idea, but they're generally crap. No-impact cardio can be done at home with the most ubiquitous cardio toy - the stationary bike. You can get stationary bikes all over the place, you just need to know how to use them. And, as I said in Velvetdarkness' thread, a rowing ergometer is awesome. They tend to be spendy, but they rock. Netz mention of a nordic track is solid too.

Still, much like resistance training, you don't need equipment for energy systems work. If you want that, holler, and I will go into detail. This is a general suggestion post. Specific stuff will be offered when you choose which direction you want to go.

#2--Something no one really has the answer to. I hate water. I don't care how good it is for me, it's awful and disgusting, and it makes my stomach revolt. Those Crystal Light packets have this aftertaste that tastes vaguely like hospitals smell, so ewww, no. What do I drink? I like Dr. Pepper a lot, but I don't really crave it too much if I don't keep it in the house. I could get by on a can a day, just for the caffeine fix in the mornings. Ok, what do I do drink the rest of the time? I don't do tea or black coffee. "Diet" soft drinks are full of icky chemical things that are bad for me and make me crave the sugar that's not in them. Regular soft drinks are full of sugar and calories. Which is better? I just can't drink a gallon of water a day like all the "flush out your system" people tell you to. I do good to down 16 ounces without feeling nauseated. So what do I drink during and between meals?

Get a good water filter and slowly accomodate yourself to water. You have basically denied all of the alternatives that are worthwhile when you denied tea, coffee, crystal light, etc. At the end of the day, you can get used to just about anything. Set a goal to drink a certain amount of water. Choose filtered water to make sure that you aren't getting some chemical from your local tap water, and just fucking suck it up.

And a can of Dr Pepper in the morning is not going to kill you. I haven't discussed carb timing yet, but mornings are a time when carbs arent' as bad, same as after serious heavy exercise. Sleep is a time of fasting, and slow glycogen depletion in your muscles. Serious exercise is actual glycogen depletion, as you use the glycogen in your muscles as a burst energy source for the muscle fibres. When your glycogen stores are depleted, and you consume carbs, your body gets an insulin spike and the insulin slams the glucose from those carbs right into your muscle to replenish that depleted glycogen. So some carbs in the mornings, and fast carbs just after a workout, are a pretty good idea. Just don't go crazy and eat a whole cake. And, as always, if you have insulin/sugar issues, don't listen to this sort of advice.

Oh, yeah, for the record, I don't give a shit about increased T levels. I already have an insane amount for a chick, anyway. (I swear to God, I think I absorbed a male twin in the womb or something.) They can't go much higher as it is, and even so, it'll just make my sex drive go from insatiable to nymphomaniac. No big deal. Those crazy T levels have something to do with why the "1200 calorie diets for women" fail miserably with me, I'm sure. 1200 calories, while a lot for some folks, isn't enough to keep my blood sugar levels high enough to prevent unconsciousness after four or five days. *Shrug* I've come to the realization that I should approach this in a masculine fashion--eat like a man and exercise like one.

This is precisely what I was saying, without coming out and saying it. Women should work out like men. Men get results, and women would too if they worked out like men. The results women will get will not be men's results though, because your bodies work differently. But you will get better results by working out like me than you will if you do hundreds of reps with a 5lb weight.

Marquis reply shortly after yours is awesome. Read it again

 

[Marquis]

For cardio, I can give you all sorts of info. I would personally suggest away from ellipticals. They are very unnatural insofar as the movement patterns they make you perform. For folks with certain injuries, they aren't a horrible idea, but they're generally crap. No-impact cardio can be done at home with the most ubiquitous cardio toy - the stationary bike. You can get stationary bikes all over the place, you just need to know how to use them. And, as I said in Velvetdarkness' thread, a rowing ergometer is awesome. They tend to be spendy, but they rock. Netz mention of a nordic track is solid too.

I've always though elipticals were kind of a joke myself. The amount of calories the machine will report that you've burned never seems realistic.

 

[catalina_francisco]

The beet root I buy comes in capsul form, and it does more for me than any stupid pill ever did. And I'm not the only one. I learned about it while I was preggers with D. My doctor had me taking iron three times a day and it was making me so sick I couldn't leave my bed. Another lady at the doctors office mentioned the beet root for the same reason. Said it'd worked for her without making her sick. I didn't say anything to the doctor, just switched, but at my next visit my iron levels were MUCH closer to where she wanted them, and the visit after that I was doing good.

Fortunately iron supplements don't usually make me ill. Usually I take the prescribed type on top of a course of 6 injections over a week, plus the iron heavy diet. Transfusions are always offered, but to date I have declined and had that accepted. Not sure this time how it will go as my tests have shown there was very minimum increase after the last course of injections (though I have a theory on why that wasn't hugely successful), and now it has dropped below what it was then and still dropping. They figure my having a haemoglobin level of just below 6 and dropping is panic mode time, especially with the accompanying symptoms of heart pain and palpitations, and BP almost hitting the 200 mark. Think I have researched my options well for my appointment at the hospital this week and fortunately F has agreed to back my preferred choices for treatment. I was happily dieting and losing weight but have had to put it on hold...my body just does not do as I tell it!

Catalina

 

[BiBunny]

Ok, I've gotten so much awesome advice that it'll take all day for me to go back and respond individually to all of it, but I do want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to give me such incredibly helpful information.

Shortly after my last post last night, I got so dizzy that I had to go lie down. These stupid dizzy spells (from the iron deficiency, I suppose) are coming on more and more often. I should probably go to the doctor before I do any serious changes, huh? Though exercising in my apartment can't hurt. If I get really dizzy, I can just lie down again.

My big issue now is eating schedule. I have class at 9:45 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon. The 15 minute break between my two classes just isn't enough time to go home and eat lunch. So I figure, breakfast right after I get up (around 9:00), some sort of non-perishable snack at 12:15 (between classes), "lunch" around 3:30 (which'll give me time to get home and fix it), a small snack around 6:00 maybe, dinner at 8:00, and another teeny snack around 10:30? (I usually collapse into bed around 1:00 am.) Does that sound ok? I suck at this scheduling when I eat stuff. I'm used to just eating when I'm hungry.

I thought I might eat lunch after class, go walk or do something else outside before work, and then maybe do some "inside" stuff while I'm working. Exercise DVDs, the bouncy ball, and/or weight training stuff would all work. I'll just have to change it up regularly, or else I'll go nuts. Maybe regular exercise will exhaust me so much that I'll sleep well at night, too. Nowadays, even if I'm tired, my mind won't stop racing so that I can sleep.

Again, thank you all for your advice and encouraging words. I'd thank you all individually, but I know I'd miss someone and feel like an ass, so I'll just make it a blanket "thank you." I'm still in the planning stages right this second, but I intend to start implementing these changes in the next couple of weeks.

 

[graceanne]

Fortunately iron supplements don't usually make me ill. Usually I take the prescribed type on top of a course of 6 injections over a week, plus the iron heavy diet. Transfusions are always offered, but to date I have declined and had that accepted. Not sure this time how it will go as my tests have shown there was very minimum increase after the last course of injections (though I have a theory on why that wasn't hugely successful), and now it has dropped below what it was then and still dropping. They figure my having a haemoglobin level of just below 6 and dropping is panic mode time, especially with the accompanying symptoms of heart pain and palpitations, and BP almost hitting the 200 mark. Think I have researched my options well for my appointment at the hospital this week and fortunately F has agreed to back my preferred choices for treatment. I was happily dieting and losing weight but have had to put it on hold...my body just does not do as I tell it!

Catalina

Yikes. A hemoglobin of SIX? Last time mine was so low I ended up getting three units of blood (or was it two? it's been awhile). I'd definately suggest the beet root, I've read (online) that people who don't respond to traditional therapies really respond to beet root.

The best thing about beetroot is that it is a true superfood. When eaten raw, it’s a more powerful tonic for your health than a whole bottle of vitamin pills. If you are anemic then beetroot will support, cleanse and build up your blood and if you are convalescing, beetroot will soon put you on the road of recovery.

Beetroot juice has been at the centre of research for many years in Germany. It has been shown that a glass of raw beetroot juice taken daily can be beneficial for treating cancer. It can be mixed with apples, orange or carrot if you do not like the taste of beetroot on its own. Beetroot is used with carrots for hormone regulation during menopause and cleansing the liver.

Found here.

As far as the anemic is concerned, beetroot increases the uptake of oxygen by as much as 400 percent.

Found here.

 

[Recidiva]

I've always had low blood pressure and have the energy of a lizard in the cold.

The best things that ever raised my blood pressure, that I could sustain:

Making sure I eat scheduled meals with nutritious food three to four times a day. A little protein, a little carb, a little vegetable, a little fruit. I still eat junk (sometimes) on top of that, and I try not to beat myself up about it. I eat less, and I'm able to have it be much less of an issue, as time goes by.

I don't eat after 6 pm (again, usually.) I get a decent night's sleep. (I need drugs for that.)

My exercise regimen is absolute minimum. But that means that I can keep it up.

I tend to watch a lot of TV (cooking shows...)

While I'm watching TV I do three sets of 10 minute "get up and dance" or "sit down and stretch" times.

Even if I just stay on the bed and do the bicycle feet in the air thing, it's a hell of a lot better for me over time.

These are my absolute basics. I CAN do more, and I'm getting to the place where I am. But over long periods of time, there are times due to sickness or PMS when my energy level is just gone and I can't sustain a more ambitious program.

You can work in "absolute basics" that you do each and every day for maintenance. Then add some optional "When I have the energy" things like bike rides or something more substantial.

But I have to plan my days around my worst day and not my best. Because when I'm at my worst, if I can't do what I think I need to get done, I crash out and burn.

Keeping the basics absolutely doable even when depressed or sick...best thing I ever did for myself.

No matter how sick I get, I still can't rationalize not eating simple easy stuff or doing 10 minutes of stretching while I'm otherwise sitting on my ass. I exercise this way, at least four days a week, with a few days off for good behavior. And I'm still doing chores, gardening, etc.

I also make lists of stuff I need to do every day. I kinda like crossing them off, and it's better to have the stuff written down and get them done, than it is to have it all floating in my head and get overwhelmed.

I've had enough gains that I have the motivation to stick to it and slowly (very slowly) build on it as I get extra energy reserves. I hope you find the same.

Good luck!

 

[catalina_francisco]

Shortly after my last post last night, I got so dizzy that I had to go lie down. These stupid dizzy spells (from the iron deficiency, I suppose) are coming on more and more often. I should probably go to the doctor before I do any serious changes, huh? Though exercising in my apartment can't hurt. If I get really dizzy, I can just lie down again.

Go to the doctor and get blood tests before the dieting or exercise. I know it seems like dizziness is a silly thing to worry about, but it can be a sign of much bigger issues. If it happens it is a sign your blood is in the shape mine is in at the moment, exercise could land you in hospital or worse. I knew it was to do with my anemia, but given the treatment I had earlier in the year and the foods I have been eating etc., I didn't really expect it to be as serious as it is....after being unable to stand for long without dizziness for 3 days and increasing chest pain even when lying in bed, I decided it was time to ask F to take me to the doctor just to make sure I was OK. Lots of people see anemia as a condition which can be treated, but is not life threatening...problem is it can be and doesn't necessarily give you much warning you are in such danger. Much better to know what you are dealing with and give your body all the help it needs to help you reach your goals safely.

Catalina

 

[Bi_Kitty]

Bunny may not know it yet but I plan on finding her some beetroot ASAP!!! (and red meat tonight, just hang in there till about 7)

 

[Homburg]

I've always though elipticals were kind of a joke myself. The amount of calories the machine will report that you've burned never seems realistic.

Yup, they're basically a joke. Again, good for folks with certain injuries, and people that are really large. I'm FAR more likely to put someone on a stationary bike though.

--

Shortly after my last post last night, I got so dizzy that I had to go lie down. These stupid dizzy spells (from the iron deficiency, I suppose) are coming on more and more often. I should probably go to the doctor before I do any serious changes, huh? Though exercising in my apartment can't hurt. If I get really dizzy, I can just lie down again.

Um, yeah, I'd see the doc. Dizziness is really bad when you are trying to be active.

My big issue now is eating schedule. I have class at 9:45 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon. The 15 minute break between my two classes just isn't enough time to go home and eat lunch. So I figure, breakfast right after I get up (around 9:00), some sort of non-perishable snack at 12:15 (between classes), "lunch" around 3:30 (which'll give me time to get home and fix it), a small snack around 6:00 maybe, dinner at 8:00, and another teeny snack around 10:30? (I usually collapse into bed around 1:00 am.) Does that sound ok? I suck at this scheduling when I eat stuff. I'm used to just eating when I'm hungry.

Well, once you establish a schedule, and your body gets used to it, you will get hungry when you are supposed to be eating.

I am a big fan of mixed nuts when it comes to a high energy non-perishable snack. If you checked my car right now, you'd find those little bags of peanuts, cashews, etc that you can pick up in any convenience stores. If I get hungry and I'm nowhere near a food source, I grab that oz or whatever of peanuts and keep going. The added benefits of getting more omega-3 FA's is a big plus too.

I thought I might eat lunch after class, go walk or do something else outside before work, and then maybe do some "inside" stuff while I'm working. Exercise DVDs, the bouncy ball, and/or weight training stuff would all work. I'll just have to change it up regularly, or else I'll go nuts. Maybe regular exercise will exhaust me so much that I'll sleep well at night, too. Nowadays, even if I'm tired, my mind won't stop racing so that I can sleep.

You are very likely to sleep better. Seriously. I'm the same way.

--

As an aside, if Bikitty is interested, I can try to find the graphic I found on how to properly tape your foot for exercise when you have plantar fasciitis. It's a very simple thing, and has been a huge help to other folks I've talked to with PF.

 

[Bi_Kitty]

As an aside, if Bikitty is interested, I can try to find the graphic I found on how to properly tape your foot for exercise when you have plantar fasciitis. It's a very simple thing, and has been a huge help to other folks I've talked to with PF.

*is very interested* I picked up some of these at Wal-Mart and they seem to help for when I'm at work

 

[Homburg]

*is very interested* I picked up some of these at Wal-Mart and they seem to help for when I'm at work

http://www.coachr.org/planfasc.htm

It's about 3/4 of the way down, or so. This is not the pic I was thinking about, but it does give an idea. I'll keep looking later.

 

[Bi_Kitty]

http://www.coachr.org/planfasc.htm

It's about 3/4 of the way down, or so. This is not the pic I was thinking about, but it does give an idea. I'll keep looking later.

Awesome and thanks! I don't know how many times I have to quit doing something because my feet are killing me.

 

[Homburg]

Awesome and thanks! I don't know how many times I have to quit doing something because my feet are killing me.

Good luck, darlin. I've also heard good things about custom orthotics, but they are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Bi_Kitty]

Good luck, darlin. I've also heard good things about custom orthotics, but they are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination.

Yeah tell me about it. I have looked into 'em. As soon as I get a "real" job that offers insurance, I'm going to go to an actually doctor and get something done about 'em. But until then I'll just have to made do with the little sleeves-thingies.

 

[BiBunny]

Go to the doctor and get blood tests before the dieting or exercise. I know it seems like dizziness is a silly thing to worry about, but it can be a sign of much bigger issues. If it happens it is a sign your blood is in the shape mine is in at the moment, exercise could land you in hospital or worse. I knew it was to do with my anemia, but given the treatment I had earlier in the year and the foods I have been eating etc., I didn't really expect it to be as serious as it is....after being unable to stand for long without dizziness for 3 days and increasing chest pain even when lying in bed, I decided it was time to ask F to take me to the doctor just to make sure I was OK. Lots of people see anemia as a condition which can be treated, but is not life threatening...problem is it can be and doesn't necessarily give you much warning you are in such danger. Much better to know what you are dealing with and give your body all the help it needs to help you reach your goals safely.

Catalina

Ewwww...yeah. I'll call Monday and make an appointment. The worst they can do is say it's all in my head, I guess.

You're starting to scare me, though. Dizziness? Check. Chest pain when lying down? Check. (Weird because I normally have very low blood pressure.) I also have what look like the DTs because my body is shaking so badly, and I wake up every morning with new bruises that I have no idea where they came from.

Yeah. I'll take your advice. And have a nice steak for supper tonight.

I hope you get better soon, too.

 

[catalina_francisco]

Ewwww...yeah. I'll call Monday and make an appointment. The worst they can do is say it's all in my head, I guess.

You're starting to scare me, though. Dizziness? Check. Chest pain when lying down? Check. (Weird because I normally have very low blood pressure.) I also have what look like the DTs because my body is shaking so badly, and I wake up every morning with new bruises that I have no idea where they came from.

Yeah. I'll take your advice. And have a nice steak for supper tonight.

I hope you get better soon, too.

Definitely sounding like a clone of me...ah, you poor thing. Don't think they will tell you it is in your head unless they are twits and have the view young people don't get sick which is something I came across many moons ago. Demand a blood test, even if only a pinprick haemoglobin test. Usually you can get a good idea of how low you are by checking inside your lower eyelids...mine are like something resembling snow white at the moment...so white they glow. I was shaking like a leaf until about last night. It has now eased a little but doesn't take much to set it off again. I have a lovely serving of liver to look forward to for tomorrow's lunch. I love liver in Oz, but it is not pleasant here IMO. F has said he will cook it Spanish style to see if I like it better that way. Might be a mouthful of liver, a gulp of orange juice.

Catalina

 

[BiBunny]

Definitely sounding like a clone of me...ah, you poor thing. Don't think they will tell you it is in your head unless they are twits and have the view young people don't get sick which is something I came across many moons ago. Demand a blood test, even if only a pinprick haemoglobin test. Usually you can get a good idea of how low you are by checking inside your lower eyelids...mine are like something resembling snow white at the moment...so white they glow. I was shaking like a leaf until about last night. It has now eased a little but doesn't take much to set it off again. I have a lovely serving of liver to look forward to for tomorrow's lunch. I love liver in Oz, but it is not pleasant here IMO. F has said he will cook it Spanish style to see if I like it better that way. Might be a mouthful of liver, a gulp of orange juice.

Catalina

I'd never heard about the eyelid thing. I just checked. Ugh, freakishly white. I look like something out of a horror movie!

I hope you enjoy your liver. I'm not sure I could stomach it unless it was disguised in something else, though I know it's a really iron-rich food. *Shudder* I have to admit that I'd love to see you chasing it with orange juice!

Yeah, you've scared me straight. I'll call the Health Center at school Monday and see if I can get hooked up with an appointment. It'll be my luck they don't even do blood tests, though, LOL. I promise to find someone who will before I get started heavily with this working on my body thing.

 

[catalina_francisco]

I'd never heard about the eyelid thing. I just checked. Ugh, freakishly white. I look like something out of a horror movie!

Yup, supposed to be a lovely deep shade of pink, bordering on reddish pink.

Catalina