Making a lifestyle change

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Jeff Romard

Jeff Romard

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Sep 4, 2006
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Sydney, Nova Scotia
I've talked about it for years and made half hearted efforts before but this time I've decided to do it.....

As of today I'm 41 days in to a lifestyle change. I don't like the term diet because diet is for someone looking to drop a few pounds to fit in to a suit or something this is a plan for long term health

I haven't really changed all that much. I've dropped some sugar out of the diet and have been making wiser choices with food. I haven't had any fast food in a month and a half except a slice of Pizza I had at a staff meeting last month. I'm filling with fruit and vegetables alot more often and watching portions.

I've also started a light weight program and I try to walk everyday although the weather has hampered me a bit.

So far I'm down about 15 Lbs and several inches on the gut. My chest is tightening and shoulders are tightening up and the love handles are almost completely gone

I started at 242 Lbs I hope to be at 210 by July 1
 
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Keep at it ... I'm down 20 pounds from this past summer. Just dropped under 210 the other day. Unfortunately, mine was semi-forced by testing positive for mild diabetes, so I needed to slow down the sugar and carb intake.
 
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steve149 said:
Keep at it ... I'm down 20 pounds from this past summer. Just dropped under 210 the other day. Unfortunately, mine was semi-forced by testing positive for mild diabetes, so I needed to slow down the sugar and carb intake.
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That was one of my reasons for doing it Diabetes runs in my family. Although I have no signs of it I'm a prime candidate for it. The other reason is I had a heart attack(s) at 35 almost 9 years ago. When I hit the 242 last summer it really started me thinking the last time I was over 240 I was very muscled and in good shape not so much this time. I stuck between 235 and 242 since then.

I had an appointment with a cardiologist last week, first time in 7 years. He sent me for a stress test and cardiac ultrasound it came out really well so this is my opportunity to make the change while I still can.

The 210 might be a lofty goal I build muscle really quick so although 210 is where I'd like to be I'd be pretty OK with 225 and in good shape
 
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Congrats on following through thus far .. and keep on track. I think a problem with food today is the portions are generally large and there's so much trash out there.
 
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steve149 said:
Keep at it ... I'm down 20 pounds from this past summer. Just dropped under 210 the other day. Unfortunately, mine was semi-forced by testing positive for mild diabetes, so I needed to slow down the sugar and carb intake.
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My scenario exactly...
except for the "down 20 pounds" part.
I'll get there once the weather turns and I can start walking daily.
 
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I, too, am Type 2 Diabetes. Found out in my early 60's. Lost weight, too. Try to stay around 190 lbs. Do the glucose stick every few days to make sure the numbers are within my stated limits. No need for insulin shots. A1C is under 6.

When I was diagnosed I went on diet and exercise program...golf (walking 18 holes). My wife, the "sugar natzi", cooks with sugar substitute most of the time. I attribute my staying within limits to her perseverance.

Keep up the good work and once you reach the level you and your doctor are comfortable don't stray from them. Oh, I cheat every so often but the numbers don't lie. Pizza the night before will spike the numbers like you wouldn't believe...it turns to sugar overnight.
 
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+1 on the diabetes aspect. I have a family history but luckily when I've had my BS tested it was normal though I've never had my A1C done.

For the past 5 or 6 years I've always had the exercise part down pretty well. Most summers I'd walk a minimum of 2 miles most days. Once a week I'd take a walk around the lake which is about 7 miles of hilly terrain. It took me damn near 5 hours but I wasn't looking to break any speed records just looking to survive the walk. :D

The diet part has always been my killer. I'd walk 2-3 miles then a buddy of mine would call and say let's hit the Chinese buffet. You know a guy like me ain't turning down an invite to a buffet. I mean what kinda self respecting fat guy does that? :sqlaugh: It occurred to me a while back that I was basically walking for nothing. The calories I burned walking was definitely less than what I was putting in.

The weather is starting to get nicer and I've already started walking again. I started walking in February but somehow managed to mess up both my Achilles tendons and was down for 3 weeks with that. I'm guessing it was a combination of crappy shoes and to much to fast but as soon as I the weather gets a little better I'll work my way back up to 2-3 miles a day.

One of my favorite apps is Map My Walk it tracks exactly how far you walk via GPS and tells you how many calories you burned. They send you a weekly digest of how you're doing. It's pretty neat.

I've also been following Nerd Fitness. Tons of great info and success stories there.
 
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Every little bit counts there is no bad exercise.

I've dropped to 222 as of this week but my body is changing shape I'm able to wear shirts I haven't been able to wear in a couple of years my upper body is getting more solid I still have alot of work to do on the abdominal area but I can see progress. The big thing for me is I like results quick I have to keep remembering i didn't put it all on in a day it's not going to come off in a day either.

I also try not to deprive myself of things I like I just make wiser choices try to keep the fat and carbs to a minimum and up the greens. I did have to up my protein because I was getting very weak by times. It's a learning process

I've been using My Fitness Pal app I'm on day 60 now.
 
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Jeff Romard said:
Every little bit counts there is no bad exercise.

I've dropped to 222 as of this week but my body is changing shape I'm able to wear shirts I haven't been able to wear in a couple of years my upper body is getting more solid I still have alot of work to do on the abdominal area but I can see progress. The big thing for me is I like results quick I have to keep remembering i didn't put it all on in a day it's not going to come off in a day either.

I also try not to deprive myself of things I like I just make wiser choices try to keep the fat and carbs to a minimum and up the greens. I did have to up my protein because I was getting very weak by times. It's a learning process

I've been using My Fitness Pal app I'm on day 60 now.
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That's me too. I'll feel myself start firming up after a couple weeks then I seem to plateau or don't have any noticeable changes and I get real bored real quick. When I used to hang out in the city, I'd walk everywhere and always dropped weight. Upstate here there's no place to walk so I'm basicaly walking around aimlessly. Nature is beautiful and all but it gets monotonous pretty quick.

The last couple weeks I've seen a change in my diet because my car is down and I haven't been able to go out to eat as much and I'm noticing that I'm shrinking. They never taught my that Chinese food was bad for me in health class...hey it's got vegetables in it!
 
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Big Dan said:
The last couple weeks I've seen a change in my diet because my car is down and I haven't been able to go out to eat as much and I'm noticing that I'm shrinking. They never taught my that Chinese food was bad for me in health class...hey it's got vegetables in it!
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A rule of thumb I learned if you don't eat it at home it's probably bad for you lol. I still eat out and probably more often than I should but I tend to lean toward Subway these days it seems to be the best of the worst
 
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Jeff Romard said:
A rule of thumb I learned if you don't eat it at home it's probably bad for you lol. I still eat out and probably more often than I should but I tend to lean toward Subway these days it seems to be the best of the worst
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Yeah, I've been learning that too. I like to cook when I'm in the mood but other than that it's quick foods for the most part. Hot Dogs, throw a couple sasauges in the broiler which is probably just as bad for you as as eating out.
 
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Big Dan said:
Yeah, I've been learning that too. I like to cook when I'm in the mood but other than that it's quick foods for the most part. Hot Dogs, throw a couple sasauges in the broiler which is probably just as bad for you as as eating out.
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It's a hard battle especially for us guys that like to eat. Hot Dogs are probably the worst thing you can eat the sodium alone will get you not to mention all the rest that is in them and with BBQ season coming on I might be in trouble lol

Surprisingly even some fruits and Vegs aren't all that great for you like corn for example (which I love) and depending on your goals alot of F&V are really high in Carbs although it's still better than a trip to Mickey Ds

I know what's bad for me....If I like it it's bad for me lol
 
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I'm doing something similar. 53 days ago I quit smoking after 12 years of the filthy habit and I vowed that I wasn't going to gain the dreaded quitter's 10Lbs so I made some adjustments to my diet: replacing my normal snacks of cookies, chips, and candy with dried fruit, granola, and so on... Skipping out on fast food at lunch and having a sandwich and some veggies instead... Having curried chick peas or Saag (pureed spinach and spices) instead of butter chicken when we go for Indian on Wednesdays... being conscious of portion sizes even when the food is healthy... drinking water and decaf tea instead of pop... things like that. I'm already a fairly small guy so there hasn't been extreme weight loss but I am down from 178 to 171 and I feel great both from eating better and from not smoking.

I already walked to and from work every day so I just added in some pushups and situps in the morning to add to my existing light cardio. Feels good.

keep it up!
 
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Best weight loss program in the world is.....

I had my teeth pulled and got dentures in mid January, to date I have lost 30+ pounds and I have a great smile!


Just kidding folks, take care of your teeth. Great job and good luck Jeff!!
 
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You guys are doing a good job. Most know this is going to be my 32nd year with Type I Diabetes and had my ups and downs over the years due to the limitations of the different insulin types over the years. While my A1C were on target for my diabetic group things got out of tune with very small changes. All that changed in 2000-2003 with the introduction of very efficient long acting and short acting insulin.

I began making calculations and started experimenting. The end result is I have blood sugar levels of 65-100 mg/dl through the 24 hours of a day and post meals the blood sugar levels stay below 140 mg/dl. While it means 2 extra shots during the day I can live with that.

My last A1C before my surgery was at 4.2% and I reduced one of my insulin's dose (Fast acting Humalog) I calculated my blood sugar levels during the 4 hour surgery to remain between 130-150 mg/dl and not worry about hypoglycemia. The checked my level while getting the IV on the level was 135, mid surgery 139 and out of surgery 120 mg/dl. I couldn't stop smiling.

The only downside is gaining weight from the insulin type and dosage plus my sleeping pills also cause the weight gain. But I can live at 265 lbs. with perfect control, a cardiovascular system that's at 100% and no lipid or cholesterol problems.

My A1C's have stayed in the 4-5.5% over the last 10 years and I have scared the crap out of my father's cardiologist who insisted I was doing a lousy job controlling my diabetes.

Funny thing is I've suffered most of the complications diabetes causes but in my case they were caused by things out of my control (Accidents, etc.).

But, I'll finish this post by saying LIFE IS GOOD!!!
 
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