HELEN:

 

  I worked out hard at the rec center (turns out too hard...sigh..) on Monday and
burned 1000 calories, got lots and lots of water in and my food was right
where it should be, so that was all good.
However, at the end of my workout my foot started hurting a little. By the
time I changed and was walking out of the locker room I was hobbling a
little. Then I had to run some errands before going home and got in the car
and drove home (about 20 minutes). I went to get out of the car and could
hardly walk. I barely got in the house. My husband had to get my gym bag from the
car for me and close the garage door. My foot started throbbing worse and I
was in agony for a few hours till I took a pain pill that was left over from
my kidney stone surgery a few years ago.
I haven't had a pain in my foot this bad since I was at my highest weight
and had tendinitis in the heel cord.

   I had my husband take me to have my foot x-rayed last night. It was
feeling better, but I wanted to make sure there was no stress fracture or
anything so I'd know if I could keep working out or not. I didn't want to
give myself an excuse to not work out if it wasn't something serious, but I
wanted to make sure I wasn't supposed to work out if I was tempted to do
so as well.  No fracture, thank God :) It's a mild sprain along with plantars
fasciitis and heel spurs. So I'm supposed to rest it a while and then
exercise when I'm able to tolerate. It's a lot better today and I'm not
taking any more pain medication. It's just a little sore and it's burning
when I walk on it at this point.

KELLEY:

 

I went to the doctor!  Thyroid is fine so now to look to other solutions for the plateauing..  I am going to start using DietPower again tomorrow and deal with calories only no points.  Going to keep a really close watch on it.
 
My A1C was 5.4 down from 5.5 last time.  She took me off my Januvia which is 150 a month.  She told me to start the glucophage back as she would want that for the heart benefits
 
Cholesteral was 142 , triglycerides 128 HDL 42 (up from in the low 30's last time) and LDL was 73.  Said my kidneys and liver tests came back great also.  Some of my liver enzymes are a little low but she said not a problem at this point.  She thinks it is because I have gotten so healthy in the last 6 months.  She checks my liver as my cholesterol meds can affect it and make readings high.
 
My hemoglobin is a little low which explains the cold.  I am to work on eating as many iron rich foods as possible and she will do an anemia panel the next time I am in there (6 months).
 
So needless to say I am on cloud 9.
 
I am observing karate next Monday night and my brother and I are starting classes next Thursday night.
 
I might be the biggest one there but I am not going to care!  Doing this for me not them.
 
With my weight of 219 an hour work out is said to burn 1093 calories.  We will see.
 
 
Kelley

   HELEN:

 

   Hi everyone :) Things have really slowed down in the community on here. I suspect those involved in the Biggest Pounds Match Up challenge have been thinking the same thing Kelley and I have.  Is it ok to post between the time the contest is over and the winners are announced or were we supposed to hold off blogging after the cut off date?

  Kelley and I are still working at this and we're both battling with stuck scales.  I logged some major hours at the gym at the beginning of the week and after a 3 1/2 hour workout on Monday, my scale showed me down two pounds the next morning. Then on Tuesday I worked out hard at home and on Wednesday the scale showed me up a pound.  It brought me down and frustrated me and it got the better of my motivation level once again. So...I've decided to try to avoid the scale for a while till closer time for my surgery in just 24 more days because I'm letting the numbers on the scale have way too much control over my motivation level.

  I've never hit a plateau that's lasted this long and I have to find a way to beat it or at least maintain until my body decides to let me lose weight again.  I don't know what I'm doing wrong, if anything.  Until I comfort eat out of sheer frustration that is, but at least I'm not letting myself stay down once I'm down like I used to, so that has to be progress I guess.

  Anyway...my plan at this point is to work out hard, pre-plan my meals and keep my calories between 1400 - 1700 calorise, get lots of water in, enough sleep and TRY to watch my stress level (which will be the most difficult part), avoid the scales and hope for the best.  Clearly I'm not going to be down in weight as far as my surgeon had wanted me to be for my surgeries, but the surgery is going to happen regardless. So all I can do at this point is stop feeling sorry for myself, charge head first into doing my best between now and April 16th (and after I recouperate of course) and just pray for the best.

  I hope you're all doing well this week!

  By the way...please keep my family in your prayers if you will.  My aunt is in the hospital in very bad shape and her doctors are not optimistic that she'll pull through. She has Lewbody dementia and she just suffered a heart attack and has pneumonia on top of it all.  She's been in the hospital for about a week now and I just found out today that on top of it all, she now has MRSA staph infection.  Her lungs are filling up with water and they drained 2 quarts of water from them today, but doctors think they'll just fill back up again and that it's just a matter of time.  I love my aunt dearly and I don't want her to suffer, but I don't want to loser her at the same time.  Also, I'm super worried that my mom (her sister) will take it really hard and so I'm really worried about my mom as well.

 

  Oh...and someone pointed out to me that Kelley and I are one of the MSN hot spots of the week this week. That's really blown me away and has me curious what it means at the same time. How is a hot spot chosen?  It did give my spirits a much-needed lift today.

 

God bless,

Helen

  Then LAST night at 8:50 (just under halfway through the show) our power went out due to an ice storm and stayed out till 10:30, so I missed over half the show.  I got to see it until Kelly was about to go across the ravine during the challenge. Then I had to run around the house in the dark feeling around for our oil lamps, matches and candles and trying to keep the dog and my son happy while my husband snoozed in the chair.
  Good grief :) My luck at catching the show the past few weeks hasn't been so great :)
  But about last week's show, I'm so proud of all the progress they've all done. I just hope that Dan learns to keep his cockiness under control a little better. It reminds me of the verse in the Bible in 1 Corinthians that says "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall". Confidence is a great thing, but you have to keep it in check after all!  Also, it says "Pride comes before the fall".
  I'm really glad the contestants are feeling SO much better about themselves and they certainly have earned it. But you can't let it turn to cockiness and think you are above going home even if you are on a team of big guys who pull big numbers.  I love Bob, but I have to admit, this year I'm pulling for the ones who were the black team before they went to no teams :) 
Go underdogs! :) 

Helen
 

HELEN:

 

  I'm almost afraid to post this for fear it will jinx things, but I'm excited and haven't been rejoicing about my weight issues lately, so what the heck :)

  The scale shocked the daylights out of me today! Ok, well not literally, but you get the idea. My eating (other than yesterday which was really good) has been way off track the past several days and I decided to get on the scale today. I completely expected a gain. I'd actually seen 290 on Sunday...ouch!

   So as you all know from my continual griping about this blasted plateau, 288 was the number I've been staring at for the past couple of MONTHS now.  I was SO afraid this morning would show me at 292 or something horrible. But it was 287, so I'm actually down a pound.

   I guess it does go to show that I really wasn't eating enough calories like everyone thought.  Now I'm thinking those several days of bad eating may have been just what I needed to straighten my metabolism out.

  I'm not holding my breath, but I'm hopeful it will keep going down :) (Though my eating is on track again though)

  I also added Slim Fast to my meal plans this past few days after all (like every other day drink a shake for two of my three meals and the day in between only for one of the meals) as well as starting to take a supplement of Cayenne Fruit that my cousin has been raving about. It's supposed to support healthy metabolism and it's basically just cayenne pepper in capsule form so it doesn't upset your stomach or set your mouth on fire :) You take it with your meals and it's supposed to help your metabolism. I found the original version of Slim Fast at Walmart a few days ago and bought some since I could actually find it without sucralose (Splenda) or aspartame (Nutrasweet) in it after all.  I noticed when reading the can that it's high in potassium which is what I REALLY need more of too. I got the Cayenne Fruit supplements at Walmart too.

  I did go to the gym this morning and worked out, but my workout was cut short by a phone call from my husband's insurance company in need of yet more information from me. Ugh. So I left and took care of that then went shopping and got my son and niece's Easter baskets and goodies for them. He had a snow day (more like ice day) today and was home from school.

So far today my eating has been right on track too.

 

 So anyone who is tempted to drop their calories too low (less than 1400-1500 or so) learn from my mistake and the TWO MONTH PLATEAU I landed on and don't do it! :)

  I only got to see the first half (almost) of the Biggest Loser last night till our power went out, but it struck me what Bernie said at one point when he said "If you don't eat enough... you could go home, if you eat too much... you could go home."  It really is a delicate balance at times and I think even more so when you've already lost a lot of weight and your body is in standby mode before it lets you start dropping again.  You have to be even MORE careful then.  So please please! do NOT drop your calories too low! :)  If my mistake (regardless of how ambitious it was) can help people here learn to make sure to eat ENOUGH, then in the long run it will cushion the blow that plateau gave me and show some kind of good from it  :)

  Please say a few prayers that the scale keeps going down now that it's moving again in the right direction!  That's another thing I've been doing more of. Praying for myself. I tend to pray for everyone else and and everything else and not for myself enough, so I know that's helped a lot too :) 

 

Helen 

   

 

KELLEY:

 

March 4, 2008

 

Ramblings

 

            Yesterday, I picked up my contacts.  It is going to take some getting used to.  I have worn them before around '99.  It is not the putting in and taking out that is going to be the adjustment.  My glasses were for nearsightedness, astigmatism, and I had invisible bifocals.  The contacts correct nearsightedness and astigmatism so I have to wear reading glasses for close up work.  For most of the day at work I have reading glasses on.  I have been asked why I would want to do it like this.  If I have glasses why not keep what I had.  For the freedom and awesome vision, I have the other times with just contacts.  It is another world with your peripheral vision back.

            I have an appointment with my endocrinologist on the 19^th.  Cannot wait to see my blood work results!  I am sure she will be pleased with my progress.

            I have gotten two co-workers to join Curves.  One I have been giving advice too and talking fitness to for a while as she has been trying to improve her health and weight for some time.  Her first time at Curves was today and she said it kicked her butt!  Did not realize how out of shape she was but said she really pushed it!  That is what I do every time and like I told her why should you do it if you are not going to get the maximum benefit.  There are many people I see there that are just playing at fitness and using it for the social hour.  I would not waste my money if I were them!  If I tell my endocrinologist I work out 6 hours a week she might faint!  We have never talked fitness before but I am sure she will be proud!

            A woman in WW made a remark a couple of weeks ago and I would love to have told her a thing or two.  The leader was asking who participated in a regular exercise program and I was about the only one that raised my hand.  She asked how much I worked out and I told her.  The woman behind me said she did not have time for that!  I wanted to say I do not either BUT I make the time!  I use my lunch hour for Curves three times a week and the other I do right after work before I go home.  If I can work 54-58 hours a week and still make time for working out anyone can they just have to have a desire and I think that is what that woman was missing DESIRE!

            When I went to the eye doctor for my appointment last week the receptionist who has been with my doctor for years did not know who I was!  What a great NSV.  I walked in the same time a man did.  He went to the desk and I sat down.  She asked him if I was with him.  He said no!  I said no and she recognized my voice!  She said there was no way she would have recognized me on the street.  That I had lost a lot of weight and got my haircut and didn't look like the same person!  How good did that make me feel!  I saw him last in October '06 before I started my fitness / weight loss journey in May '07.

            Well I guess I have rambled on enough!  Till next time!