Week 11 Results: Fat Jeans (Genes?) and Pie Wagons

Yet another two weeks with no update, so I'm posting a day early to make up. My excuse this time? No internet. But, we’re finally up and running again, and I have good news to share: 3.8 pounds lost since my last post! That’s a total of 22.8 pounds since I started – over half way to my goal!

The jeans I had been wearing were starting to get baggy, so this week I pulled the next size smaller out of my closet. You know, the ones you hang onto just in case you are able to shed a few pounds and can fit back into them? (I actually have a whole smörgåsbord of sizes in my closet, but that’s a subject for another day.) I’m happy to report the smaller jeans not only fit, but were actually comfortably loose. If you’ve traveled down this weight loss road as many times as I have, you know it’s seeing progress like this that makes it much easier to keep yourself on track.

Since my last post, I learned something about my body that just may be a contributing factor to my weight gain and the battle I’m fighting to take it off. While on vacation I got a call from my doctor’s office informing me that lab work showed I have hypothyroidism (low thyroid). Talk about feeling poleaxed—I had no clue. Once I googled it, net surfer that I am, it made all the sense in the world. I had 7 out of 11 of the symptoms, including slow metabolism/weight gain. Again, I had just attributed the changes to getting older. (I’m thinking maybe it’s time I quit riding that scooter, hmmm?) I started taking medication a couple of weeks ago, and time will tell how much it helps—not only with the disease symptoms, but with my weight loss as well.

All this got me to thinking: what exactly causes weight gain? Overeating is probably the most thought-of culprit. It’s pretty much global knowledge if you consume more calories than your body burns, the excess is stored as fat and you gain weight. So how do some people eat anything they want and stay rail thin, while others count every calorie and carb and are still overweight? The reasons are many, and I’ll share a few of them with you.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, your environment can play a big role in your weight. Do you walk, bike, or drive to work? Is your job sedentary or physical? Me, I sit and drive 80 miles a day to a job where I sit for 8 hours a day. Two strikes for me right out of the gate. Do you spend your spare time stretched out in front of the TV or curled up with a good book, or do you engage in activities that get you up and moving, such as hiking, gardening, or playing sports? Considering my next tattoo is going to be a bookworm, you know which category I fall into. That’s why I utilize my Kindle’s text-to-speech feature to combine my love of reading with exercise. Letting my Kindle read to me while on the elliptical turns an otherwise boring workout into an almost pleasurable 20-30 minutes. Another product of my diet-induced creative thinking! ; o )

Health conditions can also contribute to weight gain. Hypothyroidism can decrease metabolism and cause protein deposits in the body, leading to fat accumulation and fluid retention. Essential fatty acid deficiency can inhibit the body’s ability to make hormones and maintain metabolic rate. Food sensitivity can lead to weight gain caused by fluid retention. Cushing’s syndrome, a hormone imbalance, can cause fat to accumulate in the face, abdomen, and upper back. Heart, liver, or kidney disease can cause fluid retention and subsequent weight gain.

Another source of weight gain can be prescription drugs. Some medications used to treat high blood pressure, diabetes, mood disorders, seizures, and migraines have been attributed to weight gain. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), oral contraceptives containing estrogen, steroids, and NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen) can cause you to pack on the pounds as well. Well, color me shocked. While I don’t take all of these types of drugs, I do take medicine for high blood pressure and migraines, and an occasional Aleve. Guess what’s going on my ask-the-doctor list?

One of the biggest reasons I hear people give for being overweight is “fat genes.” In her book Roseannearchy: Dispatches from the Nut Farm, Roseanne Barr wrote, “The reason people are fat is because it’s genetic. If you are a great big old pie wagon, you probably come from a long, long line of great big pie wagons.” While I don’t think I remember seeing any actual pie wagons on my charts at ancestry.com, I can tell you some members of my family struggle with their weight, just like me. In an article on obesity and genomics published by the CDC, it was suggested that bombarding the “energy-thrifty genes” given to us by our ancestors (the ones that kept them from starving when food was scarce) with today’s overabundance of food has helped contribute to the weight issues we see today.

The article went on to say that genetics, in combination with your environment, can also influence your drive to eat, your tendency for inactivity, an increase in your capacity to store body fat, and a decreased ability to use fats from food as fuel. That’s not to say just because your parents or grandparents are overweight means you will be, too. I’ve seen lots of slim people with overweight families. On the flip side of the coin, I’ve seen lots of overweight people with slim parents.

I think the bottom line is to not succumb to whatever undesirable metabolic genes you may have inherited. If you seem to fall under one of the genetically-enhanced conditions listed above, maybe you could benefit from adjusting your eating and/or exercise routine. The journey will undoubtedly be smoother for some than for others. I believe the biggest keys to success are 1) admitting you need to make changes, and 2) having the desire to change. And no, I’m not running a 12 step program here, I’m just stating my own personal observations and (what I hope is) common sense.

This week’s post contains lots of technical subject matter, and I can’t stress strongly enough that I am by no means a medical professional, nor am I using this blog to distribute medical advice. I’m simply sharing some of the information I have gleaned with my mad web surfing skills. The same information is available to everyone, all you have to do is seek it out. For medical questions and issues, please talk to your health care provider.

I want to thank everyone again for reading and for sharing your comments, stories, and words of encouragement. It’s making all the difference in the world to me, and I love hearing from you!

I worry, as this blog progresses, that I’ll have issues coming up with a new topic each week or that I’ll just become flat-out stale. Six months is a long time to keep coming up with fresh material. If any of you have questions about what I’m doing, or would like to see a particular subject addressed, please let me know and I’ll do my best to include them.

Week Nine Results: On The Road

Wow! Two weeks since my last post, and lots has gone on. Where to start?

BJ and I went on vacation for 8 days and had a great time! We started in Kansas with a visit to our youngest son and 10-month-old granddaughter, Ahliegha Renee – she is beyond awesome, by the way, and beautiful, too! We don’t get to see her very often, so we really enjoyed our time with her.

When we left home, we had no idea where we were going once we left Kansas, we just knew we were heading west and ended up in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The idea of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants vacation is a novel one, but I don’t know that I would do it again. Not that I can’t be spontaneous, but we spent a lot of time going back and forth with the “What do you want to do?” thing and it wore me out after a while. Nonetheless, we did have a great time and saw some really beautiful sights.

As for the diet, I wouldn’t exactly say I threw it out of the window, but I did eat lots of things I normally wouldn’t have eaten at home. It’s really hard to stick to my type of eating plan when you’re eating out every meal for several days. But I did exercise portion control and stopped eating before totally stuffing myself. (Which is something I would NOT have done in the past.) And I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been a road trip snacker: chips, popcorn, Chex mix…anything crunchy. I only snacked twice in over 2,900 miles, which is pretty good for me. I ate a small bag of buffalo wing-flavored pretzel bites, which totally rocked but weren’t exactly healthy, and I also got a bag of trail mix with nuts, raisins, and dates. Not exactly low-calorie, but a better choice than the pretzels, don’t you think?

My Wednesday weigh in was two days before we left, and I had lost half a pound. We were on the road this past Wednesday and had no scales available, so I won’t know how I did weight-wise until next Wednesday. Damage report on my next post.

And speaking of weighing in, my new scales arrived the day before we left. They look very high-tech with a glass platform and chrome trim. The display is much easier to read than the old scales, and it breaks weight down into tenths of pounds. I calibrated them and weighed myself, and I’m totally convinced they lie. I weighed about 4 pounds heavier than on the old scales. Maybe they are manufactured by the same folks who make doctor scales, hmmm? Honestly, I really didn’t expect them to be exactly the same. I simply noted both weights on my progress chart and I’ll track my progress from there.

Now it’s back to reality, with my grilled meat, steamed vegetables, and daily exercise. Taking a break from the diet was fun, but after several weeks of healthy eating I don’t think I could go back to a steady stream of burgers and fries.

Week Seven Results: Do Scales Tell Tall Tales?

I’m baaaaack! Yeah, I know I missed last week’s post. Mea culpa and all that jazz, right? ; P

The past couple of weeks were very taxing for me, and I just couldn’t summon up enough intestinal fortitude to come up with a post for last week. The wonky weather that rolled through the area wreaked havoc on my head, so I pretty much felt crappy for several days – even missed a day of work because of it. Needless to say, I didn’t much feel like exercising, either. And since my unwavering exercise routine seems to be the catalyst for my progress so far, I must admit I only lost a couple of pounds the past two weeks. I’m not gonna let it get me down, though. I’m still ahead of my goal to lose two pounds per week, I’m feeling better, and I’m back in the groove! And to make up for not posting last week, I’m giving you this week’s post a day early. : )

In a totally unrelated, but nonetheless button-popping, subject, Baby Gavin won first place in his division at a local baby show this past week! He slept right through it (hey, he’s only three weeks old) but still managed to charm the pants off of the judges. Here he is, showing off his ribbon, totally tuckered from all of the excitement!

My biggest dieting dilemma at the moment is scales. Not the kind you find on fish – I’m talking about the ones that unassumingly occupy a corner of the bathroom floor, then spin the dial all willy-nilly when you step on them and refuse to give you the same reading twice in a row. Whatever evil virus causes scales to do this, ours has certainly succumbed to it. Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me to find out the little bugger has been lying to me all this time and I’ve really only lost five pounds so far.

Our bathroom scale is what I consider to be a reputable brand, but it is several years old and has the dial-type readout. These types can be hard to read, since the hash marks for each pound are pretty close together. I have trouble reading them sometimes, even with four eyes. Hmmm…maybe it’s time for an upgrade.

Another question I have is why do the doctors’ scales seem to weigh you so much heavier than your scales at home? Are they that much more accurate, or do doctors just calibrate theirs to add to your weight so it gives them one more thing to bitch about to you?

Once again, I took off on the Information Superhighway to see if I could find answers to this week’s questions. (I swear, if I were to ever permanently lose internet access I think I would wither and die!) Here’s what I found out: when choosing bathroom scales, do a little legwork and find a reputable brand with a good rating for accuracy. Turns out pricing scales is pretty much like pricing cars – the models and cost are widely varied. With a little research, you won't have to pay a fortune for decent bathroom scales. I ordered a set of digital scales online, found them on sale and paid around $30 with free shipping. I read 15 consumer reviews and overall they rated them about 4.5 out of 5 stars. I’m still waiting for them to arrive, so we shall see how they perform. Wonder how they compare to the ones we currently have? : /

As for doctor scales, I found so many variables it’s almost impossible to compare them to your bathroom scales at home. Firstly, most people weigh themselves at home with minimal (or no) clothing. I suppose you could do this at the doctor’s office as well, as long as you don’t mind getting the stink eye from other patients who may pass by during your weigh-in. But for the sake of argument (and public decency) we’ll assume everyone is fully clothed. Now, let’s define fully clothed. Do you have on a sweatshirt, jeans, and boots? Or are you in shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops? Are you like my husband and carry around five pounds of stuff (literally) in your pants pockets? See where I’m going with this? You can easily add 2-3 pounds (or more) to your measurement just by what you’re wearing.

I also learned the time of day can make a difference, too. Your weight can fluctuate as much as 2-3 pounds during the course of the day, what with eating, drinking, activity, etc. From what I read, you’ll get the most accurate reading first thing in the morning, before daily life has a chance to factor in. So, if you add everything up, it appears you should weigh yourself first thing in the morning, with no clothing. Seems to me the easiest way to accomplish this would be to weigh yourself at home. Even if your scales are off by a couple of pounds, by consistently weighing on the same scale you can still accurately track your weight loss. Unless you’re like me and can’t read your scales.

If, however, you don’t feel complete without tracking your weight on doctor scales, you can either a) buy your own set for home, or b) talk your doctor into giving you a key to the office so you can sneak in before hours for your “true nekkid doctor scale weight.” Choices, choices.

Week Five Results: The Starvation Scare

Since I began my quest five weeks ago, I have used the tools at myfitnesspal.com to help me track my calorie intake and my exercise. After eating three meals per day, along with a couple of snacks, my average intake is around 800 calories per day. My body burns about 1450 calories per day now (before exercise); a 3500 calorie deficit is needed to lose one pound of weight. OK, now let’s do the math:

Weekly calorie needs (1450 X 7) = 10,150
Weekly calorie intake (800 x 7) = 5600
Calories burned during exercise (350 X 7) = 2450
Weekly calorie deficit = 7000

A 7000 weekly calorie deficit means I’m on track to lose approximately two pounds per week. Sounds reasonable, right? Well, not according to myfitnesspal’s calculations. After entering my food consumption at the end of the day, I get a not-so-subtle warning that I’m eating too few calories per day and am in danger of going into “starvation mode,” which is essentially a drastic decrease in the body’s metabolic rate in response to prolonged calorie reduction. This results in a significant slow down or cessation in weight loss. Since I have been steadily losing three pounds per week, I really didn’t pay much attention to this caution.

Until this week.

When I stepped on the scales on Wednesday, I was horrified to learn I had lost only one pound. One single, solitary pound...IN A WHOLE WEEK! The dieting euphoria I had been living in for the past month suddenly vanished, and I had agonizing visions of being stuck in fat mode for forever. I just knew my body had shifted into the dreaded “starvation mode” and I would never lose another pound. Ever. No matter how little I ate or how much I exercised. The sudden funk was almost palpable.

OK, so maybe it was time to read up on this so-called starvation mode phenomenon.

After more internet surfing (who knew this skill would be so handy on a diet?) I found nearly as many articles on starvation mode as I did on the fat/muscle burning issue. Swell. It’s no wonder obesity runs rampant in our country, what with the preponderance of fast food in our diets and the scientific know-how required to understand and put together a decent weight loss program. What I did learn was that, while there really is such a thing as starvation mode, most studies found it happens when calories are reduced to less than half of what the body requires. And it’s only after the body is in starvation mode for an extended period that there is a significant decrease in metabolic rate.

Whew! I feel a little better after that! If you want to read more on the subject, CLICK HERE for Google’s list of articles. And I know I shouldn’t panic over this week’s results. I’m still above my goal of losing two pounds per week. I just have to keep on track and see what next week brings.

Lastly, I did realize one other important thing this week: the more weight I lose, the more adjustments I need to make to my calorie intake and exercise regimen. The less you weigh, the fewer calories your body needs. So I’m going to have to either eat less or exercise more – or both. Booyah. I sure hope that dieting euphoria comes back real soon.

This week’s funny is actually a true story. Years ago, I had a neighbor with a big mouth and an even bigger belly. Harsh, I know, but nonetheless true. I was pretty good sized myself at the time, but he actually had the gall to say I was fat. Which really pissed me off. What do you say to something like that, right? Here’s what I told him: “Yeah, I may be fat, but you’re just damned ugly. And I can diet.” That was the last comment he made about my weight...to my face, anyway.