Weight Loss Anyone?

[famnd]

Beth's two week Dash Challenge was such a success that I thought a thread for losing weight might be helpful. Losing weight decreases our blood volume which is the main determinant of blood pressure. Demer I believe has quoted before how much b/p decrease we can expect as we lose weight.

This week I decreased my calories to 1200 calories from the previous week of about 1500 calories (ate more bread servings). This week I kept my bread servings to 2 daily.
I don't process grains very well & feel very tired & bloated when I eat too many. Plus my weight seems to increase.

I eat the following on a daily basis: 2 fruits, at least 4 vegetables, at least 42gms of Protein, 2 bread servings, 30gms of fat, 3-4 servings of milk products plus 10 glasses of fluid to prevent gout from my diuretic. I follow a lacto/ova vegeterian diet. I eat about 1 tsp of salt a day which I measure. I cook without added salt. My Dr. said to keep my salt intake as it is because my blood sodium is low.

I usually walk an hour, ride my exercise bike 1/2hr, swim 1hr., do knee exercises for 15 min in the pool.

My goal is to reduce my HCTZ from 25mg to 12.5mg and to reduce my labetalol from 9 pills (1800mg) to 8 pills a day. I need to lose at least 47 3/4 lbs.

Week #1 3/2/08 1500 calories with 4-5 bread servings

Weight 167 3/4 lbs

B/P 139/59


Week #2 3/9/08 Ate 1200 calories a day

Weight 166 1/8 lb Lost 1.62lbs,

135/58 Previous b/p 139/59

Anyone is welcome to join me. Checking in once a week will help us stay on target. We need a constant flow of ideas on how to cope on a daily basis with losing weight
especially since most of us have the extra challenge of taking b/p meds which may cause us extra stomach issues etc.


Fam

[bethsheba]

Oh Famnd,

I'm so glad you've started this thread!!! Definitely count me in!

I've gained weight back (chocolate and almonds and extra servings of those new recipes,) so I have to make some changes. I "want" to lose 65 pounds BUT I'll do better if I set a goal of 12 pounds, at least for now. I do better with success so that's more realistic for me.

Calorie target: Based on weight and activity levels, I need to eat 2500-3500 calories to maintain my current weight...but I want to lose weight so I will cut back 500 calories a day for a safe weight loss. I'm not good at journaling or documentation so it is easier for me to do the 2000 calorie DASH meal plan (in which the nutrients and calories are already figured out, ) which includes 7 grains, 4 veggies, 4 fruits, 2 dairy founds, 1 1/2 meats poultry or fish, 1/4 nuts, seeds, legumes, 1 added fat, and 1/2 sweet.

Since doing my DASH challenge, I am very aware that I have a problem with sweets, so the 1/2 sweet will go (it's optional by the way) as will the serving of nuts...I'll stick with seeds, instead.

Exercise: Ideally I will swim once/per week (would like to do more but $$ are limited), and since ice and flooding now interfer with walking, I will hit the malls, , for my walk. Have subscribed to a free electronic exercise mail service and will try to do some stretching at home (I"m not big with the jumping up and down things).

Famnd, this was a wonderful idea!!! As Vanessa would say, "Good luck to us all!!"

Bethsheba

Although I want to and need to lose weight, my real motivation here is dropping my diastolic pressure which didn't drop enough with diet alone.

[dmer]

I've read that each 2lb drop in weight offers a 1 pt drop in systolic blood pressure. I think this might also be on the Mayo Clinic web site. I'm sure there are also minor variations from person to person.

Since mid October of 2007 until the present, my weight is down about 45lbs. My exercise regimen amounts to about 1 hour, 6 days per week, which includes 3 miles of run / jogging and 1.6 miles walking. When I started this, my pace was a lot slower and I didn't run any of it. Over time, it's amazing how you can pick up the pace. My goal is to get to between 185 - 190lbs which leaves me with another 40-45 lbs to go. I'm working my way back down my clothing inventory and thankfully, I still have a number of skinnier outfits, even if they are a bit dated, fashion wise

I would say that the nutrition parameters of my diet are very good, but I try to avoid the 2 servings of this, 3 servings of that routine because I find, at least for me, that it draws too much of my focus to food. I write down everything I eat and estimate the calorie content, adding it up at the end of each day. For me, there is a self-disciplinary aspect to this and I try to keep my calorie consumption below 1600 per day. I reckon that my counting might be off by up to 15% but I compensate for this by usually keeping the tally below 1600.

I think tables that show a given weight loss for a given calorie reduction can be a little too general, given how different metabolisms react. You can be sure however, that when you reach the "sweet spot" of diet, the lbs will come off. Exercise can speed this process up and bring a host of other advantages, as we hear all the time. My weight loss is probably in the range of 1.5 - 2 lbs per week, fluctuating with any deviation in my diet.

Aside from the weight loss, one think I really want to accomplish is taking on my present routine as a new lifestyle, as opposed to just a diet. Much as I'd prefer to write a great novel, if I have to write this goofy little food journal for the rest of my life, I'll do so to prevent returning to my blimp status. My potato chip and chocolate eating skills are still intact!!

[bethsheba]

Originally Posted by dmer

... My potato chip and chocolate eating skills are still intact!!

, Oh dmer...it's reassuring to know I have company! I never miss the sodium in my DASH meal plan but it is very difficult for me to pass up the sea salt potato chips in the store aisles, but I did.

I admire your exercise program and take encouragement from your post.

Bethsheba

[famnd]

Beth,

Let's make a deal!!! You give me your diastolic points & I'll give you my acid reflux so you won't be able to eat chips/chocolate.

Glad Dash works so great for you-I'll be jealous of your eating all those grains. It's nice to have everything all figured out in menus.

After 50 yrs of watching my weight, I have so many pared down recipes that I have become pretty selective in what I want to eat. On the other hand, I need to have a set menu so that I don't make wrong choices based on what is lurking in my kitchen at the moment. Fam