As you may have noticed, the medication I'm on for my lupus has made me swell up like Violet in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, after she eats the gum. I have gained 10 pounds, all in my face and neck and stomach. And because I am 4 foot 11, every pound of it SHOWS.
I'm desperate to lose weight. I read that keeping a public blog of your diet and exercise can help keep you on track, so that's what I'm doing. I guess the shame factor will come into play. I am also open to suggestions, especially if you yourself have lost a significant amount of weight. Tell me what I'm doing wrong. I will listen. Phil will not let me have liposuction, despite my begging. So it's come to this.
Tonight I will post my daily exercise and food regimen. Along with.....my weight. I feel like crying.
No lipo.
ReplyDeleteI lost 100lbs in 11 months and I still have more to go. This is what I did and what I suggest....
ReplyDeleteDon't try and change your life and habits over night, take it slow and be forgiving, don't punish yourself. Make one little change at a time, then when it becomes natural add another change. First thing I did was cut out fried food and soda (except on cheat days).
Make bargains with your self, such as, "I will avoid this yummy thing that is not good for me today but on my cheat day I can have it if I want."
Give yourself one day a week where you don't have to think about your food, exercise, or weight.
*****On your cheat day you are not allowed to criticize your body at all!******
****** When you find yourself thinking or saying negative things about your body you HAVE to APOLOGIZE to yourself!!*****
After a while when I got to my cheat day I had forgotten all about that yummy thing and was hesitant to add too many calories since I had worked so hard all week. I began thanking myself for doing such a good job by joyfully turning down things that are bad for me, I felt empowered saying I dont even want that, and truly meaning it.
My doctor suggested that I, drink one full glass of water (min of 8-8oz glasses a day) before I sit down to eat any meal, and to have all my protein consumed by 3pm, then to eat progressively for dinner. Progressive example being; prepare vegetable dish first, after eating it if I was still hungry I could then prepare something else like a baked potato and use fat free toppings, If i was still hungry I could then prepare something else. I only prepared more than 2 things on very rare occasions. I was also to have a very small snack in between each meal, such as, a hand full of almonds or dried fruit, half an apple with 2 table spoons of peanut butter, trail mix and a string cheese etc. I was never to scrimp on breakfast, in fact it was good to have a varied and good size breakfast. I liked having a fresh fruit smoothie with protein powder in it, steel cut oats, fat free greek yogurt with honey and maybe a hard boiled egg. I would munch on all that for almost 2 hours.
I made a lot of substitutions like "i cant believe its not butter" spray instead of butter, low fat mayo instead of regular, unsweetened and calorie free beverages. when I went out to eat I would cut my food in half before eating then take the rest home.
For exercise I added my biking and for 3 months I only rode a mile at a time, then I rode 3 miles at a time, then 6 then 15 now I can do 20 in a day if I need to, it has taken me a little over a year to get this far. I choose bike because it was low impact and I could increase my work out easily by choosing routes with bigger hills and racing myself to see how fast I could get somewhere. If I was tired I could just relax and cruise, which is still movement even if it isnt intense.
For the puffiness from medications I think if you avoid salt it would help and maybe getting a lymphatic drainage massage to help move the fluid out of where it has settled. To me it seems that most of what you are seeing and feeling on your body now is a kind of fluid retention directly caused by he medication. From what I know of you, your lifestyle is fairly healthy and for you to put on that kind of weight so fast is not really due to anything that is your fault.
I included my regimen in case there was anything in it that you want to try or for anyone else reading this who could use the info.
Know that you are beautiful!
Thank you Chris!!!! Very helpful! I think I will try lymphatic drainage massage too. I hadn't thought of that!
ReplyDelete