Need to lose 50 Lbs....

Fritsch · 04-01-2004, 11:48 AM

Im a 34 y.o. C7 and live alone, cook alone, 3 1/2 years post injury. Im 6' 240+lbs. At this weight I will die young. and its tought to pull my heft all over the place. I stayed very fit pre-sci through lots of exercise-due to mobility,weather,equiptment i cant do as much of this. as a result i just keep packing the weihgt on.
Has anyone lost alot of weight 30-60lbs. Whats the trick? lots of water? limiting intake to energy bars? slim fast? Veggies only? fasting? no-carbs? How can i do this in the next 3 months?

DavidP · 04-01-2004, 12:38 PM

My wife has lost 40 lbs. in 2 months on Atkins...and she is still losing.. Good Luck
David

Liz321 · 04-01-2004, 12:59 PM

Lots of people are losing weight on Atkins like programs.
Try South Beach.

Talk to a nutrionist.
Start lifting some hand weights, play tennis!

Jeff · 04-01-2004, 02:36 PM

Fritsch - Weight gain is indeed a problem. It can increase the risk for lots of problems including diabetes and heart disease.

Any diet that restricts your calories below what you burn will cause you to lose weight.

Atkins/low carb diets have the advantage of causing your body to burn fat more efficiently. Unfortunately, carbohydrates are responsible for the best nutrition so low carb is probably not a lifelong solution. But it really does work for taking the weight off. I used to lose weight by eating only tunafish. High protein/zero carbs. Man, it was awesome.

The next thing you can do is to get started now on getting your insurance to buy you an FES bike. If you want good cardio/pulmonary/vascular health and long life there is no substitute. At first you won't believe how massively taxing a simple FES ride can be. But as you grow in strength and endurance you'll never want to go back to the way it was.

Adding lean muscle mass to your legs will increase your metabolism. And you'll burn calories while pedaling.

~See you at the SCIWire-used-to-be-paralyzed Reunion

~

Kaprikorn1 · 04-01-2004, 03:27 PM

Fritsch...

I would recommend staying away from all the fad diets ie: atkins, miami beach, etc.

My wife lost 50 lbs using Weight Watchers Winning Points Program. It was $20.00 to sign up and that's it. If you can handle your own discipline and don't need the "support meetings", etc. that $20 gives you access to the website to keep track, learn how to use, and look up the points for all the foods you want to eat.

It took her just over 1 year to lose the 50 lbs but it was done the right way and she can now maintain it very easily. You can eat whatever you want on it...but you need to limit the "point count intake". You'll soon learn to adjust your eating habits so you can have enough meals, snacks, even wine to satisfy your cravings, while staying within your "point count".

Check it out at www.weightwatchers.com

Kap

"It's not easy being green"

SCI-Nurse · 04-01-2004, 07:50 PM

Keep a food diary for at least a week. Do a calorie count (you can do this yourself, or ask your physician to refer you to a registered dietitian who can help). Look at your average calorie intake per day. Reduce this by 500 calories daily. For most people this should result in a 2 lb. weight loss/week, which is a safe weight loss. This could result in 24 lb. weight loss in 3 months.

It is not safe to loose weight at a faster rate than this. Crash diets often lead to malnutrition, and you are at risk for skin breakdown and other problems with fad diets that don't address your need for a balanced diet.

What are you doing for exercise? At your level there is a lot you can do that burns calories. This include not only the FES bike as mentioned by Jeff, but also swimming, quad rugby, road work (putting on some miles), handcycle, weight lifting, etc. etc. You just have to be careful to keep your intake down and not increase it due to the increased appitite that may result from more exercise.

(KLD)

Fritsch · 04-02-2004, 07:28 AM

Thanks for the advise y'all. Ive followed up with web searches and will be looking for the right combo of all ideas presented. Im weighing myself on Sunday and will be working aformentioned ideas right away. Nice of all of you to help advise.

chasb · 04-02-2004, 08:18 AM

Forget about Diets. They simply don't work. You need to change your lifestyle. 1) Don't eat anything besides fruit or water after 4pm daily. 2) Before each meal drink at least 8-12 ounces of water. 3) Don't deprive yourself of foods that you like, you need to LEARN to EAT LESS. Instead of 3 meals eat 5 smaller meals. Find something to replace the sweets, like trail mix, granolla, pears or bannanas. Good luck. You can do it.

~Patrick~ · 04-02-2004, 10:07 AM

I agree with everthing everbody has said. Change your lifestyle. Start with going through your cabinets. Get rid of all the "bad" stuff. Sweets are not all that bad if eaten in moderation. Do you cook? Go to the book store and look for a diet type cookbook that will give you ideas for a menu.

Its spring in DC. Get out and find a gym! Do you use a manual chair? Go for a stroll around the Mall. Not the shopping center, the Mall with the reflcting pool! Its all up to you. You can do it if you try!

T-10 complete
10/08/01

marco25 · 04-03-2004, 08:50 AM

Fritsch, congratulations on your decision to lose some weight. Two years ago I made that decision because it was out of control. Since then I've lost a total of almost 60 pounds! No diets, little exercise, just some lifestyle changes.

First and most importantly was I weaned myself off Paxil, an anti-depressant I'd been taking for 5 years. I gained an average of 10 pounds a year while on it--which made me even more depressed! Also, I was drinking more than I should have been, especially on a medication like that. My marriage was hell, and as a stay at home mom, I felt isolated from the world.

Scott and I separated, and I started working part-time. I had a boss who ran me so hard I literally had to wear a sports bra to work!

(Lots of running up and down a flight of stairs, so lots of jiggling.) But I loved the job and getting involved with "adults" again. The weight started to slip off.

I also found that I wasn't filling my time with (comfort) food during the day, and then I was too tired at night to drink the customary 2-4 glasses of wine. Water became increasingly more appealing, and I was starting to feel better overall.

During the last year I've been a single, working mother. My responsibilities at work and the needs of my children keep me very busy. There are nights I go to bed and realize I haven't even eaten, mainly because I wasn't hungry. Over time my appetite has decreased significantly, and I simply don't crave the junk as much as I used to--but I still treat myself to it now and then. But you know what? It just doesn't do it for me anymore. Give me a banana instead. The weight has continued to slide off, sometimes in chunks, sometimes slowly. I've lost another 10 pounds in the last month, and I haven't been trying. Just busy, a little stress, and yardwork!

Today I'm right smack in the middle of my weight range for a woman my age and height. However, being a woman, I'd like to lose another 10 pounds--we're never satisfied

Good luck with your diet. I'll add that another incentive to keep losing is when your partner or members of the opposite sex start "looking" at you again. That's a lot more fun than super-size french fries.

04-01-2004, 11:48 AM	#1
Fritsch Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: washington dc Posts: 95	Need to lose 50 Lbs.... Im a 34 y.o. C7 and live alone, cook alone, 3 1/2 years post injury. Im 6' 240+lbs. At this weight I will die young. and its tought to pull my heft all over the place. I stayed very fit pre-sci through lots of exercise-due to mobility,weather,equiptment i cant do as much of this. as a result i just keep packing the weihgt on. Has anyone lost alot of weight 30-60lbs. Whats the trick? lots of water? limiting intake to energy bars? slim fast? Veggies only? fasting? no-carbs? How can i do this in the next 3 months?

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04-01-2004, 12:38 PM	#2
DavidP Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Hurricane,WV, USA Posts: 15	My wife has lost 40 lbs. in 2 months on Atkins...and she is still losing.. Good Luck David

04-01-2004, 12:59 PM	#3
Liz321 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: NY Posts: 4,133	Lots of people are losing weight on Atkins like programs. Try South Beach. Talk to a nutrionist. Start lifting some hand weights, play tennis!

04-01-2004, 02:36 PM	#4
Jeff Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: North Brunswick, NJ, USA Posts: 6,846	Fritsch - Weight gain is indeed a problem. It can increase the risk for lots of problems including diabetes and heart disease. Any diet that restricts your calories below what you burn will cause you to lose weight. Atkins/low carb diets have the advantage of causing your body to burn fat more efficiently. Unfortunately, carbohydrates are responsible for the best nutrition so low carb is probably not a lifelong solution. But it really does work for taking the weight off. I used to lose weight by eating only tunafish. High protein/zero carbs. Man, it was awesome. The next thing you can do is to get started now on getting your insurance to buy you an FES bike. If you want good cardio/pulmonary/vascular health and long life there is no substitute. At first you won't believe how massively taxing a simple FES ride can be. But as you grow in strength and endurance you'll never want to go back to the way it was. Adding lean muscle mass to your legs will increase your metabolism. And you'll burn calories while pedaling. ~See you at the SCIWire-used-to-be-paralyzed Reunion ~

04-01-2004, 03:27 PM	#5
Kaprikorn1 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.F. Bay Area, Calif. Posts: 1,369	Fritsch... I would recommend staying away from all the fad diets ie: atkins, miami beach, etc. My wife lost 50 lbs using Weight Watchers Winning Points Program. It was $20.00 to sign up and that's it. If you can handle your own discipline and don't need the "support meetings", etc. that $20 gives you access to the website to keep track, learn how to use, and look up the points for all the foods you want to eat. It took her just over 1 year to lose the 50 lbs but it was done the right way and she can now maintain it very easily. You can eat whatever you want on it...but you need to limit the "point count intake". You'll soon learn to adjust your eating habits so you can have enough meals, snacks, even wine to satisfy your cravings, while staying within your "point count". Check it out at www.weightwatchers.com Kap "It's not easy being green"

04-01-2004, 07:50 PM	#6
SCI-Nurse Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 29,485	Keep a food diary for at least a week. Do a calorie count (you can do this yourself, or ask your physician to refer you to a registered dietitian who can help). Look at your average calorie intake per day. Reduce this by 500 calories daily. For most people this should result in a 2 lb. weight loss/week, which is a safe weight loss. This could result in 24 lb. weight loss in 3 months. It is not safe to loose weight at a faster rate than this. Crash diets often lead to malnutrition, and you are at risk for skin breakdown and other problems with fad diets that don't address your need for a balanced diet. What are you doing for exercise? At your level there is a lot you can do that burns calories. This include not only the FES bike as mentioned by Jeff, but also swimming, quad rugby, road work (putting on some miles), handcycle, weight lifting, etc. etc. You just have to be careful to keep your intake down and not increase it due to the increased appitite that may result from more exercise. (KLD)

04-02-2004, 07:28 AM	#7
Fritsch Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: washington dc Posts: 95	Thanks for the advise y'all. Ive followed up with web searches and will be looking for the right combo of all ideas presented. Im weighing myself on Sunday and will be working aformentioned ideas right away. Nice of all of you to help advise.

04-02-2004, 08:18 AM	#8
chasb Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 1,263	Forget about Diets. They simply don't work. You need to change your lifestyle. 1) Don't eat anything besides fruit or water after 4pm daily. 2) Before each meal drink at least 8-12 ounces of water. 3) Don't deprive yourself of foods that you like, you need to LEARN to EAT LESS. Instead of 3 meals eat 5 smaller meals. Find something to replace the sweets, like trail mix, granolla, pears or bannanas. Good luck. You can do it.

04-02-2004, 10:07 AM	#9
~Patrick~ Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Lewistown,Pennsylvania Posts: 1,512	I agree with everthing everbody has said. Change your lifestyle. Start with going through your cabinets. Get rid of all the "bad" stuff. Sweets are not all that bad if eaten in moderation. Do you cook? Go to the book store and look for a diet type cookbook that will give you ideas for a menu. Its spring in DC. Get out and find a gym! Do you use a manual chair? Go for a stroll around the Mall. Not the shopping center, the Mall with the reflcting pool! Its all up to you. You can do it if you try! T-10 complete 10/08/01

04-03-2004, 08:50 AM	#10
marco25 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Louisiana Posts: 2,911	Fritsch, congratulations on your decision to lose some weight. Two years ago I made that decision because it was out of control. Since then I've lost a total of almost 60 pounds! No diets, little exercise, just some lifestyle changes. First and most importantly was I weaned myself off Paxil, an anti-depressant I'd been taking for 5 years. I gained an average of 10 pounds a year while on it--which made me even more depressed! Also, I was drinking more than I should have been, especially on a medication like that. My marriage was hell, and as a stay at home mom, I felt isolated from the world. Scott and I separated, and I started working part-time. I had a boss who ran me so hard I literally had to wear a sports bra to work! (Lots of running up and down a flight of stairs, so lots of jiggling.) But I loved the job and getting involved with "adults" again. The weight started to slip off. I also found that I wasn't filling my time with (comfort) food during the day, and then I was too tired at night to drink the customary 2-4 glasses of wine. Water became increasingly more appealing, and I was starting to feel better overall. During the last year I've been a single, working mother. My responsibilities at work and the needs of my children keep me very busy. There are nights I go to bed and realize I haven't even eaten, mainly because I wasn't hungry. Over time my appetite has decreased significantly, and I simply don't crave the junk as much as I used to--but I still treat myself to it now and then. But you know what? It just doesn't do it for me anymore. Give me a banana instead. The weight has continued to slide off, sometimes in chunks, sometimes slowly. I've lost another 10 pounds in the last month, and I haven't been trying. Just busy, a little stress, and yardwork! Today I'm right smack in the middle of my weight range for a woman my age and height. However, being a woman, I'd like to lose another 10 pounds--we're never satisfied Good luck with your diet. I'll add that another incentive to keep losing is when your partner or members of the opposite sex start "looking" at you again. That's a lot more fun than super-size french fries.