Monday, March 18, 2013

Weight Loss


I bought a treadmill in February.  I was worried about buying one as I didn't want it to become a 200 pound dust collector.  Thankfully, I have been using it regularly.  I tried to get a life insurance policy a few weeks ago but didn't pass the medical test.  They wouldn't tell me why, so I requested the transcript.  It will require a doctor to decode it.  I'm pretty sure I know the reason why.  I have a history of high blood sugar.  I produce normal levels of insulin, but I am insulin resistant - my cells don't respond normally to my insulin.

In 2003, when I first found out that I had high blood sugar - I would walk regularly, and take a lot of vitamins, minerals, and other supplements.  The high blood sugar went away for about a year.  I could eat a cake, check my blood sugar levels two hours later and it would be within the normal range.  I thought I was cured.  Unfortunately, I went to college and picked up some bad habits.  After leaving high-school in 2002, I weighed 245 pounds.  That's a lot, even for someone 6'4".  The highest my weight ever went was an astonishing 315 pounds in 2006.  That was a bad year.  After that my weight averaged 265.  In addition to this, I've always had high blood pressure.

Thanks to diet and exercise, I now weigh 240 pounds.  That's the lowest I've weighed since I was a Junior in high-school   It's actually the weight that I have listed on my driver's license.  The good news to come from the medical test is that my blood pressure is normal.  I attribute this to regular exercise.  The recommended weight for my build is 214 pounds.  My goal is to get down to 225 pounds before mid summer, and then I'll set another goal.  I've been consuming only 1800 calories a day for a few weeks now.  To maintain my weight, they recommend about 3000.  Other than reaching my goal weight, I'm hoping that the high blood sugar goes away.  I never had it until I weighed around 240 pounds.

I kept injuring myself jogging on the treadmill and on the sidewalk.  I would take whey protein and consume a lot of water, but that didn't help much.  I found that the problem was my shoes.  They were isolating certain muscles, and causing strain.  I bought some exercise socks, and jog in them on the treadmill.  That problem is now gone.  I try to run/walk for one to two minute intervals for 25 mins a day which helps me build endurance.  Dieting is the hardest part.  Some days are frustrating.  I weigh in some mornings and it appears as though I haven't lost any weight.  But this is impossible as I have been consuming very few calories.  There are so many different variables at play.  Perhaps I am building muscle, or perhaps the food in my system from the previous night has not been fully digested.  I feel like a wrestler, constantly trying to make weight.

I don't have a support group, so I have to find the motivation...which is hard to do sometimes.  Especially, when the girl scout cookies we pre-ordered three months ago arrived when I am on this diet.  I've found some things are very helpful when dieting.  There's a free app called 'Lose It!' which keeps me honest about calorie consumption and exercise time.  I can also see my friends' progress on there.  Applesauce and string cheese have become my best friends now.  They are very low calorie and filling.  I will probably post an update in another two or three weeks.  Until then, I'll be staying healthy.  I've also scheduled a doctor's appointment, so I can get this blood sugar thing under control in the meantime.

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