HCM Biggest Loser Contest

[Jall]

Re: HCM Biggest Loser Contest

Back from vacation and brought back some great photos but unfortunately also some excess baggage. Scale was at 210 this morning which is plus three pounds from when I left. That is over 10,000 unburned excess calories. I stayed at a place where the food was good, and included in the package. No way to count calories, but I was as active as I probably should have been, and one day did a hike I am sure my doc would not have approved. We were staying at or above 9000 feet most of the time which did put a cap on how many miles I could hike, but I just can't beleive that I blew it that badly.

Anyway, back to the drawing board and back to very controlled calorie counting. Hope everyone else had a better week. By the way, love the discussion about "hunger." I am trying to convince myself that hunger pangs are positive and a good thing....

Jeff

[mtlieb]

Re: HCM Biggest Loser Contest

I am trying to convince myself that hunger pangs are positive and a good thing...

I certainly think they are. Some of the healthiest and longest-lived people on the planet utilize some form of calorie restriction, like for example the Okinawans who practice Hara hachi bu. Studies are showing that calorie restriction both increases lifespan and significantly delays the onset of age related disorders such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and brain atrophy. Weightloss is just one positive benefit. Recent studies on cancer have interested me especially. When cancer patients are fasted for 48 hours prior to chemotherapy, they get a much better outcome with smaller doses of drugs. What happens is that when calories are restricted, healthy cells in the human body toughen themselves up and become more resistant to disease, whereas cancer cells get weaker without a ready supply of glucose. It's fascinating stuff to say the least.

[mtlieb]

Re: HCM Biggest Loser Contest

Jeff, I wouldn't sweat that small weight gain. Vacations are meant to be enjoyed! I myself am not posting my weight again this week as I'm still having fluid trouble with this heat and one can only guess at this point what my true weight really is. I'm sticking to my diet though and counting calories faithfully. I'm hoping to see a nice big drop in the scale once this is all over with... the water weight plus a couple extra pounds of fat due to my diligence.

[JudyA]

Re: HCM Biggest Loser Contest

I am up a fraction of a pound weighing in this morning at 278.4. I also do have water fluctuations during the week. I take my hydrochlorothiazide ( just 25 mg) at night, and then whatever water I may have gained during the day, I get rid of during the night And then I always weigh myself in the morning before I start my day. Sometimes that is 7AM and sometimes it is 11AM.

I have to try really hard to reach a state of being really well rested this week, because starting on the 8th I will be working 40 - 44 hours that week!! I normally work 20 something hours. Thank goodness it is only for 1 week while my patient's other nurse is on vacation. If I gain any weight - water or otherwise-I will be really lucky to finish the 11 hour shift on Friday the 12th...
Finally I am not procrastinating something- I am worrying in advance. hehe. Wish me luck!

JudyA

[jlaurie5856]

Re: HCM Biggest Loser Contest

Weight 174 lb today. So down 1 lb from last week. Unfortunately still 1 lb above start weight. However I got a job starting 8/15/11 (yay!) doing accounts receivable for a local hospital system. Also going to 2 different reunions on the weekend prior. Hope to use this for motivation now that can relax a bit that will have some funds coming in. However I have been lax on exercise for past 2-3 weeks and need to find healthier substitutes for snacks. Now wondering how can I lose weight/maintain a good weight when I'm under stress in the future? "Food for thought..." Jan

[Jall]

Re: HCM Biggest Loser Contest

Well, we have about three weeks to go on this little competition (I think the end was Labor day) and there is no way I will hit my goal of 30lbs, or probably even half of that. I weighed in at 208 this morning which means I have almost recovered lost ground from vacation, and am down 8lbs since May. Not impressive, but I know I can finish strong. So here it goes with all the trite sayings: put in overdrive, pour on the juice, get it gear etc. etc. Lets have everybody finish strong.

Jeff

[JudyA]

Re: HCM Biggest Loser Contest

My weight this morning was 276.2. That's about another 2 pounds off for me. 11.8 pounds from my starting weight in may. I am so thankful for this contest, it has kept me motivated to at least try to get this weight off. I have soooo much to lose yet! I do feel better even for having just this amount off (about a year and 1/2 ago I had taken 50 off and then gained it back ) Every little bit counts.
Have a great week everyone.

JudyA

[ryanrohaley]

Re: HCM Biggest Loser Contest

My waist is back down to high school specs (26 years ago) after losing 30lbs this year! Not looking to participate in the contest, but maybe just provide some motivation to those with HCM like me that have any hesitation in believing that they can be athletic and healthy. The ICD bulges out a lot more now, but I think that's a small price to pay. For all those involved in the contest, be strong and good luck!

[ryanrohaley]

Re: HCM Biggest Loser Contest

And just in case anyone is wondering "...how did you do that", here's the basics:

TRAINING:
The principals remain the same no matter what you've seen or heard. Some on this forum are limited in their physical abilities, but we should all know our limits and what we are capable of. Giving anything less than 100% will result in less than desired results. For fat loss, the one area you can't miss is cardiovascular training. With our condition, our levels need to be heavily monitored. Again, know your limits. Find an enjoyable type of cardio and mix it up. Doing cardio at a moderate intensity (maintaining the fat burning zone) for 20-40 minutes on a daily basis is essential. Walk outside or change up the music on your ipod, but don't let it get boring. If you're capable of weight training, keep the reps low for fat loss (6-12). If you can do more than 14 reps, increase the weight. Rest is a huge part. Building muscle occurs while you're sleeping, so ensure you're getting your 8 hours! Remember, increased muscle increases your metabolic rate which burns fat.

NUTRITION:
When fat loss is a goal, many people think that training is the key. If your nutrition is lacking, it won't show in the mirror. I plan my meals a week in advance. Fat loss requires quality calories. That means you need to eat often. I eat 6-8 meals/day. This keeps your body burning fat and using those calories for energy. I saw that someone mentioned an online tracker. Fitday.com and Myfitnesspal.com are simple tracking resources. Take the 5 minutes and know what you're putting into your body. In order to lose fat, you need to burn more calories that you bring in. Establish your maintenance calories (your weight x 15). Losing 2-3lbs/week should be your maximum. Make sure the bulk of your calories are from quality sources--I only eat brown complex carbs (Oatmeal/Whole grain pasta/Sweet potatoes), high protein sources (Chicken/Fish/Turkey/Tilapia) and only get fat sources from healthy fats like almonds/natural peanut butter/olive oil. And no...not all fats are created the same! You should try to maintain a 40:40:20 ratio for Protein:Carbs:Fat. Don't listen to the latest low carb craze. Your body needs carbs for energy. I cut out carbs after 6PM as sitting around the house and sleeping require little energy reserves. NEVER skip meals to try and cut calories. It will put your body into a fat storing starvation mode. It may sound funny, but you need a minimum amount of calories to lose weight. Your body will store every ounce of fat when it believes it is going into starvation mode. And as everyone has mentioned, make sure you keep your body hydrated. Water is the ONLY liquid that I consume. 2.5 gallons/day, but many of you will not be able to get there. 1 gallon is the minimum. Dedication and consistency are your goals. Eat to lose fat!

SUPPLEMENTS:
With a busy lifestyle including a hectic career and family obligations, meeting nutritional goals may be difficult. Here are a few that I consider a must: Multi-vitamin/Protein shakes/Essential fatty acids (EFAs).

So there you have it...hope that may help some of you.

[Jall]

Re: HCM Biggest Loser Contest

Judy, congrats on another good week for you. That puts you at 4% loss of body weight since we started. I am close behind at 3.7%. Let's finish strong over the next three weeks. Ryan, congrats on your success. Sounds like you have really good diet. 2.5 gallons of water a day sounds really high to me, but I guess every one's body works a little differently.

Jeff

[jlaurie5856]

Re: HCM Biggest Loser Contest

Hi everyone, sorry for late post again. I gained 3 lbs this week. Current weight 177.2 which is highly embarassing. I was actually going to quit posting but decided even 3 weeks can make start of a difference. And I do feel better for it - hanging in there.
Congrats to Judy and Jeff! & Thanks for encouraging words and best wishes to all. Jlaurie

[Jall]

Re: HCM Biggest Loser Contest

JLaurie--hang in there. I also did the three step backwards in a week thing. If you think about it, unless you really consumed 10,800 calories that were not burned up, the weight is more likely due to fluid fluctuations, or just the mechanics of taking your weight. I am amazed at how much weight can vary. It could even be the dynamics of the scale you are using. Just keep to a good diet and exercize pattern and you will make progress. My three pounds came on quickly but are coming back off almost as quickly. In any event, I am adjusting my sights to look for a long slow glide (downward) in my weight through Christmas. Once our new eating patterns become habit, it is inevitable that our body will find a new equilibrium at a lower weight.

Jeff

[Deedee]

Re: HCM Biggest Loser Contest

Nice encouragement pics there Ryan!

I was the one using fitday.com and sparkpeople.com but I've recently changed to using myfitnesspal.com as it's much faster and has a nice iPhone app too. I LOVE using the online trackers, they really help me a LOT.

The first month I lost between 7-9 pounds. The second month will end around the time this contest does and I am not sure if it will be another 7-9 pounds or not, I won't know until the last day as weighing in too often would bother me so I only do it once a month so the number always makes me happy.

I've been doing great with MFP tracking my healthy choices and it's nice and easy to make good choices when you see the pie charts and the numbers spelling it all out for you every day. I have been eating more great food than ever and losing weight doing it... this I can keep doing too. No need to "go off" my special diet when I reach goal weight... I'll just keep going until my body stops losing and then I'll eat to counter-balance my workouts instead of what I do now which is about 1400 cals per day no matter how much I work out.

Check out this suffering I'm doing! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsuL3hadIwI Poor me, eh? All this and I still have a waffle cone every couple of weeks too! Cheating is built-in when you make good choices day in and day out. My nutritionist at Cardiac Rehab says my food plan is practically perfect and to keep it up! She added a protein to my breakfast and a carb to my lunch but said otherwise I was doing a great job. She said to make sure to cheat when I feel like it, and ordered me to cheat on my birthday, LOL!

So at the end I will have to tell someone my actual numbers and have the % math done, but I'm glad I sort of participated no matter how it turns out - I have been feeling good this summer even tho a lot of health-medical things went wrong, at least I know my nutrition is on track and helping me.

[JudyA]

Re: HCM Biggest Loser Contest

My weight this morning is 277.4. Looks like I gained a pound back, darn. Could be the 5 sloppy joes I had last night for dinner! LOL! Or fluid. Anyway, ... Deedee- wow! loos like you are having great success with this. My husband has been using an app on his phone to track what he eats, maybe I should get it too. We both have android phones, so probably don't have the exact same app as the iPhone.

Have a great week everyone. we are getting a break from summer scorchers here in Ohio, don't know how long it will last but i love it. School is starting in 2 weeks basically, so my grandson is coming over later today- that will help me burn a few extra calories- he is a very active 7 year old.

JudyA

[mtlieb]

Re: HCM Biggest Loser Contest

Just checking in with my weekly post of shame. Have gotten most of the fluid off thank goodness, but I'm still stuck at 246 pounds. But hey, if I only end up losing ten pounds this summer, it's still ten pounds I wouldn't have lost otherwise. I'm so glad that others have had more success. Hang in there! Jim