Dodged a Health Bullet

[MartinH]

Before I post this, I'm actually rather hesitant, because I hate people preaching to me. It usually just pisses me off, and I get sick of their high-and-mighty BS.

But, I really just want to help anyone in my shoes.

A little background: I'm severely overweight, have terrible lipids, and as my doctor said I'm a "walking heart attack."

For any of you out there who are over weight, and feeling bad about it, I'd like to share my recent health scare with you.

I've actually been morbidly overweight for several years now, and only getting worse. Unable to stop myself, I just keep putting on the pounds. Two weeks ago I had the scare of a lifetime while at work. While giving a presentation to my staff I didn't know which month I was in, and was completely disoriented. My words stopped making sense and completely embarrassed myself. I felt worse than I ever had, without suffering from a flue or pneumonia. To be honest, I don't even remember how I got home that afternoon.

A few days later, while waiting for the blood-test to come back, pre-diagnosed with possible Diabetes or at least pre-Diabetes. It scared the pants off me, and since that Friday evening I've followed a Diabetic diet and stopped all soda and most importantly caffeine. The crazy thing is that I've been working on losing weight before Thanksgiving. It's been very, very difficult, despite my constant worry about my health.

Finally, my diagnosis is still strange, in that I'm simply put, just fat, and unhealthy. My blood sugar goes into hypoglycemia mode when I eat too much of the refined sugars and flour. So, knowing that, I've reduced my bad carb intake by over 80%, and have replaced it with good carbs, healthy, low-carb bread and lots of good meats and veggies. I'm staying away from high-fructose corn syrup all together. Also having the thought that caffeine was probably not good for me, as I was diagnosed with severe dehydration, I stopping all sodas, and changedall my liguid intake to only water. In the morning I'll have a cup of decaf coffee and for other hot drinks I've resorted to tea. This means that I'm 90% without caffeine and this change alone has given me a new lease on life. Just to give you an idea, I used to drink more than 2 pots of coffee a day. Then sodas on top of all of it.

I haven't felt this good in years. Stopping the poison that was the caffeine has allowed me to think clearer than ever before. I haven't felt this calm since a 10-day Buddhist meditation retreat in 2001.

The best news of all, is that the weight has been dropping without much effort. I'm following the Diabetic diet my doctor gave me and I feel that I finally have control over my life.

So, at any rate, I don't want to be annoying. But, being a father of a toddler, and someone who feared that I wouldn't live to see his High School graduation because of heart disease, I feel that for the first time I have a chance to beat this thing.

So, for any of you out there struggling with the beast that is weight, take it from me. There really is a way out. I hope that my story can help someone find a way out of feeling crappy all the time.

Okay, I'll stop my BS preaching now.

 

[Hermit]

Good luck!
BTW, what's wrong with caffeine?

 

[dshpipes]

Congratulations, Martin!

About 6 years ago I completely changed my diet and lifestyle and dropped 100 lbs from my previous 340 lb weight. For those of us who've had weight problems all their lives, this is a battle every day. I'm thrilled to hear that it's a battle that you're finally winning! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

As far as caffeine goes, I limit my intake: no soda and limited amounts of coffee.

Here's a photographic study done by NASA in 1995 concerning the neurological effects of difference chemical substances on spiders. Here's the image:

 

[user 2031]

*

 

[MisterE]

Hang in there Martin!

I'm amazed how far just cutting out soft drinks went to keep my weight down. I might have three cokes a week now in comparison to 3 a day a few years back! In my younger days when I lived on beer and pizza I always had trouble buttoning my jeans. I guess alcohol it pretty fattening too.

Where I seem to have those sobering wake-the-f**k-up thoughts is when I realaze I'm 44. My mind continues to operate like a 30 year old, but the body's getting older. I start thinking, "geez, this is heart attack age" and it gets me back to better eating choices. Ususally. :suspect:

 

[Dutch]

I wish you the best of luck Martin. Your post is certainly inspiring!

I myself, got up to 300lbs about 5 years ago. I managed to drop 35lbs by just going to the gym, without focusing on my diet. However I stuck around 265lbs. and just couldn't seem to drop any more weight.

I ran into an ex girlfriend who was 5'3 and the last time I saw her she had got up to 200lbs. When I saw her this time, she was down to 125lbs. I knew she hated to exercise and smoked cigarettes, so I asked her how she lost the weight. She replied by telling me she went on a low carb diet and only ate 20 grams of carbs a day, but otherwise ate all the protein and fat she wanted, even right before bed.

I got more info from her and started on this protein diet myself. Within 14 weeks, I had got myself down to 225lbs. I still lifted weights 3 times a week, but did no cardio. During this time my bench press went up 50lbs, I suppose due to the increased protein intake. I really enjoyed eating a ribeye or chicken breast late at night before bed, and never having to count calories.

Some people will say that a low carb diet is unhealthy, but I only stayed on it 14 weeks, and for the last 6 years I have maintained my weight by watching my eating habits. I feel much better now, but I'm planning to go back on the low carb diet again for a few weeks, so I can drop an additional 20lbs.

 

[flytyer]

Martin thanks for the post and best of luck with your diet/lifestyle change. More power to you and your new healthier habits. :cheers:

 

[MartinH]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all the positive feedback and supportive comments! My doctor mentioned that I'd already dropped 20lbs since Thanksgiving, so that made me happy. However, I'm strongly feeling what Mr. E said. I'm in heart-attack-territory now. I'm almost 42 and only getting older. As much as I now get depressed about my birthdays, I have to always remember what my mom says, it's so typically German.

Me: "I hate having birthdays."
Mom: "Well, it's better than not having any."

True sentiment. But, my little boy is turning 2 years old in April, and I just can't handle being this unhealthy anymore. I did a low-carb diet a few years back and went from 265 to 185 in 6 months. But, I got so sick from doing it, that I was having real health issues. I need to add that I stayed on the "food plan" for almost three years. Now my max was 345, and I'm down to 314. So, I'm pleased to be at least moving forward with the weight loss. Or is that backwards?

My target is to get below 200 again, it felt good being that weight. And most importantly, as Mr. E said, I need to stop thinking I'm in my 30s and that "I'll work on it." because the days came and went, and not a frakkin' thing changed. So, as much as I'm scared of being diabetic in the future, I'm more scared about how I felt that particular Friday. I thought I was having a stroke.

So, at any rate. Thanks for letting me babble and ramble. It's nice to have some guys out there who understand this viscous cycle that is obesity.

Thanks!

 

[Dutch]

As much as I now get depressed about my birthdays, I have to always remember what my mom says, it's so typically German.

Me: "I hate having birthdays."
Mom: "Well, it's better than not having any."

True sentiment.

That's hillarryus! My grandfather was a Schmidt, and it sounds just like something he would say! :lol:

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Hey Martin

Just keep up your new lease, man, you'll get through it. Stay positive, don't beat yourself up if it isn't all success, and learn to get stronger, not necessarily healthier. It's a rough road, you'll have good days and bad days. It's the same for all challenges and changes (and we all have them).

Okay, end my own preachiness.

We're here for ya. 8)

 

[itsKot]

Martin, it's very humbling to hear a brother lay it all out as openly as you just did. I'm happy to hear things too a turn for the better and you're feeling better! Thanks for sharing this with us as we all know things like this can be very personal, and even downright scary! I sincerely hope things continue getting better for you and that you have a long happy life as a man and a father.

 

[Muddler]

Well done Martin!

 

[monbla256]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all the positive feedback and supportive comments! My doctor mentioned that I'd already dropped 20lbs since Thanksgiving, so that made me happy. However, I'm strongly feeling what Mr. E said. I'm in heart-attack-territory now. I'm almost 42 and only getting older. As much as I now get depressed about my birthdays, I have to always remember what my mom says, it's so typically German.

Me: "I hate having birthdays."
Mom: "Well, it's better than not having any."

True sentiment. But, my little boy is turning 2 years old in April, and I just can't handle being this unhealthy anymore. I did a low-carb diet a few years back and went from 265 to 185 in 6 months. But, I got so sick from doing it, that I was having real health issues. I need to add that I stayed on the "food plan" for almost three years. Now my max was 345, and I'm down to 314. So, I'm pleased to be at least moving forward with the weight loss. Or is that backwards?

My target is to get below 200 again, it felt good being that weight. And most importantly, as Mr. E said, I need to stop thinking I'm in my 30s and that "I'll work on it." because the days came and went, and not a frakkin' thing changed. So, as much as I'm scared of being diabetic in the future, I'm more scared about how I felt that particular Friday. I thought I was having a stroke.

So, at any rate. Thanks for letting me babble and ramble. It's nice to have some guys out there who understand this viscous cycle that is obesity.

Thanks!

Your story almost duplicates where I was when I was 39. It was at that time I was diagnosed as being atype 2 diabetic and my physician got me with a good endocrinologist and I started on my new life. It took me almost 18 mo's to loose 110 pounds but I've kept it off now for 20+ years. You will find that the ADA (American Diabetes Assoc.) diet is a GREAT thing to LIVE by. Please get the Diabetes question resolved as once your body trips over to being diabetic, you ARE diabetic and need to live accordingly. Being a diabetic makes you realize that you truly "....are what you eat". Take your time in loosing the wieght and it will STAY off as opposed to loosing it fast which causes the body to work harder to RETURN to it's "set-point" it was at before the weight loss. And as far as tea and caffein, tea has twice as much caffein as coffee so be careful. Moderation will become your mantra in life and you will feel and be better!! Hang in there and you will do it

 

[dshpipes]

I'm one of those guys who would caution against a high protein low carb diet.

Admittedly, I dropped 100 lbs in 6 months doing atkins and playing racquetball for 2 hours a day. During that time, however, my overall health lessened as a result of little to no carbohydrates. My digestion suffered terribly and even though I had a semi-constant feeling of euphoria, I woke up every morning feeling weighed down to an extreme abnormal degree. As soon as I went off of the diet, I began to feel better, but my body started packing on carb weight because it had been denied that energy source for so long. A diet like this can work well in the short term, but is not a sustainable life style change.

My low at the end of my atkins diet was 245 lbs. Over the last 5 years or so, I've been fighting between the 250s and 280s. Recently, I finally got back down to the 240s and even beat my previous weight, hitting 243 as my low! I did this by using Weight Watchers as a guide, which essentially meant that I ate a lot more fruits and vegetables (food filled with water to help you become full faster), and being honest with myself about when the hunger stopped. Not full or stuffed, but sated. I had to learn to stop eating when I reached this point. I also began to exercise by riding my bike between 9 and 24 miles a day 3 to 4 days a week and lifting weights on the days in between.

I've gotten lax about it again and, low and behold, my weight has risen back into the 250s. This tends to happen in the winter months. As a result, I am now having to force myself to go to the gym again so I can re-establish a routine.

Point being, a low carb high protein diet is unhealthy and, if continued for a long period of time, could seriously damage your health.

A book that changed my life in terms of diet is The China Study. There was a documentary made concerning the results of the China Study called "Forks over Knives." The film is streaming on NetFlix and is easy to find otherwise. I highly recommend both the book and the film.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

The whole diet vs. health vs. nutrition thing is such a mess. It's literally something a person has to discover on their own.

Hey, the bleeding peptic ulcers I got a year ago sure made me look at my diet a little differently, and I dropped 40 pounds in a two month period. :lol: That sucked. A lot. Woke me up, too.

It did, however, force me to seriously cut back on portions, have smaller meals more often, eliminate certain foods (beef, fried stuff) and go from a diet of 80% meat/20% veg, to 20% meat/80% veg. Before, I was kind of doing an "atkins" thing just seeing how it worked, and it's good for a change, but I can't see it as sustainable--at least for my metabolism and body chemistry. I kind of dig the new diet I've made up (through trial and error/research), actually. I love, love food.

Exercise is also the key. I do Aikido three times a week, which is a great workout, and when I'm out doing my job, I'm hiking in varied terrain for 6 - 10 hours a day. Plus, there's no french fries out there. :lol:

The other thing that sucks is the going for "healthy" goal rather than the going for "sexy" goal. One is legit, the other is a border-line mental disorder for most folks. It's an entirely different approach, concept, discussion and practice. People confuse the two all the time, and they couldn't be more different. Because I'm no longer in that "unhealthy" weight category where people almost feel sorry for you and celebrate the loss of a few pounds, the next shift comes on board that almost says, "Gee, bro, you're so close to being fit, all you gotta do is tone up and you'll be perfect!" Perfect, huh? F___ you. I'm not working out six hours a day, seven days a week, tanning and waxing--I'm not a woman. I still have some love handles and a "pinch-an-inch"... Don't look at it if it makes you upset, "bro."

Just waking up in the morning in a good mood, not feeling "overstuffed" when I eat, not worrying if my clothes will fit from day to day (that **** gets expensive to keep up with!), and being able to physically do all the things I want to do is good enough for me, and is a reasonable goal for anyone. Plus, as a cook, I love the challenge of making good food also taste good. Without drugs and treatment, lo, no more ulcers, and I went from about 245 to 195 (hell if I know, I don't own a scale--just from doctor visits). I gotta keep up with it, though.

It's all about discovering what works. There's no miracle. Well, perhaps some hard-assed determination (or in my case, stubbornness... :lol: )

8)

 

[deepbass9]

Guess I should give up the coffee and smoke pot instead!


JK...best of luck and heath to all of you!

 

[Behike54]

Martin,

While I am new and don't know you that well, I am so glad you posted today. Last year, I was on a hospital monitored diet that a friend of mine said was "like Atkin's, only for Navy Seals." Lost 160 pounds in 9 months. This was not the first time that I have lost 150+ pounds and I struggle with food everyday.

When I think about the food plan that was the most successful for me and I felt good while a fair amount of energy was simple.

3 meals a day, and a portion of fruit between lunch and dinner and another 2 hours before I went to bed. NO DESSERT.

A meal was a plate of food (not everest height, simplicity was the key) and I never ate the same carb more than once a day. sandwich for lunch, rice for dinner, no bread again, etc.


It was simple, manageable, and was something I could sustain. Meaning, it wasn't like a diet that started and stopped. It was just a way I was committed to eating that I could sustain.

I am in no way recommending ANY diet or regiment of exercise. For me, the biggest benefit was finding something that would work for me and not involving stopping, starting, big transitions, etc. It sounds like you have specific dietary needs. Let that be your guide and find support you need. A group, a shrink, both, church, WHATEVER. Just get some support.

Best wishes!

Jack

 

[MartinH]

Martin,

While I am new and don't know you that well, I am so glad you posted today. Last year, I was on a hospital monitored diet that a friend of mine said was "like Atkin's, only for Navy Seals." Lost 160 pounds in 9 months. This was not the first time that I have lost 150+ pounds and I struggle with food everyday.

When I think about the food plan that was the most successful for me and I felt good while a fair amount of energy was simple.

3 meals a day, and a portion of fruit between lunch and dinner and another 2 hours before I went to bed. NO DESSERT.

A meal was a plate of food (not everest height, simplicity was the key) and I never ate the same carb more than once a day. sandwich for lunch, rice for dinner, no bread again, etc.


It was simple, manageable, and was something I could sustain. Meaning, it wasn't like a diet that started and stopped. It was just a way I was committed to eating that I could sustain.

I am in no way recommending ANY diet or regiment of exercise. For me, the biggest benefit was finding something that would work for me and not involving stopping, starting, big transitions, etc. It sounds like you have specific dietary needs. Let that be your guide and find support you need. A group, a shrink, both, church, WHATEVER. Just get some support.

Best wishes!

Jack

Hey Jack,

Yeah it's the third time in my life I've had to do this. I hope that this time, the third time, will be the charm and I can stay at a healthy weight for a long time. Struggling with weight sucks, and it's a fraggin battle every day.

Thanks for your kind words, Jack.

 

[Behike54]

Thanks for your kind words, Jack.

PM me anytime you wanna jaw. The pleasure is mine, my man. Easy does it.....