TheFATladyBlog

Week One: Health Journey Milestones

Weight: I confess that I was a little deflated when I saw that I lost only three pounds in the last week, but then I thought a little bit. If I continue to lose three pounds a week I'll weigh less than that dastardly 200 number by summer's end. Besides, I'm not hungry. I am eating real food, good food, loosely following The South Beach Diet Plan. I plan to update myself a little more on that plan in the days ahead and pick up the corresponding cookbook with those recipes for a little more structure to guide my gastronomic adventures.

Exercise: I've been doing 10 laps in the pool at the local YMCA each day. That may not sound like much to some of you, but it is a major undertaking for a plus-size couch potato. I had a little shoulder strain over the weekend but that  passed and I had my first little endorphin rush today after my workout. It's been a looong time since I had an endorphin rush after exercise, my friends, and it was good!

Interesting Benefits: There are two little surprises that greet me this week. Honestly, I was not expecting improvement so early in this junket, but changes like these are important.

1. I have had a skin condition for many years that affects primarily my forearms. The skin in this area has had an "alligator skin" quality for many years--scaly, red, almost impervious to liquid. I do not use creams or lotions or anything of that sort to treat this area. However, the skin on my arms has returned to normal since I have embarked upon this health journey. It is smooth and has returned to a completely normal state. I am anxious to show this to my sister, a nurse in Texas, who has followed my condition for years.
2. The heels of my feet have been responsible for umpteen pantyhose snares, tears, and rips over many years. The heel surface has ranged from emery board roughness on good days to a bed of little razors on severe days. For the past few days the heels of my feet are totally normal! Smooth!

I'm sure that supplements are helping in ways that I did not anticipate. I'll assemble a list of the products that I am taking and offer that in a future post in the next couple of days.

Phony Weight Loss Product BagmenPrey On Hopes, Fears Of Obese

One of the things I am most concerned about on my weight loss journey is the quality of the food and supplements that I am using. I am engaged in daily research on matters relating to my own health. Know how to read your labels.

The American Obesity Assn. cautions dieters to avoid some supplements that are touted for weight control: "Whenever there is a disease or condition that many people will pay good money to relieve, there will be someone trying to turn a quick buck. In obesity, there are too many products or services that have been found to be harmful or are under current investigation."

AOA lists the following as Products of Concern:

Aristolochic Acid has been associated with permanent kidney damage, sometimes resulting in kidney failure that has required kidney dialysis or kidney transplantation. In addition, some patients have developed certain types of cancers, most often occurring in the urinary tract.

Ephedra, also known as ma huang, is found in some herbal products sold for weight control. . Ephedra is a controversial product. It may produce weight loss, but issues of appropriate dosage, effect of other stimulants and safety issues cloud this substance. It has been reported to cause nausea, dizziness, headache, skin rash, nervousness, moodiness, depression, heartracing, difficulty breathing, vomiting, blurred vision, addiction, disorientation, low blood pressure, gastrointestinal problems, chest pains, heart palpitations, and death.

Herbal weight loss tea / "Dieter's Tea," sometimes labeled as a natural bowel cleanser because of their laxative qualities, are often marketed as a weight loss product. The use of products with a laxative effect for weight control is ineffective and potentially dangerous for people on severely restricted diets.

Tiratricol: The FDA has forced the recall of products marketed as dietary supplements for weight loss that contain tiratricol, also known as triiodothyroacetic acid or TRIAC, a potent thyroid hormone that may cause serious health consequences including heart attacks and strokes.

Read what some holistic physicians have to say.

Some Skinny People Just Don't 'Get It'

I saw an interesting demonstration of The Bowling Ball as a unit of measure for weight. Bowling balls weigh about 16 pounds each. Since I hope to lose another 97 pounds, that equates to 6 bowling balls of extra mass that I carry with me with each step I take. If you have never had a problem with weight, this may put the matter into a clearer perspective. Imagine walking around ALL day with the extra weight of six bowling balls! You may not know me personally, but chances are very good that there are persons close to you -- family and friends who share the same dilemma that I have with extra poundage. If you are one of those "skinnies," think twice before offering a high-calorie, high-carb temptation to your friend or loved one. Think about keeping a stock of low-cal, healthy foodstuffs for snack food. Share your good eating habits and leave temptation to matters non-caloric.

Those Pictures Finally Did It!I'm Getting Real With Exercise!

Okay, already! The first 20 pounds almost melted off, but there's a looong way to go, lady! I'm still tipping those scales way over that 200 mark, and I'm hoping to scale down to a trim 140. I'm using the best carbohydrate-reducing, metabolism booster on the market, but making a commitment to real health means more than pushing supplements. I'm using a three-pronged approach in this enterprise, combining nutrition, supplements, and exercise to lose weight, achieve fitness, and get healthy.

The exercise is the toughest part of this program. I've been content to take a walk now and then and call it "exercise." Who have I been kidding? Certainly not the mirror or the camera, and definitely not the bathroom scale! After posting those dreadful photos this morning I high-tailed it over to the Bethlehem YMCA and submitted this sorry body to a full, intensive 40-minute cardio workout. These muscles didn't know what hit them today! Afterwards I treated them to a glorious 15 minutes in the sauna, a delicious shower, and an utterly divine whirlpool experience. Then I summoned every ounce of effort remaining in this pre-menopausal protoplasm and dragged myself home to a lunch of yogurt with wheat germ, a glass of soy milk, and my midday supplement mix. Now it's back to the world of real estate for the balance of the afternoon and evening.

Does anyone have a house to sell? I'm almost sold out! Call me!