Need advice - Sudden weight loss...want to keep it off!!

[bmbsqd]

Here is my situation...I have recently lost 40+ pounds. About 25 of it was the result of lead/arsenic chelation, the other 15 has been my appetite being naturally supressed and just not eating. The chelation was a horrible experience that I will never do again regardless of lead/arsenic levels in my body, but the weight loss has resulted in a weight and chemisty correction that has been greatly appreciated. My blood sugar, blood pressure and other concerns are all now in control without meds.

My problem is I have seemed to reach the point that I must add exercise to my routine to keep losing weight, as my appetite and nervous system are returning to normal. My goal is 200lbs, so 50 to go.

Here is my physical condition and concerns...

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 251lbs (was 296 on 7 Nov 2010)
- Prosthetic vertabrae at C5 and C6
- 1.9mm lead/jacket frag embedded at C4 vert (therefor no weight-bearing exercise)
- Haven't ran or really worked out in 4 years

I would like to be able to pass the Army PFT for my age in one year...47.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone has been through a chelation process....please PM.

[Gryfen-FL]

Pending your docs approval....The Zone.

Figure your current lean body mass, take in appropriate carbs and protein to support that lbm.

Add fat intake as needed to correspond with activity levels and desired body composition.

As for exercise...how are you for swimming? I'm no Olympian....but I float good. I would recommend Total Immersion, to increase your efficiency and enjoyment of the exercise.

[bmbsqd]

Thanks! Actually I love swiming laps and always swam in the Army to knock time off my PT run. I can swim, but only strokes where my arms stay below my shoulders...breast stroke, side-stroke, etc. Free-stye, butterfly and back stroke are very painful and discouraged....all the heart-rate strokes!!!! However, fin workouts are awesome...even though it seems like cheating!!

[ksfa]

Swimming: When I fractured C-7, I used a snorkel and mask so that I did not have to move my neck to breath.

Recumbent biking is not weight bearing.

[Gryfen-FL]

...so that I did not have to move my neck to breath.Sounds like you did your crawl stroke on a horozontal plane like I used to.

If you roll your whole body to breathe instead of 'owling' your head around to the back:
-there's substantially less torque applied to the whole length of your spine
-your balance is maintained and
-you can keep a more streamlined shape throughout your stroke
-stroke becomes more efficient

Seriously, have a look at that book. It's full of neat tricks.

[JAFO]

Swimming: When I fractured C-7, I used a snorkel and mask so that I did not have to move my neck to breath.

Recumbent biking is not weight bearing.

Swimming is probably the lowest impact exercise available. Even a recumbent bike can compress your spine slightly, but not as much as running.

[bmbsqd]

I seem to be holding steady at 246-247. After 3 months the appetite is coming back, and the sweet tooth is really getting its friq on. Micky D's frozen strawberry lemonade is evil, and will be my path to fatness once again! :redface:

Walking and swimming are the answer. I did get clear to do curls sitting down, light bench press, and a few others now that my weight is down. Still scary considering at one time they told me to take 4X the daily amount of fiber to make sure I didn't have disc blowout while taking a dump!


PAandWRITER....thanks for the tips!

[chokeu2]

Like everyone else said, try swimming. Can you do a punching motion?

Shadow boxing is excellent exercise as well. Not to mention jump rope.

I'm not much on diets because I think healthy eating should be a lifestyle thing, but consider the "Gracie Diet". Its not so much a diet but rather a way of combining foods. It is very simple, it's usage of fruit to make smoothies really beats down a sweet tooth.

[Virgil Tibbs]

Dude, just man up and stay off the sweets. If you see a crackhead do you think, aww poor guy, he just loves his crack? Or do you think weak minded individual has no fucking self control? Well, sweets are no different. It is a choice you make.

I don't say that to be a dick, it is awesome that you have maintained your weight and should be proud of that. Let your pride dictate your actions. Make the conscience effort to be who you want to be. Stay strong and fit.

And by the way, in answer to one of the old comments you made here, FINS ARE NOT CHEATING!! Just a different, leg and core intensive work out as opposed to shoulders. There are some kick ass workouts you can do with just fins.

Stay strong brother.

VT Out

[bmbsqd]

Why do I feel like Richard Simmons just shit in my mouth? ;)

[bmbsqd]

Well the weight is still off, but I seem stuck around 244-247 lbs. Unfortunately I did drop to 238, but it was not a good thing. Since I only took half a semester of med school and failed, I probably should not self-medicate (or better yet, un-medicate). But I did exactly that.

After losing 50+ pounds I started having sugar dives. I take two oral meds for being a fat-boy diabetic; Metformin and Januvia. I had been on Glimiperide, but it caused too many dives and the doc took me off of it a few months ago. Well, in my infinite wisdom I decided I did not need the meds any longer since with them, my sugar was diving to very low levels 2-5 times a day (44, 68, 72, 61). HUGE MISTAKE!!

A few weekends ago I was trying to get things done and drank almost an entire case of Monster drink in a weekend. Long story short, by Wed that week I was in a diabetic semi-coma, and upon admission to the ER my sugar was 766. Many shots of insulin and gallons of IV fluid later....I went home. But it has been a long, hard ride and one I learned a HUGE lesson with....don't stop meds until the doc says so!!!!

Also, I learned that like hypernatremia/low salt...high and low sugar levels have very similar symptoms. A good chance that when I thought my sugar was low, it may have actually been high.

I'm good now, and weighing wight around 245. Started doing some walking this wknd and hopefully can find a pool in the next few days to start working out a little harder to get to my goal weight of 218 pounds.

Again....thanks for all the replies. The advice is greatly appreciated.