Aa
I need help in Losing weight
I need help in losing weight. I am 45 African American take 5 high blood presure medicine a day plus diabetes.I am 5'111/2 weighting in @ 325 pds I need help badly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have some health issues arthritics all over please respond.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi there - welcome aboard.
First off - I'd normally recommend that you talk to your doctor to make sure that you don't have any underlying medical problems that would make you gain/retain weight and make sure you have his/her blessing for whatever weight loss program you undertake. You already know that you are diabetic and have high blood pressure, along with arthritis, so do make sure your doctor agrees with any plan you decide to use; however, I don't know of any doctor that won't go along with healthy eating;reasonable exercise and weight loss. It's possible that your arthritis could get some better if you start exercising regularly and gain more flexibility in your body.
It will be helpful to go to one of the many websites that help you calculate the number of calories you need per day, etc. You can do a google search for "calorie counters" and come up with a whole list.
Exercise is essential to healthy living and weight loss. Walking is a great way to start. Just start slowly (rather than the recommended 10,000 steps/day, aim for 2000-3000 and add 500 steps/day). I recommend purchasing an inexpensive pedometer (you can get them at most department stores for $5.00 and up) to tell you exactly how much you are walking each day. You don't say what you do for a living (desk job, etc), but do take every opportunity to get moving.
In addition, you can get some exercise DVDs to use - most department stores have a pretty good variety or you can even look at rummage sales, flea markets, etc. There are a lot of excellent ones available that don't require a lot of expensive equipment. I also enjoy yoga a lot as the poses are done very deliberately with a focus on form and breathing, so you have to really concentrate on what you are doing, not what you want to eat. As with any exercise, don't try to do as well as the trainer does right off the bat as you will have work up to more reps, etc. or you will get discouraged very quickly.
Don't forget that housework (vacuum, sweep, etc) also counts as exercise, so try just listening to TV rather than sitting down watching it and if you are one of those people who find it impossible to have TV on and not sit down to watch, then turn it off and turn on a CD player or radio instead & dance to the tunes while you do your housework. It doesn't really matter what you are doing so long as you make sure you MOVE. As you get into exercising and eating well on a regular basis, you will begin finding yourself with more energy and it will gradually get easier to get going and your cravings will be less and less.
As for food - try to stick with fresh fruits, over juices since juices have all the calories but don't have the fiber to fill you up. Make sure you get lots of veggies as they, too, are generally quite bulky and filling without a lot of calories. Try to leave out the white bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, sugar, etc; instead, eat whole grains, nuts, seeds, etc. Stick with lean meats and low fat dairy. And of course, make sure you drink plenty of water.
It is strongly recommended that you keep a food journal in which you write down everything you put into your mouth - that will help keep you more accountable. There are several good websites from which you can download information regarding the number of calories you should eat per day, number of calories in many different foods as well as how much of an item makes a portion (such as 1 cup of a cereal, etc). Be ever mindful of the portion sizes you eat - often it's not necessarily "what you eat" so much as "how much" you eat (for instance, back to the chocolate - eat a couple of bites or squares rather than the whole bar).
In addition to keeping a food journal, check out the exercise and weight trackers here on MedHelp. They are great for letting you keep up with your progress and like your food journal, will help keep you accountable for what you do (or don't do). I've also heard that MedHelp is going to come up with a food journal, but don't know how long before that happens or if I understood correctly. Also, when you note the things you eat, write down your feelings at the same time; that way you will be able to learn which feelings trigger which cravings and after a while you might be able to head of the craving.
Last but not least, come back to MedHelp often for information and encouragement. They have a lot of fun challenges, etc (check out postings from the Thanksgiving challenge in which there were links to daily exercises posted). Participate as much as you can. Take baby steps and rejoice with every success and accept the down falls as part of life without being hard on yourself. Remember, you didn't gain all the weight over night, and you won't be able to lose it overnight.
There will be a lot of other members here on MedHelp that will be able to add a lot more to this. Be sure to read other posts as you will come up with a lot more ideas and support. Again, welcome aboard and hope to see you often.
First off - I'd normally recommend that you talk to your doctor to make sure that you don't have any underlying medical problems that would make you gain/retain weight and make sure you have his/her blessing for whatever weight loss program you undertake. You already know that you are diabetic and have high blood pressure, along with arthritis, so do make sure your doctor agrees with any plan you decide to use; however, I don't know of any doctor that won't go along with healthy eating;reasonable exercise and weight loss. It's possible that your arthritis could get some better if you start exercising regularly and gain more flexibility in your body.
It will be helpful to go to one of the many websites that help you calculate the number of calories you need per day, etc. You can do a google search for "calorie counters" and come up with a whole list.
Exercise is essential to healthy living and weight loss. Walking is a great way to start. Just start slowly (rather than the recommended 10,000 steps/day, aim for 2000-3000 and add 500 steps/day). I recommend purchasing an inexpensive pedometer (you can get them at most department stores for $5.00 and up) to tell you exactly how much you are walking each day. You don't say what you do for a living (desk job, etc), but do take every opportunity to get moving.
In addition, you can get some exercise DVDs to use - most department stores have a pretty good variety or you can even look at rummage sales, flea markets, etc. There are a lot of excellent ones available that don't require a lot of expensive equipment. I also enjoy yoga a lot as the poses are done very deliberately with a focus on form and breathing, so you have to really concentrate on what you are doing, not what you want to eat. As with any exercise, don't try to do as well as the trainer does right off the bat as you will have work up to more reps, etc. or you will get discouraged very quickly.
Don't forget that housework (vacuum, sweep, etc) also counts as exercise, so try just listening to TV rather than sitting down watching it and if you are one of those people who find it impossible to have TV on and not sit down to watch, then turn it off and turn on a CD player or radio instead & dance to the tunes while you do your housework. It doesn't really matter what you are doing so long as you make sure you MOVE. As you get into exercising and eating well on a regular basis, you will begin finding yourself with more energy and it will gradually get easier to get going and your cravings will be less and less.
As for food - try to stick with fresh fruits, over juices since juices have all the calories but don't have the fiber to fill you up. Make sure you get lots of veggies as they, too, are generally quite bulky and filling without a lot of calories. Try to leave out the white bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, sugar, etc; instead, eat whole grains, nuts, seeds, etc. Stick with lean meats and low fat dairy. And of course, make sure you drink plenty of water.
It is strongly recommended that you keep a food journal in which you write down everything you put into your mouth - that will help keep you more accountable. There are several good websites from which you can download information regarding the number of calories you should eat per day, number of calories in many different foods as well as how much of an item makes a portion (such as 1 cup of a cereal, etc). Be ever mindful of the portion sizes you eat - often it's not necessarily "what you eat" so much as "how much" you eat (for instance, back to the chocolate - eat a couple of bites or squares rather than the whole bar).
In addition to keeping a food journal, check out the exercise and weight trackers here on MedHelp. They are great for letting you keep up with your progress and like your food journal, will help keep you accountable for what you do (or don't do). I've also heard that MedHelp is going to come up with a food journal, but don't know how long before that happens or if I understood correctly. Also, when you note the things you eat, write down your feelings at the same time; that way you will be able to learn which feelings trigger which cravings and after a while you might be able to head of the craving.
Last but not least, come back to MedHelp often for information and encouragement. They have a lot of fun challenges, etc (check out postings from the Thanksgiving challenge in which there were links to daily exercises posted). Participate as much as you can. Take baby steps and rejoice with every success and accept the down falls as part of life without being hard on yourself. Remember, you didn't gain all the weight over night, and you won't be able to lose it overnight.
There will be a lot of other members here on MedHelp that will be able to add a lot more to this. Be sure to read other posts as you will come up with a lot more ideas and support. Again, welcome aboard and hope to see you often.
Hi! welcome to the community! If you are looking for help, you have come to the right place.
Eating Healthy, Exercising And Staying Motivated are the keys to losing weight,
Walking is a great place to start and once you get in to the habbit of exercising it becomes a hobby you eill enjoy!
Please go to the following link where you will find plenty of information on losing weight and how to use medhelp
link - http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/700208?personal_page_id=971
Let us know if there is anything else you need help with.
Be sure to participate in the community on a regualr basis and you will gather so much knowledge and receive great support!
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Weight Loss and Fitness Community
14 super-healthy foods that are worth the hype
Small changes make a big impact with these easy ways to cut hundreds of calories a day.
Forget the fountain of youth – try flossing instead! Here are 11 surprising ways to live longer.
From STD tests to mammograms, find out which screening tests you need - and when to get them.
Tips and moves to ease backaches
Here are 12 simple – and fun! – ways to boost your brainpower.
