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Dear Friends
My health is not the greatest I’m on numerous medications, i have type 2 diabetes, i am overweight and i don’t exercise and i don’t eat well, today i start to exercise but i need your help i need your encouragement and support. I am not a very motivated person but i need to change that any advice or encouragement you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
Hatzlacha Rabba!
Go Goq Go!!!!
Or were you looking for something more substantial?
We believe in you!! You can do it!!!
Such a challenge!!!! Can only give you tips, it will take your iron will to keep it going.
First of all just START, that is the hardest move, keep a diary, get a buddy that will get you to the gym/on the bike, whatever, tell your buddy what exercise you did, what you ate, get a mantra (get a few of them… if i eat one i will eat the whole bag, exercise now or you’ll look like a cow scribble if you nibble, write if you bite,) prepare the clothes, the area, the music, so that you have less reasons to weasel out, eat regularly so you don’t get starved. Weigh in often. One thing nice about losing weight and getting in shape is that you look/feel better and better while you’re losing – you don’t have to lose it all to see a difference
The best of luck!!!
Hey Goq, my friend, you might be alone in a room right now, reading this on your computer and feeling kinda down, but you are SOOO not alone. We at the CR are ALWAYS here for you, and we all encourage you to get down and exercise!!I just spoke to my wife before and apologized for feeling down the past week, and told her it is because of lack of excercise. Moving and jumping makes me feel alive and happy, and strong. Yes, happy! Anyway I started an excercise routine last night and hope to continue. My advice is: 1) to make a chart/calander with a goal, and tic off EVERY DAY, till the goal is reached. Feels SOOO good!!! Don’t be discouraged. Don’t look at the long strech ahead. Forget about that for now. Look and focus what u need to do TODAY, and slowly slowly you’ll make it there.
2)Make a list of all healthy fruits/vegetables you enjoy eating. (Beleive it or not I enjoy only 3 vegetables, but my list for fruits is thankfully longer.)
3)Also get into the habit of drinking lotsa water!! It is the most refreshing, healthiest and safest. Best of luck to you!
Goq, I really feel for you and wish I could join you in your endeavor to improve your health/life. I did a terrific diet a few years ago and lost a lot of weight. I was so happy. I did not do it for beauty but rather health as both of my parents a”h had diabetes 2, like you. I rarely exercised and was not very happy with my weight. I started a low-fat, well-balanced diet and after a couple of successful weeks of weight loss, I began walking for about 30 minutes at night in my neighborhood. It was an uphill climb and in the beginning I couldn’t make it up the hill. After a couple of weeks, I could and I extended my walks. It was great. I was really happy when I lost so much weight and was almost at my goal when my whole life changed. I lost my job and had to start working in a job that requires me to sit most of the day. I am literally at the computer for 8-10 hours a day if not more. I make a good parnosa for my family and we were finally able to buy an apartment, but I ended up gaining all the weight back and added a few more pounds, which I’m sure most people are familiar with in the yo-yo problems of weight loss.
You are doing a great thing by starting with exercise. Since you are single and food preparation is probably an issue for you, are there any diet programs in your area that could provide pre-prepared kosher meals? I always figured that if I could just eat what was put in front of me and I didn’t have to be involved in the preparation side, it would be much easier, less choices. The decisions are hard. I know Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers have prepared food that is available, but I don’t know about the kashrus. It might be worthwhile to look into.
As far as weighing in, I have been told that once a week is the best because our weight fluctuates on a daily basis, so a weekly weigh-in will give you a more accurate assessment of your weight loss progress.
I am wishing you lots of hatzlacha and hope that your successes will rub off on me over the Atlantic and I could be motivated to find solutions to the problems that seem insurmountable to me in my weight loss challenges.
Try going to a nutritionist who can teach you how to eat better and weigh you once a week. If you are diabetic your insurance might cover the cost.
Choose an exercise that you enjoy. I like to walk on the treadmill while listening to something. Try to plan your workouts for the morning (or else it never gets done).
Wishing you good luck and gezunt!
Goq – I feel for you. I was diagnosed recently with Type 2 diabetes also. I had been in denial for months, and when the doc told me my fasting sugar was 162, I said, “So does that mean I am borderline diabetic>” To which he replied, “You are not BORDERline ANYTHING. You are diabetic.” He put me on medication which I take religiously, and I put myself on a low-carb sugar-free diet.
I always knew what I had to do to be healthy, but until I actually heard the words, it did not enter my heart. Once I really knew I had passed the point of being able to fool myself, I was able to watch my diet really carefully – something I have never been successful at doing. It has paid off in spades. I used the Three Weeks as my jumpstart, and have lost enough weight to have brought my sugar down to normal. YES, YOU CAN REVERSE THE EFFECTS OF DIABETES simply with weight loss and making better dietary choices.
I eat more salad and fiber, as well as low-fat protein. Do I LOVE this new way of eating? No, but it loves me, and that is what is important. I feel better, look betterm and have a new attitude and determination to be healthy, B”EH. Most of all, my family is proud of me, ebcause they see my commitment is strong. I just celebrated a milestone birthday, and insisted on a low-fat, no cake celebration. My kids all ate pizza, my hubby and I (he is also diabetic) had Greek salad. Best present I ever gave myself.
And learn to love drinking plain cold water. You need it.
If the Mods want to give you my e-mail address, and you feel the need for some chizuk, I will be happy to answer your questions.
Music to my ears, GOQ.
# 1 – Don’t be discouraged by slow progress. Changing an eating lifestyle takes time. And be VERY wary of diets that promise instant results. I read an inverview by the woman who started FreshStart (in Ami Living a week ago) and she said, “you can lose weight quickly or permanently, but not both.
# 2 – Stay far away from diet soda. It works against you, not with you
# 3 – Walk 30 minutes a day; either a loop, or 15 minutes in one direction, 15 minutes back. Don’t focus on mileage (yet) focus on consistancy (meaning, 7 days a week)
# 4 – Never skip breakfast (except for a Taanis) and dont eat anything after 9:00pm (execpt for fruits)
Considering your overall health condition, all this (my advice and the advice of others) MUST be cleared by your doctor. But if you are committed, we can help you!
Keep us posted!
So sorry to hear about your diagnosis but please know that even though we only know you by your cyber persona you have many friends here who truly care about you. So that is important. You are not alone and people care whether you take care of yourself or not.
I hope you are working with your doctor and nutritionist.
I would suggest that you DON”T weigh yourself often because it could be very discouraging. When you don’t see the numbers you want you get discouraged and depressed and that can lead to cheating and lack of motivation. On the other hand when you do see a change on the scale that could lead to rewards which are counter productive. In a addition the scale can’t tell you if you lost water weight or fat, or if you gained muscle, water or fat. So the scale is deceiving. If you exercise seriously and keep to your diet and you gain a pound, you can be very confused and angry. But what you won’t realize is that you might have gained a pound of muscle which is a very good thing and will help you burn fat. So the scale is NOT your friend. It is better to work with an endocrinologist that has a bmi scale that can tell give you a true evaluation of your weight loss if you really want to know.
A good reason to work with a nutritionist is because they will not only explain the foods that are good and bad for you, they will teach you portion size, substitutions for what you normally eat, and how to read labels to determine the actual carb count, the actual fat count, etc. depending on what type of carbs and fat they are. IT is very confusing.
In addition, do the kind of exercise you enjoy. Start by walking just to get into the flow and limber up. If you enjoy swimming, or basketball, go for it. If you enjoyed rollerblading as a kid, put pads on and go for it. You don’t have to get to a gym and get into serious exercise until you feel you can handle it. Do some fun things that motivate you and get your weight loss started. Once you see some movement and you are more motivated you can move into more serious forms of exercise and toning. The most important thing about health is to start moving.
Goq,
We’ll all be your accountability partners.
That means letting us know each night how you did that day regarding 3 areas: diet, exercise, and self-talk (Goq, you did a great job! You used some olive oil instead of salad dressing, and exercised ten minutes more than yesterday, etc.)
You asked for it, you got it! Too late to back out now! You’ve got all of us, like it or not!
You can do it. Full confidence in you.
One thing that I find to be true is that the one little cheat is more than that. The cake or cookie or ice cream will influence cravings later. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t cheat. I believe the best way to succeed on a diet is to set up a cheat system (stick to the diet the whole week and get a small piece of cake for Shabbos or allow yourself four bites of cheat food over a day, etc). After the “cheat”, have something healthy to go back to diet mode.
If you aren’t used to exercise, maybe start by going for walks. Its not to strenuous, calming, and healthy.
The hardest part is making a decision to change and starting. Set small goals and reward yourself when you keep them (not necessarily with food) and don’t lose sight of the goal.
You can do it!
Lots of Hatzlacha
Keep it up, Goq! We all believe in you!
we are all rooting for you goq!
try starting each evening, preparing a huge saled for the following day. this way you can have with all your meals.
have a variety of fruits onhand, rice cakes, cottage cheese.yogurt. (for snacks) these will pull you over till the main meal.
you can buy take out chicken and freeze them and just warm up what you need.
tuna is a gr8 protein.
soups also will fill you. chop up healthy vegies, zuchinni, sweet pot. butternut squash, carrots, onions, dill, and cook a couple hrs.
the idea with exercise like what was said, a little every day. and build up to more. start slowly.
lots of hatzlocha!
Believe it or not Almonds are also a great protein and a great snack. So whether you just munch on them or you throw sliced almonds into a salad for texture, they will help.
I am very bad about this, but try to stretch your muscles before exercising you will have less strain and pain. If you didn’t you might want to ice your knees, calf and thigh muscles a bit. They might be a bit sore tomorrow.
Try parking your car at least a block or two away from your job so you get a bit of a walk to and from work. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Every little bit helps. If you sit most of the day do some muscle tightening exercises at your desk.
Humus in moderation is great as well because it is protein (chick peas) carrots dipped in humus is a very good snack. So if you get a bag of baby carrots (no prep) and a small individual Humus pack that will be great for mid-day or mid-afternoon. Don’t forget that many fruits have too high a sugar content such as apples, oranges and grapes.
That was very brave of you Goq to post your weigh-in. I’m sure mine would be around the same #, I’m embarrassed to say. You’re probably taller than I.
If food preparation is an issue, like I thought, what about getting one of those electric grills, like a George Foreman, or whatever you like that’s like that. A friend suggested grilling chicken breasts. It’s pretty easy and probably absolutely delicious. Add a salad that you might be able to get prepared from the local deli or other restaurant (but be very careful with the dressing) and some another side dish and you would have a terrific filling meal that wouldn’t take long to prepare.
The one thing I learned when I started my last diet is about fat content in food. I never paid attention to it and always thought that sugar was the trick. You obviously have issues (like I do) with sugar because of the diabetes, and your diet must be tailored to that consideration, but the leader of my diet group used the Hebrew expression, which rhymes, to help us understand “shemen mashmin” – fat makes you fat in other words. Watch out for saturated fat content in the food. I was fortunate to find 5% fat mayonnaise from Telma and also Osem make them. Eda hachareidis hechsherim, so no questions, and if you can get ahold of them and compare them even to Hellman’s light, you will see a big difference. Salad dressing can add tons to your meal and not in a healthy way. We all need fat, but in reasonable quantities.
Great job on picking a exercise bike also. It will save your lower extremity joints as you get older. If you’ve carried your weight for more than a little while, then your joints and especially your knees have taken the brunt of the burden. Arthritis can set in at an earlier age than for a person who has never been overweight. Don’t overdo this week on the exercise or you could end up too sore and it can make you want to stop altogether. Just try the same amount each day for a week and then up it for the next week, maybe 10 more minutes each day. After that you can use your judgment. You’re making me want to go out and buy one for my own house, but it will have to wait until I can get over to a store and check out the products in person. I don’t think I could order one online.
Hatzlacha keeping up the motivation tomorrow. Each day is a new day.
“Since you are single and food preparation is probably an issue for you”
Thats a key issue for me i dont cook
Take a half hour or an hour and google, google, google. Look at directions for recipes, which ingredients usually go together etc. If not now, when?
Interesting. http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/archive/108086/Exercise+&+Your+Mental+Health+(Part+1).html
It seems that exercise can help cure things like depression. The problem is that people who are depressed have trouble getting themselves to exercise. Just the fact that you posted here Goq shows that you are determined to make a start. I would suggest to try to be consistent in exercising. If you skip one day, it will be much easier to skip the 2nd and then it spirals down from there. Try to force yourself not to miss days, even if it’s just a few minutes before you go to sleep.
Another suggestion that I think was mentioned above is to get a buddy. Find someone who also needs the exercise and walk together every day. Walking together with someone (or riding bikes together) can make it more enjoyable and you have each other to motivate each other for days when one of you wants to skip a day the other will hopefully push you not too.
g’luck, Goq!
you’ve received some great ideas & plenty o’support here.
sorry I can’t help– except for being supportive– cuz I’m not motivated in my life either.
I read this thread while i was doing my workout..
However I would like to add my 2Scents here.
first, you will see very little or hardly any improvement in the beginning, not before a month or even two.
Second, this is from my personal experience, start slow. dont rush, you will become tired and fatigued.
start slow, let the first five minutes be a warm up, let your heart rate increase gradually and your muscles warm up slowly.
once you finished the warming up period, you should be able to do a good workout.
I started out with doing one mile in 15 minutes, i now do 5.5 miles in 50 minutes.
also, you must be consistent, it will do no benefit if you just workout once or twice, it must be on a constant bases.
give it a few months, you will see major improvement!
Another thing to know is your target weight, which you can determine by checking your BMI. You might need to lose 50 lbs, or you might only need to lose 30, depending on your height
Also, the diabetes issue means you need to be aware of the amount od carbs that you are consuming and to make healthier choices. Stay away from most “white” foods (white bread, potatoes,pastas, and rice), and eat their more colorful counterparts, like whole wheat or multi grain breads, plain oatmeal (you can throw in some blueberries), whole wheat pastas, and sweet potatoes (which have a lower glycemic index and are metabolized more slowly so the sugar does not rise too quickly). The only white food I would recommend is fat-free plain yogurt, to which I (HAVE TO) add a packet of Truvia no-calorie sweetener and some blueberries, or the plain yogurt with cucumbers, scallions, and other non-starchy veggies, cut up. tastes better than you expect.
In general eating LOTS of cruciferous fiber rich foods will help you. You will feel like a new person. I promise. And please try to drink water throughout the day. It helps keep you feeling full, and will keep you hydrated much better than diet soda.
Goq, your accountability partners here would like to know how you managed today with your goals.
i dont think that the BMI is an accuarte indicator, it might work for some but not for all.
when i was agressive with my weight, I was skinny, the doc told me that I reached my goal, and yet i was around 10-15 pounds above the BMI,
just make sure that your fit and most importantly HEALTHY.
and remeber, each workout by itsef wont do you much, its all the workouts together that do that job.
See if you can find a picture of yourself from when you were thin/ner, EVEN IF it’s from 20 or 30 or 40 years ago.
Tape it to the door of your fridge and/or the cabinet where you have food you know you shouldn’t be eating.
Stare at the picture for several seconds before making a food choice, and remind yourself that there IS a thinner you living inside your now overweight body. You CAN get that thinner you back!
Goq, I need to lose 50lbs. My wife threatened me with a diet plan that was going to cost big bucks. So instead, all on my own, I signed up for Weight Watcher online for Men. It’s $18 a month, and you get tons of online support to help you achieve your goals.
I have now lost 20 lbs in the first 3 months. Not big numbers, but my goal isn’t to get there quickly, it’s to get there and LEAVE IT OFF. So I have 30 more lbs. to go – I should get there, please Hashem, by summer.
It’s funny, but with just 20 lbs off my frame, I have gone down from a 40 to a 36 waist size. I’m finding shirts in my closet I haven’t worn in years that I can wear now (OK, so I’m now a bit behind the fashion times). And I just feel so much better.
You can do it!
Goq- What about a post a day on what excercise you did that day and what food choice you made(i.e. either not having a unhealthy snack or having a salad for lunch instead of 3 slices of pizza)?
Hi Goq!
Thank you so much for posting. I too have been diagnosed with type 2 and have been looking for someone to help/support/motivate me. When I was diagnosed a few months ago, my A1C was 10.8!!! With just diet (not crazy) and exercise (definitely not crazy), last month my A1C was already down to 8.0. I know I have a long way to go, but I just want to stress to you, that with very little work, you CAN DO THIS! I met with a dietician and she broke my diet into easy steps. Keep your three main meals under 45g carbs, and you can have three snacks under 15g carbs. I do cheat, but I firmly believe that being too restrictive just leads to binge eating. I have a mini reeses peanut butter cup once (or twice) a day, as I’m a chocoholic, and only have cookies or cake on shabbos. Take baby steps and it will get easier. I can’t believe that *I* am eating salad every day – something I loathe 🙂 For exercise, I bought a recumbant bike and I definitely recommend purchasing one if you afford it. I paid a couple of hundred bucks and I love mine. It is literally exercising without effort. I sit and watch tv/movie and before I know it I’ve done 45 minutes and about 5 – 6 miles.
I do NOT test my sugars, although of course it would be better if I did. I can not handle the needles etc, and for now, my doctor is ok with that. I have just started on Metformin and am building up slowly to try and get to 2000mg a day.(if you’re wondering why i’m only just starting medication now, it’s a long story…).
GOOD LUCK and please feel free to contact me. I will check in with you to see how you’re doing. Baby steps! Hatzlochah.
Rochelle
Best of luck, Goq. You can do it! One small change that I made that has been a huge help was switching from soda to seltzer. I always liked the taste of Diet Coke better than regular Coke anyway, but someone pointed out that Diet Coke still has all sorts of stuff that is bad for you – high fructose corn syrup (not at Pesach, I know), chemicals, and whatever makes it brown! Seltzer doesn’t have all that stuff. It’s definitely a different taste, but it could be an easier transition if the carbonation is something you’ll miss. Also, watch out for flavored “sparkling water” – they add artificial sweeteners, which can still cause cravings.
Real sugar is always better than artificial, but still best in small doses. Fruit naturally has a high sugar content, and someone told me that pineapple has the highest.
Go slow – one small change at a time will make it a lot more likely to become permanent. Good luck!!
“i dont think that the BMI is an accuarte indicator”
I agree with you, to a point, 2Cents. The BMI is a good target, though. If you are “only” 10-15 lbs over the BMI range, (which I am) a good indicator of overall health is if your waist is smaller than your chest, you are most likely in good health. (This, for men. I’m not sure how I would apply the ratio in the case of women)
Not a guarrantee, but a pretty good indicator.
Like I said, Goq, all the advice posted here is just to put you on the right track. Since your case in a bit more complicated, you should check with your doctor as the final decisor
I love this thread. I need this so much also. I agree with Aries. Don’t weigh yourself too often (once a week on average is enough to see a trend). Weight can change drastically with eating a salty meal (water weight). Judge your success on following a plan (and clothing fit) not numbers.
I did weight watchers last year and lost about 50 pounds. You can sign up and do it online or go to a group meeting. You meet people of all sizes who are struggling with their weight and they celebrate your successes. They give good tips ideas for meals (oatmeal pancakes: my kids love them!). You might need to do a bit of research about recommended food choices (total carbs, fruits etc) as a diabetic.
A food log is really helpful, but beyond that I’d recommend pre-planning meals. Thinking when you’re starved is tough. Think of your favorite meals, then pre-plan quantity you can have to help you lose weight. Just the weight loss alone can probably help to bring down those numbers.
Are you open to hiring a trainer? Many go to people’s homes and it’s a set appointment where they help you get in shape.
Hey, dear Goq
An amazing bloke
Cutting down on coke
Adding seeds and artichoke
Helping others here, too
For he cares about YOU
An incredible Jew
Have you got a clue?
Hope you’re doing well Goq.
By the way, assuming you exercise and eat an otherwise healthy diet, is diet Coke that bad?
For the record, I drink regular coke. Sugar and caffeine, part of this complete breakfast 🙂
Diet coke is very unhealthy. Some healthier sugar substitutes are stevia and xylitol.
42, there’s some unfinished business and I prefer to do it privately, if that works for you.
So Goq and company, how’d it go today??
Goq, you should know that this thread motivated me to start exercising again. The first few days aren’t easy but it feels good to know that you are doing the right thing.
Ayc, what unfinished business? You can email me if you want to discuss privately.
“You can email me if you want to discuss privately.”
No can do, I lent my crystal ball out…
To Goq, and others, suffering with this machala: I saw a documentary detailing some lost cause diabetics. They were “locked into” a deserted place in Arizona, where escaping was not an option, and fed a raw food diet (vegetarian) and given some moderate hiking. They lost weight, and most had pronounce drop in sugar levels. some were able to go insulin free. I have no idea of the fruit/ vegetable balance, or whether there was a glycemic cheshbon on the vegetables, but it worth looking into, with propper guidance.
Goq- Please dont take all of our suggestions at once, you’ll get burnt out. Try to excercise and eat healthier, taking it one day at a time. See what works for you. I dont think I would be able to stay away from Coke Zero, but its preferable to having regular soda and all those empty calories. Drink LOTS of water, its great for your system and helps remove toxins.
Twisted
I think I need that place in Arizona where they”lock” you away from “real” food. Restarting a healthy food plan is sooooooooooo challenging!
For what it’s worth, you should also be careful of a vegetarian diet. I’ve been a vegetarian all of my adult life, and I still got to be 50 lbs overweight.
Like I tell my friends, pretzles, cookies and beer are vegetarian.
It was mentioned above, but food logs is a MUST. It’s what I like about Weight Watchers online. I fill out the log every single day. It counts how many points I’ve used and how many I have left. If you stick to your alloted points, the program will work. 100%
GOQ- Hi there,
I read your thread a couple of days ago just didnt post until now. sorry. I dont have any practical advice besides to EXCERCISE and you will feel AWESOME!!!!!!!!
thinking bout you and keeping you in mind!
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