Maintenance Weekly 6th March 2006 (Health Achievements)

[Mitra]

"What you have already accomplished could add many years of good health and happiness to your life!"
Drs Michael R and Mary Dan Eades, Staying Power


Sometimes I feel really frustrated that I'm still learning how to eat. It seems as if I'm always struggling not to eat too much or too little, or the wrong things, and I wish I could just eat my dinner and forget about all this stuff! So this quote, reminding me to look at the positive things caught my attention. If maintenance isn't as easy as you'd hoped, or if you're still dissatisfied with your body shape, or battling the last few pounds, why not take stock of what you have achieved, just to bring a bit of perspective to the situation.

- I have lost weight, but I'm not sure that's the most helpful aspect to focus on;

- I don't feel sleepy all afternoon now;

- my skin is better than it was 5 years ago;

- I get hungry when it's time to eat, not just tired (in fact, I think my appetite is now a pretty reliable indicator of how much I need to eat, but it will take a bit longer before I quite trust it);

- my eyesight is better. I used to wear glasses, but don't now (and if I overdo the carbs, I can start to see the slight blurring in the distance that I used to have);

- I feel stronger than I used to - a combination of exercise, and getting enough protein for the first time in years, I'm sure;

- hills and stairs that would have had me tired and breathless don't now;

- I don't get the indigestion, and feeling totally stuffed for hours after eating that used to be routine;

- I don't get the fluid retention in my ankles that was starting to bother me before I started PP(unless I have too many carbs!).

I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of it just now. What have you accomplished in improving your health and quality of life?

[banshee]

My improvements:

- I've lost weight, but more important, I've lost 29% of the body fat I was carrying around, going from 56% body fat to a low of 23%. (I'm currently at 27% and working to get down to my ultimate goal of 20-21%.) In terms of inches, this translates to a loss of 12 inches from my hips, 12 inches from my waist, and an incredible 13 inches from EACH thigh. In my upper body, I've lost about 2 inches in my arms, an inch in my chest and my neck has stayed the same, so that tells you something about where I store my fat! ;)

- I no longer have to take antacids several times a week to stop reflux.

- I "healed" my fibromyalgia. (I actually think that I mistook a magnesium deficiency for fibro, as the symptoms are similar.) I was taking 4 prescription medications for this, and I've gotten rid of all of them. (I do still keep a prescription muscle relaxant handy, but only use it when I overdo the exercise and the muscles don't want to loosen up on their own.)

- My total cholesterol is normal, my HDL is a very healthy 60, and my triglycerides, which had been over 300 at one point, dropped to an incredible 61.

- I no longer have hypoglycemic episodes when I haven't eaten in a while.

- I sleep better and I'm able to get up even on days when I don't get enough sleep. (I used to have to take a half day off work if I had a bad night's sleep because I was just too tired to get out of bed.)

- I used to be the "trailer" when a group of us would be walking somewhere together. Now, I'll suddenly find myself way out ahead of the pack - I even outpace the 6 foot tall guys, which is funny since I'm only 5 feet tall. What's even more amusing is that I'm not trying to be faster - I'll look around to say something to a friend and only then notice that I'm half a block ahead of them.

- I actually have to be reminded to take Advil when I have a headache. For someone who used to pop several of these every day, that's quite an accomplishment!

- My husband no longer has to be a "gopher" for me. It used to be that once I was down in the basement, he would have to get things for me if I had left them upstairs because I just couldn't handle climbing the stairs more than once. Now, if I forget something, I just run up and get it.

I'm sure there's a lot more, because I've gone from chronically ill and wondering if it's worth living another 40-50 years that way, to enjoying life again and truly believing that a long and healthy life is ahead of me.

[Shadow]

Mary and Janet - What wonderful successes the two of you have had! I think either one of you could be a poster girl for this WOE :D !

Some of the results I've had:
- Elimination of hypoglycemic symptoms
- Almost complete disappearance of reflux
- Elimination of panic attacks and almost complete disappearance of anxiety attacks
- For the first time in 45 years, I have maintained within a weight range instead of constant yo-yoing
- No more constant hunger
- Marked reduction in cravings (I think the ones left are psychological ;) )
- More muscle tone and definition
- Definite reduction in bloating (well, till menopause hit, anyway :p )

And I'm sure there's a whole lot of other reasons I'm neglecting to mention!

[Omlette]

I'm bumping this thread up. I have been going back reading old success stories and maintenance stories for inspiration and ideas.

I hope that people will add to this post with more wonderful things that they have gained and bad things they have left behind with this WOL.

So far for me, more energy and less swelling. Of course, I am no where near maintenance.