Week 4: Lost 1, Total 7

I gained one pound early in the week and lost it after the hike. I had gained because I made some coconut macaroons with 1 cup coconut, 2 egg whites and some splenda. It was just something to do since I had the day off. It made 6 servings and I wrapped and froze 4 of them and ate 2. But the next day, I ate all 4. So I haven’t learned any control yet! Otherwise, I haven’t been that hungry and no cravings. I did think some potato chips would taste awfully good. All I can think of is this is the most important thing I have to do right now.

IF YOU DON’T NEED IT, DON’T EAT IT.

Otherwise, I ate the usual things. I have eaten more than 6 oz of protein a few times so I probably need to watch that. I have been having some sugar free Jello.

Here’s my formula:

3 eggs for breakfast cooked in butter
2 cups salad/raw veggies for lunch plus 2 TBSP olive oil or mayo dressing
1 cup cooked veggies for dinner, such as roasted asparagus and cauliflower or cooked green beans with some olive oil or butter
6 oz of protein such as chicken, beef, fish for lunch and dinner

Exercise:
2 – 1 hour weight training sessions
1 hour step aerobics
3 hour hike

Blood sugar has been 95-108 in the mornings.

Waist to Hip Ratio: 96% down from 97%. Lost 1 inch off my waist and ½ inch off my hips!

Weight: 238. Lost 1 pound this week for a total of 7 in 4 weeks.

Rattlesnake Ledge Hike

We hiked Rattlesnake Ledge Hike in North Bend on Friday. It was a beautiful clear day -- now why didn't I bring my camera? From now on, it stays in my backpack ready to go. We'll definitely do this one again. The leaves on the vine maples are beginning to turn color a little.

We saw a little garter snake coiled up enjoying the warm sunshine at the top of the mountain. I'm sure glad it wasn't a rattlesnake. We don't really have rattlers in western Washington, so I don't know how this lake got it's name.

There were quite a few other people on the trail with happy kids and happy dogs. All breeds of dogs!

The payoff: What a view from the top of the mountain of the lake below. The water was turquoise.
http://www.wta.org/~wta/cgi-bin/wtaweb.pl?0+trailsfest/tf-main

I sure hope to improve my hiking time as I lose weight. This 4-mile trail should have taken about 2 hours round trip. But it took us about 3 hours.

Week 3: Lost 2, Total 6

I’ve gotten into the groove, Jimmy!

I had a pretty good week. I settled into an eating routine so I no longer use FitDay. My net carbs are probably close to 20. I wrote in Jimmy’s column on Thursday that I was very hungry at dinner a couple of times so I added a snack of a hardboiled egg in the afternoon. But since Friday, I have not been that hungry at dinner so I’m not having the snack anymore. Although I did take a teaspoon of butter one evening and just let it melt on my tongue. mmmm, butter!

I’m feeling great and can notice my face, neck and chest have lost some weight. I would like to see baggy pants next! I’m dreaming of new clothes already.

I ate lunch out on Saturday and had melt-in-your-mouth brisket and salad.
I ate breakfast out on Sunday and asked for a cheese omelet without the sides. The waitress insisted on bringing me a fresh fruit bowl. It looked pretty good and I tasted one banana slice. Of course, the other choices I turned down were hashbrowns, pancakes, toast and big fluffy biscuits! Oh well. That stuff isn’t for me.

Foods:
3 eggs for breakfast cooked in butter
Or 2 eggs and homemade breakfast sausage with ground pork

6-8oz protein and 2-3 cups vegetables for lunch and dinner
Hamburger patty and roasted asparagus
Salmon or tuna and salad
Chicken thighs and green beans with butter
Green chile chili with a little sour cream
Curry chicken breast and roasted cauliflower
Herb and garlic ground turkey with sauteed mushrooms


Exercise:
I should have done a few more walks, but made excuses that the weather was hot.
My hiking buddy was out of town so I skipped the hike this week.
Bike ride
1 hour step aerobics
2 – 1 hour weight training

Blood sugar has been 93 – 108 in the mornings. Lower after a day of exercising.

Weight: 239 – lost 2 this week for a total of 6 down!

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!' Begin it now.”


This is my favorite inspirational quote. I always thought it was Goethe, but someone else may have said some it before him. Oh well, it’s good just the same.

I’ve always been timid and lacked self confidence. I hated that! So I started to just pretend I could do something even though I was afraid. “Fake it till you make it” I guess. It works!

I’ve had so many diet failures over the years that I hesitated to sign up for Jimmy’s 30-in-30 challenge and make that commitment. I didn’t think it through – I just acted. Now I’ve met others doing the challenge who struggle just like me. I’ve told some of my friends and family that I’m doing this challenge and they help me by bringing low carb treats to parties (tomato slices with goat cheese, mmm), choosing restaurants with healthy food and doing activities like hiking and bike riding.

Here is the full quote:

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back-- Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."

Week 2: Lost 4, Total 4

Yahoo!

No cheats this week! I had some thoughts about buttered popcorn and French fries, but I didn’t feel compelled to act on those thoughts. I’m getting excited to see some progress. It will happen.

I am planning to cut out cheese for a while. I have thought for a while that it might be preventing me from losing weight. Jonny’s boot camp doesn’t allow cheese. So I will try it.

Foods:
I eat 3 meals a day and rarely snack.
Breakfast is usually 3 eggs fried in butter and some black coffee.

At lunches and dinners, I usually have around 6 oz protein and either 2 cups salad or 1 cup cooked vegetable. I use a little butter on cooked vegetables and olive oil and/or mayo on salads.

Sample lunch and dinners:

Asian chicken soup with chicken, bok choy, cilantro and green beans.
Ground pork stir fry with bean sprouts and green beans.
Hamburger patty with cheese and roasted asparagus
Salmon and roasted cauliflower
Tuna salad with cucumber, romaine lettuce, left over green beans, olive oil and garlic
Green chile Chili with ground turkey, celery, zucchini and green peppers.
Pizza salad with pepperoni, provolone cheese, romaine lettuce, olive oil and fresh oregano.


Exercise:
3 hour hike
2 mile walk
1 hour of aerobics – step and elliptical combo
2-1 hour sessions of weight training

Avg Net Carbs: 22
Avg Calories: 1650

This next one is embarrasing to post, but what the hey!
Waist to Hip Ratio: 97% Should be closer to 80%

Blood Sugar: 95! Was 142 last week.

Weight: 241 - lost 4 this week!

Mt Si Hike

On Friday afternoon, I went on a 3-hour hike with my friend and her daughter on Mt Si in Northbend, Washington. It was a gorgeous day and just under 70 degrees. It was quite a gain in elevation and very rocky there. Beautiful dense forest, fungi growing on the trees and sword fern everywhere.

We heard and finally caught a glimpse of a hawk who was chasing a smaller bird. We are not sure what type of hawk. It was smaller than a red-tailed hawk, but still made that 'tseear' sound.

The wild blackberries are so ripe right now. I lost count, but I probably had about 30 of them! So I did go over my carbs but I'm sure the hike compensated. My blood sugar was down to 95 on Saturday morning! I've had those hypoglycemic feelings in the past between meals and sometimes after exercising hard. So I did have some cheese and an Atkins canned shake with me. But I didn't need them. I think my body is more adapted to eating low carbs now and adjusting to more normal blood sugars.

I think I've lost a few pounds so I'm excited to check in on Tuesday on Jimmy Moore's Low carb weightloss challenge site.

First day out to lunch - made it!

I went with some girlfriends out to lunch and then through the Nordic museum near Seattle today. At the little cafe, I didn't really see a low carb type of salad. So I asked if I could get a side salad with some chicken. They said no problem.

Lesson: if you don't see what you want on the menu, just ask. Most places are very helpful.

We then went to Starbucks and I would have loved a Frappuccino (iced coffee with lots-o sugar). Once again, I didn't notice anything on the menu that was sugarfree so I asked if they made any iced coffee with the sugar free syrups. They did! So I got an iced coffee with sf hazelnut syrup and then I added some half-and-half.

I stayed under 30grams of carbs today and had about 1700 calories.

I have had no snacks for the last several days outside of breakfast, lunch and dinner. I am just not hungry between meals. We saw lots of Nordic pastries at the museum and I sure would have loved something. But I'm aware now there is a difference between having the wonderful memories of how it used to taste and what I may and may not put in my mouth now. My friends were talking about the garlic french fries they had had the previous night. Then we drove past a McDonalds and all I could think of was having some fries. But I did not actually want them. I did not act on the feeling as I would have in the past.

I listened to Dr. Jonny Bowden's CDs again this week. I heard some things I didn't remember hearing before. Maybe he's helping me to be strong and believe I can do this or maybe it is something else. But I want it to continue.

Calculating Protien Amounts

I strictly followed low carb at 20-30grams daily for a few months earlier this year. I lost 10 pounds and then stayed the same for 5 weeks. When I plugged in some menus into FitDay, I realized I was eating too much protein and over 2200 calories. I sometimes ate almost a pound of steak! So this time, I am going to more carefully measure my serving of protein.

According to Protein Power Lifeplan based on my weight, height, my minimum protein should be 40 grams of protein at each meal. Their chart translates this to about 6 oz of meat, fish or poultry or 6 eggs. I usually eat 3 eggs for breakfast. I'm going to try to eat no more than 6 oz for lunch and dinner.

Last night, I had bought a little over 3 pounds of ground beef. Using a calculator, I divided 6 oz into the exact weight and came up with 9 servings. So I seasoned the ground beef with garlic powder, seasoning salt and some dill. I made 9 balls evenly sized and flattened them out. I baked them at 375 for about 30 minutes total, flipping once. I froze the rest.

After I ate the one burger patty with salad, I really wanted to have a half of another one. But I washed dishes and got busy with other things. After an hour or so, I realized I no longer wanted more!

My carbs have been a little under 30 and my calories have been 1600 to 1800.
My morning fasting blood sugar was down to 119 this morning.

My before picture

I'm uploading my before picture here so I can add it to my profile. Can't wait to have my after picture taken in February 2007 after 30 weeks!

This was taken on a fun Christmas 2005 cruise to the Bahamas with my brother and his family in Florida.

My Eating Plan

Wanted to mention what kind of eating plan I follow. I try to stay around 30g of carbs daily in the form of about 3 cups of low-starch vegetables. I have some cheese and other dairy, but I try to have small amounts and have days where I have none. I avoid grains and starches. Once in a while I may get some Wasa light rye, but I end up eating too many slathered with butter. I have an over-eating problem as well as a carb addiction. I don't drink diet pop any more - just lots of water. I try to limit eating anything sweetened or artifically sweetened because again, that is an addiction.

I started Atkins back in July 2002 when it regained popularity. I read the whole book and cleaned out my cupboards and fridge. No more microwave popcorn every night! I lost 16 pounds in about 6 weeks. My blood sugar came way down and I stopped taking metformin. I started researching more about whether low carb diets were healthy or not. I have never found anything research to say it is unhealthy. In fact, I found just the opposite. But I didn't stick with it long enough to lose more weight. I gained about 10 pounds back.

I rediscovered Dr. Richard K. Bernstein who wrote "Diabetes Solution". He recommends eating 6/12/12 carbs for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a total of 30g of carbs daily. I actually read his book back in 1996 after I was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, but I guess I thought it was too radical. His feisty attitude comes through in his book. The recipes in the book are really good too!

My other main favorite is Protein Power and Protein Power LifePlan by Dr. Mike and Dr. Mary Dan Eades. They explain how excess insulin is the culprit in many of our modern diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity and certain cholesterol numbers as high triglycerides and low HDL.

Another expert I like to read is Dr. Mary Enig who says butter is health food (I love butter!). I bought the Nourishing Traditions cookbook co-written by Sally Fallon. The book is full of great recipes and many nuggets of good information about health.

There are many more blogs and articles on the internet that I read almost daily.

Week 1

Yay - a no cheat week! Ate no sugar, grains or starch. No weightloss yet, but I sure feel great.

I received Jonny Bowden's CDs, "Change Your Body, Change Your Life" on July 29th and have listened to them all twice. I like the idea of training myself to make the right choices. I keep my word and commitment to other people, I need to keep my word to myself.

During our weekly hike, we were talking about ice cream the whole way. After the hike, I was tempted to go through McDonalds drive through window for an ice cream cone. I even drove about 2 miles there. But I successfully talked myself out of it and just drove on by!

Foods:
These are some of the foods and meals I had this week.
Usually eggs for breakfast, sometimes a little ham or sausage.
Made a fish soup with cod, bok choy and cilantro.
Caesar salad with lemon chicken breast
Steak, Heirloom tomatoes, grilled asparagus.
low carb egg custard made with coconut milk and sugar free splenda syrup.
a few almonds and walnuts

Exercise:
2 mile walk
4 mile hike
No weight training - my trainer was on vacation. I should have gone to the gym on my own!

Blood sugar: dropped from 162 to 142.
Weight: 245 (no change)

Hike to Health - About me

I chose this name for my blog because hiking is one of my favorite activities to do in any kind of weather. I have struggled to improve my health over the years and hiking really helps. I've had type 2 diabetes since about 1996. I choose to manage it by following a low carb diet and exercise. I've been about 90 pounds overweight for about 25 years. I had some pain in my knees several years ago. But thanks to a low carb diet, weight training to build up my leg muscles and taking glucosamine and chondroitin, I have very little pain. I don't jog, but hiking up hills really gets my heart rate up with less strain in my knee joints. Going downhill doesn't bother me I think because of the muscles I've developed. Thank goodness I met a personal trainer about five and a half years ago who has become a great friend. I see her twice a week for a good workout. I have only cancelled out about twice in that time.

I have a hiking buddy. We have a standing date every Friday to do a two-hour hike. We live close to many hiking trails here in the Cascade Mountain range in Washington State.