Losing Weight Support Group

[mallory]

Well, here at my job the holiday eating has started.  They bring in treats every day for the month of December.  But, so far, I've resisted.  Here's a link to a website that gives good tips on diet and exercise for the holidays, hope it helps. 

http://www.webmd.com/solutions/healthy-holidays

Keep trying, everyone, we're all doing GREAT!!

[Sluff]

My doctor says the best way to watch your diet is to just push yourself away from the table. 

[BigSky]

One thing some might want to do is supplement your diet with a fiber supplement.  It can help in the area of hunger and it helps in shall we say the biological process of removing excess K in dialysis patients.   

[sandman]

I have found that doing something the burns energy fast about an hour after you eat works pretty well.  If you have stairs at your place of residence, try walking up and down then a few times if you can.

[Sluff]

I have found that doing something the burns energy fast about an hour after you eat works pretty well.  If you have stairs at your place of residence, try walking up and down then a few times if you can.

I'll get right on that. LOL Jk

[angieskidney]

I have found that doing something the burns energy fast about an hour after you eat works pretty well.  If you have stairs at your place of residence, try walking up and down then a few times if you can.

My hemoglobin dropped a bit and I have been under the weather lately. It seems I have less energy to do those stairs. YOU do them for me lol 

[kitkatz]

stairs? What stairs?   Oh those things that have steps.  Nope.  I am jumping to conclusions and flying off the handle around here for my exercise.

[goofynina]

*ahem* can you please direct me to the ESCALATOR or the ELEVATOR,  i aint doing no stairs, lol,  i'd die     i simply have no muscle left in my legs, they are gone, kaput,  i have a hard time simply stepping up a curb, and you want me to do stairs, brutha puhlease

[sandman]

I am jumping to conclusions and flying off the handle around here for my exercise.

HAHA, nice one kit.

Listen ladies.  I know I am not the best person to offer you exercise tips but I am trying.  Maybe someone with better knowledge of the situation can offer up some suggestions?

[angieskidney]

I am jumping to conclusions and flying off the handle around here for my exercise.

HAHA, nice one kit.

Listen ladies.  I know I am not the best person to offer you exercise tips but I am trying.  Maybe someone with better knowledge of the situation can offer up some suggestions?

Well if I get off my ass it would make sense if I post all the exercises meant for dialysis patients that Sandman got me and brought over when he visited. The book is: 

Exercise: A Guide for the People on DIalysis by Patricia Painter, PhD (Available to any American for FREE).

Infact, this is from my forums:

Exercise: A Guide for People on Dialysis

is available free of charge (in the U.S.*) from
the Rehabilitation Resource Center,
414 D'Onofrio Drive, Suite 200,
Madison, WI 53719.

Phone: 1–800–468–7777.
Fax: 608–833–8366.
Email: lifeoptions.

The book can be printed from a PDF (download free!) file at www.lifeoptions.org.

Here is the ORDER FORM  but I didn't see everything listed so you can call them toll free

[kitkatz]

I go that years ago. My sister found it on the internet.

[kitkatz]

Holy crap! I  just found out 30 BMI is 30 pounds from here!  Crap! Crap! Crap! 

[sandman]

What is BMI?  And what are you talking about?  30 pounds from what?

[kitkatz]

Body Mass Index.  You got to be at or below 30 BMI to be transplanted.  The only way I have found to lose weight on dialysis is to get reallly, really sick!  I do not advise this wieght loss system to anyone.

[sandman]

Can you tell me more about this body mass index?

[angieskidney]

Body Mass Index.  You got to be at or below 30 BMI to be transplanted.  The only way I have found to lose weight on dialysis is to get reallly, really sick!  I do not advise this wieght loss system to anyone.

Ya ... no kidding 


Last year I dropped from 140 lbs to 112 lbs because I was so sick I couldn't eat. I ended up also losing my hair.. a sure sign that I was NOT healthy. NO ONE wants to lose weight THAT way


And even though being size 3 was nice for awhile  now I am over 140 heading to 150lbs and can't seem to stop gaining

.. I know .. I know ... I am still small .. but I worry that what if I keep just gaining and gaining and gaining and never get a transplant. I find it so very very hard to lose any weight on dialysis  


btw, here are BMI calculators & info!

• http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm
• http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ (lbs)
• http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmi-m.htm (kg)

[Fox_nc]

Can you tell me more about this body mass index?

Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women. 

BMI Calculator
About BMI Calculator

[angieskidney]

lol @ Foxy! We found the same one!  



According to THIS site I am 23.5 BMI which is almost overweight for my height... but still normal! PHEW! lol



Here is another BMI calculator done in lbs and feet and inches

A Few Things to Remember About BMI

Remember that your BMI is only one way of assessing your general health and risk for disease. A complete picture of your health risks depends on a variety of other factors, such as your family health history and your occupation.

Also, keep in mind that BMI does not measure your body composition - how much fat and muscle you have. So a person who has a lot of muscle, like a professional bodybuilder, may be "overweight" by BMI standards but not at risk for weight-related health problems.

And here is ANOTHER BMI Calculator for all countries (options on measurements): http://www.dr-bob.org/tips/bmi.html

[sandman]

I have a BMI of 23.7.  In the normal range.    Thanks Foxy and Angie.

[Sluff]

I have a BMI of 23.7.  In the normal range.    Thanks Foxy and Angie.

Well aren't you special.

40.5

[angela515]

Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25-29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater


My BMI is 26.4 .... 

[angieskidney]

The exercise book that I have has a lot of advice I should post here.

(Exercise: A Guide for the People on DIalysis)

**flips thru book**

oooh

What You Need to Succeed:

• Commitment. You need to make up your mind to give exercise a try for at least 3 months. One session of exercise will not help. Only regular exercise over a period of time will get results.
  It may help to think of exercise as part of your treatment for your kidney disease - a part you can control!! Other people may encourage you or check your progress, but you and only you can do it!
• A Plan. Think about your goals. Then write down exactly what your going to do to achieve them - and when.
  Think about things that might get in the way of your plan and decide how to handle them.
• Realistic Expectations. You will be more likely to stick with your exercise plan if you know what to expect.
  * Results take time. It took months of inactivity and illness to get into poor condition. It will take time to regain your strength.
  * Your muscles may feel tired if they are not accustomed to regular exercise, but they should not hurt.
  * You can expect to miss exercise sessions for many reasons, including hospitalizations. Don't Quit! Reassess your plan and make changes so you can get back to it.
  * You can expect good days and bad days. Lack of sleep, stress, cramping, infection, may result in a bad day. Try to do something. It may actually make you feel better.
  * You can expect - in time - to make exercise part of your regular routine. Once you do, you won't want to miss it.
• The Right Clothes. (Anything comfortable, loose-fitting clothes will do. If it's cold, wear several layers of light clothing. You can remove layers as you get going and start to warm up, then add layers if you cool down and start to chill. If it's windy, wear a windbreaker.
• Comfortable Shoes. Athletic shoes with good padding, arch support, and uppers that allow air to circulate around your feet are idea. Be sure new shoes feel good on your feet while you are still in the store; uncomfortable spots will probably get worse, not better. If you have diabetes, break in new shoes gradually to avoid blisters and sore spots. See your physician at the first sign of foot problems.
• Putting Together an Exercise Plan. Use a sheet of paper (page 40 if you got the book which lists 3 pages worth of questions...) to help answer these questions:
  - What kind of exercise will you do?
  The best exercise programs include all three kinds of exercise: flexibility, strengthening, and cardiovascular. You hsould spend most of your exercise time doing cardiovascular exercises. (People who are very weak may need to build strength before they can do cardiovascular exercise however.)
  
  Not sure which cardiovascular exercise to choose? See page 32 of the book for help.
  (I will list them briefly here for you who don't have the book:)
  * Walking (outside or on a treadmill)
  * Bicycling (stationary or outside)
  * Stair stepping (don't have to be more than one stair)
  * Aerobics
  * Jogging
  * Water exercise (older people finding this the easiest I heard somewhere).
  
  - How often should you exercise?
  Every person's program will be different. Ideally, flexibility exercises should be done daily, strengthening exercises every other day. For cardiovascular exercises, start out slowly and work up to at least 3 to 4 times per week.
  
  - How long should you exercise?
  To get the health benefits of exercise, 30 min (or more) of continuous cardiovascular exercise is recommended. That's usually too much at first, so many people start with shorter sessions and gradually increase. If five mnutes is your limit, start there, then add one or 2 minutes to your sessions each week. All in all, exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It can help you feel better, stronger, and more in control of your health - even if you need to do dialysis.
  
  - How hard should you exercise?
  The key is to START SLOWLY AND PROGRESS GRADUALLY. Push yourself - but just a little bit. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. If you're tired, go slowly and / or shorten your session. If you feel you can do more, go for it!
  
  - How do you make progress?
  You can make progress (and build your endurance) by slowly increasing the length of time you exercise at the "somewhat hard" or "hard" level. Adding one to 2 minutes per week is about right.
  
  As you become more fit, and your body adapts to exercise, you will need to exercise hader or faster to reach the "somewhat hard" level as it will get easier.
• - Here are some easy ways to measure your progress.
  * Measure TIME.  Time one of your first exercise sessions. How long can you keep exercising without rest? About once a month, time yourself again.
  
  * Measure distance Choose a distance that you can walk, ride, or swim. Time how long it takes to go the distance at one of your first sessions, and rate your effort. About once a month, time how long it takes to do the same distance and chesk your effort rating.
  
  * Log exercise. Keep a daily record of your exercise sessions: how long you were able to keep going, how far you were able to walk/ride, and your work effort rating. Just watching your progress from week to week will be gratifying!
  

[sandman]

WOW!  Excellent post Angie. 

[mallory]

Oh, crap!  I can't believe this!  I'm already overweight, I had to lose 80 pounds before I'd be considered for a transplant.  I got sick on Thanksgiving, a couple of other things, I lost 20 pounds.  Great!  I started PD about two weeks ago, it makes me feel so full that I can't eat very much, so I'm thinking I'll probably lose more.  But NO!  I have gained 5 stinking pounds!  What the heck?!  Am I doing something wrong?  I do PD 4 times a day, I use 1.5 % solution during the day and 2.5% overnight.  I'm only using 1500 ml., instead of the whole 2000.

I only eat 2 slices of dry toast for breakfast, and someting like an apple for lunch, and then I try to eat some protein for dinner.  Why am I gaining weight?!  I'm not getting much exercise because my BP is so low, but I swear I'm not eating that much. 

This is frustrating.

[mallory]

Okay, I lost one pound today.  But, still, it doesn't seem like I should be gaining weight.  Does the PD solution really have that much impact on you?  I'm going to have to stop eating altogether to lose weight.