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212795 tn?1194952574

need to lose 5 lbs

I recently (about a month ago) moved away from the beach, where I was walking 4 miles a day.  Now I need to create a new routine, and I need to lose a good 5 lbs because with the move and everything I gained a little weight.

Can anyone give a start up diet, regimen, to help get me back in the groove?  I noticed I don't have the same type of energy that I used to, and I feel extremely bloated and lethargic.  I do 3 sets of 50 crunches per day, I stopped for a couple of weeks and now I have included it back into my workouts.  Also, I have access to a gym where there is a nice treadmill and eliptical machine.  I want to get into weights as well, an my boyfriend and I are going to start doing that together.  

I also noticed the no carb diet on here - and boy do I love carbs and sugar!  I eat lots veggies and fruits.  I LOVE cheese!!!  It's hard to stay away from them, but would I notice key differences in my body if I dropped the carbs?  What if I allowed some carbs?  Which ones are the worst offenders?  

I would appreciate any and all advice!  I had lost weight and fit back into my size 4 jeans when I was working my beach routine - now I am muffin topping them:(  Help!!!
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212795 tn?1194952574
Thanks BB, I am going to try the step-wise thing you are suggesting. Since you cut the carbs out of your diet, do you need to eat every 2-3 hrs to keep your energy up?

I am going to cut back on the wheat bread, and try to minimize it in my diet.  I don't know if I can cut all carbs, but I'll try the step wise thing you are talking about.  I used to be on the South beach, but I find it difficult not to want a little sugar.  I don't like the sugar substitutes in my coffee.  Anyway, thanks for the advice.
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Avatar universal
Koukla, you just changed the terms of the debate when you mentioned hypoglycemia. What foods are most connected to fluctuations in blood sugar? You probably know the answer. Cut back on them.  

Again, you can try a stepwise thing and start omitting simple sugars first, the junk food or whatever, and see if that improves things. If it doesn't, keep going. Get rid of the fruits and starchy stuff, like grains and potatoes and other starchy veggies.

Eat lots of poultry, fish, meats (fat trimmed or not depending on your preferences), and eggs and/or egg whites. You can add non-starchy veggies to this if you like vegetables. You might have a problem with fruit with hypoglycemia. If you like fruit, you might have to see how it affects you and eat small portions infrequently.

Frankly, I don't see any advantages to eating grains. I haven't eaten any in almost 20 years. I started a low-carb diet back then because of the same symptoms you have - hypoglycemic-like episodes, feeling shaky, lightheaded if I didn't eat every  couple of hours, energy fluctuations.  The answer to these symptoms is not to continually feed them every 2-3 hours with the same food that causes them.  That's insanity. The answer is to knock them out of your diet altogether. Aside from simple sugars, fruits and grains tend to be real culprits for hypoglycemic-like symptoms.

If you can't or won't make these changes, then again the step-wise thing might work for you. Keep us posted.  
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212795 tn?1194952574
One more thing... sorry... I love using the eliptical machine, however, I get terrible cramps in my side when I use it.  Doesn't happen on the tread mill, nor did I ever get it at the beach.
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212795 tn?1194952574
Well, I feel lethargic that's why I am afraid my concern of 5 lbs will become 10, and 10 will become 15 and so on!  Maybe it's just a fear, but I don't have the same energy like I did before.  Any ideas for getting energy back?  I know I will just have to build up my tolerance again, but maybe somebody has an idea to help me.
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Avatar universal
Misty, I'll check out the website you posted - thanks for mentioning this technique. No, I haven't heard of it but would be interested in reading about it.

Congratulations on the pregnancy and with the zero-carb plan. I agree that the energy levels are amazing the lower you go in carbs. Also cravings disappear. I'm convinced that we could probably come close to wiping out the obesity and diabetes epidemics if low carb could be made the basic diet we followed instead of the high-carb low-fat plan that led to all the diabetes and obesity in the first place.

Misscloey, I forgot to address your "support" concerns. If you google something like "running bras for large-breasted women" or something like that, you should get some hits for some specialty places that have these items. I use Champion brand sports bras, they are fairly reasonably priced and often on sale around the web.

I started running in the mid-1970s, before they even made "running" or "sports" bras, and before there were even running shoes specifically for women. There was a woman I ran with back then who also had a similar build to yours, and she would wear TWO regular supportive street bras on her runs. Back then, we were all running in our regular bras, the ones we wore under our street clothes. Boy, times have sure changed. : )

I hope you find something that works for you. There are plenty of companies making this stuff,  shop around and see what you can find.
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212795 tn?1194952574
Oh, I forgot to add I am 29 years old, and I am borderline hypoglycemic.  Thanks for all of your input everyone:)  I love whole wheat bread...
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Avatar universal
Barn babe, hi, I am still pregnant with still 6 weeks to go, but always reading your interesting posts, since I find them very inspiring, but more than thaht educational, since before going through all this hormonal turmoil that I am going through I also follow a zero carb diet, or close to zero, and it really makes a difference in the way you feel.  Once I deliver and recuperate for a few weeks I would like to start running, I am use to do weights (heavy), but have never done cardio, I just would like to prevent injuries, and even though I am not thinking of running long distance, but more doing high intensity 3 to 5 miles runs I would like your opinion on a technique that somebody I know have been using in her running for years, and since I identify with your way of viewing many things I would love to know your opinion on this...Have you heard or read about the "Pose Technique" for running (posetech.com)...and what  do you think about it...some of the basics are:

"The Running Pose is a whole body pose, which vertically aligns shoulders, hips and ankles with the support leg, while standing on the ball of the foot. This creates an S-like shape of the body. The runner then changes the pose from one leg to the other by falling forward and allowing gravity to do the work. The support foot is pulled from the ground to allow the body to fall forward, while the other foot drops down freely, in a change of support.

This creates forward movement, with the least cost (energy use), and the least effort. The end result is faster race times, freer running and no more injuries!"

Thanks in advance for your time.
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97615 tn?1212678589
oh, i really wanted to tell you about toe taps too.  sorry, i forgot..  you can do fast toe taps for a minute or so on each foot.  helps to stretch that shin out too.  :)
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97615 tn?1212678589
i am not exactlly sure about that, you might want to see a dr.  some things that come to mind are pinched nerves (i had this when i was pregnant and stretching helped) or maybe lack of circulation which would be addressed by a dr.  

overall, maybe go and get a physical.  i highly recommend yoga at least 2 to 3 times a week.  more if you can fit it in.  stretching prior to exercise is great but yoga is that extra kick w/ a bonus of getting to know yourself way down deep.  It helps you fall in love w/ your self from the inside out.  man, i sound cheezy...sorry, i am hormonal this week PMS.  hehe.  
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Avatar universal
jifnif, I have recently read about and have been practicing that particular stretch in hopes of becoming a better runner. I think next I should go get fitted for some good quality running shoes. I know I have been fiited pre pregnancy (13 years ago) and I was an over pronator  (I think!- my shoes wear on the outside first) maybe I have that backwards, I don't know!
Anyways, it probably IS the extra weight Barn, you are probably correct.
I do have access to the treadmill and use it for intensity purposes, raising the incline and such. But again, only if I feel like my shins can withstand the pressure. Do either of you know why my feet would go numb after about 35- 40 minutes of exercise? Doesn't matter what machine I am working on, but always happens.  
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Avatar universal
I run mostly on dirt trails with asphalt interspersed. I like the idea of the track to begin with because they are usually padded so you get a little more "give" underneath you. Stay away from concrete as much as possible. I spent most of my 20s and 30s running on concrete, and I'm paying for it with arthritis in my knees. It's not bad, like pain when I kneel down, but nothing serious. It doesn't keep me from working out or running, but I don't recommend concrete for running.

If you are doing an elliptical, do you also have access to a treadmill? Those are also padded and will give you some cushioning underneath you.

Yeah, probably it's just the extra weight you are carrying. Sorry, you probably mentioned you were an exerciser already. Were you a runner? Sometimes shin splints happen to folks new to running but not new to exercise in general.

But it is something that will go away. I'm sure it's frustrating, though. : (

I second the runner's world forum for advice. Just stay away from their nutrition discussions - they are vehemently anti-low-carb and when they get a whiff of somebody being low-carb, they practicaly flame them off the forum. I've seen it get nasty over there. They are completely ignorant about nutrition, too. They are eating snacky carby stuff, cereals, grains, the whole bit, and thinking it's healthy. But the injury forums, the other discussion forums are fine. I think there's a place for beginners there, too.

Another good one is the coolrunning website. They have a couch-to-5K plan that is popular with beginning runners. I like coolrunning a little better, but I'm partial to smaller websites. Runner's world is huge, so you get lots of eyeballs for your questions and comments, and lots of opinions but it means you have to wade through lots of garbage.
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97615 tn?1212678589
running on concrete is the worst, asphalt is 2nd worst, track is good but not as great as the earth.  when oppurtunity allows maybe hit a dirt trail in a local park.  :)

p.s.   a good stretch for shin splint prone people is to stretch the front of your leg by standing w/ support and putting the top of your toes w/ sneaker on face down w/ a bit of a teeny weeny pressure.  hard to explain.  but if you can do that even a little you can losen up the ligament attached to the shin enough to help a bit. you will feel the stretch most when it hurts to know if you are doing it correctly but do it prior to a walk even to avoid worse pain.  
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Avatar universal
Barn I am not a new exerciser. I have exercised my whole life! I just ate too much obviously! That is why I wonder why I still am bothered by them. I keep frozen corn for aches and do use ibuprofen daily (also take too much! )

I will try to stop running before the pain starts. Do you run on concrete, asphalt or a track? The track seems to hurt less that the harder surfaces. I will take your advice and thank you jifnif for your advice also, I will use it and keep you all posted.  
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Avatar universal
Cloey, the shin splints will dissipate over time as you become more fit and active. But in the beginning, when people first start working out, they are awful. And it's really common to get them.  

I would ice the front of your calves down as soon as you can. As soon as you feel the pain, stop working out. Keep doing the workouts that don't cause the shin splints so you can keep up your endurance and fitness level. That will at least help you when you do start jogging again.

Shin splints are an inflammation around some of the tissue structures in the calves, like the tendons and the muscles. So ibuprofen or another anti-inflammatory could work to help with the pain. I like ibuprofen and use it A LOT, which is probably not a good thing, but my workouts can get strenuous, and I'm not getting any younger. It's harder for me to bounce back from workouts these days. Anyway, if you are a person who can handle NSAIDs or don't mind using them, then any over-the-counter anti-inflammatory would work - I'm talking Aleve, naproxen, whatever. I buy whatever generic brand is on sale.

Another thing to try is insoles or orthotics in your shoes, like the Dr. Scholl things for starters. The problem here is that anything you add in is going to change your gait pattern, and it may not be for the better, but you'd have to see if it works. Make sure the running shoes you are using are really supportive for your size and body habitus as well.  

If this thing doesn't go away after a period of your on-off jogging/running pattern, you might want to get seen. But shin splints generally disappear after a while. They are so common in new exercisers, and there's just an adaptive process that has to take place.

So keep up the elliptical and whatever else doesn't cause them. Try the walking/running thing WHEN YOU ARE FREE OF PAIN.  Walk for a while, then jog, but stop jogging and start walking again BEFORE you feel the pain. Keep doing it that way, and see if it improves.  Any pain when you get home? Ice down immediately. Frozen bags of peas work well, you don't need a "real" ice pack thing. Frozen peas will also fold over and conform to the shape of your body part because they are more pliable. It's the only reason we buy frozen peas at our house! (Certainly not for consumption, as you know, being a low-carber!) ; )

Keep us posted. And keep up the great work. My guess is you are inspiring tons of lurkers around here. Nice job, cloey!  Don't worry - you will get past this.  It's common, and it does disappear over time.
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97615 tn?1212678589
i see you are quite partial w/ barn babe and for good reason, she knows her stuff...i just had to chime in here b/c i am a runner.  please dont take it for anything but my advice:  if you want to seriously run, you have to build up to it.  doing what you said is good.  walk and build up to it.  try it out on a track.  see if you can do a 1/4 mile.  if you can't then build up til you can.  if you have shin splints and you hurt you need to address a few things; how you are running and what you are running in.  you should be fitted for shoes at a running store.  you also probably have heard form is everything.  listen to your body where it hurts and adjust as you listen.  good place for running advice is runnersworld.com if you are serious.  good luck :)
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Avatar universal
Yeah, someday I will need to lose ONLY 5 pounds. Only 37 more to go! YIPPEE. Barn, how do I learn how to run? Boy, is that a stupid question or what? I have always wanted to run but here are my issues:

#1. Very large upstairs (if you know what I mean) cannot find a support bra to hold em down while running. Ouch!!

#2. Shin splints

Right now, I work out with my weights of course, but for my cardio I either work out on my Gazelle at home or the Eliptical at the gym. Both offer the low impact on knees, ankles and seem to not aggravate the shin splints.

Is there any hope for me? I probably could find a sports bra with enough support if I really tried a little harder, maybe at a running store.

The shin splints are my main concern. Walking doesn't bother them that bad, but running really hurts. I have trid walking a ways and then running until I can't run amymore, then walking again etc.

But, when I am done, boy do they hurt.

Any advice?  
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Avatar universal
I *heart* misscloey.  : )

I agree that in the final analysis, low carb is the healthiest plan. No question.  

You rock, honey!  
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Avatar universal
Low Carb, Low carb, Low carb. I am sure that Barn will chime in on this one with her awesome advice. PLEASE take it if you truly want to be successful!
I am finally losing weight that I have been trying to lose for about 10 years now. Give it a try and stick to it, you WILL see results fast. Good luck
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Avatar universal
Hey, I went easy on her, cloey!  : ) Somebody says they need to lose 5#, it's a matter of just getting back on whatever train they were on. But, yeah, low/no carb is still my first choice.

I hope I am getting better at seeing others' perspectives, but probably not. : (
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Avatar universal
If you are only over by 5#, it sounds like whatever you did in the past had been working for you. Cut back a little bit somewhere and up the exercise and I'm sure you could lose it in a couple of weeks.  If you'd rather work out more to get it off without changing your food intake, you could do that. Just pick something and get started.

If you want to cut back on the food as well, start with the obvious stuff, like sugar/white flour junk food. If you don't eat that stuff, start cutting back on grains, like bread and cereals. (I happen to think grains *are* junk food, but that's for a different thread!) : )  

If that doesn't knock the weight off, take out the starches, like potatoes.

It's a step-wise thing for a lot of people, especially if you only want to lose 5#.

You don't say how old you are. High-carb diets tend to start backfiring on people as they get older. Too many blood sugar swings with insulin sensitivity setting in. But whatever works for you. 5# just isn't a lot to lose, and if you only want to up the exercise, that would probably work, too.

Good luck.
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97615 tn?1212678589
man, i am right where you are.  my son is going to be 1 in august and i had gained 45lbs.  I lost 40.  prior to being pregnant i ran 5 miles a day and trained doing other things as well.  now i have no sleep and no time.  not joking about that.  i would get up at 4am to run prior to baby.  now w/ my son, some nights i have only had 3hrs of sleep at 4am.  well, i cant run on that.  i dont eat bad but i eat like i used to when i was running.  running i could eat anything really.  regardless, i know what i have to do.  pump up the exercise, cut down the carbs or both.  this is really the only way we see the changes.  if there was a magic to that dang 5lbs...well, how awesome would that be?!!  cheese is protein btw, no carbs.  you still want to eat low fat though, too much fat is not going to help drop that last 5.  stick to natural carbs and i usually mix my carbs w/ a protein to help slow down the process of the food being used for energy.  now since i am tired a lot, i eat some carbs late in the afternoon.  this is probably keeping my 5lbs on but i cannot let go of dates stuffed w/ cream cheese!!!!  yummy.  eat lots of veggies and protein.  limit your fruit.  cut out sugar and any packaged foods.  keep it fresh and maybe pick up some walking!!!  good luck girl, i am right there w/ you!!:)
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