Evading big brother - but on my way, dancing barefoot to Mordor

[DreamDancer]

My Big Why:

I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired, and in excruciating pain.

I'm tired of feeling so lousy most days that death starts looking like an action plan.

I'm tired of limping and looking like a crazy, old bag-lady.

I want to dance and have fun.

My little why:

My employer's insurance company is doing biometric testing next week - BMI (cacluated), cholesterol level, blood sugar level, and blood pressure. If I fail any one of those things, (which I will) I will have to pay extra on my premium. They didn't explain anything until today, but I found the Nerd Fitness acadamy a few weeks ago, when I was in full freak out mode, and doing research about diets-- I knew I definitely wasn't going to pass the BMI test.

I'm actually not sure what it takes to pass the BMI test in this case. Last time a nurse practitioner ran my height and weight through a BMI calculation, it came up 'obese'-- but she said "If you loose 8 lbs, you will only be severely overweight. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Eight pounds? What is this based on? (And missy, I bet YOU'RE happy as a clam being 'only severely overweight' too! ) I asked her if it took into account that I might be a hobbit, but I have TROLL bones? No. And that I'm 56, not 24? No. Or that I was a competitive ice skater as a kid. Or that my father used to drag me out on 'century' bike rides and running marathons, so with any luck maybe some of this weight isn't entirely fat, as hopefully I might have retained an itty bit of mucsle?

My ice skating 'pro' didn't take muscle and bone into account when she weighed us every week, either. If you didn't weigh 97 lbs, you were overweight and that was that. (At the time, at age 16, I was plateaued at 118 lbs, and thought I had tried every diet on the planet. I started yo-yo fad dieting at the ripe old age of 13.

Did the nurse practitioner suggest that some of my problems with loosing weight could be due to thyroid trouble, and that I should get my thyroid checked? (No, not even after I told her my sister has Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and that, circa 2002, the numbers in my bloodwork indicated I was close to the threshold for hypothyroid -- and outright asked her if it could possibly be an issue.) When she told me I was in serious need of diet and exercise, did she offer any suggestions about how to break the cycle of reactive hypoglycemia?

I am totally able to loose weight and maintain weight loss-- if i don't eat anything til 5pm, when I start shaking and have to eat before I collapse--- and by 'eat' I mean a couple crackers, half a bag of M&Ms, and a piece of cheese. I have tended to gain weight when I follow the advice to eat six small meals a day, and more or less 'graze' on protein and fruit snacks.

Plus, at times I've also been caught in a spiral of eating a meal, then crashing a few hours later, sometimes so bad that it requires more drastic measures (liquid calories, i.e. a soda) to pull me out of the tail-spin. Then it seems my blood sugar rises, but I wind up having to ingest increasing amounts of carbs to keep the blood sugar elevated to a level my brain is happy with.

I have serious issues with all of that --- but before the episode with the nurse practitioner, I had also been in a serious accident, had some trouble walking, and gained about 20 lbs. Then, this past October, I was in another accident, and gained another 20 lbs in just a few months.

I don't need anybody to tell me I'm not in great physical shape: I know I'm fat. (My starting pics not-so-vaguely resemble Penguin in Batman Returns, especially from the back.)

But back to the biometric-testing-freak-out.

I had placed the '21 day fix' in my Amazon cart and was about to hit the check out button, when I decided to read one more review of diets. The review I read was on Steve's Nerd Fitness blog.

Still in Freak Out mode, I speed-read like half of the articles on the resource page, dove in head first, and stared eating close to 'level 10 Paleo' (sort of missed the part about changing habits incrimentally-- not that you could actually miss it--- 'ignored' is a better word choice here.) However, I'm super glad that I found Nerd Fitness, because as far as the insurance company goes, I won't qualify for reduced premiums until I weigh under 122 lbs. (Random people ask if I've got a severe illness if I weigh less than 115, and start talking 'concentration camp' at 97.)

On the up-side, I've lost at least 8 lbs since 6 April, decreased my waist by 4 inches, my hips by 2, and haven't had a blood sugar spike, or hypoglycemic crash in a week.

The downside is: my roll of the dice wasn't kind. I'm a faerie, trapped in a hobbit's body. Seriously. I'm 4' 10.6". My bone structure tests as 'broad' or 'large' on most of the internet calculators (on a few it's off the upper end of the chart). I've been diagnosed as having reactive hypoglycemia (2002), fibromyalgia and sjorgren's syndrome (1995, second opinion 2003, but they say, judging from intake history, that I've had symptoms since I was 12). On top of that, I'm clinically obsessive-compulsive. Stress makes all of the above flare.

I've been lurking here for about two weeks, and would have introduced myself some time back, but there was also some mention of life goals -- and I have an opportunity to level up my income in a few months. I have been coding websites for some time, but have lacked the formal credentials to get a decent job. So, I signed up for 'Code Louisville', the tech initiative President Obama praised a few weeks back. I had to pay my library fine, get my library card reinstated and hack a 15 hour on-line course in order to beat the sign up dead-line. (Did I say 'hack' out loud? I meant, er, uhm, 'take'. I knew the material already - just needed a few specific hex color codes in the videos -which I didn't have time to watch.)

I also joined the academy -- I figured it's about the price of 4 or 5 hardback diet books, 6 to 8 trade paperbacks, or 10-15 mass market paperbacks -- all of which and more I've owned (and spent at least that much--with a bookseller discount).

I was a vegetarian for 25 years (although in retrospect, it was more of an eating disorder.) I've also tried macrobiotic, vegan (and M&M-arian), and gluten free (but with legumes and other grains). With those, I've never had the success I've had in the past two weeks. I might have tried Paleo sooner, but for the fact that a survivalist-paleo friend choose to pluck a live cricket off the ground and eat it whole. In that moment, I mis-judged that Paleo=nuts.

I'm pretty sure I want to be an Assasin / Druid. (I'm thinking like Salman Khan in Ek Tha Tiger, or Debangg.)

It's gonna be a long walk to Mordor (seeing as I can't walk without pain at the moment, and have a lot of trouble bending my left leg far enough to get my toes in my barefoot-shoes by myself.)

The next episode in this series will probably wind up in the challenge section-- I've been working on it since the 13th, but didn't have time to write up a post yet. Stay tuned.

[insanity]

Well first off, congrats on the beginning steps. I've been majority paleo for a while now, before starting it I had the whole "eat crash" hypoglycemia cycle going myself, to the point where I've "Whited out" and collapsed. Now I haven't had any issues with it, even if I miss a full days worth of meals. The other thing that's helped a lot is giving up caffeine, I went from a 2-3 Monster a day drinker (full time work and full time school), to 1 red bull, then finally completely quit. Between those two, I feel better than ever.

 

Regarding the Reactive Hypoglycemia, I've done a bit of research into that after a bad run-in with sweet teas and it doesn't seem to be a constant thing. Just your body's reaction to too much sugar intake in a short time. The rest I have no experience with but that's what I seem to find with that. I'm not a doctor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night...

 

Also BMI is horrible... http://www.livestrong.com/article/93472-problems-bmi/

 

If that's what your company is using, I would say something.

 

Anyhow, welcome to the party, and enjoy your stay. :-)

[Noname123]

Interesting that the company is only taking BMI into consideration/if you fail one you fail them all on biometric testing. I'm trying to help my company design a Wellness initiative through premiums and most of the thinking has been towards improving health- so you'd get an initial screening and as long as you showed improvement every few months you'd qualify for a reduced premium. 

 

Or for those that BMI is bs (bodybuilders/those who have sub 10 percent bodyfat but a high number on the scale) they can choose other biometrics to qualify for the same discount. 

 

Sounds like you have an awesome journey ahead of you and you're doing the right thing- stepping back and evaluating what you can do one step at a time for meaningful and lasting changes- sounds like you're well on your way based on current results already You're in a great place, the people here are an awesome resource and super friendly!!

[DreamDancer]

Thanks for the quick responses! (this post will probably be shorter as I am writing on the phone...)

Slates: there may have been some mention about checking in with weight loss or meeting some kind of goals - but it wasn't in the handouts. In this one you have to rack up points (5000) to qualify for the discount or something like that.

https:// www.humana.com/vitality/

You get 15 per workout but it has to be through a *partner health club * or specific pedometer tracking app - plus in order to get it Via the app - it has to be the full 10,000 steps. The tracking app has consistent 1 star ratings at the Play store...

I downloaded one that works and will track my steps tomorrow. I don't think it will be anywhere near 10,000 despite that I haven't owned a car since the first accident I mentioned. I walk and ride the bus. I did ask if there was any other increment and she said that rather than take the workout /walking route - I could take cpr and first aid classes. Get a flu shot (not happening).

Give blood - can't due to mad cow disease!

You're restricted if:

*From January 1, 1980, through December 31, 1996, you spent (visited or lived) a cumulative time of 3 months or more, in the United Kingdom (UK), or From January 1, 1980, to present, you had a blood transfusion in any country(ies) in the (UK) or France. *

My son was born in Scotland in 1983, and I had a blood transfusion after hemorrhaging... So that's out too.

Doesn't taking classes sort of defeat the purpose of a wellness program? Isn't the idea to help me get more fit? (They will send you to weight watchers free for 6 months.)

Anyway that's another thing I like about Nerd Fitness. I did try to make up and start to follow my Recruit challenge but found I made it too difficult (twice) so I backed it up some.

Like - I am not going to even be able to do the beginning bodyweight warmup - nevermind the workout. So I figured out that instead of running up the stairs, I will walk up and down, starting with one flight. I will increase the number of flights by one, every two days, and the goal is to be able to climb all 16 flights by the end of the challenge.

If I manage that, I will also work on walking down (I have more trouble coming down.)

[DreamDancer]

Insanity : thanks for the pointers!

I have been OK for one week eating : chicken, tuna, watermelon, sweet potatoes, avocado, eggs, broccoli, cauliflower and string beans. I've been eating as much as I am hungry for but recording it. (Guacamole in tuna is a lot tastier than tuna and mayo! Who knew?)

I do drink one coffee in the morning with a touch of milk but I will swap it for almond milk next time I shop. It might be a little strong as I make it in a Vietnamese filter and add some water.

If I get any shakes or white out feeling I will try cutting the coffee - add twice the water I do now and then cut the total amount in half. I've quit coffee before by diluting it increasingly til I am almost getting a homeopathic dose - and didn't get withdrawal headaches.

I also smoke. I know that has to go to - and goal 2 of my challenge was going to be to reduce by one a day per week for the 6 weeks (which would leave me at 8 or 9) but the minute I even thought about it - instead I shot up to a pack a day. So I have something to solve about that problem.

Smoking and caffeine both mess with blood sugar but both also have some pain relief properties. I am off nsaids and muscle relaxants - I do eat a teaspoon of turmeric per day.

But I was baking the turmeric into Brownies! (Any idea why I might have gained weight after the second accident? I am clueless! :-p) Now I am putting it in my eggs.

[insanity]

Insanity : thanks for the pointers!

I have been OK for one week eating : chicken, tuna, watermelon, sweet potatoes, avocado, eggs, broccoli, cauliflower and string beans. I've been eating as much as I am hungry for but recording it. (Guacamole in tuna is a lot tastier than tuna and mayo! Who knew?)

I do drink one coffee in the morning with a touch of milk but I will swap it for almond milk next time I shop. It might be a little strong as I make it in a Vietnamese filter and add some water.

If I get any shakes or white out feeling I will try cutting the coffee - add twice the water I do now and then cut the total amount in half. I've quit coffee before by diluting it increasingly til I am almost getting a homeopathic dose - and didn't get withdrawal headaches.

I also smoke. I know that has to go to - and goal 2 of my challenge was going to be to reduce by one a day per week for the 6 weeks (which would leave me at 8 or 9) but the minute I even thought about it - instead I shot up to a pack a day. So I have something to solve about that problem.

Smoking and caffeine both mess with blood sugar but both also have some pain relief properties. I am off nsaids and muscle relaxants - I do eat a teaspoon of turmeric per day.

But I was baking the turmeric into Brownies! (Any idea why I might have gained weight after the second accident? I am clueless! :-p) Now I am putting it in my eggs.

The white out episode happened when I was a kid, I thought I ate a lot before that, but that was the point that convinced me I needed to eat more/better, it didn't have anything to do with caffeine as I wasn't into energy drinks then. The caffeine was a recent removal after my schooling stopped.

 

The shakes happened before I went paleo, I couldn't go more than a few hours without eating and there was no way I could skip breakfast, and when the shakes hit, I'd run and grab a candy bar to get past that feeling. Now I've woken up on a Saturday, grabbed a couple bottles of water and went to play football until lunch with zero issue. Something I could never even dream of doing before.

 

The only time I've had the shakes since going paleo was when I drank 2 sweet teas in a short time, was something like 160 grams of sugar in an hour or so, and that's where the reactive hypoglycemia came in. Body over reacted, dumped a bunch of insulin and my sugar plummeted. I think... again, not a doctor but it makes sense to me.

 

If you try to quit both caffeine and smoking, do just one at a time. Watching my fiance go through quitting smoking was painful. She also got toys that she could play with to keep her hands busy, that seemed to help.

 

Weight gained after second accident, could be any number of things. Eating the same and moving less, Moving the same and eating different, side effects of medicine... etc.

[insanity]

Speaking of BMI being a bad way to go about it...

 

https://www.yahoo.com/health/why-dwayne-the-rock-johnson-is-technically-obese-117180855078.html

[gorgeousgeek]

"A faeire trapped in a Hobbit's body..."

 

I don't have any advice for you, seeing as I'm new to this myself...but I sure love your writing style, and think you would be someone I would sit down to coffee (or tea? or gallons of wine?) with XD You sound awesome, and I know you're gonna be able to beat this thing!

[Noname123]

Speaking of BMI being a bad way to go about it...

 

https://www.yahoo.com/health/why-dwayne-the-rock-johnson-is-technically-obese-117180855078.html

Yeah, BMI is for populations not individuals. Now I'm wondering if people would be ok with body-fat percentage/biometrics and how you'd get that in a non-invasive way.