Discussion
Back in December '04 I was involved in a near fatal car crash and spent the following year as a hospital inpatient. The first few weeks were spent in an induced coma and were followed by a period of psychosis where I was convinced I had been responsible to the deaths of 3 children. I wasn't and there were no children involved but no amount of reassurance (by anyone, including doctors, nurses, family etc) could convince me otherwise. I spent a lot of time crying and consumed by guilt, whilst also having other less traumatic dreams and/or hallucinations. Some were actually quite funny, such as the discussion between a doctor and a suited medical rep', where it was explained that they could remove my personality, soul and ''essence of me'' and suspend me in a fluid until such time as my body was healed and they could pop me back in! The doctor was concerned by the cost but needn't have been, as the rep' was from Palitoy and Action Man and they would be funding my treatment! Or the night I had managed to leave the hospital, despite being bedridden and in 'halo traction', then driven to Devon in a Land Rover I'd hired despite my having broken my neck, back, pelvis and fractured skull. I'd also severed the blood vessel in my groin so had suffered huge internal bleeding so had been incredibly lucky to survive. My memories of that time are still incredibly vivid and it was nearly 2 months till the psychosis began to subside. In fact, one evening on the trauma ward the nurse turned off the light and as she did so, hundreds of pairs of spectacle frames appeared floating all around me. I remember trying to reach for a pair but never being able to quite reach them. The chap in the bed opposite called out and asked what I was doing?, at which point I was about the tell him but realised the absurdity of it all. I just said 'nothing' and laid there quietly instead. It was literally from that point on that I questioned the things I was seeing, as opposed to just accepting that everything going on around me was real. I didn't always get it right though. I kept asking to see the young security guard who'd sat at my bedside in Intensive Care for days. He never spoke to me but his just being there had made me feel safe. It took the ITU ward Sister to visit me and explain that no such guy existed. It took a while to accept that truth be told.
Eventually some normality returned to my mental health. I remained bedridden for about 6 months and my whole world was the corner space of a ward. I had a TV and a Playstation, although being flat on my back meant part of the screen was obscured. Clearly I still had to deal with the physical impact of my injuries but for the most part I simply did as I was told. I remained in halo traction for a couple of months. This is where a metal ring is literally bolted to your skull and this is then bolted to a thick plastic waistcoat type affair, with a sheepskin lining.I also had an external fixator keeping what was left of my pelvis in place. Once I was strong enough, I had a 9 hour operation to put my pelvis and left femur back together again but before that I almost died from, of all things, being constipated! I didn't actually know I was constipated, as I was just existing really and wasn't aware enough of my situation to think about when I had last been to the toilet. I was on so much Morphine I drifted in and out of a semiconscious state for the most part. Through that haze though, I knew I felt sick but I couldn't have been prepared for what happened. Nor could the poor student Nurse who was stood nearby but had dropped whatever she was doing to heave me onto my side. The first time I vomited I was flat on my back and despite the force it left me with, gravity threw it back in my face. This young girl found the strength to roll me on my side (facing her) just in time for a second, more forceful stream of vomit to cover me, my bed and the poor girls hands and arms in what looked like thick gravy. In fact my digestive system was so backed up with faecal matter that it had to come out somewhere. I'm not sure how many times I vomited that foul stinking stuff, but each time felt more forceful than the last and this stuff was everywhere. It was awful.
Time rolled along and eventually, once free from the scaffolding, I began a routine of daily physio etc. I had already been warned about the extensive nerve damage done and the possibility that I may not walk again. I just don't think I took that news in though? The medical staff told me what to do and I did it. I can't say I really considered what life would be like without walking but I do recall thinking I'd be OK so long as I could still press a clutch pedal down! It was as much as 9 or 10 months before the potential consequences began to affect me. It was a Wednesday morning I think? I simply started crying. Even now, just thinking about how I felt at that exact moment, brings tears to my eyes. I felt incredibly sad, lonely, anxious and yet I didn't know why? It seems obvious with hindsight but I was eventually diagnosed with PTSD. I guess I just didn't understand or appreciate just how hard the recent events had been to cope with and I was having to adjust to living with disability. In truth, I have been incredibly lucky and have been able to walk again. I still have a pronounced weakness in my left leg and the circulation is pretty poor. I did suffer 'drop foot' (inability to lift front part of foot due to muscle loss / weakness) from being bedridden for so long but am about 85% recovered now. I went through some medieval torture techniques in learning to walk again. There was also standing up for the first time in 10 months and how weird that felt but removal of the halo traction only to discover my neck no longer had the muscles to keep my head up! I had to literally hold my head with my hands to turn or stay upright. Nowadays though, whilst I can't run marathons, I can walk enough to go shopping etc with the aid of a stick. I still have a wheelchair, although I hate using it, but it makes days out with the Mrs easier. She hates it if we go into lifts or confined spaces with other people and I beg her not to hit me though! She just doesn't find it funny.
So, after all that waffle, the point of my posting this thread is my weight. I was 6' 2'' and 17 stone for years. I could eat what I liked, as much as I liked and my weight would stay the same. Nowadays though, I am just way heavier than I want to be and it's making me unhappy. It is also having a negative effect on my health and the circulation in my legs (or lack of it) has meant I am susceptible to leg ulcers. I'm unsure of my exact weight but hazard a guess at it being around 25 or 26 stone? I'm going to go to the local GP surgery and use their scales later so will update then. I know my diet isn't great, although I don't eat crisps or drink fizzy drinks etc. I don't drink alcohol and gave up smoking years ago, which may be another factor re the weight gain? I do like a bit of cake though and portion control could probably use some work! I did go to slimming world for a week or 2 but I live in a village and I was the only bloke there! It was too much like Fat Fighters and Matt Lucas! So, I figured that if I did a daily food diary type thing here on Dads Net (as my Mrs refers to it) it might help me remain motivated? It has to be worth a try anyway. I did lose a stone with Fat Fighters but it was like throwing a deckchair off the Titanic!
Well I figured new week, new start and Monday went like this....
Porridge. (half a bowl)
Ham salad
2 x bananas
1 x satsuma
1x apple
Tuna steak, baked spud and salad
3 x jaffa cakes
2 x tunnock wafers
3 x coffee (white with 1 sugar)
1 x hot chocolate
I'm not measuring every ingredient but I do plan to stop the sugar in coffee. I did take 2 but figured a gradual reduction is best. I used sweetener in the porridge and use semi skimmed milk. I enjoy my food and don't want to ban anything from my diet, but I do want to eat sensibly.
So there we go. Hopefully this will be the start of a slimmer me?!
Mark
Eventually some normality returned to my mental health. I remained bedridden for about 6 months and my whole world was the corner space of a ward. I had a TV and a Playstation, although being flat on my back meant part of the screen was obscured. Clearly I still had to deal with the physical impact of my injuries but for the most part I simply did as I was told. I remained in halo traction for a couple of months. This is where a metal ring is literally bolted to your skull and this is then bolted to a thick plastic waistcoat type affair, with a sheepskin lining.I also had an external fixator keeping what was left of my pelvis in place. Once I was strong enough, I had a 9 hour operation to put my pelvis and left femur back together again but before that I almost died from, of all things, being constipated! I didn't actually know I was constipated, as I was just existing really and wasn't aware enough of my situation to think about when I had last been to the toilet. I was on so much Morphine I drifted in and out of a semiconscious state for the most part. Through that haze though, I knew I felt sick but I couldn't have been prepared for what happened. Nor could the poor student Nurse who was stood nearby but had dropped whatever she was doing to heave me onto my side. The first time I vomited I was flat on my back and despite the force it left me with, gravity threw it back in my face. This young girl found the strength to roll me on my side (facing her) just in time for a second, more forceful stream of vomit to cover me, my bed and the poor girls hands and arms in what looked like thick gravy. In fact my digestive system was so backed up with faecal matter that it had to come out somewhere. I'm not sure how many times I vomited that foul stinking stuff, but each time felt more forceful than the last and this stuff was everywhere. It was awful.
Time rolled along and eventually, once free from the scaffolding, I began a routine of daily physio etc. I had already been warned about the extensive nerve damage done and the possibility that I may not walk again. I just don't think I took that news in though? The medical staff told me what to do and I did it. I can't say I really considered what life would be like without walking but I do recall thinking I'd be OK so long as I could still press a clutch pedal down! It was as much as 9 or 10 months before the potential consequences began to affect me. It was a Wednesday morning I think? I simply started crying. Even now, just thinking about how I felt at that exact moment, brings tears to my eyes. I felt incredibly sad, lonely, anxious and yet I didn't know why? It seems obvious with hindsight but I was eventually diagnosed with PTSD. I guess I just didn't understand or appreciate just how hard the recent events had been to cope with and I was having to adjust to living with disability. In truth, I have been incredibly lucky and have been able to walk again. I still have a pronounced weakness in my left leg and the circulation is pretty poor. I did suffer 'drop foot' (inability to lift front part of foot due to muscle loss / weakness) from being bedridden for so long but am about 85% recovered now. I went through some medieval torture techniques in learning to walk again. There was also standing up for the first time in 10 months and how weird that felt but removal of the halo traction only to discover my neck no longer had the muscles to keep my head up! I had to literally hold my head with my hands to turn or stay upright. Nowadays though, whilst I can't run marathons, I can walk enough to go shopping etc with the aid of a stick. I still have a wheelchair, although I hate using it, but it makes days out with the Mrs easier. She hates it if we go into lifts or confined spaces with other people and I beg her not to hit me though! She just doesn't find it funny.
So, after all that waffle, the point of my posting this thread is my weight. I was 6' 2'' and 17 stone for years. I could eat what I liked, as much as I liked and my weight would stay the same. Nowadays though, I am just way heavier than I want to be and it's making me unhappy. It is also having a negative effect on my health and the circulation in my legs (or lack of it) has meant I am susceptible to leg ulcers. I'm unsure of my exact weight but hazard a guess at it being around 25 or 26 stone? I'm going to go to the local GP surgery and use their scales later so will update then. I know my diet isn't great, although I don't eat crisps or drink fizzy drinks etc. I don't drink alcohol and gave up smoking years ago, which may be another factor re the weight gain? I do like a bit of cake though and portion control could probably use some work! I did go to slimming world for a week or 2 but I live in a village and I was the only bloke there! It was too much like Fat Fighters and Matt Lucas! So, I figured that if I did a daily food diary type thing here on Dads Net (as my Mrs refers to it) it might help me remain motivated? It has to be worth a try anyway. I did lose a stone with Fat Fighters but it was like throwing a deckchair off the Titanic!
Well I figured new week, new start and Monday went like this....
Porridge. (half a bowl)
Ham salad
2 x bananas
1 x satsuma
1x apple
Tuna steak, baked spud and salad
3 x jaffa cakes
2 x tunnock wafers
3 x coffee (white with 1 sugar)
1 x hot chocolate
I'm not measuring every ingredient but I do plan to stop the sugar in coffee. I did take 2 but figured a gradual reduction is best. I used sweetener in the porridge and use semi skimmed milk. I enjoy my food and don't want to ban anything from my diet, but I do want to eat sensibly.
So there we go. Hopefully this will be the start of a slimmer me?!
Mark
Congrats on overcoming your accident, what an achievement!
As for food, myfitness pal is an app that's easy to use and will give you accurate calories.
Just restrict your calories to start with. I will let someone with better knowledge recommend an amount I'd say 2200 a day will see decent weight loss and allow you to eat a decent amount of food.
As for food, myfitness pal is an app that's easy to use and will give you accurate calories.
Just restrict your calories to start with. I will let someone with better knowledge recommend an amount I'd say 2200 a day will see decent weight loss and allow you to eat a decent amount of food.
Thanks chaps. Yes, I'm hoping this might provide a bit more incentive and motivation to keep me focussed.
This was from the scales at the surgery. The ones in the nurses room said I was 3 Kgs heavier but I'll continue with these.
This was the accident.
This was from the scales at the surgery. The ones in the nurses room said I was 3 Kgs heavier but I'll continue with these.
This was the accident.
Edited by e30m3Mark on Tuesday 10th July 16:49
Well day 2 and still motivated. In fact, I dusted off the rowing machine that's been in the cupboard since I bought it a year ago. Am going to start with 10 minute sessions whenever I have time / the mood takes me.
Today my meals were as follows.
Bowl shreddies with sweetener and semi skimmed.
2 x apples
2 x tunnock wafers
Chicken breast, baked spud and salad.
Strawberries, half fat creme freche and merangue
1 x hot chocolate
3 x coffee
1 x tea
I'm well aware it's only been a couple of days but I do feel like posting here is a help. I don't think I realised just how unhappy I am with my weight and it's a problem I want to address for several reasons.
1. Health
2. Appearance
3. I want to be able to buy some jeans that actually fit.
4. Self esteem
5. Fitting comfortably into the race seat in my car.
I'm sure there are other reasons but they're the main ones.
Is there anything else I can do to promote weight loss?
Today my meals were as follows.
Bowl shreddies with sweetener and semi skimmed.
2 x apples
2 x tunnock wafers
Chicken breast, baked spud and salad.
Strawberries, half fat creme freche and merangue
1 x hot chocolate
3 x coffee
1 x tea
I'm well aware it's only been a couple of days but I do feel like posting here is a help. I don't think I realised just how unhappy I am with my weight and it's a problem I want to address for several reasons.
1. Health
2. Appearance
3. I want to be able to buy some jeans that actually fit.
4. Self esteem
5. Fitting comfortably into the race seat in my car.
I'm sure there are other reasons but they're the main ones.
Is there anything else I can do to promote weight loss?
I think that’s a lot of sugar. Breakfast, fruit, snacks, dessert and potatoes are all sugar.
I think your diet would benefit from a real overhaul to really get your weight loss going.
I'm not a massive advocate of it but perhaps look at the ketogenic diet.
I think your diet would benefit from a real overhaul to really get your weight loss going.
I'm not a massive advocate of it but perhaps look at the ketogenic diet.
Edited by gregs656 on Tuesday 10th July 23:23
I wouldn't advocate full-on keto, but reducing carbs (esp. refined) is likely best route to better health, fitness and weight loss.
CV exercise plus resistance training and a clean diet comprising healthy (animal) fats, meat/fish/poultry plus some fruit and veg. Limit or eliminate grains - including the 'healthy' whole grains, including breads, rice, pasta, etc.
CV exercise plus resistance training and a clean diet comprising healthy (animal) fats, meat/fish/poultry plus some fruit and veg. Limit or eliminate grains - including the 'healthy' whole grains, including breads, rice, pasta, etc.
e30m3Mark said:
I'm going to stop taking sugar in tea / coffee from tomorrow but I thought fruit was fructose, fibre etc and a good thing?
Am also happy to modify my diet as I progress but I don't want to be limited to bland foods.
Keep it simple and don't be in a rush. Use a total daily energy expenditure calculator to give you an idea how many calories you use per day by simply not being dead. Then aim to eat 10-15% under that amount. Don't worry too much about what those calories are just try and keep to your calorie total for the day using something like myfitness pal or similar.Am also happy to modify my diet as I progress but I don't want to be limited to bland foods.
I've just had a look and you currently burn around 3,182 to maintain your weight. If you aim to consume 500 calories less than that per day you'll lose around a pound a week (probably more as you'll lose quite a bit of water for the first few weeks).
You can spend a lot of time worrying about macros, fretting over the type of carbohydrate you're eating, whether you're eating enough protein, what sort of fat is being consumed etc etc. All this is great, but to chip away at a BMI in the high 40s I'd be looking at energy in vs energy out.
What I will say is that if you stay away from sugar you'll find it easier to stick to the diet, although 2500 cals a day is more than I eat, and I'm not on a diet
I would also ease into it, don't start on a 1800 cal a day diet straight away, you'll feel like s
t and stop after 2 weeks. Thanks for that. Much appreciated.
I figured that by keeping a diary of my food intake I would have a better idea of just what amount of calories I've been consuming. I've definitely been eating less (than I usually would) over the past few days, whilst increasing the exercise. I can't walk a long distance but I can still push myself more than I have been.
I figured that by keeping a diary of my food intake I would have a better idea of just what amount of calories I've been consuming. I've definitely been eating less (than I usually would) over the past few days, whilst increasing the exercise. I can't walk a long distance but I can still push myself more than I have been.
That is way too much sugar:
Some basics to remember:
There are only three macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrate.
Protein and some fats are "essential" - our bodies cannot make them so we must eat them.
There are no essential carbohydrates. None.
Carbohydrates are sugars, once your body has started to digest them. So pasta, bread, and potatoes are, surprise, sugar! True.
Fructose, naturally from fruit and berries, is actually worse for us than the glucose! Also surprising but also true.
You can track calories at https://www.myfitnesspal.com/. A 500 kcals a day deficit is about right for weight loss. More than
that risks triggering starvation measures - losing muscle to keep fat as your body tries to survive - which doesn't help you. And you will feel hungry.
I do prefer keto, which doesn't involve feeling hungry, but there is a thread for that if you want to explore.
Best of luck in your journey!
e30m3Mark said:
Bowl shreddies with sweetener and semi skimmed. - basically little glucose biscuits in sugar water
2 x apples fruit contains - fructose
2 x tunnock wafers - obvious sugar
Chicken breast, baked spud and salad. - potatoes are glucose
Strawberries, half fat creme freche and merangue - fructose
1 x hot chocolate - sugar
3 x coffee - sugar
1 x tea - sugar
Is there anything else I can do to promote weight loss?
You could clearly ditch a lot of sugar whatever else you choose.2 x apples fruit contains - fructose
2 x tunnock wafers - obvious sugar
Chicken breast, baked spud and salad. - potatoes are glucose
Strawberries, half fat creme freche and merangue - fructose
1 x hot chocolate - sugar
3 x coffee - sugar
1 x tea - sugar
Is there anything else I can do to promote weight loss?
Some basics to remember:
There are only three macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrate.
Protein and some fats are "essential" - our bodies cannot make them so we must eat them.
There are no essential carbohydrates. None.
Carbohydrates are sugars, once your body has started to digest them. So pasta, bread, and potatoes are, surprise, sugar! True.
Fructose, naturally from fruit and berries, is actually worse for us than the glucose! Also surprising but also true.
You can track calories at https://www.myfitnesspal.com/. A 500 kcals a day deficit is about right for weight loss. More than
that risks triggering starvation measures - losing muscle to keep fat as your body tries to survive - which doesn't help you. And you will feel hungry.
I do prefer keto, which doesn't involve feeling hungry, but there is a thread for that if you want to explore.
Best of luck in your journey!
e30m3Mark said:
I feel like I just don't know what I can eat and what I can't? Dust?
As I said, I prefer to stick to keto, but you can do well just by sticking to real food. "Paleo" is popular, but so is "never eat anything your grandmother couldn't identify":. meat, fish, cheese, eggs are all great for protein and fat.
. all the green vegetables are pretty good.
I would start with three eggs scrambled for breakfast and see if you can live without the 10am snacks. You'll be way ahead on nutrition and down on calories for no effort.
Oats and fat free yoghurt are a better breakfast choice than cereal and milk. Look up overnight oats. A bit of fruit or honey is ok to sweeten but go easy.
Try and swap some of the fruit snacks for veg. Cut up some celery, carrots, cucumber etc.
Evening meals try and swap some of the potatoes / carbs for more veg. Big plate of veg with a chicken breast or fish etc. You don't need carbs many carbs.
I say this as if it's easy, I really struggle without carbs as a vegetarian.
Try and swap some of the fruit snacks for veg. Cut up some celery, carrots, cucumber etc.
Evening meals try and swap some of the potatoes / carbs for more veg. Big plate of veg with a chicken breast or fish etc. You don't need carbs many carbs.
I say this as if it's easy, I really struggle without carbs as a vegetarian.
http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/sport/from-18-stone-t...
Maybe this experience might help you. Also, a lot of tips there.
Maybe this experience might help you. Also, a lot of tips there.
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