Posts Tagged ‘weight-loss’

A Reader’s Question Regarding Chantix

(8/04/2007 10:29:00 PM)

I have been on chantix since may 28th. I have not smoked since June 3rd, 2007. I swear by this stuff, and believe it definatly “helps” for those who want to quit. I also realize that it is NOT for everyone.

My concern is that I went to the doctor because the past few days I have been experiencing urinating issues. I would urinate, and then feel like I had to urinate again, 2 minutes later! Then this morning, it was accomponied by burning.

I have had 2 moderate pains (2 seperate occasions) the past month, with what I would describe as pains in my right lower back, or kidney area. As I said, I went to the doctor thinking it was a bladder infection, and after a urine examine, it was determined that I had a blood in my urine! Wow, shocker! He prescribed Cipro and I am to return in a week to retest.

I am 36, smoked for 15 years, but otherwise, I would consider myself healthy. I also had a prostate exam during this visit, to make sure that I wasnt having any issues there. Have there been any other complaints like this, that you know of?
-BPS

Dear BPS:

First of all allow me to congratulate you on your six weeks success in quitting the nicotine addiction. Even with the use of Chantix I know it is not an easy thing to do.

The symptoms you describe of feeling like urinating frequently, burning during urination accompanied by pain in the back, are classic symptoms of urinary tract infections.

Most people are alarmed when they see blood in their urine. You did the right thing by going to the doctor and getting your self checked out by an health care provider.

You doctor prescribed you an antibiotic to fight the infection and wants to follow-up with you to see if the symptoms improve. I would do as he says and see what the follow-up shows. More than likely you have a case of urinary tract infection that will clear up with the antibiotics.
Your symptoms probably have nothing to do with you taking Chantix. However there does exist an infrequent association between Chantix and kidney stones. Kidney stones may cause some of your symptoms and can cause blood in the urine too. Kidney stones may provide a “nesting” point for bacteria to grow. (http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2006/021928lbl.pdf)

Medicine is an art and although sometimes things seem straight forward often they are not.

“Common things are common” a refrain doctors use to remind themselves to think of the most common things first. You may just had a urinary tract infection and your doctor is treating you for that.

Thanks for your question. And let us know how it turns out please.

alli for Weight Loss – What has been you “alli” experience?

drhowell

alli was introduced by GlaxoSmithKline three years ago as a diet and exercise aid. In reality “alli” is an old drug Orlistat previously know as Xenical launched by Roche in 1997. Xenical was well received and was safe but the side effects (primarily diarrhea) was not so well received by patients.

Ten years later Orlistat is decreased from 120mg to 60mg pills and now is known as “alli” and sold over the counter (no doctor prescription needed). Alli is the same exact drug as Xenical but the idea is that the decreased dose would limit the un-wanted side effects.

According to their website – It is the first clinically-proven over-the-counter weight loss product to be combined with a comprehensive support program (www.myalli.com).

Lap-Band Surgery: Do YOU Qualify?

Here is a quick way to know if you qualify to have lap-band surgery in the US.

1) Go to this site: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ find out your BMI and return to this page.

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2) Welcome back! Now write down your BMI on a piece of paper so you don’t lose it.

2) If your BMI is 40 or more you DO qualify for lap-band surgery.

3) If your BMI is less than 35 you do NOT qualify for lap band surgery.

4) If your BMI is between 39 and 35 you MAY qualify under certain conditions. (click here to learn more about lapband)

Eliminate Your Weight Loss Confusion

Excess fat is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. But that does not mean we need to eliminate fats from our diets.
Let me repeat that statement again: Excess fat is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. But that does NOT mean we need to eliminate fats from our diets.
What we need to learn is how to make our bodies burn fat more efficiently. Read Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, Revised Edition

Atkins Diet Works Wonders

My initial weight loss attempt in the fall failed. I was trying the traditional weight loss method of calorie restriction and low-fat diet and I almost immediately stalled and could not lose weight.

I have since replaced my weight loss method with the Atkin’s diet and I can hardly believe how well it is working for me. I have lost 9 lbs in 4 days and it has been so easy to do.

Dr. Atkins’ Diet was considered controversial to say the least when it was immediately proposed by Dr Atkins in 1972 but it has since been validated by several clinical trials and found to be better than the traditional calorie-restriction low fat diet alternative.

Which Stop Smoking Methods Work Best?

Tobacco and cigarettes are big business, bringing in billions of dollars in profits to tobacco companies and cigarette makers. Unfortunately, the business of selling stop smoking methods is almost as huge. It’s great to have plenty of choices when it comes to finding a stop smoking method that will work for you, but the tremendous amount of money to be made in this industry has also led to plenty of scams out there as well. When you decide to stop smoking, then, how can you possibly know which stop smoking methods work the best?

There is no single right answer to this question because each person is a unique individual. Some people have great success going cold turkey, for example, while others need the more gradual and structured approach of using nicotine patches to help them stop completely. The key to your success in becoming a non-smoker is to find the best method for your needs, even if it takes several tries to find the right one.

Here are some ways to go about making it happen:

1. Talk to your doctor. This may be old advice but it’s good advice. Your doctor is a terrific resource for helping you find and use the right method to help you stop smoking. He or she can fill you in on all sorts of approaches ranging from cold turkey to medication-assisted to behavioral and more.

2. Seek ongoing support. Every successful stop smoking program has one important element – ongoing support. Finding ongoing support that is practical, accessible, and suited to your needs is a critical part of your efforts. Look for support groups and forums online, in your community, at your church, at your workplace, etc.

3. Commit to the program. Regardless of which program or method you choose to stop smoking, your own personal and complete commitment is vital to success. It’s easy to start a new program and then, when the going gets tough, give it up or justify finding reasons to sneak cigarettes along the way. The best chance of success comes when you commit yourself fully to the program, even if that means making a new commitment each week, day, or hour in some cases.

Most non-smokers will tell you it took them several tries to actually stop smoking for good, so don’t let yourself become discouraged. Stick with it, keep trying, and never, ever give up!
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The Weight Loss Update – Fall 2009

As you may recall I am currently in a personal battle with obesity. 300 pounds is not a healthy weight for my six foot frame. So I set out to lose the weight but simply put, it is not going well…let me comeback to that topic.

I was in Florida about a week ago enjoying the beach with my wife and sister-in-law. The beach was so beautiful. The water was cool and the beach was relatively empty owing to the fact that this is currently the tourist off-season in Florida. So you can imagine how easy it is to feel like we have the beach all to ourselves.

The magical feeling of having the entire ocean as a  backyard allows me to sit back, relax and think.

So, what is happening? Why did I fall short of my goal of losing the weight?

First, I don’t panic or get discouraged. This is actually a good thing. I am going to learn what I am doing wrong. How many time have you tried something and have it work the first time. Somethings especially worthwhile things take a bit of trial and error before we get it just right.

What surprised me was that I was doing all the things I was doing about three years ago that allowed me to lose 50 pounds in twelve weeks. However, now it is NOT working for me…or is it?

Actually I am not sure because I have not been keeping notes like I did before. I have been in general walking weekly and eating better and when I was younger that was enough to lose the punds. But that approach is not working for ME anymore so that just means that I have to be a little bit more precise.

So, I dust off my pedometer and now I am writing down the foods I eat in a little memo pad. This way I know what I am eating and how much and also how frequently I am exercising and how far I am walking. This allows me to dial things up and down to get the desired results.

So that next time I go to the beach I plan to be able to take-off my shirt and get into the water too.

You can do the same thing, anybody can do this. And this works if you are trying to lose weight, quit smoking or anything you do.

If you want to lose weight you just grab a little note pad and get yourself a cheap pedometer from Wal-Mart and write down your walks and keep a journal of your diet. Faithfully write things down.

By the way this journal is for YOUR eyes only don’t share it with anyone. This is for you  and only for you.

Likewise if you want to quit smoking it is important to learn when you smoke and in what social situations you enjoy a smoke. This is done in order to learn what you are doing and break the cycle.

Getting Back On The Wagon

I don’t think there’s any such thing as a ex-smoker who has not fallen off the wagon, so to speak, and had a cigarette. Let’s face it, we all do it.

We all face temptation and we all give in to that temptation at some point. It usually happens fairly early in our efforts to stop because the whole concept of going without cigarettes is still so new and seems like such a burden to bear that we succumb to the powerful draw of having a cigarette. Sometimes it feels like a lifesaver…right?

Once you give in to the temptation and have a cigarette (or two, or three, or more), though, what comes next? Are you going to beat yourself up mercilessly because you made that choice? Are you going to feel guilty about it? Are you going to give up on your quit smoking efforts because you had a little misstep along the way?

You’ll probably find yourself doing all of these things in some manner, plus a whole lot more. When you are trying to stop even the slightest misstep can be cause for a whole lot of grief and disappointment. Now here’s the really important truth about all this:

It’s okay. It’s normal. It’s understandable. And it’s fixable!

Look, you’re only human? When you fall off the non-smoking wagon the best thing you can do is acknowledge what happened, figure out why it happened so you can avoid that situation in the future, and then forgive yourself. Yes, you made a mistake but it’s not the end of the world.

In reality, mistakes are some of the most powerful tools out there to help you quit smoking for good. Each time you make a mistake you learn a lesson about yourself, and when you take that lesson seriously and apply it to your future behavior the mistake actually becomes a strength.

So go ahead and feel guilty if you have fallen off the wagon. It’s all part of the process, after all. Just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get right back at it. You can do it!

Facing Set Backs

drhowell

Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and griefs which we endure help us in our marching onward.   -Henry Ford

Periodically you will experience setbacks. It is okay. It is not the end of the world. One just has to pick one self up and keep walking.

I gained a lot of my hard lost weight last week after celebrating my birthday. It’s okay I knew it was going to happen and I did all I could to limit the damage.

It is okay sometimes to take a step back in order to go forward.

It was my birthday and I made a choice to celebrate it fully. I knew the price and I am prepared to pay it now.

Not A Straight Line

I feel like I need to show you this graph.

I promise you that this is real and that I did not cheat on my diet.

Yet this his how weight loss looks like. It is an up and down rollercoaster ride. Hopefully more downs than down.

I Lost a Pound Last Week

And I lost a pound this week also. If you compare losing a pound a week to what you see advertised on TV it would seem like a failure. I know I thought so.

Then I thought about it and realized that one pound a week is at least in the right direction. Here I had a proven method to lose at least one pound a week where I was not killing myself or starving myself and still got to enjoy the foods I wanted on my free days and it works.

Theoretically I could do this diet indefinitely and eventually lose 4pounds in a month, 52 pounds in one year. I could weigh whatever I wanted to weigh.

The advertisers on TV want to sell you something so their motivation is to get you to buy their products at all cost.

I am not trying to sell anything. My motivation is getting healthy and sharing the TRUTH with you.

Close Call

I had a close call last week.

There was a birthday at work  and the ladies at the clinic put out lots of food to celebrate. I thought it was Thanksgiving dinner it was so big. There was chocolate cake, ice cream, cheesecake, potato salad, fried chicken, and the list goes on.

My resolve was seriously tested then.

So I sang happy birthday, hung around for a minute and dashed away to my office where I proceeded to have my own packed lunch.

Whew! That was a close call.

Lunch Time

Lunch meal

I packed some healthy food choices for work today.

Lunch time is always difficult because you only have so much time and making good choices can be a challenge. Yet it is an easy problem to solve if you plan ahead.

Here is my lunch which consisted of:

1 orange roughy fillet  (30calories/ounce )

2 pieces scallops (25 calories a piece)

1/2 string beans with walnuts (44 calories)

1/2 cup corn (65 calories)

1 bottle of water (0 calories)

About 200 calories total and it tastes great.

If you plan ahead and pack your lunch. You are no longer at the mercy of whatever food people bring to work, or tempted to go out to and eat with the gang.

It just takes a few minutes to do and the pay-off is huge if you are really trying to lose weight.

My Personal Struggle With Obesity

Antonio - summer 2009

So here I am this past summer visiting some friends. I am painfully aware that I let myself go and I am also in denial.

I know better but I still allow this to happen.

Luckily, I have been blessed with  good genes and did not have the high blood pressure or high cholesterol that usually accompanies such massive weight gains.

However, I always feel tired. I never want to do anything. I am simply content with existing and working.

One look at pictures like this one in addition  to tipping the scale at 305lbs (21.8 stones) about a week ago convinced me that enough was enough. I had to lose this weight.

I knew what to do. I had done it before:

1) Gradually start a light exercise regimen that could be as easy as walking. However the important thing is doing this at least 45min a day and for a minimum of 4 days a week.

2) Eating less food after 7 pm (I try to stop eating 4hrs before I go to bed). I start making better food choices that include more fruits and vegetables and lean meats and fish.

3) I also enjoy a free-day. One day a week where I treat myself to anything I want.

That is the basics of my “diet” and exercise program.

I use the word diet here to mean a way of choosing healthier foods.  I do count calories in a round-about way. Making sure to have enough food to satisfy my hunger and not binging on food all day.

Antonio's lunch

For example here is what I had for lunch today:

* Jennie-O Turkey Store® Ground Turkey (170 calories per pattie)

* Oroweat® Sandwich Thins (100 calories per roll)

* Steam brussels sprouts (8 calorie each)

* Water (0 calories)

(link to other healthy recipes http://www.oroweat.com/grilling/HGrill_Booklet.pdf )

As exercise this morning before breakfast I did 45min on the elliptical.

I plan to walk the dog sometime today for another 20min or so.

As you can see from the above I am not killing myself working out. I am eating well. I am eating foods that I like to eat. And I am not starving myself.

If I am still hungry after one burger I have another one. And I don’t consider this cheating.

I have included the calories here for you to see. However, I already know that this is way below my regular meal amount. So I don’t even bother counting.

My goal is to lose about 100 lbs in a year. I know I can do it. In the past 9-days I have already lost 8 pounds.

If you check back here I will keep you abreast of my progress.

Easy-peazy my friezies!