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2/7/11 12:31 A

Oh...and it's slow going, but I AM losing weight on 1,800 calories a day.

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2/7/11 12:30 A

I think you have the right idea; keep exercising and eat a little more if you need to.

I think the Sparkpeople calorie ranges are a little low - I have set mine to between 1500 - 1800. I really need 1800 (or even a little more) on the days that I do heavy workouts. I get super jittery and anxious if I don't eat enough.

Another thing that has helped me is keeping the fat around 30%, protein around 20%, and carbs around 50%. Before I started tracking, I found out I was eating about 10% fat and just craved carbs and food ALL THE TIME. I was probably eating between 2,500 - 3,000 calories a day. No wonder I was gaining weight! You really do need enough fat and protein in your diet to keep the cravings down, your blood sugar even, and have enough energy to get through to your next meal.

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9/14/10 9:00 P

You did getting to the gym today! Baby stepping is a good thing! I'm so glad you are feeling better. I can relate to the boredom issue. I too am on disability. I do go to school, but take the summers off. School keeps me busy but it also keeps me so anxious that I sometimes wonder if it is really worth it. Busting the boredom is difficult. Do you have any hobbies that you enjoy?

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9/14/10 8:20 P

I am not going to try to stay in calorie range until I become more fit. Even if that means I don't lose weight for the time being.

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9/14/10 8:18 P

I had anxiety from not doing enough, I figured that ouyt due to leg restlessness. Today after doing bike and treadmill I don't have the problem. What a relief. It is amazing how some things can affect you so badly. I think the pool workout is more strenuous than I realize. The afteraffects that is. Today after the gym I felt better, even though it was a very small workout compared to the pool. Go figure. Nothing stressful is going on except for little to keep me occupied during the day due to being on disability and boredom. Crippling boredom. I am working on filling my days with things to do but it is hard to do. There's only so many times you can go and mallwalk or whatever.

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9/14/10 7:12 P

I see on the other thread that your anxiety went down to a 2 after exercise. That's a good thing! I think that you have to find balance. If you feel like you are pushing too hard and that is what is behind the anxiety then it probably wouldn't hurt to back off a little. Is there anything else stressful going on? Sometimes anxiety rears its ugly head for no particular reason too. That's just the nature of anxiety. Back to the balance thing...find out a happy medium for your workouts and go from there. I know some people here really like yoga and find it helpful for anxiety.Maybe give that try...Just an idea.

I hope that your anxiety stays down the rest of the day. Take it one day at a time.

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9/14/10 6:45 P

I have had anxiety and panic attacks and am being treated for it but havent had problem til lately. I do push myself in exercise so maybe I should back off a bit?

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9/14/10 4:42 P

Hmmm I'm not sure what's going on. I would usually think that exercise should help anxiety, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. Have you had panic attacks and anxiety before you started with your weight loss journey or did all of this start when you started getting into a healthy routine? I hope these questions don't sound silly; I'm just trying to get a better picture as to what is going on.

One thing I can tell you is that alcohol is not a healthy way to cope with anxiety. I'm not saying drinking is bad; I'm just saying that using it as a coping tool can be problematic. I would suggest trying some relaxation techniques or something to keep your mind busy;away from how anxious you feel.

I hope today has been a better day for you. If the anxiety persists I would advise seeking medical treatment if you haven't already.

Hang in there! We're here for you and want to help as best we can. Keep us updated on how you are doing.


Cynthia

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9/14/10 1:26 A

Today I had 2 yoplait light yogurts, 200 calories total before I went to the pool. After which I took my blood sugar and it was 104, all my sugar readings for 3 days have been normal, but then a little while after the pool I got anxiety and mild panic attack, i did eat after the pool, and the anxiety has sstayed all day until the late afternoon 4ish when I had 2 glasses of rose wine, but when the wine wore off a couple hours later the anxiety came back and hasn't left and now it is ten thirty pm.

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9/13/10 10:56 P

You're welcome Nola!

I have hypoglycemia. 90-104 blood sugar is normal. Are you eating enough before you exercise? Some people need to eat a small snack before they exercise; otherwise after exercise they become ravenously hungry.

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9/13/10 9:28 P

Your blood sugar ranges sound normal. I'm a diabetic, and I get nervous if my blood sugar gets too low, like when it gets down around 70. I get anxiety attacks sometimes for no discernable reason at all. Usually exercise helps keep my anxiety down, but everyone is different. Once you start to expect to be anxious in certain situations, you will be more anxious. You are getting a lot of exercise, so maybe you need to change your calorie goals for now. See how it goes with the weight loss. Slower is better. Don't try to be perfect.

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9/13/10 8:58 P

Thanks Cynthia! I hope some of this helps. I know nothing about blood sugar ranges but I bet it is in Sparks somewhere Nola

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9/13/10 8:41 P

Hello Ladies!

I found the links to the articles Nola mentioned.
www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_arti
cles.asp?id=473

www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivation_ar
ticles.asp?id=430

Keep us posted on how you're doing and how we can further help!


Cynthia

Edited by: HLTHAPPINESS4C at: 9/13/2010 (20:42)

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9/13/10 8:37 P

I dogpaddle fast due to a shoulder injury for 30 laps which is about 35 to 40 minutesI walk fast in the shallow end and dogpaddle in the deep end. Do you think that is a huge amount of exercise? I know I am really hungry and my blood sugar reads 90 to 104 afterwards. I am only tracking my b.s. 's because my sister gave me a meter and 100 strips.

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9/13/10 8:31 P

AROSEFORC has given you excellent advice. She led me to some articles that led me to the ones I was thinking of. I am not sure how to link them but the tiles are: Is weight loss stressing you out? and Feeling a little mixed up about your diet? Swimming is a very energy consuming activity. Are you tracking it on your fitness tracker? I know I tend to under eat and get very jittery if I am very active. We will continue to search for answers for you. Nola

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9/13/10 7:49 P

Hi!
Sorry you are having such a rough time of it. I have OCD and binge eating disorder. I find for myself the more I worry about staying in range the more I eat. It's kind of like a cycle. I'm not saying this is you. What helps me is to find other things to do rather than eat. When you eat when you are anxious you are reinforcing the very behavior you don't want. Does that make sense? You have to replace the food with something else; something healthy. When my anxiety is high I find it helpful to do something relaxing like deep breathing exercises, or bubble bath. Sometimes physical exercise helps or journaling about my feelings.

I will be glad to do a little researching here at SP to see what articles would be of help to you. I'm wondering if there might be some perfectionism in the mix. You don't have to be perfect. I'm a perfectionist myself and that tends to really drive my anxiety up a few notches. Losing weight is a process and a learning process at that. We will make mistakes or have rough waters. It's okay.

Hang in there and remember NO beating yourself up. treat yourself like you would a best friend.

Cynthia

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9/13/10 5:53 P

I do a 45 minute pool workout which is not real stressful but does leave me hungry for carbs. Other than that the calorie problem is the problem I am having. Don't know what to do as I really want to stay in range so that I can lose weight. Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it.

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9/13/10 5:40 P

There are several articles on Sparks that relate to this subject. I will try to find the titles. How is the fitness going? Sometimes if we have increased our fitness levels our bodies will need more calories. Give yourself a little time to adjust to your new lifestyle. Are you trying to do too much too fast? Take one step at a time. Is it easier to start with increasing your activity level a little at a time to relief the stress and burn a few extra calories? Do not make yourself sick by worrying about this. It will all come in time. I will try to find some more answers for you.

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9/13/10 5:02 P

I have tried staying within my caloric range and it causes mee to have unmanageable anxiety and a moderate panic attack. I have tried to be reasonable and logical with myself and say it is just a change in lifestyle and diet but that doesn't work. I end up going over my range of 1550 by 300 every day due to the anxiety/panic feeling. This isn't going to help me lose weight either. I don't know how to work this out. It is not mindless eating either. I plan my meals. In the end I end up having a snack such as crackers and 16 oz of nonfat milk and this makes me go over each day enough to keep me from losing weight and it does take away the anxietypanic. What to do? Any suggestions?

Edited by: MISSCUS at: 9/13/2010 (17:03)

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