Posts: 1,999
6/4/13 1:53 P

He didn't ask, but my oncologist got a glazed over expression when I talked about anti-angiogenic foods. He isn't my oncologist any more.

My chiropractor encouraged my interest in nutritious eating with a copy of Eat to Live in the lobby, and then vocally when I asked about it, and offered their notebook of downloaded recipes.

My primary encouraged me to start on my fitness journey sending me to the Y for the Livestrong program, and then encouraging me to continue when the neuropathy went away after 3 weeks of lower body strength training.

It has truly been a project by committee and the SP community. This sounds like it's turning into a blog, so I'll copy this and go write some more elsewhere after I get home from the primary. I almost forgot about my 3:00 appointment!!

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

SparkPoints: (48,908)
Fitness Minutes: (8,603)
Posts: 4,659
6/4/13 12:13 A

Very Good, Sue.
Do the Drs ask you how you are doing this? Or did the recommendation come from them?
My physical therapist said again today she so wished we had a pool in our community. None available closer than 25 miles and I will not travel that far to exercise in cold pool

current weight: 223.0

234 225.25 216.5 207.75

199

Posts: 1,999
6/3/13 12:47 P

Monthy oncologist visit: Weight loss 6 pounds.

Blood counts great!!

Blood Pressure 117 /70

Heart rate 72

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

Posts: 1,999
5/29/13 10:23 P

Yes, I'm doing both. But i don't know how much benefit I'm getting always being in the pool in the morning sun and then taking a shower when I get out to wash off the chlorine.

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

SparkPoints: (48,908)
Fitness Minutes: (8,603)
Posts: 4,659
5/29/13 6:24 P

Smiling at your comment since I did ask the Dr if it was the pills or the sunshine that is gradually getting to our Canadian border area of the country. he smiled and said probably some of both and to keep taking the pills and get my sunshine too.

current weight: 223.0

234 225.25 216.5 207.75

199

Posts: 1,999
5/28/13 7:53 P

That's a wonderful report, LindaF49!!

For the D, can you get out in the sun like at 8:00 a.m. with arms and legs exposed, no sunscreen, for about 20 minutes, and then don't shower for 2-3 hours while your skin processes that?

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

SparkPoints: (48,908)
Fitness Minutes: (8,603)
Posts: 4,659
5/28/13 7:22 P

Saw Dr Today 5/28/13
SInce Feb 23...I have Lost 10 pounds
Cholesterol 215 200
Blood sugar 10697
VitD3 16 20 with Rx to continue but am in the lower normal range

I am happy girl!!! "keep on doin' what I am doin' "


Edited by: LINDAF49 at: 5/28/2013 (19:24)

current weight: 223.0

234 225.25 216.5 207.75

199

SparkPoints: (48,908)
Fitness Minutes: (8,603)
Posts: 4,659
5/9/13 7:13 P

The list is no longer so overwhelming...I am definitely enjoying some new foods and learning.
Feeling more confident in this blending into my lifestyle for health
Not seeing any change in weight or feelings in general but will take time and consistency.

Edited by: LINDAF49 at: 5/10/2013 (20:03)

current weight: 223.0

234 225.25 216.5 207.75

199

Posts: 1,999
4/26/13 10:13 A

4/22/13: 111/69 Blood Pressure

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

Posts: 1,999
3/26/13 6:00 P

Progress Report after Primary Doctor's visit March 26, 2013

1. He was concerned about my thyroid a year ago when the test was 6. tested again last fall but it seemed okay then at 4. This blood test for thyroid, 9.65, is evidently very high. They want it to be between .4 and 4.5. So that means I need to take thyroid meds. I don't want to, but I will to see. He couldn't believe I wasn't fatigued or having difficulty losing weight. Personally I can't either. So I start taking thyroid meds tomorrow. I'd better not be on a plateau again. EVER. With thyroid meds and this life plan, we should see the fat just flow off down into that deep dark hole!! We check it again in June.

2. Because of thyroid level, he was very surprised with my 35 pound weight loss in 6 months, 51 pounds total since July.

3. Blood pressure is text book: 120 / 80 Hear rate 66

4. Hdl Cholesterol 62 (good kind) you want it over 46
LDL Cholesterol 117 (bad kind) you want it under 130

Triglicerides 115, want under 150

5. Glucose 89 want between 65-99
6. All of the "nutrient" tests like sodium, potassium, calcium, protein, and a host of others are all in normal range.

Vitamin D and B 12 was not done.

He talked about how they spend all of their time counseling patients to lose weight and how to do it, but they never do. And when they have a patient come in like me, they float around the office for the next week. As if they had anything to do with it.

That's okay. I told him I was glad I would be the source of a great week for them!!

I've posted before that I feel better than I have since 1985. So I hope that continues with this thyroid medicine. He says it can affect my skin, constipation, and a few other nagging ailments which I've had. It would be wonderful if this is the final piece to the health puzzle.

Edited by: BRAVELUTE at: 3/26/2013 (18:06)

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

Posts: 1,999
3/26/13 5:48 P

Don't know how the duplicates happen.

Edited by: BRAVELUTE at: 3/26/2013 (18:07)

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

Posts: 594
3/14/13 6:27 P

Hi MICHELE142, don't worry if you don't post. Just don't quit our team. Although it's small, I think that is very important to get the knowledge of the benefits of the veggies and fruits. Also, I think that we can grow together in this area of including more nutrient packed food.

Posts: 594
3/14/13 5:13 P

Because including smoothies in my diet was my first change of lifestyle, it was also my first blog in my S-page. Briefly, I use a 3:4 ratio of fruits vs greens (mainly organic leafy greens). I put also in my smoothies ginger, chia, and avocado (to absorb the fat soluble vitamins).

Edited by: CRAFTSFAN1 at: 3/14/2013 (17:16)

Posts: 1,999
3/13/13 5:34 P

Super. Could you share what you put into them in the recipes forum?

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

Posts: 594
3/13/13 5:00 P

I've being drinking green smoothies for two weeks and feel my level of energy growing.

Posts: 1,999
3/8/13 7:27 A

March 2013 16 months out from stopping the 4 years of chemotherapy.

Chiropractor: great progress, monthly maintenance program now. My chiropractor is getting married and moving to Chicago. I hope the next one will be as holistic!

Oncologist: Blood Pressure 124/67 All bloodwork perfect. 3 pounds lost since February. B12 shot. Scheduled PET scan for April 23. Monthly appointments continue for flushing the port, B12, and just generally checking the blood.

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

Posts: 1,999
2/11/13 8:57 A

Well, I saw my oncologist and chiropractor last week. I saw them last on Dec. 17. You know how different the doctor scales are than home. Well, I had lost 11 pounds at the oncologist's office. I don't think they believed it! But they were very pleased. The PA had to call in the big guy to tell him. He would be worried the cancer was back since I've lost 45.5 pounds since I started seeing him for maintenance the end of June 2012.

But they were delighted. and all the tests are great. Blood Pressure was 125/85.

My chiropractor wasn't delighted with my spine. it was in worse shape. He wondered what activities I was doing. His eyebrows went up at the trampoline, but I told him I was only walking on it, not bouncing.

I guess I'm going to have to do those physical therapy neck exercises more than once a month!!

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

Posts: 1,999
1/21/13 8:17 P

Way to go Michele!!

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

SparkPoints: (63,672)
Fitness Minutes: (59,720)
Posts: 10,633
1/21/13 2:47 P

5# since the 1st of Jan., must say I think I'll maintain that loss for awhile cause feel pretty good.
If I can hold that 5#s I'm doing good!

June Minutes: 1,028

0 28.75 57.5 86.25

115

Posts: 1,999
1/21/13 11:26 A

7 pounds lost this month:

5 pounds from Jan 1 - 4 , one last week and another this morning.

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

Posts: 1,999
1/9/13 2:16 P

You all know that I'm not doing this to lose weight, though I do need to lose weight. I'm doing all of this, the nutrition program, tracking, exercise, etc. to be healthy.

Well, so happens, as a side effect I AM losing weight. 1/4/1013 I lost another 5 pounds for a total of 40 pounds since July 15, 2013.

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

Posts: 1,999
12/17/12 3:56 P

I went to 2 doctors today, regular monthly checkups, slightly earlier than a month since I'm going away.

Chiropractor was delighted with weightloss. She suggested I start doing some strength training, and use chia seeds. She feels it is better than flax. My Vitamin D3 score went up from 13 to 38 and she decreased my supplement from 10,000 to 5,000. We'll test again in 3-4 months.

Oncologist said all my blood work is perfect, no anemia, white blood cell size is normal. Vitamin B12 shots are continuing.

My blood pressure in November had been 131 /68.
My blood pressure today was 104/58.

I have had no headaches. I've lost 35 pounds since starting with this oncologist in June. The fatigue which prompted the testing for Vitamin D and B12 is gone. She asked me if that was because I was eating so many vegetables for Eat to Life, or the anti-angiogenic focus for Eat to Defeat, or the B12 shots or my exercise program. I looked at her and burst out laughing.

I said, "If you don't know, I sure don't, either. And i don't think I want to stop doing any one of them to find out."

I don't remember feeling this good. We've got to improve the memory next. Or if I truly am remembering how rotten I felt for so long, then I'm glad I'm finally doing something about it.

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

Posts: 1,999
12/12/12 8:01 A

thanks, Michele. I keep forgetting about flaxseed, and I have 2 bags because I forgot about the first. I'd better freeze one.

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

SparkPoints: (63,672)
Fitness Minutes: (59,720)
Posts: 10,633
12/11/12 11:32 P

Fruits I have never had a problem getting in but veggies is another story. So veggies is my target for the evening meal this week.

Flaxseed easy for me to add, with cereal or smoothies.
Nuts I can only tolerate as spreads.

cinnamon easy for me as use it to keep blood sugars under control. Honey at times use as sweetener.

to present I feel I am gradually adding foods as I become more accustom to them.

Edited by: MICHELE142 at: 12/11/2012 (23:39)

June Minutes: 1,028

0 28.75 57.5 86.25

115

Posts: 1,999
12/11/12 10:33 P

Dec. 10,
Making AA choices is becoming a habit, at least for my favorites. I think I have them memorized. But I need to go back and look again now that I've started adding in grains and a meat dish once in a while to Dr. Fuhrman's fruits and veggies.

1 more pound didn't show up this morning. (34 pounds since July 15)
Leaves 1 more pound to go to make this mini goal by Jan. 1.

I realized I don't crave the sweets. I haven't been planning the cookies I'd bake for the holidays, nor the cake balls. I usually bake 5 kinds of cookies and a couple of different cake balls to make trays for friends and neighbors (and me). I haven't even bothered to look at the daily 12 days of cookies. I definitely have other types of healthy food projects I'm spending my time on.

I don't like to go out to eat anymore. I go to fast food, Chick fil a fruit/chicken salad, to go to eat with Mom. and I've found a restaurant on the water with a pretty good spinach salad that I can add a fish or chicken to. Nothing there is overly salted. But I'm still lacking in fiber for the day at both restaurants. And the spinach salad has no fruit. I need to remember to ask if they can add cantaloupe to the meal next time.

I have definitely moved from eating hardly any fruits/veggies, to doing pretty good with my daily totals.

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

Posts: 1,999
12/7/12 10:24 A

Patience? I'm a rock. While we have goals which you signed up for, and they might be challenging, we're really not in a contest with each other, or even ourselves. We're just trying to be kind to our bodies for the long term.

I think you're doing great!! I just saw what you ate yesterday and wow!! 10 AA foods and you've just started!! When I started doing this I was happy to get one into each meal, and then just one AA meal. Of course I wasn't eating fruit or vegetables to speak of back then. Just a steady diet of processed foods, fast food, and junk food. Not much real.

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

SparkPoints: (63,672)
Fitness Minutes: (59,720)
Posts: 10,633
12/7/12 12:15 A

Dec.7-12

Have not been doing that much eating the past 3 weeks as battling a GI upset and trying to maintain my average blood sugars.
The past two days have been able to tolerate solid food as those foods are staying down and blood sugars are low. Been adding AA foods gradually an do have more energy today!
On Vit D3 after reconstructed ankle from fall as well as B12 following radiation which anemia developed. Interested to see what Jan's blood work will show with the addition of AA foods in diet.

Have patience with me it takes me a while to add new things with my diet. I'm in for the long haul with this one.

June Minutes: 1,028

0 28.75 57.5 86.25

115

Posts: 1,999
12/4/12 7:43 P

Someone asked if Eat to Defeat is all I have done to make all of that happen.
And the answer is no.

1. I started adding in more AA foods, randomly 2, 2012.

2. 5/2012 Started with the chiropractor daily for 3 weeks. then 3 days a week for 3 weeks, then 2, etc. October that went to maintenance. In July, I paid to have a Vitamin D test (insurance wouldn't pay for it) and I was drastically deficient. Started taking 10000 units of Vitamin D3 daily.

3. 7/2012 Oncologist said I was anemic, and Vitamin B12 deficient. Started a montly B12 shot. I came back to Spark People for the nutrition tracker. i started working for a range of 10 - 20 antiangiogenic foods a day.

4. 8/2012 started implementing the concepts of the Full Plate Diet: increasing fiber every week to 30 - 45 g daily now.

5. 10/2012 started Dr. Furhman's Eat to Live Program, a combination of the 6 week plan and also the less strict program. Besides the basic fruit/veg/beans/nuts, I also had 1 serving high fiber cereal and 1 serving nonfat Greek yogurt daily.

All 3 of these plans complement each other. As I choose my food to follow ETL, I try to include as many AA foods as I can, including the spices, and tea. And I usually don't need to worry about fiber, as long as I choose 4 high fiber fruits.

I can't separate out the plans, I am very happy with the results for my health, especially the clear PET scans without benefit of chemotherapy.

I still have a way to go to have vegetables be a natural part of my life. But when I go out to eat and can't find what i call healthy food on the menu, I am very disappointed.

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140

Posts: 1,999
12/1/12 11:08 P

1. 30 pounds weight loss July-end of October 3.5 months.
2. Clear PET scan in March and September
3. Daily fatigue is gone.
4. Blood pressure down to 131/65 from 139/92
5. Jean size down from 26 to 20, but the new 20s purchased in October are being held up by a belt.

current weight: 174.0

235 211.25 187.5 163.75

140