<p>I have read some of the same stuff as idad. It is apparent the relationship between high cholesterol and heart disease is not very well understood. The current thought process is that it has something to do with the inflammatory process in the body that may or may not be caused by high cholesterol. As we all known correlation is not causation.</p>
<p>Not trying to defend statins or even low fat diets but here is something I have observed first hand: I have worked in health care administration since the late 1980s. Part of my job is to project what will happen to our inpatient admissions, so I look at a lot of data not available to the public. Cardiac surgery has always been our biggest money maker - particularly bypasses. Over the last decade cardiac admissions have fallen off a cliff and are expected to fall even further over the next decade- more than any other service line. Deaths from heart disease are expected to be overtaken by death by cancer in the next year or two for the first time ever. All this at a time when obesity and diabetes have sky-rocketed and the population is aging at a record pace (three huge risk factors for cardiac disease).</p>
<p>What I’m trying to say is that something is going right in the management of cardiac disease. People are having fewer heart attacks. This could be due to statins, low-fat, earlier identification of at risk patients (using drug-eluting stents has really cut done on bypass surgery) or factors we haven’t even idenitfied yet. So, I’m not ready to write off statins just yet. Regardless of the studies (which I agree show a weak correlation) we are doing something right.</p>
<p>Okay, back to Weight Loss for Dummies. You guys have motivated me to start counting calories and carbs. I’ve been eating low carb and doing very well on it in terms of not carving sugar, etc. My exercise plan is going well but I have yet to lose more than a few pounds. Work up this morning with a plan to start tracking it for a bit to see what I need to do to get the scale moving downward. I feel more confident this time I can do it and keep it off long-term. Off to walk my 2 miles.</p>
<p>Yes, thank you for getting back to the simple ideas and the basics! </p>
<p>I can take the more detailed info in small doses, but benefit most from the tips, suggestions, simple questions and reading everyone’s reports comments!</p>
<p>I’m reposting the first post on the thread to remind everyone of the objective. Please, please let’s keep it SHORT and SIMPLE. Long detailed replies are not in line with the intention of the thread. I’m guessing that discussion on cholesterol and triglycerides can be found on the other wellness thread. Information is great and any kind of question is welcome, of course but answers should be kept short and sweet. This thread is to help people get started on making small changes in their eating and exercise habits. And it is already seeing results! Let’s not sabotage it.</p>
<p>If anyone is interested in tracking how much walking they do in a day, I bought a Omron pedometer model JH-112 that I love. All you do is clip it on and go. You can even clip it onto your purse. It restarts itself every day and you can flip it between miles or steps. I was shocked to learn how little walking I do on the days I work.</p>
<p>I would like to try that. Where do you get one? I wore a pedometer at work on day. I teach art to 6 different grade levels. I put it on at 10am and took it of at 3pm. I had walked nearly four miles in my classroom.</p>
<p>I have done periods of the pedometer over the past few years. I even made it my Lenten promise to walk at least 10,000 steps each day! </p>
<p>I too also saw (especially in the winter) how much less walking I did on the weekends at home than during the week when I work and am out and about.</p>
<p>I should try it again now that I’m walking a dog a few times a day. :)</p>
<p>I think the pedometer is a great motivator and actually a great tool for a newbie into the exercise arena! Good job mentioning it MomLive!</p>
<p>Took the dog out at 6:30 to the trail again. We didn’t up the distance much because he was dragging. I can’t get him to drink water in the morning, when it’s already 80 and he needs it. Anyway, he was so draggy and panting that I stopped before I’d planned. Will have to work on my walking companion.</p>
<p>Going out to eat with friends today. About to research better menu options.</p>
<p>I haven’t read most of the posts, but a recent large study at Harvard Med School correlated weight gain with potatoes. All forms of potatoes but mostly chips. Also, maintenance of a healthy weight was correlated with consumption of yogurt and nuts.</p>
<p>Youdon’tsay, this is off topic, but we bought 2 great travel water bottles for our dog which have been great to take on long walks. One is largert (about the size of a human bottle of water), one is smaller - maybe 8-10 ounces. We bought ours at TJ Maxx for under $5 and have used it so much! Everyone who sees it asks where we got it. Easy to carry! Looks something like this:</p>
<p>In order to keep my post compliant to the thread rules, I will keep it to one sentence: do not waste money on a pedometer, get a Garmin GPS watch with HR monitor (it is not just for runners; it works well for walkers and is much, much more accurate).</p>
<p>I’m on a vacation of sorts (at our second home) this week with DH. It’s harder to stick to the “right” foods when DH is not on a diet. </p>
<p>Any of you having trouble eating right when you have to take your spouse’s food preferences into consideration? DH is pretty good sport about it but I can tell sometimes he gets annoyed with my pickiness about what we’re eating.</p>
<p>For instance we have a favorite pizza place that has always been a “must have” when we’re here at the vacation house (usually twice a month). So now that I’m dieting, we still go but I only eat salad and one slice of the pizza (veggie/thin crust). Saturday night DH sort of grumbled that “we might as well stop coming here if that’s all you’re gonna eat”. Afterwards, he had an ice cream cone while I watched.</p>
<p>I’m probably driving my wife nuts with my current eating habits but I explain things little-by-little. She gets annoyed when she makes something and I don’t eat it or a part of it. For that reason, I’ve been cooking a lot of my own stuff lately and preparing my own breakfast and lunch stuff for the office.</p>
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<p>Pizza shops can be tough. Last time I went to one with my relatives, my daughter got
a gyro and I just took a piece of meat from hers. She only ate about a third of it and
my son had the remainder. The relatives ordered pizza, garlic bread, salads and some
other stuff that I avoid now.</p>
<p>I try to get some food to be polite or at least get a bottle of water.</p>
<p>I think that spouses ultimately appreciate efforts to get healthier (unless it makes them look bad) as you wind up with more capacity to work, play, etc., and you appear better (which many spouses appreciate).</p>
<p>I got the Omron pedometer at Academy sports it’s around $25. I’m sure they carry them everywhere. I looked at the Garmin GPS with heart monitors (actually I was looking at it for my runner husband) - they run closer to $140. For me, that was overkill. The Omron is unbelievably easy to use. I clip it on and go - no setting or resetting it, ever. It’s like a Pedometer for Dummies.</p>
<p>We have the handi-drink bottle holder for our dog and it works great. I was out walking this morning and wished I had some water with me. I was holding my ipod and didn’t see how I could also hold a bottle of water. Maybe I need to get an arm holster for my ipod. Has anyone used any good products for carrying water hands-free?</p>
<p>Not to argue this to death, but pedometers are inherently inaccurate and can give one a false sense of distance traveled (by as much as 30%). So you think you walked 3 miles, when in reality it is not even 2.5. One can map walking routes using Google maps - it will be much more accurate than a pedometer, and it does not cost a penny! But if clipping on a pedometer motivates someone to get out and move, all is well :)</p>
<p>I have two pairs of running shorts and both have a pocket in the back that is literally the size of an older-generation iPod Nano so there are some clothing lines that accommodate an iPod. I tried an arm-band holder once but it got soaked after the first use and took a while to dry out and my guess is that I’d have to wash it regularly meaning that I’d need at least two of them.</p>
<p>The other list has had discussions about camel-packs for water before. I think that the general problem is in keeping them clean. My son runs and he just carries a plastic water bottle in his hand.</p>
<p>For water holding, the helpful folks in the other thread have recommended a running belt or a hand-held water bottle that has a pouch for keys, etc. I chose the latter, and love it:</p>
<p>That’s just it - I think it IS motivating , especially for an exercise newbie, to see the clicker number move up - even if it’s not entirely accurate. You’ve got to start somewhere and again I think a newbie is more likely to invest in a $10 pedometer than a more expensive choice at first.</p>
<p>PackMom, I see where you are coming from with your H and your diet. I think it’s actually kind of cute that he noticed and apparently enjoys that pizza place moment with you! </p>
<p>I often decide that for some foods (like pizza), if I’m going to have it, I’m going to have it. So while I might not have 3 pieces, I will have one full-on loaded piece (with salad or something to go along with it). If I know I’m going, I TRY to plan for it earlier in the day by exercising a little more or eating a little less. </p>
<p>Maybe you could compromise by enjoying your usual gooey pizza but talk H into a nice long walk after the pizza place!</p>
So picky!</p>
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