New to Fitbit Community & Hitting the Reset Button

[SunsetRunner]

Hello there. 60 year old man here, Trucking Owner Operator. After losing 135 lbs in 2013/2014, you guessed it, I put it ALL back on.

Sorry ahead of time for the long post

I went in for my annual DOT physical on 4/10/2018. I felt like absolute crap. I was embarrassed to death of my weight and really not that shocked that my blood pressure was 160/95. That's even with taking 200/12.5 mg a day of b.p. medication Losarton.

The DOT physician only gave me a 90 day medical card and said I needed to do a "sleep test". The DOT has recommended (not mandatory) guidelines which can trigger a certifying physician to require a test for sleep apnea. My age, BMI, BP med and 19" neck size fall under those guidelines.

I protested the sleep test requirement to my own personal physician who asked to see me the next day. After testing me on the EPWORTH scale & making a couple of other observations he determined a sleep test was not necessary. However, after consulting with the DOT doctor, they decided a nocturnal oximetry test would be a compromise.

Well, the results were NOT what I was hoping for. My doctor indicated the test revealed my blood oxygen saturation levels were at times desaturating below the norms and recommended I do an in-home sleep test. Mind you, I am ultimately having to pay for this testing out of my own pocket due to limitations on what my insurance company will & will not pay for. However, that's a whole different subject.

The doctor recommended me to a local sleep lab facility who informed me that I could start with the in-home device first for only $775.00! So, I did a little research and discovered there are scores of companies who provide (using the same testing device) the same service. I ended up using a company who is sponsored by an organization I'm a member of for my vocation. The cost was $225.00! That's right, $550.00 less.

Sounds like a racket to me...

I'm still waiting for the results. My experience with the process of the overnight testing device could take up a whole other post, however, I won't bore any of you. The reality is that IF I do have sleep apnea, I want it treated.

Turning the corner, this has been another wake-up call for me. I've used this situation to hit the reset button, get back up and to refocus on my health again. 

I purchased the Fitbit Iconic and am enjoying the many features it provides. It's another useful tool that can provide motivation.

I especially like the easy to use food logging app. In addition, the Sleep stats feature is pretty cool. I know it's probably not 100% sleep lab accurate, however, it does provide a snapshot of how one is resting at night. What I like to do is to compare the sleep reading with the heart rate monitor readings during the night. My weekly stat show nothing unusual when compared to the benchmarks of men my age. 

If anyone is interested, there a nice little app I've been using since my doctor prescribed a new b.p. med for me. It's called Blood Pressure Log-MyDiary by Dr Tomasz Zlamaniec. I found it on Google Play. For a donation of $3.50 the in-app ads go away.

All that being said, I am back on the wagon. I've managed to lose 17 lbs (mostly water I'm sure) in the past 2 weeks and my blood pressure has moderated to a decent level of 123/79 average this past 7 days.

My Fit Iconic  is motivating me to walk a little more, drink at least 8 cups of water a day, get at least 7.5 hrs of sleep a night and to log EVERYTHING that goes into my big pie hole throughout the day.

Thanks for reading!

[Daves_Not_Here]

Welcome @SunsetRunner and great to hear you are back on track.

I'm in a similar situation -- gained weight, experienced sleep apnea and was using a CPAP machine.  However, within 2 months of starting to lose weight, I stopped snoring and no longer need the machine.

I think losing the weight the second time around focuses us on making permanent the life-style changes.  I'd say good luck, but it doesn't sound like you'll need it.  Please post your progress!

[SunsetRunner]

Thanks, will do.

[emili]

@SunsetRunner.. first let's discuss the name.. scotch.. drink choice? origin of birth? first name scott last name starts with an H? I have to know.

Second, and more important, I think your story is so similar to a ton of folks here. Most have gone through the cycle of loss and gain, with the gain coming later in life and with a host of other problems that now need correcting. The good news is, that some of it will improve through weight loss, increase in activity levels and improved food choices. The rest will be easier to manage if medical intervention is required. Good for you for taking control of your health and for sharing with others what's possible. Take care of you.. 🙂

[SunsetRunner]

Thanks.

Pseudonym is a nickname given to me by a nephew many moons ago 😉

[SunsetRunner]

Okay, here's a brief update on my progress. On 04/11/18 I hit the reset button. Changed my diet to a lower sodium & calorie intake.

Logging all food using the app included with the iconic. My doctor also prescribed a new bp med around that time also.

Since then, I've lost 22.1 lbs and my last 3 week(s) bp average is 118/75.

So, I seem to be making good progress.

Baby steps, Bob. Baby steps! 😉

[Dominique]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

I've lost 22.1 lbs

Baby steps, Bob. Baby steps! 😉

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22 lbs in three weeks = 1 lb per day, it’s more like giant steps (2 lbs per week corresponds to a daily deficit of 1000 calories).

You got jump started, which is great for motivation, but make sure you’re losing at a sustainable pace.

[SunsetRunner]

Dominique, unfortunately this isn't my first weight loss rodeo 😉 Sorry to say, I have a lot of weight to lose, again...

There is no way I can sustain the kind of loss numbers I posted without something like bariatric surgery. When the doctor prescribed the new bp med 3 weeks ago, I peed like every two hours on the hour for the first couple of days, lots of water retention it appears, so that's where a lot of the initial weight loss came from I'm sure.

However, it is true, when I'm focused on losing weight, I tend to eat below the recommended 1,000 calorie per day deficit in order to lose 2 lbs a week.

Thanks for your input.

[Daves_Not_Here]

@SunsetRunner -- thanks for the update.  I've thinking a lot lately about long-term maintenance -- I believe it is more challenging than losing the weight in the first place.  Problem is that calorie restriction and elevated exercise is difficult to sustain to over the long term.

I don't know what the solution is but I'm starting to dabble with intermittent fasting and will report my progress.

[WendyB]

Welcome @SunsetRunner Great to have you here! You have done great so far. Looking forward to hearing how you progress!

[SunsetRunner]

@SunsetRunner

Glad to see you're back on the wagon and congrats to your current weight loss.

I have a similar history. Been big all my life with bouts of weight loss several times over the years. In December 2016, I was 420 lbs. 6-7 years prior to that, I had lost 97 pounds on the nutrisystem program. The most I have ever lost in my life. I think I got down to 260-ish at the time. But by December 2016, I rose to a whopping 420. I pretty much given up on any chance of losing weight again as I felt beyond hope. I had sleep apnea, high BP, I weazed just walking down a hallway and always felt my heart pounding in my chest. Forget climbing stairs. Never went anywhere, just work and home, and everyday was a struggle. I was really in sad shape.

But, my internal medicine doctor recommended me to go see this Weight Loss doctor (she's also a bariatric surgeon). Well, this weight loss doc and I clicked. There was something about this encounter that set me off in my current path. At the time, we discussed surgery, and I was ready to go that route. But after three months I lost 65 (-ish) lbs and the surgery was looking expensive even with my insurance coverage.

I decided not to do the surgery, but asked this doctor to keep me on I could have some accountability. She happily agreed.

Fast forward to today, and I'm now 136 pounds down (284). I'm 54 years of age. I can't see myself going to back to how I was.

Over 50 weight loss is very possible for anyone.

Again, glad to hear you're back on track  🙂

[SunsetRunner]

@SunsetRunner

Our experience does seem very similar. I didn't go over the 400 lb mark, however, have been pretty close to it.

I thought about bariatric surgery, but ruled it out as well. My heart just breaks for the folks featured on the show, My 600lb Life. Dr. Now always emphasizes that bariatric surgery is NOT a cure-all for weight loss, only one of many tools that can be incorporated in getting the weight off and then keeping it off.

I have friend that had the surgery many years ago and put most of his weight back on, only to regain control and lose the weight again.

Thank you for relaying your story to me, communities like this serve a useful and motivational purpose for those of us who realize were not the only one's fighting the fight against obesity and wanting to take back control of our health.

[SunsetRunner]

@SunsetRunner

Funny thing about that surgery, huh? I also know 4 people who have had it. All but one have gained all the weight back and are now forced to lose weight the old fashion way.

Surgery is a tool, nothing more. Also, even with surgery, my weight loss doc told me that I would HAVE to do all things you have to do to lose weight without the surgery. So really, if I have to do the work, then why get it. Honestly tho, for me it was more of a monetary reason than anything else.

I will say tho for about 3 months I was convinced I needed it, so I almost was on my way down that rabbit hole.

Glad I didn't tho. Also, I'm not against anyone who opts for the surgery. My understanding is that it is a very hard route to take.

My wife and I watch My 600 Pound Life all the time. hard to watch at times but very motivating. I give a lot of props to Dr. Now for what he does for the people he treats.

[SunsetRunner]

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In my OP I linked to a blood pressure log app I started using when I hopped back onto the wagon. I've been faithfully monitoring my bp with the OMRON arm cuff monitor. As I've moderated my diet and started losing weight along with the new bp med the doctor prescribed 30 days ago, the following is a graph from the app showing my progress towards a normal bp range.

[SunsetRunner]

Okay, here's another brief update on my progress. On 04/11/18 I hit the reset button. Changed my diet to a lower sodium & calorie intake.

Since then, I've lost 30 lbs and my last 5 week(s) bp average is still around 118/75.

The benefits are already quite noticeable, I feel SO much better already. I could provide a list of reasons why & how much better I feel, but won't bore you

The Fitbit Iconic I wear all day long is definitely motivational and is helping me to stay focused. Of course the weight loss rate will steadily slow to the 2lbs per week goal I've set. However, the initial burst of almost 6lbs per week is nice while it last LOL.

[Daves_Not_Here]

Wowsers!  I don't know what to make of such rapid weight loss.  I've always assumed that we only have about 4 pounds of water weight to quickly lose, but that is probably greater for bigger people.  Whatever you're doing seems to be working.

[SunsetRunner]

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@Daves_Not_Here wrote:

Wowsers!  I don't know what to make of such rapid weight loss.  I've always assumed that we only have about 4 pounds of water weight to quickly lose, but that is probably greater for bigger people.  Whatever you're doing seems to be working.

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Not really doing anything out of the ordinary. Reduced my caloric intake to about 1,700 calories a day, lowered my sodium intake, drinking more water and moving a little more. Nothing hard core on the exercise side right now, if I get in 3,000 steps a days I'm happy with that 😉

Remember, I drive a big truck for a living and most of my day is consumed with sitting behind the wheel and trying to avoid the crazy drivers with four wheels weaving in and out of traffic, texting on their phones, updating their Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts while driving 70 mph 🙂

[SunsetRunner]

Quick update. I've lost an additional 8.5 lbs since my last update on the 05-19-2018.

That's 38.5 lbs in 7.42 weeks/5.19 lbs per week average.

I know that will not continue and the loss will slow.

My blood pressure has completely normalized now. Going to ask the ask the doctor in a couple of weeks if I can half my daily bp med dosage.

My food cravings (especially for sugar) have diminished significantly. I've only had one day where I felt like I could of eaten everything in the pantry & fridge LOL.

Other than that, I'm just trying to eat sensibly, cut down on sodium, get in a little walking during the day, etc.

[SunsetRunner]

Quick update.

Good news is I'm down 43lbs now in 9 weeks.

Not so good news is I lost the battle with the DOT Doctor with regards to the Sleep Apnea test I did. Even though my AHI was 9, which is considered "mild" apnea, he insisted on me going on a CPAP. That's with me demonstrating a complete turn around concerning my weight, blood pressure, etc.

These doctors are scared to death of the trial lawyers and big jury awards being handed out the past couple of years against trucking companies.

So, I'll wear the CPAP at night, continue to lose weight and retest in another 6 months or so. Not the end of the world.

[Daves_Not_Here]

Great news, actually.  Congrats on the life improvement.

Other than the expense, I think the CPAP is 100% upside.  I used a CPAP for a while and it really helped.  It's  likely you will sleep better, which will reduce stress and facilitate weight loss.