Well, I saw a Dr just to be on the safe side yesterday and was given the all clear. Apparently my lungs and heart sound clear and my symptoms are mostly being caused by the heat and dust at the moment.
The dust is one thing I hadn't considered and it certainly is a factor right now. They've recently been grading the fire roads where I mountain bike and it's so thick it's even difficult to ride through in many places. I dread to think what will happen when it rains, even though that's what's needed to settle it down.
Anyway, a Buff is on order now. I have it on good authority that they make great dust masks without restricting air flow.
I felt a lot better on this morning's ride so I think the Duromine side effects may have been a factor as well. However, I also worked on my fluid intake yesterday and carbed up a little extra last night so they make have been factors as well.
While it was still very hot today, I was on my own so not eating as much dust. I still only pushed to about 80% to play it safe but I didn't experience any breathing difficulties which I would have a few days ago. I felt reasonably strong but I didn't experience the sensation of having excess energy at any point so I still have a little way to go for a full recovery from whatever has been plaguing me.
Now to figure out how to get a decent weight workout in amongst this heat... Today's maximum is supposed to hit 35°C and I could probably add 10° for what it will be in my garage gym. That's another phew, and it isn't even summer yet!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Strange signs
About a week after I started on Duromine I experienced what felt very much like an asthma attack. Since then I've experienced it several more times (all while doing the tougher hills on the mountain bike during humid weather) but nothing as severe as that first episode. Generally it's kind of a wheezing sensation. A shortness of breath if you will.
Shortness of breath is listed as a possible side effect of Duromine, but one that they recommend seeing a Doctor about if experienced. I haven't...
In the last week I've also experienced the urge to cough on the couple of occasions I've experience this shortness of breath, but then I also smoked a few stogies over the weekend so it's more than likely just my lungs recovering from that.
I've also been feeling tired and lacking enthusiasm, but then I've been sleeping much less than usual which is another fairly common side effect of Duromine. Oddly, I have no troubles getting off to sleep at night but I tend to wake up earlier than I need to lately. I've also been under a lot more stress than usual which could be a factor too.
My bench press has dropped. Normally I can get 6-8 reps at 100kgs and even go right up to 130 for a couple (still a long way from my achievements in my younger years but not so bad for a fat, middle aged Dad), but last week I found I was struggling to get 4 or 5 at 100 kgs. However, I have been working with a higher rep routine lately rather than going for big weight so I put it down to that but it could also be fatigue and enthusiasm related.
Does this qualify as a loss of strength?
I thought I'd drop the weight a bit to keep proper form and tried 90kgs for that set this week but strangely I also struggled with that. Stranger still when I put it back up to 100 for another set I was able to equal the number of reps with the same amount of effort for that 90kg set which makes me think it's possibly a mental issue rather than a physical problem. Also, it's only my bench press that has suffered. I'm still equalling or bettering my personal bests with all other exercises.
On the bike I haven't been experiencing surges of power lately that I had started experiencing as my weight dropped. I've also been less enthusiastic about heading out, but since I've been going out every day for around 6 weeks without a break and I've been extending the time and distances, it's pretty likely I'm just over-trained.
I've also been experiencing pain in my back just under my shoulder blades, but that's exactly where I feel pain on the bike if I spend too long in the same position.
Ok, so:
Shortness of breath is listed as a possible side effect of Duromine, but one that they recommend seeing a Doctor about if experienced. I haven't...
In the last week I've also experienced the urge to cough on the couple of occasions I've experience this shortness of breath, but then I also smoked a few stogies over the weekend so it's more than likely just my lungs recovering from that.
I've also been feeling tired and lacking enthusiasm, but then I've been sleeping much less than usual which is another fairly common side effect of Duromine. Oddly, I have no troubles getting off to sleep at night but I tend to wake up earlier than I need to lately. I've also been under a lot more stress than usual which could be a factor too.
My bench press has dropped. Normally I can get 6-8 reps at 100kgs and even go right up to 130 for a couple (still a long way from my achievements in my younger years but not so bad for a fat, middle aged Dad), but last week I found I was struggling to get 4 or 5 at 100 kgs. However, I have been working with a higher rep routine lately rather than going for big weight so I put it down to that but it could also be fatigue and enthusiasm related.
Does this qualify as a loss of strength?
I thought I'd drop the weight a bit to keep proper form and tried 90kgs for that set this week but strangely I also struggled with that. Stranger still when I put it back up to 100 for another set I was able to equal the number of reps with the same amount of effort for that 90kg set which makes me think it's possibly a mental issue rather than a physical problem. Also, it's only my bench press that has suffered. I'm still equalling or bettering my personal bests with all other exercises.
On the bike I haven't been experiencing surges of power lately that I had started experiencing as my weight dropped. I've also been less enthusiastic about heading out, but since I've been going out every day for around 6 weeks without a break and I've been extending the time and distances, it's pretty likely I'm just over-trained.
I've also been experiencing pain in my back just under my shoulder blades, but that's exactly where I feel pain on the bike if I spend too long in the same position.
Ok, so:
- Shortness of breath on exertion
- A cough
- Fatigue
- Stress & anxiety
- Loss of strength
- Pain between the shoulder blades
All related to Duromine, insufficient sleep, stress, smoking and overtraining. The problem is they could also be early warning signs of heart failure...
The most likely explanations though are the other very legitimate reasons I have for these symptoms and most of these are likely to be spin-off side effects of Duromine so I think I'll give it a miss for a fortnight and see if things change. I've also been increasingly sceptical about how effective it is so this will be a good chance to test that out as well.
On the weight loss front I've plateaued but I think that's mostly because I've just over-done things. I need to take a few days off to unwind and then psyche myself back up for a new effort.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Progress at last
I'm finally seeing some results with the latest diet & exercise plan after stalling for a while.
The first week I was super-strict and lost a touch over 4 kgs but it was a routine I couldn't keep up so I tried eating a bit more and backing off the exercise only to find I lost a disappointing .5 kg the following week. However, after increasing my exercise again and taking more care with my eating I still only dropped .4 kg in week 3.
I made the decision not to be concerned by this though and soldier on satisfied that I'd made the right choices following my week 2 analysis and this week I'm pleased to see a 2.1 kg loss and an inch from my girth. :)
So what works?
Well, I'll have more of a testimony when I reach my goal weight (and stay there) but at this stage I'll say the following:
The first week I was super-strict and lost a touch over 4 kgs but it was a routine I couldn't keep up so I tried eating a bit more and backing off the exercise only to find I lost a disappointing .5 kg the following week. However, after increasing my exercise again and taking more care with my eating I still only dropped .4 kg in week 3.
I made the decision not to be concerned by this though and soldier on satisfied that I'd made the right choices following my week 2 analysis and this week I'm pleased to see a 2.1 kg loss and an inch from my girth. :)
So what works?
Well, I'll have more of a testimony when I reach my goal weight (and stay there) but at this stage I'll say the following:
- A total mental commitment on a daily basis.
- A determination to succeed no matter what
- Recognising the difference between real hunger, a craving and the desire to eat.
- Not eating if not hungry
- Eating regular small meals 5 or 6 times a day. It's much easier to eat less and not eat in between meals if I know I've only got a couple of hours until the next one.
- Feeling hungry before every meal. If you're not experiencing hunger regularly you're eating too much and won't be losing weight.
- Having a big glass of water before every meal and whenever I feel hungry
- Avoid everything with sugar (specifically fructose) in it. If you suffer from strong cravings like I do (did) then you're addicted to sugar. Quitting will make the cravings go away after a week or three.
- Eating only real food like veges, meat, whole grains, nuts and fruit.
- Stopping eating when I no longer feel hungry, not when I'm full.
- Not going back for seconds or desert.
- Cardio (cycling, walking/running/swimming etc) for at least an hour every day.
- Timing my cardio over a set course and trying for a new record every time.
- Weights for 30-45 mins, 3 - 4 times a week. I constantly try for an extra rep or a little extra weight every time but I don't sacrifice form for weight. If it's too heavy, it's too heavy.
The jury's still out on how effective Duromine is for me but I'm reluctant to change anything while I'm succeeding so I'll see out the prescription.
I strongly suspect my old bathroom scales were reading about 5kg lower than my actual weight so my 120kg nemesis was actually more like a 125kg nemesis. The way my clothes are fitting and the way I'm scooting up hills on my bike now would appear to back that up as well, even though I'm still a whisker above 120 kgs.
I'm hoping I'm now through the toughest sticking point anyway and I'll continue with decent numbers from here on.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Still stalled
Still no shift on the scales this morning and since I've been doing all of the right things I'm starting to get concerned. Time for some self-analysis.
- Last week when I started losing weight quickly, the only thing I did differently (other than dropping all foods with added fructose and reducing my portion sizes) was to revert to my old 60 min cardio in the morning and weights in the afternoon routine. I was enjoying it but by mid-week I was feeling tired so I went back to alternating 30min weights & HIIT cardio sessions. That may have been a bit premature...
- The last couple of months I've been following the alternating 30min weights & HIIT cardio exercise plan and it's also during this time that my weight has also gone up (possibly quite a lot if my previous bathroom scales were accurate). It would seem obvious now that the only reason I felt better during this time was because my body was more rested and this routine just doesn't work for me.
- I was becoming disappointed in the effects of duromine but yesterday I went to the park with the kids in the afternoon and something very interesting happened. I started out feeling lethargic but made an effort to play with them and within a few minutes of running around I lit up like a Christmas tree. Later in the evening my appetite was gone and I had trouble sitting still.
- Riding the road bike during a HIIT session during the week I was almost taken out by a careless motorist. Later it made me think that riding my bike for exercise amongst the peak hour motorists who are all pissed off, stressed and distracted trying to get some place they don't really want to be is probably not the best idea, especially when I'm mere minutes from a peaceful state forest with a trail network for mountain bikes.
So, I'm thinking that since I spend most of my time on my butt in front of a computer, maybe the 30 min routines just aren't enough physical work to compensate for that for my type of body. Even though I was eating less as well (and feeling every bit of it), my metabolism just slows down very quickly under those conditions. Hence my current stalled progress.
Conclusion: I need to eat a bit more and exercise more.
I was liking road biking because I could get an effective 30 min HIIT session while I needed at least an hour on the mountain bike to get a decent ride.
Conclusion: I think now that I need an hour anyway on either bike to gain a benefit so it may as well be out on the mountain bike amongst nature where the air is clear and no one's trying to kill me.
Duromine seems to need that metabolic kick in the afternoon to do its work (at least for me).
Conclusion: Going back to my afternoon gym sessions should be just the ticket to make that happen. This is probably why I was enjoying my old 2 session a day routine so much during the first week.
While I am still concerned about physical burnout, I think by making my mountain bike rides challenging but not HIIT and varying the effort according to how I feel on the day and/or skipping a session or two as necessary I should be able to manage.
Let's see how we go next week...
Friday, October 9, 2009
Monday Weigh In
First weigh-in after a week on Duromine and the results are pleasing. I've lost 4.1 kgs, 1.5cm off my girth, 3cm off my butt and 1cm off my thighs. Very surprising to see it drop from my lower half rather than the middle.
In the 4 days since the weigh-in I've only lost .3 kg but that's to be expected in the second week and I have been eating a little more so I'll have to toughen things up and we'll see how things progress next week.
My morning workouts have been going great except when I've skimped on sleep. It's impossible to get enthusiastic about anything without sufficient sleep.
I'm starting to suspect that the duromine isn't as effective as I hoped. I still get cravings and I'm still as hungry as ever and whatever effects I was feeling in the first few days don't seem to be apparent now.
There are reports around the web of people suffering breathing difficulties or increases in asthma attacks while on phentermine and I think I may have suffered the first asthma attack I've had in more than 20 years at the start of a bike ride last Saturday. However, the day was particularly hot, humid and still which are conditions that usually knock me around anyway. Other than that I haven't experienced any of the other reported phentermine side effects.
It seems losing weight is hard and there's no way around it. It never gets easy. The hunger never goes away but if you're not hungry, you're not losing weight so hunger should be seen as a positive thing. But the body still hates it and the will rails against it so you're constantly at war with yourself, day by day, hour by hour and sometimes even minute by minute.
It is some consolation though that I am winning most of the battles now and things are moving in the right direction. One day perhaps I'll have won the war and I can trade the fighting for mere vigilance.
Drinking lots of water and going sugar free definitely help and in many ways are more effective than duromine anyway. At this stage if I was giving someone weight loss advice I would say that drugs are certainly worth trying as part of the "try anything and everything" approach but they're not the answer in themselves.
In the 4 days since the weigh-in I've only lost .3 kg but that's to be expected in the second week and I have been eating a little more so I'll have to toughen things up and we'll see how things progress next week.
My morning workouts have been going great except when I've skimped on sleep. It's impossible to get enthusiastic about anything without sufficient sleep.
I'm starting to suspect that the duromine isn't as effective as I hoped. I still get cravings and I'm still as hungry as ever and whatever effects I was feeling in the first few days don't seem to be apparent now.
There are reports around the web of people suffering breathing difficulties or increases in asthma attacks while on phentermine and I think I may have suffered the first asthma attack I've had in more than 20 years at the start of a bike ride last Saturday. However, the day was particularly hot, humid and still which are conditions that usually knock me around anyway. Other than that I haven't experienced any of the other reported phentermine side effects.
It seems losing weight is hard and there's no way around it. It never gets easy. The hunger never goes away but if you're not hungry, you're not losing weight so hunger should be seen as a positive thing. But the body still hates it and the will rails against it so you're constantly at war with yourself, day by day, hour by hour and sometimes even minute by minute.
It is some consolation though that I am winning most of the battles now and things are moving in the right direction. One day perhaps I'll have won the war and I can trade the fighting for mere vigilance.
Drinking lots of water and going sugar free definitely help and in many ways are more effective than duromine anyway. At this stage if I was giving someone weight loss advice I would say that drugs are certainly worth trying as part of the "try anything and everything" approach but they're not the answer in themselves.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Duromine
A couple of months back my usual Doctor was on holidays so I got to see a different one. Ripper! A chance for a different opinion and some fresh ideas perhaps.
I explained about my 120kg nemesis and after checking my records he suggested I might be a candidate for the appetite suppressant drug Duromine (aka Phentermine). He also told me it had a "speed" like effect which increased metabolism but warned that it may raise my blood pressure a bit. However, it mostly does this by increasing heart rate and since I already had a low heart rate due to my activity level it was unlikely to make a dramatic difference in that regard. I decided to take a raincheck to mull it over for a while and check around to see what other people were saying about it before I committed.
It certainly has its share of knockers and fans and I changed my mind at least 14 times before deciding it was worth a try. While I wasn't expecting anything dramatic from it, I hoped it might give me just enough edge to get over the shitty sticking point that's plagued me for the last 3 or 4 years.
Third day in now and I can report that it does make a difference, however the difference is somewhat subtle (as I expected). I'm certainly not a super-excited motor-mouth by any stretch of the imagination but I am definitely more enthusiastic about things. So enthusiastic in fact that I decided to go back to my twice a day training routine, and the last few gym sessions and bike rides have been amazing. I just wanted to push harder all of the time even when I knew I was low on energy.
However, last night I felt a turn and knew I couldn't keep up that pace for much longer, and this morning on the bike those fears were realised. From the first hill I got to I knew I was seriously depleted. The mind was still willing but the body was cooked.
Back to my 30 minute morning routines, alternating gym with HIIT bike rides, but I might throw in a few easy paced night rides on the MTB if I feel up to it. (As a side note, I've found I've started waking up before my alarm recently. I guess my body has become more accustomed to the demands placed on it at that time on a regular basis now so it's learned to prepare for it).
Diet wise I'm making an effort to drink more water, trying for 5 litres a day as suggested by Jason Stathan to "cleanse the system and fill me up". I found it's not that hard if I use a large 400ml glass and drink one before and after every meal 6 times a day. You do pee a lot though...
No more biscuits, cakes, lollies, chips, ice cream or added fructose of any kind including condiments. I'm watching my portions and avoiding going back for seconds, and I'm keeping breads, pastas, cereals and dairy to a minimum. Mostly I eat lots of chicken, tuna, eggs, veges, oatmeal and some fresh fruit.
So far so good. Normally I'd be lucky to last a day without cheating in some way on this sort of diet but at this stage I've had no worries sticking to it. I've definitely still experienced some sugar withdrawals, especially in the evenings, but these pass soon enough and I'm getting through them. Hopefully they'll disappear completely over the next few days or weeks.
Although I know I shouldn't, I've been jumping on the scales every morning and so far have been dropping around 1kg per day. No doubt that won't stay at that level for much longer and I'll drop back to something around 1 or 2 kgs a week very soon.
My blood pressure surprisingly has dropped and I'm now down to 135/77.
With a combination of going sugar free, eating healthy, eating less, drinking heaps of water, the right exercise plan and the assistance of duromine to help me stick to it all I'm feeling really confident I'm going to be successful this time. :)
I explained about my 120kg nemesis and after checking my records he suggested I might be a candidate for the appetite suppressant drug Duromine (aka Phentermine). He also told me it had a "speed" like effect which increased metabolism but warned that it may raise my blood pressure a bit. However, it mostly does this by increasing heart rate and since I already had a low heart rate due to my activity level it was unlikely to make a dramatic difference in that regard. I decided to take a raincheck to mull it over for a while and check around to see what other people were saying about it before I committed.
It certainly has its share of knockers and fans and I changed my mind at least 14 times before deciding it was worth a try. While I wasn't expecting anything dramatic from it, I hoped it might give me just enough edge to get over the shitty sticking point that's plagued me for the last 3 or 4 years.
Third day in now and I can report that it does make a difference, however the difference is somewhat subtle (as I expected). I'm certainly not a super-excited motor-mouth by any stretch of the imagination but I am definitely more enthusiastic about things. So enthusiastic in fact that I decided to go back to my twice a day training routine, and the last few gym sessions and bike rides have been amazing. I just wanted to push harder all of the time even when I knew I was low on energy.
However, last night I felt a turn and knew I couldn't keep up that pace for much longer, and this morning on the bike those fears were realised. From the first hill I got to I knew I was seriously depleted. The mind was still willing but the body was cooked.
Back to my 30 minute morning routines, alternating gym with HIIT bike rides, but I might throw in a few easy paced night rides on the MTB if I feel up to it. (As a side note, I've found I've started waking up before my alarm recently. I guess my body has become more accustomed to the demands placed on it at that time on a regular basis now so it's learned to prepare for it).
Diet wise I'm making an effort to drink more water, trying for 5 litres a day as suggested by Jason Stathan to "cleanse the system and fill me up". I found it's not that hard if I use a large 400ml glass and drink one before and after every meal 6 times a day. You do pee a lot though...
No more biscuits, cakes, lollies, chips, ice cream or added fructose of any kind including condiments. I'm watching my portions and avoiding going back for seconds, and I'm keeping breads, pastas, cereals and dairy to a minimum. Mostly I eat lots of chicken, tuna, eggs, veges, oatmeal and some fresh fruit.
So far so good. Normally I'd be lucky to last a day without cheating in some way on this sort of diet but at this stage I've had no worries sticking to it. I've definitely still experienced some sugar withdrawals, especially in the evenings, but these pass soon enough and I'm getting through them. Hopefully they'll disappear completely over the next few days or weeks.
Although I know I shouldn't, I've been jumping on the scales every morning and so far have been dropping around 1kg per day. No doubt that won't stay at that level for much longer and I'll drop back to something around 1 or 2 kgs a week very soon.
My blood pressure surprisingly has dropped and I'm now down to 135/77.
With a combination of going sugar free, eating healthy, eating less, drinking heaps of water, the right exercise plan and the assistance of duromine to help me stick to it all I'm feeling really confident I'm going to be successful this time. :)
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Dammit!
Just got a new set of bathroom scales and my latest blood test results and the news isn't good. :(
I know I haven't been watching the diet as closely as I should, but part of switching exercise to the mornings and exercising less was supposed to help with my appetite and I guess I was waiting for that to kick in naturally rather than making a concerted effort.
The new scales show I'm a lot heavier than I thought. I expected I was around 125~ish kgs at the moment but I'm actually just under 129! They also indicate my body fat % is closer to 35% rather than the 25% my suprailiac caliper measurement indicated. However, I did think my suprailiac calculation was a little conservative at that because it put my lean weight still at close to 100 kgs and when I see pictures of lean people around that weight they're either a foot taller than me or have 20" arms (which I don't have yet).
The weird thing is I've been feeling a lot better lately with the new training principles. There's been a spring in my step, I've been faster on the bike and my clothes are fitting comfortably. I've even finally managed to gain a cm on arms and there's extra definition visible, but I'm clearly not healthy at all. :(
Blood pressure is up around 140/80 (on medication) but has been as low as 125/70 when my weight was lower.
My blood test results show my LDL still around 4.19 mmol/L (below 2.0 is desirable) which is at the point where I could be on medication to control it.
Glucose was at 6.6 mmol/L which is approaching diabetes levels (normal is in the range of 3.5 – 8 mmol/L).
eGFR was a scary 57 ml/min (normal is around 90 while anything under 60 for more than 3 months is considered to be chronic kidney disease). However, the Dr reckoned this was most likely dehydration, especially since I'd done a training session on the bike just prior to the test and had really only drank a cup of coffee since getting out of bed that morning.
These are all obesity related and have the potential to turn into real problems very soon if I can't get my weight under control.
Time to get serious. At least I know what works for me now to make it happen.
Watch this space...
I know I haven't been watching the diet as closely as I should, but part of switching exercise to the mornings and exercising less was supposed to help with my appetite and I guess I was waiting for that to kick in naturally rather than making a concerted effort.
The new scales show I'm a lot heavier than I thought. I expected I was around 125~ish kgs at the moment but I'm actually just under 129! They also indicate my body fat % is closer to 35% rather than the 25% my suprailiac caliper measurement indicated. However, I did think my suprailiac calculation was a little conservative at that because it put my lean weight still at close to 100 kgs and when I see pictures of lean people around that weight they're either a foot taller than me or have 20" arms (which I don't have yet).
The weird thing is I've been feeling a lot better lately with the new training principles. There's been a spring in my step, I've been faster on the bike and my clothes are fitting comfortably. I've even finally managed to gain a cm on arms and there's extra definition visible, but I'm clearly not healthy at all. :(
Blood pressure is up around 140/80 (on medication) but has been as low as 125/70 when my weight was lower.
My blood test results show my LDL still around 4.19 mmol/L (below 2.0 is desirable) which is at the point where I could be on medication to control it.
Glucose was at 6.6 mmol/L which is approaching diabetes levels (normal is in the range of 3.5 – 8 mmol/L).
eGFR was a scary 57 ml/min (normal is around 90 while anything under 60 for more than 3 months is considered to be chronic kidney disease). However, the Dr reckoned this was most likely dehydration, especially since I'd done a training session on the bike just prior to the test and had really only drank a cup of coffee since getting out of bed that morning.
These are all obesity related and have the potential to turn into real problems very soon if I can't get my weight under control.
Time to get serious. At least I know what works for me now to make it happen.
Watch this space...
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