Meridia in the News and Dad's Cancer

Just wanted to write about what I heard on the news the other night. They were saying that Meridia does not help people loss weight and the damage that it could do to the brain could be bad. This is what the study says:
Three diet drugs, one of which still hasn't been approved for use in the United States, will assist in weight loss, Canadian researchers report, but there can be serious side effects and the weight loss isn't all that great.

According to the Associated Press, the report, published in the latest issue of the British Medical Journal, found that people who took the prescription drugs Xenical, Meridia and Acomplia (Acomplia is not sold in the United States) registered lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and reduced diabetes. For the 45 to 50-year-old study group, which had an average weight of 220 pounds, weight loss registered a little less than 11 pounds per person.

About 20 percent of those who took Meridia experienced side effects that included raised blood pressure and pulse rates, insomnia and nausea, the A.P. reported. Up to 30 percent of those who took Xenical had side effects that included unpleasant digestive and intestinal side effects.

About six percent of those who took Acomplia experienced mood disorders, a primary reason the drug didn't receive FDA approval, the wire service reported.

I need to contact someone and let them know that I am having very different results. I started taking the pills again last month. I did only lose 3 lbs. in a month but the results are deceptive. The week before I weighed in, I had ate a lot of salty chinese food and I had had pizza and pop the night before. It has been a week since my weigh in and I have already lost another 3 lbs. I really feel that the pills are helping. I will prepare a midnight snack for my husband, and I will just sample a little of the cheese and summer sausage, and then find something else to snack on. I find myself eating a lot less at night. I used to want a full sandwich, chips, pop, and other bad things. One thing I really haven't done is purposely exercising. My Doctor told me if I don't start exercising, she might take me off the pills. So I now have a resistance rope in the dining room and when I am waiting for supper to cook, I do a few arm stretches and leg stretches. It is not much but it is a start. Yesterday, I sat down on the living room floor and did a few sit ups and stretches. I was able to get up of the floor with very little trouble. I almost cried. It was the first time I have been able to get up off the floor without struggling. I hope to just get better and better.
Please read my blog about the news I received today about my Dad's cancer. It was 2 years ago today, being the Monday before Thanksgiving that my mother passed away. Today I found out that my Dad is not going to be able to participate in a cancer program that could prolong his life. So he just has 8 to 14 months to live.
He wants to move down to Houston to be with his lady friend. I think it is a good idea. My brother is down there also and he can help take care of dad if or when he gets really sick. We will see what happens. I will write more on the Cancer blog I wrote about my mother.

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It has been another 4 weeks. Still losing

I took a couple months off and I was able to maintain my weight lose of 30 lbs. Then 4 weeks ago I went back to my Doctor and got back on the meridia again. I have not tried as hard as I did the first time around, but I have still lost another 5 lbs. My measurements now are 47-42-53 That is 3 inches off my chest, 8 off my waist, and 7 off my hips. My face is getting thinner and my legs are getting a little smaller.
I feel better. I have not been exercising like I should. I really need to start getting serious. I wanted to be down to 250 by christmas. I don't think that is possible now. But I am going to try.
I will write more after monday's visit to the doctor.

No I haven't given up... I'm doing great!

I realize it is August 27th and I haven't written on this blog. Things have just been going so well, changing my eating habits has just become a way of life. It isn't something special. That is what I need. We bought a new refrigerator at the end of July. It has filtered water and ice on the front. Because we have a very narrow kitchen, we went with a counter depth model. They cost twice as much as a regular fridge. So ours cost $2500. Years ago I worked at the Maytag Refrigerator
in Galesburg, Illinois. (They closed down and moved to Mexico.... imagine that!) Anyway, when we started making Maytag brand fridges we were told that we needed to do a good job because these sell for $3500! This was back in the early 90's. We found out later that they were not that much but they were always more expensive than other brands because they were made very sturdy. Regular fridges at that time were filled with fiberglass mats of insulation...(talk about fun!) Maytags were filled with foam insulation. Anyway, there are fridges now that are close to $3500 but most are around $1000-$1500.
Back to the fridge we got. I LOVE the ice and water on the door. I drink a lot of water. A lot more than I used to drink. It is so convenient and it tastes good. I have been taking my pills religiously every day. It seems that they are losing their potency lately. I have made a decision to stop taking them for a few months and see where my weight goes on its own. I hope to start them again at the end of October to start losing more for Christmas. Who knows, I might be able to lose without them. If I can just stay the same, I will be happy. Oh, I didn't say how much I weigh now. Without shoes I weigh 268 which is nearly 40 lbs. from my highest weight. I feel so much better but I know that I am no skinny minnie. My measurements when I started were 50-50-60. I am now 48-42-53. Not a bad change! So
I am going to start adding exercising soon. I have been able to go down in the basement and rearrange my stuff. Before it was so depressing to move around.
My Van has been in the shop since Since August 9th. We have been driving around in Donnie's 1992 Ford Truck. I can get up inside it a lot easier than before. I am fitting in booths at eating places better. My legs don't hit the side of the computer chair arms as badly as before.
So I am going to try this on my own for a couple months. Wish me luck!

34 lbs. in 3 months

I went to the doctor today. I have lost 34 lbs. in 3 months. I weighed 274 with my shoes on. That is something I would like to comment about. They have a program called Celebrity Fit Club that has been on VH-1 for several years. They have many "b" list celebrities that try to lose weight. This past season they Marsha, from the brady bunch, Tiffany the 90's rock singer, Kimberly from American Idol, and the Brat, a lady rapper. For the men they had Cletus T. Judd, a country comedian, Ross Matthews from the Jay Leno Show, a former athlete, (can't remember his name) and Screech, Derrick Diamond from Saved by the Bell. They would do little challenges like they do on Survivor and other weight loss shows and then they would weigh in each week. No one gets voted off. More than half the program is about the weigh in.
Anyway, I mention this because when they would do weigh ins, they would always be wearing different outfits. The funniest was when they were at a ski resort and when they weighed in, some of the girls weighed in with a heavy vest and Ug boots. That had to be the silliest thing to do. Then they would get all depressed because they didn't lose as much as they thought, or they would gain weight. The boots and vest alone probably added at least 3 lbs.! It was just so funny. When I was in TOPS years ago we would sometimes take off our shirts so we could weigh less.
But I have always tried to wear the same shoes when I weigh in and I don't wear heavy clothes so the weight total is about right.
I have decided to try the pills one more month and then try to go a few months without them and see if I can maintain my weight. This way I can give my body a break and if I have to, I can go back on the medicine. They don't want you to be on it more than 2 years straight. I don't know if there is a limit of back and forth or not. I will just take it one day at a time. I feel really good now. I need to get out and do some walking. I think I would feel even better. We will see what happens.

Still staying with the Meridia

It has been almost 3 months since I started taking meridia and I'm still losing. At first I was not weighing myself mainly because I didn't have a scale. Now I do have a scale and the compulsion to weigh several times a day is there. Since I am still losing, it doesn't bother me to weigh that often but I think I will go back to just focusing on what I eat and not worry about numbers. I haven't been here for over 2 months. When I went to the doctor's last month I had lost nearly 20 lbs. in 2 months. Tomorrow I am hoping for another 10 lbs. gone. I could probably lose it quicker but why? This is going to be a lifestyle and tempting foods are always going to be there so why deny myself? I just eat less of it. I am trying to eat more fruits. I pureed a box of blueberries and I add them to pudding for a snack. It is sooo good. I still try to stay away from cola or any kind of pop for that matter but sometimes, a few sips of pepsi sure is refreshing. I have had pizza and yesterday I ate at long john silver's. I enjoy making chicken stir fry but I know I use too much soy sauce. But as long as the weight keeps coming off, I don't sweat the small stuff. My measurements have gone from 50-50-60 to 47-43-55 but the measurement under my bust is 40 so that has gone down also. I hope to weigh in tomorrow at 275 with my shoes on but we will see. I have seen as low as 269 the other day.
We purchased a new refrigerator yesterday from sears. It cost 2500 bucks! It has a section on the fridge door where you can keep fruits and veggies handy to snack on. That will be nice. It also has filtered water and ice in the door. The ice container is on the door so you can easily remove the bucket and there is more room in the freezer. It is going to be black and it is what is called counter depth so it doesn't stick out from the counter. In our small kitchen, that will be very nice.
I will write more tomorrow after my doctor's visit.

13 lbs. lost in 19 days! Not bad!

I went to the doctor yesterday, May 10th. I hadn't weighed myself in 13 days. I have lost a total of 13 lbs. It has only been 19 days. It is such a great feeling! I need to start walking more and I will.

May 9 the days are flying by

It has been 12 days since I wrote here. I am still feeling good. I have been having the side effect of constipation but I don't feel bloated. I also think I might have some kidney or bladder problem. I hope it is not serious enough to have to quit because this medicine is helping me sooo much! I have not had a soft drink in a long time. I haven't had a cup of coffee since I started. I have to admit that I am not going out walking like I should but I try to keep moving around the house. I can feel that I have lost weight around my rib section. I am still not weighing myself. I will find out how much I have lost tomorrow. I had a blood test yesterday. I was taken off cholesterol medicine a few weeks ago. It was starting to harm my liver. I found out today that my cholesterol is 168 and the good cholesterol is good. My liver is also normal now.
We had pizza tonight and instead of eating 5 or 6 square pieces, I only had 2. I had made myself a vegetable pizza on a flattened grand biscuit for lunch. I had slimfast for breakfast. I also had 1 reese's peanut butter cup. I will write more tomorrow.

It's been 8 days. Still doing great!

Today is April 29, 2007. This is the eighth day with meridia and I am doing great! I went to the Doctor on Friday and my blood pressure was 138 over 78. So it has not shot up. I also weighed 303 with my shoes on so I have lost 5 lbs. What is nice about this diet pill is the fact that I don't feel hungry and I fill up on very little food. I am drinking Mocha flavored Slim Fast for breakfast. That gives me my coffee taste and milk. I find different things to eat for lunch. And supper this last week consisted of chili without beans and ham and black eyed peas. But I eat a lot less than I used to. Each night I have been having 1 pickle spear but I usually don't eat the skin so it is not much. It is just the sour taste I crave. Yesterday we had lunch at Connie's Restaurant in Downtown Knoxville. By we, I mean Sherry, Dan, Dad, his "significant other" Karen, Donnie and me. It was a great time! Karen is a very interesting lady. She is nearly 6 foot tall, 70 years old and she was born in the Netherlands but grew up in Aruba. Dad met her at the YMCA in Houston. She has had a stroke and a heart attack. She gets around slow and her speech is slow but it seems like she has come a long way from her stroke. She also
makes Dad happy so that is what counts. Donnie and I are going to meet them at the airport as we send her back to Houston. She has been here for 9 days. I think Dad is going to be lost without her. We will see what happens.
Anyway, back to the diet. I had a chef salad with turkey for lunch yesterday and just ate 1/5 of it. I gave the rest to Sherry to take home. I felt full up to suppertime. Then for supper I felt like I splurged. I fixed a sandwich in the toaster with thin sliced turkey, sauerkraut, and cheese. When it was done, I added a tomato. It was very thick but very good. I also had a couple thin slices of apple. I was not hungry the rest of the night. This is quite a concept because Donnie and I both snacked in the evening mainly out of habit but I was usually very hungry. I can't stress enough that I AM NOT HUNGRY! And my stomach doesn't growl.
These pills trick your brain but I don't know how it tricks your stomach but that is ok! I just hope this affect lasts. My mind WANTS to eat healthy food. I avoid frying things even though an egg roll would be good.... I threw away an eggplant because the only way I like it is fried. Now I just have to start exercising. I have been going up and down the steps more often and parking further away to I walk more. But I know I need to be doing other exercises. I think as the weight comes off, I will feel like doing more. I liked my doctor's recommendation. She said just to walk 15 minutes a day for a few weeks and then work up to 30 minutes. That makes more sense. There are a couple things that let me down on diets. That was being told to eat a drastic amount less and starving and then walking 30 minutes. When you weigh over 300 lbs. I think you need to start slow or you get burned out.
My body will tell me when it wants to do more. I think this is going to be a big change in my life. It has taken 51 years but now I get it. I want to live longer and better. This is my chance and I am going to take it.

I start a new way of living

Wow! So much has happened this year. I just want to put in writing a few of the highlights. Just before the new year, I started feeling sick. I had a bad cold and as usual I was afraid it was going to turn into Pneumonia. I went to the doctor and got some antibiotics. They did not seem to help so the Doctor prescribed Prednisone. I had just finished the 10 day supply when I got a call from Karen Freeman at Freeman Tax. She wondered if I would like to come work for Amerifile in their Davenport office. I thought about it for a while and decided why not! So I got my first job in nearly 6 years. I really liked it but I didn't like worrying about the weather and driving. There were only a few bad days that I remember. February 6th we had a big snow and February 24 we had an ice storm. Other than that I did o.k. with the driving. I enjoyed meeting all the people and had fun playing with the kids. But when it was all over and done on April 17th, I was glad to go back to my everyday existence. I think Donnie liked having the house to himself during the day. He did most of the grocery shopping and feeding the reptiles. I worked 6 days a week at one point. When things slowed down I was working just half days, 1:00-5 or 6. I have decided though, that I'd rather stay retired.
On April 3rd, Donnie and I went to see Eric Clapton at the Mark of the Quad Cities. When we sat down in our seats I made a discovery. My rear end has grown
considerably since the last time we were there. I literally could not fit in the seat! My thighs were sticking out the sides and to make matters worse, we were in section 113 and had to sit sideways to see the stage! And to top it all off, my knees were hitting the seat in front of me. I was so uncomfortable that I was crying! We tried to get handicapped seating at intermission but a gentleman came in a wheelchair and we had to leave. Needless to say, I didn't enjoy the concert very much. THEN Eric Clapton didn't play any of his familiar songs until song 13. When we finally got out at 10:30, I was glad to go home. A couple days later I looked at my upper thighs and there were bruises on both of them from the arms of the seats. That was when I decided, I needed to do something about my weight.
I have tried diets before but I just get hungry and they don't last long. Besides, 95% of them fail and you end up gaining it all back and more. I had seen on TV an ad for Lapband surgery. It is the same concept as stapling the stomach but instead they literally tie off part of the stomach with an adjustable band. The closest place to have the procedure done is Peoria. It is a drastic move but it seems to be successful. There are people that fly to Mexico to have it done for a lot less money. But I would be scared of not having follow ups with the doctor. At least Peoria is 100 miles away. Donnie and I will find out more about it on May 1st. Last Friday, April 21, I went to my Doctor to see about getting a sleep test because I have trouble falling asleep. She thinks I should hold off on that test for a while. I told her my sinuses fill up at night so she gave me a nasal spray called Nasacort. I also told her about the lapband surgery option. She said that she would approve me for it if that is what I wanted. Then she remembered she had another patient considering lapband. The Doctor had put her on Meridia. I asked if I could be put on Meridia also. She said yes. So she got me samples of Meridia and Nasacort. I started the Meridia on Saturday, April 22. I noticed almost immediately that I didn't feel like snacking. I just ate 3 meals and I didn't feel hungry at bedtime. It was a great feeling. I did have trouble sleeping the next night but I didn't know if it was the diet pill or the nasal spray. So I quit the nasal spray and that seemed to help. Tuesday night, Donnie and I had supper with my Dad and his girlfriend, Karen, at the Isle of Capri. I ate a lot of shrimp but not much else. (Just a sidenote. We went gambling after supper and I spent $20 and I didn't care about gambling after that.)
Anyway, Wednesday went well and tonight is Thursday. I had a slimfast shake for breakfast, a couple little ham sandwiches on hawaiian rolls for lunch, and a small bowl of ham and black eyed peas for supper. I also had muskmelon. Here at 8 p.m.I had some blueberry yogurt. It was really good then I looked at the calorie count and it was 170. It is still less than a candy bar. I have drank a small glass of milk, some caffeine free cola and a lot of water today. I don't feel sick to my stomach at all. I feel full and I don't have any food cravings. It is a good feeling. It is nearly 10 p.m. Just a couple more hours and I can go to bed and it will all start again tomorrow. I really feel that as long as I feel full, this just might work. Of course, I haven't been tempted too much yet, but I do fix Donnie his evening snack and I don't nibble at it. I know it is early in the game but there are several things that make me think this might work:
1. My portions are smaller
2. I enjoy drinking water
3. I have no desire to snack
4. I don't feel the need to weigh myself every day. This is a big difference. I just know that by eating less, I am going to lose weight.
5. I am going to be content if I just lose a pound or 2 a week. Keep in mind there are 52 weeks in a year. Two pounds a week would be over 100 lbs. Slow and steady just might win this race! I will keep posting.