Latest update on the gigantic primitive, who's slowly getting down to the 400-pound mark, after which he can dust off his resume and go look for a job.
http://drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11960&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=375There's some self-posted photographs of the gigantic primitive on page 25, but I'm starting with page 26 and after.
The gigantic primitive apparently had some underwear problems:
Ege Bamyasi
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 355
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 10:32 am
Thank you Caroveggie and Letha for stopping in.
I have some more anecdotal evidence to share about how I've shrunk over the past few months. They involve trying on some cotton/nylon underwear that don't stretch at all like the 100% cotton kind does, in size 5x (was wearing 7x when I started the Plan). If I lose another 10 - 15 lbs. at most, they will fit perfectly. When Jeanette bought them for me, I had asked her to buy cotton briefs. This was at least two years ago, if memory serves. She accidentally bought this other kind instead, and from the day we opened the package they were too tight to wear comfortably due to their non-stretch design. Near my peak weight it wasn't even possible to get them up over my butt! Another month or so, and they will fit. Awesome! I know for a fact that when I was in the hospital a while back, and they were trying to find an MRI machine which I could fit into, they had to measure my waist. I was just under 500 lbs. and my waist was 71". I likely was around 74" at my peak weight of 519. These 5x underwear are sized for a 58" - 60". That's well over a foot gone from my waistline once I can fit into these. Woot!!
Jeanette is now taking a series of very high resolution photos of both of my legs and feet, which she will do every dressing change. These will be downloaded to our computer but not put in our shared Photobucket account for obvious reasons. I will, however, share some of these photos with Dr. McDougall personally as a testimonial of how well following this plan -- and using the healing properties of coconut oil -- has facilitated healing of a limb I thought was a real goner.
Jeanette's about to go out grocery shopping, and I'm going to kick back and play games and stuff for a while. I'll check back later and report on my exercise and stuff!
31 lbs. in 18 months eating SAD (avg. 0.40 lbs./week)
46 lbs. in 12 weeks of McDougalling (avg. 3.83 lbs./week)
Ege Bamyasi
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 355
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:10 am
June 21, 2009 - 488 (-31 from Dec. 2007 lifetime high)
June 28 - 488 (unchanged due to quitting 3 daily doses of diuretics)
July 5 - 485 ( -3 )
July 12 - 478 ( -7 )
July 19 - 476 ( -2 )
July 26 - 475 ( -1 )
August 2 - 456 ( -19 ) ** (resumed diuretic and diabetic meds)
August 9 - 449 ( -7 )
August 16 - 454 ( +5 )
August 23 - 444 ( -10 ) (tried stopping lasix again -- no go)
August 30 - 449 ( +5 )
September 6 - 443 ( -6 )
September 13 - 442 ( -1 )
Well, a loss is a loss, but I expected this week to go a little better than 1 lb. Still, a release is a release, and I didn't follow a release with a gain this time, so that's good news.
It's possible that with my increasing exercise, I will stall out on weight loss for a while, but start losing inches all over my body. Historically, this has been the case throughout my life, so this time is likely to be similar. I know we used to have a long enough tape measure to measure my waist around the house somewhere, but since we've moved I don't know where it is. I may have Jeanette pick one up at Target or something, and post a waist measurement every week along with my weight for a while. It will be an interesting experiment to see just what happens.
I've not eaten anything in quite some time, so I'm hungry. I don't know what Jeanette might be up to making now that she's awake, but I will be sure to include a big salad today since we have plenty of honey for dressing.
I'll check back later with a report about my food and exercise.
Edit: This morning's blood sugar was a very low (for me) 87!
Blood pressure was "meh" at 140/80. It could be a lot worse though, if I weren't eating the McDougall way!
31 lbs. in 18 months eating SAD (avg. 0.40 lbs./week)
46 lbs. in 12 weeks of McDougalling (avg. 3.83 lbs./week)
Ege Bamyasi
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 355
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Man, this really chaps my....
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 1:27 pm
bunsofaluminum, the underwear really had me freaked. When my shoulders were really bad a few months back, I had so little range of motion that I was unable to do almost anything for myself, including getting dressed. I couldn't put my arms up to get a shirt on, or hold a pair of underwear down near the floor and put my feet through the leg openings. With my weight those things were tough, but doable. With the impingement syndrome, forget it.
That being said, one day Jeanette grabbed a pair of those 5x, non-stretch underpants to put on me, thinking they were my other cotton boxer briefs. she got them up past my knees and immediately I could tell what they were because they were not going to get over my butt once I stood up! When I put them on the other day, I actually had them all the way on, but they were still snug enough that the fly wouldn't stay closed and they pinched my thighs a bit. I figure another 2" lost and that problem will go away, and that's where I get 15 lbs. since 1" on my waist is usually around 7 - 8 lbs. gone. I really was thrilled to see that I could get them on in any respect, though!
Bea, thanks for taking time out of your busy working life to stop in! I bet you're having a blast with those kids. I'm going to do everything in my power to make good on that promise to get to an hour by the end of this month. My endurance is certainly showing that it could happen, but sadly, other physiological factors may hinder me somewhat which I didn't even take into account until yesterday. I'll explain below.
LauraA, okay, I'll continue to stand in the door frame for my future photos! I've decided that instead of posting my next set at 400, I'll wait for a very important milestone. Since meeting Jeanette in 2002, I have never been lower than 378 lbs., and that was in 2003 just before I got struck with plantar fasciitis so bad I could barely stand up or walk. The cortisone shots, heavy doses of anti-inflammatories and inactivity I went through -- coupled with major depression because of all of those problems combined -- caused me to eventually balloon up to where I was in 2007 (and gave me lots of quality hospital time to boot!).
So, I will post my next set of pictures at or below 378. That will represent at least 139 lbs. released in total, and at least 110 lbs. on the McDougall plan! I very much look forward to that day, because that to me will symbolize the true beginning of me becoming the man I promised Jeanette I would be once she was a part of my life. I feel I've let both of us down very badly in the years since.
This next paragraph is somewhat graphic. It describes the changing condition of my left leg and foot over the past few months very vividly. If you're the sensitive sort, I strongly suggest that you skip down. Don't say you weren't warned!
toadfood, txveggie and sksamboots; thank you for commenting on my brighter face and eyes. They really are a reflection of my renewed hope -- especially where it concerns my left leg and foot. When you look at my most recent photo, you can see enough of the left leg and the right one side-by-side to tell just how bad the swelling is on the left side. The ulcerations just before starting treatments with coconut oil were so ugly and so serious that I would say multiplying the difference in leg sizes in the picture by maybe 20 would give you an idea of their severity.
I'm watching about 2 millimeters of skin -- or about 1/16 of an inch -- which has been eaten away, slowly start coming back. I've watched the color of those wounds go from necrotic black to a healthy red and tan flesh color. Most importantly, the second toe on my foot has gone from having a black indented band all the way across the top -- just about the last stage before mandatory amputation I might add -- to almost no sign of banding with remaining swelling which itself is decreasing.
The webbing between those toes was as black and disgusting as the wounded areas on my shin, and the top of the foot going back about 1 1/2 inches was in very bad shape too. At this point, the webbing between the great and second toes is red with a bit of brown, and the foot behind that has covered over with a yellowish-white layer of escar tissue (dead skin) which is slowly flaking away every time Jeanette cleans me up with a clean towel and antiseptic wound care spray.
I still have a very long way to go, but whereas just 6 weeks or so ago I was 80% or more certain that I was going to lose my entire leg at the knee, I now put those odds at 10%. The foul odor which accompanied me everywhere from those wounds (and was taking my hope and my spirits with it) is gone entirely. Bless her heart, but occasionally when she cleans me up, Jeanette will get right down there to within an inch of my foot or leg and sniff for odor. About the only thing she gets is a faint smell like sweaty socks now when I go two days without a dressing change, coming from my foot. After thorough cleaning that is almost entirely undetectable.
The toenail on my great toe, when last I was going to wound care over the Spring, had to be cut by this device which almost looked like a small wire cutter. It was like some kind of thick, encrusted antler growing out of my toe! Now, it is almost a perfectly healthy nail. It's still just a tiny bit darker than normal, but the shape and thickness of it are what I would call healthy.
I apologize for this very graphic description, but now you know what has me running so scared. I've hinted at these things in prior posts, but the mere act of trying to verbalize any of this in any form was enough to make me want to start crying until very recently. Instead, I now have real hope and I believe with 100% of my being in the power of nutrition to help reverse terrible illness. I'm living proof on a level which very few here can fully identify with. I say that not as part of some grandiose ego trip, but as a real statement of fact.
The fact that all of this progress has been achieved without any help whatsoever from doctors is what I would describe as a quantum level of unreal. These things aren't supposed to happen, are they?? Dr. McDougall will be receiving a way to view very high resolution images of my progress over time eventually, regardless of my outcome. I've already made my mind up to that, and that is why I could justify the expense of a $200 Sony digital camera. We really don't have that kind of money to throw around -- especially given that we intend to scrimp and save to move out of Vegas -- but this is just too important to not do.
Did I really just type all that out and put it here for the world to read? Yes, I did. Let the chips fall where they may....
Now, on to what's been going on with me the last couple of days. I had a blast yesterday with Jeanette, with the two of us playing our favorite online game together for most of the day. There was one problem, though. See, when I began exercising I knew there was going to be pain and discomfort now and again as part of the process of getting back into shape. My goal was just to keep it to a minimum so I wouldn't seriously injure myself, and to that end I think I've done a respectable job. My back, shoulder and leg muscles have been responding beautifully.
I forgot one thing, though; that being that my thighs are still freaking huge! Huge = rubbing together with movement = friction and that, according to what I learned in 3rd grade math, can equal much pain and irritation. I got to spend yesterday with a very raw feeling down below, if you get my drift. I've been using Lubriderm lotion quite liberally to get rid of the irritation and help my skin not develop any serious problems. The good news is that it's working. The bad news is twofold: First, I've gone from feeling like I was sitting on coarse grit sandpaper whenever I was seated, to feeling like my butt is planted in an oil slick. I hope that, as with everything else, this too shall soon pass.
In the meantime, I didn't exercise at all yesterday. I'm very frustrated that of all things, it would be something plain stupid like this which would cut into my exercise time when everything else was coming together so beautifully! Time to take a deep breath and practice patience for a while, I guess.
Yesterday I had some fat free refried beans with onions and salsa for one meal, and a big bowl of leafy greens for the other, and a couple of nectarines for an evening snack. As an added bonus to go along with the chapped posterior, I was treated to a completely unexpected attack of gas and stomach cramps shortly before bed time. Thankfully it subsided by this morning and doesn't seem to have any inkling to return. My meal plan for today is the same as yesterday and I've already had my beans and corn tortillas. No problems this time, so I know it wasn't the beans. I don't know what happened yesterday but I'm glad to be feeling better.
I will try my best to get a little bit of exercise in today, but only if I really think I can handle it without further exacerbating my chafing problem. My only consolation is that in the next hundred pounds or so that will vanish. In the meantime I can only do my best.
Sorry for this very long post, and again I hope nobody lost their lunch over the foot/leg wound paragraph. It's just that full disclosure and accountability demanded that I come clean. It took a mighty amount of courage to do that... trust me. I hope all of you regular posters and lurkers are having a wonderful week!
31 lbs. in 18 months eating SAD (avg. 0.40 lbs./week)
46 lbs. in 12 weeks of McDougalling (avg. 3.83 lbs./week)
Ege Bamyasi
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 355
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 3:57 am
Caroveggie, thank you for your kind affirmation. There wasn't any way I was going to divulge all of that information without a big shiny disclaimer, because when I read stuff like that about other people I often end up getting wracked by overly-vivid mental images. I've gone through bouts of sympathetic pain and other discomfort as a result of such things. I don't want to inflict that sort of stuff on others unless they've been steeled for it in advance.
Anna Green, thank you for the suggestion of using some powder to help with my chafing. I'll be sure to try adding that if the Lubriderm lotion doesn't seem to be enough. My pain and discomfort are still there to some degree, but it's down to a dull roar compared to yesterday! I was thinking about my recumbent bike that I have; and how since I've dropped 40-ish lbs. since the last time I tried to get on it, my balance and strength have increased, while my belly has shrunk just a bit. It's covered with folded blankets and other things which need to be put away in the closet right now, but tomorrow Jeanette has agreed to do this for me. I'm going to try using the bike, and if I can get on and off of it without major difficulty I should be totally set for exercise even though I'm still not down to the 400 lbs.
I stated was my benchmark previously. Back when I was on my way down to 378 in 2003, I did it using a much smaller recumbent which cost about 1/3 the money. It was sturdy enough to hold me just fine even though I started using it at about the same weight I am now, and it challenged me very much as I used it for an hour each morning before work. The best part is that when I'm on a bike I don't chafe like I do when I'm walking because of how my butt is squished flat on a seat and won't rub together in the same offending way. If this works, I'm going to be tickled fifty shades of pink! I'll let you all know as soon as I do.
portion deleted because it's much verbiosity about some stupid obscure rock bands
Nancy, I'm floored that you've had to go through similar experiences to mine with that Ed of yours. Looking at him in your photos, I would never suspect that somebody that close to "normal" body weight could end up having a problem with the feet like mine. You do me so very proud knowing that you loved that lug enough to stick with him through the thick and thin of his crisis, and I sincerely hope you can keep him active enough that such a thing won't happen again... at least for a good long while! I read your story quite a few hours ago, and I'm still sitting here shaking my head. I just never would have guessed.
Earlier, I got to try my first salad of European salad mix from Fresh & Easy, topped with that honey dijon 3-2-1 dressing from the MWL recipes. I changed the ratios around so that the honey was the "1", and the vinegar (in this case balsamic) was the "3". Less sugar and calories that way. I also had Jeanette puree a couple of cloves of garlic along with the other ingredients. ZOMG but that stuff is so good! I have a nice, big batch of it now, and enough stuff around the house to make it again a few times. I will definitely be eating at least one large salad a day now with this stuff! We also made ourselves some tofu "egg" salad, and I had a sandwich of that on sprouted grain bread. My snack is some grapes right now, and during the afternoon I ate two small bananas. It was a very healthy and satisfying food day for me, and with that awesome dressing there are sure to be many more!
I'm going to attempt to condense one final long story into a short (by my standards, anyway!) paragraph -- this one concerning Jeanette. She was adopted by one of her aunts as an infant, because her biological parents were both severe drug addicts and as such completely incapable of raising a child. My adoptive mother-in-law at the time was married to one man, but they split up soon after adopting Jeanette with the agreement that whichever one settled down first would assume custody. My MIL ended up remarrying and setting up a "stable" household first, but the new husband never had any respect at all for Jeanette because she wasn't "his flesh and blood".
As a result, Jeanette had a very hard time as a kid and grew up intensely disliking her stepdad. Based on stories she's told me, I can't say I blame her; in fact, he sounds like a direct comparison to my own mother! Well, today when Jeanette got home my MIL called us and ended up connecting Jeanette with this first fellow. Knowing everything he does now, he feels a great deal of regret that things ended up happening as they did. Jeanette spoke with him for nearly an hour, and then I got on the phone with him for over 30 minute myself and shared parts of my current story. I'm also going to e-mail him a link to this journal once I know his e-mail address after he and Jeanette exchange an e-mail. Steve, if you're reading this, you already know how much I appreciate your positive influences on Jeanette's life, short though they were. If you have made it to this point of my journal then I hope you've learned a lot about the role of nutrition in health which perhaps you weren't previously aware of. Thanks again for our initial talk, and for being a part of Jeanette's life.
I really need to slow down from all these novella-length posts of late, don't I?
Yeah, riiiiiiight Kirk. Dream on.
31 lbs. in 18 months eating SAD (avg. 0.40 lbs./week)
46 lbs. in 12 weeks of McDougalling (avg. 3.83 lbs./week)
