Re: I'm back and need information


"Sammy" <rstevrock@xxxxxxx> wrote in message news:43Uwe.10164$fV.5091@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>I know that my gardening is helpful, but I don't always garden the way I do sometimes. There is no
>question but what I have made a mistake in dropping the weight lifting program. The weights are in
>my living room right in front of the television. I always spend 30 minutes looking at the news, so
>there is no reason why I shouldn't have been lifting weights at the same time.
>
> I have started walking again. I am not sure that it is helpful, but it shouldn't hurt.
>
> Dumb question: Starting in December I stopped eating junk food. I make almost no exceptions, and
> have also watched calories very carefully. Because of this I have (deliberately) lost close to 20
> pounds. These pounds came off very slowly, and I never dieted as such. I could easily lose
> another 15 pounds (I won't) and be within a safe limit. How possible is it that the weight loss
> could in some way have affected the computer screen image when the technician was comparing what
> she was looking at to the records of 2 years ago? My entire frame has become smaller, so
> logically my bone structure is not as wide. My pant size has gone from a 12 petite to an 8
> petite. My sweater / shirt size has gone from medium to small.
>

If memory serves, Larry could provide far better answers than me.

My expectations are:
1) As you lose weight, impact due to walking (etc.) is reduced, and bone
density will reduce. I wouldn't expect a decrease in bone density due to
weight loss to result in Osteoporosis (keep in mind that you _should_
be compared to a different population: one that weighs less and has a
lower amount of bone). Also, I would expect the decrease in bone
density to lag behind the weight loss. Uh - the tech did weigh you first,
and that weight is recorded on the results from the DEXA?
2) The numbers that the tech used are calculated from the DEXA machine.
I would expect it to know how it is positioned, allowing it to accurately
calculate bone mineral content.
3) If you aren't positioned the same way as the last time you had a DEXA
it could easily affect the readings. I would think that this could be
determined by looking at the images on the DEXA report. Do you have
copies of both?


> Also thank you Kate when you mention the warning about the caffeine, but I thought that was a
> myth. I do drink coffee with caffeine in the morning, then before about 1:00 P.M. I usually have
> had about 2 bottles of Diet Lime Coke. Years ago people had said that caffeine "leached" calcium
> from the bones. Then later I thought that I had read that nothing can "leach" it from the bones,
> but that people, especially young people, who drink pop fail to develop proper bone mass.

Your body needs to maintain a specific Ph (?) balance. If you eat a lot of acidic
foods, calcium will be pulled from your bones to maintain the balance. I don't
believe that coffee will have much of an effect
(see http://courses.washington.edu/bonephys/opnutr.html#coffee). Note that
if you are eating a lot of acidic foods, the simple solution is to take more
calcium.

>
> My diet has been deficient in fruits since I consider grapes and strawberries the same as candy.
> I eat either an apple or banana every day. Other than that I try to eat vegetables. I need to
> increase that.
>
> Kate, thank you for your post. I will check that website.
> Art, I cannot remember the question you asked, but I think it was about the additional scans. One
> was where the thing went up to my chin. The other was another angle of my hip, I think. I turned
> sideways, she put a pillow between my knees, and another under my waist.
>

Interesting. I have no idea what she is doing or why. Could you ask your
doctor?

> How possible is it in your opinion to bring up the scores on the dexa scan significantly? If I do
> everything I should, am I hoping to get no further loss, or can I reasonably expect to get
> increases?
>

First and foremost, the evidence is scanty and there is a lot of disagreement.
As people age, they will have a harder time increasing bone density. Based
on Ms. Snow's study (on jumping and bone density) that resulted in a 70 or
80 year old lady increasing bone density, I think bone density can be
increased for a long time (provided that the starting bone density isn't too
far above average to start with). This requires, however, an intelligent
work out routine, proper nutrition, and sufficient sleep. If the person
involved isn't willing to work hard enough to increase muscle mass and
doesn't do activities with enough skeletal impact, then I wouldn't expect
an increase in bone density. Note that many people disagree with me.

My GP, for example, believes that, once women have gone through
menopause, the best that they can do is to maintain BMD. (She believes
that there are two stimuli for increasing BMD: exercise and hormones
and once a woman has gone through menopause she can't exercise
enough to make up for the reduction in hormones.) She also refuses
to talk about Osteoporosis with me - I've given her around 15 studies
that I've found and I can't get her to talk about any of them.

I obviously disagree with her. Provided that the woman involved is
willing to do a heavy workout and doesn't do the typical "feminine"
work out (low weight, high rep, may as well be aerobics).

Also, current indications are that bone recovers faster than muscle.
If true, that would mean that a good bone-building routine will
consist of heavy weight lifting with, depending on the person and
how heavy the workout is, one to three rest days between workouts
for the same muscle and, since the bone isn't being stressed on the
rest days, non-weight-bearing moderate to high impact activities
on the rest days. (Some examples are jumping, playing rugby, and
playing tennis [provided you run around]).

> I wish I had an answer for the stress.
>
> Sammy
>

Art


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