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Author Topic: I am trying something new  (Read 8571 times)

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Offline aztecan

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I am trying something new
« on: December 04, 2008, 09:44:53 am »
After a rather lengthy discussion with my doctor the other day, while waiting for a client to show up for an appointment, it has been decided I am going on a diet.

Miss Philicia is the culprit behind this turn of events. There is a picture of us in Mexico City, standing arm-in-arm. Philicia looks his usual fabulous self.

I look like the Hindenburg revisited.
 
I was mortified! :o

I have been thinking about dropping some unwanted pounds ever since seeing those photos. (There also is one taken atop of the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan in which I resemble Jabba the Hut.)

My weight increased after I quit smoking nearly two years ago.

So, after much haranguing, my doc finally gave in and said I could lose a few pounds.

I was shooting for 30, which would put me at the weight I enjoyed for many, many years.

He said that was probably a bit too much and that 10 to 15 pounds should be enough.

I hope this weight loss will help rid me of some of the goiter and chipmunk cheeks I now lug around, not to mention the a lipo gut that would make any beer aficionado green with envy.

I plan to up my exercise routine to five times a week instead of the usual three. That might help.

The problem is, as I mentioned above, I have never dieted before. How does one do this?

Do you simply stop eating, and only consume low calorie snippets a couple times a day?

If I cut out all sugar, fats and calories, will that be enough?

Any suggestions will be appreciated. My doctor wasn't very forthcoming when I asked how to diet. My celiac condition coupled with my hyperlipidemia make dietary issues more complex than they should be at times.

Maybe I should consult a dietitian?

Suggestions?

HUGS,

Mark


"May your life preach more loudly than your lips."
~ William Ellery Channing (Unitarian Minister)

Offline jkinatl2

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Re: I am trying something new
« Reply #1 on: December 04, 2008, 10:29:12 am »
Eat healthy, frequently, smaller portions. Stop before you feel full (it takes about 20 minutes for your body to recognize the fullness). Watch your carbs and sugars.

Veggies, lean protein (and protein powders if you are ramping up the workouts) fruits and beans. No need to suffer on a diet, especially if you are exercising. Oh, and drink tons of water. Even the sugar free flavored waters will help keep you full without adding calories. And the extra hydration will be fantastic for your skin.

For your own personal difficulties, I think you ought to consult a dietitian. Celiac, so far as I know, impacts your ability to process wheat and similar grains.

It will be tough for the first few weeks, as your stomach is gonna want more each time you eat. But like you train your muscles, you can train yourself to eat sensible, frequent portions. Trust me, I am on the same journey :)

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Welcome Thread

Offline aztecan

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Re: I am trying something new
« Reply #2 on: December 04, 2008, 09:28:09 pm »
Eat healthy, frequently, smaller portions. Stop before you feel full (it takes about 20 minutes for your body to recognize the fullness). Watch your carbs and sugars.

Veggies, lean protein (and protein powders if you are ramping up the workouts) fruits and beans. No need to suffer on a diet, especially if you are exercising. Oh, and drink tons of water. Even the sugar free flavored waters will help keep you full without adding calories. And the extra hydration will be fantastic for your skin.

For your own personal difficulties, I think you ought to consult a dietitian. Celiac, so far as I know, impacts your ability to process wheat and similar grains.

It will be tough for the first few weeks, as your stomach is gonna want more each time you eat. But like you train your muscles, you can train yourself to eat sensible, frequent portions. Trust me, I am on the same journey :)

Thanks Jonathan. I am trying to be good and resist the urge to stop eating. I used to do this when I smoked. The smoking made it easier, I think.

Anyway, I am going to replace sugar with Stevia powder. I like some of the brands out there and it really does taste pretty good.

I can't tell the difference in iced tea, which is one of my staples, even in the winter time.

Acting on your advice, I think what I will do is to continue with the Mediterranean diet I started, but reduce the portions. I will then add a few extra meals, keeping all of the meals light and as chock full of vegetables and fresh fruit as I can.

I replaced the white rice with brown rice and quinoa, so that is a plus, or at least I hope it is.

You are right about the dietary issues. Having celiac disease is a pain in the butt, and not in the good way!

Now, I need to develop recipes for bread, etc., that I can make sans wheat, oat, rye or barley flours that still taste reasonably OK but aren't full of cholesterol and fat. Most recipes for bread that I've come across use way too many eggs (4 to 6 per 1.5 pound loaf).

I can't even eat most vegetarian foods because of the gluten issues.

I knew there was a bright side to this! ;)

HUGS,

Mark

« Last Edit: December 04, 2008, 09:29:50 pm by aztecan »
"May your life preach more loudly than your lips."
~ William Ellery Channing (Unitarian Minister)

Offline weasel

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Re: I am trying something new
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2008, 05:49:01 am »
hey Mark ,
              I would NOT suggest taking any sugar substitutes !

   All they do is mess with your system , Google " splenda" not a pretty picture !

   I do not like diets because it is only a T.V. system of eating !

   Drinking lots of water as  Aztecan has mentioned !
   plain fresh water not flavored and salt with splenda in it !!!!!!!!

  I find  If I have a small  snack  ,  Like  a meatball , half hour before eating , I get full
rather quickly !

   I need to loose my belly .

   FORD  offered an excellent web site yesterday !

  I plan on reading daily !

 Inspiration goes a long way  for me.

  I wish you the best of luck  with your  new way of eating !

  The BIGGEST  issue is NOT eating the way we did when we were kids !

  We were not only more active , BUT  our plates were NOT the size of the chop plate
 the main course was servered on !

 NOW we all eat on HUGE  plates and eat enough for four people .

 Yesterday  my sister took us out to eat , we were servered  12 big pieces of catfish EACH !
 rolls, fries,slaw ,beans ,a never ending supply of  food !The waiters travelded about TOSSING
HOT ROLLS AT US ! very yummy . BUT way too much food !

 I took home three overflowing doggy bags !

 The possums are going to love me !

   Oh I am babbling .................................................
                                                        love to you , Karl
 
" Live and let Live "

Offline Ann

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Re: I am trying something new
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2008, 08:09:34 am »
Hi Mark,

Karl's idea of a small (very small) snack before eating might have some real merit. As Jonathan pointed out, it takes 20 minutes for the "full stomach" signals to actually register in the brain. Maybe a small snack gives this process a jump-start.

Good luck with your diet, hun.  :-*

Ann
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Offline veritas

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Re: I am trying something new
« Reply #5 on: December 05, 2008, 08:38:29 am »

Mark,

The attached is suggestions from our friends from the north. I've been trying to follow this diet. I have been successful in maintaining a 30" waist in spite of the lipoatrophy from d4t awhile back which if Iwere to give in to my cravings would result in a stomach bigger than I would care to have. I also exercise daily.
For me , the trick would be to gain in the right places. Hope this helps.


http://www.catie.ca/ng_e.nsf/table+of+contents 


veritas

Offline Winiroo

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Re: I am trying something new
« Reply #6 on: December 05, 2008, 09:58:36 am »
Diets don't work. Once you start eating like you did prior to the diet you will gain it all back. The only way to keep weight off is to change your eating habits forever.

Either that or eat less calories than you loose with the Norvir squirts.  ;D

Offline BT65

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Re: I am trying something new
« Reply #7 on: December 05, 2008, 11:34:28 am »
hey Mark ,
              I would NOT suggest taking any sugar substitutes !

   All they do is mess with your system , Google " splenda" not a pretty picture !

I'm diabetic and use Splenda all the time (and have for a long time).  I've had no ill effects. 
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Offline Lisa

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Re: I am trying something new
« Reply #8 on: December 05, 2008, 11:55:57 am »
Darn it Mark! I know you aren't happy with your tummy, but you don't really have much to lose here. If you go on a diet, you will go straight from shoulder blades to heel bones.....ie: no ass attall!
I understand your frustration, but i love you just the way you are.
If you insist that you have to do this, then be sensible. Not eating is not an option. It is also a fallacy. If you eat the more frequent small meals of sensible foods, you will stimulate your metabolism to move up into a better burning capacity.
I agree with weasel about staying away from the artificial sugars. You should be drinking lots of water, but if you really like your ice tea, then use a natural form of real sugar for your sweetening needs. If I remember right, you're not much of a sweet eater anyway, so a little turbinado made into a simple syrup can be kept in a plastic squeeze bottle in the fridge to add to your teas.
I just went to the doc on tuesday and was delighted to find that following a primarily plant based diet has benefitted me. I have lost twenty pounds, and am less fatigued these days. I haven't weaned entirely off of meat, but am now about 85% plant based. It took a LOT of reading, research, and dedication to learn how to do it on my own. There are no easy "how to go vegan" websites out there that are simply instructional about what to do with the cool new food substances you think you have discovered. Most sites are dedicated to the folks who are militant about animal cruelty, and though there is  nothing wrong with that philosophy, it is not my purpose for changing my dietary habits.
I have found vegweb.com to be invaluable, and have been literally haunting their pages for months now. I know that you have gluten issues, so I found another really cool place...... recipesource.com. They have a plethora of gluten free breads, and other recipes that you might like to try.
Have you tried the cool quinoa bread recipe that whatsisname....Lyon(from Lyon in the kitchen) demonstrated not long ago? I am going to give it a whirl this weekend.
I don't normally eat any pre-packaged foods, and have recently discovered how much better, and better for you, soaking and cooking your own dried beans is.
Who knew there were so many nifty things one can do with chick peas. They actually make a fairly decent burger(as well as black beans).
I wish you well, but please be careful, as I don't want you to get carried away trying to acheive the waistline you had ten or twenty years ago, when that may not be the right, or practical thing for you. I know I will never get all trim, or tiny, but I know I can take off all the excess stuff that is really unhealthy for me. Hell, I still have another 30 or 40 to go.
I still say I love you just the way you are......
....and that goes for you too Jonathan!
No Fear  No Shame  No Stigma
Happiness is not getting what you want, but wanting what you have.

Offline Joe K

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Re: I am trying something new
« Reply #9 on: December 05, 2008, 12:37:41 pm »
Mark, rather than think of this as a way to lose weight, think of it as a change in lifestyle.  You really have to retrain yourself, in how you look at food and the role it plays in your life.  I generally eat five times per day, mainly because I can no longer eat a normal size meal, but also because I have been eating that way for decades.  Try eating a piece of fruit, 30 minutes before a meal and see how much less food you will need to feel full.  Also you mention that ice tea is a staple for you and if so, you need to drink extra water, because tea also serves as a diuretic, so be sure to keep well hydrated.  The best way to tell if you are drinking enough liquids is the color of your urine.  Ideally, it should be almost clear and if it is dark, then you need to start drinking more.

Best of luck, my friend, but remember this, we love you no matter how you may feel about yourself and we still know the real you.  We all support you in living a healthier life, but a little weight gain, would never change how we feel about you.

Offline J.R.E.

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Re: I am trying something new
« Reply #10 on: December 05, 2008, 08:17:51 pm »
Good luck Mark,

Hope You find a method of weight loss, that works for you.  When I quit smoking, back in the 80's, I also gave up drinking at the same time, the weight came on much too fast.This was also, long before starting meds. Then back in the late 2003, the second weight gain came on. This was a little tougher to try to get under control, I am still trying , with some success   :P

 Eventually though things had settled down, by what Joe referred to as "retraining " yourself. It does work and it takes a lot of discipline, and dietary changes, to accomplish this. I am sure you will be able to do it. I still have issues with a larger than I like stomach, but I think before I attempt anything further, that I will wait until after the holidays !  ;)



Take care/ Good luck-----Ray
Current Meds ; Viramune / Epzicom Eliquis, Diltiazem. Pravastatin 80mg, Ezetimibe. UPDATED 2/18/24
 Tested positive in 1985,.. In October of 2003, My t-cell count was 16, Viral load was over 500,000, Percentage at that time was 5%. I started on  HAART on October 24th, 2003.

 As of Oct 2nd, 2023, Viral load Undetectable.
CD 4 @676 /  CD4 % @ 18 %
Lymphocytes,absolute-3815 (within range)


72 YEARS YOUNG

Offline aztecan

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  • 36 years positive, 64 years a pain in the butt
Re: I am trying something new
« Reply #11 on: December 05, 2008, 08:52:36 pm »
Hey gang,

Thanks for the thoughtful and helpful responses and links. I am going to try some of them out to see if they help.

Joe, Lisa, thanks for the unconditional support. Much appreciated.

I know I am probably harder on myself then others may be, but there are two problems here.

One is that I am a carnivore - big time. I am trying to eat more fruits and vegetables. I do eat some rice and potatoes, but only once a day if then.

I like to snack, which makes it easy to eat five or six small meals in a day rather than just three. The issue is what I snack upon.

No, not sweets. Lisa, hon, your right about that. I like some sweets now and then, but they are not a big part of my diet, unless you count carrot juice, which is rather sweet.  ;)

I like to snack on things like hot dogs, pickled ham hocks, leftover lamb, beef, pork, etc. People say they eat a chicken breast for dinner. Between dinner and a few snacks, I'll eat the whole chicken in an evening.

I ate a turkey breast in three settings recently. I love to eat and I love to eat like a carnivore. It was how I was brought up - meat and potatoes - except I usually forego the potatoes.

So, what I need to do is change that way of eating, I guess.

The second part has to do with self image. I know, I know, throw the old queen a pity party. :(

Seriously though. Up until about 18 months ago, I had maintained the same weight (155 lbs) and the same waist size (29) for more than 30 years.

Suddenly, in what seemed like overnight, my weight went up (180), my waist size grew (to a 32! EEP!) and I have become the proud owner of all the nasty little lipohypertrophic developments you read about: belly fat - all on the inside; hump, well, humpette, it really isn't that big; horse collar neck in the front (looks like a goiter gone wild); and, most recently, I noticed chipmunk cheeks.

I could live with the lipoatrophy. At least I didn't have to buy a new wardrobe. But this has been a new and humbling experience.

Getting naked at the gym is a new treat too. Some of the stares I get - and questions I am asked - would amaze you.

I suppose I could have accepted it more easily had it developed over time. But this happened so quickly.

I know I shouldn't complain. I am still relatively healthy, still active, not dead, like so many others are. The meds worked. I knew it was a crap shoot in 96 when I started them and there was the possibility of side effects - as yet unknown at the time.

But every time I look at myself in the mirror, I hear Victor Buono, the late actor/comedian who was gargantuan in size. He would open his stand up act with this line, "America, hear me and tremble! Lard Lib is at hand!"

HUGS,

Mark

"May your life preach more loudly than your lips."
~ William Ellery Channing (Unitarian Minister)

Offline Miss Philicia

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Re: I am trying something new
« Reply #12 on: December 05, 2008, 09:41:17 pm »
my waist size grew (to a 32! EEP!)

Then we should look the same in that picture honey because that's my waist size :)
"I’ve slept with enough men to know that I’m not gay"

Offline aztecan

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Re: I am trying something new
« Reply #13 on: December 05, 2008, 09:54:52 pm »
Then we should look the same in that picture honey because that's my waist size :)

Well, I might if I didn't have the "overhang." Maybe its time to move up to 34s.

"May your life preach more loudly than your lips."
~ William Ellery Channing (Unitarian Minister)

Offline J.R.E.

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Re: I am trying something new
« Reply #14 on: December 06, 2008, 06:21:00 am »


Suddenly, in what seemed like overnight, my weight went up (180), my waist size grew (to a 32! EEP!)



 I know exactly how you feel. My waist size has been as high as a 38, over these past five years, and having to buy those streatchy waise band pants...UGH ! :-\      Thats bad, considering my inseem is 29-30 ! I am now back at a "tight 36", my waist size is the thing the flutuates quite a bit. If I could get back to a 34, that would make me feel great!

You can do it.



Ray
Current Meds ; Viramune / Epzicom Eliquis, Diltiazem. Pravastatin 80mg, Ezetimibe. UPDATED 2/18/24
 Tested positive in 1985,.. In October of 2003, My t-cell count was 16, Viral load was over 500,000, Percentage at that time was 5%. I started on  HAART on October 24th, 2003.

 As of Oct 2nd, 2023, Viral load Undetectable.
CD 4 @676 /  CD4 % @ 18 %
Lymphocytes,absolute-3815 (within range)


72 YEARS YOUNG

Offline AndyArrow

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Re: I am trying something new
« Reply #15 on: December 07, 2008, 02:29:06 am »
Mark,

If Betty wasn't reading this I would suggest an esophageal stricture to lose weight -- can't eat it if it won't go down.  My waist size has gone from a 32 to a 16 back up to a 33 in a little over a year.  ; :D

Really just wanted to say good luck sticking with your choice of healthy eating habits.

AA
It is not the arrival that matters.  It is the journey along the way. -- Michel Montaigne

 


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