Need to eat healthy

[kimmydawn]

This might fit in another forum, but I feel it best fits here because it deals directly with weight loss and maintenance. Here goes...

I've always been overweight my entire life.

8 yrs. ago I lost 87 lbs (I'd never been that overweight but 2 1/2 yrs of specific meds caused me to gain quickly. I was generally 20-30 lbs overweight).

The problem is that, as I'm getting older I need to eat healthily and I'm pretrified to do that...to increase or change eating patterns at all due to the fear of gaining lots of weight back.

I've never eaten properly in my life, and I'm feeling it now...always tired and I need energy raising my three yr. old nephew (I've had him for two yrs. now).

Any suggestions would be great on how I could relinquish my fears and eat healthily would be great...

Also, information on supplements would be awesome! I'm sure I'm lack on everything a body needs to function well. I read about milk thistle for the liver and am going to try that as I worry about the meds I take. That's one on my list.

Thank you so much for being here. I have so many questions and there's so much information and sharing here! Y'all are AWESOME!

KD

[KTM5665]

Hiya~

I never ate healthy. until now that is!!! Im trying to "learn" how to do just that. Im about 20 pounds overweight but would like to just change my eating habits.

So far, Ive managed to kick the salt habit, by changing over to the "fake" salt. to me, it tastes like roadsalt and is stronger then regular salt??? I like it~

I, dont laugh, went and bought a 5 pound bag of fireball candies last month. they help keep my mind occupied, as well as burn the hell out of my taste buds so I have no desire to eat things like salty foods...b/c my tongue is friend! I highly suggest this method.:D

I also started drinking more water, as well as strictly diet sodas. I've also began using Lean cusines, in place of like a stouffers French Bread pizza fgor lunch. Problem is...there isnt enough in there to feed a bird!

[DystoniaGal]

Alicia

So your weakness is salt and mine is sweets. I have pretty much done the same as you, but really trying to limit to one diet soda a day.

Ohyeah, you have the height for your weight. I think you hide it well. Not too sure what the average body weight is for your height, but you are like me, we hide it well.

High Five
Suzie

[kimmydawn]

Thank you both so much for the replies!!!

My weaknesses are bread and sweets. I try to give myself both so that I don't overeat...the thing is...I won't eat anything else then for the day. Right now I'm on a solf pretzel kick. I crave carbs...literally. I have my entire life.

I'm so glad I'm not alone (though I'm not glad for others struggling)!

KD

[KTM5665]

hahaha. I still qualify as a linebacker for the buffalo bills! I feel like one anyhow!

It's crazy. I alternate between salt, and sugar. that's why I bought those fireballs...and discovered..they do help! It helps the sugar craving, and then...makes my mouth hurt enough to not overslat my food with fake salt!

I have to literally, burn my tastebuds to lose some weight! nice, eh>:)

[janster]

Hey KD~
Man are we alike! Breads, baked goods and sweets....I could live on them!! I also crave carbs! Why can't we crave lettuce and carrots? I never understood that. Seriously.

What I TRY to do--and yeah, it's really hard to do, is keep fresh fruit and veggies around, and handy, so that I'll reach for that when I'm "looking" for something to eat. (Isn't it stupid how we keep looking in the fridge every haof hour, like something new is magically gonna appear? Like--Hey, there's a pan of dessert I missed last time!!! COOL! :D )

I find that I grab whatever's handiest when I'm hungry (I suppose I'm lazy) and if I keep that stuff handy, I'll take that. I also TRY not to buy all the goodies, but I am human and cave in a lot.

I don't think you have to worry about changing your eating habits though. I mean, not if you don't change them to eating all junk. If you improve them a little, and have support at home, and your adopted family here, I think you're good to go.

I don't think you mentioned exercise--but I could have missed it. I'm doing this kinda fast, sorry, football is on. Hey--priorities man!!! hehehe I think if we (ME included) incorporate daily exercise into our regime we should see some good results. Let's do it together, k? Well, we all will.

We'll be talking!!
Hugs,
Jan :)

[kimmydawn]

"I find that I grab whatever's handiest when I'm hungry (I suppose I'm lazy) and if I keep that stuff handy, I'll take that."

Oh boy, are we alike!!!

Yes, to exercise. I want to now do that as well. I need to get some supplements in me because I've limited my eating so much. See, I know if I eat the "good stuff", I'll still eat my cravings and carbs, so I cut out the good stuff. :( I know that's not good. Months of this has led into years... I mean, I make dinner for the family and don't eat...

Yes, we will do this! I need to be held accountable. I'm being serious. I have a three yr old who has NO ONE else depending on a healthy "mom" (he's my nephew, but I'm mom).

Thank all of you for being here. :)

KD

[Vowel Lady]

I lost 25 pounds doing weight watchers and my husband lost 35. I've done this a few times before. This time it stuck. Toward the end of the program, I was eating in a healthy way. Now my blood pressure is almost normal. I'm taking a small fraction of the medication I was taking previously AND I'm maintaining my weight and have more energy lately.
Here are some basics:
1) Buy these two books
You: The Owner's Manual
The REal Age Makeover
I believe both are by Dr. Michael Roizen
They will give you great ideas re: food, exercise and vitamins
2) Try to eat fresh foods whenever possible.
Cut down on carbhoydrates. Cut down on sugar and bread. Increase fiber. Cut down on fats. Cut down or eliminate artificial/highly processed foods.
3) Drink more water
4) Take vitamins (you don't have to over do it) Figure out what works for you/what you believe in and stick to it
IMHO, for a female, a minimum would be:
a) multi-vitamin
b) extra calcium/magnesium/D formula
c) B Complex
5) Exercise more days of the week than not; this means four days a week. If you can do more: fine, if not, don't worry about it. Aim for four.
6) Watch your portions of foods
7) Eat more fruits and vegetables
8) Throw out all garbage foods in your home
9) Restock your frig and pantry with wholesome, low fat foods. Keep yourself stocked with fruits, veggies, water and other good things
Some ideal wholesome foods:
almonds
pomengranate juice (in moderation)
garlic
olive oil (in moderation)
spinach
tomatoes and tomato sauce
wild salmon
I think if you follow these guidelines, you will lose weight or maintain a reduced weight, feel better and improve overall health.
If you develop these habits; it will almost seem easy.

[Mari]

HI,
It's hard to give up things and easier to add things.

If you could add 5-9 servings of fruit and veggetables to your daily diet you would be well on your way to good health. Eventually, you would not want as much of the food you want to drop.

When I have lost weight, I have eaten fruits and veggies at every meal and for snacks.

I used to cook and eat a whole pot of broccoli twice a day for example -- made a meal out of the broccoli.

Right now I am on a bread a butter kick. Need to get back to the veggies soon.
Mari

[slogo]

kD, I am trying to stay mostly on a healthy version of a LC eating plan. I kind of made mine fit my lifestyle and when I am on my plan it WORKS for me. I have lost 33 lbs in the last few months without exercising. Exercise is not something I can do without it causing a big flare of my pain. I know weight loss can be done without it...yet I also know it is so much healthier to exercise.
My basic plan is an egg for breakfst, 3 ounces tuna, salmom, chicken or 4 ounces boiled shrimp for lunch and a healthy dinner of meat, veggies, and complex carbs eaten then. Skim milk 2x's daily and some fruit for snacks. After being on this plan for a week or so I do NOT get hungry, like I am right now, after just starting back. Of course my only problem with my plan is that it is too low in fiber so I take Benefiber in my green tea daily. Later when I get some more of the weight off and need to start maintenance, I will add back my oat bran.
My main problem is I am addicted to carbs BIG TIME! The ONLY way I can stop the craving is to go lo-carb and the minute I put carbs back the craving starts back again..

We need to keep this thread on the top folks, I believe we will all get lots of help here with our eating plans. Hugs, Gaye

[janster]

I crave carbs! Does anyone have any other suggestions for substitions other than the rice cakes? They are OK, but after a while they are so-so. I'd like to mix 'em up, ya know? I have fruit and pretzels to snack on now, but does anyone have anything else exciting???

Thanks!
Jan

[Vowel Lady]

Attention Carb Addicts!
I have found that eating one omega three egg in the morning has greatly reduced my carb addiction.
I also have a small amount of "healthy" protein, most commonly chicken or wild salmon, at lunch and dinner, with my veggies. I still eat a little bit of carbs. For example, I might have on occasion, small amounts of rice or potato. However, that egg in the morning seems to have reduced the cravings enough that I have control. In addition, I try to eat one or two fruits a day (no more than two). Now that I'm at goal weight, I also have a small portion sweet treat several days a week. (Those 100 calorie snacks, etc.)

[janster]

one omega three egg

One egg for breakfast, huh? Hey thanks VL, it's worth a shot! I have a dumb question though, (please don't let it be cuz I'm blonde she sweats.....) what does the "omega three" mean?

I mean, I take the supplement "Omega 3 Fish Oil". I'm really showing my ignorance here since I've only been diagnosed for 2 years. Before that I was footloose and fancy free. Well, I was in pain for a couple of years, but thought I was just getting old. Anyway, my point is that before 2 years ago I wasn't taking any meds or supplements, (other than migraine meds) so I'm still learning...be gentle. :o

Also, any ideas for snacks that might satisfy my carbaholic soul? Anyone?

Hugs,
LS

[Vowel Lady]

Don't exactly know the science. I think the chickens are feed flax seed. The eggs are said to contain omega three. They are said to be better quality and you get the omega three benefit. I eat one egg a day; usually half the yolk. I also add a very small portion of carb...1/2 slice of whole wheat toast for example or a little oatmeal.

[mrsD]

The mantra for all who wish to lose weight, or feel better in some other way.

Some friends clued me into a book, which also has a website, run by a
doctor (female) who has instituted a process to lose weight that works, in her practice.

It is called Obesity's Answer, by Dr. Rima Jensen-Kittley MD.
her website is www.obesitysanswer.com

I cannot recommend it enough. I found inositol information there that changed my husband and son's life....but that is another story.

Dr. Kittley maintains that her obese patients have food intolerances to the very things they crave. There is a huge explanation for this in the book.
It sounds simple and unbelieveable, but it is TRUE.

IT is too complex for this thread, and somewhat medical, but if you are really interested buy her book or find it at your library. I got mine at Amazon.

What did I crave? Orange Juice... my husband would go to the refrigerator and say "Did the orange juice thief strike in the night?" And what did it do to me ...? It was contributing to the horrible arthritis I had in my knees! I have been orange juice free now since JUNE! and my knee pain is gone!

Dr. Kittley has discovered that the very things we crave can be actually harming us. Craving bread?....look to Gluten intolerance... she has a chapter on that!

There is PCOS, food intolerances, and insulin resistance all discussed and elimination diets given, and then recipes, for substantial meals.

So check it out... you might find an answer there for you!

BTW Dr. Kittley's style is so compassionate, I was totally struck by the tone of her book. It is amazing!

BTW--- I hear groans....oh, NO not another diet book! This one is totally different. Check out her website, and you will see!
Good luck!

[mrsD]

While it remains controversial about "high protein" and what exactly IS
high protein.... many people find protein cuts appetite considerably...

Here is a new article on why:
Week of Sept. 9, 2006; Vol. 170, No. 11 , p. 173
High-protein diets boost hunger-taming hormone

Christen Brownlee

Eating protein appears to boost blood concentrations of a hormone recently found to restrict appetite, researchers report. The findings could explain the success of popular high-protein diets.

Four years ago, Rachel L. Batterham of University College London and her colleagues found that injecting a hormone called peptide YY (PYY) into both normal-weight and obese people reduced their food intake by about a third and dampened hunger. A person's gut normally secretes the hormone during and after a meal.

Batterham's team wondered whether food's three basic nutrients—protein, carbohydrates, and fat—have different effects on how much PYY people secrete.

To find out, the researchers recruited groups of normal-weight and obese men. Each volunteer came into Batterham's lab and ate a specially crafted meal on three days. Although the three meals tasted similar and had the same number of calories, each meal offered a different proportion of calories from protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

The researchers found that blood concentrations of PYY were significantly higher in both groups of men after the high-protein meal than after meals high in carbohydrates or fat. Both groups reported higher sensations of fullness and less hunger after eating more protein.

Working with normal and obese mice, the researchers found that animals fed high-protein diets gained less weight and made more PYY than those fed more carbohydrates or fat. However, animals genetically modified to produce no PYY gained similar amounts of weight, regardless of their diets' composition.

Batterham's team suggests in the September Cell Metabolism that people can harness the appetite-decreasing power of PYY simply by boosting their dietary protein.

If you have a comment on this article that you would like considered for publication in Science News, send it to editors@sciencenews.org. Please include your name and location.

References:

Batterham, R.L., et al. 2006. Critical role for peptide YY in protein-mediated satiation and body-weight regulation. Cell Metabolism 4(September):223-233. Abstract available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2006.08.001. Full text available at http://www.cellmetabolism.org/content/article/fulltext?
uid=PIIS1550413106002713.

Further Readings:

Batterham, R.L., et al. 2003. Inhibition of food intake in obese subjects by peptide YY3-36. New England Journal of Medicine 349(Sept. 4):941-948. Available at http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/349/10/941.

Sources:

Rachel L. Batterham
Department of Medicine
University College London
Rayne Building
5 University Street
London WC1E 6JJ
United Kingdom



From Science News, Vol. 170, No. 11, Sept. 9, 2006, p. 173.
from http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20060909/note13.asp
I have found that about 30% of daily calories from protein works for me.
Really high levels, should be supervised by your doctor, and you should
have kidney functions and liver enzymes run periodically, as the kidneys and liver work harder as you increase protein levels.

[Curious]

thank you for the articles mrsd.

eating more protien..more meat...has been such a no-no for woman trying to lose weight. eat carrots..celery...starve that wieght off. yep. that is what we heard for years. :rolleyes: i forgot lettuce.

what does your body use for endergy then? yes, some srored fat at first..then it uses your muscle.

feed your body. feed those muscles good protien. they burn the calories!

i'm not hip on those high high protien eat whatever you want meat and fat diets. i have seen serious health problems from those.

even eating a few nuts like almonds for a snack does wonders.

[mrsD]

I also use certain health bars. I find Zone Perfect ones good, and also
Detour bars. Sometimes I only need 1/2 of one depending on my food intake
that day.

Of course, protein doesn't have to be meat... but some animal products
like eggs/dairy have nutrients that veggie protein sources don't have.
Methionine for one, and choline. Dairy provides sphingolipids which have recently been looked at:
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/129/7/1239
And of course, fish are really important too..if you can bypass the
contamination issues today.

Choline is very important today...it is a precursor to acetylcholine in the
brain. Liver and eggs are the main source of this. Eggs have gotten a bad rep and should be used moderately for health today. The tide on them is turning..and the increasing availability of Omega-3 varieties is becoming common. Kroger's has a generic now, more affordable.

[janster]

While it remains controversial about "high protein" and what exactly IS high protein.... many people find protein cuts appetite considerably...
I really believe this--my mother-in-law told me about 30 years ago to eat a teaspoon of peanut butter about a half hour before dinner to curb my appetite. I don't make big meals here any more, but I remember it did help some. I'm not sure if it was psychological or whatever, but I figured whatever worked.....
Hugs,
LS

[janster]

This might fit in another forum, but I feel it best fits here because it deals directly with weight loss and maintenance. Here goes...

I've always been overweight my entire life.

8 yrs. ago I lost 87 lbs (I'd never been that overweight but 2 1/2 yrs of specific meds caused me to gain quickly. I was generally 20-30 lbs overweight).

The problem is that, as I'm getting older I need to eat healthily and I'm pretrified to do that...to increase or change eating patterns at all due to the fear of gaining lots of weight back.

I've never eaten properly in my life, and I'm feeling it now...always tired and I need energy raising my three yr. old nephew (I've had him for two yrs. now).

Any suggestions would be great on how I could relinquish my fears and eat healthily would be great...

Also, information on supplements would be awesome! I'm sure I'm lack on everything a body needs to function well. I read about milk thistle for the liver and am going to try that as I worry about the meds I take. That's one on my list.

Thank you so much for being here. I have so many questions and there's so much information and sharing here! Y'all are AWESOME!

KD
Here's the thread that Gaye was referring to. It also has some good info in and deserves another read, and hopefully some more replies.
Hugs,
LS

[mrsD]

If you still do that peanut butter thing.... make it Omega-3 peanut butter...
Smart Balance (tastes the same) and has 1 gram of flax oil in each
tablespoonful;) An easy way to get Omega-3's these days!

Peanut butter is one of my faves..my old comfort food. I lived on it
in college when I had little money. I wish the Omega-3 thing would have been available
then, I would have avoided some health misery. :rolleyes:

[bizi]

Bump for good info!

bizi