|
Cooking day today! Every weekend I cook up a whole week's worth of breakfast, lunches, dinners, and snacks. I know it might be boring to others, but I'm fine with eating the same meals for a week at a time - as long as it's not one of my experimental culinary disasters (luckily, infrequent!!) - I'll eat 'em, but I'm not happy about it!
I've already made some spinach patties on Friday night for snacking, and I plan to round those out with fruit. Today I'll be making a tofu quiche with potato crust for breakfast, along with something called "Carrot Cake Muffins" from a cookbook (there's only a couple of tablespoons of sugar in the whole 6 servings, and I'm replacing that with fake sugar; I'm also replacing some of the fat with a banana). Lunch this week will be Minestrone soup, stuffed with veggies, beans, whole wheat pasta, and barley - I'll top it with a smidgeon of parmesan when I serve it.
And finally supper is going to be a meatless loaf, with lots of veggies, oatmeal, and bulgur wheat; and a low-fat cauliflower casserole with a cashew-nut based sauce replacing the cheese. :)
I used to think that there was only one diet - eat fewer calories and exercise - but I'm beginning to realize that there are a lot of variations on that theme. I kind of figured out what I can and can't eat by trial and error... lots and lots of error! :)
I developed some sort of IBS thing a couple of years back, and at one point the docs put me on a low carb diet to see if it would help (it didn't) - I had fun digging up recipes on the internet and did a LOT of cooking with coconut in various forms and eating a lot of whole eggs. I'm not saying coconut and eggs are bad for everyone, but for me it seemed to be disastrous! My total cholesterol was 158 in 2016 (53 HDL, 89 Triglycerides, 87 HDL). One year later the numbers were up: 209 total, with 66 HDL, 163 (!) Triglycerides, and 110 LDL. The doc had me drop the coconut cold turkey and go down to one egg every other day. Four months later, my total cholesterol was UP to 233 and my LDL was up to 143!!! :( At least my triglycerides were under control (100) and my HDL was better (69), but since heart disease runs in my family, I was a little panicked. So now I'm trying to desperately to get my diet and exercise plan to the point that I won't need any meds...
I've been reading about everyone's diets with great interest - I think it's absolutely fascinating that there are so many kinds of metabolisms! I'm doing the low fat, low sugar, high fiber thing because it's either that or statins for me... the fact that I killed my gallbladder a few decades ago, means that I've been eating low fat for a long time now, anyway (too much fat puts my intestines into turmoil!)...
Anyway, I hope everyone has a good week!
|
66.5 kg
Lost so far: 0.2 kg.
Still to go: 5.7 kg.
Diet followed: Reasonably Well.
|
|
1805 kcal
|
Fat: 43.80g | Prot: 88.29g | Carbs: 258.34g.
Breakfast: Water, Bertolli Olive Oil Spread, Silk Pure Almond Milk - Unsweetened Original, Splenda No Calorie Sweetener Packets, Coffee, Nectarines, Unbelievable Buckwheat Bread, Veggie Avocado Egg White Frittata. Lunch: Water, Chobani 0% Plain Greek Yogurt (8 oz), Brown Rice, Harris Teeter Organic Moroccan Lentil Soup with Chickpeas. Dinner: Cooked Cauliflower (Fat Added in Cooking), Tomato and Vegetable Juice (Low Sodium), Low Fat Baked Mac & Cheese, Water. Snacks/Other: Red Table Wine, Bananas, Water, Water, Silk Pure Almond Milk - Unsweetened Original, Splenda No Calorie Sweetener Packets, Greek Spinach Patties, Coffee, Apples. more...
|
|
2038 kcal
|
Exercise:
Raking - 10 minutes, Walking (moderate) - 3/mph - 45 minutes, Housework - 2 hours, Walking (slow) - 2/mph - 45 minutes, Resting - 12 hours and 20 minutes, Sleeping - 8 hours. more...
|
Losing 2.5 kg a Week
|
 Comments
I too can eat the same things over and over, or I can eat something new all the time. I have a pretty easy palate to satisfy. I eat the same breakfast for a few years now. Keep it heatlhy and keep it on hand, keeps you from staying.
25 Mar 18 by member: adamevegod1
|
Is your diet what they recommend to avoid statins (cholesterol medication)? Most of my family members take medication for cholesterol and some for high blood pressure (not related to weight) and I am very interesting in trying to avoid having to take medication one day. I find it difficult to understand on this site because people on high fat, high salt seem to have less of a need for medication.
25 Mar 18 by member: Charlotte_15
|
Yes, Adamevegod1, that's exactly it - if I can just pull my meals out of the fridge and reheat, I won't have a chance to out-think myself! :)
Charlotte, unfortunately I think the ability to eat lots of fat and salt is tied up with one's genetics - fat and salt causes problems for some of us, but not for everyone. I took a class back in 2011, and the professor got a few folks upset when he stated that most people can actually eat saturated fats with no problem. He said that the dietary restrictions on saturated fats were set low because about 20% of the general population are genetically doomed to high cholesterol if they indulge, and that doctors had no way of figuring out who was in that 20%. It looks like recent research is backing him up...
I'm following the American Heart Association Diet (http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/) - I know it's not all that exciting, but it seems to be doing the trick - my personal proof will come in August when I get my next checkup. My diet and exercise program (lifestyle, actually, I'll need to stick with it forever) will HOPEFULLY keep me off the statins. It's possible it won't - genetics may doom me, no matter how hard I work at it - but I plan to stick to it anyway, because even if I do need meds, the program will keep me healthier in general and will most likely at least reduce my need for medication.
25 Mar 18 by member: FarmerJeannine
|
Your menu sounds creative and delicious!
25 Mar 18 by member: jengetfit123
|
Thank you, jengetfit! I may have to watch what I eat, but it doesn't mean I can't enjoy it! :)
25 Mar 18 by member: FarmerJeannine
|
Farmer Jeanine—I am not a vegetarian by any means, but “meat” is not a huge part of my life. Just sort of lost a taste for it a number of years ago. My neighbor makes fabulous vegetarian dishes. My favorites are dandelion greens, radish leaves, and day Lillies (yes, the beautiful plant from our gardens”. Amazing the things she makes that I have never seen or heard of. Love salmon and tilapia.
My complaint about trendy diets, besides the fact that many are not real healthy is that they are not sustainable. I think the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association offer great guidelines that are sustainable and that everyone can eat. High fat and high salt diets are actually a problem for everyone
The science of diet and nutrition is evolving just like all science. Everyday something new is learned. I believe in a diet of real food.. portion control, LOWER carbohydrates, LOWER fat, MUCH LOWER SALT. There are more than 30 million people in this country who are diabetic and more than 80 million who are pre diabetic and heart disease rates are off the charts. If you think you and your family may have genetically related high cholesterol ask your doctor for the blood test that will answer that question... If your issues are not genetic ask the doctor for a consult with a dietician to review your eating plan and seriously look at reducing those high numbers. Good luck.
25 Mar 18 by member: Kenna Morton
|
What a delightful post! I am fortunate in that I'm eating very low-carb and for me, it improves greatly my cholesterol figures; my doctor is always incredulous, saying my triglycerides are extremely low and all my tests are very good in spite of being morbidly obese -- she tells me I must have extremely good genes (my mom is 100 years old). I have (undiagnosed) chronic intestinal problems which I greatly improved with a Paleo-based special diet by dietitian Aglaée Jacob, her main book is titled "Digestive Health with REAL Food"; she speaks from personal experience. (This book is available at my public library.) I have returned to low-carb about 4 weeks ago after a 5-year hiatus and I notice my intestinal problems seem to have vanished.
The question of cholesterol is a complex one and controversial as well. There is a book titled "Cholesterol Clarity" by proponents of low-carb eating whom I trust and I have heard similar reports (on videos) of evidence-based medical practice that does not rely on Statins and other medicines to decrease cholesterol figures.
I hope you are able to find what is appropriate for you. Fat Secret is an excellent place to find like-minded people that will support you in your quest.
25 Mar 18 by member: fleur_de_lune
|
Kenna Morton, thank you for your input. I agree, the AHA diet is excellent. I'm pretty sure my high numbers aren't the result of my habits, which haven't changed much in years (except for the abandoned low carb experiment the doctor had me try for controlling IBS). I've cut salt, sugar, and fat, and I've just recently begun to count calories and measure out my portions (which I highly recommend - it's quite an eye opener!!). My health insurance plan kind of sucks, and I don't have extra money for genetic testing, so that's not in the cards. At any rate, I'm sticking with the AHA diet. My doctor told me back in December to increase exercise and continue the AHA diet, and we'd recheck the numbers in August... thank you for the luck, I'll need it! :)
25 Mar 18 by member: FarmerJeannine
|
Fleur_de_Lune, thank you for the kind comments! I do understand that cholesterol is a controversial subject, but as you point out, it is very complicated as well. Not even the experts really understand 100% how it works. We can't really wait around until there's a definitive answer - we need to get on with life as best we can! My hubby is an engineer, and refers to biology as a "fuzzy science." He likes the fact that he can put wires, diodes, capacitors, microprocessors, and such together, add in a computer program, and he'll know exactly how it's going to work. He's very good at fixing things - if a gadget is broken, he can take it apart and figure out exactly what's wrong. He finds it frustrating that people and critters don't work the same way. My own IBS is really not solved, despite thousands of dollars worth of tests and all sorts of drugs being thrown at it... the bottom line was that there doesn't seem to be anything serious wrong, so now I just put up with it. Poor Hubby was so annoyed that the docs couldn't figure it out, but of course we humans aren't as put together as predictably as gadgets. We're all a bit different - and wouldn't the world be a more boring place if we weren't! :)
25 Mar 18 by member: FarmerJeannine
|
Hello, Jeannine
You have me laughing about "fuzzy science". Things can change very rapidly in the field of medicine. It used to be that stomach ulcers were treated with surgery and dietary and stress mgmt (and antacid I believe) but then 20 years ago a theory about the H. pylori bacterium turned out to be true and now these problems don't become that severe unless neglected -- the solution is relatively easy. What was true turns out to be false and vice-versa. So we try to find our way around as best we can, trying what we think will be helpful like the low-carb diet for your IBS. You have my sympathy. I have a niece who has ulcerative colitis and an autoimmune disease that also affects her digestive system. It is horribly difficult to live with. It is good that you are able to have a sense of humour about the human condition. Thanks for allowing me to follow you. I so enjoyed reading about your food & how you organize the preparation. I look forward to reading your future writings. Johanne a.k.a. fleur_de_lune
25 Mar 18 by member: fleur_de_lune
|
I also have high cholesterol just a little high & on statins for a year & a half & its not going down. I try not to eat meat too much either & heart problems run in my family too. I just went to the emergency room w pain in my chest & they took an ekg & a lung scan & bloodwork & didnt find anything. I just started my new 2nd job & they said it could be from stress or pulling it. I wish you luck lowering it. Let me know if you find anything that works. Take care
25 Mar 18 by member: Valerie Tibbitts
|
25 Mar 18 by member: marshakanady
|
Johanne, without a sense of humor, life would be far too grim. I hope the poor nutritional scientists have a sense of humor, considering that it seems that they have to relearn a big chunk of whatever they "know" every few years. :) New research is certainly fascinating, though, isn't it?
Valerie, it's early days for me, on treatment at least, but if anything works for me, I'll certainly post it! :) I became a vegetarian for "mushy" reasons, not for health: I grew up on a farm, and got too attached to the animals (critters some people refer to as "freezer pets" these days) - a very traumatic experience for all, come fall! At any rate I became a vegetarian as soon as I moved away to college. I haven't tried this because I include fish on my "don't eat the critters" list, but eating fish is supposed to be very helpful.
I've had two panic attacks in my 57 years (once in my 30's and once about 10 years ago). Panic attacks are definitely pretty scary - I seriously thought I was having a heart attack each time. I'd been under a lot of stress both times, as well. After the last one, I was pretty embarrassed to have gone to the ER, but my doctor told me that there's no way someone can tell the difference without testing, so it's better safe than sorry...
Actually, stress is another thing that's supposed to raise LDL levels - something to do with the hormones that we pop out when stressed out. I plan to try to get some kind of meditation or Yoga practice in, too, but I haven't fit it in yet - fitting in new habits seems to practically require a crowbar, sometimes! Good luck to you!
26 Mar 18 by member: FarmerJeannine
|
My doctor has me on a vitamin regime that has my ratios looking good as long as I keep up my exercise. If you are interested in it, send me an email and I will get it for you. She learned it from a medical conference where a Pharmacist share her research results.
26 Mar 18 by member: Gingerk65
|
I know what you mean about being sentimental. When I was 9 my neighbor shot their "pet" cow between the eyes "humanely" & i cried & i am an animal activist. I support peta & volunteered at the humane society for a year
26 Mar 18 by member: Valerie Tibbitts
|
I think shooting the cow actually may have been one of the best ways to kill it quickly and relatively humanely, but I think it was pretty creepy of them to do it in front of a kid. My folks had the sense to have beef cows raised and killed off our farm (they went in with another family without kids, who did the "dirty" work) - cows are actually very sweet natured, and act a lot like dogs. If one is eating meat, the critter must die, and it should definitely be dispatched as quickly and painlessly as possible. I have no problem with other people eating meat, I just figure that if I'm not willing to do the deed myself, I have no business eating the product...
26 Mar 18 by member: FarmerJeannine
|
No they didnt do it in front of me. They just told me they were going to do it
26 Mar 18 by member: Valerie Tibbitts
|
| |
|
|
| |
Submit a Comment
You must sign in to submit a comment. Click here to sign in.
|
|
|
FarmerJeannine's Weight History
|