Healthy Weight Loss

[Esme nha Maire]

Interesting snippet from Science Daily regarding the amount of carbohydrates and the type of proteins we ingest in our diets compared to lifespan expectation:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0817093812.htm

Also on that site, a correlation between milk use at breakfast and lowered blood sugar, which may be useful for treating Type 2 diabetes: https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0820085243.htm

and finally, why using probiotics constantly is bad for you: https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0806095213.htm

I'd add that globally dairy farming (like meat production) is ecologically
a very bad thing (said the milk and cheese-loving horticulturist-in-training), so those of us without diabetes shouldn't go increasing our milk consumption on the basis of the above!

[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by Greco

500 lbs of Weight Loss On a Plant Based Diet - The LaJaunie Family Interview

Poignant.

Greco

Thanks so much for this video Greco. I sent it to my mother because in our private talks about my switching to an Plant Based Diet, she often asks me how I meet the bodily need for protein because she's got her own ideas about consuming Dairy products and Animal (meat) products or anything that converts into sugar in the blood stream.

My own brothers, all three of them, are diabetics. They don't get how the food choices they've practiced for years has led them toward an diabetic trajectory. And because all three siblings in the video speak about their own experience, it carries lots of weight in helping others to see how important it is when trying to understand the impact of traditional food choices vs the great benefits of consuming food from an Plant Based Food diet.

I didn't switch to an Plant Based Diet for weight loss, although weight loss was an natural consequence of ridding my diet of Dairy and Meat (animal products). At my special medical appt, last Friday, when the nurse recorded my weight, I was so surprised to learn that since March of this year, I've lost nearly 63 pounds. That's roughly an ten pound weight loss each month since early March. I switched to an Plant Based Diet so I wouldn't become Diabetic. Weight loss, as an result of this radical change in foods I consume, was never an objective.

Thanks muchly for the video. I think it will help my mom and all three of my brothers to see the benefits of not consuming Dairy or Meat (animal products), as conveyed by the three siblings featured in the video you posted, Greco.

--K.

[Zimmeh]

I have officially lost 13 pounds since I joined LA Fitness!

Zimmeh

[Mopsie]

Originally Posted by Zimmeh

I have officially lost 13 pounds since I joined LA Fitness!

Zimmeh

Congratulations! Losing weight is so hard - good for you!

[FireSignFemme]

I promised after I did my main grocery shopping I'd start working on my resolution to only eat meals prepared at home or my with my sons in their homes. Items from the deli section okay but only items to use to make meals not already prepared items. For example deli meats and sliced cheese to take home to make sandwiches with okay. Orange Chicken, jalapeno poppers, corn dogs, Mozzarella sticks and so on in the heater case not okay. I realize there is a lot of food available in stores that is far less healthy than foods served at some restaurants but for me right now it's more about getting in the habit of preparing meals for myself and saving money. I get so much more food, more filling foods and in general healthier food when I don't cave and hit the drive-thru, or just order pizza because it's so much less hassle. Anyhow the month is almost over, I'm surprised how hard it's been. I didn't realize I'd gotten in such a habit of easy food, and one so difficult to break. Since I didn't do my shopping until around the middle of the month I've only been at it for a little over two weeks, but already I'm noticing a difference. I'm eating a lot more, but I'm losing weight more quickly so win win. Plus I just feel a lot better. I need more strips so I can see what if any effect it's having on my blood sugar.

[FireSignFemme]

Planning my relapse...

[Greco]

So, blood type lifestyle. I'm blood type A. Interestingly that is the
blood type that is naturally vegan. Who knew?! I went vegan several years
ago only after viewing "Earthling".

Who would have guessed that I had found the way to my max health
and contentment?! I swear by green smoothies and am vegan, period.
I lost weight, a lot of weight and began to walk/run, the rest is part of
my herstory.

So, check out Dr. D'Adamo's book on blood type foods/diet it may
be a blessing for you. It has been for me as through these years I've
understood more of what works for me. Trust what your body is saying to you.
For me Yoga, yes...swimming, yes...running, absolutely...music, goes without
saying...heavy metal, not anymore, staying up late? Not so good.
So, goodnight. Greco

[FireSignFemme]

Big shock! Though I've been losing weight I had to go to the ER because my blood sugar was crazy high. Now I'm changing how I eat because I don't want to wind up on insulin or worse needing dialysis. I'd rather be fat and have good numbers than thin and in poor health. I used to work as a dialysis tech. Though I worked at a really great private clinic, still I wouldn't want to wind up a patient, doing that three times a week. Not unless I absolutely had to. Some people have no choice, but I'm not one of them. In my case it would be inexcusable. Anyhow last night J bought me some healthy snacks and my son said he'd come over tomorrow to take me shopping for some better food choices. Today I spent part of the morning going through the cupboards/fridge and getting rid of stuff. Later J came over and surprised me with a frozen, cauliflower crust pizza. I had my doubts - but it's so good! The best part was I only had the suggested serving size and it completely filled me up, which never happens with regular pizza, and only 230 calories too which is not bad at all. This was really great, her surprising me. As I was cleaning out the kitchen earlier I was determined but mourning the loss off all the fun stuff. She remembered me saying I would miss pizza the other night, then went searching for a healthier option for me today on her lunch hour. It was so thoughtful of her to do that, it really touched me. Oh and even better she bought me a two pack.

[Esme nha Maire]

I've recently had an Epic Fail on the trying to lose weight front, after weeks of feeling demotivated whilst on summer break from my degree course. Have been exercising only irregularly and not enough - and have had several relapses of eating too much sweet stuff.

However, I know how to exercise properly, and the solution to the sweet stuff thing is to simply go back to not buying the things that tend to make me go off the rails, so that policy restarts today! (I need to go shopping for a few basics today). And I'm working on slowly ramping up my exercise to a sensible level again. Sigh.. it's gotta be done though!

As regular readers here will know, I tend to keep up with science news across a range of sciences, and I've spotted the following that may be of interest.

First up - why having "cheat days" off a keto diet may be a very bad idea: https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0327112657.htm

Secondly, plant-based diets and choline levels: https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0829184143.htm

There was a fairly recent article I read which unfortunately I can't seem to find again, but Firesignfemme's post above brought to mind, regarding the foods we eat and what makes us feel full. It isn't just about bulk. From my admittedly not great memory, the article I can't find at the moment was saying that a lot of the high-calorie naughties that we like to consume actually affect our feeling of fullness chemically so that we don't feel as full as quickly as we would eating a similar volume of other stuff.

One thing I noted with myself over the years as food became cheaper and more easily available is that I seemed to develop a tendency to eat larger portions of favoured foodstuffs more rapidly - and yet enjoy the experience less than when whatever it was was less readily available and in smaller portions. Recently, I've taken to eating strawberry mousse (I buy packs of six most weeks to eat as dessert) with a chopstick rather than with a spoon. By spoon, it's all gone in seconds in about 3-4 spoonfuls. Via chopstick, well, I can still get through it fairly quickly, though not as quickly as with a spoon, but tend to instead find myself savouring the taste of each little blob I eat off the chopstick and enjoying each pot of mousse far more than if I just spoon it down quickly.

Hmm.. that's just given me an idea about next time I fancy some savoury nibbles - I'm thinking small cheese squares I can spear with a chopstick, and pickle-coated crackers cut up so I can pick them up with chopsticks! :-)

For those of you not so familiar with the sciences, please note that articles like the ones I've linked to above should be regarded as signposts to things worth looking into further, NOT as infallible guides to what to do improve your personal situation. Because humans are extremely complex biochemically and vary biochemically way more than most people realise (both between individuals and over time), what works fine for one person might be downright dangerous for another. So, for instance, the article on choline doesn't mean that vegetarian or vegan diets are inherently unhealthy - just that they can't so easily provide a healthy level of choline, so folk shifting toward such a diet (like me) need to be aware of that, particularly if they are picky eaters who will only eat a small range of veggies (again, like me!).

As ever, please check with your own doctor or bariatrician before doing anything too drastic with your diet or exercise regimen, and checking the website of your national health service for advice is seldom a bad idea, as is the adage of changing your diet and exercise regimen bit by bit over a reasonable period rather than drastic sudden change. And never forget that authors of weight-loss books are in it for the money and what they say may not be founded on good science and may be dangerous!

The relevant bit of the National Health Service website (UK national healthcare provider) website can be found here: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/ and the US equivalent can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html

[Esme nha Maire]

Confirmed - we really do need to eat less and maintain our levels of exercise as we get older: https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0909193211.htm

[Chad]

I have lose between 15-20 lbs since the spring. Some because I am not a big eater and I stop eating after lunch. I think mostly because of my surgery in late August. Seriously, who can eat on all those pain medications.

I hope that I can keep this up but because of all the meds I am not sure.

[Mopsie]

I haven't posted in here in a really long time but today I hit a milestone so I wanted to celebrate a little.

I started this journey at the end of 2019 with a high A1C. (It put me in the prediabetic range.) I decided I needed to do something! I stopped eating "recreational sugar" and switched from regular to diet soda. I also kept an eye on my portion sizes and my carb intake.

Today I hit the 85 lbs lost mark. Yay!

[Kelt]

Congratulations!

[Bèsame*]

Originally Posted by Mopsie

I haven't posted in here in a really long time but today I hit a milestone so I wanted to celebrate a little.

I started this journey at the end of 2019 with a high A1C. (It put me in the prediabetic range.) I decided I needed to do something! I stopped eating "recreational sugar" and switched from regular to diet soda. I also kept an eye on my portion sizes and my carb intake.

Today I hit the 85 lbs lost mark. Yay!

Absolutely awesome! GREAT JOB!!

[homoe]

Originally Posted by Mopsie

I haven't posted in here in a really long time but today I hit a milestone so I wanted to celebrate a little.

I started this journey at the end of 2019 with a high A1C. (It put me in the prediabetic range.) I decided I needed to do something! I stopped eating "recreational sugar" and switched from regular to diet soda. I also kept an eye on my portion sizes and my carb intake.

Today I hit the 85 lbs lost mark. Yay!

Great job Mopsie.......

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Mopsie

I haven't posted in here in a really long time but today I hit a milestone so I wanted to celebrate a little.

I started this journey at the end of 2019 with a high A1C. (It put me in the prediabetic range.) I decided I needed to do something! I stopped eating "recreational sugar" and switched from regular to diet soda. I also kept an eye on my portion sizes and my carb intake.

Today I hit the 85 lbs lost mark. Yay!

That's a hard thing you accomplished. You should be sooo proud of yourself!

[Mopsie]

Thanks for celebrating with me - it's no fun celebrating alone!

[easygoingfemme]

Originally Posted by Mopsie

I haven't posted in here in a really long time but today I hit a milestone so I wanted to celebrate a little.

I started this journey at the end of 2019 with a high A1C. (It put me in the prediabetic range.) I decided I needed to do something! I stopped eating "recreational sugar" and switched from regular to diet soda. I also kept an eye on my portion sizes and my carb intake.

Today I hit the 85 lbs lost mark. Yay!

Whoop! Go you! That is awesome- congratulations on all of that hard work paying off!