A FB friend messaged me that y'all were wondering where I was. So thought I would drop in.
Sorry I've been MIA lately. I'm part of a Ladies Bible study at church once a week on Thursday morning. But we have daily homework and it takes a lot of my time besides trying to get a lot of other things done around here. It doesn't leave much time for me to be on the pc. Life is just getting busy.
I have been reading a lot of diabetic the WebMD emails on controlling diabetes etc and have started following the high fiber diet they recommend... eating fruits, veggies and whole/multi-grains. I'm not eating high fat or protein these days. It is not much different than the WW PP when we counted the fiber, but I'm not counting points. The amazing thing is that my FBS and my weight is slowly coming down. Haven't been faithful with my 45 minutes on the bike, but have been really active walking a lot. I am still tracking my calories on MFP, but only because I actually want to keep up with how much fiber I'm eating and eating too much causes some tummy cramps. I have also combined this with IE guidelines because I eat what I really want to eat and enjoy only the amount it takes to satisfy me but not stuffed. However, I'm still trying to learn to stop when satisfied sometimes, but I will get it since I had the stuffed feeling. The really nice side effect to this is that I just don't get hungry and when I do I really am hungry. Plus I notice that my portions are getting smaller due to the fiber. The nice thing is that food isn't on my mind all the time. And that was one of the goals I wanted to accomplish when following IE (Intuitive Eating for anyone who doesn't know what IE stands for).
DGS is moving into his own apartment on July 1st and then I will finally be able get busy to get this house organized and on the market. I realized a while back that with him working 12+ hrs a day, that there was no way he was going to be able to keep things cleaan and straight for a realtor to show the house. We still haven't got things finalized with the TX builder. They seem to move so slow and didn't tell us a lot of things we needed to know and it looks like it will be more like October before they will get our house finished for move in, if even then. Still have to sign a contract. I don't know what we will do if our house sales as fast as most are selling here. The people next door sold their house in less than a week and were moved within a month. We have told the builder this, but I don't think they believe us. Oh well, things have a way of working out.
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Hi Trish. Glad to see a post from you and hear that all is well. I was worried. You never know what can happen. I'm glad your plan is working well for you and I wish you luck with it.
I hope all works out well for your house sale and move. Around here, when you sell a house, sometimes you can stay in it for a while and lease from the new owner until you are able to move. You could look into that, and if that is not suitable for you, look into a rental in Tx for a while. I hope you find what works.
Carol Sue Thanks for the kind words. Yes I'm fine. Tonight my back hurts as I actually attacked another disastrous spot I need to clean out and organize so we can show the house. I actually got down in the floor to clean out a table by my chair. I wanted throw out some things and move a pile of things I want to keep in it. When we moved before they would tape up tables and drawers so you didn't have to remove the things and pack them. So it is now ready to be moved. I thought I was never going to get up off the floor. LOL I'm not used to sitting on the floor these days. Made me wonder if I really want a wood floor in my family room or if I should go with carpet. I'm thinking if I have to sit on the floor in the new house's family room, I might never get up. However, maybe if I get some of this weight off, it wouldn't be so difficult.
I am amazed today that I was able to do about an hour or more of hard cleaning and still did the recumbent bike for 45 minutes. I never stopped for any snacks, but I have always been like that when I was so busy. Maybe I just have too much time on hand being retired.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,395
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Height: 5'2
Trish, I know how you feel about getting up off the floor. I store some important papers in a strong box that I keep under the bed, and I dread when I have to get it out for something. I get down and have a hard time getting back up. We have carpet throughout our house, except for the bathroom and kitchen, where we have throw rugs. We need that carpet because of the cold winters, but I think in a southern state, hardwood or tile would be better.
I understand you trying to avoid the high fats and protein. I try to do that too. I have been reading Dr Joel Fuhrman again and getting back to my high vegetable consumption. I am cutting back on animal protein, but not completely. Just smaller portions. I felt so much better when I ate that way. I tried to find a forum online that follows his plan but apparently no one likes the vegetables as much as I do. LOL Low Carb seems to be the way everyone is going. I do know one woman who follows it somewhat with her husband, but she doesn't follow it as closely as her DH does. It's not easy, but all those nutrients do a world of good. It's high fiber too, because of all the vegetables.
Keep going with that cleaning and packing. That is physical labor, and I consider it exercise.
Carol Sue and Trish as you have said before I could be your daughter but I have trouble getting up off the floor also. Bad knees and back contribute to that. The knee issues run in my family, my daughter is 23 and her knees give her a fit at about 120lbs.
Carol Sue do share your veggie menus ... I'd like to see how I could use them in helping with fiber
ok Ladies ... the doctor told me when I was in the hospital that my FBS was averaging 173mg a day (i think that is what she said) but I know she said my A1c was 7. something, I didn't think that was bad considering I wasn't taking met but she did. I have been off met for some time. I am now back on the met and also taking iron. They said I was anemic even though I'm always hot (the only thing always cold are my feet). My FBS has not been good, this morning it was 158 and yesterday 139. I go to see a dietitian on Monday to help get things back under control.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
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Rennie, I don't think an A1c of 7.5 is bad, but you should aim for a lower one. Different doctors feel differently about it. I can understand the doctor saying that yours was not good. My doctor and I am happy if mine in below 7, but it's not always there. Last 2 were higher, but I think I'm heading toward below 7 this time. My fasting blood sugars are never in the double digits. I consider 130 to be good, but I have been getting lower blood sugars during the day. I think the recent blood pressure meds my cardiologist added have a blood sugar lowering effect. Or is it "affect?" I can never get that right. LOL
Here is something I copied off the internet.
For people without diabetes, the normal range for the hemoglobin A1c test is between 4% and 5.6%. Hemoglobin A1c levels between 5.7% and 6.4% indicate increased risk of diabetes, and levels of 6.5% or higher indicate diabetes.
Many people feel that you should get your A1c into the non-diabetic range, but I just read today that trying to have tight control can lead to higher mortality ratres. Everyone is not going to agree.
I don't get into fancy recipes with my veggies. I like to roast them. Cut up broccoli, cauliflower, onion, mushrooms, peppers, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, carrots, coat with olive oil and seasonings of your choice and roast in the oven, or on a pan in a closed grill. I like to saute mushrooms, and greens, frozen kale or collard greens, and then mix in 1 egg for breakfast. I also saute raw kale or collard greens in some olive oil with onions and garlic, until soft, and top with a sprinkling of Feta cheese. Sometimes I saute some chopped cabbage and onion. Just now I had some hearts of romaine, cut in half down the middle, leaving the core attached. Sprayed them with olive oil spray on each side, grilled on my grill pan. Then chopped up, added some bagged mixed greens (baby kale, spinach and swiss chard) and sliced onion, and drizzled with some bottled dressing of choice. I like the combination of the warm romaine with the cold dressing. Refreshing. While I'm eating these things, I'm thinking about all the vitamins, minerals, phytoneutrients, antioxidents and fiber I'm getting. Dr Fuhrman recommends a sprinkling of seeds or nuts on it. He recommends raw, but I use roasted unsalted. I think you can only get the raw in health foods stores.
The hardest part is chopping up the veggies for roasting. Time consuming. To save roasting time, I often use frozen broccoli and cauliflower florettes, frozen brussels sprouts, frozen artichoke hearts, and pre cook my carrots a bit. Then my roasting time is only about 30 minutes at a high temp. I don't buy a lot of fresh vegetables because DH doesn't eat much of them and I can't eat them all that fast. Some people cut their vegetables up and bag them as soon as they bring them home then they are ready for use when you want them.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,395
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Height: 5'2
Rennie, I hope the nutritionist can give you some insight into how you can change your eating habits. I know you have a family, and they can be a bad influence sometimes when choosing what to eat. I found that once I started increasing my vegetable intake, my body was getting the nutrients it needed, and eventually stopped craving junk food. I still get off track, and indulge in some things I know I shouldn't, but when I go back to the vegetables I feel much better.
I don't know if I told y'all that my baby sister was told by her doctor that her blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol was too high. She sent me a copy of the lowfat diet the doctor put her own. It is lots of fiber... fruits, veggies, beans, nuts, grains and lowfat milk, lean meats. DS is a lot like me in the fact that we love fruit and veggies and tend to be vegetarian although we could never be a total vegetarian as we do like some meat.
I remember a diet doctor I went to one time who was oriental. He told me, if you would eat one meatless meal a day it would really benefit you a lot. As I read about the fiber diet and the lowering cholesterol/triglyceride diet that my sister's doc gave her, I decided that I could do that. Actually, I think I could actually could take his advice and turn it around and eat only 1 meat meal a day most days. BTW I stopped going to that diet doctor. He gave pills that boosted your metabolism and my regular doctor told me "You can continue going to him and you will lose weight, but just know that some day I will be treating you for heart disease." He scared me enough that I never went back to the diet doctor. The same doctor asked me "Have you ever had a diet that worked?" I said "Yes, but I was told it was bad for me although I never could understand why protein and veggies could be bad for me". He said, "Then go back on that diet". But my job at the time didn't fit the diet. I guess we always have an excuse.
My baby sister probably has never been more than 30 or 40 lbs over weight if that much. She told me a few weeks ago that she thinks her weight is probably about 120 to 125 and she thinks when she goes back to the doctor that her cholesterol and triglycerides will be way down. She is doing great.
I think I need to tweak my diet more. May try the 1 meat meal a day for a week and see how that works. Although the FBS seems to be coming down slowly, my weight seems to be maintaining more than anything else. That means I'm eating too much (maybe starchy carbs).
Rennie My doctor never sees any signs of why I'm so tired so I never even tell him any more. However, I read an article, I think it was on WebMD, that Sea Salt isn't Iodized. They were right. We've always used the Iodized salt, but I checked and the brand of Sea Salt I buy does not. However, I did find that Morton is now making a Sea Salt that is Iodized so I bought it and have switched to it. I'm not taking met right now but my FBS seems to be going down very slowly but it is going down.
Carol Sue I don't do fancy things with my veggies either. I usually nuke or stir-fry or steam. I was looking at the specialty tv stuff at Walmart the other day. I was looking for the new copper no stick pan and I found that they have come up with a new gadget to make our veggie noodles. Looks like you put the veggies between 2 metal points attached to a handle that is used to crank to make the curly veggies. It says you can used it for squash, cabbage (not sure how cabbage works), carrots and potatoes etc. I've decided that I am going to go back and get one. I want to get the pan for DGS when he moves.
Yesterday I was sharing with y'all how I am eating. Low and behold, it is a diet named Flexitarian. WebMD had something about the top 10 diets and I was reading to see what they were and this one was named and so was the Cholesterol/Triglyceride lowering diet that my sister sent me. So I guess I am becoming a Flexitarian.
It seems that some people have 2 or 3 vegetarian days or some just eat more meatless meals than they do meat meals. Go figure. The diet done right, weight loss will be good, but I know my vegetarian niece told me that they had a friend who went vegetarian because the foods he could eat and gained weight. Like anything else you can overdo.
I did read about Volumetrics too. It is a very slow weight loss plan I think because it may be difficult portion control.
Company coming in a few minutes so I will catch y'all later.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,395
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Trish, we must be on the same brain wavelength! LOL Just yesterday, I was reading all over the internet about Flexitarian. I think vegetarians eat starchy carbs and that might be why they can gain weight following it. Dr Fhurman's plan is called Nutritarian, no starchy carbs. Since I still eat some animal products I googled semi-nutritarian and found Flexitarian. There is even a book out about it, by Dawn Jackson Blatner, but I read the reviews and wasn't interested in it. I have enough books. LOL
I have cut my morning eggs down to just 1, with a lot of chopped vegetables mixed in. It fills me up, and I don't miss the extra eggs. I know some people have to force vegetables, but luckily I am not one of them. Like you, I am still searching for the eating plan that will bring down my weight.
Carol Sue, what was the deal with the eggs? I remember you saying your husband won but I didn't know why?
Trish glad you've found and eating plan that works for you. Good for you on your FBS going down, prayerfully mine will soon also Wishing you a marvelous day also
However, maybe if I get some of this weight off, it wouldn't be so difficult.
Wishing you a marvelous day also 
