And Old Biddy, I forgot to mention in my reply to you that I will look into that Sun Warrior Classic Plus Powder. Does it taste as good as Ensure? Im just curious, because I drink a couple of Ensures a day currently.
I just looked up Ensure, and it's not healthy at all. As a general rule, most of what you eat should be whole foods (because whole foods have more nutrients), but Ensure doesn't have any whole foods in it. Ensure has lots of isolated nutrients added to it, but isolated nutrients don't have the same benefits as whole foods. It also has 15g sugar. AHA recommends a maximum of 25g sugar per day, so 2 Ensures per day would bring you over the limit.
A better option would be to make your own smoothie, with lots of fruits and vegetables. Here's a smoothie recipe for you:
1 cup liquid (water, milk, or non-dairy milk)
1 banana
1/2 cup frozen berries
1 tbsp nut butter
1 tbsp flaxseed
2 cups leafy greens
ILoveCats (great nickname, btw, I'm a cat person too), do you have an Aldi nearby? If so, they are such a great source of inexpensive food.
Seconding and thirding all the encouragement everyone else has offered up! You sound like you have an amazing attitude and are going about everything in a really healthy way. One thought about cooking that might help--do you ever make stuff in the crockpot? There's a lot of good resources online for "10 cheap meals in 1 hour" and stuff that's a bunch of meal prep. You put stuff in plastic bags, and then dump it in the crockpot. The prep is usually just chopping stuff, so you can sit down while you do it, and then of course the crockpot does all the work. That might be a good way to eat healthier while not putting any extra strain on your body. Frozen meals definitely aren't enough calories for a meal, especially for the prices that they are; it's one of my pet peeves with them. 200 calories is not a meal! So it's no wonder you feel hungry, and the extra sodium if you're eating several at once is not good either.
If you don't have a crockpot already you can usually find them at yard sales for suuuuuuuper cheap because everyone gets, like, three as wedding presents and then needs to offload them later An easy recipe that's one of my favorites is salsa chicken--dump chicken, a jar of salsa, and a can of black beans (some frozen corn is nice too) in the crockpot. Cook. When it's done, shred the chicken and eat. We eat it by scooping it onto tortilla chips and topping with cheese but admittedly you could up the healthy factor by leaving those last two things out
I hate being morbidly obese. For so many reasons.
I can't stand the way I look, and don't like looking in the mirror.
I feel trapped in my body, and I feel like my body in many ways is not my friend.
I've had knee and foot pain for years. I can't even stand for more than a couple minutes. I walk with a cane.
I get worn out from just standing for a couple minutes, or walking from the living room to the bathroom.
When I go grocery shopping I have to use a motorized shopping cart.
In addition to being this overweight, I suffer from depression, severe anxiety and OCD. I take several medications for my mental health.
Although I'm sure you realize it already based on the responses, but this was such a relatable post. Thank you for sharing something so personal. And like DreadPiratePanda said, the first step is just saying how you feel aloud. The second step is doing something about it, and it sounds like you are.
Since it's summertime, have you thought about doing water aerobics? I have a bad knee so I stick to water excersize when I can. Plus, since you're underwater, no one can see you if you mess up the instructions or have to modify them! (I do aqua zumba, and I have no rhythm so I take advantage of that ).
Food-wise, I second what mjf said: Lean Cuisine meals aren't enough calories to be a full meal. I'll eat them during lunch at work, but I'm mindful to pack fruit/yogurt/something to supplement the "meal". I don't cook much either, but I started using a crock-pot, and now I wish I had done that sooner; throw in a chicken with some seasoning, 5 hours later, you can shred it and add veggies--AND dinner is done! (EDIT: Didn't see that Princessroja had already suggested crock-pot! Second that then )
Last edited by shellofself; 06-17-2019 at 09:43 AM.
Although I'm sure you realize it already based on the responses, but this was such a relatable post. Thank you for sharing something so personal. And like DreadPiratePanda said, the first step is just saying how you feel aloud. The second step is doing something about it, and it sounds like you are.
Since it's summertime, have you thought about doing water aerobics? I have a bad knee so I stick to water excersize when I can. Plus, since you're underwater, no one can see you if you mess up the instructions or have to modify them! (I do aqua zumba, and I have no rhythm so I take advantage of that ).
Food-wise, I second what mjf said: Lean Cuisine meals aren't enough calories to be a full meal. I'll eat them during lunch at work, but I'm mindful to pack fruit/yogurt/something to supplement the "meal". I don't cook much either, but I started using a crock-pot, and now I wish I had done that sooner; throw in a chicken with some seasoning, 5 hours later, you can shred it and add veggies--AND dinner is done! (EDIT: Didn't see that Princessroja had already suggested crock-pot! Second that then )
Thanks shellofself.
Unfortunately, I can't go in a swimming pool because of the chronic wounds on my lower legs. The wounds don't heal, or stay healed.
About the crockpot idea that more than one person has mentioned, that's a good idea.
I'm still trying to walk in my apartment building.
This is all just so hard. Especially when suffering from depression, anxiety, and OCD.
One of the reasons I got up to this weight is because of certain medications I have had to take for my mental health. One of my meds in particular (and meds like it) has the side effect of contributing to weight gain. But I have to take it for my severe OCD. Without it I would be in absolute misery again mentally, like I was before I started taking it.
Another thing that probably has contributed to my gaining weight is quitting smoking and vaping.
Of course my eating habits have also been a huge factor, but these other things haven't helped me keep my weight down.
Last edited by ILoveCats1973; 06-19-2019 at 08:38 PM.
I eat 16 ounces of salad every night with dinner. That's a pound of salad. I make my salads with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, baby carrots, bell peppers, raw broccoli and then I add 2 tablespoons of salad dressing. So my entire dinner is a protein (chicken, fish, beef etc) and a cooked vegetable and then a full pound of salad.
I was completely hesitant about eating this way and I know that you said you don't want to give up whole food groups and you have to do whatever works for you but this has kept me from snacking at night.
I am so stuffed after eating all of those raw vegetables that I couldn't think of eating another bite. When I first started eating this way I couldn't even finish my salad it was so much food which is funny because I would have no problem polishing off a bag of chips or a box of cookies or a half gallon of ice cream.
Salad is full of fiber and really stuffs you...it's actually genius. So maybe eat your lean cuisine or whatever dinner you like and add a BIG salad after...see how you feel?
I eat 16 ounces of salad every night with dinner. That's a pound of salad. I make my salads with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, baby carrots, bell peppers, raw broccoli and then I add 2 tablespoons of salad dressing. So my entire dinner is a protein (chicken, fish, beef etc) and a cooked vegetable and then a full pound of salad.
I was completely hesitant about eating this way and I know that you said you don't want to give up whole food groups and you have to do whatever works for you but this has kept me from snacking at night.
I am so stuffed after eating all of those raw vegetables that I couldn't think of eating another bite. When I first started eating this way I couldn't even finish my salad it was so much food which is funny because I would have no problem polishing off a bag of chips or a box of cookies or a half gallon of ice cream.
Salad is full of fiber and really stuffs you...it's actually genius. So maybe eat your lean cuisine or whatever dinner you like and add a BIG salad after...see how you feel?
Thanks for this salad idea. I actually really like salad, as long as it has blue cheese or ranch dressing on it.
Thanks for this salad idea. I actually really like salad, as long as it has blue cheese or ranch dressing on it.
No...no...you naughty girl!
I'm guilty of the salad dressing thing myself so I have to measure it out every time. Did you know that in general a serving size of salad dressing is one tablespoon for the creamy stuff and two for the lighter varieties?
When you measure it out it's easy to see how much most of us just squirt on our salads
I still have ranch dressing a couple of times a week, but make sure I choose the variety that has low sugar and lower fat and calories. I know the taste isn't quite the same as the "real" stuff but it's still pretty good.
You can really save on calories by measuring. 180 cals measuring versus 500 cals big squirt.
Give the lighter varieties a whirl. You might like them. I really like a zero sugar Italian or basil dressing and it covers the salad more easily than the ranch.
I still have ranch dressing a couple of times a week, but make sure I choose the variety that has low sugar and lower fat and calories. I know the taste isn't quite the same as the "real" stuff but it's still pretty good.
Be sure to check the ingredients, because in store-bought low-fat dressings, sometimes the fat is replaced with something worse.
Another option is to make your own. I just searched for healthy ranch recipes, and I found a few that look good:
Ilovecats I love all the suggestions and support here for you. One thing I was wondering is if there is a doc or another (kind) professional near you who specializes in helping people with weight loss. Maybe your diabetes doc knows of someone good? I wrote "kind" because its important that anyone you work with be kind to you. You deserve that !!!
You seem like such a nice kind person. I really can feel it in you. That makes me automatically care about you. I lost 100 pounds.The threat of gaining it back is always close. So every day I am humbled by the power food has over me. I am wishing you success in finding all the support you need to slowly but steadily kick those lbs to the curb
Ilovecats I love all the suggestions and support here for you. One thing I was wondering is if there is a doc or another (kind) professional near you who specializes in helping people with weight loss. Maybe your diabetes doc knows of someone good? I wrote "kind" because its important that anyone you work with be kind to you. You deserve that !!!
A dietitian would probably be able to help with weight loss. A regular doctor, probably not. Most medical schools don't require doctors to take a course in nutrition.
An easy recipe that's one of my favorites is salsa chicken--dump chicken, a jar of salsa, and a can of black beans (some frozen corn is nice too) in the crockpot. Cook. When it's done, shred the chicken and eat. We eat it by scooping it onto tortilla chips and topping with cheese but admittedly you could up the healthy factor by leaving those last two things out 
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