[Rosinante]

I wonder if anyone can help:

(I started setting the scene and discovered it's a bit long. Sorry.)

I'm 66lbs into a 100lb weightloss.

I started this particular drive (I'm 62, and a lifelong dieter, oy!) in June 2015. Lost 79lbs by May 2016.
Regained about 46lbs of that by December 2016.
Losing in a zig-zag fashion since but really cracking on with it now.

I had been doing normal calorie counting but in January 2017 started the 5:2 Intermittent Fasting diet. That's been working fine too, I quite enjoy it.
I wear a fitbit on my belt, and average 25-30 miles a week. Not massive but not sedentary either.

However, although the weight's coming off, and my Blood Sugar is stunningly good, my Blood Pressure has gone up from last year, and the doc has added in another tablet for that.

The particular med can cause oedema ~ I did get slightly swollen ankles but they've subsided. Huzzah.

It can also cause anxiety and depression ~ I was worried about that because I have a recent history of them, in fact had to retire early 2 years ago because they had got so bad following (successful) chemo and radio.

The first morning, I felt spacey but very cheerful.
The first 2 weeks, I felt very contented.
The 3rd week, I felt OK.
The 4th week, I felt anxious and tearful and very like when the A&D first hit.
This week is week 5. I'm alternating one good day, one poor day.

Gosh, sorry this so long, it's just helpful laying it out.

What struck me last week is that in the previous couple of weeks, although I'd stuck to 5:2, I was eating a very large amount of carbs 5 days a week. I gained a pound, so not recommended for weightloss!

I've done a little googling, and although I can't find anything about dieting/fasting with Calcium Channel Blockers, I did (surprisingly) find quite a bit about 5:2 Increasing BP for a few people. Hm.

So. What I'm looking to do is leave 5:2, go back to normal calorie counting, see if my BP reduces significantly, and that way I'll lose the CCB.

However, I feel I want to include "good" carbs in my diet, as, certainly while I'm still on this med, they seem to help my mood. I've done a lot of googling but can't find much, if anything. "Carb Cycling" seems a bit intense and for body builders, which I ain't.

Here, finally is the question: Can anyone recommend a NON low-carb diet? Looking to eat ordinary food, not products. Something low-GI? I understand the principles of low-GI but haven't found any plans or menu ideas to get me going. I've been either eating low/lowish carb or indulging in carb-fests for so long, that I don't quite know how to go about it.

Thank you

[grannynancy]

I would say the Bright Line Eating approach is moderate in carbs. It seems carbs and protein match one another in quantity when you follow the guidance. The book is on Amazon. [it is newer than the others which have been around a long time]

I think South Beach is also pretty moderate after the first phase

And one I have not seen people doing right now is "the Zone" diet.

Another thing to look at is Nutrarian [Joel Fuhrman]

There is a lot of overlap on all these. I will be 62 this month and understand the challenges with BP (I am on Angiotensin II /HCTZ low dose and hope to get rid of it at some point)

The free app (available on computer and as a cell phone app) My Fitness Pal allows you to customize nutrient levels ........ since you are calorie counting.

[Rosinante]

Thank you, grannynancy, you've given me a lot to go at

[silverbirch]

Hello Rosinante! Another long time, no see!

Just to say that the South Beach board here is good. (And it might be interesting to know that RuthXXX, its moderator, has just married a parson!)

I'm still struggling along (low fat no good - as we all know, high fat / low carb no good, more protein / less carb was good when I was weight training more seriously but I'm not now). Thinking about going back to just 'smaller portions' (real food) like in the olden days.

[EagleRiverDee]

The average American consumes over 300 grams of carbs per day. Anything over 150 grams of carbs per day is a recipe for insidious weight gain (according to what I've read). But you can eat a lot of whole food carbs (potatoes, rice, bananas, etc) for 150 grams. For example, 1 medium potato is 37g carb. 1 banana is 27g carb. 1c white rice is 45g carbs. You could eat all that in one day and still be under 150. And if you're getting into "net" carbs where you deduct out the fiber content, you can eat even more (which is why it would be best to eat whole food carbs and not processed food carbs, which would have nearly no fiber). A lot of people will tell you that a calorie is a calorie and that you can eat as many carbs as you want so long as you keep it under a certain total calorie. I think science is beginning to disprove that and they've linked the insulin response to carbs as the reason why. Insulin transports extra calories to your fat cells (so the more insulin you have, the more it can transport) and it also suppresses leptin which is the hormone that tells you you're full. So it's a double whammy.

[grannynancy]

I looked over my past 15 days and am averaging between 75 and 110 per day which includes 4 oz grain, 2 fruits, lots of veggies and about the same amount of protein without taking into account net carbs. Also actually getting about 20 grams of fiber a day.

[Wannabehealthy]

Rosinante, have you looked into the Dash Diet? From what I've read online you eat a variety of all foods, and it is said to help reduce blood pressure.

You've done very well with your weight loss!

[Rosinante]

Silverbirch ~ Hello again! One of these days I'll join you in Maintenance, I will! I will!

I've done all the options you list (without the weight training), and I suspect you might be right ~ eat less but eat good things

EagleRiverDee ~ Well done on your weightloss! Yes, I think that's why I'm in confusion at the moment: I'm a firm believer that a calorie = a calorie is simplistic but on the other hand, my experience of the past 10-12 days is that low carb, which I often eat, is reacting very badly with - well, with something, maybe the new med. It's not a mental thing, as in I'm feeling deprived - I've eaten some great food; I'm in the mental zone to concentrate on losing more weight, it's this completely unrelated jitteriness and tears that have driven me mad - and fearful, because the very low times of 2 and 4 years ago were really hideous.
On the other hand, I've just added up my carb averages:
last week (awful jitterweek) 99g carbs average;
the week before (ok week) 165g carbs;
the week before that (good week) 134g carbs;
the week before that (great week) 149g carbs;
the week before that (great week) 130g carbs - but over 600g carbs in the weekend before, good grief.

So far this week it's been an average of just over 100g, and my mood has been much better, once I got past the 2 low calorie "Fast Days" of Mon/Tues. Again, it's not a mental thing, I enjoy the self-control of the Fast Days, just my body doesn't seem to like it.

Hey, it looks as though that if I can manage my carbs to 100-150, while still maintaining a sensible calorie budget (currently 1400 average), I could be onto a weightloss + decent mood combo! Thanks for the stats, EagleDeeRiver, they really made me check my own!

grannynancy ~ well done on the fibre intake, I need to up mine I think; currently 10g-20g.

Wannabehealthy ~ I'd heard of Dash but not looked into it, thankyou. It sounds good, will definitely do some more reading today. I think I'd have to start beyond Phase 1, because I feel I want a few more carbs than Phase 1. Mind you, perhaps the weight I've lost so far will count towards Phase 1. Will do a bit more reading later today.

All of you, thank you for reading that great long screed! And thank you for all your suggestions

[Wannabehealthy]

Rosinante, I realize you are in UK so this might not be available to you, but if you have a Kindle, Amazon has a free book Dash Diet for Beginners by Doug Frederick.

I mostly eat low carb because of my need to keep my blood sugar low. But I think you can lose weight eating more carbs if they are nutrition rich carbs. My friend eats what would be way too many carbs for me and she has lost 35 lbs. I think all people are different. Low carb isn't for everyone.

Also, from what I've heard about 5:2, the 2 low calorie days are NOT to be "in a row." They should be Mon/Wed, or Mon/Thurs, and it sounds like you have been doing them on Mon/Tues. That might be why you aren't feeling good.

[Rosinante]

I'll check that kindlebook out, thank you WbH!

The fb 5:2 page I'm part of, created by a/the 5:2 founder, Kate Harrison, says it's ok to do the 2 Fast Days together (Back2Back/B2B, they call it) and it Had been fine until the last couple of weeks but it's certainly worth looking at separating them, thank you.

Going to start with a couple of weeks of calorie counting (while looking at Dash and other ideas too ) , no Fast Days, and take it from there. I haven't normally had issues with lowIsh carb, so I still wonder if it's the new BP med that has tweaked something.

On the carbs and blood sugar thing, I seem to be really lucky, and just losing weight has been enough to reduce my BS, which has gone down from 61 or 7.7% to 31 or 5% hbA1c ~ not sure if any of those figures are translatable to US measurements.

[Wannabehealthy]

Rosinante, the 7.7 or 5% hbA1c are the way ours are measured here in the US. I think my last one was 8.1. That was over a year ago and I've been struggling with it ever since. My readings have been very good lately as I sticking to low carb, and I hope I can continue this until I get it checked in the fall.

I think I did read that the fasting for 5:2 COULD be done on consecutive days but everyone I know does it a few days apart, as it's very hard to do it for 2 days straight. I have done JUDDD in the past, which is fasting every other day, and that worked well for me, but it's hard for me to plan the fast days when eating with DH. He always seems to want to go out on a day I'm fasting. LOL

[QuilterInVA]

Always Hungry is a wonderful plan that teaches you to eat properly without counting calories. It's actually sustainable for life, not just a quick loss and regain.

[scoobysnackz]

Rice is seriously great, I know people cringe because it has a lot of calories, but I mean look at Asians (they are rarely obese). Versatile, cheap, and if you invest in a small rice cooker super easy. You can get brown and multigrain varieties. Then they make puffed rice cereal, snacks, etc.

[Esofia]

Wholegrains, veg and some fruit sounds excellent to me. Sourdough bread is particularly good at stabilising blood sugar levels and increasing satiety. I make mine in a bread machine. If you are trying brown rice, you may need to try a few different types before finding one you like. I like to make batch quantities of soup and freeze them, and they always contain a range of veg, a bean and a grain (100g each of the last two). So it might be butterbeans (lima beans) and barley, for instance, and I put the beans on to soak the night before.

There are all sorts of health benefits in grains, especially wholegrains. It's sugar that's the problem, or grains that have been processed to death such as in fast food. I eat a healthy diet, have always constructed my meals around the grain element, and my blood sugar levels are exemplary.

[kris2008]

How about a plant based diet? No dairy no meat so no animal fat. Just whole plant based foods. Someone mentioned Joel Fuhrman. He has very interesting and fact based solutions for the best nutrition for the body. No calorie counting no restricting. Just an abundance of nutrition, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients for the body. I find when your body is getting what it needs, cravings go away.