There was quite a bit of paperwork--typical medical stuff, list of all medications, 4 day food log, recent blood work. I actually had all of that stuff (bloodwork was done a few weeks ago) and I track in MFP, so it was easy to print out a week of my food log.
I'm about 5'2" tall, and currently at 215 lbs. I've lost 15 lbs since I started this Jan 7th. My triglycerides are high. My other cholesterol is in range and my diabetes is under control. The "in range" and "under control" stuff is new--my blood work would have been much different in December. I think it might take longer for triglycerides to come down than the other cholesterol numbers, so I'm hoping for improvement when we re-do the bloodwork in 6 months.
So, here's what she told me:
- Increase my protein intake to 81g/day
- Decrease carbs to no more than 55% of my daily intake
- Stay at 1400-1500 calories (MFP has me at a net of 1260, so that's pretty close to what she's recommending). She calculated my maintenance level at 2400, so that number is in keeping with my 2 lbs/week loss so far
- Continue with my walking (about 40 minutes a day, in 3 chunks)
- Increase fiber to 25g/day (which will help my elimination issues)
- Check to be sure my calcium has D3 in it, and add a supplement if it doesn't
- Increase my Omega-3
- Add ground flaxseed to recipes where possible to fight inflammation
- Drink a bottle of water every day (I currently am a diet coke addict)
- Drink hot water with lemon to stimulate bowels
We talked about the need to not be overly restrictive so that one goes off their diet completely--she was glad to hear that I'd planned treats for my big baking weekend (this weekend!), because no one can make a 12x18 pan of brownies and not eat any!
She was also concerned about my hunger levels and she wanted me to pay attention to that. I'm really not hungry as long as I eat at a reasonable time. This is no problem during the week but a bit harder on the weekends where my schedule isn't as regular.
I really liked her--she seemed competent, informed, and responsive. She's a believe in small steps at a time rather than wholesale change. Although that list seems long, they're all sort of intertwined and quite do-able. I'm sure we'll address my reliance on processed frozen meals at a future appointment, but this should keep me going for the next 4 weeks.
Just thought I'd share. Anyone else have dietitian's advise they'd like to share?