AND i don't trust most of them!!! but this woman started out by saying that she believes that we've all done tremendous work by going through this and that she wants to help us achieve our goals and maintain it.
and that given my eating habits, the only thing that's saved me from gaining a significant amount of weight has been my exercise schedule!!!! and that's because i'm not eating carbs [much] and i'm skipping dinner and munching all morning. NOT because i'm eating a lot of calories. in fact, her view is that from a calories-in vs calories-out viewpoint, i should still be losing!!!!
just what i suspected!!!!
the problem, according to her, is insulin resistance syndrome.
and she said that the solution is to spread my eating out more, and to eat more carbs, in proportion to what other people eat.
soooo. she asked what i was able to do in the way of change, and what i could do now!! wasn't that nice? she didn't tell me what i had to do or how to do it...
and i don't have to give up chocolate!! in fact, she said that it would be a GOOD THING, a LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX thing!!!! yipppeeee yahooooooo!!!!!
my carb goal: about 50 grams per day, preferably low GI carbs. and about 40% protein, and 40% veggies.
and to eat some veggies at every meal. because they'll help keep things in the tiny tummy so it'll stay full longer.
here's the schedule: can't have a snack until 3 hours after a meal, but it can be 1-1/2 to 2 hours before the next meal. and i have to eat something every 3-4 hours. but not every 2 hours., or every hour.
and remember, this is MY schedule. everyone else has to come up with what works best for them:
6:30-8:00 am lots of liquids
8:00 protein shake before hike/walk
after hike/walk, more liquids
10:00 or so at work: breakfast of deviled egg, whole grain crackers [12-15 grams of carb here], a veggie like cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, whatever.
i have to eat by 2 PM even if it's a snack. snacks = 7-8 grams of carb plus protein. carb can be a small bit of fruit, like 1/4 apple OR whole grain cracker with cheese. can't have cracker PLUS fruit, though.
and lunch. 3 oz protein, about the same volume of veggie, and 12-15 grams carb [brown rice or something]
around 6 pm. another snack. dry roasted edamame is fine, so is cheese and cracker or deli meat with cracker. or cottage cheese with a strawberry. and a veggie.
and after a workout or around 10 pm... 3 oz protein plus veggie plus carb, AND THAT CARB CAN BE CHOCOLATE!!!!!! she said that she'd rather see me eat chocolate than just about any other snack!!!
soooooo let's see how it goes. and you can't imagine how helpful it's been for me to write this down here!!!!!
she gave me a list of the GI of many foods. and because she doesn't really want me eating much fruit right now, i went to the grocery store and straight to the salad bar for what amounted to be about 3/4 cup of chopped raw veggies: celery, peppers, carrots, a few shreds of onion. and i chopped it all up, and mixed it with 1 lb of cottage cheese and then drained a couple of tablespoons of hot salsa to get most of the water out and mixed that in too.
A PERFECT SNACK!!! cottage cheese with veggies!!!
and i got more wasa sourdough rye crisps. she said these things were a good choice, and we know how i love crunch!!!!
i'll keep ya'll posted. maybe i WILL make my heart's goal. it's only about 25 pounds away, and i'd still be OK if i never lost another pound other than to plastic surgery, but i want to try!!!
lanaii.. in many respects, the two things are similar. but different only in the amounts. she wants me to settle in at around 50 grams of protein, not the 80 that i'm eating now, but she says that'll be a gradual change. i'm not at all sure about that but we'll see where this all leads.
it's been a hard day, foodwise. i had to really pay attention to what was going on and why. but i made it through!!!
hi, jiffy this seems like very sound, structured advice. i respond well to lots of structure. i like to have as many details as possible before i go into something to do with my weight loss. good luck to you!!!
Two positive things really jump out at me about your dietician: first, she’s focusing on exercise, not just on food. The two are inseparable, in my opinion, and none of us are going to keep the weight off without exercise. It's impossible to do it with food alone. Second, she wants you to figure out how to make it work in the context of your real life. It has to fit you and feel comfortable and right. If you like deviled eggs for breakfast, it just isn’t going to work if she tells you to have a broccoli-tofu smoothie or something healthy (and disgusting ) like that. If I didn't genuinely enjoy what I eat every day, I’d never be able to stick to my eating plan for the rest of my life. I guess that’s why I’ve never done a “name” diet — I hate being told what to eat. Give me the general parameters and let ME set it up to suit my life. So I think your dietician sounds awesome! Even if you don’t trust most of them!
Quote:
maybe i WILL make my heart's goal. it's only about 25 pounds away,
If it’s physically possible, I know you’ll make it! You’ve got the heart and the dedication and drive — nothing’s going to stop you! It’s a great incentive to be in the best possible shape for the plastic surgery. The more muscle and less fat you have, the easier it is for the doctor. What mine explained to me is that you have to anchor that skin somewhere (after you get rid of all the excess) and that’s where all the lovely muscle comes in handy. And of course, the less fat, the easier it is for him/her to get around and pull everything tight and get an awesome result.
Low G.I. Check. Lots of veggies. Check. Frequent feedings. Check. Overcoming insulin resistance. Check, check, check. Way cool-- I think you've got a winner, there, Jiffypop! I've been eating more and more low-G.I. lately, and it really does seem to help, I haven't had a hypoglycemic episode in a long time. No migraines, either. Those results strongly imply a steadier level of circulating blood glucose. And all the "slow" carbs really fuel the exercise, especially pasta. For more background, you could try reading "The New Glucose Revolution" if you haven't already.
And I KNOW you will make goal. I have absolutely no doubt about that at all. Go Jiffypop!!!
you are all just what i needed. i come back to this thread several times a day to help me keep on track with what i'm supposed to be doing!!!!
snacking temptation is very strong, but instead, i'm sipping hot tea and trying to write another proposal and revisiting my 'to do' list!!!!
had a HUGE [for me!!!] breakfast at about 10:15 and it's still with me! deviled egg, three [can you believe it!!!!] fiber rye wasa crackers with 1 triangle of laughing cow light and 2 slices LF cheddar cheese and about 8 cherry tomatoes. it was all very very yummy [of course, you know i had hot salsa and a few drops of LF chipotle mayo in the deviled egg!!!!]
lunch will be small salad and some cornish hen with FF gravy [it's too dry otherwise] and a tablespoon of rice. hmmm. maybe i'll have to do a little more carb in the salad. chick peas. something.
thank you for all the encouragement. and believe me, meg, every single day i'm grateful for all the weight lifting!!! i NEVER EVER IN A MILLION YEARS thought i'd be saying that. but my knees don't ache, even though i have severe arthritis, because my leg muscles are strong enough to support me. and i just FEEL better. and strong.
when i started out, i had no idea that it would be possible. but it is. and i echo your post on maintainers where you give so much credit to the trainer. a good trainer is wonderful.
Saw this in an article about "Superfoods" and thought about you :
Quote:
Chocolate
Chocolate is one of America’s favorite treats. For most, the draw is the great aroma and taste. Others like the hint of it being an aphrodisiac. For some, it's all about the polyphenols!
Polyphenols?
As an antioxidant, polyphenols help the body's cells resist damage from free radicals, which damage cell structure and are formed in our normal body processes. Recent research indicates that polyphenols may even enhance the proliferation and activation of T-lymphocytes -- white blood cells that fight infections and regulate other immune responses. Polyphenols can also prevent cardiovascular disease as they minimize the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is a major factor in the promotion of coronary disease such as heart attack and stroke.
But not all chocolate is "super" — the amount varies by the type of chocolate. In 1.25 ounces you find these levels of the nutrient:
Cocoa powder: 1,300 mg
Dark chocolate: 700 mg
Milk chocolate: 300 mg
White chocolate: 0 mg (White chocolate is made just from the cocoa butter and technically is not a chocolate.)
The higher the amount of cocoa content, the higher the amount of antioxidant. Most high-quality chocolates now list the cocoa content on the label.
And what’s the latest on all that talk about chocolate as an aphrodisiac?
It turns out that chocolate is a mood-enhancer after all. Chocolate contains phenethylamine (PEA), which stimulates the nervous system, triggering the release of endorphins, opiate-like compounds that dull pain and give a sense of well-being. There are also chemicals in chocolate that increase the activity of dopamine, a neurotransmitter directly associated with feelings of sexual arousal and pleasure. Additionally, chocolate can also boost levels of serotonin, the happy neurotransmitter, especially in women (who tend to be more sensitive to chocolate than men). And yet another way chocolate can make us feel good: It inhibits the natural breakdown of anandamide, a neurotransmitter normally found small amounts in the brain, which can produce a feeling of euphoria.
That’s the good news. Chocolate, of course, is heavy in fat and sugar, with the general rule that the better the chocolate, the less harm it will do you. Good quality chocolates are made with a higher proportion of cocoa butter, a fat composed of approximately one-third proportions of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat like in olive oil, and stearic acid and palmitic acid, which are saturated fats. Oleic acid has been shown to lower both total and LDL cholesterol. And interestingly, although stearic acid is a saturated fatty acid (SFA), unlike other SFAs, it does not seem to affect blood cholesterol. Palmitic acid, however, does raise blood cholesterol, so even good quality chocolate should be eaten in moderation. Remember, not all chocolate is made with cocoa butter, so be sure to read labels.
And don’t forget that chocolate contains caffeine. One 1.5-ounce bar of dark chocolate contains about 30 milligrams of caffeine, milk chocolate contains 10 mg, and an 8-ounce serving of hot cocoa contains 5 mg. In comparison, an 8-ounce serving of brewed coffee contains 135 mg of caffeine, 12 ounces of Mountain Dew contains about 56 mg, and cola contains about 35 mg.
soooo. does that mean that the ideal meal is oatmeal with ghirardelli chocolate chips? or hot fudge sauce???
sounds... um. not quite sure HOW it sounds!!!!
and thank you!!!! i really do eat good chocolate. after all, if one gets only a few bites, they should be GOOD ONES!!!!!
hi miss chris!!!!! i need all the help i can get... like today. that 2 pm feeding didn't go very well... not sure what to do next, but i'm not hungry!!!! just drinking my iced tea and coping with a proposal that i can't get my mind around!!!!!
That's great that you have found a dietician that you like. It sounds like she has a really good plan for you, and you gotta love being able to eat chocolate! You are so close to your surgery goal! I don't know you, but I'm proud of you just the same. I bet this is just the plan to get you all the way there.
monica.. from your lips to God's ears!!! i just have no idea, but as with every other aspect of this surgery, i decided to do everything that they told me to do and if it didn't work, i could always change it. but so far, they've all been right!!!!! the surgeon, the clinic, the trainers. EVERYONE!!!!
soooo i 'm willing to give it my best shot.
and thank you for being proud of me. even after all this time, i'm still more stunned than anything else!!!!!
Sounds like you got one who knows about weight loss surgery and how to work with us. Hang on to her! I think she may be steering you in the right direction
thanks DB, as i sit here struggling to eat dinner. a slice of whole grain sourdough toast with some ham and cheese and some red pepper and cherry tomatoes. it's hard to eat this much!!!
visit to dietician today
this seems like very sound, structured advice. i respond well to lots of structure. i like to have as many details as possible before i go into something to do with my weight loss. good luck to you!!!
) like that. If I didn't genuinely enjoy what I eat every day, I’d never be able to stick to my eating plan for the rest of my life. I guess that’s why I’ve never done a “name” diet — I hate being told what to eat. Give me the general parameters and let ME set it up to suit my life. So I think your dietician sounds awesome! Even if you don’t trust most of them! 
