kaythecurler's picture

kaythecurler

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weight loss

Over the last twenty or so years my partner and I have steadily gained wieght.  About this time last year my Doc decided I ought to lose some and should consult with the trained nutritionist at the Clinic.

 

We thought we were eating quite sensibly - but the weight kept adding up.  The Nutritionist rviewed our eating habits and thought that we were eating well (better than average).  We were doing all the low fat things and don't use much sugar.  Extra exercise was suggested but my other health problems make that quite difficult.

 

I asked about the more recent studies that seemed to claim that low fat wasn't helpful, and may actually create weight problems.  The nutritionalist looked a bit upset and said she coluldn't really talk abou tthat - her employers want everyone on low fat diets and the Canada Food Guide plan.

 

So we carried on trying to eat less food, less calories, less fat and tied to exercise more.  Weight wise nothing seemed to happen except we both gained a bit more.

 

After Christmas we were still slowly gainng weight and decided to try to eat the way we did thirty years back - when neither of us had extra fat.  Home made whole wheat bread, real milk, real cheese, real butter, eggs and meat from a local farm, plenty of veggies and fairly small servings.

 

Yesterday I realised that my weight had dropped into the Overweight category after all those years of having Docs telling me that I was Obese!  Hopefully I will get down to a weight closer to the Ideal in a few more months.

 

I wonder if our diet is now unhealthy?

 

 

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carolla's picture

carolla

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Real food is good food!

 

I heard a person interviewed on the radio recently about diet & exercise regarding weight loss & one line stuck in my mind - "You can't outrun your fork"!  Meaning - exercise is good, but quantity & quality eaten is pf key importance! 

carolla's picture

carolla

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Sometimes sluggish thyroid can be a factor too ... 

Beloved's picture

Beloved

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Way to go Kay!  That is excellent news.

 

Food as close to its natural state is important.  Lots of vegetables are key.  Some say that it is not fat (good fats, that is) that are bad for you, but rather sugar.  If you eat a lot of packaged food or processed food it will have a lot of sugar in it, even if it doesn't appear to be sweet.

 

I really believe it is the processed, packaged stuff that is making us ill, and for some, overweight.  Any food that can be in a package for months on end cannot be good for you.

 

If you feel this is working for you, keep going.  You have to do what is right for you.

 

Keep going, Kay.

 

InannaWhimsey's picture

InannaWhimsey

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huzzah kaythecurler!

 

i'm a relatively-recent blubberbutt -- after a life full of athleticness,  it took me some 11 years before i 'internalized' that i am plumptuous...

 

(in fact, i can't go to Japan because i'd get harpooned there...)

 

good thing i still love walking for long distances

 

so keep it up, kaythecurler!  toward the self that you want :3

kaythecurler's picture

kaythecurler

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Thanks for the responses - you guys would make great cheerleaders.

In some ways it seems a bit odd.  All the 'experts' say low fat everything is the way to go (along with veggies and moderation).  We quit drinking skim milk and now use 2%. We quit eating low fat cheese and enjoy our old fashioned full fat varieties, No more Becel 'cos we are loving our butter etc.  Part of the mystery could be that we don't feel hungry as quickly with more fat in our diet.  We have never used much prepared food -  I sometimes refer to them as 'food-like substances'.  We both find them too salty or too sweet.  I used to tell my kids thaat it was easy to decide what foods were healthy - real food goes bad.

 

I suppose the real evidence will come when we get our cholesterol levels checked again!  Hopefully by then I will be decently slender again. 

Pinga's picture

Pinga

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Kay, I have found when I eat real food, I don't get hungry as you said and weight came off.

 

love the line, "real food goes bad".

 

good for you for making positive change in your life.

Motheroffive's picture

Motheroffive

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I've long ago given up on the thought that the medical establishment has a handle on what factors are involved in human metabolism and all related issues. Because I have ulcerative colitis, I find that eating the specific carbohydrate diet works for me and if I don't overdo the nuts, even if I eat abundantly, my weight stays within a comfortable range. When I don't stick to the rules, even when eating modestly, my weight creeps up and no amount of exercise will budge it. Even though I eat cheese, meat and eggs, my cholesterol has been never been a problem, nor has my blood pressure.

 

Gary Taubes has written a book called Why We Get Fat and his information about food is similar to the SC Diet  that I usually follow. 

 

I doubt your diet is actually unhealthy - sounds like what nutritionists are taught needs to catch up to what your bodies are telling you. 

Sterton's picture

Sterton

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Nice work Kay!

I dropped 40 pounds when I went GF/DF.

Since getting  a boyfriend, I gained 15 pounds.  What gives???  I'm still GF/DF of course.

 

 

Pinga's picture

Pinga

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Sterton what is gf/df

paradox3's picture

paradox3

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gluten free/ dairy free?

 

Just guessing. 

Beloved's picture

Beloved

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My guess too.

 

chemgal's picture

chemgal

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Kay, see a real 'expert' if you are concerned.  Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist.  Yours might have had some training, but if I wanted to be a nutritionist today, I could be and I would actually have more related training due to my education than most.  See a registered dietician instead.

 

Sounds like you've found what works for you though, so I don't think you necessarily need one :)  Congrats on the weight loss!

Sterton's picture

Sterton

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Yes GF = gluten-free and DF = dairy-free  :)

 

I think I lost weight because I couldn't snack at DQ or Tim's and eat fast food.

Pinga's picture

Pinga

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yes, that is part of it, it does stop the drive throughs.  Thanks!

 

So, sterton, gf/df would be a lot like paleo...

 

for me, the importance is the huge uptake in vegetables as our family had become very bad at vegetables in our diet.

carolla's picture

carolla

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(just a quick wave of hello to Motheroffive - so nice to see you again!  I've missed you.)

kaythecurler's picture

kaythecurler

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The doc sent me to a trained nutrition expert who is employed by the Health Dept.  I know shewent to University for her education but have no idea what her degree is.

 

If we were eating the way wwere advised we would still be gaining, not losing, weight. The only thing we are doing differntly is using butter and full fat cheese etc.  Everything tastes bettetoo!

Beloved's picture

Beloved

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I've always thought butter is healthier than margarine.

 

(Maybe not "always", but for many years now).

 

 

Pinga's picture

Pinga

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Are you eating more nuts and fibres as well? 

 

Part of it for me is a healthier metabolism, .....the sluggishness caused by bread and processed foods just means food sits in our system for that much longer.

Motheroffive's picture

Motheroffive

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(Hi Carolla! Thanks for the warm welcome back.)

 

Cravings tend to be significantly reduced or gone as long as I'm strict with the program but, if I stray, not only does it affect my system in unpleasant ways, I also find it harder to avoid temptation.

Pinga's picture

Pinga

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Ditto for me motheroffive

Rowan's picture

Rowan

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I've found that the 'diet' that works best for me is carb counting diabetes style.  I got into it when my sister-in-law was pregnant and had gestational diabetes so any time we cooked we had to pay attention to the carbs (and fats and proteins too, but mainly it was carbs).

My biggest challenge was getting a handle on portion size. Well that and learning to avoid foods that trigger me to eat compulsively.  I've come to view certain foods in much the same light that an AA member probably views a bottle of brandy. 

Birthstone's picture

Birthstone

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I've settled into a plateau after losing 25lbs - nice, but not there yet.  But it has been 2 years, and that is aggravating.

We've been really good - focusing on real food and real cooking, lots of veggies & fruit, with some wisdom from the glucose index thinking and paleo thinking.  Our meals are often vegetarian, without lots of cheese and dairy and bread.  We have colourful meals too (different kinds of veg).  We exercise regularly in a variety of ways, but I'm still stuck at that plateau.  How hard does one have to work at this!!??????

Grrr.

 

On the bright side, I have not gained anything back, so something is good.

 

 

 

Beloved's picture

Beloved

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Are you incorporating healthy fats in your diet, Birthstone.  Fat has been labelled as the enemy for years, but now various health gurus are saying how important it is, even to weight loss.

 

BetteTheRed's picture

BetteTheRed

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I have been an absolutely normal weight all my life, with no intention or real effort, for which I am very lucky, and quite thankful.

 

However, I have also never much varied my diet. I eat a wide variety of foods, a huge variety of grains and vegetables, and a high-moderate amount of fat. I like butter, whole milk, lard, suet (for special occasion puddings), avocado oil, coconut oil and olive oil exceedingly well and incorporate them thoroughly in my diet.

 

I saw an interview with a cardiologist recently (here's an article stating the same thing: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/cardiologist-lowfat-diet-scientifically-and-morally-indefensible/), who candidly admitted that doctors are starting to completely reverse many of the statements they have made about fat over the years. Refined white sugar and refined white flour seem to be the 'new' culprits.

Beloved's picture

Beloved

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Your comments about fat, white sugar, and refined flour reflect a lot of what I have been reading, BetteTheRed.

 

carolla's picture

carolla

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I read a very interesting article today about "Attuned Eating" - becoming more mindful of our bodies and how we identify & satisfy hunger and also our feeling of saity.  Thought some of you might find it interesting ... scroll down to page 16 where the article starts - sorry, it's part of a longer newsletter!  See what you think ... 

http://www.wisebrain.org/wisebrainbulletin/WBB8.2.pdf

 

Pinga's picture

Pinga

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Some elements of it I fond myself nodding away with, Carolla.  Other parts, not so much.

 

When I am learning how to re-eat, thinking and eating the pizza is just not a good idea.  I do not need to eat that stuff, and if I get past that short desire...for bread, for a bagel , for peanut butter, for ice cream, etc......then, I wont' have it.

I dont' feel one has to give into those desires or that one's body is aware of what it needs to eat.  Much of what we do is out of habit.  Breaking bad habits requires some elements of denial.

 

Based on the same logic, I would still be smoking, ie, just one cigaratte after dinner as I want one when I was trying to quit.

carolla's picture

carolla

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True enough that much of what we do is out of habit - I think partly that's the author's point - to be thoughtful & intentional, rather than just eating mindlessly.  I liked the bit about considering - how will this feel in my body?  I know I've sometimes gobbled up stuff and later thought OMG - I feel dreadful!!

 

I think re the pizza - are you referring to the example with salad only & pizza ++ later?  For me that's kinda true - I find I'm okay when I just have a bit of what I want at times, rather than avoiding it altogether & feeling deprived.  I realize it's a very individual thing ... learning about self & doing what's right for just you! 

Pinga's picture

Pinga

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right. 

 

I get it. I sense thr first part is the learning to listen to oneself.  The problem is that if you have been out of control for a long time, you don't know what to listen to.  (It is like being in a room with a bunch of people giving advice and it is hard to listen to the quiet one that is giving solid wisdom)

 

So, that piece of pizza may be a valid choice; however, until you can hear just one piece of pizza, or just something healthy...then listening to body inputs isn't likely going to be enough.  Like the smoker with their craving, the call of sugar, sweet, empty carbs is just as high as the nicotine.

carolla's picture

carolla

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Good analogy re the noisy room - we certainly can carry lots of voices encouraging destructive behaviours!  Making a clean break for a while, to see actually how one feels without certain foods and with others ... sticking with it long enought to experience change & learn to discern how the body's responding in all it's amazing ways. 

 

I thought the part about determing degrees of hungry and full on a continuum was interesting too - not just yes/no responding. 

Pinga's picture

Pinga

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Agreed...

 

Also, was it Kimmio that posted the data on our wastes.  They can also be signals to how we are eating...

 

It was a good article, i think carolla.  It rang true to me.

I think that like anything, it depends on the state of he addiction / loss of control / removal from norms

carolla's picture

carolla

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"data on our wastes"??? I must have missed that!!  Yes, indeed those lovely and essential 'outcomes' do tell their own story!  :-) 

InannaWhimsey's picture

InannaWhimsey

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carolla wrote:

"data on our wastes"??? I must have missed that!!  Yes, indeed those lovely and essential 'outcomes' do tell their own story!  :-) 

 

the nipponese are way ahead of us there, with toilets that analyze your night soil & sends the results to your cell...

chemgal's picture

chemgal

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lol I would appreciate it if someone dug up that post.

 

Pinga, it sounds like you've found the right fit for you.  A good lifestyle change, with the occassional slip up because of life but rather than giving up you keep going back to the healthy habits.

Pinga's picture

Pinga

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I will drop a wondermail to Kimmio...for some reason I think it was her who posted it....

Kimmio's picture

Kimmio

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I don't remember posting about that unless I came across an article in my web travels and forgot about it. Sorry... But it makes sense that our wastes can tell us about our health.

Kimmio's picture

Kimmio

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Can't remember what's what but light stools and abnormalites can indicate a problem that needs checking out by a doctor and so can dark (blood in the stool?) and medication can change the colour (I.e. Pepto Bismol makes it dark- sorry to be gross)

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