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Looking after ourselves

Whiteknight
Senior Contributor

Dieting

We know dieting is not easy for those stable souls out there...it's near impossible for us as we don't possess the stability of mind over long periods of time.

 

Obesity has plagued our family for a long time. Two of my aunties reached 180kg+ in their time. My sister after decades of diets reached 164kg last xmas. Then in January had the Gastric Bypass operation. Now, 6 months later she is 120kg and by xmas 100kg is expected. He goal? 80kg.

 

Ive decided that isn't for me, mainly for financial reasons and my own belief for myself. See, Last April also after years of dieting I maxed out at 142kg. I'm 6ft tall and ex weightlifter so my frame is large, still it was the last straw. I knew that diets didn't work for me. It was to be a total lifestyle change or nothing at all.

 

Our lifestyle change includes moving towards what is easily achievable

  • Walking. Not running not jogging. Walking our dog at a brisk pace at say 2-4 kms - 20-50 minutes but say 3-4 times a week.
  • Good breakfast with fibre. Wheat biscuits with bran and a banana although bottled cherries in cherry juice is sometimes swapped as cherries is good to keep gout away.
  • Lunch- a wrap with ham or chicken and salad.
  • Afternoon tea- I make bran muffins with pears. easy to make and fills me up, just one. I use a sugar supplement in my cooking but not all. Brown sugar a little.
  • Dinner. We use a slow cooker to make casseroles. Heaps of veggies, cabbage is almost in every dinner or sprouts or broccoli.
  • Dessert, fresh fruit and Greek yogurt.
  • Snacks? Ryvita.

So the result in 12 weeks is I'm down to 130 kg, 12 kg loss. I walk up and down stairs normally not one step with my left leg first etc. I'm fitter. I "feel" slim. But I have a long way to go. My goal 105kg. 25 to go. I haven't been 105kg since 1985.

 

We still have our cappuccino at cafes. It's made with skinny milk. We still have our cake on the rare occasion....we halve it now. We have fish and chips!! We cook Barramundi from the supermarket without batter or crumbs and oven bake sweet potato chips.

 

I love cooking. Tonight I'll make cabbage rolls. Boil a full or one half a cabbage for 20 minutes. Roll some mince meat with salt, onion, silver beet and mixed herbs. Roll into cabbage leaves. Wrap the rolls in some bacon strips. Bake in a baking tray in low water for 45 minutes. Serve with fetta cheese and beans.

 

Gone and not considered for consumption is- Bread (wrap are ok), pastry, sugar in large amounts and excess fat.

 

We are going Chinese tomorrow night. We used to get one dish each (eg lemon chicken, pork with plum sauce) special fried rice, Singapore noodles and 2 entree each. Now we not only halve that whole package...we take home what we haven't eaten for the next days lunch. But we still go Chinese!

 

I hope this has helped. A good eating habit and exercise is recommended by all medical people. Moderation and lifestyle change works for us.

WK

6 REPLIES 6

Re: Dieting

The biggest thing I hate about being unwell is I don't have the energy or creativity to meal prep. And I make poor choices out of the need to fuel myself when I'm exhausted. And I really like wine lol. 

For me, my weight issues are (mostly) caused by extreme insulin resistance from hormones (pcos) and autoimmune thyroid (hashimotos). I kept gaining weight after my second child and was dismissed by a lot of doctors for 12yrs until I found one that listened. 

To keep just a stable weight i need to stay really low carb, but to lose weight and feel well (no aches and exhaustion) i need to follow autoimmune protocol as well.

I finally managed to lose 27kg, but I still have another 23kg to go, and my autoimmune issues were in remission and feeling so healthy physically and mentally.

 

But then I got unwell. Again. 

 

Its hard enough to deal with mental health issues without having to worry about the extra health issues our mental health makes worse. I'm so glad/lucky I've only put 3kg back on in the last year since I've been unwell (mostly in denial of my state of mental health). I am almost capable of meal prepping again, hopefully I will be able to get back into exercise for much needed endorphins. 

 

It really sounds like you've found something that works for you and is sustainable, and compatible with your lifestyle. That's a huge part of the battle! 

 

Kicking butt!

 

I contemplated the surgery too at my heaviest, but everyone I know who has had it either had huge complications or gained the weight back.

 

Oh gawd, major ramble. Sorry. 

Re: Dieting

Hi @MackLouis

Well done, you are doing really well, 27kg is a great effort, keep going, be patient with yourself.

SleepyPanda

Re: Dieting

I'm struggling with this too in a weird way. I was anorexic when younger and have always used difficulty eating but now, for the first time ever, I'm actually eating in a healthy way on a long term basis. Problem is, I'm gaining bucketloads of weight (like uh 35kg in last 3 years) because of alcohol. I'm starting to see alcohol, food, SH and in previous times, other substances, perhaps even work, are just - I don't know - expressions. Ways of speaking without words. Possibly that make no sense to anyone else 😉

Re: Dieting

well done @MackLouis

Hello @-Rayne-, @Whiteknight, @SleepyPanda

I have diabetes 2 and kidney disease stage 4 , i have 2 dieticians and keep telling me to lose weight , but then the doctor and the kidney specialist says that the weight is because of the kidney disease

checking in to see how youare going my friends

Re: Dieting

yeh part of my 'weight gain' is bloating due to liver failure. Not something I often speak about

Re: Dieting

there are some foods that makes me bloated too @-Rayne- and a i have a Haitis hernia  i try not to eat those certain foods

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