Daily Logs

[Harriet]

Here's the place to record any log or diary info about health plans and goals.

[Harriet]

Dh has been searching for a sensible way to lose some weight and still walk the tightrope he has to with his digestive system and tendency toward gout. He tried to believe he could do Nut_i-system but as he read over the food choices he got a bad feeling about it. He's able to drink the Easy To Digest SlimF_st shakes but considers those stop-gaps and doesn't want to do SF on a regular basis. He's got a mental block against some other choices because different family members didn't do well on them. He needs REAL foods and the ability to make choices among them.

So he picked (and I'm starting with him) the Prev_ntion way-of-eating that they rather unfortunately call "Flat Belly Diet". What a name. The revised edition of the book comes out in Sept or Oct, but can be ordered through Pr_vention online now and you instantly have the whole online site available while you wait a week on the book. Costs $31, but hey, he was considering Nu_ri-system, so this doesn't seem like so much. Rachel Ray has also written a companion cookbook now, and that's tempting but I think it's like 30 more $ and I'm not up for that until we're sure that eating so many MUFAs will be okay for his system.

The concept is that you eat a "good fat" (monounsaturated), which they call "MUFAs" with each meal, don't eat more than 400 calories at one sitting, and don't let more than 4 hours go by without eating.

But at first, they suggest 4 days of a "jumpstart" which is supposed to be very good for you. Calories are restricted (1,200 daily at my weight, for instance) and the foods are really pristine - turkey, fish, chicken, skim milk, simple cereals, fruits, veggies. You are really not supposed to switch out foods for the 4 days but stay right on the menus - the only thing that bothers dh. You steep a pitcher of water overnight with slices of lemon and cucumber, mint leaves and grated ginger and drink that the next day (not bad).

After the 4 days you don't have the calorie restriction any more and can make up your own meals.

After day 1, we are reasonably happy. Dh says: "I don't hate this". We had Rice Krispies for breakfast with applesauce and sunflower seeds, so at least part of that seemed normal. Lunch was like the insides of a turkey/tomato/cheese sandwich only you didn't get the bread! I made roll-ups and he ate it with a fork. Snack was a smoothie so I was fine with that, he was miserable (smile). Supper was downright good - wild tilapia fish, red potatoes, green beans. We broiled the tilapia with lemon and fresh rosemary.

It has been extra work grocery shopping, but maybe I needed to expand my horizons a little into seeking out healthier choices. Seems like more to do in the kitchen, especially since you are making a steeped beverage in large quantities the night before, but that's only for 4 days.

Day 2 down and we are okay with it. I had to nap and wonder if that is because I need more energy from food than this, maybe more calories, maybe more carbs ??? If you are a high-caffeine or high-sugar eater normally you are to expect a headache and that didn't really happen to me.

Dh keeps having to substitute foods. He is not supposed to have pineapple because of gout, for instance, and today's snack was a pineapple smoothie (terrible and fibrous, btw - don't bother). Also he's having a harder time of this in general because the foods are not exactly "manly"! Tuna with swiss cheese today for lunch made sense to me, but he was rolling his eyes.
It's the 4th day and we are probably both looking forward to tomorrow's breakfast which will finally bring out a frying pan! LOL. Safflower oil for turkey bacon and potato pancakes, but hey, you still fry them and it's a mental thing! We don't have to keep going with their particular meal planning, but I need more practice before I try menus on my own.

I'd really like to see him happier with his weight tomorrow and feeling as though this is helping. There is a rather quiet message board on the online site and I've noticed posts from folks with underactive thyroids like his saying it's so hard for those with that problem to lose weight. Happily, most of them are losing, but then someone who didn't do well on this plan probably wouldn't post.

[Harriet]

Finished our 4 days. I think overall we are pleased, both losing a couple pounds in 4 days. He lost 2, I lost 2.5. It doesn't seem fair, since my weight range is much lower, but we know the reasons are that first, he had to substitute a lot and second, he's already on a diuretic for blood pressure, so water weight wouldn't have been as much of a factor. Happily, this gets him down to a weight number with a zero at the end. I was hoping for a change in his middle number for an even better mental boost, but this is good.

Today we began higher calorie ranges and a lot more choices, so he's happy. But the sodium jumps, so for me, I'm wary. If I gain tomorrow, I'm going to cut sodium back.

[Harriet]

Our recent way of eating - basically making sure there's a small quantity of mono-unsaturated fat in each meal - means that dark or semi-sweet chocolate also qualifies. Hmmm... ... You don't want to overdo it, but actually, this breakfast meal IS healthy (and fast).


Chocolate Strawberry Waffle (with Skim Milk)

1 ready-made waffle
...(Eggo Lowfat Nutrigrain or Special K)
1/4 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup skim milk to drink

Toast the waffle while microwaving the strawberries until warm (stir once). Put waffle on a plate and place chips over it evenly. Microwave until chips are melty. Spoon strawberries over (reserve juice to keep waffle toastier if you'd like). Pitted cherries are also supposed to be good.

389 calories, 58.5 carbs, 13 gm fat, 11.2 protein, 3 fiber

I had this yesterday and just loved it.

There's another recommended waffle I want to try in which you place 2 tbsp chopped walnuts evenly and spoon 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, warmed.