72 year old food addict starts new program

PaytraB

I make oatmeal using almond milk and sometimes add a bit of Ovaltine for a chocolatey flavor. I like adding blueberries to oatmeal as well.

AnnPT77

Oatmeal: I like plain Greek yogurt & berries, plus a spoonful of all-fruit spread if that's not sweet enough, or a dab of blackstrap molasses. Plus a few walnuts if I have the calories available. Or PB2 powder and raisins or apples.

mskatz1

tried my instant oatmeal with a little almond milk and lots of defrosted frozen blueberries--almost 6 oz of them--way, way, way more delicious. Thanks everybody for the great suggestions. I am indebted to you.

LPJM1710

I think it is commendable what you are doing. Remember it is never to late to focus on becoming a healthier you think of your age as only a number that is the first step in taking control of your life. You are doing the right thing taking out as much sugar as you can bear out of your diet. Sugar is one of the main proponents of inflammation in the body. If I can go from being a serious sugar addict, the craving hasn't gone away just I've been able to change my mindset, you can too.

Elise4270

dancing_daisy wrote: »

Peanut butter on red peppers?? Wow! I must try this! I have been having a very small apple with peanut butter but still feel its too much sugar.
Well done on resisting the urge to weigh yourself too often. Too many things can effect your weight day to day and its discouraging to see the pointer move in slightly in the wrong direction.
If you're avoiding flour does that mean you are avoiding pasta? I have been using a potato peeler to take strips from a courgette and having that instead of pasta. Works very well for me

I like red or yellow bell peppers with fresh mozzarella, I can't do nuts. Still sweet crisp and creamy.

I found lentil pasta is great. My whole family likes it. Just beware you might include the advice of a probiotic

classykaren

mskatz1 wrote: »

Thanks Dancing Daisy. Yes, no pasta at this point. Need to experiment with some different types of fish. I am not a great fish eater, but I should try to expand my limited repertoire beyond my favorites--boiled shrimp, broiled scallops, crab, lobster, salmon. How does one make tuna fish without mayonnaise? Your suggestions!

Tuna steak grilled.

mysteps2beauty

I've been on a low sugar, low sodium diet for my time here on MFP. Have lost a considerable amount when I weighed in this past Friday. 3.4 lbs for a total of 9.4 in just under a month. It was kinda scary cause I had never lost that much in a week before. I'm focusing on these micros here on MFP, less so for calories. I had high blood pressure 30 days ago, and have lowered it significantly since this way of eating. I already feel better. It's kind of a fun challenge to me, not focusing on how many calories but low sugar and low sodium. But I do weigh in every morning and every evening, both before I eat. I have lost one belt hole, my boobs smaller, and my shoes are a little loose. I write down my weight each morning and evening. Kind of interesting to see the fluctuations with in a day. Exercise, all I do is walk, though will do resistance exercises this week. Best to you on this challenge.

JeromeBarry1

I rarely have oatmeal for breakfast. Most recently, I used a tablespoon of an artificial sweetener and a generous sprinkling of powdered cinnamon. It was good.

Elise4270

mskatz1 wrote: »

Thanks Dancing Daisy. Yes, no pasta at this point. Need to experiment with some different types of fish. I am not a great fish eater, but I should try to expand my limited repertoire beyond my favorites--boiled shrimp, broiled scallops, crab, lobster, salmon. How does one make tuna fish without mayonnaise? Your suggestions!

Or avocado instead of the mayo.

PaytraB

mskatz1 wrote: »

tried my instant oatmeal with a little almond milk and lots of defrosted frozen blueberries--almost 6 oz of them--way, way, way more delicious. Thanks everybody for the great suggestions. I am indebted to you.

This was my breakfast, too. It lasted me through a long walk.

mskatz1

14 days with no sugar and no flour. The evening of the First Day of Rosh Hashanah--a time of reflection on how want to live our lives for the coming new year--for me, the goal is clear--sustain a major weight loss, change my fundamental eating habits, moved towards being a slimmer, happier, more compassionate person. Onwards. Thanks for the support of this wonderful online community.

mskatz1

switched from instant oatmeal to regular oatmeal on Doctor's advice. Now have lots of extra oatmeal. Ate it--4 oz. weighed-- with 6 oz of raspberries and a touch of almost milk--that was my one fruit and one grain for the morning breakfast on this new Bright Line Eating Program I joined.
Had two egg omelet with 2 oz. of smoked salmon. No more diet coke--only water--as much as I can handle.

PaytraB

Sounds delicious. I never use instant oatmeal either. Have you tried steel cut oats? So delicious. It takes longer to cook (about 20 minutes) but I cook them once in awhile because they taste so good.

I laughed at the "almost milk" (I realize you meant almond milk).

Smoked salmon with eggs sounds wonderful.

bunnyluv19

I use 2 tablespoons of sour cream in tuna instead of mayo_ it's very good.

mskatz1

I am allowed 4 oz of potato instead of oatmeal or quinoa or rice--as a "morning breakfast" grain. What can I put on a potatoe instead of butter to make it tasty? Your ideas appreciated.

AnnPT77

mskatz1 wrote: »

I am allowed 4 oz of potato instead of oatmeal or quinoa or rice--as a "morning breakfast" grain. What can I put on a potatoe instead of butter to make it tasty? Your ideas appreciated.

Plain Greek yogurt with your choice of spices would be one option.

RunawayCurves

mskatz1 wrote: »

I am allowed 4 oz of potato instead of oatmeal or quinoa or rice--as a "morning breakfast" grain. What can I put on a potatoe instead of butter to make it tasty? Your ideas appreciated.

I like new potatoes with tarragon, lemon juice and olive oil. Sometimes I just use tarragon on its own. Tarragon and potato are made for each other in my opinion. You can buy it as a dried herb in the little jars in supermarket.

mskatz1

Thanks for the potato options for flavor; have never used tarragon. Lemon juice sounds interesting--used my .05oz of butter (my one fat requirement) for breakfast. Should not have weighed this morning--staying at 238.3 on my scale. Have to struggle not to obsess over the "weight issue." Hard to do for an impatient, food addict.

mskatz1

Starting to have a 6 oz spinach salad with lunch with 6 oz additional chicken;using lemon juice instead of "oil"and adding1/2 small avocado. Had 6 oz. of blackberries (delicious) for my fruit---following Bright Line Eating program--no fats, no sugars; three meals a day; portion control (weighing food on digital scale); somewhat time consuming, but totally different.

AnnPT77

mskatz1 wrote: »

Thanks for the potato options for flavor; have never used tarragon. Lemon juice sounds interesting--used my .05oz of butter (my one fat requirement) for breakfast. Should not have weighed this morning--staying at 238.3 on my scale. Have to struggle not to obsess over the "weight issue." Hard to do for an impatient, food addict.

Try not to worry! (Easy to say, isn't it? ).

This is just how it works - you won't see a loss every day . . . some days it may even creep up a little. (It can creep up if you eat a little extra sodium or carbs compared to normal - even if it's a reasonable & health amount, or if you get sore muscles from exercise, or for various other water-weight reasons; it can even happen if you ate something with more-than-normal fiber like some extra veggies, and the fiber is still working its way through your system). Sometimes weight will hold steady for quite some days, then a big drop will suddenly happen - a "whoosh".

Plan on your loss not being a straight downward-sloping line, but more like a descending mountain range, with tiny bumps and baby hills on the slope, but an overall downward direction.

Some people find daily weighing distressing and stressful. Personally, I like it: Over time, I gained an excellent understanding of how my weight fluctuates from day to day, what the causes are, and how long it will take to drop from one of those mini-bump-ups. I even got so I could predict these fluctuations reasonable well. But if you find it stressful to weigh daily, there's no reason to do it so often.