so many questions about this lifestyle change.

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tag8055
tag8055 Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all,

first let me say that i appreciate all of the advice you will give me.

my husband and i went for routine physicals, (both of us are overweight) mine came back normal. his came back with high trigylcerides, low HDL and high LDL, high blood sugar of 129. His A1c was ok so the doc did not tell him he's a pre diabetic yet. If his next round of tests don't change i guess she will. basically for now she told him to watch the simple sugar, high fats, processed food and to loose some weight by exercising and come back in 3 months for more blood work.

he had a rude awakening...as did i.

so we've signed up for myfitnesspal and have been watching and eating all healthy food for about a week now. I prefer not trying fad diets for now just so i can get a handle on this. (i do the cooking and meal prep)

what is the best way to handle the simple sugar and salt cravings? right now we feel that they right now are trigger foods and if we touch them there won't be any turning back.

are there sources of protein powders that aren't flavored so that i can incorporate in soup instead of a smoothie that won't change the taste too much?

most of our protein portions are 6oz at a meal a day, at the time they feel like they are enough but shortly after we feel hungry. any tips on how to sustain the hunger?

thank you


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Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    Most protein powders curdle in hot liquid. I do add PP to coffee, but let it cool a little first. I wouldn't add it to soup - I'd add meat. Unless you're a vegetarian, in which case legumes.

    Did your doctor specifically tell you to reduce salt?

    I found upping protein and fruit useful for reducing cravings for higher calorie things like baked goods.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
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    When I was diagnosed type 2 diabetic, I dealt with sugar cravings by cutting refined carbs from my diet for a while. If your husband is having issues with insulin resistance, and it sounds like he probably is, then doing this will reduce insulin spikes and thus reduce cravings. It took about two weeks for my Coca Cola cravings to subside.

    A side effect is that natural sugars such as fruit and milk sugars will taste sweeter, and I found I also had greatly reduced cravings for salty fried foods.

    Some people can just reduce the number of certain foods they eat, and have them in moderation. I don't do well when I try that. Cutting them out is just easier for me. After the cravings have subsided, I can add a few back in, and not have a problem - mainly because the overly sweet foods no longer taste as good.

    Some things I added in: cinnamon on lattes. Sliced radishes, for crunchy/salty cravings. Greek yogurt with berries for sweet/creamy. Single pieces of dark chocolate.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
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    By the way, my favorite proteins are chicken thighs, pork loin, and cottage cheese. Pork loin is an overlooked option - you can roast a big one at the beginning of a week and use it for sandwiches, stir fry, etc. and a massive portion is very modest in calories.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    edited October 2018
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    Bob’s red mill makes whey and hemp unflavored protein powders. I often use them in lieu of four or other starches as thickeners in soups, stews, casseroles, etc. and they work well for that. I’m not sure about adding them to drinks - I’ve never done that.

    I’ll second that I also prefer to chew on my calories (so I would also add meat and/or legumes to soup/stews), but I do use the protein powder in place of other ingredients when there’s an opportunity to do so (like using it as a thickener). I wouldn’t add it just to add it.
  • countcurt
    countcurt Posts: 593 Member
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    Is there a specific reason you don't want to use protein sources (such as lean meats, fish, seafood, eggs, etc.) in your food? Because generally they make a tastier meal.

    Everybody is different on the sugars and salty foods. You have some specific medical reasons which may necessitate more vigilance to your intake of these foods than baseline, so you'll have to let that be your guide above all else.

    In the meantime, welcome.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    One of the easiest ways to reduce your sodium is to avoid pre-packaged foods and sauces. Adding salt yourself is typically going to result in a significant drop in sodium, without sacrificing flavor (in my experience anyways).

    I'm a "moderator" and found that abstaining only makes my cravings worse - so I fit all things into my diet. Yes, even fast food. Sweets I trained my sweet tooth into near oblivion by using things like individually wrapped small chocolate squares (and recording them prior to eating them), individual serving ice-creams, etc. Having to open, unwrap, discard for eat bite meant I probably really wanted it, but helped avoid the "mindless" consumption. Over time, my desire for sweets has adjusted, and I seldom want more than an actual serving, even with the whole tub in front of me.

    Other friends of mine cannot keep these things in the house, and that may be a good way to start (I did not keep anything in my house for a long time just for that reason).

    You'll have to play around with what satisfies you and keeps you feeling full. Personally, a good amount of protein helps a lot, but some carbs really are key to me feeling full and staying that way. I load up on veggies though, as they are high volume, low calorie (and, thankfully, I like them).

    Also, if you haven't yet, invest in a digital food scale (lots of great options on Amazon). You may find very quickly that you are over and under estimating how much of certain things you are actually eating - for example, once I got a scale, I realized I was actually eating LESS protein/meat than I thought I was! Carbs, pasta especially, however, were just the opposite (sad face).
  • hroderick
    hroderick Posts: 756 Member
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    check out platejoy.com free 2 week trial. you can set it for a diabetic diet and many other life factors like allergies and how much time you have to cook. it does the planning for you. we have been using it all year and love it. they give you a choice of recipes each week and a shopping list for those you select. they are also very responsive to their forums. i copy ingredients from their web site and paste them into mfp manual recipes and do needed adjustments. at first i was bothered because the calories were different between the two sites but now I just get mfp pretty close. Today for example we had ginger glazed pork loin with spiced potatoes. My diary is open if you want to see some of our other dinner names. they really helped us upgrade our menus and make planning so easy.
  • tag8055
    tag8055 Posts: 8 Member
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    rheddmobile wrote: »
    When I was diagnosed type 2 diabetic, I dealt with sugar cravings by cutting refined carbs from my diet for a while. If your husband is having issues with insulin resistance, and it sounds like he probably is, then doing this will reduce insulin spikes and thus reduce cravings. It took about two weeks for my Coca Cola cravings to subside.

    A side effect is that natural sugars such as fruit and milk sugars will taste sweeter, and I found I also had greatly reduced cravings for salty fried foods.

    Some people can just reduce the number of certain foods they eat, and have them in moderation. I don't do well when I try that. Cutting them out is just easier for me. After the cravings have subsided, I can add a few back in, and not have a problem - mainly because the overly sweet foods no longer taste as good.

    Some things I added in: cinnamon on lattes. Sliced radishes, for crunchy/salty cravings. Greek yogurt with berries for sweet/creamy. Single pieces of dark chocolate.
    rheddmobile wrote: »
    When I was diagnosed type 2 diabetic, I dealt with sugar cravings by cutting refined carbs from my diet for a while. If your husband is having issues with insulin resistance, and it sounds like he probably is, then doing this will reduce insulin spikes and thus reduce cravings. It took about two weeks for my Coca Cola cravings to subside.

    A side effect is that natural sugars such as fruit and milk sugars will taste sweeter, and I found I also had greatly reduced cravings for salty fried foods.

    Some people can just reduce the number of certain foods they eat, and have them in moderation. I don't do well when I try that. Cutting them out is just easier for me. After the cravings have subsided, I can add a few back in, and not have a problem - mainly because the overly sweet foods no longer taste as good.

    Some things I added in: cinnamon on lattes. Sliced radishes, for crunchy/salty cravings. Greek yogurt with berries for sweet/creamy. Single pieces of dark chocolate.

  • tag8055
    tag8055 Posts: 8 Member
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    Hi still familiarizing myself with how to use this site.

    Husband was a big Pepsi drinker and also loved chocolate like reese pb cups and m&m etc. he’s a little spooked so he doesn’t want to touch the stuff. The doctor did say not to have too many fruits throughout the day because he should lower his carb intake and to increase his veggies.

    Reason for the flavorless protein is bc he’s on the road and I’ve found that if i give him a thermos of cream of broccoli soup (skinnytaste recipe) its easy for him to drink it if he cant stop. Yes i agree the chicken is a good idea too. I will definitely grind that up as well.

    As far as being insulin resistant, I’m not really sure if he is. We haven’t looked into a glucose meter yet because we are still learning and I really dont want to put the fear in him yet. Ill let the doctor do that.

    Any thoughts on a good formula for macros? I’d love to hear suggestions.

  • tag8055
    tag8055 Posts: 8 Member
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    Overall we were large portion eaters with a diet of lot of take out food, Italian food and meat and potatoes, it unfortunately caught up to my husband. The numbers were high enough for his doctor to warn him if he/we keep eating like this. We are learning a lot about what all of the processed food we used to eat. It’s going to be a difficult couple of months with the holidays around the corner but we will soldier on. Lol
  • cgibson522
    cgibson522 Posts: 31 Member
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    Sugar is definitely a trigger for me. I cut it out for a week or so when I started MFP. It was initially hard to stay within my calorie range and there just wasn't space for my sugary snacks. As I got used to portion control, I found that I could re-introduce sugary foods, just in much smaller portions.

    To keep it simple, look for 100 calorie snack packs (easy portion control). Or get the bon bon ice creams at Trader Joes which are small and allow you to have a few. You can always find an extra 100 calories for the day. Mini Reese's are also pretty low in calories so you can eat a few without loading up on calories. I've found that I don't have the same sugar cravings that I once did now that I eat in moderation. It was definitely hard to get to that place, but you can do it!
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,020 Member
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    apullum wrote: »
    For soups, you might try TVP instead of protein powder. TVP is dehydrated soy granules that are often used as vegetarian “ground beef.” They will absorb the broth you cook them in and take on that flavor, so if you do this, be sure that you have enough liquid in the recipe.

    Also beans of all types, and whole eggs or egg whites beaten and stirred in (as in Chinese hot and sour soup or Greek avogolemono soup).
  • siobhanaoife
    siobhanaoife Posts: 150 Member
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    Hydrolyzed collagen is flavorless protein that dissolves easily in hot or cold liquids. I stir it in my morning (hot) coffee and don't taste it at all. It would be fine in soup. I use Great Lakes brand.
  • amy19355
    amy19355 Posts: 805 Member
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    - try adding crushed nuts, or nut butters to soups for a fat/protein boost.
    - a poached egg goes with anything (almost)

    I add egg whites to hot oatmeal, and I suppose they could be used in soup for an egg-drop like experience without the added fat from the yolk.

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