2019 - I WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T GIVE UP!! HERE WE GO!
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I hope you get it sorted with the Metformin, Gail. I used to take my medication at 7am and 7pm, then tried 8am and 8pm, trying to fit it in around work and other things. And now I take it when I get up and go to bed, simply because that's when I will remember, and won't double dose because it's part of a routine. But it's not ideal, because a couple of meds are twice daily doses and obviously I leave it too long during the day, and then too short at night! So I hope you manage to find a routine that works and is better than my solution.
It's interesting what you say about Vitamin B12, Snooozie. I just had it in my head because I'd been reading about supplementing for vegans, and was thinking that I don't eat very much animal products. I've started using Marmite more, although I don't know how good it is really, but I do like the taste! I don't have any emergency cereal in the house - lol! But I think our cereal is often fortified, and flour/bread too.1 -
omg Vail - I can't believe you mentioned Marmite LOL... i have a friend who grew up in Britain and loves that stuff - she made me try it once and I have to admit.. it's right up there with liver in my opinion LOL... def NOT a fan but I havent heard of it in years and so I had a good laugh when i saw it your post! But I know its now considered one of the "superfoods" - i think because its loaded with all the B vitamins, and.. maybe folic acid? something else super beneficial for us lol0
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Before i forget.. i can't remember if it was someone here who talked about vitamin C helping absorb iron and i said that was only for supplements - but turns out doesnt matter the source it DOES help.. so if it was one of you ... thanks!! lol
i had googled foods high in iron before i went shopping - turns out a few things i thot were high like broccoli aren't but most important.. (and Vail i thought of you and our big oatmeal discussion lol) turns out the CHEAP microwave pouches of oatmeal (and by cheap i mean 1.97 for 10 pouches) ... they have 40% of the DR of iron..!! since they wanted almost $4 for 6 little nuggets of frozen spinach... i opted for hte oatmeal LOL.. but i did get a tub of fresh spinach leaves on sale so i can toss that in with some pasta as well... but i did laugh at the oatmeal turning out to the cheapest and one of the highest... !
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My guess is that those pouches are fortified (like breakfast cereal). Funny that they fortify the cheap ones and not the more expensive ones! Yes, Vitamin C is supposed to help you absorb it (e.g. having veg with meals). Also, animal iron (meat, eggs, etc.) is easier to absorb. And animal iron helps you absorb non-animal iron (if you eat them together). And caffiene drinks tend to interfere with iron absorption, so best not to have tea with meals (something I tend to be guilty of!).
Dried fruit is supposedly high in iron, but we're not meant to eat a lot, and also somebody told me years ago that it was only because of the way it was processed and stored (presumably absorbing iron from metal in vats or barrels), and that may have changed with modern processing methods. I don't know if that's true - probably not - but funny how these things stick with you for years! I will have to find out some time.
Marmite definitely has a distinctive taste! I didn't used to like it, but I do now.0 -
Thanks, everyone. It's my own fault. I just kinda' fell out of taking one at night. ( it was my only pill I took) So since it is so severe this time, I thought I should try to find a way to take the 2 pills my doctor had recommended I take. I just couldn't figure out a way to take them, without running for the Loo!
This way seems to work, I am taking 1000 mg at 10:00am and 10:00 pm... so I am covering all hours of the night......just not with my meal....muu uh can't do it! lol
marmite...gotta look that one up...is it something like vegomite in austrailaia?
I have read that about the B12 myself. I wonder how many dear sweet people could be fixed with getting their B12 checked and kept up with.
break over
Bye
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Hello Hatters! We’re still on Kansas City but though I’d chime in for a minute.
Gail, I really hope the meds help. That’s very scary! Losing eyesight is nothing to mess around with!
Vail, that’s a big no on the marmite. Yuk! Good for you that you actually like it!!!
Snoozie, I didn’t know that about the oatmeal. I’ll have to look and see if the one I use is fortified.
My dad is currently going for weekly B12 shots because his levels were so low. He was showing signs of fatigue and a bit of dementia. I’m glad we found it as early as we did. Of course, he thinks he’s falling apart now.
I’ve managed to keep my eating in control so far. So fingers crossed for the rest of our stay here.
I’ll check in later! Have a good one, ladies!
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Interesting video; I have to say it reminded me that I did indeed come here originally to improve my health, not to hit a number on a scale!
https://youtu.be/qkpBjOm0s5E1 -
Gail i'm SO glad to hear you are back on your meds !!! yay you!!
Oh wow Suzy i'm glad he's getting those shots! well done you on keeping your eating in control while away!!2 -
Hey all... I was cleaning out some old emails and i can across this one i sent to myself.. it appears to have been quite a while ago from the date on the email, BUT if i recall, it was a post by someone on MFP that I thought was excellent, so i cut and pasted it and emailed it to myself.... sadly i didn't include the name of the poster to give her credit ... but i think from the contents of her post, she wouldn't mind me sharing it anyway.
It was good to re read it today as well for me .... so I thought i would share it just in case it resonates well with anyone else right now.. Hugs!
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(unknown poster)
After losing so much weight, I’ve had to buy new things and I often find myself trying on dresses, jeans and shirts, dress slacks and blouses. High heels. When I get dressed, I examine myself from all angles. I am very pleased. I am wearing wedges and a wrap dress. How very cute I am. Then I go out into the world and face the comments—You’re getting so skinny! You’re going to dry up and blow away! You’re melting! How did you do it? How much have you lost? What do you weigh NOW?
The comments are endless. They think they are helping, being nice. They aren’t. I am only confused. Exposed. My fat was like a lead mantle, protecting me from their probing gaze. Now I am becoming see-through. I feel as though I am on display, constantly judged and measured. I’m working very, very hard to stop listening to what everyone says. What they say, what they think-- it doesn’t really matter. I’m teaching myself to believe this. I want to be more than what I weigh, or how I look. I AM more.
I’m not exactly sure when I last weighed what I weigh now, but it’s probably been over fifteen years. When you’ve gained and lost and gained and lost and gained it all back and then gained a lot, lot more—well, your life is a solid blur of this. A blur of your body and food and numbers on a scale. Numbers on a scale and food diaries, begun in earnest, then discarded. A blur of self-help books on overeating, on miracle diets, on how to love yourself at any size. Then, somehow, there is no scale. There is only the gaining. And the black tunics with leggings. And big black shirts. And the sweat. The out-of-breathness. Avoiding the profile. Avoiding the photographs.
That I’ve broken free of this ongoing, maddening see-saw of existence is remarkable. I am watching my mother-in-law, once again, eating Nutri-System food. She doesn’t like the food. She weighs herself every day. The scale drives her crazy. She talks about her “diet” and her food constantly. She knows and acknowledges that she will gain it all back.
I refuse to gain it all back—I will show up every single day and record my food on MFP. Every day. Even when I know I’ve gone over by 1,000 calories. By 1,500 calories. Even when I’m just so busy I really don’t have the time. Even when I’m annoyed with the whole thing, the watchful eye, the diligence.
But the diligence, however annoying and tiresome, works. I’ve lost almost 90 pounds. I’ve been on this journey with MFP since last March. I’ve been incredibly successful.
When people ask me how I “did” it, they want me to tell them about the “diet” I’m on, probably expecting me to say “low carb” or “Paleo” or some other such nonsense. I’ve decided, after a few months of this dreadful attention to say, “I’m eating less.” Because I am. Eating less. Watching my food like a hawk. Showing up every single day.
After many years of counseling, I have begun to change my THINKING. That was the beginning. Now I know that EVERYTHING is a CHOICE.
Every time you eat something, you have made a choice. I used to eat things, stuff them in, and wonder why I did it. What was wrong with me? I don't even LIKE Twinkies. Obviously, I couldn’t control myself. I was “addicted.” I was an emotional eater. Surely I had an eating disorder. Surely I wasn’t “normal.” Now I don’t think this way. I whirled round and round inside my food “obsession” for years, but once I embraced the fact that everything in my life is a result of decisions that I have made, losing weight has become doable. And other things in my life make more sense too. I have several serious health issues, but I choose how to react to my ailments. I have limitations—there are things I just can’t do anymore, but I choose to either feel sorry for myself or look for other solutions.
I choose what to eat and what not to eat. It really is that simple. But I must pay attention. I must be aware and stay aware lest I return to my addled way of thinking. And I refuse to go back.
Here are some things that help me--
I do not say “exercise” and I do not say “diet.” Ever. I say “food.” And I say “move.” I’m careful to never use punitive language.
I do not play games with the scale. I weigh ONCE a week on MY scale. I place the scale in the same position on the floor. Every time. I weigh ONE time. My scale is the ONLY SCALE THAT COUNTS. I do not weigh at the gym. I do not weigh at other people’s houses. The doctor’s scale doesn’t count.
I eat ALL of my calories. I eat back my extra calories from swimming or walking or stretching or cleaning house. I eat what I want to eat. I do not “play” the numbers—no banking calories. No “cheat” days.
I eat often and I “front-load” my day--breakfast is often my largest meal and I never, ever skip it. I try to stop eating by 6:00 pm. I usually stop eating well before then.
I naturally drink a lot of water. I never drink sugary drinks and I have only a small amount of juice.
I ignore the latest “nutrition” advice. This can be hard, but once you realize that what shows up in the news, and what you watch on “documentaries,” is either very sketchy, very biased, or too preliminary to be of much use, it’s rather easy. In spite of what the “experts” claim, food studies are only approaching “accurate” when performed in a lab in a completely controlled setting. There have been very few such studies. And there are no “miracle” foods, no miracle diets.
There is only food--what you decide to eat and how much you decide to eat of it.
I eat my sweets. But I have become very aware of what I’m eating and I weigh the choices before I choose. If a protein bar will do it, I eat one. If the protein bar won’t do it, I eat a candy bar. If only a pastry will hit the spot, then I have a pastry. I pretty much know the calorie count of everything at this point so I can think to myself—500 calorie apple fritter or 280 calorie candy bar?
If the calorie count for a food on MFP is questionable, then I look it up on the restaurant’s website. Or I get it from the actual label. When I must guess, I tend to overestimate rather than underestimate.
I try not to get too obsessed with this whole process and as much as I can, I don’t talk about it when I hang out with friends (except my walking buddy who is also losing weight).
I allow myself to fail. I am in this for the rest of my life. The scale will go down. The scale will go up. I just need to show up. MFP works. And that little message at the end of each day provides excellent comfort and accountability—If Every Day Were Like Today.
This message makes it very clear that you would have to have a steady stream of 1,000+ calorie days to gain 8 pounds. But it reminds you, too, that you could easily wander off course.
You could obsess over your body, its imperfections. Its bulges. Its jiggly bits. You could deprive yourself of food until you find yourself having just finished a Baconator, two donuts, and a bag of chips, unsure of how you got there. You could play games with the scale—Oh, that can’t be right, Let me weigh again. What if I move it over here? What if I lean to the right? To the left? You could drive yourself batty. Or you could take food holidays until you realize it’s been two months since you recorded your weight. You could talk about your “diet” nonstop and annoy your friends who aren’t on diets. You could do all sorts of things to sabotage yourself or make yourself miserable.
Or you can choose to feel better. To do well. To succeed. You can embrace those jiggling wiggly bits. You can be proud and stand up straight. You can reach the top of the stairs without dying for breath. You can wear a blazer inside without sweating. You can turn sideways and look at yourself in the mirror.
And you can have that Baconator. You can have those donuts and that bag of chips. You can eat what you really want to eat. You can be very aware that all you’re doing is making choices, that you always have a choice to make. You always have options. This? This? Or That?
You can refuse to play games. You can try your damnedness to listen to yourself instead of everybody else. You can just be “okay” that you struggle with food. Why you struggle doesn’t matter so much. Change your behavior and the rest will follow. I used to think that was nuts. Now I know how very true it is.
Today, you can make a great choice. You can choose to show up. And tomorrow, you can decide to show up again. And again. Pretty soon you’ll have a whole string of days where you decided to show up. To pay attention. To make choices. And good things will happen.
So show up. And keep showing up.
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Wow!! This hits the spot!! Thanks, for saving it Snoozie. This is exactly what I need to read daily.......especially with my diabetes.1
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Great post, thank you! I loved this bit: "You can just be “okay” that you struggle with food. Why you struggle doesn’t matter so much. Change your behavior and the rest will follow." I think it's so true, that sometimes you need to just get on and do whatever it is (not just dieting). That changing your behaviour can lead to changing your mindset.
It's really good to hear what works for successful people! I think some of her strategies wouldn't work quite so well for me, but I suppose the trick, as she says, is finding what works for you rather than listening to other people. For instance, I wouldn't want to have breakfast as my main meal as it's more rushed and I'm not actually hungry. It's important to me to enjoy my food, so I have my main meal in the evening when I have time to cook (and also, I admit, so that I can look forward to it all day - lol!).
I would love to know how she maintained and whether she found it harder or easier than losing!
Now I've got to google "Baconator"!0 -
haha Vail - i think it's a hamburger but i'm not sure - let me know what you find out!!
I quite liked the post as well (obviously since i saved it).. and i agree its about finding what works for you..obviously my shiftwork plays a part in when i eat the most every day.. but a lot of what she said resonated.. for me many parts but the paragraph where she says woudl eat the twinkies.. not even liking twinkies.. then wonder why she wasn't "normal"... and like u the just be ok with the struggle.. but in the end it was just a post that i really really liked lol.0 -
Great post Snoozie! I really zoned in on the, “And there are no “miracle” foods, no miracle diets. There is only food--what you decide to eat and how much you decide to eat of it.” Soooo true! It’s like you said....all about your choices!
We’re flying home in a couple hours. I’ll be glad to get back to my routine!
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Note to self.. get back to daily walking! Temps are finally supposed to go above 0 Sunday
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Welcome Home Suzy!!
Love this too, Snoozie!
Vail, it is a hamburger from Wendy's with a lot of bacon, mayo ketchup....none of the salad on top, as my granddaughter calls it.
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With daylight savings this weekend (move clocks ahead one hour), we should be able to get back to our after dinner walks by the river. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.
Official weigh in tomorrow morning. I weighed this morning and was up three pounds. I swear I didn’t make too many bad decisions while I was traveling. I’m hoping that getting back to my routine today will help by tomorrow morning....water weight and all.
I’ve had a baconator or two in my past. Lots of cheese, bacon, mayo....all sooooo healthy! Hahaha!
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welcome back suz.. and yay on the walks.. i cannot WAIT til the temps get up a bit and i can resume my walk; i really didn't realize how easily i had fallen out of the habit of it over the winter and i am bound and determined to get back on track asap!
I know today is your weigh in day... fingers crossed - don't panic tho if a small fluctuation happens to show with all the travelling and routine disruption over the past few days - it won't mean a thing; remember you've lost an amazing amount of weight these past 8 weeks and you are ROCKING your way towards getting what you want for yourself!!
i'm off to pickleball ... just realized there isn't any next week due to the kids being off school for march break and using the community centres.. grrr... get back to school kids LOLOL...1 -
I’m sure their parents will be thinking the same thing! Haha!
I recorded a two pound gain. I’m hoping it will come off quickly. If anything, it’s given me new motivation to stay the course. Now if only the weather would cooperate and stop raining!!! We might be able to go hiking tomorrow, we’ll see what happens.
Have fun at PB!
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Suzy i'm sure its just due to the travelling and being slightly off your routine for a few days.. it'll be gone in a heartbeat!
I had such a great time at PB today... my first game i compeltley sucked - kept hitting it out of the court and i even dropped my paddle once...wth? lol but i shrugged it off and my second game was the best i've ever played woo hoo! subseuqent games were just .. ok play but had a blast; lots of teasing hte guys about it being international womens day and us having to win! but it made me think of things like my eating and not giving up on me - there will be good days and bad days but as long as i don't give up on me, i'll get there !!1
