2019 - I WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T GIVE UP!! HERE WE GO!
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Apparently beans are rich in soluble fiber and keep you feeling fuller longer. They’re supposed to help lower LDL.
My hubby ate the salmon!!! We had cauliflower rice, roasted broccoli and butternut squash and sliced tomatoes also. All veggies...no potatoes/rice/pasta/bread and he ate it all! 😳 Wow!! I think I can get away with that a couple times a week. Maybe. We’ll see. It could happen! 😂
Great idea on freezing the beans! I never thought of that!
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Sorry, I'm catching up again! So much going on here!
Your meal sounds delicous. I have tried to eat "heart healthy" food since being diagnosed several years ago now, so a lot of the food you are including sounds very familiar! The only thing I'm not so good on is fish - I love it, but most of the fish you get in supermarkets here is very not fresh. I do sometimes go to a fishmonger, but it's SO expensive! I'm glad your hubby ate the salmon! I converted my son by crisping up the skin.
I tend to buy tins of beans (plain kidney, borlotti, butter, chick peas, etc. - not ones with added sugar) because they are so cheap and easy - occasionally I make bean patties with them, or put them in soups, stews, chillis, etc. I sometimes puree butter beans in a soup as a healthy way to thicken it. I made a lovely veg chilli the other day with mixed beans. And I use chickpeas to make humus, but also sometimes make a similar thing with beans, lemon juice, garlic, seasoning, yoghurt, oil if the calories allow and have it with raw veg or on toast. And I think lentils are good too, in soups, dahl, salad, etc. I do feel beans and lentils tend to need a lot of seasoning.
I love nuts and seeds, and sprinkle mixed seeds on salads, or when I used to make avocado on toast, I'd add some, or use them to top stews, cottage pie, etc. for a bit of crunch. I love walnuts, which were supposed to be one of the particularly good nuts (I need to update, but I know you mentioned them so probably still the case!). I also ate oats in porridge or with yoghurt for wholegrains, and sometimes wholegrain rice/pasta/bread, although not ideal if you are avoiding carbs. And soy products if you like them are good too, I think.
Just a warning - quite a bit of my weight gain was after my heart incident and starting the heart healthy diet! I just must have eaten too much of it! But I love your plan so much, I might steal it for myself!1 -
totally forgot about a veggie chili for getting in beans Vail - thanks for that reminder! also reminded me about the quesadillas i love - mashing red kidney beans with a bit of salsa, spread on one half of tortilla (i use the smart sense ones..high fiber) top with green onions and a bit of cheese and fold over, 3 min each side in a non stick pan (sometimes i put a drop of olive oil in) top with salsa and a little sour cream if you want and yummers..
i think i am going to have to go back to logging for a bit because i think while i'm doing ok at eating more veg and better choices, the scale aint moving so i guess i should see how much im actually eating.. but meeting friends today for lunch to celebrate my retirement soooooooo that will start tomorrow lol (but i already checked out the menu for where we are going; it's italian so decided to get the pasta primavera as it comes loaded with veg and that way i can eat only a small amount of the pasta part but get a lot of veg in.. of course i'm pretty sure the sauce along will be more than my entire calories allowed for the day lol but... this is one of those "enjoy life" moments and i plan to do just that!2 -
I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize that you had heart issues Vail. This whole healthy lifestyle thing is so complicated!!! On the one hand they say the number one thing to lower all your “bad” levels is to lose weight. But on the other hand they tell you to eat healthy fats, nuts, whole grains, fatty fish. It’s a huge balancing act. It was recommended to eat 2 ounces of nuts a day...that’s about 360 calories right there!!! I can definitely see how you gained weight.
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I’m going to try both the chili and the quesadilla. They sound delicious to me...we’ll see what hubby says. 😂 He’s a meat and potatoes guy so he’s gonna have to make some changes as well. To tell you the truth, I’m so tired of cooking pretty much two different meals at night. Sometimes we eat the same protein but then I’m making up to four different sides. Like tonight, I’m making spaghetti. I make him a bolognese and I make me a mushroom sauce with zucchini noodles. 🙄 It’s ridiculous.
Anyway, enjoy your lunch Snoozie! Checking out the menu ahead of time is a great idea. This is definitely one of those enjoy life moments. So don’t get too caught up in the calorie content. Try putting your fork down after every bite and enjoying your visit. It slows down your eating so that your brain registers when you’re full and maybe you won’t eat as much. I read that somewhere. 🤷🏻♀️
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I should have read your post before I left Suzy 😛😜0
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Oh well. I hope you had a good time with everyone! That was the whole point, yes?
I heard back about my bone density test today. I have the beginnings of osteopenia, which is apparently normal after menopause. I have to start taking a calcium supplement and (you guessed it) do some strength training. It’s like the whole universe is screaming at me to go back to the gym! 😂
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yes thanks had a wonderful time; great food, a "little" wine and great friends; can't ask for better!!
i had to google osteopenia as i'd never heard of it... and from what i read (albeit on wikipedia lol) the good news is the supplmenets and ST can improve the bone density ? So that's a little good news at least... and you now have a baseline to measure it against down the road cause you were brave enough to go get all those tests done!!
Curious to know... the calcium supplmements - I remember someone i knew who had to take them and i think. ( kinda like my iron supps which im supposed to take with a vitamin C food (strawberries, oranges etc) the calcium supp was either supposed to be taken WITH food.... or NOT to be taken with food.. ? i can't remember which it was... but i do remember something about when is best to take it so just wondering if the pharmacist or wherever you get your supplements will say anything about that? And something about grapefruit ... Mind you that was years ago .. which is why i prolly can't remember what was said about taking em LOLOLOL
do you happen to have a resistance band of any kind at home? cause anythig using body weight against itself is supposed to be ST and you could prolly find some moves to do on the internet (unless your gym has some ST training available?) I look forward to hearingabout the ST stuff specially - my first "weight lift/fit class is Monday but keeping in mind its at the seniors centre, it won't be Vail's kind of lifting lol - but i know she's done lots of weight stuff before so will keep an eye out for any info from you Vail too!!
I cut and pasted your plan you wrote out above into an email to myself Suzy - i agree with Vail its a great plan and will be a good reminder for me as well! Proud of ya!
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I bet that some degree of osteopenia is really common in us "older" women. I don't think post-menopausal hormone levels support bone and muscle well. On the bright side, when it comes to bone, I'm sure it's considered better to be carrying a little extra weight than be underweight! And weight-bearing exercise is meant to be good, and we all do some of that (walking, etc.)!
Good luck with the class, Snoozie. I don't do really heavy lifting any more and to be honest, I don't know if it's needed. I remember looking at benefits of strength training on older people, and they were not using terribly heavy weights. I think anything is probably better than nothing! I would love to be going to an older people's class. I struggle at my gym classes (I haven't been for a couple of weeks - need to get back!), and have had various injuries.
I don't know how you cope with making different meals, Suzy! I suppose I am just too lazy - lol! I do sometimes cook for my son and his girlfriend, and while I've been on that low fat diet, I have to juggle a bit, for instance, adding olive oil to their portions. But I've stopped that diet now, as it was only really to give me a kickstart, and it's too expensive to continue. And also the reliance on weekly weights was driving me nuts!
I am having some necessary repairs done on my house, so won't be able to be in it during the day for the next few weeks - the wrong time to be semi-retired! I'm going to have to be careful I don't eat too much - thinking of either going back to fasting during the day, or taking a packed lunch out for the day, like I do at work. I know the temptation will be to eat too much to get through the stress of it, lol!2 -
I just realized i should stop whining about hating cooking cause it's only me i have to worry about - i can't imagine having to make separate things for someone else too but then again, they'd probably starve to death before i had to worry about it too much LOL.. sounds like you're planning to change things up a bit in your world Suzy - i have no doubt it will be a bit of a challenge to bring in some changes here and there if hubs is a meat and potatoes guy, but you got him to eat salmon, so you're superpower is already established in that area - i have faith in you!
Vail - omg speaking of challenges!! i know you're semi retired; do u only work a few days a week and will have to find places to go to hang out on the others while the repairs are being done? ack! i think that's great planning on packing a lunch like for work while you're out roaming around (if that's what you will have to do) and i can totally relate to the stress eating cause i've always been an emotional eater.. and home repairs are one of those top stressors IMO.. come here if you need talking off a ledge at any point - we'll be here for ya!!0 -
Home repairs are the worst!! I feel for you Vail. If you have a few days with nowhere to go maybe you could check out a museum you’ve always wanted to see or go on a long leisurely walk? I hope it all goes well for you!
Snoozie, I’ll have to talk to a pharmacist or something about the Calcium. I have no idea. I was just planning on using the machines at the gym and start with some lighter weights. I’ll look into whether they have a class for beginners (or seniors...that sounds like a good place to start).
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good idea on the machines suzy - i tried to post a few times earlier but got server errors then down for maintenance.. but wanted to ask how your mom is; has she been released from hospital yet?1
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Yes, she’s home now but seems to be very tired and depressed. She has home healthcare coming out for the next six weeks to help with daily activities and has to use her walker 24/7 until she’s stronger (which realistically may be never). It’s very hard to watch your parents fade right in front of you. That being said, it could have been so much worse. Thanks for asking.
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I'm glad to hear she is home Suzy - and no doubt it will take a while for her to recover both mentally and physically from such a scary health problem. I think often times too the first few weeks there's an added fear people have that it might happen again, and the potential lengthy road to recovery must be intimidating in itself. And I think all of us hate the thought of having to be being dependent on anyone else for anything at any time... and yes its heart wrenching to see your parents age... will continue to think good thoughts for your mom's full recovery..
we had our "fun" tournament at pb yesterday; we lost every game but had a lot of fun and i stayed to watch some of my friends playing in the mixed doubles - but everyone wanted to get the hell out by 4pm to watch the US open tennis match LOL.. so there were very few calls for re-serves or arguments over balls being in or out ha... so i didn't get a medal but i did win a water bottle in one of the draws... woo hoo
Off to the lake for a leisurely walk and perhaps a stop at the farmers market after i figure out what to make for dinner... i thot of you vail when i saw a recipe for a stuffed acorn squash - basically just baked in 1/2's and then stuffed with veggie chili and topped with a bit of cheese... so i may make up that veggie chili you mentioned .. at least it would be a start ha..1 -
hi all... played pickleball this morning then went to my first weight trng class - it was great; the instructor is very knowledgeable (a very fit little thing!) but super nice and i liked that the room was set up in a horseshoe with her in the middle; she would show us the exercise turning each way first then do it with us and while she counted out the reps she would either wander among us or eyeball us and do corrections to us along the way to make sure we were doing it right... we used one of the little step thingies, free weights, resistance bands and a weighted pole throughout the full hour class and i have to admit i wasnt sure i was gonna make it thru once or twice - omg.. and the sad part? We had to take a light weight and a heavier one with us to our places at the start.. so i chose a 2lb and a 3lb ... and yes.. near the end of a few moves i was struggling... even with those tiny weights! But i thoroughly enjoyed it, and can do several at home as the class is only once a week... and she gave em a few tips after on stretching out some realyl tight parts i have always had.. plus i talked to her about my shoulder before the class; she had surgery for a torn rotator cuff muscle herself a year ago ... so at one point we had to squat holding the pole then coming up raise it above our head - and she said to me dont go over your head just go part way up which i really appreciated.. so i am very happy with this class. plus everyone seemed to be between 60-65 no 80 yr olds - they were all across the hall dancing - they were doing salsa and cha cha an having a grand old time it looked like - (and nobody asked me how i got in cause i'm only just turned 58) so am quite pleased with this class i chose. I may even add it to the winter if i can get it cause i signed up for a different stretch class in winter but i think i may keep this one going. Plus i'll be able to see at the end of the 14 weeks if there has been any improvement so all good! But the class definitely showed me how much i need to improve my strength capabilities just to be able to do routine regular stuff i wanna do!!1
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That sounds really great Snoozie! I’m so glad you’re doing the class! Salsa dancing also sounds fun! 😂💃🏻0
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The salsa dancers looked like they were having a blast - but most had to be between 75-80 yrs old and i thought they might notice me sneak in.. lol plus they were dressed to the nines (and wearing HEELS i might add!!) and i was in grubby sweats
Vail - wanted to say ty for the veggie chili idea - i made my regular one minus the meat and it turned out very well (altho i only had kidney beans on hand, next time would add a few more different ones along with) but i had a carrot and a stalk of celery which i diced up and sweated down with the onions at the start - so i figured that added 2 veggies lol.. but i did freeze one little tiny tub (the 1 oz size) along with the regular servings, and today i was starved after coming home from pickleball and shopping - and i ALMOST stoppped for a burger but said no go home!! I had a few tortilla chips and i nuked the veggie chili, put on top and grated a small amount of cheese and a tbsp of sour cream and it was sooooooo good.. just a small dessert size plate and i had to stop myself from going back for more (but i would have had to defrost a whole meal size one) but it was very yummy!! Tomorrow or friday i will defrost a regular size one, and fill the 1/2 acorn squash with it for dinner..2 -
is anyone losing weight lately btw?? lol.. i know not much action going on in here but would really like to hear if anyone has been losing lately?? need the motivation!0
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I’ve been managing to lose but then I blow it by eating the wrong things or too much. So overall I’m down from my heaviest after all the vacations and such but still not down to my recorded weight on MFP. I just didn’t want to reset my ticker. We’re going hiking in Arkansas in six weeks. I’ve committed myself to just stick with it for six weeks and see what happens. I should be able to do anything for six weeks!!! Right? After our walk last night we drove through Chick-fil-a for diet lemonade (I’m addicted to it) and my husband ordered me a small ice cream cone when I didn’t even ask for one. It really kind of made me mad. It’s only 170 calories and I had enough left in the day to have it but I felt like he was sabotaging my efforts. Of course, I didn’t have to eat it but I did. I told him not to ever do that again.
I’m betting that the strength training is going to really help Snoozie. Adding muscle helps heat up the metabolism. I know it’s got to be hard with your routine completely thrown out of whack with your retirement. You’re developing your new normal and adding healthy changes!! Give it some time to work. I suggest finding some new recipes (I’ve been searching skinnytaste for new ones) to try along with your new strength training. It will happen!! That scale will move!!! You may find that your clothes fit better without the scale moving and that’s great! Hang in there! You can do this!!!
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Suz - thanks for letting me know.. i think it's great you're down from your vacations but i hear ya on the not being at your recorded weight.. i'm close to my recorded but even that one was a reset a while back so really when i do get there, im no further ahead yet.. i think i'm just a little frustrated cause i really did want to lose some weight before Italy, but then aagain i didnt exactly put the work into doing it.. and ya its been 2 weeks since retirement so really doesnt feel like it yet except i'm finding im looking for comfort foods and stuffing my face when i'm not even hungry... and altho im stuffing more healthy choices, its still the amount im stuffing that matters.. I think too im a little miffed cause i caved yesterday and bought a cheap pair of pants one size up to wear on the plane; my 12's still fit but they are tight and i just thought, i so dont wanna be uncomfortable at all and i swore i would never buy anything bigger. But i wanna enjoy every minute of the trip and i figured, better to be comfortable than not.. But hence why i went cheap - i consoled myself with the knowledge i could toss them once i get back and start losing again!! and im sticking with that lol..
i have tried a few new recipes; that veggie chili turned out well but as you know, i don't enjoy cooking all that much lol. Yesterday i actually made a batch of my mom's gingersnaps.. i honestly haven't baked in probably over a year!! thankfully i froze 90% of them so i can just take out one for my after dinner tea and sweet now and then...
And yes i hope with the wee bit of strength training that will help kick up the metabolism a bit too.. altho i'll have to kick it up and add at home a few times a week too once i get used to the routine.. but you're right;... i'm continuing to try to make the right changes so i'm just gonna keep on that path and remind myself i'm still down a LOT from when i started here... thanks for the post it helped!!
How's your mom doing btw.. ?0
