so many questions about this lifestyle change.
tag8055
Posts: 8 Member
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
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
2
Replies
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I have unflavored Quest protein powder, so yes to that question. Protein powder doesn't mix well into hot liquids usually. You'll need to mix it with water/milk before adding it to the hot liquid.
Cravings are a hard one. Keep the foods you crave out of the house. It's easier to say no once at the grocery store, than to say no continually at the house. Don't have cash on you at work so you can't buy from the vending machine. Keep your purse/wallet in the trunk of the car to make going through drive-thrus difficult.
Some people are moderators and some are abstainers. I'm a moderator. I have to fit my craving food (chocolate or ice cream) into my day or I'll freak out and binge on it. Abstainers will freak out and binge after the first taste and have to cut it completely out of their diet. You'll have to figure out which of these you are.
Satiety is very individual. I am kept full if I have a good mix of protein, carbs and fat in a meal or snack. You'll have to experiment on what keeps each of you full. Potatoes are a good one for me. Add a baked potato to a meal (without all the calorific toppings) and I'll be full for hours. Same with oatmeal. I make protein oats for breakfast. Mix protein powder with almond milk, add to 40 grams of old fashioned oats, nuke for a minute or so, stir in frozen berries. YUM!16 -
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.2 -
Here's more on being an Abstainer or a Moderator:
https://gretchenrubin.com/2012/10/back-by-popular-demand-are-you-an-abstainer-or-a-moderator/5 -
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.6
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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.3 -
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.1
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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.1 -
With respect for your concerns about trigger foods, many find trying to completely overhaul their diet to eat only "healthy food" to be counterproductive. A particular type of food doesn't cause anyone to become overweight with its ensuing health issues... eating too many calories does. And conversely, a person loses weight and reverses those health conditions by eating at an appropriate calorie level. The problem with a focus on an "all healthy diet" is sustainability. To lose weight and manage it for a lifetime requires a person be willing to eat that way forever. Asking a person to adhere to a diet of only nutrient dense food is asking a lot, for most people, and is unnecessary. Once a person has met their nutritional needs for the day, there's no extra credit for more broccoli.
That being said, as has been mentioned, some do feel the need to abstain from certain trigger foods (generally not entire food groups). That's OK. But in the long run, a person is benefited primarily from a balanced way of eating that they can live with for a lifetime, and not have to "white-knuckle" it through the weight loss process. Many of us focused on the calorie number only, and over time learned which food choices were most satisfying (physically and psychologically) and which ones were not and made small changes accordingly. It becomes sort of a custom meal plan
The happier a person is, the more likely he/she will enjoy long-term success.
Wish you the best
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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.2 -
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).2 -
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.2
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taking chromium picolineate for a few weeks will help with sugar craving5
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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.
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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.
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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. Lol1
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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!0 -
I use bags of fun size chocolates to help with portion control.
There's no way I could eat part of a chocolate bar and put the rest back. Once I start I'll eat the whole bar, so by buying. for example a packs of fun size snickers eating the whole bar is is about 80 calories instead of 280
.
Intellectually I know they're not the same thing but subconsciously it's still a 'whole chocolate bar' and oddly that makes it feel the same. Weird 9 -
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).0 -
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.2
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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.1 -
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.
I just looked up the skinnytaste recipe, you could add low fat cottage cheese It's is an excellent protein booster for creamed vegetable soups and tastes really good. It stands up to heat well, adds to the creaminess, and adds to the cheesiness. Since you're pureeing the soup, lumps won't be an issue.7 -
[/quote]
I just looked up the skinnytaste recipe, you could add low fat cottage cheese It's is an excellent protein booster for creamed vegetable soups and tastes really good. It stands up to heat well, adds to the creaminess, and adds to the cheesiness. Since you're pureeing the soup, lumps won't be an issue.[/quote]
Oh im definitely going to try this! Thank you!
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siobhanaoife wrote: »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.
Thank you I will look into this!0 -
I can only speak for myself, but here goes. I do best on a higher protein/fat, low carb plan. It keeps me fuller longer. I used to do the low fat thing and by the time I got home from work I was so hungry I was ready to gnaw off my arm! Eating an adequate amount of good protein and fats takes longer to digest thus you feel fuller longer. Also you burn more calories to break down protein and fat than you do carbs, especially simple carbs.
I eat two eggs a day and have for a long time. My cholesterol is not way high, around 200. But the thing that my doctor likes is that both my good and bad cholesterol levels are good. And I satisfy my sweet tooth with a little treat after dinner instead of eating a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. No food is off limits as long as it fits in your nutritional goals.
You’ll find the proportions that work best for you. Wishing you all the best❤️0 -
Volume eating has saved my weight goald. I can’t do it without the volume eating feeling. That means I need to feel full and don’t be hungry all the time. So I eat large amount of very low calorie food. 0% grec yogourt, extra extra large salad + veggie + lean protein. At night I eat lean protein (a good large piece) with roasted veggies + grec yogourt + garlic and cayenne. I feel full and good. I tent to eat my meal when I m hungry. Usally breakfast is late after my third coffe and dinner is early (can be at 16h if I need to eat.)0
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I don't do protein powders but as for the craving issue... I use sugarless products. I know alot of people are against artificial sweeteners but they saved me. I was a candy addict when I started dieting and couldn't just quit cold turkey. I am sensitive to some sugar alcohols so I usually allow myself 2 pieces of sugarless candy (like a lifesaver or Werther's) per day. I also buy Ross sugar free chocolate bars. I eat one square a day. It does not set off cravings. The sugar without a doubt does.
For the salt craving which is much worse for me these days I use Boom-chick-a-pop popcorn. I buy the big bags at Costco. I will admit however that I have to measure it or I eat too much. It is filling though and much better as a snack than say potato chips or something as far as getting more for my calories.
Regarding still being hungry after eating 6 ounces of chicken, I would suggest eating more veggies. I eat alot of broccoli and I find when I'm hungry after dinner it's usually because I was too lazy to make some good high fibre veggies. I try to eat twice as many vegetables as starch. So If I have 1/2 cup of potato I'll eat a cup of broccoli or something similar. Fresh steamed vegetables are more filling that canned. Frozen is a close second. Find something you like and eat plenty. It will keep you full much longer. I also use a teaspoon of butter it's worth every single calorie to me and fat is satiating.1 -
A tip for managing the holidays: Just make smaller amounts of what you usually eat so the threat of days of high-calorie leftovers is gone. Enjoy the actual holiday meals, but don't extend that eating beyond the holiday.
Lots of other great advice here.
Unless you are incredibly active and/or have an aversion to meat, I would just work on getting protein via food (typically meat). Early in the process it's easiest to focus on the basics. Build a meal out of one protein, one starch, two veggies, and one fat.
Mixing and matching that idea kind of looks like this:
Taco Salad
Meat = Beef or chicken (4-6oz)
Starch = Tortilla chips (28g)
Veggie = Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, whatever. About 250g total, 150 of which is probably the lettuce.
Fat=1/2 TB of oil to cook the meat with and 1/2 TB of salad dressing (I try the yogurt cream dressings. Bolthouse is a popular brand or mixing lowfat sour cream with salsa).
Get a food scale and be especially diligent about weighing your meats and fats, but really weigh everything. This will put in in as much control of your diets as possible to really see those portions and plan your calories. It takes practice, seems a little overkill at first, but will really help you lock in how much food you need to eat in a day to lose weight (and how to work in treats!).
I was also big into Pepsi and candy and fast food when I started losing weight. I gave up the Pepsi altogether and drank sparkling water and diet soda. Candy for the most part had to go, but I do have some every now and again (just not every day as an afternoon snack).
Experiment with foods that make you feel full. It's different for everyone.1 -
Thank you all soooo much!!0
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From your post only (and I may have gone overboard in interpretation) I read you translated
to eating high processed protein powders and a diet high in protein onlythe simple sugar, high fats, processed food and to loose some weight by exercising and come back in 3 months for more blood work
What i suggest as a translation is simply cut added sugar and home cook with portion control.
What I did when I started is avoid the trigger foods for a few weeks. Not having them in the house helps a lot then.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.
I avoided anything with added sugar for 3 months initially. Not because I think sugar is bad, but to break the trigger habit. I occasionally still tell myself a month no sugar whenI feel the trigger is kicking in again. Note this is added sugars only I still eat fruits.
As for salt I started cooking with very very little salet and learning about other spices and how to use them - turns out that salt is great as a flavour enhancer, but so are other spices - growing herbs helps too Fresh herbs are the best, no salt needed. Again breaking a trigger
Why do you feel you need to eat protein powders? Never touched them as they tend to have a bitter component that is too strong for me (often masked by sweetners that leave a bitter aftertaste in my mouth)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?
I did get into using liquid egg white for a while instead of eggs but generally speaking never used anything but 'normal' food.
Not everybody feels full on a high protein diet. I know I don't. For me it is complex carbs that'll me up. So for me, personally, the answer would be fruit/raw vegetable or even a rice wafer with tomato and pepper). High protein with a little added fat will also help.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?0
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