Hello and where to begin

Hi. I just started AGAIN! How are you doing this week? I care. I am 79 year old married female. I have somewhat controlled diabetes. I have been on Ozempic for a while and it does lower my diabetes number, however, unlike all the hype about losing weight on it, it does not work that way for me! I weigh 176.6 today. Though that sounds great, I am 5' and a size 2x to 3x. If I can lower my weight, my diabetes numbers will come down without Ozempic. I need to eat less carbs.

For me (not suggesting, just how I mentally operate now) I had to learn to like and love myself more in order to get over the "hump" of motivation and commitment to health and fitness. I know that is a whole other thread and topic, but that's where it started for me.

My first real step was to think of food as nourishment instead just food or entertainment. Cutting out all things bad for me was enlightening because after a few weeks (and I started to lose weight immediately without counting calories) I was no longer thinking of food the way I used to.

Cravings went away, and I gained a craving to nourish instead of feed or eat. For me, it had to start with diet and creating better habits. Small victories, allow yourself to fail and get right back on that horse. Maybe even just going with "best practices" at first with diet and exercise (no hard-line constraints that set us up for certain failures).

I've been exactly where you are. I know exactly how it feels. The only real failure that can identify you is not starting. Get started, no matter how small, and make small victories and build upon them. The smiles happen along the way, encouraging yourself to do just a little more.

Regarding bland chicken/foods, totally get it.

Are you able to grill/smoke foods? It adds a lot of flavor and can control for salt.

We like to grill up a pan of spiced chicken and beef, then use it later for street tacos, add into salad or soups, serve with taters and a veggie, what not.

Also grill up sweet onion and bell pepper strips to use as toppers...

Hubby does our grilling; charcoal briquets with woodchips, but imagine gas is quicker more like stovetop searing and pan frying. Dad had a pellet contraption, although not sure what there.

We use convenience foods in a pinch, rotisserie chicken, deli meats, precut veggies, fresh fruits, individual servings of what not, frozen.

Or research healthy takeout options. We pick up greens and bentos, sub type sandwiches, they can do keto type salads, pizza places often offer meatballs..

everyone's preferences are different, so hopefully you'll find strategies that work for you.

Deciding to is a great place to start.

I tend to use most of my carbs on non-starchy veggies, fruits like berries and tsngerines or grapefruit. Craisins.


Other foods
Low carb, keto friendly.
Individual serving packages of cheese, nuts, greek yogurt with protein powder.

Pre-bagged salads, pre-cut veggies or frozen

Keto friendly low carb Dressings - ranch, salsa with sour cream.

Quick proteins rotisserie chicken, quality lunch meats and cheeses

Pickles/d asparagus, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, pepperoncinis

Grain - quinoa used instead of rice, has a higher protein.

Other, protein powder (i use chocolaye whey in morning coffee), tuna, eggs,

Broth or dry bouillon on hand.

A quick soup with broth, cup non-starchy frozen veggie, tbsp dry quinoa, spice with onion, garlic, blackened seasoning, italian blend. Bring to boil, then simmer about 5 min. When about done, stir in 1 or 2 eggs.

Quick wraps of sliced lunchmeats and cheese around pickles/asparagus, drizzled ranch.

A typical Keto approach would be 70% fats, so ranch fits there, and mayo, 20% protein, rest is carbs up to 50g for the day (some as low as 20g/day)

Personally, i prefer a low carb approach with 4 meals, 15 - 25 g of carb per meal, and then roughly a 50/50 split between protein & fats thereabouts targets but not rigid.

There was a book i read awhile back called The Spectrum by Dean Ornish. The main gist is think of decisions on a line (the spectrum) and your choices lined up from left to right... the choices get better and healthier the more you choose to the right.

That is not always possible, so.... make a good choice for you this one decision from the options available that is also good for you emotionally. That's it.

Make the decision, that ends it. No guilt. There are a gazillion decisions ahead, you will make 1 at a time, depending on your choices available to you then.

We moved and lived in a motel with a tiny fridge, microwave kitchenette for quite awhile. We used convenience foods and drive thru take out quite a lot, and it took some effort for sure to find some better choices.

For example bento bowls we had them swap the rice for double veggies. It was totally worth it though to go from gaining weight to losing weight....

not as fun as feasting for surr, but there is a place where food helps our body and is enjoyable... the trick is exploring what can do that...

Or not. That is also a choice, and simply up to you to do it. Do it or don't. I'm thinking you can... you did before.... go for you!

Hi. I was 220 pounds when I had my revelation. I couldn't get into a bathing suit I had bought the year before because I couldn't get into the bathing suit I bought the year before that. I also developed diabetes. I came here and lost 50 pounds but gained back 30. Again I had a recent revelation and came back to MFP.

It will like be a tougher task since you don't really want to cook and don't like most vegetables. What do you eat when you are out? In a way, you are fortunate.....you don't have diabetes while I do. I have to count carbs and calories. I can't do keto either. My Endocrinologist says everything in moderation, so that is my mantra. I do eat just about everything but I watch how much I eat to stay within my numbers. But my goal is get off insulin....having to shoot that 5 or more times a day is frustrating.

I can do some walking but any movement is helpful....even doing chair exercises while you watch TV. I have a stationary bike in my living room, too. I used to use one of those little trampolines but ever since I had a kidney stone, I can't bounce.....feels too uncomfortable. But it was fun to bounce to music.

I eat salads with dressing....and not diet dressing. I fit it into my numbers. Sometimes I substitute salsa when I make a taco salad with homemade taco meat. I eat a lot of eggs, too, and I mix them hardboiled with canned salmon and salad dressing. I tend to avoid bread, of course, but not completely. ...I will still make the occasional sandwich. And I make French toast instead of pancakes. I used Walden's Pancake syrup on top.....one of the few diet foods I use.

I can't think of any dry foods that aren't carb heavy. But one of my favorite take out foods is a salad from Saladworks. Also Chinese....the rice isn't necessary.

I tried Ozempic, which I can easily get because I am diabetic, but after 9 weeks I had to stop....the side effects were too much. So I am losing weight the old fashioned way.
again.

It can be done. And once your appetite lessens, it will be even easier. The problem lies in not being ready. I came back here three times, supposedly determined, only to fail. This time I really am ready. No excuses....either I NEED to do this or I don't. And I do. And it's working. It may take longer because I am older and a diabetic, but again, NO excuses. I am 70 years old and I want the time I have left to be healthy and long. And I am sure you do too. 🙂

My late fiance and I lived together before he died. He wanted to eat out every night...and I am a decent cook. He even got me the new gas stove I wanted but it didn't matter. Eating out with him every night was what made me balloon up to 220....I wasn't that when I met him. He died one morning of a heart attack while sitting in his office chair at work.

You DON'T want to be diabetic....believe me! You don't want to be shooting up insulin all the time. It's not a cure. Once you are diabetic, you are diabetic for life. And don't let anyone tell you they are not diabetic anymore....that is total BS. That's like an alcoholic saying they are cured. They are only controlling the disease. There is no cure for diabetes. And it only gets worse as time goes on. I didn't start out on insulin....I took oral meds until that wasn't enough anymore.

It's rare if I have a glass of wine....maybe once every few months. I stopped drinking hard liquor many years ago. And I never liked beer, thank goodness.

Reading your list of foods you eat, I can see that you will have to make drastic changes. A lot of foods get their flavor from fat. Now you need to get flavor from seasonings instead. And the obvious.....limiting the white carbs. Not cutting them out entirely but everything in moderation. Smaller portion sizes. I could eat half a large pizza if had the chance, but I can't do that anymore.

You know what you have to do.....you AND your wife. This has to be done together. If you are truly set on changing your life, you can do it. Make an appointment with a dietician....they can help you figure out the foods you can eat and how to prepare them so they have the flavor you want. Bland isn't a prerequisite for homemade food. Get spices and seasonings at the grocery store. Look up marinades for chicken and beef....I make my own marinades all the time. You will find making food at home can be interesting to do.....experimenting with different things. Go for it.

Crochetluvr wrote: »

It sounds like you are ready to take control...that's great!

I have a shower bench. It's made of teak, so it's waterproof...not plastic so it doesn't look like you are in a hospital. I don't use it all the time....just when I really feel the need. In fact now I mostly use it to put a foot on to raise my leg up to shave it. You, of course don't have that issue. 😉

Talk to a doctor as well...rule out anything causing the congestion besides your weight.

I 100% agree.

I do find, though that in myself, I tend to have a little more congestion if I do things that are pro-inflammatory, and being substantially overweight is definitely pro-inflammatory. I have less of quite a few minor annoying pains and symptoms since weight loss.

Other things that are pro-inflammatory: Poor nutrition, no exercise, smoking, stress, sleep disorders, long term alcohol consumption, and more.

But I'd also say that it's especially important to see a doctor if you have "weird feelings/aches that come and go over the past few weeks. Just not right."

That "just not right" intuition is important. Ask your doctor for blood tests that could highlight nutrient deficiencies, infections, etc. Consider whether you could be hypothyroid, have a sleep disorder (sleep apnea?) or something like that, and ask for relevant follow-up.

Even in people who haven't developed disease conditions yet, obesity is a major health risk factor. Please try to get some baseline data about where your health is now, because some of it can be actionable through diet changes or other manageable interventions.

I'm not trying to scare you. I'm trying to get you to think of ways in which your medical team can be an ally in your health improvement efforts. Also, getting some metrics now will help you recognize improvements in various health markers as you lose weight and are able to be more active.

I know Dr's can be a pain, but you know how many I see now? Five. And I have referrals to see 2 more. Getting healthy is the best way to avoid seeing doctors more than necessary.

Good luck on your journey and DO post your progress and if you need support! That's what these groups are all about.