(no subject)
So, I went to the doctor the yesterday for a routine check-up. Since heart disease and high blood pressure are pretty common on both sides of my family, I asked her whether or not my weight was a major health risk and, if so, what kind of diet I should be on. After a minute of quick calculations, Dr. L discovered that I had a BMI of 36--the average for women of my height, build, and age was only 26. I need to lose approximately 35 lbs. in order to reach my healthy "ideal" weight.
No big deal, right?
Well, yeah, except for the fact that I've never really been on a weight-loss program before.
Fortunately, Dr. L took pity on me and outlined a diet and some recommended exercises to help me shed pounds. Pretty easy stuff, too (well, the diet, at any rate). Basically, no beef, pork, lamb, or rabbit. No sodas (something I don't drink much of anymore, anyway), no dairy (that's going to be hard to let go of), no processed sugars. Nothing fried, and no starchy carbs from white foods such as white bread and potatoes. I have to stick to seafood, baked or grilled poultry, venison, steamed rice (brown rice is better for the diet than white), soy, and fresh fruits and vegetables. I can have sweet potatoes, too, which fills my heart with joy because baked sweet potatoes are delicious. After six weeks, I can add whole grain cereal, bread, and pasta back into my diet, as well as low-sodium cottage cheese and yogurt without any added sugars, but that's it for dairy and grains. I also have to eat four or five small meals throughout the day, as opposed to two or three large meals. Cat nibbling. X3
This is all fairly basic stuff, but it does have two disadvantages.
1) I can't cook.
2) I'm constantly short on time and cash, so I'll be hard pressed to budget my time and money for the first couple of weeks.
I'm thinking I could get a rice cooker and make a couple of portions of sticky rice each evening (one to have with dinner, one to have the next day with breakfast). I mostly eat fish raw or baked...eating it raw will just mean I'll have to learn to debone it properly, but I should learn to bake it to keep from getting in a rut. So, I should get a couple of cookbooks and start learning.
I've found a neat way to replace the sodas in my diet with something healthier, though. I use about 5 oz of organic fruit nectar and dilute it with 4-5 oz of seltzer water and mix it up; this is more of a quick snack item to sip on between or with meals once or twice a day, but it's better than drinking even a single can of regular or diet soda. I've also limited myself to one 6 oz cup of coffee in the mornings, cut black tea and expresso from my diet, and stepped up my water intake to 100 oz daily. I'll need to get a big thermos I can keep with me and refill with water, to encourage this. 6-8 oz of decaf green, white, hibiscus, rooibos, or chamomile tea per day is acceptable. I'll probably use green or white tea the most, since I prefer the taste and both contain antioxidants.
Oh, the diet list thingy says "edamme" is supposed to be good for a snack or part of a small meal. That's just fresh soybeans, right? Do I just eat them raw, or should I cook them first?
I'm also supposed to find some way to work in some kind of exercise in my daily routine. Dr. L suggested things like yoga, pilates, and tai chi--routines focused more on stretching and toning, it seems. AUM used to have evening courses for yoga; I wonder if they have one going on this semester, and whether it's too late to sign up. Hmm...
Anyway, anyone want some chicken and/or beef flavored ramen? I think I have about a case-worth combined left in my pantry, and I need to get rid of it so I don't end up eating it. DX
No big deal, right?
Well, yeah, except for the fact that I've never really been on a weight-loss program before.
Fortunately, Dr. L took pity on me and outlined a diet and some recommended exercises to help me shed pounds. Pretty easy stuff, too (well, the diet, at any rate). Basically, no beef, pork, lamb, or rabbit. No sodas (something I don't drink much of anymore, anyway), no dairy (that's going to be hard to let go of), no processed sugars. Nothing fried, and no starchy carbs from white foods such as white bread and potatoes. I have to stick to seafood, baked or grilled poultry, venison, steamed rice (brown rice is better for the diet than white), soy, and fresh fruits and vegetables. I can have sweet potatoes, too, which fills my heart with joy because baked sweet potatoes are delicious. After six weeks, I can add whole grain cereal, bread, and pasta back into my diet, as well as low-sodium cottage cheese and yogurt without any added sugars, but that's it for dairy and grains. I also have to eat four or five small meals throughout the day, as opposed to two or three large meals. Cat nibbling. X3
This is all fairly basic stuff, but it does have two disadvantages.
1) I can't cook.
2) I'm constantly short on time and cash, so I'll be hard pressed to budget my time and money for the first couple of weeks.
I'm thinking I could get a rice cooker and make a couple of portions of sticky rice each evening (one to have with dinner, one to have the next day with breakfast). I mostly eat fish raw or baked...eating it raw will just mean I'll have to learn to debone it properly, but I should learn to bake it to keep from getting in a rut. So, I should get a couple of cookbooks and start learning.
I've found a neat way to replace the sodas in my diet with something healthier, though. I use about 5 oz of organic fruit nectar and dilute it with 4-5 oz of seltzer water and mix it up; this is more of a quick snack item to sip on between or with meals once or twice a day, but it's better than drinking even a single can of regular or diet soda. I've also limited myself to one 6 oz cup of coffee in the mornings, cut black tea and expresso from my diet, and stepped up my water intake to 100 oz daily. I'll need to get a big thermos I can keep with me and refill with water, to encourage this. 6-8 oz of decaf green, white, hibiscus, rooibos, or chamomile tea per day is acceptable. I'll probably use green or white tea the most, since I prefer the taste and both contain antioxidants.
Oh, the diet list thingy says "edamme" is supposed to be good for a snack or part of a small meal. That's just fresh soybeans, right? Do I just eat them raw, or should I cook them first?
I'm also supposed to find some way to work in some kind of exercise in my daily routine. Dr. L suggested things like yoga, pilates, and tai chi--routines focused more on stretching and toning, it seems. AUM used to have evening courses for yoga; I wonder if they have one going on this semester, and whether it's too late to sign up. Hmm...
Anyway, anyone want some chicken and/or beef flavored ramen? I think I have about a case-worth combined left in my pantry, and I need to get rid of it so I don't end up eating it. DX