carbs, how i love thee
I don't know if I've mentioned it on here or not, but my Very Stern Doctor put me on a diet three weeks ago to lower my cholesterol and take off some weight. If anyone wants to hear more about the details, feel free to follow the cut. I decided to keep a little record on here for myself, and if it helps someone else too, then awesome.
First off, my doctor told me quite plainly that he expects me to be at least 10-15 pounds lighter when he sees me next. This isn't because of my weight, it's for my health. Apparently, my bad cholesterol is high and my good cholesterol is low, and if I don't change my habits now he will have to put me on medication for that and my blood pressure. It was pretty big wake-up call because I've always been pretty healthy. Clumsy, but healthy. ;)
He basically said 1) get more exercise, 2) NO "whites" (meaning I can't eat sugar, pasta, or bread--he pretty much limited me to protein, veggies, and fruit for now), and 3) that he was putting me on an appetite suppressant. My first action upon returning to work was to give a friend all of my desk goodies (ramen, candy, etc.) so that I wouldn't be tempted to eat stuff I shouldn't.
The appetite suppressant was amazing when it came to making me not want to eat. In fact, it made me completely FORGET to eat, which isn't good either. After doing some research, I found out that if you don't eat enough while on this stuff, then you won't lose weight. Jeez. So I've been eating healthier food (and a LOT less per portion), and having four smaller spaced-out meals a day instead of three big ones plus snacks.
A daily comparison:
Before: the "2/2/2" breakfast special at the deli next door (2 eggs/2 pancakes/2 bacon/2 sausage, and a soda), "burger and fries w/ a soda" lunch special, candy or snacks in the afternoon (and yes, probably more soda), fast food for dinner (easy!), and maybe a late-night snack if I had the munchies.
Today: omelet and fruit for breakfast (10 am), grilled chicken breast and a salad for lunch (1pm), pepperoni slices and string cheese for an afternoon snack (4pm), chicken and veggie stir-fry for dinner, and all of the water or unsweetened iced tea I feel like drinking throughout the day.
Is it harder? Yeah, both prep-wise and financially. Eating healthier costs way more than putting crap in your mouth, and it takes more work than just going and buying something. But since I have been eating smaller portions, my stomach has shrunk to where I'm satisfied with putting less in there, which is cool. Ever eat more of something even though you were full, just because it was tasty and right there in front of you? I used to do that a LOT, and I don't do it now.
Does it get boring? HECK yes. After three weeks worth of salad here and there, I am really really sick of it. I've decided to start taking my lunch to work so that I have more options.
Do I feel better physically? I'm getting there. I've been really tired over the last few weeks since I haven't been eating any carbs, but I bought some whole wheat pasta this weekend and it made a huge difference. I'm going to try and add a little super-wheaty bread or pasta to each week to see if it perks things up. I'm hoping that having more energy will help me out with getting more exercise--I can admit that I haven't been getting as much as I should.
Have I cheated? Sure, a little. A couple of tortilla chips here, a few candy corns, some wine. But I've been making a real effort to stick with my regimen--I know that it's important.
Have I lost weight? I don't have a scale, so I can't give you a number, but I can now notch my belt two holes tighter and none of my bras fit anymore. Yay and DAMMIT all at once! All in all, it's pretty exciting, although I *hate* clothes shopping, so I'm not looking forward to it if it comes to that.
I guess right now I am mostly just proud of myself. I have never, ever been the picture of willpower, especially when it comes to overindulging in things that I like. And I'll admit to having periods of low self-esteem just like most everyone else, but looking at myself lately has been an eye-opener--I've more than once glanced up while washing my hands and had a "holy crap, I'm freaking pretty!" moment that just made me smile and laugh at myself. You can see the weight loss in my face, but that's not all of it for me--I'm making an effort to take care of myself, and it's a good feeling.
Here's to week four! Maybe I'll even take some pics. :)
First off, my doctor told me quite plainly that he expects me to be at least 10-15 pounds lighter when he sees me next. This isn't because of my weight, it's for my health. Apparently, my bad cholesterol is high and my good cholesterol is low, and if I don't change my habits now he will have to put me on medication for that and my blood pressure. It was pretty big wake-up call because I've always been pretty healthy. Clumsy, but healthy. ;)
He basically said 1) get more exercise, 2) NO "whites" (meaning I can't eat sugar, pasta, or bread--he pretty much limited me to protein, veggies, and fruit for now), and 3) that he was putting me on an appetite suppressant. My first action upon returning to work was to give a friend all of my desk goodies (ramen, candy, etc.) so that I wouldn't be tempted to eat stuff I shouldn't.
The appetite suppressant was amazing when it came to making me not want to eat. In fact, it made me completely FORGET to eat, which isn't good either. After doing some research, I found out that if you don't eat enough while on this stuff, then you won't lose weight. Jeez. So I've been eating healthier food (and a LOT less per portion), and having four smaller spaced-out meals a day instead of three big ones plus snacks.
A daily comparison:
Before: the "2/2/2" breakfast special at the deli next door (2 eggs/2 pancakes/2 bacon/2 sausage, and a soda), "burger and fries w/ a soda" lunch special, candy or snacks in the afternoon (and yes, probably more soda), fast food for dinner (easy!), and maybe a late-night snack if I had the munchies.
Today: omelet and fruit for breakfast (10 am), grilled chicken breast and a salad for lunch (1pm), pepperoni slices and string cheese for an afternoon snack (4pm), chicken and veggie stir-fry for dinner, and all of the water or unsweetened iced tea I feel like drinking throughout the day.
Is it harder? Yeah, both prep-wise and financially. Eating healthier costs way more than putting crap in your mouth, and it takes more work than just going and buying something. But since I have been eating smaller portions, my stomach has shrunk to where I'm satisfied with putting less in there, which is cool. Ever eat more of something even though you were full, just because it was tasty and right there in front of you? I used to do that a LOT, and I don't do it now.
Does it get boring? HECK yes. After three weeks worth of salad here and there, I am really really sick of it. I've decided to start taking my lunch to work so that I have more options.
Do I feel better physically? I'm getting there. I've been really tired over the last few weeks since I haven't been eating any carbs, but I bought some whole wheat pasta this weekend and it made a huge difference. I'm going to try and add a little super-wheaty bread or pasta to each week to see if it perks things up. I'm hoping that having more energy will help me out with getting more exercise--I can admit that I haven't been getting as much as I should.
Have I cheated? Sure, a little. A couple of tortilla chips here, a few candy corns, some wine. But I've been making a real effort to stick with my regimen--I know that it's important.
Have I lost weight? I don't have a scale, so I can't give you a number, but I can now notch my belt two holes tighter and none of my bras fit anymore. Yay and DAMMIT all at once! All in all, it's pretty exciting, although I *hate* clothes shopping, so I'm not looking forward to it if it comes to that.
I guess right now I am mostly just proud of myself. I have never, ever been the picture of willpower, especially when it comes to overindulging in things that I like. And I'll admit to having periods of low self-esteem just like most everyone else, but looking at myself lately has been an eye-opener--I've more than once glanced up while washing my hands and had a "holy crap, I'm freaking pretty!" moment that just made me smile and laugh at myself. You can see the weight loss in my face, but that's not all of it for me--I'm making an effort to take care of myself, and it's a good feeling.
Here's to week four! Maybe I'll even take some pics. :)