Salad for Lunch

[clarencebunsen]

Recently Clipper described his weight loss program & dietary changes and the reasons thereof. This fall I've been undergoing a similar make-over for similar reasons. For years whenever I've had blood work done my blood glucose numbers numbers have been tending upward. The test in September came back with a blood glucose number of 126 which is 1 more that the number needed for a diagnosis of diabetes. Nothing surprising there; I have family history and my mother has been insulin dependent for more than 30 years. It did however force me to consider priorities, how I want to spend my life and how to manage a condition which is to an undetermined extent under my control.

Going back to a saying from my manufacturing days, "That which is measured gets done," I determined that I needed a considerable amount of data. I have been using a site called MyFitnessPal to log and track my diet and exercise and the program provided by Abbott Labs (the maker of my blood glucose monitor) to track blood tests. MyFitnessPal allows me to enter certain data (current weight, weight goal ... etc) and come back with recommended daily limits for total calories, carbs, fats, protein, sodium; enter what I've eaten or plan to eat for meals and snacks and calculates the amount over or under as soon as I make an entry. It also automatically recalculates daily limits when I enter exercise.

To make the problem a little more manageable, I've simplified my diet somewhat. Breakfasts all tend to be variations on two themes; snacks are variations on three themes. Lunches are almost always my basic salad with 2 oz of protein added. Dinners are more varied and more caloric but all fall into a similar structure. Meals at restaurants are a little more tricky but I'm learning. The net result is 2 meals and 2 snacks which all fall within a range of 225-350 calories and an evening meal which is a bit more than that and a daily total which falls within range for calories and carbs. I don't sweat it if I go slightly over on fats or protein.

How am I doing? Last week I hit a number of milestones. I dropped down a pants size which meant I could wear to church a pair of slacks and a belt which had been hanging unused in my closet for more than a year. I also had my first weigh-in in a long time for which the initial number was a 1 rather than a 2 (a big psychological difference for me). Then MyFitnessPal informed me that I had achieved my initial goal and it asked me to set a new goal and recalculated my daily limits based on a smaller body mass.

The final milestone was one I hadn't expected. The ring on my right had had been irremovable for at least a couple years. It's one Barb gave me in 1972. Last week I was able to take it off for cleaning. I also discovered that the ring I received last year in Denver which had been sized as a pinkie ring now fits on my ring finger.

So far I've only had two tests which have exceeded my self-imposed blood glucose targets and one which was a little under.

[Clipper]

Congratulations Clarence! That is a great achievement. It is very satisfying to step on the scale and see improvement. I have a long way to go to be able to see a "one" as the first number in my weight. I was at 322lbs at one time and was 317 when I was diagnosed as diabetic. I simply have been eating more sensibly and watching carbs and fat. No particular program in place, other than to avoid over eating and poor dietary choices. Salads are a great way to fill your tummy with good choices and low caloric intake. I use 4 ounces of meat or chicken in a salad if I am eating it as the sole item for a lunch or supper. I do treat myself once in a great while with a bowl of popcorn with real butter, and I also eat fried eggs a couple days a week for breakfast along side 3 or 4 sausage links. I seldom eat lunch any more, but if I do it is a tuna, chicken or turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato, dressed with a tablespoon of low fat Hellman's. We sleep late most mornings and don't eat breakfast until about 10 am. Supper is usually at 6 so I drink a 16 ounce bottle of water a little while before supper, start my supper with a salad with a vinegar based dressing or a diet ranch, and my supper normally is high in protein, 4 or 5 ounces of lean meat or poultry, a generous helping of green vegetables, and a small helping of starch. I have given up desserts other than a fresh fruit cup or sugar free pudding cup occasionally. I limit my breads considerably. I only eat two slices of bread on any given day. If I have toast at breakfast, I don't have a sandwich or any more bread for the day. I eat only whole grain breads and rolls.

The VA is of the opinion that I don't need a blood sugar monitor if I watch what I eat. I plan to see my civilian doctor and get a prescription for a monitor so I can track my blood glucose. My grandfather and my dad were both insulin dependent diabetics. When I come to Utica next summer for my 50th class reunion in July, we will have to get a photo of the two of us, slim trim and handsome. Who knows. If I continue to eat this way, I MAY see 200 or less eventually. I am a big man and might look a bit thin if I get very much below 200, but it would certainly be better for the old ticker.

Have you found that it becomes second nature and not a problem or imposition to eat in such a manner? I no longer feel deprived in any way and have become accustomed to looking for dietary friendly items when we eat out anywhere.

So far I have lost 60 lbs. I have gone from a size 48 waist that was tight to a size 42 that is getting loose. My belts have seen the leather punch and box cutter to shorten them and make new holes. I tried a program like your fitness pal at one time. It tracked all those factors on a daily basis and was great. I simply have gotten used to eating the way I do and don't enter all that data in the program any more. Just a matter of being too damned lazy to enter it regularly. My bad.

By the way, I DO CHEAT a couple of times a week. I DO love a biscuit and gravy, a bowl of grits, or a waffle for breakfast with sugar free syrup. I DO like a moderately sized helping of pasta occasionally, but not often. Moderation is the key I would guess. I would not be happy with Kathy's great cooking and my own love of good food if I didn't wander from my course once in a while.

[clarencebunsen]

In a lot of ways I feel I'm not trying to change things but rather to pay attention and develop appropriate habits. One of my standard breakfasts has been an egg scramble. I've been making breakfast for Barb since I retired. The current recipe is 1 serving of breakfast meat cut into bits, 1 egg, 1/2 cup egg beaters, 1 tbsp ground flax seed and veggies (mushrooms, tomatoes or spinach are common). About a year ago we switched to lower sodium bacon and this fall I switched to low sodium V-8 but otherwise that breakfast feels about the same as it has. I don't do toast or muffins with it and it is about 200 calories for each of us.

My other breakfast was a change: 1/2 cup frozen fruit (usually blueberries), 3/4 cup plain no-fat Greek yogurt, 1tbsp ground flax seed, 2 tbsp walnuts and a generous shake of cinnamon. Those same ingredients without the berries will usually be one of my snacks. This replaced my former other breakfast Cheerios and a banana. It's about the same calories but about half the carbs.

I tend to avoid artificial sweeteners. I don't really care for the taste and I don't trust the ones using maltodextrin as a bulking agent. If I were to make pancakes I would probably try the recipe from here:
1y2u3hx8yml32svgcf0087imj.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/cookbook-30-recipes-under-400-calories.pdf?utm_source=mfp&utm_medium=blog
which uses oatmeal to replace much of the flour and then sweeten it with a blueberry compote. Or perhaps one of the savory crepes discussed in the other thread. Then I would probably test blood glucose after one hour and two hours to see what sort of spike it caused and make a determination if it would get a repeat trial or not.

I got a blood glucose meter free from the Faxton Diabetes education program, supplied by the manufacturer I'm sure. Abbott Labs also sent me a coupon to get one free with a doctor's prescription. They can afford to give the meters away. The money is in the test strips. I think monitoring helps me a lot in figuring things out.

Right now I'm half way through a 90 day trial period to determine what I can do with diet and exercise. After that the doctor & I will discuss medications.

[Clipper]

I tend to procrastinate but I really do need to get with the program and obtain a meter and some professional guidance. My primary care provider in the civilian world is a doctor that my mom and dad trusted and used for years. He was taking patients when I first moved here in 02. My doc at the VA changes too often to form any sort of relationship. They are so overwhelmed with the number of patients they are seeing that they simply don't have time for much individual attention. Anyone in their late sixties should be seeing a physician more than once a year. I think that goes without saying. I hope that the VA shake up makes that possible again. I have always been happy with the care that I receive at our particular facility, but in recent years, they have cut back on the number of visits scheduled and often send out notices rescheduling appointments or canceling them.

I am slightly disenchanted with my civilian doc. He seems to be a little too laid back for my liking as I age. My visits usually start with a nurse taking my vitals and updating my medication list. The doc comes in, checks my heart and lungs, looks at my throat and asks me why I am there. If I have some sort of illness as opposed to a simple 3 month routine visit, he quickly writes a rx and sends me on my way. It was the VA that identified my diabetic status, and I am only scheduled there once a year in recent times. That doctor said that my records and labs showed that I have been diabetic for at least three years according to my labs that she could see on my records. My civilian doc sees me every three months and does blood work twice a year, yet he never seemed concerned with my A1C level or cautioned me about it.

Unfortunately, under the new healthcare laws, I am sadly afraid that things are going to get worse rather than better. I consider myself lucky that my medicare supplement is only going up $12 a month over the next year. Looking beyond that is still a scary proposition but at least I can still afford it for this coming year.

I am not a person that is particularly fond of yogurt, but I do try to eat fresh melon, blueberries, bananas, and apples. I still have a one cup serving of Cheerios with a sliced banana once or twice a week, but I then adjust any other carb intake on those days. I do use artificial sweeteners. Usually Equal. I include apples or fresh strawberries in salads occasionally along with walnuts or pecans.

I have a problem maintaining an exercise program. I can no longer do the walking because of my worn out knees that need replacing. I used to use bowling several nights a week as cardio exercise, but now that I no longer can bowl that much because of my knees, that also is also limited. Bowling left handed has also hindered my bowling enjoyment and ability. I am looking forward to having at least one knee done soon, and hope to find a way to have them BOTH replaced in the near future. That will depend on the amount of physical therapy I will need and how the medicare allowance for that can be divided and allocated between the two surgeries. Unfortunately I don't trust the VA to do the surgery on my knees, having had them fail to successfully complete a simple carpal tunnel surgery several years ago.

As I approach 68 yrs old in February, I find it very discouraging to need a cane to walk to the mail box because I don't trust my knees, and any extended period of shopping requires that I use the buggy like a walker, or need to use the electric scooter option. All I want is to be able to walk normally again and to get around like I did a few years ago so that I can fish, and work in the garden. I feel like an ass motoring about on the scooter cart. I guess due to the fact that I have always looked upon those folks with pity that use them because they are too damned fat to waddle around with a normal cart. Just yesterday I saw a gal in Kroger's that must have weighed in at over 400, and sure enough, her basket was filled with chips, cookies, and several 2 liter bottles of Mountain Dew. Hard to feel sympathy for such an individual. Her thighs were as large as my waist. Sad indeed. An attractive young lady. She was only in her 40's and probably will not ever see 50. I fetched a gallon of milk from the cooler for her because she was struggling just to get up to open the cooler door and grab the milk.

I find it very degrading to have to have my friend Pete do most of the work to put the cover on the camper because I can't climb a step ladder. I find it shameful that I have to hire someone to rake my leaves when that used to be one of the fun chores associated with fall weather and the crisp fresh fall air. Once again, I have to say that this getting older isn't for sissies.

[clarencebunsen]

Given your age, weight and family history (all similar to mine) it's something which should have been observation for the past 10 years. I'm trying to get my kids to start paying attention now. It's a nasty condition because the damage starts before any noticeable symptoms show up. The A1C test tells you the average over the past 3 months. Your regular blood tests will show what the blood glucose level is at that snapshot in time. It's important to know the averages but it is also important to know what the peaks are and how sustained they are. Most of the damage to blood vessels, nerves and kidneys occurs during the peaks and the damage is cumulative.

[Clipper]

I am going to check with our local diabetes association and see what is available for guidance and a meter etc. It would be hell to have my knees fixed and then lose my toes or feet. I recently attended the funeral of a friend's son here that had been on dialysis for years and finally passed away at the age of only 44.

Thanks for the guidance and information Clarence. It has been a wake up call for me, and I will start to address the subject and my condition more attentively.

[clarencebunsen]

I've been trying to read my way through this site
www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/

Like everything I read on the internet I try to be skeptical & fact check but the author doesn't seem to be agenda driven.

I've had a tough example to motivate me. A close friend went through a 2 year process from having a toe removed to being without legs in a series of 8-10 surgeries. He has also gone from being a man who was always willing and able to help anyone to one who is bitter, demanding and mad at the world. In the past two weeks I've had 2 friends tell me that they no longer even like to talk to him because of his anger issues. As I write this I'm feeling guilty because I realize it's been a week since I called him.

[chris]

Congratulations CB (and Clipper) on your weight loss. My Fitness Pal is great and it's free. I am signed up but I have to get my act together still. (I have no excuses except poor ones) You two are an inspiration. Keep up the good work.

[clarencebunsen]

Thanks, Chris. I found MyFitnessPal easy to use easy to use and after a couple days almost automatic. It has a great database of brand name, generic and restaurant foods. It allows me to put in my own recipes and calculates the nutritional values for me. If I click on "Add Food" for today's lunch, it brings up a list of everything I've had for lunch recently. I've lost weight before and know how to do it but now that it's quite important for me to also track carbs closely and watch how they are distributed throughout the day, I really need a tool like this.

[Clipper]

I just completed plans to go WAY off the diet plan for Thanksgiving. I made reservations for us at a place that serves a full turkey and ham dinner with a huge selection of casseroles and vegetable choices, and all the trimmings that go with a turkey dinner. I guess I am pre-planning a fall from the wagon on Thanksgiving. I am most likely going to fall back into old habits and for that one day I will eat myself into a tryptophan induced coma with football and a huge meal. Nothing more traditional on Thanksgiving than that afternoon nap with a satisfied smile on your lips as you snooze.

[Deleted]

CB, Clipper and Chris thanks for the information. I am afraid I am going to have some bad news coming up in my December visit to my Doctor.

[clarencebunsen]

Alan, we hope the best for you. Your background in chemistry and biology is better than mine so you understand better than I the problems and how to manage them. Like everything in life, once we have done the best we can the rest is out of our hands. Personally, I hope to play with words and be a know-it-all for years to come, but I accept (sort of, sometimes) that I'm not Master of the Universe.