(First post) Need to change, starting today

[anthotayo]

Great wife, kids, life...but I'm really overweight, have high cholesterol and a family history of heart attacks in the 40s; I'm 45. I even worry that I won't wake up because of a heart attack sometimes. It's like I'm waiting for one to happen before I take my health seriously, and that's just idiotic and unfair to my family. I've not been "strong" enough to eat well for even 2 meals in a row. I'm trying this support group because I've failed from other influencers. I'm stepping on the scale today and need to make one good meal choice at a time. I have no idea "how" to do this, but I have too much to live for to not do anything anymore. Appreciate any support.

[Howie17]

Hi, I too have strong family history of heart attacks and heart disease. Hopefully the help and support from this forum will help to keep you on the right track .

[anthotayo in reply to Howie17]

Thank you. I appreciate the support.

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to anthotayo]

Welcome to the group, anthotayo . Please feel free to continue posting postings and comments, reply to other member's comments and/or postings, take the polls on the Polls section, attend the monthly meetings one weekend a month (usually a Saturday), ask questions and of course meet the rest of the group's members.

Have you counted carbs for your meals? Counting carbs helps with both weight and blood sugar control. Has your doctor suggested an exercise routine? If so, how many times a day/week are you suppose to workout?

For me personally, I count carbs for blood sugar control (I'm a type 1 diabetic who uses two types of insulin) and I'm on a low carb high protein diet. I found out that if I eat more protein and less carbs, then my blood sugars stay nice and leveled for most of the day/evening. The low carb high protein diet may not work for everyone, so I would suggest asking a doctor, first before starting anything new with diets and/or exercise to be on the safe side of things.

[anthotayo in reply to Activity2004]

I've not honed in on what diet makes sense for me yet. I have my last blood work but need to do some homework on it. My #1 is overeating and eating way too much white rice and red meat. I ended the day eating a smaller dinner (about 1/3 the normal amount) then played 90 minutes of tennis, had a small protein drink afterwards and just need to shut it down before I get hungry...and that would be the most conscientious eating/heath day I've had in years, honestly.

[BadHare]

It's essential to get your family on board with any changes you're going to make, as this will be easier if everyone in your household is singing from the same sheet.

My brother-in-law died of a heart attack at 40, only 3 months after his GP warned him to change his ways. He wasn't overly fat or had an especially negative lifestyle, but had ignored his family history.

Take a look at Chris Kresser & Mark Hyman's website for good free information. Both are keen on the health benefits of a pro-paleo diet, which doesn't suit my vegetarian lifestyle, but the general dietary advice is good, especially regarding good gut bacteria & probiotics. Don't be tempted to eat low fat food & drink options that are padded out with sweeteners. These artificial chemicals are toxic to the bacteria in the gut, & the rest of the body.

Look up restrictive eating times, which is something that you might want to try. Intermittent fasting works well for some people, who restrict calories to 500 on two non-consecutive days of the week. I think Michael Mosley's website is good for this. There's some interesting videos on YouTube that might help you get on the right track. thefastdiet.co.uk/

This is what I've been reading about for years on Chris Kresser's website: radiotimes.com/news/2017-06...

I make my healthy eating easy by having healthy snacks such as fruit, nuts & seeds in sight in my kitchen, so they're easy to grab. I always have a few tubs of nuts, seeds, & dried mango with a piece of dark chocolate ready in my bag to take out. It's easy to grab a piece of fruit & pour a bottle of water for just in case I'm out longer than expected, so no temptation to buy any junk snacks. The rule I generally stick to is eating unprocessed foods at home & what I want if I go out for lunch. Another way of thinking about it is eating 90% healthy & only 10% bad foods, but not too bad.

[anthotayo in reply to BadHare]

Thanks for all the information. I'm so sorry to hear about your brother-in-law. I need to eat healthier and eat a lot less than I'm eating as I eat until all the food is gone. I'll look into a couple of those resources, definitely. Your comment about sweeteners is interesting. Need to start learning....trying not to get overwhelmed. I really Appreciate the support. Thanks.

[BadHare in reply to anthotayo]

Thanks, it was 20 years ago, but still makes me angry!

We've been barking up the wrong tree regarding sweeteners for years. The pharmaceutical & food industries have profited whilst obesity has increased.

Sweeteners destroy healthy gut bacteria that are important for maintaining a healthy digestive system & body. I've been bombarding my digestion with probiotic kefir for years, & have found it helped.

Fat is another thing to be aware of, re quality rather than quantity. Margarine is not a healthy food as it's processed to the point of being chemically plastic. Good quality organic butter made from grass fed cows is better for us, as well as having health benefits & tasting nicer. Other saturated fats are fine, as long as they're from a good source, but steer clear from processed fats & junk food. Processed vegetable oils such as sunflower are bad as they're chemically processed, though natural oil if we eat the seeds is good.

Don't be overwhelmed, just ask for help if there's something you're unsure about.

Some more MM videos on YouTube, but here's a link re kefir & probiotics: youtube.com/watch?v=oAUrUuT...(Not working as expected?)

[anthotayo in reply to BadHare]

Thanks! Eating has been a bit better this week. Need to simplify the strategy to 1. eat less and 2. Start to gradually choose better foods to eat.

[BadHare in reply to anthotayo]

I find eating more, but only of healthy foods, much easier to do. If you fill yourself up with good stuff, there's less room for the things that you might crave. Start mealtimes with a huge bowl of vegetable & lentil soup, ie 500mls, then see what you need after that.

Great that your son's on board with you!

[anthotayo in reply to BadHare]

Hey BadHare, per your very first suggestion, I shared my thoughts with my son and he has actually been really supportive, cutting his own food intake to show me that "it's easy Dad". So fortunate. Thx for your support.

[anthotayo]

Poor diet, fast food and a lot of meat and rice. I'm about to choose my dinner and think this group has my head in the right place. I had a turkey sandwich for lunch. Trust me, it's way better than my normal meal. Looking to make it a 1-day victory if I can get through dinner and not fall off the track out of the starting gate. My coking skills...marginal at best. Knowledge of heathy eating....also marginal!

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to anthotayo]

We know you can do it! Don’t give up hope.

[anthotayo]

Wow. You (and others) make it sound easy, which is a great thing; makes it seem achievable . I'm open to all the help and advice I can get. I'll look at these one at a time, although the EBCT scan is really intriguing...I actually worry about blockage specifically. Thank you, sincerely.

[cj20uk]

It's good that you want to change and hopefully your family are supportive as well. Eating healthily as a family will be beneficial to everyone and exercise also plays a part in losing weight and keeping healthy.

Have you tried joining a group such as weightwatchers or slimming world or checked out if there is a weight management service in your area? You would not only get support from others in a similar situation, but meeting up regularly, would give you an added incentive to keep on track.

There is some great information and recipes on healthyfood.co.uk , so that might be a good place to start.

[bobbydazzler]

Hi I feel for you it isnt easy when you have a busy life and maybe not much knowledge about meal structure etc

I think you would learn soo much from joining slimming world (I DO NOT WORK FOR THEM JUST A HAPPY USER)

You can join online if you'd rather not go to a group you will get lots of help useful information and if st a group litz of encouragement

You have already taken first huge steo by looking for help to make some actually easy choices

Good luck and keep us updated

regards

Annie

[anthotayo in reply to bobbydazzler]

Annie, thanks. The influx of info and suggestions is great. I'll look into slimming world at some point. Just trying to make 2 good choices per day...lunch and dinner! It's gone ok this week so that's a start.

[DeniceC]

Emory Hospital does calcium test for &100.00. Would like everyone's take on statins. Good or bad for you?

[anthotayo]

Thanks! I've eaten better this week than I have in a long time. Need to keep it going. Comments from this group really help.

[anthotayo]

I know I’ve been radio silent for most of this month but know that all of your comments have made a huge difference. I’m taking cholesterol meds, per doctor orders, until I show that I can maintain it on my own. I’ve lost 13 pounds this month and am getting better at understanding my food intake, using MyFitnessPal religiously. I’ve cut down on calories by eating more salads, more grilled scallops and shrimp, and just eating less. I’ve had a number of tough days and have leaned on all of your posts to keep me on track. I’ve attempted to make these changes in the past; the only thing that’s changed this time around is this support group. So, thank you, Happy Holidays and I’ll stay on the path with updates here and there. I’m now looking to see if I can be a positive influence for someone else on these boards.

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to anthotayo]

You can be a good influence for everyone in the group and in general. We know you can do it.😀