Have you got any helpful hints, or favorite web sites for this? I’ve found a couple, but would rather get a reference from someone on FR.
I need to drop weight, and right now, exercise IS NOT an option. I have severe arthitis and need to drop at least 40 pounds before I feel comfortable with having a knee repleaced (I actually need both replaced, but one is particularly bad.) My left knee joint is so badly worn and damaged that when I stand with my knees together, my heels are nearly 4” apart.
I saw an orthopedist in 2009, and without even an x-ray, he asked when I wanted to schedule the surgery. But I haven’t been healthy enough - my personal goal was to stay our of the hospital for a full year before subjecting myself to a voluntary surgery, and it’s now been just over 12 months (I have Crohns disease, which has put me in the hospital at least once a year, and last year, ruptured 2 disks in my back and have stenosis, and my feet are still “asleep” from the nerve damage.)
Mark
Absolutely!
As I’m not a physician I will only give an opinion, based on what my doctor told me. I’ve lost over 50 lbs.
Stop eating ANY “starchy carbs”, bread, pasta, potato’s, rice. This is the hard part. Fat is not your enemy but use healthy fats, like Olive Oil, no margarine. Once you lose weight you can reintroduce small amounts of the starchy carbs.
I think the main point is to not only eat the right things but NEVER eat until you’re full. Only eat until you’re not hungry.
I find a glass of ice water can help with hunger pains until it’s time to eat.
Breakfast is usually an omelette or a banana. Eggs are not your enemy and it’s fun adding extras, a bit of cheese, ham, chili flakes :) Experiment.
Be creative with veggies - my definition of a good salad:
- Dark green lettuce
- Spinach
- tomato
- cucumber
- red/green peppers
- egg
- meat (chicken, ham...)
- beets
- onions
- cheese
- mushrooms
- raisins
^^ does NOT lack in flavor! Yum :) Ruby Tuesday has the best salad bar!
Load it up! Have this first and don’t worry about the dressing so long as you’re mostly filling up on this.
Always have a bag of raw almonds. Have a handful a day, also good if you’re between meals.
Fruit can contain lots of sugar but I often have a small “berry bowl” before my loaded salad. Things like blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, all mixed together (sugar is not needed).
At which point the rest of my meal is basically some meat, maybe with some sauteed (w/EVOO) mushrooms & onions, usually steak or chicken, grilled.
For drinks I have mostly coffee. Beer is a real no no :( I love beer...
If you’re used to over eating (eat until you’re full) the really hard part is starting, your stomach needs to shrink so you must eat less. Have frequent healthy snacks (veggies/nuts) but never get full, frequent small meals are better than one large one. Cutting out the starchy carbs during this initial period can be tough. The smell of fresh warm bread is the worst!
I’m not sure if this all seems daunting or not to you. I can only say that you’ll feel so much better, and once you’re doing it you’ll realize just how much of what you ate before was just garbage. Having discipline at the grocery store is paramount. I go straight from veggie/deli to the meats and then straight to dairy. Almost every other aisle is crap, with few exceptions like tuna, soup, and spices. Having something healthy “read to go” can be key, like the almonds but I often have some pre-boiled eggs as well.
Do not let the fridge become empty. When this happens you’re far more likely to “grab something” bad, likely golden brown in color. Many grocery chains are now offering delivery. The absolute worst is fast food, all golden brown, starchy & fried, downed with a sugary drink. It also makes you crave more of it.
The food pyramid that you might have been taught in high school was basically upside down.
Yes, food prep takes more time but when you compare what you’re putting into your body there’s no comparison. If you’re eating the right things though you can usually snack on the things you’re preparing.
I hope this helps. Good luck :)
I like low carb friends bulletin board.
I’m in the same boat with a bad knee so can’t exercise. LC is the way to go. See my #33 and #117 above. I’ve been on and off LC for years. Being on it isn’t the problem, it’s going off and gaining everything back that’s the problem. Over the spring and summer, I lost about 40 lbs. Slow going with no exercise and it was getting me down but suddenly one day after weeks of whining, my pants were too big. Thing is, you have to combine LC with low calorie (portion size) when you can’t move around much. I had to limit calories to 1000/day and carbs to 30/day but ymmv.
You CAN do it. Holler anytime you have a question.