Weightloss - the "commonsense diet"

[white knight]

I'm talking now after last year losing 16kg. All my life I've struggled to lose weight.

I was the heaviest I'd ever been at 143kg. My sister had embarked on a gastric sleeve January 2018 and I was determined to lose some weight the cheaper method. Now its March 2019, my sister has lost a whopping 53kg and is looking amazing. Well done to her. Not all of us however can afford that expense nor is compatible for such an operation.

So, I thought long about what kind of diet I would implement. There is such a selection...which one is the best. But I'd asked that so many times and chosen one only to be disappointed. It was time for the commonsense diet.

Have you read on a few threads when I use analogy of the "seesaw"? EG depression on one side, hypomania on the other- that's the bipolar seesaw and it rocks always, only when it is stationary and horizontal for a short time does "normality" present itself to our lives. Well, the same analogy I'll use for weight gain/loss. One side of the swing is hunger/boredom/genetics of a large body frame and taste....the other side is fitness, weight loss, attractiveness, feel good mentally, etc

When the seesaw is horizontal, that is the best position for weight loss and dieting. This period is when we are motivated, not bored so we are occupied by distraction, the weather is good for exercise, we have ended a period of eating lots of junk food so we are burned out with that, but we cannot make the swing tilt for a long time towards fitness and attractiveness- why? Because we don't have the endurance! Endurance is like willpower and positivity but there are subtle changes between them. Endurance is long term commitment- over weight people lack that. We swing like mars bars hanging on ropes in the wind.

There is not point punishing ourselves by wishing we were model figures. That is another seesaw in another playground- get over it- it aint gunna happen!

So my plan was simple. End eating of the following products- pasta, potatoes and bread are the main ones. Frankfurts, items with more than 8%fat content, excess sugar, bread, juices with sugar, fizzy drinks, most flour and chocolate.

Eat in moderation - wraps, popcorn lightly salted (a treat), sugar free biscuits, rice noodles (replacing pasta), fresh fruit and vegies (not much corn), gluten free cereals, bran,

Eat in large quantities- water, light crispbread, light milk, eggs, salads items, white meat.

Exercise- brisk walking for 15 minutes minimum.

Good luck

TonyWK

[Guest_2496]

Great post, Tony, thank you - good reminders for me.

Love that line swinging like a mars bar in the wind ha ha.

[white knight]

Thankyou Annie lol

Just to mention to readers, we purchased a popcorn machine for only $15. They are readily available.

Good fibre, add a little salt.

TonyWK

[Ggrand]

Hello Tony..

Do I need to loose weight..yes..The meds are my biggest concern, they put weight on so easily..

Im really just tagging so I can read again and digest what you’ve talked about..

Grandy..

[Ggrand]

Hello Tony and all,

Like many others I have a good idea of the healthy eating I should be doing..but it’s hard to do it..I have a sweet tooth..or maybe more then one..I love chocolate, icrcream and cakes...but I shouldn’t eat them if I want to loose weight...

So many diets I’ve started and end up loosing a small amount of weight then think I deserve a reward for being so good..haha one reward turns into two and so one until I’m back to my very unhealthy eating habits..

Its so easy to deep fry some chips for dinner, or microwave some party pies, frankfurters, pizzas etc..instead of cooking a proper meal...I suppose I use the excuse that I don’t like cooking for one....yet I know I should..and I would never do those meals for my children...So I really have no excuse except that to lazy to cook..

Winter is a different story though...I love cooking soups, curries, casseroles with lots of veggies...Maybe it’s because it’s colder weather, maybe it’s because I prefer those meals and it’s to hot in summer to cook them...

I suppose I have a see saw going here..up for for winter but down for summer..or visa versa I’m not sure which is good up or down.....but it’s never horizontal..something I’m going to have to start working on...because I do loose a little weight in winter but put it all on and more in summer...My see saw atm is definitely not balancing properly...

Just reading your thread and writing here has made me aware of my eating habits, because in all honesty, I just never really thought about it before..

kind thoughts.

.Grandy..

[white knight]

Hi Grandy,

There us a hidden concern for us all, diabetes. Both my wife and I have been at risk.

So we have very little sugar. Search your supermarket shelves for no sugar chocolate topped biscuits and Marie biscuits.

The popcorn is good as long as you arent tempted by butter.

Remember my worry worry worry thread Grandy-worry only produces ulcers. If you refuce your sweets and try then you are doing your body a favour...the weightloss is actually secondry.

TonyWK

[Elizabeth CP]

I think common sense is important for dieting. Just like anything which promises you to 'Get rich Quick" is guaranteed to fail. Similarly any fad diet promising massive weightloss in no time will only lead to failure from my experience.

In contrast a commonsense diet based on a good balance of all the food groups but limiting the high fat/ high sugar items & plenty of vegetables & adequate protein to keep you healthy & feeling full will lead to slower but more steady weight loss & more importantly increased physical & mental health. It is important to consider your own needs such as allergies or intolerances or health issues which may require a modified diet.

One thing which helps is to take time to enjoy what you are eating. For example recently corn on the cob has been in season & cheap so I've bought it & cook it in the microwave & then eat it nice & hot & bursting with flavour. It feels like a real treat so I try to take the time to savour each mouthful. Do the same for other foods particularly when in season. Simple cooking to keep the flavour Perhaps add some herbs or lemon juice to flavour things. To be able to stick to a diet you need foods which you can enjoy (but are still healthy & things need to be simple unless you really enjoy spending hours cooking otherwise it is too hard.

Another thing I enjoy is fruit & yogurt. When I'm on a diet I will save one fruit allowance & one dairy allowance for the evening & have fruit & yoghurt for supper. It tastes like a decadent dessert but fits with the diet.

Pick whatever it is you enjoy but is healthy to give yourselves a treat each day so you don't feel so deprived & to reduce the temptation to eat unhealthy things.

As for exercise pick something you enjoy & works in with your life style. Put on music & dance, go for a walk, if you enjoy gardening garden, play sport. By choosing something you enjoy it will be easy to stick to & give you pleasure which is good for your mental health as well.

Hopefully by writing this I have reminded myself what I need to do to get back on track after a couple of weeks on holiday letting the diet go. I need an extra boost to motivate myself because my husband has just been admitted to hospital after being unwell most of the time we've been away so I'm feeling a bit stressed

[white knight]

Hi Elizabeth

Sorry, hope hubby improves.

Yes, yoghurt and fruit -2 birds with the one stone, dairy and fruit.

Apples are good for gout and are cherries, the latter we buy in a jar and have them on cereals.

Taking time to eat. Yep, in gact my 23yo neice eats really fast. Ive duggested she takes a mouthful then puts her cutlery down till ready for the next mouthful...that lasted one meal. Even warning her that her sufgocous will need to retract after each gulp, but eating do fast, it wont be able to...nothing works and I'm reduced to watching her eat three times as fast as the rest of us- once they are adults!

TonyWK

[Quercus]

Hi everyone,

Good on you Tony for starting this thread.

Another lifelong yoyo dieter here. I have an awful problem with binge eating and overeating in general.

Any diet seems to just make it worse. I will stick to it until I hit a low or feel anxious or upset and then give up.

My biggest issue is I just always feel hungry.

One thing I found helps is drinking water. Hubby said perhaps I am not able to "read" my body. That thirst, anxiety, pain, boredom etc all register to me as hunger. So I try to stop, drink and work through what the feeling actually is.

Sounds easy... It is not.

thank you Tony

[white knight]

Hi Quercus

I'm the same, I love food and as soon as I'm anxious or bored I bteak any diet.

The beauty of this commonsense diet is- if you dont buy the spuds, pasta, sugar flour then there should be enough other ingredients to cook something to satisfy.

Eg, tuna or vegie fritters made with mashed pumpkin instead of potato, pasties wrapped in rice paper and baked, etc

I live cooking and one day vooked traditional pasties. I'd bought padtry sheets, 6 in a pack and they had 170 grams of fat in each sheet plus sugar! Considering 25gm is the max fat we should have as our daily!

So I bought rice paper sheets. No fat, no sugar, sure not as tasty but look at those figures

Guilt plays a major part as does fragility. Best we allow for our own anxious days when we binge then get back on the diet the next day.

Our mental well being will benefit as will keeping diabetes away.

TonyWK