This is my story, and I sure hope I can stick to it!
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| https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e7/c6/15/e7c6154955444df3dcbab4c6aac6a1c6.jpg |
When receiving what felt like a death sentence...diabetes....back in July, I was both depressed and excited. I was devastated that I could no longer make a meal from Mississippi Mud Cake, eat 3 donuts every time the Hot Light is on, or snack on candy bars and Coca Colas all day. I mean, I was really distraught. Like an alcoholic who is locked away from all alcohol. But, I was also excited about learning more about nutrition and how to feed myself and my family, something I should have learned 40+ years ago. I locked myself away learning about carbs, sugars, ketones, good fats and bad fats. I crammed like I was about to take my finals before receiving my law degree.
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| https://makeameme.org/meme/For-my-next-4pfwv4 |
I still do not understand counting carbs and sugars and the various kinds of fats. I am completely baffled about how counting carbs works and why one kind of trout or salmon is better for me than another type of trout or salmon. I didn't even know there were different kinds! I realized I was studying to put off the real thing that needed to be done. As a homeschool mom for 13 years, it was so productive to spend the summer making detailed lesson plans and setting up sheets and forms and organizers....but when school started, it was overwhelming sometimes to stick to those plans and to follow those detailed details in that organizer. (I even made my own organizer/day planner!) That is exactly what I was spending all my time doing.....studying and planning what I would and could eat, along with the whys and hows of eating or not eating specific things. What I was doing my best to not think about was actually eating all those things I don't like and not eating all those things I love. What else was I doing my best to avoid...actually shopping and cooking! I was so overwhelmed I just gave up. I came to the realization that counting carbs is not for me. I tried a couple of diet plans in the past when I was only 10-20 pounds overweight. I lost it, but it came back with a vengeance because I was just trying to lose the weight. I wasn't trying to change my habits. So, of course when I left off my diet aids, I was left with nothing to help me keep the weight off.
By being overwhelmed in this quick course on nutrition, I decided to get back to the basics. I decided what I needed was not a diet plan or prepackaged diet foods/meals. I needed to change my lifestyle since I wasn't just trying to lose 50 pounds, I was trying to get healthy. Just so you know, along with my sweet mouth (not just a sweet tooth for me), my addiction to all things sugary, I eat like a lumberjack who has cut down a north woods forest, and hasn't eaten in a week. Seriously, the portions on my plate of steak and potato look more like those of the Green Giant than Jack in the Beanstalks. And my favorite meal: fried chicken, creamed corn, sweet potato casserole (with the streusal topping), a few green beans, hot rolls dripping in butter, hot peach cobbler with 2 scoops of ice cream, and a quart (at least) of Sweet Tea. That is my favorite dinner, after a breakfast of 2 or 3 donuts or a stack of pancakes. And a late night snack of a hot fudge sundae or a fat slice of 5 layer chocolate cake with ganache between the layers. When I say fried chicken....that is a breast, a leg, a thigh, and with all that greasy, crispy skin on it. I am not exaggerating. Ask my family. So, you see, I needed a change. This was my Food Pyramid:
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| http://michiganjournal.org/2014/03/17/american-obesity-brought-to-you-by-the-food-pyramid/ |
I decided to throw the meal planning books out and bookmark the websites for future reference. But, I started by cutting my portions to more normal size portions, and slowly decreasing them just a little. I cut out the pre-packaged meals and the processed foods. I added more raw fruits and vegetables. THEN, I cut out all the candy! All of it. I actually cut all the sweets (not pastas and starches, just the snack/dessert sweets) out completely for 90 days. It.was.so.hard. I cut out the Sweet Tea, said no southern girl, ever. But I did. Man, that was hard. I cannot have a meal without a pitcher of sweet tea. I cut out the hamburgers, pancakes, mac and cheese...and.the.fried.chicken. Talk about going into withdrawals! I think I would rather have had my internet or cable cut. But those things weren't going to determine if I would wind up on meds for the rest of my life---the food was. I didn't want the stack of prescriptions that the doctor had wanted me to bring home. The side effects I had read about scared me as much, or more, than the Diabetes. So, I bargained with the doctor to give me 90 days to try to turn it around on my own. I was determined to do it.
We eat out a lot. I learned that just about every major restaurant chain's meals can be googled so that you can find the nutrition facts for those whose aren't listed on the menu. I learned to find the items with the best nutritive values and choose those. If they were loaded with things I knew I shouldn't have, I made up for it at the next meal. I started walking every afternoon for 30-45 minutes in my neighborhood. Our subdivision is very hilly. Going away from my house isn't bad, but my house sits at the top of a hill, so if I want to get back home, I have to work for it because that home stretch is a true workout! I already drink a lot of water and the afternoon walks in the 90-100 degree heat increased my intake of water.
When I went back for my 90 day checkup and labs, the doctor wanted to retest me because he could not believe the change in my A1c. He kept looking at the lab report and shaking his head and telling me how impressed he was. I went from a 14 hr fast with a 215 level, to a 12 hr fast with a 137 level. (those might not be completely accurate, but are close. I have forgotten exactly what it was.) My A1c went from 9 to 6.5. With NO medicine. Just determination and a lot of craving.
I have learned to keep different kinds of nuts on the kitchen counter where the jar of leftover Halloween candy usually sits (those scrumptious bite size Snickers and little Reese's Cups and all those Hershey nuggets). When I need a quick bite of something snacky, I grab a little handful of nuts. If I need something sweet, I slice an orange and eat it. I allow myself one Special Dark Hershey Miniature every night after supper, to keep my chocolate craving under control. I love Perrier and have found that I rarely miss my Coca-Colas as long as I have an ice cold Perrier handy. (And although I don't like flavored Perrier, Kroger's lime flavored alternative is just as good, and I am a Brand Snob, according to my son-in-law.....but it's really very good and at least $1 cheaper for a 6 pack).
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| http://www.livingnutz.com/2013/05/raw-organic-nuts-why-some-nuts-are-good-for-liver-disease/ |
I am learning to eat oatmeal with fresh berries, which I hated as a child and am still not fond of it, but a Pop Tart is not a good breakfast and whole grain bagels or English muffins with peanut butter get old if you have them every day. I am not a boiled egg person, but an omelet with lots of fresh bell peppers and some fresh herbs and a little cheese are good for me. I try to have a HUGE green salad for lunch at least 3 days a week. When I say HUGE I mean really big because, like cold cereal, salad does not fill me up nor satisfy my hunger, no matter how much I consume. But I have a salad the size of a pasta bowl at Olive Garden, filled with mixed greens, cukes, every color of bell pepper, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, snow peas, and I crush up broccoli and cauliflower and mix them in it, because I hate them both and would gag if I had to take a true bite of either one. I add some nuts and/or cheese, and sometimes a little leftover roast chicken or ham in it. It's large enough for 3 people, and I get exhausted eating it, and I am thinking about ribs and fried chicken and bacon cheeseburgers while I am eating it, but it gives me a little allowance for a heavier dinner or makes up for the pancakes at breakfast. For someone who doesn't like fish, I have found myself comparing the salmon dishes offered at different restaurants. (O'Charley's is the best, IMHO) I love grilled salmon now. Cooked on a cedar plank with all kinds of spices????? Oh my, it is good. We have discovered the Salmon Burgers that Publix has in their market, freshly pattied. Almost as good as a homemade beef patty. Almost. I am so grateful to be living where I do, because fresh trout is always available. So, I am finding dishes to replace my beloved fried chicken, and if I am completely honest, I really do like them all.
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| http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/8305/this-weeks-low-carb-menu/ |
Now that I made it through the Triumvirate of Sweet Holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas), and am now back in my size 14 pants instead of the size 16, I am still chugging along. I did not want to lose weight fast. I wanted to get healthier. Losing the weight and the inches was the bonus. I have only lost 15 pounds, but I have lost inches and except for an occasional IBS attack, I feel better. I am not walking because I am keeping my 2 year old grandson and we play chase and dance a lot throughout the day, but I am doing about 15 minutes of simple exercises each night before I go to bed. I don't always eat like I am supposed to, but I am doing a lot better than I was 6 months ago. I am learning to use different types of flour and eat different grains. I have discovered that I really like whole grain bread and I am not going to bed hungry or craving sweets. Actually, I have found that when I do eat sweets, it doesn't taste as good as it once did and will even upset my stomach some times.....God's way of reminding me I am better off without it. I am much more aware of what I can and cannot eat. I still enjoy corn, fried chicken, and peach cobbler from time to time, but in moderation. I still don't understand carb counting and the different kinds of fats or how grams of one thing translates into grams of something else. But, hey, my stats are going in the right direction, so I will keep chugging along.
It's a journey. Sometimes I get sidetracked, but I manage to get back on track. I am anxious to see what happens when I stop for another 90 days' baggage check this month! Stay tuned!
Here is a good starting point for those who are interested in the Keto Plan. It has been getting a lot of mention on Facebook since the new year began. It has some good meal plans to get you started. [Notice: I am not advocating any diet plans, meal plans, guaranteeing the nutrition facts. I am simply sharing a website which you can investigate on your own.} Here is a very handy calculator that you can use to insert your favorite recipe ingredients and it will determine the nutrition facts. It is great because it has options for many name brands, allowing you to compare different brands before deciding which one to use (i.e. Progresso Broth vs Swanson Broth, 2% milk vs skim milk).
I would love for you to share your journey.....tell your story and let us know how you are sticking to it! Please pray for me and I will most certainly keep you in my prayers while you travel along on your own journey!
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