Cate's Diary

I'll be surprised if my doctor comes up with anything helpful except eat less, move more & don't drink alcohol

I turned absolutely cold on one particular doctor at the practice I go to after her absolute first response at our first meeting (just for a standard check-up) was to tell me to lose weight, without having bothered to look at my file, or ask me to see if I had already lost quite a lot, which I had. Lazy, knee-jerk doctoring! She's wiped from my list of GPs.
 
Mine just said "portion control". How helpful. I have a medical care plan due to be renewed mid July & that entitles me to 5 visits per year in total to a selection of consultants including a nutritionist, so I may see one if I continue to not lose weight.
I had some sunspots burned off today & boy are they itchy! My skin is very dry she said.
 
Mine just said "portion control". How helpful.
Maybe you could ask her what to control them to and how many portions she thinks you ought to eat a day. Pin her down on specific answers - or on admitting she´s clueless. If she doesn´t have specific advice she shouldn´t pretend to be an expert.
 
I didn't bother progressing the conversation. I didn't expect anything from her. Having the option to go see the nutritionist is a more promising option. I'll keep going with what I'm trying to do- log my food & drink & keep under 1500 cals per day. I need to exercise more I know. It will make me feel better about myself. I have let this throw me out & I need to be positive. I won't give up. I just can't get fat again.
Edit: another day without any wine & <1500 cals
 
Hi Cate - sorry the interface didn't show you posted for a while - I hate that! I don't think most doctors are properly trained in nutrition, and I think a nutritionalist is a great idea. Sorry your doctor is not helpful in this way. :(

If you want to go low carb, I can tell you some things that helped me a lot to not miss the carbs. I eat a lot of almond flour- I make crepes, tortillas, and 1 minute savory mug muffins that I make in the microwave and slice up and use as bread. If almond flour is expensive where you live, you might want to invest in a high speed blender and make your own if you end up liking the low carb diet - it is great for making dressings and sauces with veggies ground up in them, too. A nice side benefit is that low carb bread-y things have a lot of eggs so are very filling. I eat a lot of nuts in general including peanut butter. This was counterintuitive at first but on days where I have bad cravings and have eaten a few spoonfuls of peanut butter to curb cravings I have not gained weight.

Eat full fat, but healthy fat. This is also hard to do at first if you did low fat for years like I did, but eating full fat cheese and yogurt really fill me up and satisfy cravings. I make a lot of yogurt-based sauces and also dressings with olive or avocado oil.

I do eat a little of the fatty meats like bacon, but in moderation - they do make me gain weight if I eat too much. I also watch my meat portions and try to eat a portion size that would fit in the palm of my hand for every meal - the Keto literature says that excess protein converts to sugar, and I haven't tested this, but try to adhere to the 3 oz. (85 g) a meal portion size - I don't always succeed.

I eat a lot of leafy veggies - the Keto people recommend 7 cups of salad greens a day which I can't physically do, but I eat a lot of steamed greens and cruciferous veggies (usually with sauce to change things up). Instead of pasta, summer squash, sautéed mushrooms, or a bed of wilted greens or riced cauliflower are good substitutes. There are less carb-y noodles in the markets here also like edamame (soy based) noodles which I cheat with sometimes, and I am going to try the lentil and black bean noodles I found, though they do have higher carbs than a normal low carb diet.

Berries are low in sugar and are a good fruit in moderation for low carb. In general, I am getting way less fiber because I have to limit my starchy veggies and most fruit on this diet - I get un-hulled sesame seeds and put them in an espresso-sized cup and eat a half cupful when I need more fiber. Glucomannan powder is an Asian plant-based treatment for constipation as it is very high in fiber and it thickens sauces (which you will appreciate if you cook because very few low carb things do) - I use it to make pudding in the blender with a tiny bit of my fake sugar, lots of cacao powder, and half and half. It is a little on the slippery feeling side of things, but you can just use a little - it goes a really long way. It's hard to find here - I order it from Amazon.

There are lots and lots of Keto and low carb cooking blogs online, and many have the 5 star rating system for recipes - I only make recipes with a decent number of 4-5 star ratings as Keto and low carb recipes can be beyond disgusting. The good ones are sooo good though. I ate an English muffin in the airport on vacation (Starbucks breakfast sandwich) and it tasted like cardboard because my tastebuds got used to the really great Keto bread recipes I use now which are packed with nutrients. Ok, this is very long - sorry to talk your ear off. Ask if you need recipe help - I have a few great favorite blogs and recipe books...
 
Hey cate! Low carb can be very good for controlling hunger after the initial period. It worked very well for me when I seriously lost weight.

I moved away from that since then, but im pretty sure there can be very healthy alternatives. Eco atkins is a name I have in my head, haven't really checked it out but it might be worth taking a look at.
 
Do you want to try a Dry July?
I already started, no alcohol for 3 days now. As I said I am not going to be completely dry, I will probably have a social drink or so, but will try to stop nightcaps for a while. Looks like maybe you started as well.
 
Beautiful view! Thanks for sharing. :)
You're welcome. I'm going to add more photos to my diary. I love where we live!
Hey, Diego. I'll try to cut down on carbs, but not go Keto. I definitely need to eat more protein. That I do know. I'm going to keep tracking absolutely everything I eat & drink, cut down on starchy carbs as I know my body does not process them well, cut way down on wine(it will be an occasional thing rather than daily & move more.
I already started, no alcohol for 3 days now. As I said I am not going to be completely dry, I will probably have a social drink or so, but will try to stop nightcaps for a while. Looks like maybe you started as well.
I'm not going to be absolutely dry either. By saying that I will not feel like I can't have a glass of wine, but I know that I am going to drink way less by not imposing strict rules on it. I feel much more relaxed about it tonight. I went to golf, watched everyone drink & didn't care.
 
Hi cate, just leaving a quick hello! :) Thank you for your helpful comments on my diary, I will be following yours and am really looking forward to those scenic pictures!
Is it ok to ask where you live?
 
Oooooh that's lovely!! A good friend of mine spent two years in Australia, she was very sad about having to leave. She said it was wonderful there.
 
I think your new plan sounds very sensible and great that it's not restrictive! I am doing something similar where I follow a low carb diet but not strictly. I do need either more exercise or to count calories to actually lose the rest of the weight, but I feel better and better on this diet and really like watching my body firm up and get strong. I really hope the diet does the same for you!!!
 
Oooooh that's lovely!! A good friend of mine spent two years in Australia, she was very sad about having to leave. She said it was wonderful there.
I would be interested to hear where she went. I wonder if she visited Tasmania.
I think your new plan sounds very sensible and great that it's not restrictive! I am doing something similar where I follow a low carb diet but not strictly. I do need either more exercise or to count calories to actually lose the rest of the weight, but I feel better and better on this diet and really like watching my body firm up and get strong. I really hope the diet does the same for you!!!
I'm still not discounting IF, but am going to wait until I see my cardio at the end of July. My diet plan may change from week to week, depending on what happens. I'm also going to ask him for new medication as my BP is very high. My GP added a new medication, after also doubling the dose of my other one, & still, my BP is high. I am wondering if that additional med'n may be contributing to my excess weight. It's worth a try.

Yesterday after golf the conversation steered towards dangerous territory & I left in a hurry before I said what I thought of their attitude. I can't tolerate racism at all & I am ashamed of the racism that exists in this country towards its indigenous people. It disgusts me actually. I feel such shame about the way this country seems to have lost its humanity. They were vitriolic & I was shocked & upset. I still am. If anyone asks me why I left in such a hurry I will tell them, but I doubt they will. They probably bitched about me after I left, but I actually don't care. Progress. I won't go on about it here, but if you want to know what upset me the most it was their nastiness towards Adam Goodes, an indigenous AFL footballer, who was blatantly howled out of the game. I still feel the shame, even though I certainly was not a part of it. Two of my favourite singers have written a song about him- Paul Kelly & Dan Sultan, "Every Day My Mother's Voice" & a movie is getting around schools & sporting clubs about it called "The Final Quarter".
I was too angry & upset last night to mention what happened after golf. I was too angry, upset & shocked to try to talk calmly to them about their racism. I regret that.
 
Good for you, for silently protesting the post-golf viciousness. You didn't have to speak - I bet at least half of them understood very well why you didn't say a word to add to the vitriol, and why you left. Your face (probably) and your silence and your leaving were a clear statement in themselves.
If there was bitching, then even more would it show they understood.
 
Yesterday after golf the conversation steered towards dangerous territory & I left in a hurry before I said what I thought of their attitude. I can't tolerate racism at all & I am ashamed of the racism that exists in this country towards its indigenous people.

A lot of Aussies like to think they are not racist, but they never take a good hard look at themselves, it is disgusting.
 
aiminglow- Thank you. I wish that I had been able to tell them what I thought about their racism, but I knew I couldn't. I'm sure most of them would have worked it out. I'm still upset by it.
Tru- I think most Australians are racist too. Some of their "argument/justification" yesterday was that name calling happened all the time when they were kids & it's meaningless. How wrong? Bloody disgusting!

Yesterday has thrown me right out of sorts. I have tried exercising & doing housework & have decided I am taking a chill out day after I finish with what I need to do on the computer. I'm going to get a new laptop on Monday if I can find one that suits me.
 
I grew up where people were very racist, and it still shocks me. Being in a mixed race couple I sometimes see people looking at us with alarm, even in California. I look shocked right back, because I am. So weird people are so closed to little differences in cultures. It's a shame that happened with your golf group who you were just starting to feel comfortable around again. Big hugs!!!
 
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