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[AlohaDawg]

I haven't exactly been eating "right" but I've been eating "better."

I still need to plan how to eat so that I can live a life and not just get fed up and stop doing it in a month.  I think basically I need to figure out things like side dishes.  Hear me out.

Usually I will plan a meal with several components: meat, starch, vegetable.  Sometimes I will also have a little cup of soup or a salad.  Sometimes a Big Salad replaces the vegetable. 

Anyway, every "side dish" that I eat regularly is pretty much death to me - mashed/baked/au gratin/french fried (I never make anything deep fried at home, though), stuffing, pasta, rice, you get the idea.  Starches.  Gotta cut WAY down on them, and pretty much cut out anything processed (white flour, etc.).

But what do I eat instead?  I know, more vegetables.  I'll do that for a week.  Then what?

I'm really glad your heart isn't enlarged, and especially that you are having medical checkups! That's the best place to start and it sounds like you are willing to invest time and money in this, so keep thinking positive. The hardest part of the whole thing is integrating your new behaviors into your life - once they are there, you won't 'lose interest' because it's just how you do things. You haven't lost interest in wearing shoes or breathing yet. And you won't...same with the healthy habits once they become your lifestyle.

Wombat is right on the vegetables and fruits. I would offer two pieces of advice:

1) There are a lot of fruits and vegetables you probably haven't tried. James Peterson has a good cookbook that discusses a lot of vegetables - what they are, how to handle them and how to cook them. Try some new vegetables

2) I'm not one and never will be, but there are some great vegetarian dishes out there. Many of us are kind of programmed with a bias toward meat and meat stock flavoring dishes, so a good vegetarian cookbook and/or a cookbook from a cusine that is highly vegetarian (Like Indian, or some SE Asian countries) could really help you out. Also, eating at Vegetarian/Vegan restaurants and ethnic restaurants can help you get good veggies and lower fat/lower starch dishes into you.

One more thing - are they going to check out how your meatabolism is doing? Before you change your diet too drastically, you want to be sure you won't have a problem with the sudden change.

I have to throw out some props to Mite. Portion controlling is really really really hard. You have food in front of  you and you measure out a little pile and restrict yourself - that takes either great discipline or an effective peer-shame deterrent in the house. So good going - I couldn't do that, I know. Sorry about your boobies, though. Maybe you can reward yourself with 50 HH implants when you reach your goals. Or whatever.

[pmcd9]

I have to throw out some props to Mite...I know. Sorry about your boobies, though. Maybe you can reward yourself with 50 HH implants when you reach your goals. Or whatever.

Dayumm!!!

~Paul

[Mite]

Regarding side dishes - when I'm eating properly, they don't exist.

Allow me to explain. I'm usually crazy hungry from about 7am until after lunch time. After that, if I haven't exercised, I could really go the rest of the day and not need to eat anything. Even if I have worked out, I'll just eat a salad with some tuna on it for dinner or something. However, my morning metabolism means I actually eat 4 meals a day instead of 3: breakfast at 6, something substantial around 9 or 10, lunch, maybe some veggies or something at 3, and a light dinner.

Now, since I'm a girl, I usually only eat 1500 calories a day, and a strapping young man like yourself will surely require more, but instead of eating big meals, try several smaller ones. It's standard advice, I know, but it works for me. Yes, you'll feel like you're starving to death for the first week or two, but then your stomach will shrink (it will, I promise), and you'll no longer want to eat an entree with a couple of sides. I really can't even comprehend eating that much in one sitting.

I don't even need HH's. I'd just like to properly fill out a B! Luckily, my new birth control has helped me out a bit - you boys don't even know the power of hormones.

[pmcd9]

On side dishes:  If you are going to eat more vegetables, they have to be good vegetables.  Most of the vegetables you can get in the supermarket taste like shit.  Is there a farmer's market that you can get to? It's summer, so you should be able to take advantage of fresh locally grown produce.  It's worth it to make the effort, because you really can find vegetables that don't taste like suffering. (Remember, this is coming from someone who defined vegetables in another thread as the class of foods that you wouldn't eat if they weren't good for you.)

This is even more important for fruit. Locally grown peaches, for example - and at my market, locally grown includes peaches that come from Pennsylvania, Jough, so you can get the same ones - can be awesome, as good as any ice cream.  (But of course, there's another of our problems -  it takes an effort to find a really good peach, and you can only get them two months out of the year.  Whereas Ben and Jerry's is always there and always tastes the same no matter where you buy it.)

Our weekly farmer's market has a wider variety, too - kinds of peppers and summer squash that are only grown by small growers, so don't show up in the supermarket.  And the other thing about buying locally grown is that if you eat seasonally you don't have the problem that you eat more vegetables for a month and then get bored.  Because next month, something different will come into season.  I think it's really done our health and cuisine a disservice that we are able to get, for example, shitty tomatoes all year round - better to look forward to and enjoy wonderful tomatoes in the right season, and eat something else in the other seasons.

I can't imagine life without starch, though,  Surely whole grains are acceptable?

This has been a part of my problem these past 6 months.  I've lost contact with my farmers market.  They only stock the good stuff that's in season and it's get it while it's there and enjoy then move on to the next thing that is fresh and in season.  Of course this makes me weep because It's the peak of Tomato season in Houston and i'm dying for a homegrown tomato.  Dying I ttell 'ya(see how i'm tying it all back into the thread title).  Although, I'd say not bad for four days.  These are my Memorial Day tomatoes.

~Paul

[AlohaDawg]

I don't even need HH's. I'd just like to properly fill out a B! Luckily, my new birth control has helped me out a bit - you boys don't even know the power of hormones.

The Hell I don't. THis is the third baby! My wife is blessed with vast tracts of land these days.

[jough]

Q. What happens when you change your diet abruptly from high carb, high fat, to low/no carb, low fat?

A. Your blood sugar crashes suddenly and you lose consciousness in the middle of your living room.

Also, it is not fun to have orange juice fed to you while you are not alert enough to swallow it.  Also, orange juice burns your nasal passages when accidentally inhaled.

[AugustWest]

Dang!  Maybe abrupt isn't the best of ideas.

[jough]

Yeah, but today was food shopping day, and it seemed kinda stupid to buy stuff that's bad for me.  Anyway, I may get one of those blood sugar testers for yet another thing to monitor.  I could really use a medical Tricorder to just check my vitals all the time.

[theinevitable]

I have the most horrible oral fixation. it is rediculous.

also: once I realized that, I realized that I also have the personality aspects. Damn.

yes, orange juice can be pretty painful.

[pmcd9]

Don't let this episode provide you with an excuse to chuck healthy eating.

Dang Jough, you are making me feel guilty for being over the moon ecstatic that i've gotten my groove back.  Two days on program, getting my activity in, following all the healthy guidelines (including milk), and portion control.  Yeah.

Dammit Jough, we've got to find a silver lining here.  It fills me with anxiety to read about your health problems because I love you brother and it would break my heart if something tragic were to befall you.  I'm certain i'm not the only one who feels this way.

I'm gonna get spiritual  here for a moment if I may, but I think it was more than a coincidence that three members of this board, independant of one another, decided to begin major health initiatives on the exact same day.  You can take that as you may, the hand of God, psychic energy, karma, whatever.  I believe that we were each put in the path of the others to change the course of our jouney, to lead us back to the path of good health.  All of us here, everyone that desires a healthier life, we'll walk this path together.

Damn I went all Anthony Robbins there, sorry about that.

~Paul

[Mite]

Jesus, Jough, sorry you got set back so early. I wonder if there's some system you can work to get a blood sugar tester for free/reduced cost? Those things are a little pricey, from what I understand. In the meantime, I guess keep one of those marathoners' energy gels in your pocket like diabetics do? Glad somebody's there taking care of you!

And I'll second everything Paul said. You're a damn fine guy, and we want to keep you around a while.

[side_show]

Mite is definitely right about the water thing.  We all need to remember to keep hydrated if where pushing our metabolisms harder and sweating more.  I've had one of those indestructible Nalgene bottles you get at sports/mountain climbing stores for ages, and have found that I need to drink 1000ml to 2000ml's of water per day. 

In regard to the side dishes issue:  because I used to be vegetarian, I've continued to plan my meals around a main vegetable, and then add on either meat or a meat substitute.  Since vegetables are only in season at certain times of the year, re-framing your thoughts to figure out the vegetable first might make the whole process easier for some- it does for me.  I have a lot of trouble with the grains part of the meal.  I especially want to eat whole grains, and for breakfast and lunch that's easy - fiber based cereal or bar for breakfast, and whole wheat bread/pita for lunch - but what about dinner?  Any ideas of healthy grain dishes for dinner?  How many of you think starchy vegetables are an okay substitute?  Are there ways to prepair corn and potatoes in a way that is actually edible without butter or oil?  I was thinking maybe it's better to just eat protein and veggies at dinner and have a light-starch based snack later at night.

I'm off to go grocery shopping today with my new frame of mind.  I'm looking forward to exploring, and will make sure to eat breakfast before heading out.  Life Lesson: Do not go grocery shoppint while hungry.  If you do, and if you're me, you will find almost everything looks good, and that you forget to purchase with and actual meal plan in mind.

Also, jough, thank god you don't deep fry at home.  My SO and I have always talked of this as a line that should never be crossed.  I don't know how anyone can own a deep fryer.  It would definitely be dangerous for me.  This is how my brain works: "these vegetables would be so much tastier if I toss them in tempura batter and deep fry them!" or "this barely-nutritious bland-o chicken breast needs a crispy batter to make it palletable!"  In deed, it's the road to hell for me.

When it comes to the passing out thing... all I can do is restate Mite's advice about staying hydrated and my own note about whole grains.  All I know is that if you're eating whole grains for the bulk of your carbohydrates, that these things are digested slowly, which equals moderate, more even blood sugar, where as, say, your average standardized slice of white bread will give you a big blood sugar jolt, then leave you high and dry, and possibly dizzy.  Just take care of yourself - take rests when you need them, start figuring our your boundaries.  You and I are under a lot more psychological stress than we may realize, and that also seriously takes it's toll too.  (AD I appreciate your advice to tend to my whole self - that's good truth-speaking).  Last night I had and argument with my SO, who was trying to feed me a cashew.  I said "no!  I'm counting those out for portion controle!  Leave me alone!" and shortly after burst in to tears. 

Thankfully I'm surrounded my artist hippies most days who are all about proper care of what they call their "instruments" - yeah, actors call their bodies their "instruments" - maybe it's a little cheesy, but it's also a good metaphone to think about before putting something in your mouth, or sitting on the couch all night:  Is this how I want to treat my instrument? 

It's funny, for me, I was force-dieted from the age of 7 through adulthood, and then surrounded by a community of very health conscious people for the entirety of my adult life thus far.  I am very well educated on healthy eating, proper nutritional balance and healthy exercise practices, yet I've failed until now to actually apply this knowledge to my self in a healthful way.  Why?  Probably an act of rebellion against my mom.  You denied me food through-out childhood?  Well fuck you, I'm eating this entire back of chips!  You denied me love?  Well fuck you, Colonel Sanders won't reject me!  You made me feel lonely by being cold and un-giving?  Well fuck you, this burger and fries is warm and will keep my company!

How fucked up is that?  Holy shit!  I need to come back and read that last paragraph everyday for the next week.  It's amazing how the conscious part of my brain is able to see this, but how my subconscious is still hardwired to work this way no matter what.  I know it is possible to change the wiring.  I managed to rewire the part of my brain that told me I don't deserve love or personal success, and have both now, so there's got to be a way to rewire this other part of my brain too.  I just need a mantra.

[Mite]

Man this board is good therapy. Keep up the processing, Smells.

I've also basically been dieting since 2nd grade - though not forceably at least. Those childhood relationships with food are tough to beat back.

[theinevitable]

on this board, I'm never sure who to hug first. I think we should have some kind of lottery system, where a different person is To Be Hugged each day.

I'm kind of tempted to tell my actor friends that their body is their instrument. They're already at the point of reading wierd zen-books about acting...

[AlohaDawg]

Q. What happens when you change your diet abruptly from high carb, high fat, to low/no carb, low fat?

A. Your blood sugar crashes suddenly and you lose consciousness in the middle of your living room.

Also, it is not fun to have orange juice fed to you while you are not alert enough to swallow it.  Also, orange juice burns your nasal passages when accidentally inhaled.

One more thing - are they going to check out how your metabolism is doing? Before you change your diet too drastically, you want to be sure you won't have a problem with the sudden change.

Well, thank God someone was around. Now go get a glucose tolerance test and find out if you have an extra challenge to deal with.

Also, like Aug said: No abrupt changes.

We want you around for a long time, dude, so hang in there.