# The DIETING ENCOURAGEMENT thread



## jswordy (Jan 21, 2022)

Who's dieting? (Raises hand.) Let's encourage each other! Post up those losses and encourage each other to keep it off!

I'm doing strict keto (25 grams of sugar total per day) with the modification of allowing a small glass of wine each day (counted in the sugar total) and one "free day' every couple of weeks. I started Jan. 1 and have dropped 16 pounds with no added exercise. I feel so much better burning fats instead of sugar. Many benefits so far.

Hated to have to diet again, but things had gotten out of hand and my blood work was not going in the proper direction. Keto always works for me. I have lost 35 pounds on it before. The trouble is keeping it off. But this time, I have to do that.

What's up with your diet?


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## cmason1957 (Jan 21, 2022)

I have been on the see food diet for many, many years. My doctor tells me I should shut my eyes much more often. But my stomach overrules that.


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## jswordy (Jan 21, 2022)

cmason1957 said:


> I have been on the see food diet for many, many years. My doctor tells me I should shut my eyes much more often. But my stomach overrules that.



Keto can be made so easy. I call the easy form the Eat Nothing White Diet. No sugar, no potatoes or other root veggies, no breads, noodles or starches. Green leafy veggies or any above-ground veggies except corn along with meat, broth, eggs and butter are all good, eat as much as you like but pace yourself as they are filling. Tree nuts serve as a snack. The first week is always terribly rough for me as I switch over, but then the benefits in burning fats - the way I feel better, no matter what I weigh at the time - are good rewards.


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## ChuckD (Jan 21, 2022)

All of the successful diets seem to target carbs. WW, Keto, Mediterranean, I’m sure there are many more. In 2020 I lost 45 lbs then got my COVID 19…. More like COVID 25! I have been getting serious about carb reduction again in the last three weeks and am already down 7 lbs. to keep it off you need to permanently change your lifestyle! For me that’s no sugary drinks (except a wine or two each day) very limited pasta, bread, and sweets. 

it’s not a vanity thing. I just feel like  when I’m eating too may carbs. That and I want to stay healthy so I can enjoy the grandkids. WW helps keep me on track (all fresh foods. none of their processed garbage) Within a week of limiting carbs I feel much better.


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## Rocky (Jan 21, 2022)

I am on what I call my "3 bowling ball" diet. I hope to lose at least 48 pounds and I am using NutriSystem's program. I started about a month ago and I have almost lost my first bowling ball (16 pounds). The program is okay, food is passable (no danger of a Duncan Hines rating). What it amounts to is about 1100 calories per day plus all the low carb (starch and sugar) content vegetables that you can eat. My progress is not as impressive as some, perhaps, because of the way I cook my vegetables (steam, then saute' in olive oil and herbs) and the amount I can eat.

I just received my 2nd month's delivery of NS food and I plan to suspend deliveries going forward. I have been scoping out store bought items that mimic the NS products. I believe that as long as I eat lean meats, fish, chicken and lots of vegetables and try to limit my daily caloric intake to 1500-2000, I should be okay. I have lost thousands of pounds in my lifetime. The problem is I have gained a net 245 more over the same period. I would like to get down to something that approaches my high school/college weight of about 190 and maintain it, which is normally the struggle. I have reached goals in the past and then I, "Well, it's only one pound" myself back up to the 240's.


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## hounddawg (Jan 22, 2022)

cmason1957 said:


> I have been on the see food diet for many, many years. My doctor tells me I should shut my eyes much more often. But my stomach overrules that.


yup me too. i am a life long see food dieter,,,
Dawg


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## Rocky (Jan 22, 2022)

@jswordy, @cmason1957, @ChuckD, @hounddawg. Just a question for the heck of it. How many of you were raised with "the poor people in Europe (or wherever) are starving" guilt trip so that you had to finish everything on your plate? To this day, as I approach 80 years of age, I cannot leave anything on my plate, even if I hate it!


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## ChuckD (Jan 22, 2022)

Yep. I’m a little younger than you but still got that. And most of the food we ate came from a can or a box. The miracle of quick and easy processed foods!


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## BMarNJ (Jan 22, 2022)

Good luck to all of you! Keto is great (until you stop it), but I still go with the old calories in, calories out. While the weather has not been very cooperative, I’ve walked 87 miles outside so far this month. No weight loss, but I’m still enjoying all the leftover holiday treats with no gain. And spring is a short time away when I’ll get busy in the garden. Sadly, the older you get the less calories you need and you need to really learn to eat/make smaller portions.


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## my wine (Jan 22, 2022)

Rocky said:


> @jswordy, @cmason1957, @ChuckD, @hounddawg. Just a question for the heck of it. How many of you were raised with "the poor people in Europe (or wherever) are starving" guilt trip so that you had to finish everything on your plate? To this day, as I approach 80 years of age, I cannot leave anything on my plate, even if I hate it!


That's me! My uncle tells stories of eating watermelon rinds when he was lucky to have them.


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## hounddawg (Jan 22, 2022)

Rocky said:


> @jswordy, @cmason1957, @ChuckD, @hounddawg. Just a question for the heck of it. How many of you were raised with "the poor people in Europe (or wherever) are starving" guilt trip so that you had to finish everything on your plate? To this day, as I am80 years of age, I cannot leave anything on my plate, even if I hate it!


I WAS , to eat every thing on my plate, my dad was born in a barn in January, with snow on the floor , he traveled across the country to pick fruit starting at age 10. ,, and i've heard dad say that when grandma came in with flour, all 11 kids would eat raw flower while grandma cooked gravy, dads 89, i was told at every meal to clean my plate because others where not getting to eat, for around 40 years i raise a beef, pork, chickens, due to health i no longer raise rabbits, all that was drummed into my head my head daily 
Dawg


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## hounddawg (Jan 22, 2022)

Rocky said:


> @jswordy, @cmason1957, @ChuckD, @hounddawg. Just a question for the heck of it. How many of you were raised with "the poor people in Europe (or wherever) are starving" guilt trip so that you had to finish everything on your plate? To this day, as I approach 80 years of age, I cannot leave anything on my plate, even if I hate it!


the best way IMHO IS set your time like no food from 6;pm till 6am
Dawg


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## ChuckD (Jan 22, 2022)

BMarNJ said:


> Good luck to all of you! Keto is great (until you stop it), but I still go with the old calories in, calories out. While the weather has not been very cooperative, I’ve walked 87 miles outside so far this month. No weight loss, but I’m still enjoying all the leftover holiday treats with no gain. And spring is a short time away when I’ll get busy in the garden. Sadly, the older you get the less calories you need and you need to really learn to eat/make smaller portions.


When I was younger I would generally gain 5 lbs or so every winter and lose it in the summer. Around 40 I stopped losing it in the summer! I wish I could eat like I used to but yeah. Gotta watch the portions. I actually eat much healthier now than I did as a young man.


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## cmason1957 (Jan 22, 2022)

Rocky said:


> @jswordy, @cmason1957, @ChuckD, @hounddawg. Just a question for the heck of it. How many of you were raised with "the poor people in Europe (or wherever) are starving" guilt trip so that you had to finish everything on your plate? To this day, as I approach 80 years of age, I cannot leave anything on my plate, even if I hate it!



Not so much. Although we were encouraged to clear our plates. In actuality I have lost 40 lbs in the last year the old fashioned way a pound or so every week. Have about another 40 or so to go. Now if I could just figure out how to increase my exercise time that would be much faster, but sedentary are me. New knees, can't run, can't exercise much.


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## hounddawg (Jan 22, 2022)

cmason1957 said:


> Not so much. Although we were encouraged to clear our plates. In actuality I have lost 40 lbs in the last year the old fashioned way a pound or so every week. Have about another 40 or so to go. Now if I could just figure out how to increase my exercise time that would be much faster, but sedentary are me. New knees, can't run, can't exercise much.


offend your wife, you'll find out you can still run,, lol
Dawg


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## Jim Welch (Jan 22, 2022)

Rocky said:


> @jswordy, @cmason1957, @ChuckD, @hounddawg. Just a question for the heck of it. How many of you were raised with "the poor people in Europe (or wherever) are starving" guilt trip so that you had to finish everything on your plate? To this day, as I approach 80 years of age, I cannot leave anything on my plate, even if I hate it!


I was told to take all you want but eat all you take. Do Not Waste! These customs come from a time when starvation, or at least hunger was wide spread and people didn’t enjoy the incredible wealth of goods available at least during my life being 61. 
My Father and Mother were Depression children, it very deeply affected them to be frugal and not waste especially food. They knew what it was like to be underfed children. 
I try not to judge folks in the past harshly because I can only understand my own milieu but can not truly understand theirs.


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## winemaker81 (Jan 22, 2022)

Rocky said:


> Just a question for the heck of it. How many of you were raised with "the poor people in Europe (or wherever) are starving" guilt trip so that you had to finish everything on your plate? To this day, as I approach 80 years of age, I cannot leave anything on my plate, even if I hate it!


This is me -- One thing I dislike about restaurants is they serve too much, and cleaning the plate is engrained in me.



Jim Welch said:


> I was told to take all you want but eat all you take. Do Not Waste!


Yup. My parents grew up during the Great Depression, my dad on a farm (they had plenty to eat, but did NOT waste). My mom's dad died when she was 9, so she grew up in a boarding house while my grandmother worked as a cook in a hotel. She didn't always get enough to eat. I didn't grow up in difficult circumstances, but their childhood habits were engrained in me.

When I go to a buffet, I put little on my plate, so I have to go back for more. I made more trips to the bar, but tend to eat less than those around me. Not that my spare tire is any real evidence of this ....


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## Rocky (Jan 22, 2022)

I try not to judge folks in the past harshly because I can only understand my own milieu but can not truly understand theirs.

Jim, I did not mean to imply that I was criticizing my parents. They lived through the Depression as well and WWII rationing. A lot of "the poor people in Europe" starving were in France, Italy and Germany and this was widespread in the news in the mid to late 40's. What I meant by my statement is that finishing everything is ingrained in me, so I have to make a great effort at portion control.


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## Rocky (Jan 22, 2022)

BMarNJ said:


> Good luck to all of you! Keto is great (until you stop it), but I still go with the old calories in, calories out. While the weather has not been very cooperative, I’ve walked 87 miles outside so far this month. No weight loss, but I’m still enjoying all the leftover holiday treats with no gain. And spring is a short time away when I’ll get busy in the garden. Sadly, the older you get the less calories you need, and you need to really learn to eat/make smaller portions.


I completely agree with the calories in less calories burned equation. If > 0 equals weight gain, if < 0 equals weight loss. I also think if one examines any of the popular diet plans, they all come down to depending on calories consumed and calories burned in the end.


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## ChuckD (Jan 22, 2022)

Rocky said:


> they all come down to depending on calories consumed and calories burned in the end.


Of course. The only difference is how you tip the balance and if it is sustainable. The only good way is to adopt a “diet” you can stick with forever.
The big problem is our bodies don’t like loosing weight and fight it the whole way. That’s why I don’t focus on weight but on eating healthy and keeping my body moving.


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## MrsAbe (Jan 22, 2022)

I did strict keto for 18 months and only lost 15 pounds, it was 20 carbs or less each day. Protein plus lots of vegetables (plus wine). I then heard about the carnivore diet for autoimmune diseases, and I thought “why not try it for 30 days?”. The 30 days turned into almost 3 years, and I feel better than I have for the last 30 years. I lost 35 pounds in the first 4 months and 3 years later I am still feeling good. This zero-carb diet (including wine) includes about 2 pounds of beef, lamb, pork plus other animal food, with the exception of none of any type of poultry, plus about 1/2 stick of butter plus other fats a day. This is not a diet for everyone, but it has improved my health dramatically.


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## cenk57 (Jan 23, 2022)

I’ve watch my weight increase steadily through my 30s. I’ve tried the fad diets, Keto, Adkins, even the smoothie diet. Yes, they worked while you followed them. But the weight came back on as soon as you eased off of them. Finally, I decided to get serious. My mother in law had good luck with weight watchers, so I tried it. While, like most diets, it is not for everyone. You must track most of what you eat. But, it has worked for me. When following it, it’s good for 1.5-2 pounds per week consistently. I did mess up during Christmas, but who doesn’t


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## vacuumpumpman (Jan 23, 2022)

I lost approx 50 pounds in 2.5 months using Optavia - Very similar to a Keto - but also regulating how much you eat. This actually shrinks your stomach and mentally it is easier when you go off the plan. It has been 2 years since dieting and I gained 5 pounds - with covid and retirement and such -


Here is a pic of before , during and after dieting.


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## Dan M (Jan 23, 2022)

Here's my $0.02:
Back in the day I had success with "The Zone" diet. This is a low carb, balanced carb/fat/protein diet. Now I tend to stay away from diet fads.
1. Walking - The pandemic has allowed me to work from home and take time out to walk 3 days per week. I started with 1 mile and am currently at 5 miles. This burns a lot of calories but is hard to keep motivated.
2. Count calories - At my age/size, I can drop roughly 1 pound per week if I stay below 1500 calories/day. This is also hard to maintain, but I allow an extra 200/day for wine. I'm not a savage...
3. Fasting - I.F. is a fad thing, but I break it down to be much simpler. Start by eliminating late night snacks. I eat nothing after 7pm. Next, delay your breakfast until after 7am. This is a 12-12 fast and is super easy to do. If you screw up, just start over tomorrow. I have been able to take it to a 14-10 fast over time, which works even better. I find with a 10 hour window for eating, I eat less and want less.

And yes, I plan to screw up over holiday breaks or any time my kids come to visit. They think tequila shots are a family Thanksgiving tradition! Cheers


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## NorCal (Jan 23, 2022)

Rocky said:


> @jswordy, @cmason1957, @ChuckD, @hounddawg. Just a question for the heck of it. How many of you were raised with "the poor people in Europe (or wherever) are starving" guilt trip so that you had to finish everything on your plate? To this day, as I approach 80 years of age, I cannot leave anything on my plate, even if I hate it!


Yup. Mine was more of a childhood self responsibility lesson. Us kids got to serve ourselves, which had to include the required vegetables. However, if we took it, we had to eat it. As a hungry child, my eyes were always bigger than my stomach, but I couldn’t leave the table until the plate was clean. Good life lesson, but still can’t get it out of my head decades later that it’s ok to finish everything on the plate.


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## Rocky (Jan 23, 2022)

NorCal said:


> Yup. Mine was more of a childhood self responsibility lesson. Us kids got to serve ourselves, which had to include the required vegetables. However, if we took it, we had to eat it. As a hungry child, my eyes were always bigger than my stomach, but I couldn’t leave the table until the plate was clean. Good life lesson, but still can’t get it out of my head decades later that it’s ok to finish everything on the plate.


We were pretty much the same way. There were four boys plus our parents and food was served "family style," i.e., bowls and platters on the table. It was "serve yourself" but everyone had to have a serving of the entree and some vegetables. Incidentally, I am talking about the late 40's and early 50's, just for a time frame.

I was never a problem and would eat anything that did not eat me first. However, I had one brother who was very picky and would refuse some foods, even at gunpoint. My mom used to say, "He will sit there until he eats it." In most cases, this had no effect, and he would sit there until bedtime and then be sent up to his room. He was always thin until he enlisted in the Marines and, wow, did they fill him out.


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## jswordy (Jan 24, 2022)

ChuckD said:


> All of the successful diets seem to target carbs. WW, Keto, Mediterranean, I’m sure there are many more. In 2020 I lost 45 lbs then got my COVID 19…. More like COVID 25! I have been getting serious about carb reduction again in the last three weeks and am already down 7 lbs. to keep it off you need to permanently change your lifestyle! For me that’s no sugary drinks (except a wine or two each day) very limited pasta, bread, and sweets.
> 
> it’s not a vanity thing. I just feel like  when I’m eating too may carbs. That and I want to stay healthy so I can enjoy the grandkids. WW helps keep me on track (all fresh foods. none of their processed garbage) Within a week of limiting carbs I feel much better.



Congrats on the weight loss!

I am right there with ya. I feel better staying off the carbs, though my senses are attuned to crave them as "good." I use them as a rare treat. But it is hard not to drink beer.  I make sure to limit that to stay within by 25 grams a day. Keto gurus I have read say the best alcohol with the diet is straight ooze on the rocks (1 shot max per day), and #2 is wine (2 max per day). The amount is restricted because the alcohol conversion takes resources from fat burning and due to the inflammatory effects.

The lifestyle change for me, I hope, will come from not having a diet goal. In my 30s and early 40s, I was into bodybuilding and so I have become used to the goal paradigm for physical fitness. Problem is, you reach your goal and that's that. Backslide. I have to break that in order to sustain. That's why I don't have a weight goal and I'm not doing any extra exercise this time. I am just gonna lose until my body says it has lost enough. One thing where my past experience bodybuilding has helped me is in easily viewing food as fuel only. It makes the conversion smoother.


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## jswordy (Jan 24, 2022)

Rocky said:


> I am on what I call my "3 bowling ball" diet. I hope to lose at least 48 pounds and I am using NutriSystem's program. I started about a month ago and I have almost lost my first bowling ball (16 pounds). The program is okay, food is passable (no danger of a Duncan Hines rating). What it amounts to is about 1100 calories per day plus all the low carb (starch and sugar) content vegetables that you can eat. My progress is not as impressive as some, perhaps, because of the way I cook my vegetables (steam, then saute' in olive oil and herbs) and the amount I can eat.
> 
> I just received my 2nd month's delivery of NS food and I plan to suspend deliveries going forward. I have been scoping out store bought items that mimic the NS products. I believe that as long as I eat lean meats, fish, chicken and lots of vegetables and try to limit my daily caloric intake to 1500-2000, I should be okay. I have lost thousands of pounds in my lifetime. The problem is I have gained a net 245 more over the same period. I would like to get down to something that approaches my high school/college weight of about 190 and maintain it, which is normally the struggle. I have reached goals in the past and then I, "Well, it's only one pound" myself back up to the 240's.



Congrats on the weight loss. I would say 126 pounds in less than a month is a very good, steady rate of loss. Check out a keto diet as a way to continue and sustain. I agree, sustaining the loss is the hard part.


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## jswordy (Jan 24, 2022)

Rocky said:


> @jswordy, @cmason1957, @ChuckD, @hounddawg. Just a question for the heck of it. How many of you were raised with "the poor people in Europe (or wherever) are starving" guilt trip so that you had to finish everything on your plate? To this day, as I approach 80 years of age, I cannot leave anything on my plate, even if I hate it!



I was raised in the late '50s and early '60s, when a fat baby was a healthy baby, you were told to clean your plate, and Hi-C fruit juice, Kool-Aid and Tang were all acceptable, good for you drinks for kids. Sugar-bombs (name your brand) were accepted breakfast cereals. The one thing we did not get a lot of was sodas/pops. Otherwise, it was a carb-loaded diet.

BTW, IMO there's nothing wrong with cleaning my plate. I do it even during my diet, and I am never hungry as I diet. The challenge is to put food on the plate that I can clean off and still be healthy and at a lower weight eating.


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## jswordy (Jan 24, 2022)

hounddawg said:


> the best way IMHO IS set your time like no food from 6;pm till 6am
> Dawg



You're talking about intermittent fasting, which can work too. But I'd rather be full while I diet.  My wife has had great success with fasting for weight loss, though.


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## jswordy (Jan 24, 2022)

cmason1957 said:


> Not so much. Although we were encouraged to clear our plates. In actuality I have lost 40 lbs in the last year the old fashioned way a pound or so every week. Have about another 40 or so to go. Now if I could just figure out how to increase my exercise time that would be much faster, but sedentary are me. New knees, can't run, can't exercise much.



Congratulations on your weight loss, Craig!


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## jswordy (Jan 24, 2022)

Rocky said:


> I completely agree with the calories in less calories burned equation. If > 0 equals weight gain, if < 0 equals weight loss. I also think if one examines any of the popular diet plans, they all come down to depending on calories consumed and calories burned in the end.



I think the difference for me with ketogenic is that it gets ride of inflammatory effects that carb loading launches throughout the body, including insulin resistance over time. You can actually lose quite a bit of weight just by getting rid of the inflammation, and the associated fluid retention that comes along with it. That's why I feel better eating this way, I think, and feeling better is a powerful motivator. it worked for me in the past, before it was a fad diet, too – back when I was using it to goal diet for bodybuilding. The best benefit for me is that I am never hungry. I can eat as much as I want of the proper foods (though I am playing with my satiety, trying to lower the amount of food that makes me feel full). And what's not to like about steak and any veggie you want except those that grow below ground and corn? Or venison and the same?

*Weight Loss Equivalents (Making that number mean something!)*
10 pounds - Average 3-month-old baby. Large watermelon.
15 pounds - Vacuum cleaner. Bowling ball.
20 pounds - Shopping cart. Sledge hammer. Patio table.
25 pounds - Two-year-old toddler. Two car tires.
30 pounds - Finnish Spitz dog. Four gallons of water.
35 pounds - Cinder block. A four-year-old child.
40 pounds - Cat food bag. Black oil sunflower bird seed bag.
45 pounds - American bison newborn calf. 2000-watt generator.
50 pounds - Bag of concrete mix. Small square bale of hay. Dorm room refrigerator.


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## hounddawg (Jan 24, 2022)

jswordy said:


> You're talking about intermittent fasting, which can work too. But I'd rather be full while I diet.  My wife has had great success with fasting for weight loss, though.


no fasting, if you don't eat from 6 to 6, or pick your sleep and inative hours, . i got a brother that every time he goes on a diet he gains 20 to 40 lbs, it boils down to you controlling your own mind , same goes for smoking, years ago,, i tried many times to quit smoking, one day i bought a pack of camels, set them on my night stand, they laid there for over 20 years, then one day i threw them away, most things boils down to mind over matter, I HAVE NO MIND SO IT DOESN'T MATTER,, lol
Dawg


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## jswordy (Jan 24, 2022)

hounddawg said:


> no fasting, if you don't eat from 6 to 6, or pick your sleep and inative hours, . i got a brother that every time he goes on a diet he gains 20 to 40 lbs, it boils down to you controlling your own mind , same goes for smoking, years ago,, i tried many times to quit smoking, one day i bought a pack of camels, set them on my night stand, they laid there for over 20 years, then one day i threw them away, most things boils down to mind over matter, I HAVE NO MIND SO IT DOESN'T MATTER,, lol
> Dawg



What you describe is exactly what is known as intermittent fasting. Look it up. Though it can be part of dieting, mind over matter doesn't explain the various rates at which people lose on the exact same diet. Men, for example, will lose far faster than women on the same diet plan. Me? I'd rather not be hungry and lose weight anyway.


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## Sage (Jan 24, 2022)

4 yrs ago I hit 233 and decided time to drop some wt. Got just under 230 and had a heart attack!! Doc said lose weight, well I had already started down that trail.

No fad diet, no quick loss plan. My opinion of those is that they are designed to fail... My opinion only!

I basically changed my diet (or, my wife did!!). Less fatty foods, cut back on doughnuts (that's tough!). Eat more cow food. Eat a little less and walk more. I am quite active, weather permitting, and rarely in the house before 5 pm.

My wt dropped fairly fast over the next 6 months after the heart thingy. Went under 200 (first time in years). Then slowly came down to 190.

I get on the scale every morning. I do not let it go over 190. The past few months it's been averaging around 188.

My advice...... Get off your butt, eat more cow food, don't drink your calories, stop eating before you feel full.

Second advice.... Forget the fad\diet plan of the week. When you quit it, you lose, actually more likely you gain. Permanent change of what caused the weight is the only way it's going to stay off. 

And, yes I occasionally over do it but I know it's temporary. I\you can control what you eat. I still eat about everything and have a glass of wine. Limit it and it will come off and STAY off!


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## jswordy (Jan 24, 2022)

Sage said:


> 4 yrs ago I hit 233 and decided time to drop some wt. Got just under 230 and had a heart attack!! Doc said lose weight, well I had already started down that trail.
> 
> No fad diet, no quick loss plan. My opinion of those is that they are designed to fail... My opinion only!
> 
> ...



Congratulations on your weight loss!


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## hounddawg (Jan 24, 2022)

jswordy said:


> What you describe is exactly what is known as intermittent fasting. Look it up. Though it can be part of dieting, mind over matter doesn't explain the various rates at which people lose on the exact same diet. Men, for example, will lose far faster than women on the same diet plan. Me? I'd rather not be hungry and lose weight anyway.


maybe for some, when i was told i had diabetes i was drinking a gallon of sweet tea a day with 3 coffee cups of sugar in it, a 12 pack of mountain dew a day, i was buying sugar in 25 lb bags , that doctor said i could not stop cold turkey, i did, after 11 years taking oxycodone 10 mg 4 times a day my next doctor said i had to be weaned of, never took another from that day forward, i don't need to look up anything, i was om 5 mg Hydromorphone 4 times daily thru IV for a year, that doctor again like the last two. yet i did, you speak for what your mind can do or can't do,,, because obviously you aint a clue what a mind can do, and in my OP on this thread i said nothing but a time frame, you posted back, speaking about what you have no clue about, so now i identify as a kitty cat,,,
Skoal = to your health and well being
Dawg


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## Rocky (Jan 24, 2022)

As many are intimating on here, the key is to find something that works for you and to stay with it. I have a role model with whom I have lived for the past 56 years, and I should be more like her, my bride. Bev weighed 108 the day we got married and the most she has weighed was 124 when she had our daughter (7 pounds 3 ounces at birth). Today, she weighs about 114. She eats just about everything that I do but in more modest amounts. Interesting how she got this way. When she was in Pharmacy School at Pitt, one of her classmates teased her, "When you get older, you will be like all those Italian women, 5' 3'' by 5' 3"!" I believe that so affected her that she became manic about weight gain. She monitors her weight 3 or 4 times a week and if she gains a pound or two, she will reduce her intake until it is gone.

Lastly, something that has worked for me was a four-step process that I saw on TV years ago and the developer had a program call "I can make you thin" or something like that. It had four basic steps (and there are paraphrased): 

It begins by rating your hunger lever from 1 to 10, 1 being famished and 10 being so full you can barely move. You should try to keep your level between 4 and 6 and not go over 8. Then, 

1. When you are hungry, eat.
2. Eat anything you want to eat.
3. Eat consciously, i.e., set aside a time to eat, eat at a table and not while watching TV or reading, etc., tasting the food and being aware of the taste, chew thoroughly (15 to 20) times, put your fork or spoon down between bites. In other words, do not just shovel food into your mouth.
4. When you are no longer hungry, stop eating.

I am trying to use this in conjunction with Nutrisystem's plan.


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## hounddawg (Jan 24, 2022)

did not mean to ruffle any feathers to day has been ruff i'm on my 3rd sugar crash of the day, best i can guess is i got my insulions backwards and tripled my fast acting insulin and only 1/3 of my my 24 hour insulin, been doing many years so far this would be my second time to do that, the other time i awoke after a 8 day coma , since then i keep 100 count bottle of sugar/glucose tablets,, i keep 3 of them bottle's, 1 in my bedroom, 1 in my kubota, and one that i fill old medicine bottles so i can carry 10 tablets on me at all times, hehe. i've put a dent in my bedroom bottle today, hands shaking head sweeting, lol took me awhile to type this, hands shaking hard to hit correct keys, just the same i apologize for getting cranky @jswordy ,,,
Dawg


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## Jovimaple (Jan 24, 2022)

Hope you are feeling better, Dawg!


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## hounddawg (Jan 24, 2022)

Jovimaple said:


> Hope you are feeling better, Dawg!



Thank You
yes i am, but it was a ruff day, i ended up over the day eating almost half a bottle of Glucose tablets, i'd eat some, then 20-30 minutes i'd crash again, i'm just glad,, i was awake to know when i started crashing, i guess i took about 120 units of my rapid insulin,,, i was rushing so i could finish putting on my 15 bean soup, and some old fashioned cornbread, instead of going to take care of it when i noticed i was crashing,,, man if i'd croaked, my family would of ate all my beans and cornbread,, lol,, when i cook it,,, i gotta dang near use a ball bat on my nephew, after he eats he always says ,, uncle richie, can i take a small bowl home for later, i say yes and that prick gets my biggest bowl,,, to tell the truth, it makes me feel good, but i always make a groan,, 
Dawg


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## jswordy (Jan 25, 2022)

hounddawg said:


> did not mean to ruffle any feathers to day has been ruff i'm on my 3rd sugar crash of the day, best i can guess is i got my insulions backwards and tripled my fast acting insulin and only 1/3 of my my 24 hour insulin, been doing many years so far this would be my second time to do that, the other time i awoke after a 8 day coma , since then i keep 100 count bottle of sugar/glucose tablets,, i keep 3 of them bottle's, 1 in my bedroom, 1 in my kubota, and one that i fill old medicine bottles so i can carry 10 tablets on me at all times, hehe. i've put a dent in my bedroom bottle today, hands shaking head sweeting, lol took me awhile to type this, hands shaking hard to hit correct keys, just the same i apologize for getting cranky @jswordy ,,,
> Dawg



None ruffled, hope you are feeling better. You're entitled to be cranky.


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## hounddawg (Jan 25, 2022)

OMG, well it is 8:17 pm, just ate 2 farm fresh cheese burgers, now i feel like a bloated beached whale,,,
Dawg


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## jswordy (Jan 28, 2022)

Got in a little tough spot but I have now broken through and am losing again. Yay!


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## wood1954 (Jan 28, 2022)

I’m trying to eat healthier with smaller portions, lost about 15 lbs over 6 months or so. The mediteranean diet is what I try to follow, it’s very flavorful and easy to shop for and prepare. It seems like wine drinking really slows down weight loss.


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## hounddawg (Jan 28, 2022)

wood1954 said:


> I’m trying to eat healthier with smaller portions, lost about 15 lbs over 6 months or so. The mediteranean diet is what I try to follow, it’s very flavorful and easy to shop for and prepare. It seems like wine drinking really slows down weight loss.


are you saying i'm fat due to wine ? lol
Dawg


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## NorCal (Jan 28, 2022)

One thing that Ive done with a high school buddy and one of my best friends for the last year is to weigh in every Friday and post on a shared google sheet. We call it the accountability sheet. I found that I could take weight off, but keeping it off was the challenge. Needing to be accountable to someone else has kept me motivated.


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## jswordy (Jan 31, 2022)

I splurged and ate a 16-ounce ribeye, side salad and drank 3 beers last night, so I was sure my loss would be on hold this morning. But the scale says down another 1-1/2 pounds. I love this diet! One thing I made myself sure of is that gluten beer is directly related to my joint pain. This morning my knees are killing me. I don't get that with wine.


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## jswordy (Jan 31, 2022)

NorCal said:


> One thing that Ive done with a high school buddy and one of my best friends for the last year is to weigh in every Friday and post on a shared google sheet. We call it the accountability sheet. I found that I could take weight off, but keeping it off was the challenge. Needing to be accountable to someone else has kept me motivated.



I've lose hundreds of pounds over my life. Keeping it off is the major challenge. That's why I like the keto way. It is already a diet I like to consume, I just cut the sugar out of it.


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## jswordy (Jan 31, 2022)

wood1954 said:


> I’m trying to eat healthier with smaller portions, lost about 15 lbs over 6 months or so. The mediteranean diet is what I try to follow, it’s very flavorful and easy to shop for and prepare. It seems like wine drinking really slows down weight loss.



Congratulations on your weight loss! Slower is better when it comes to keeping it off, the experts say.


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## jswordy (Feb 2, 2022)

I still ain't gonna win the swimsuit competition, but I'm minus 20-1/2 pounds this morning. The chart says that's the weight of a shopping cart.


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## wood1954 (Feb 2, 2022)

That’s great, now keep it off. That’s my problem it’s hard to keep the weight off


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## jswordy (Feb 2, 2022)

wood1954 said:


> That’s great, now keep it off. That’s my problem it’s hard to keep the weight off



Earlier here I mentioned the plan for doing that this time. I am VERY familiar, as a past bodybuilder, with the goal-oriented Type A approach to weight loss (or weight gain). So, this time I do not have a weight goal to achieve and then forget about; I have a diet change. Eating this diet ALWAYS drops the pounds for me, and it is a diet I like to eat. Hey, when I can sit down like I did on Sunday and eat an entire 16-ounce ribeye and a salad with two glasses of wine, and still lose 1-1/2 pounds by Monday, that's my kind of diet. 

This time, wherever my body decides it has lost enough, that'll be fine, since there is no goal number in my head. I am not exercising or doing any additional physical activity above what I did before dieting, so there is no added calorie burning program that I then can decide to skip for a day, then two, then three... 

So far, this Type B approach has worked very well. It's all about limiting the carbs to diabetic levels or lower for me – no more than 25 carbs per day. If I want two glasses of wine with dinner (~ 10 carbs), then I have to limit my remaining daily carb intake to ~15 carbs or less. It's not as hard as it might seem. Otherwise, I eat what I want and am full, yet mindful of the carb content. As I said before, I call it the "Eat Nothing White Diet" for short. Get off the sugar and the weight drops. I should write a book!


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## wood1954 (Feb 2, 2022)

My ex wife was on prednisone for a long time and gained 60 lbs. she went on a nonwhite diet and lost it all. I’m too addicted to carbs, but I try to stay under 200 carbs per day. I use an app called Track to log my diet and it really helps to educate me on portion size. We Americans are so used to huge portions, I get a lot of pushback when I’m eating out with friends or family to eat more, both my wife and have noticed it doesn’t take as much to get filled up now.


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## jswordy (Feb 2, 2022)

wood1954 said:


> My ex wife was on prednisone for a long time and gained 60 lbs. she went on a nonwhite diet and lost it all. I’m too addicted to carbs, but I try to stay under 200 carbs per day. I use an app called Track to log my diet and it really helps to educate me on portion size. We Americans are so used to huge portions, I get a lot of pushback when I’m eating out with friends or family to eat more, both my wife and have noticed it doesn’t take as much to get filled up now.



Congratulations to your wife on her weight loss!

I don't fret over portion size. I like to eat and to feel full. The key question in my diet is, what makes up the portions? Not how large they are.


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## hounddawg (Feb 2, 2022)

jswordy said:


> I still ain't gonna win the swimsuit competition, but I'm minus 20-1/2 pounds this morning. The chart says that's the weight of a shopping cart.


are you going in your thongs  
Dawg


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## cmason1957 (Feb 3, 2022)

A little bit of humour from the comics today:


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## jswordy (Feb 4, 2022)

Down another 3 this morning.


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## jswordy (Feb 4, 2022)

hounddawg said:


> are you going in your thongs
> Dawg



Nah, I already heard you OWN that category.


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## ceeaton (Feb 4, 2022)

Nice thread, I just saw this!

Had lost about 50 lbs since the "pandemic" started. Figured I'd make something good out of a not so good situation. Now on the gaining side again (gained back 10). Winter makes it hard to keep up the walking routine at times. Plus I had a fall on the ice and am a bit gun shy of my icy driveway. Need to visit the local mall and make a few laps.

Either way, my biggest help in losing hundreds of pounds over the years:

1) find some sort of exercise and stick to it (I'm going back up because I'm missing my 4:45 am walk)
2) if you have a weakness (for me beer) find ways to avoid situations where you abuse your weakness. Also find ways to limit your calorie weakness once you start overdoing it
3) don't beat yourself up when you "fail" in your own eyes. Each day gives you an opportunity to start over again. Can't change the past, but you can change the future.
4) find a reason why you want to take off the weight, for me it is to someday see some grand kids since I got married so late in life (first kid came along at 35, #4 at 45)
5) find someone (not your spouse) to hold you accountable. They don't have to scold you when you don't have a great day or two. But by them being there it gives you at least a pause before you dive into that extra beer or box of doughnuts.

Cheers!


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## jswordy (Feb 7, 2022)

Well, I won't lie to ya. Due to the fact that the 2017 Long Shadows Pedestal merlot was so good that I had to consume it all instead of a modest 2 glasses a day, plus some other weekend tippling involving Jacob's Creek Double Barrel Cabernet, I actually gained 2 pounds.  But that will be erased this week, and hopefully more.


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## jswordy (Feb 8, 2022)

Man, this diet is ROUGH!


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## jswordy (Feb 13, 2022)

Broke through my little pause and am now down 24 pounds. How's your diet going?


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## ChuckD (Feb 13, 2022)

jswordy said:


> Broke through my little pause and am now down 24 pounds. How's your diet going?


Congratulations. I’m losing a pound or two a week. Lots of carbs tonight so probably not this week.


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## jswordy (Feb 14, 2022)

ChuckD said:


> Congratulations. I’m losing a pound or two a week. Lots of carbs tonight so probably not this week.



Congrats on your weight loss! I'm convinced that's the best way to do it, and I'm on the slow path, too.


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## jswordy (Feb 14, 2022)

When you're coworker brings you HOMEMADE chocolates first thing in the morning for Valentine's Day...




...and there they still sit on the desk...




...thats dedication!


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## SLM (Feb 14, 2022)

Thought this was an odd subject for a wine forum, but now I read it with interest. It seems to reveal something about one's personality. OK, so I'll throw myself under that bus.

I guess I'm a bit of an extremist, not all that keen on moderation. I have experimented with various forms of fasting over the years. I once went 55 days on clear vegetable broth, looked like Ghandi. Benefits were short lived and obviously not sustainable.

I have come up with my own version of intermittent fasting. I juice 3 days a week, liquids only. Then I eat what I want the other 4. I eat pretty healthy anyway, mostly avoid processed foods. But if I want pizza and nachos on the weekend I can do it guilt free. I fell off the wagon during Covid, back on now. I only have about 15-20 to lose. I find this method totally sustainable, physically and mentally. I fluctuate by about 5 lbs through the week but steadily decrease until I hit an ideal weight. Works for me.


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## ChuckD (Feb 14, 2022)

I have a friend who has been intermittent fasting for at least five years. No eating for 24 hours on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday from dinner the night before to dinner that night. He lost 40 lbs and kept it off. I’m a born grazer so I don’t know if I could do it but even short intermittent fasting with general healthy eating works because people tend not to eat extra on the other days.


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## Vern (Feb 14, 2022)

ChuckD said:


> I have a friend who has been intermittent fasting for at least five years. No eating for 24 hours on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday from dinner the night before to dinner that night. He lost 40 lbs and kept it off. I’m a born grazer so I don’t know if I could do it but even short intermittent fasting with general healthy eating works because people tend not to eat extra on the other days.


I had to fast for one day for a medical procedure, I almost went crazy. My hats off to those who can.


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## hounddawg (Feb 14, 2022)

Rocky said:


> @jswordy, @cmason1957, @ChuckD, @hounddawg. Just a question for the heck of it. How many of you were raised with "the poor people in Europe (or wherever) are starving" guilt trip so that you had to finish everything on your plate? To this day, as I approach 80 years of age, I cannot leave anything on my plate, even if I hate it!


dad was born in a barn with snow on the floor , at age 10,,, he picked fruit in WI,, they were 11 kids, the boys traveled the USA making money to bring home to feed the family, i was told ever meal to give thanks to God and clean my plate , because others were not as fortunate as I was,, i was taught to say yes ma'am, no ma'am,, yes sir,, no sir... i was raised to hold the doors for others, when i did remodel work, i had a set rate, unless I could see they were way short on funds, I've done many a job where i paid for 80% of material, and paid my men out of my pockets ,I could care less what people think of me, all i care about is my name to be in the LAMBS BOOK OF LIFE,, i am fine whith what others think, good said to worry about my soul,, because HE ALONE WILL DO THE JUDGEING,,, I WILL SAY THIS I HAVE NEVER BEEN STIFFED BY THE POOR, I CANT SAY THAT ABOUT 2/3rd's OF THE WELL OFF,,,
Richard

and as for Europe, try the deep south back then,
i


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## hounddawg (Feb 14, 2022)

cmason1957 said:


> Not so much. Although we were encouraged to clear our plates. In actuality I have lost 40 lbs in the last year the old fashioned way a pound or so every week. Have about another 40 or so to go. Now if I could just figure out how to increase my exercise time that would be much faster, but sedentary are me. New knees, can't run, can't exercise much.


so did you offend Mrs. @cmason1957 .. just checking that you can still run and clear a 4 hoot fence,,, lol
Richard


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## cmason1957 (Feb 14, 2022)

hounddawg said:


> so did you offend Mrs. @cmason1957 .. just checking that you can still run and clear a 4 hoot fence,,, lol
> Richard



No clearing fences for me. I gotta stop and crawl over them or go find a gate. The Mrs. Is really hard to offend, she grew up with six brothers and her. She can certainly hold her own.


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## hounddawg (Feb 15, 2022)

cmason1957 said:


> No clearing fences for me. I gotta stop and crawl over them or go find a gate. The Mrs. Is really hard to offend, she grew up with six brothers and her. She can certainly hold her own.


you are a very blessed man, now i wonder what she did to end up with the short end of the stick,, lol
Richard


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## jswordy (Feb 16, 2022)

ChuckD said:


> I have a friend who has been intermittent fasting for at least five years. No eating for 24 hours on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday from dinner the night before to dinner that night. He lost 40 lbs and kept it off. I’m a born grazer so I don’t know if I could do it but even short intermittent fasting with general healthy eating works because people tend not to eat extra on the other days.



Yep, my wife does that too. Long timer. I like to be full while I diet, which is why ketogenic has worked so well for me. It allows 2 glasses of dry wine per day, too. I gained back only when I had that 98-point Pedestal and just HAD to drink it all.  Boy, that stuff was good. Got one more in the cellar.


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## jswordy (Feb 16, 2022)

SLM said:


> Thought this was an odd subject for a wine forum, but now I read it with interest. It seems to reveal something about one's personality. OK, so I'll throw myself under that bus.
> 
> I guess I'm a bit of an extremist, not all that keen on moderation. I have experimented with various forms of fasting over the years. I once went 55 days on clear vegetable broth, looked like Ghandi. Benefits were short lived and obviously not sustainable.
> 
> I have come up with my own version of intermittent fasting. I juice 3 days a week, liquids only. Then I eat what I want the other 4. I eat pretty healthy anyway, mostly avoid processed foods. But if I want pizza and nachos on the weekend I can do it guilt free. I fell off the wagon during Covid, back on now. I only have about 15-20 to lose. I find this method totally sustainable, physically and mentally. I fluctuate by about 5 lbs through the week but steadily decrease until I hit an ideal weight. Works for me.



Dunno what it reveals about the personality, I just know when I keep my total sugar consumption to 25 grams per day or less, I feel so completely better. The losing weight part is not my goal, it's continuing to feel this good that is. It takes at least 12 months for the body to begin to unwind the insulin resistance cycle, so I don't have a target weight or a goal. My only concerns are limiting carbohydrates in my diet and feeling good while being full/not starving. There are tons of diets out there, and most of them work for people who like them. The important phase is staying at the lower weight range after all the Facebook bragging about how much was lost is over.  I have lost 30 and 35 pounds several times in my life by goal dieting, being a former bodybuilding enthusiast, but gained it all back. So I'm trying no goals except 25 grams of carbs a day.


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## hounddawg (Feb 16, 2022)

jswordy said:


> Dunno what it reveals about the personality, I just know when I keep my total sugar consumption to 25 grams per day or less, I feel so completely better. The losing weight part is not my goal, it's continuing to feel this good that is. It takes at least 12 months for the body to begin to unwind the insulin resistance cycle, so I don't have a target weight or a goal. My only concerns are limiting carbohydrates in my diet and feeling good while being full/not starving. There are tons of diets out there, and most the of them work for people who like them. The important phase is staying at the lower weight range after all the Facebook bragging about how much was lost is over.  I have lost 30 and 35 pounds several times in my life by goal dieting, being a former bodybuilding enthusiast, but gained it all back. So I'm trying no goals except 25 grams of carbs a day.


them carbs are they holly's or Rochester carbs ? lol ,, sorry you know me brainless, i contacted MIT to donate my brain for study, sadly they are suing me for fraud, welp i guess i really am a brainless wonder,,,,, lol
Dawg


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## jswordy (Feb 16, 2022)

hounddawg said:


> them carbs are they holly's or Rochester carbs ? lol ,, sorry you know me brainless, i contacted MIT to donate my brain for study, sadly they are suing me for fraud, welp i guess i really am a brainless wonder,,,,, lol
> Dawg



Quadajets, man. And anybody who has ever rebuilt one of those KNOWS that's me making a joke.  I always did prefer the Holley design. Using a QuickTime on the 429, which is based on the Holley design. Dunno how they got away with that...

I reckon I'll just donate my body to the University of Tennessee so they can put it out there with the rest of 'em they have rotting away in a fenced field to see how it rots. Dunno, I always heard alcohol is a preservative, so they might hafta wait a long, long time...


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## jswordy (Feb 20, 2022)

Going back to my chart on Page 2, I see I have lost the equivalent of a 2-year-old toddler, or two car tires. I'm working toward the weight of a Finnish Spitz dog. 

Lost about 3 inches around the waist. I am now back wearing some of my Hope pants. Not Bob Hope, but the pants hanging in my closet I kept because I hoped I could maybe one day be skinny enough to wear them.

Gratuitous picture of Bob Hope...




Millennials be like: *WHO'S BOB HOPE?*


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## Rocky (Mar 20, 2022)

An update on my diet journey...

Lost the first bowling ball (16 pounds)!

As stated earlier, I am trying to lose 3 bowling balls (about 50 pounds) and I was using NutriSystems. Well, that did not work entirely well for me. I lost about 14 pounds and then gained back about 11 of them. I looked for an alternative and I think I have found one that can work for me. It is referred to as the "Intermittent Fasting Diet" and focuses not so much on what one eats as it does on when one eats. The diet involves choosing a feasting/fasting regimen where the feasting is some number of consecutive hours and fasting is the rest of the day. I began with an 8/16 feasting/fasting regimen, and it seemed to work for me. I started by eating between 1:00 PM and 9:00 PM but since I have move it to 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Needless to say, during the "feasting" period one cannot emulate Henry VIII and still must eat sensibly. I am consuming the remainder of my NutriSystems goods along with a good number of store-bought substitutes. I should also point out that during the "fasting" period, one may drink any non-caloric beverage. Iced tea and iced coffee work for me. I accidently discovered long ago that I like a 50-50 mix coffee and Diet Coke, also.


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## jswordy (Apr 6, 2022)

I cannot seem to achieve permanent "Finnish Spitz Dog. Four Gallons of Water" status. I get there, but then I gain back a couple pounds. I may have reached the limit of what can be done without either adding exercise or dropping glasses of wine. Still, I'm pretty happy with it.


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## Jim Welch (Apr 8, 2022)

I’ve lost 83 Lbs using a keto diet along with a 16 hour fast probably 95%+ of the time otherwise a 12 hour fast. Those long fasts help keep the weight off between keto “sessions”.
Was 314 Lbs when I started and was down to 231 when I came off right before last Thanksgiving. Just went back on keto April 1, I went up 6 Lbs to 237 in those 4+ months and already dropped 2 in the last week. I’m now 15 Lbs from my high school weight but probably never have that high school body, I’ve nowhere near the muscle mass I had then. Maybe at 210 I’ll be able to get into my 36x36 Wranglers again!
Wondering if anyone else checks their blood to gauge how deep in ketosis they are?


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## KYBEER (Apr 8, 2022)

I think I'm just short for my weight.


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## Rocky (Apr 8, 2022)

KYBEER said:


> I think I'm just short for my weight.


That is my story too and I am sticking to it. I am not overweight; I am under tall. I weigh exactly the right amount; I just should be 6'5" tall.


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## Jim Welch (Apr 8, 2022)

If one is comfortable in their body to hell with losing weight, enjoy life. You have today, tomorrow is not promised!
I decided to do something the day I consulted with an orthopedic surgeon to have my hip replaced, artificial hips can wear out much quicker than what one is born with. Excess weight does not help them last.


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## sour_grapes (Apr 8, 2022)

I haven't posted in this thread, but I want to thank @jswordy for starting it and the information. I do not desire to lose any weight. (I _would_ prefer that my muscle/fat ratio was a little better, though.) Nonetheless, I got interested in Jim's diet.

In particular, my DW and I had noticed a bit of a "sugar rush" at some times of the day. We eat zero sweets, but I always made sure to serve a starch with each meal (along with a slab of protein and 3 vegetables). We decided to give a very-low-carb diet a try. Because I make all of our food from scratch, it was easy to keep dietary* carbs down. I did have some "keto flu" symptoms in the second week. I felt like my body was looking for blood sugar, and NOT FINDING IT!  However, that faded, and we both feel good. The highs and lows are pretty much eliminated.

*The asterisk is because I am (wrongly) not considering alcohol as "dietary." I think we drink enough to keep us out of ketosis!  Because my goal did not include weight loss, I am okay with this!


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## FlamingoEmporium (Apr 8, 2022)

Well I dropped 8 pounds because I couldn’t eat much or didn’t feel like eating after that root canal. Coconut pudding apparently helps.


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## cmason1957 (Apr 8, 2022)

I'm down another five pounds. (Total of 55 from my highest) It's amazing what three days in the hospital on NPO (as in no food or water) waiting for the docs to decide do we just take out this inflamed gallbladder or do we run more tests to decide if there are gallstones. Final decision just take out gallbladder. 

Very thankful for laproscopic procedures. Four holes, three little ones that healed really well, the belly button one that isn't doing so well. My wife is now very accomplished at packing a wound after the weeks. Hopefully almost closed up. 

I might be able to lift more than a gallon of water. I got wine work to do.


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## Boatboy24 (Apr 9, 2022)

cmason1957 said:


> I'm down another five pounds. (Total of 55 from my highest) It's amazing what three days in the hospital on NPO (as in no food or water) waiting for the docs to decide do we just take out this inflamed gallbladder or do we run more tests to decide if there are gallstones. Final decision just take out gallbladder.
> 
> Very thankful for laproscopic procedures. Four holes, three little ones that healed really well, the belly button one that isn't doing so well. My wife is now very accomplished at packing a wound after the weeks. Hopefully almost closed up.
> 
> I might be able to lift more than a gallon of water. I got wine work to do.



Glad you're on the mend.


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## Boatboy24 (Apr 9, 2022)

KYBEER said:


> I think I'm just short for my weight.



Reminds me of a "Normism" from Cheers:


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## sour_grapes (Apr 9, 2022)

sour_grapes said:


> Because I make all of our food from scratch, it was easy to keep dietary* carbs down.



Okay, this is funny. IMMEDIATELY after posting this, we were invited by some friends for a spontaneous dinner. They were making chicken saltimbocca, and had bought too much food, so decided to invite us. We went over, and the dinner was: a delicious chicken breast saltimbocca, a small spoonful of greens, and a _huge_ plateful of spaghetti!


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## FlamingoEmporium (Apr 9, 2022)

sour_grapes said:


> Okay, this is funny. IMMEDIATELY after posting this, we were invited by some friends for a spontaneous dinner. They were making chicken saltimbocca, and had bought too much food, so decided to invite us. We went over, and the dinner was: a delicious chicken breast saltimbocca, a small spoonful of greens, and a _huge_ plateful of spaghetti!


Maybe it was cauliflower spaghetti ?


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## Rocky (Apr 9, 2022)

sour_grapes said:


> Okay, this is funny. IMMEDIATELY after posting this, we were invited by some friends for a spontaneous dinner. They were making chicken saltimbocca, and had bought too much food, so decided to invite us. We went over, and the dinner was: a delicious chicken breast saltimbocca, a small spoonful of greens, and a _huge_ plateful of spaghetti!


Never had it made with chicken, always veal. I have to try that. Sounds great.

Do they pound the chicken breast before cooking?


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## sour_grapes (Apr 9, 2022)

Rocky said:


> Never had it made with chicken, always veal. I have to try that. Sounds great.
> 
> Do they pound the chicken breast before cooking?



Yes. But in other ways, their recipe differs from mine. They were trying to replicate the fare at a local favorite restaurant. IMHO, that version is not so traditional.

Their version: Pound chicken breast thin; dredge in flour; saute both sides until brown; cover with chopped sage leaves; cover with piece of prosciutto; cover with gorgonzola cheese; place lid unti cheese melts; remove and make pan sauce.

My version: Pound boneless chicken _thigh_ thin; cover surface with whole sage leaves; cover this with a piece of prosciutto; dredge bottom of thigh in flour; saute both sides; remove and make pan sauce.

Note that in my version, the prosciutto and sage get fried. In their version it does not. And thighs are much better than breasts for this dish, IMHO.


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## Jim Welch (Apr 9, 2022)

sour_grapes said:


> Yes. But in other ways, their recipe differs from mine. They were trying to replicate the fare at a local favorite restaurant. IMHO, that version is not so traditional.
> 
> Their version: Pound chicken breast thin; dredge in flour; saute both sides until brown; cover with chopped sage leaves; cover with piece of prosciutto; cover with gorgonzola cheese; place lid unti cheese melts; remove and make pan sauce.
> 
> ...


Sounds delicious, I’m going to have to try that dish. Do you use the cheese too?


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## Rocky (Apr 9, 2022)

sour_grapes said:


> My version: Pound boneless chicken _thigh_ thin; cover surface with whole sage leaves; cover this with a piece of prosciutto; dredge bottom of thigh in flour; saute both sides; remove and make pan sauce.
> 
> Note that in my version, the prosciutto and sage get fried. In their version it does not. And thighs are much better than breasts for this dish, IMHO.


I have to try this. I agree that the thighs are much more flavorful than the breast. I usually buy boneless, skinless thighs for my chicken dishes. Thanks for the recipe.


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## Newine (Apr 9, 2022)

I related to something I read the other day.

"My stomach is flat, the l is just silent"


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## sour_grapes (Apr 9, 2022)

Rocky said:


> I have to try this. I agree that the thighs are much more flavorful than the breast. I usually buy boneless, skinless thighs for my chicken dishes. Thanks for the recipe.



When I cover the sage leaves with the prosciutto, I stick a toothpick in, nearly parallel to the surface, down into the thigh and back up through the prosciutto. This holds the prosciutto and sage leaves onto the thigh.


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## sour_grapes (Apr 9, 2022)

Jim Welch said:


> Sounds delicious, I’m going to have to try that dish. Do you use the cheese too?



No, I usually don't. But I certainly wouldn't object to it!

For traditional veal saltimbocca, I think cheese may or may not be used. If it is used, I believe Fontina is the traditional choice.


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## jswordy (Apr 9, 2022)

cmason1957 said:


> I'm down another five pounds. (Total of 55 from my highest) It's amazing what three days in the hospital on NPO (as in no food or water) waiting for the docs to decide do we just take out this inflamed gallbladder or do we run more tests to decide if there are gallstones. Final decision just take out gallbladder.
> 
> Very thankful for laproscopic procedures. Four holes, three little ones that healed really well, the belly button one that isn't doing so well. My wife is now very accomplished at packing a wound after the weeks. Hopefully almost closed up.
> 
> I might be able to lift more than a gallon of water. I got wine work to do.



I had that done. The doc had been doing them for 15 years. said I had the most stones of anyone he had seen. They had to enlarge the hole to get it out! He showed me the lab report, showed the blank where they put the number of stones. He laughed and pointed to my result. They had just written in "Numerous."  So glad I did it! Gallstone attacks are NO FUN!


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## jswordy (May 12, 2022)

I have achieved Finnish Spitz Dog and am approaching Cinder Block. My belt says I have lost 4 inches around the waist. Skin is finally shrinking down to the new weight, lol....


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## jswordy (May 12, 2022)




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## bstnh1 (May 14, 2022)

jswordy said:


> View attachment 88171


Belt stretched that much, eh?


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## jswordy (May 16, 2022)

bstnh1 said:


> Belt stretched that much, eh?



 Nope, it's legit. I'm wearing jeans I have had stored for a decade because they didn't fit anymore and I hoped to get back into them one day.


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## bstnh1 (May 16, 2022)

jswordy said:


> Nope, it's legit. I'm wearing jeans I have had stored for a decade because they didn't fit anymore and I hoped to get back into them one day.


Good job. Congrats! I have some jeans like that ... still siting on a high shelf in the closet.


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## jswordy (May 18, 2022)

bstnh1 said:


> Good job. Congrats! I have some jeans like that ... still siting on a high shelf in the closet.



That's where I hadda get mine from, too!


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## MrHerbington (Aug 17, 2022)

At some point I was 110kg, not in any sort of good shape. Then I lost 40kg, was 70kg for a few years and began powerlifting. Doubled my weight in 8 years, to 142kg. Now I've lost 20kg, and currently at 122kg. Way better shape and performance than I was at 110kg over 10 years ago. 

One Meal A Day works great


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## jswordy (Aug 18, 2022)

MrHerbington said:


> At some point I was 110kg, not in any sort of good shape. Then I lost 40kg, was 70kg for a few years and began powerlifting. Doubled my weight in 8 years, to 142kg. Now I've lost 20kg, and currently at 122kg. Way better shape and performance than I was at 110kg over 10 years ago.
> 
> One Meal A Day works great



That's about what I do. Popcorn at lunch, meal at supper. Cut back on the drinking though I'm by far not a teetotaler. I'm down another notch on the belt, too. I was a bodybuilder for 15 years. I'm old enough now that the pain overcomes the gain. Hell, it hurts just to get up in the morning. Still have friends in their 50s saying, "Come on and join us, you can still lift heavy." I'm like, "You just wait until you get here, man!"  All I want now is sustained weight loss. So far, I have kept it off for 8 months – but most importantly, my A1C has dropped to where I am only just a tick over the pre-diabetic line now. That's the goal at my age. Generally the older we get, the more chance of diabetes. I want to avoid that.


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## bstnh1 (Aug 18, 2022)

jswordy said:


> That's about what I do. Popcorn at lunch, meal at supper. Cut back on the drinking though I'm by far not a teetotaler. I'm down another notch on the belt, too. I was a bodybuilder for 15 years. I'm old enough now that the pain overcomes the gain. Hell, it hurts just to get up in the morning. Still have friends in their 50s saying, "Come on and join us, you can still lift heavy." I'm like, "You just wait until you get here, man!"  All I want now is sustained weight loss. So far, I have kept it off for 8 months – but most importantly, my A1C has dropped to where I am only just a tick over the pre-diabetic line now. That's the goal at my age. Generally the older we get, the more chance of diabetes. I want to avoid that.


And all we have to do is avoid anything that tastes good. For many, many years I could eat whatever I wanted - and all I wanted - of everything that's fatty, high calorie and bad for you, without gaining an ounce. And then one day the pounds started piling up - about 45 of them. It took a while and a lot of self-discipline, but I got down to where I wanted and have pretty much stayed there. I still eat the good stuff - just a LOT less of it and a lot less often.


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## jswordy (Aug 21, 2022)

bstnh1 said:


> And all we have to do is avoid anything that tastes good. For many, many years I could eat whatever I wanted - and all I wanted - of everything that's fatty, high calorie and bad for you, without gaining an ounce. And then one day the pounds started piling up - about 45 of them. It took a while and a lot of self-discipline, but I got down to where I wanted and have pretty much stayed there. I still eat the good stuff - just a LOT less of it and a lot less often.


All I did to lose 34 pounds was stop eating anything white and go to one full meal a day. No sugar, no flour, no potatoes or veggies from underground. I did nothing else but cut out the carbs (except beer and wine). I like chocolate so I switched to 95% cocoa bars. Even I can follow that diet. I'm never hungry. Have kept it off for 8 months, and still eat ribeye every week. I'm just burning fats instead of carbs. My wife dieted the same way at the same time plus restricted her eating hours and got down to her high school weight. I suppose if I wanted to lose the ~15 pounds it would take to get down to my high school weight, I'd have to make some real sacrifices. Maybe someday.


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