Nutrition is Good for Weight Loss

Nutrition Is Important for WL

What we eat is very important in our weight loss journey. We can slip back into old habits the further out from our surgery we are. We need to do our research as to what foods are good for us to be eating. Temptation from the doughnut or muffin can rear their ugly heads before you know it. Our body does reject some foods pos-op by causing "dumping". It is horrible to feel like you want to be sick, or have a mouthful of extremely thick saliva that you have to spit out into a napkin or feel like there is a plug in your throat that won't even let water past. It settles as the food slowly works down your gut but why do it. You had an operation for a reason.Yes, I have been guilty of this and had it happen twice last week.

Research what food is good for in your body.

The best thing for your body, including post-op, is a HIGH PROTEIN-LOW CARB diet. The high protein helps keep your skin, hair and muscles in good condition. If the hair fallout has hit you it is partially because you have have a major operation and the other part is that you haven't managed to get your protein levels up to the optimal level. My nutritionist suggested I eat the protein first, vegetables second and the carbs last. Often the amount of carbs is limited as you have already eaten enough for the size left in your stomach.

There is a lot of information in books and on the Net about what each food contains.

This is the low carb-high protein way that helps you lose weight

This is the high carb diet normally followed and leads to obesity and the health problems that can occur.

There are many diets out there as you probably know having tried most of them as well. The best you can do for your body is to eat real food with little or no processing.There is time in your life to cook healthy food. Preparation on the weekend can quicken things up when you come home after work. If you make it from fruit, vegetables and/or meat you know exactly what is in your food. There are no polysyllabic words that you don't understand in a carrot or blueberry etc. If you buy organic that is good. If you have grown it yourself that is even better.

Protein Sources

Beans with good protein levels

Vegetable sources of protein

Other good sources of protein

Vitamins and minerals

The reason you are told to "eat a rainbow" is that this is often reflected in the vitamins and minerals that the food contains. Eating the range of foods means you get the required amounts of the healthy fats,vitamins, minerals, protein and carbs.

Yes, some are higher in fructose - a form of sugar - but if you eat the whole food you also get the fibre content needed for your body.

The various foods contained in the colours

Vitamins and their sources

Minerals, sources and uses

Wholefoods vs Processed

Processed foods normally contain added sugars, fats, salt, chemicals and other things that your body may find difficult to process. Too high levels can actually affect your health in a negative way. If you ever get diagnosed with coeliac disease and start looking at the labels on all foods you would be shocked at what you are eating. Wholefoods may have some chemicals used in production but with more organic produce on the shelves now you do have options. Many people are going back to their own backyards. Fruit and vegetables can be grown in containers if you don't have that yard, too.

It is your body. You have the right to ask for the food you eat to be nourishing. The amount you must have varies depending on age, activity, size etc. Find the amount you need to eat to lose/gain weight. I wish you luck on this ongoing adventure of life.

Winter Blues

The winter doldrums hit me recently. Low sun levels, a lot of rain and quite chilly weather meant I got a little lackadaisical about my eating and exercising. This means I gained some weight back but I catch myself quicker nowadays. I know most people would not consider the temperature we have in Auckland as very low but they are enough to make you think twice about going for a walk or getting up for the gym. Sometimes that good book you can read in a warm bed calls too loudly.

http://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/. I have just read Blood Bound which I thoroughly enjoyed. I like my paranormal books. Who am I kidding? I love most books and genres. I spend time each day reading and consider it time well spent. Nowadays I also spend time (most days) on some form of exercise. I walk for at least 1 hour+ or go to the gym for 90 minutes. I am feeling much better for it. It doesn't always keep my weight less because I forget to note what I am eating and nibble too much. If I use MFP then I am accountable and eat less leading to weight loss.

Creative things I did last week;

1. Knitted 2 baby jumpers for an up-coming great-nephew due sometime this month
2. Wrote some more of my MG book
3. Sorted out MindMaps I do for my writing group so that I can write a book about that
4. That tidied up my files which meant my full book cases look more organised as well
5. Had my writing group which went well

I do find when I am being creative I eat less as I am not bored. With my hands and mind involved I don't think about what I can eat now. I have learnt to have a water bottle and glass nearby then so I do get my water amount up to the level it should be. With LGS you don't feel that thirsty. You really just need to keep sipping frequently. I read somewhere that you needed to drink 168 mls every hour to be sure. As you aren't supposed to drink 30 minutes each side of food then this is probably right. It is something I am really only getting fully on track with now and it takes a conscious effort to do so. 

At the gym I get the first 2-3 glasses in before I have breakfast. I find that I can't exercise after food with any efficiency so I usually get up, have my few meds with the 1st glass of water and head off to the gym. I find that first thing is best for me because the times I say (to myself) "I'll go later today", I never do.

My idea of Heaven - books and a place to write

The place that helps me regain muscles and health

I reward myself with the first idea of Heaven after I have been to the Healthy place. Yes, I can say the word GYM even if once upon a time it was almost a swear word. I have grown to like the fact that my muscles are stronger. They may still have fat overlaying them but it ge3ts less as time goes on and the muscles are getting larger. I am a woman so I do a lower weight but more repetitions. I don't want to be muscle bound but I do want to be strong. It helps to make the loose skin not quite so obvious too.

Your belief in yourself will get you to the gym regularly

I checked out my biceps this morning accidentally and was quite impressed with myself. I have improved in other ways. The weight amount has gone up a kilo. The time it takes me to cycle 10 kms has gone down low enough that I have taken the intensity to the next level and that is not too difficult so I may take it up one more level. There are abs behind the flab if you poke. There are people there who I just stare at in wonder at their endurance but there are others just starting that I am better than. We are all there for ourselves and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. You have to be doing it for you or you don't get yourself there regularly.

I train to improve MY PERSONAL BESTS

This week's intentions or goals:

1. Gym 4 times at least, maybe more
2. Lose 2 kgs
3. Walk 3+ times for longer than 1 hour
4. Write more of my MG book
5. Eat healthily
6. Sort another blog on the process around Weight loss surgery that helps others learn more about it by Sunday

So what are you training for? Where do you train? How healthy are you becoming? Is some-one giving you positive feedback? Ignore the idiot that is dissing you, they know no better. If you are out there, or in the gym, exercising you are ahead of the game. You may live to a good healthy age and that is all you can ask for, eh?