SUGAR is NOT YOUR FRIEND.
EATING AFTER 7:00 PM is a LADY KILLER.
HAVE BREAKFAST EVERY DAY.
HAVE a 10:00 snack, lunch at noon, a 2:00 snack, dinner by 6:00-6:30. and that's IT. No "cheating" on the weekends. This is your over 40 life.
START being aware of what /how much you are eating every day.
START being aware of the sugar grams in what you are eating every day.
START being aware of PORTION size in what you are eating every day.
When you are over 40 - your bodies metabolism starts taking LONGER to process food. If you keep eating after 7:00 PM? It's like shoving paper in a shredder that can't keep up. The food has to go somewhere. About 1/3 of Americans today are Glucose intolerant. This means that your body's liver can not process all the sugars that it's taking in, and instead of turning what you are eating into energy? It's being turned into fat. You start to feel sluggish, tired all the time. You have no energy.
If you cut back on your sugars or eliminate them? Have breakfast every day, stop eating after 7:00 PM, and decrease things that turn into sugars like pasta, watch portion sizes and have healthy snacks 2x a day? Your body will actually spark up and start to feel better and perkier within a week. You'll also possibly loose weight. Maybe 2-3 lbs. the first week and if you stay committed the first month? 8-10 lbs or more. By the end of the first month? Your body will actually start craving exercise. When Nomad told me this? I thought - "She's got to be kidding!!" - She's right. I'm also inspired by Fran to get out and move and walk more. My dog loves it. I think it makes him feel better too. Before all this sugar-shedding? I was in bed by 5:30, sleeping 12 hours a day and on weekends if I could even get out of bed it was just to eat and go back to bed. I knew it was bad....but I had horrible female problems, and my hair was falling out, I was morbidly obese, I hated my (wish I could tell you what Timer calls them) big girl clothes...we decided that no large ladies really like flowers, horizontal stripes or to look like sailors. Seriously? And what is with all the GRAY everything - I want SEXY but not stupid big clothes...there are none. EIther they make them look so stupid that you'd only see them on a hippo in Fantasia or they look like something from the Sound of Music.
So yeah - you need to purge your system get on a 1200-1600 calorie a day diet - but SERIOUSLY start checking the sugar grams in stuff you eat. There are a TON of great sugar free things out now that taste just as good or better - with 3 -7g of sugar in them - and that is how you loose weight over 40. Walmart has sugar free candy - Have one or 2 pieces now and then. Splenda Blend is good substitute. Can't do completely sugar free? Mix it....1/2 & 1/2 I do pancake syrup like that - no one knows in my house. NO one. I replaced the sugar in the sugar bowl with Splenda blend. Of course they all say - Oh that stuff tastes awful - Well? Guess whats in THEIR sugar bowl? Yup - I'm a stinker. They are using less because all of a sudden sugar is so sweet....(wow really?)
Our cereals? Cheerios, Rice Checks, Kix, and bran flakes - NOT raisin bran - (high in sugar) Or Oatmeal, and cream of wheat. All very low in sugar. Aunt Jemima frozen pancakes too - 3 is a good number. I can't eat 3 but the pups like to share.
1% milk - very low in sugars - (actually once you give up sugars you may not like whole or 2%)
I was discussing with a friend
Weight Watchers and the treats and points systems which I tried and gained weight using. What WW is GOOD for is lunch. What it's bad for is maintenance diet. Their desserts? High in sugar. Their ice cream? Sugar. You want ice cream? The only thing I've found that is sugar free or low sugar is Popsicle Sugar free fudgesicles.
So far even the No sugar added ice cream has high sugar.
So if you start adding up just in 3 days - HOW many sugar grams you have or get in your daily diet.....and say you are trying to say under 30g a day to loose weight - just add up what you would normally have in 1 day
You will be
then
and then
that you are tired and then you'll think about your pancreas and liver and think - OMG no wonder I'm tired, and gaining weight and can't get moving, feel sluggish and worn out. I'm literally poisoning myself.
Another thing that Jo brought to my attention is that MOST of the low fat foods that are out and being pushed in our faces as GOOD FOR YOU or TRY THIS FOR YOUR DIET? Are high in sugar. REALLY HIGH. Take something out? Replace it with something else.
My NP told me that if I stay away from bread - but when I must have calorie reduced bread - it would be better. Let go of all sodas. Even diet sodas as they are triggers for making you crave other foods. Water, 1% milk and if you need a pick me up - water with crystal light flavoring in it. Lots of water to flush out your kidneys and give them help.
Also if you stick to the OUTSIDE WALLS of the grocery store when shopping? You'll be better off. Frozen veggies, not canned....then steam them or microwave them.
Did you know 1 tsp of margarine has SEVENTY calories in it? So you learn to live with LESS butter - and make the portion the size of a dice. That's 35.
You also take a smaller plate than everyone. It's mind over matter - but your brain gets used to it. Your eyes see that the plate is full. That's what matters.
Fruit at every meal or cut veggies.....#1 necessity - an apple cutter. They're $1 at the Dollar Tree......cores the apple and you feel like you're getting more slices and you think - more snacks.....little tricks.
Seedless grapes - I ate these by the pound when I was giving up sweets.
Gum? Dollar tree again - Denteyne Spearmint - It's sugar free and has a punch.
There are lots of little things you can do to get rid of the sugar.
Oh and the JELLO and Snack Pack sugar free things - yeah.....there's Mousse too....OMG it's sinful and you can get Sugar free spray heavy cream for the mousse and it's 10 calories and 0 sugar g on top of that mousse? It was like I had found a snickers bar again. YUM. Sugar free jello? 10 calories...with the whipped cream? 30 calories......And it's GOOD for you.
So there's lots of stuff you can do to rid yourself - #1 thing is breakfast and no eating after 7:00 -----you can literally FEEL the difference the next day if you do or do not cheat that rule. If I don't cheat? I can get up not cranky and I'm ready to roll. If I DO cheat? OMG? It is just like I have to drag myself out of bed....and it's awful. I hate feeling like that again.
I always envied morning people....and now that I eat right I can be one. If I want to not be one? I just eat something after 7:00 and I'm back to crabby little morning me.
Hope this helps.
It's 1 month - WHAT have you got to loose? And as far as Turkey day goes? Turkey is good, cranberry good....YAMS? OMG 36 g of sugar per 2 TBS? I won't be having those. One of my favs.....gone for good. sigh....Some mashed taters, stuffing and then we're finding some kind of sugar free recipe for dessert. I'm not cheating on pie. We're doing so good we don't want to. We'd like a sugar free pumpkin pie....but so far no luck.
Good luck (L) (LL)