Thanks Melody. That sounds good. Do you have Trader Joes by you?They have salmon burgers that are in a patty you could make a sandwich with. I also take grilled salmon with some teriyaki sauce glazed on it. Add this to a salad with a little bit of walnuts,gorgonzola,and you could add some light dressing. I had a really good fish sandwich at this restaurant but the fish was cod but I had it grilled instead of fried.
As for kids today and eating habits. I feel we live in extremes. Even when I was growing up kids were not having the sit down family dinners. Now that both parents work I think the rush for quick is on and health often goes out the window. Plus have you looked in the supermarket. There are a million kinds of different treats. How many ways can hostess make a cupcake? I have so many friends one in general who eat like crap. They don't think about years from now. My one friend eats a meatball parm sub and puts Doritos in the sandwich. When your young you think your invinsible until something happens. I do wonder 20 years from now what the food industry will be like and what people will look like and how the health industry will be.

Yes, thanks Melody for going in so much detail & explaining it so well, much appreciated.
Brian :)

Brian I have been reading all this
 

with interest. Thing is, what to do? Well, there are a whole slew of approaches, as you have gathered. I too deal with the weight, but its my meds that are the ultimate culprit, and I know it! The fact that I just had a WHOLE molar extracted and had to live on 'liquids' for the past five days is proof of that....Finding nutritious, FILLING and tolerable food-like substance has been a challenge to say the least. Hey, eating less and gaining more?
My own spouse is a type 2 diabetic, managed thru pills, exercise and diet. He recently received some diabetic counseling which was interesting in that it clearly pointed out the types and sizes of 'exchange portions' of the real life application kind. I have tried and tried to grasp this stuff, in a way I can relate to and all I can get out of it all is: Keep the bad stuff out of the house as much as possible, Keep simply fresh or frozen vegies to chomp on available. Plain cereals and breads and ideally, fresh or frozen meats, chicken and fish.
I can't tolerate fish well [long and boring stories], I also have one huge chest freezer in which I keep frozen veggies and fruits that I get from the farmer's markets and chill ASAp and bag for future use. Same with meats and poultry. I call these 'gems' my bags of sunshine during the winter months. Every bag I open, thaw and use is something that brings a bit of happiness as it is simple, good stuff and not at all 'processed' other than by me.
Anyone who lives in any type of 'urban' situation cannot avoid some or many 'processed' foods. Key is to eat sensibly and simply. I am finding that when I am out for lunch [rarely] I tend to order a soup and salad rather than the stuff I really want? I prefer salad bars so I won't have to 'get' stuff I do not want with my 'roughage'. [With tooth hole-rite now I would/could really use some of that roughage, but....] Due to this tooth aspect I am learning whole new dimensions to the concept of FASTING!
The whole thing to me is summed up into two words? PORTION CONTROL...we need lots less than we think we do. That and the 'convenience drive-thru foods' are and should be just that...Convenience. Make it a 'treat' say, once a month? I don't know about all of you, but such places were a 'treat' when I was a kid. I am trying not to make that treat a norm. Keeping things simple, using herbs or spices for flavor and steaming,stir frying, lite sauteing or roasting is really the best way to go.
Everyone is right about all they have learned...the trick to me is tweaking things to the degree that works right for you!
Small feedings at regular intervals? - j

Oh poor Dahlek:

You had a tooth pulled. Hope you are healing.

Once it heals, you can have a nice bowl of chicken soup. Filled with all good stuff. That's what we italians do when we feel under the weather. Chicken soup is good for what ails anyone. Got a cold? Chicken Soup!! Got a fever..Chicken Soup!!! Boyfriend dumps you...Chicken Soup. You dump the boyfriend ... go out and eat a bag of fries!!!! lol

I have a friend who is 63 and overweight. She is type 2, and although she tries, she can't lose weight. Her husband (and I don't think this is fair, and neither does she), well, he's 65 years old, 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 195, and can eat anything he wants. And I mean anything.

He eats cupcakes for breakfast, he eats all day. IF he doesn't eat, he loses weight. He once complained. Oh, I had a bad stomach last week, and couldn't eat too much and I lost 6 lbs."

I almost stangled him. He eats a pint of ice cream every night. How the heck can this man eat a pint of ice cream, (and candy too). every night?

When I'm on the phone with her, she goes "oh there he goes again, he's looking for something to eat". And he finds it.

I will never understand how some people can't eat anything, and this guy stuffs his face, and weighs 195. He lift weights also. BUT HE EATS!!!!\

She told me the funniest story. She married him when she was 24 and he was in construction and he was one of those guys who held that thing that breaks up cement. I don't know what you call them, (oh, I think they are called a Jackhammer), but these guys wear these huge gloves, and they are holding this machine and the machine vibrates a gazillon times minute, and it breaks the cement on the flloor (in the street). When her husband was 26 he looked like Arnold Schwartznegger. He had this upper body (I saw the photos from their earlier years together), and I said 'oh my goodness, Joe, you look like Arnold Schwartzenegger," and we all laughed.

Well, when they went on their honeymoon and they went to a restaurant he ate like a truck driver. She said "I never saw a person eat like that in my life", "never", And he's been eating like that for over 37 years." I got hysterical.

She would yell at him saying "I have to lose weight, you have to stop eating". He just ate and she got fat.

There is no justice in this world. This guy can eat anybody under the table.

Amazing.

Not fair.

J.
 

has read and answered,it is hard like our K. to go on liquid diets well(ensure
would just be terrible...Bob gets food and ensure shakes for his very lean body...Bob does not take meds but those 6 girls may be wearing him out.
Not to mention today is Med. day,why my Neuro could not be found,she
teaches and has clinic,only 2 days a week...My meds from her you must pick up the pres. walk it into the Drugstore...No give me a couple until tommorow..
Spams ,pain,well let's say out of sorts I am...Yes there will another day
tommmorow I will track her down... Bob came up and rubbed more parts then legal...Than said Sue get in the shower,wear your hair just brushed dry,WHY
I'm dangerous with a curling iron...Than out to dinner we spit a meal,they let you,when Bob's smiles they let you..I can reamember when they use to say
well no!!!! It's been a very hard day,it rained,oh it was warm,but a very classy man (78) helped...Thank you Mama ,Thank you....For you who do
not know Mama left me Bob in her will..

Now my dr. friend called,can he write a script,nooo can he come over noo
because Bob and his girlfriend are watching funny movies,on my little
bit bigger TV...Listening to them laugh helps,,,Oh music on watching them dance better...Hugs to all Sue

Suggestion: if you can tolerate veggies, can you do veggie juice or make smoothies until your mouth has healed? You could also puree veggies and blend them into reduced fat cheese, or make soup. And if you're taking anti-biotics following the extraction, plain nonfat yogurt would probably be helpful.

Liquid diet is indeed the pits. I have to drink Boost every day due to the gastroparesis. But I usually limit myself to one per day and eat other stuff during the day that doesn't have corn syrup in it like lowfat cottage cheese, gluten free soup, cream of rice, eggs.

I have a hubby who is too thin. He's 6ft tall, and when I met him in 1995, he only weighed 143 pounds! :eek: He has "filled out" since then and is a more healthy 160 pounds or so, but he'll lose weight if he doesn't eat high-cal stuff at least once a day.

I agree that the small, frequent, well-balanced meals are reasonable and desirable for most people. Keeps your energy level stable as well as your glucose levels. And if you're prone to cravings, it takes the edge off those too.

fanfaire
:cool:

Brian
 

Hi - was thinking more about weight - before I got PN I ate constantly and stayed thin always - but as you mentioned - acitivity was key.... I never stopped running around - walked instead of drove as much a possible - rode my bike everywhere - to release stress at work would dissapear into the stairwells and just take a couple of runs up and down them (sometimes 21 floors), or just take a walk around the neighborhood (in high heels!) - I hated working out at the gym and wasted money on two gym memberships I used only a few times each - dumb.... also just was always active around the house etc... basically always on the move... I know with PN with are all limited - and I dont know how much so you are.... but eating healthy combined with as much moving around as you can really seems to help (and also sometimes not so healthy! give a million bucks to be able to eat a Cheetoh again or pizza!)....

The one issue I had pre-pn was high cholesterol and my doc couldnt figure it out cause he knew how active I was etc... then I discovered on real long days at work I often wouldnt get home until almost 11ish, and I'd grab a frozen dinner - he told me to start watching the fat content in them.... I found that many of the traditional ones had 30 to 40 grams of fat - ridiculous! So even though I looked very heathly, the stuff was getting me... (and found frozen dinners for long days that had less then 10 grams usually)... also discovered that eating something like just fruit in the morning was silly - I was hungry half an hour later - so would eat stuff that would "stick to my guts" for a few hours - oatmeal, cereal with lots of grains, eggs, etc... waffles, or even muffins (which usually have lots of fat but seemed to be necessary in the AM to be able to function)....

Just some thoughts.... the most important thing I think is being in shape - which is so hard when we are sick - gotta find that balance!

K
 

I used to do the same thing when i worked,now i'm the one who is
reading all labals oh I pass things when people grumble...But once
in awhile someone will say WHAT are you looking for..This is a good
thing,I guess. Sue

I think people make a huge mistake when thin. They focus on that so eat junk but don't realize the damage its causing inside. Before this I was more focused on weight then health if that makes sense. I know they go hand in hand sometimes but on others they don't. Like I said my dad has always been a bean poll and so ate junk and now is facing health issues where he has to make diet changes. Why wait though till something goes wrong?
Dahlek I'm on an exchange plan like your talking about for my recovery and have just stuck to it even after weight restoration though it was changed to fit my needs. Its to help practice with portion sizes and to set out a road map for choices and times to eat. That way there balanced. Its like when you go to a bagel shop some of those bagel can equal 5 slices of bread which people don't realize and just think oh its a bagel. Our portion sizes are out of control.
I would love to know more from people who have changes there diet and it helped with there pain level.That is my motivator but when bad pain hits its a downer.

daniella
 

Hi -just to clarify - I didnt exercise to stay thin - I just always was... I ate tons and was very active cause I enjoyed it.. now being thin is awful because I'm very unhealthy but unfortunately, as metioned in thread - can only drink liquid supplment so every pound is precious -

My doctors say I should be happy cause many people would love to be like me - but I'm not happy because I've lost my muscle tone, am weak, and again, its due now to the disease - not enjoying life...

Life is too short to not enjoy what you can!

What do you do when you can't cook anymore??
 

Since I've had all these breaks I'm unable to shop for groceries. Have to make a list of everything, in detail of what we need. I can't stand up to chop veggies, can't stand up to cook or even fix myself a sandwich. I need quick easy things that we can eat without a lot of preparation. I use the crutches to prop myself on in the kitchen but it gets old trying to just make the movements you need to fix a cup of tea. One thing in this cabinet, turn around, try to move things from one counter to another. Just gets old, so I've stopped eating as much. My husband is one of those who will fix things for himself that I can't eat, but it's hard to suggest things that are easy enough for him to prepare that both of us can eat.

Today I'm doing the prep for that camera pill test. Liquids all day. Not a problem, I'm not hungry anymore. But what kind of things can be prepared that you can do with minimum effort. And I usually have to make do with whatever is on hand. Husband doesn't see the need to have more food than what we might eat today. And there is only two of us. I can't prepare food in bulk. It's just hard. I'd appreciate any suggestions you might have that would make it easier.

Thanks folks,
Billye

Billye
 

Billye,
First, will be interested to hear how pill test goes... let us know?

On cooking - when I first got PN but could still eat some mushy foods - I found I couldnt stand up hardly at all also to prepare - but would sit on couch with lap tray and peel potatoes, get up and wash em, then back down on couch and chop up potatoes, celery, carrots, mushrooms, etc, all in my lap.. then just stand to put into pot, add spices, and let it cook for for hour or so... I'd do alot at once - when done just cooled and ran thru food processor and then divided into containers and froze - had little meals for two weeks that I would freeze, then just heat in microwave with a little more broth.... also, for the kitchen - I got a "handicapped stool chair" that has a back - is high so can reach stove - and also a foot rest - and that helped a lot.....

Also, pre-pn but still super easy - I'd buy the big bags of individually frozen chicken breasts - cook a bunch at once by just tossing in corningware, spices - no liquids needed - and throw in oven until done - then freeze them again individually until time to eat... would make enough for a week or two... not much labor invoved at all (the individual freezing - you can get them a supermarkets or Costco) makes it easy to prepare - you dont have to do any cutting....

(some more thoughts - hubby could run potion thru food processor and put into containers? also used to buy big containers of freeze dried mushrooms sometimes so didnt have to chop those - now I use on-line shopping which might be avialable in your area - order everthing on-line usually twice a month - minimal delivery fee and they put everything in your kitchen or whereever - and I've found out which local store brings food to me I've let them know my situation and they special order ensure etc for me and keep in stock - if no on-line in your area maybe some stores worth a call to see if they will do for you? also, I use an "elder-care" companion service to take me to doc appts (not home health) - but they usually help people at home - If you could find one and work out a deal where you didnt have to commit to many hours (mine lets me use as needed with minimum 3 hours when I do) - and I know they do cooking and light cleaning for people - maybe you could have them come in once a week and help you out? (you could also run an ad and try to hire someone directly - less money out of your pocket, more money in theirs). And dont laugh - Meals on Wheels - even though generally assumed for the "elderly" they will help the disabled and maybe you could use them, if only a couple days a week?) Also, I'd call your city government to see if they have any avialable services to help you - mine sent out a social worker to help me find resources.....

:)

Great ideas!
 

Kmeb,
Lots of useful info in that post you just did for me. Thank you so much. We're in rural area, so no food delivery, no Meals on Wheels and as you know, the dogs are in the kitchen, den area. They are really a problem. It's a good thing I love them.:rolleyes: But the stool in kitchen is a great idea. I'm using a small computer chair in my bathroom. It lets me sit to brush teeth etc. And my breakfast room is separated from the kitchen so I could sit at the table to cut things up and then just stand up and put them on the counter. Great idea!!! Just thanks so much. I seem to be dulled in the head lately. This last break has really thrown me into a depressive state.

And the chicken breast idea is wonderful. I can still eat chicken and pork. Beef is too chewey for me. Takes too much chewing, tongue moving to get it down. I can see that buying a food processor is necessary for us.

I can see that getting a social worker for now is important. I need to have some help. I'm having housekeeper to come in and she keeps baths and guest area clean, but we still have to cope with kitchen, den area.

Thanks so much.:hug:
I have more to work with now.

Billye

My mother was 5 feet tall and petite. She had 4 sisters. All were under 5 feet tall. My grandmother was 4 feet 11. My father was 5'9 or 5'10, and normal.

Then I showed up. All 200 lb and 5'7.

To say I stuck out at family get togethers is putting it mildly.

I don't know how genes played a part in this, but believe me, when I walked into the door of a family get together, they all stopped talking and pointed to me. One time I even heard a cousin say: "oh my god, how big is she??"

You don't forget stuff like that.

So the whole family was tiny, short, etc. etc.

THEN, LIFE WENT ON, they ate whatever they wanted, and Melody got the lightbulb moment.j

I will never forget last summer at a cousin's reunion. Everybody showed up and no one recognized me. See, all the woman were 200 lbs and short. They called themselves Little Turkeys. And Alan and I showed up (Alan, newly svelt because of his weight loss and exercise routine), and me, because I followed the Cornell program.

Well, I never laughed so hard.

All these people who had looked upon me like the Giant Behemoth, now looked at me like 'who the heck are you". My cousin Chippy even said "that's Melody, that can't be Melody" I walked in saying 'yes, it's Melody".

Too bad I waited 55 or so years to get my head on straight, but what the heck. Better late than never.

I don't think you have to be a certain age to learn how to eat sensibly, and not eat too much junk. Takes time and patience.

I only wish my mother could have seen the way I now look. She would never have believed it.

lol

Mel

The hospital sent out a very pregnant social worker,she had twins..But the idea of Bob being down stairs,bothered her...SOOO ,she said I can send someone to help clean your bedroom and a nurse to check your feet..
The poor young girl came over and begged me to leave my bedroom messy.
Making a bed it hard for me,but kitchen help would of made more sense,
I have to have a stool,making the little meal wore me out,not to mention,
I can burn my hands and not know until the bisters show..Bob found some interesting rubber looking,cant burn your hands gloves...Well of course they kept falling off,so I yelled no more..
I don't like sending Bob out for my groceries,so I found
nd UP,delivers almost anywhere,but they drop and run,Ok for me not for others,my house is far to big,I will have to deal with that...But I can't stand any dust...So one day
I called a wonderful lady, she helps the blind,as she is live a independent living.worker...She offered to come and her assitant will look around,normally i would of said no,but I need the help,so she's coming later this week. Please do
not kill yourself trying to do things you cannot do...Now I need the help, so
I will be grateful..Just standing,well opening things,well I can lose it,Bob is
not always here...It will help me and i'm sure make my children worry less.
I am going to do the best I can to except help,I hope...Hugs Sue

Silverlady do you have a trader joes? Maybe not but they have a lot of healthier prepared foods. I like the short cuts chicken,they have frozen turkey burgers,veggie burgers. Quick breakfast for dinner like omelettes are good. A bowl of soup and a sandwich can be nutritious. Could your husband and yourself come up with a plan for the week that both of you like? They even have pre made stir fry I think by Green Giant with the meat,veggies,rice. A few gadgets like The Foreman grill or a crockpot can help things be made quicker. Or for me I can make anything in a microwave. I like Amy's frozen foods too. There healthier frozen I think organic meals so there more expensive but in a pinch.
Melody I'm sure your mom is looking down on you with joy for all the work you have done. I wish though in general people would keep others weight or appearance comments to themselves. I have issues with comments and it still being hard for me. I think the world would be a better place if everyone focused on themselves unless asked or had something nice to say.

Hi Dahlek, some meds can cause weight gain which would make it extremely difficult to retain proper weight, i have read so many posts over the years were people are troubled with weight gain, due to their meds.
I hope your teeth issues heal quickly, i couldn't even imaging how hard it would be finding nourishing liquids to keep you satisfied, a challenge to say the least.
What i have learn't with keeping blood sugars in control, is eating sensibly with nourishing foods that are in high fibre foods but low GI that keep you fuller for longer as they release more slowly into the blood, portion control is paramount as well, as they say it's better to have 6 SMALL meals spread evenly over the day than to have 3 big meals, best way to avoid high glucose spikes, that's virtually what i am doing now.
Your absolutely correct, tweaking in a way that is healthy but satisfying is a good approach, thanks for your input.

Brian :)

I'm a 5ft lady who come out of the would of tall..I was skinny,and after the kids I was a 80 lb wonder..D and Mel and all others all I heard was you justt have to be sick,you shouldn't be walking this earth,do you neverr eat????
Well like K,i ran not walked everywhere...Yes I wish people would think the
pain that comes out of there mouth...

Then i told you about gaining weight,and I wish my Mom could see me now,
I can go out and nobody is watching middle of the road...For a while
I was concered about keeping my napkin up high,to catch the food,the people
who love me just don't care,and if others are watching there dropping food on
themselves...My Mom is watching and I know she's smiling,but I understand
Mel. Nothing wrong with frozen foods,remember those when we were young
Mel..I thought the neighbor kids were so lucky,until I tasted one..Yuck
People must learn words hurt,I use to make fun of myself before they could.
Now i'm happy to look around,why there were Deer across the street the other night,they looked like they were kissing,but it rained and the builder's have forced them out,just for a drink of water...Sue

No, fraid not
 

Daniella,
we are too small to have anything as cosmopolitan as Trader Joe's. We have a Walmart and one grocery store. Two drugstores. Phone store, a J.C. Penny's, Belks and that is pretty much it. Rural, very rural. The Walmart killed out other stores really fast.

The UPS, Fedx etc. dump even my Humira which has to be refrigerated on the front porch. I've seen them come up to the house at a dead run, throw the package and run back. Their schedules must be horrible. I cannot imagine doing that all day. I don't depend on them for anything I don't have to. We are lucky that we have a really good mailman. If the weather is really bad, he will bring the mail up to the house and put it on the front porch. We have a very long drive and there is no way I can get to the mailbox and back myself. Luckily my husband continues to be in good health. He's really recovered from his back surgery. Took 4 weeks of physical therapy to get him finally on his feet.

Sorry, got off subject. It's just really hard to get anyone to come out here. Too far from anything. We loved it when we first built here but now, finding it is a problem sometimes.

Shiney Sue. I don't make my bed anymore. I can't do it. The housekeeper changes the sheets regularly. I don't do anything at this time. I just can't. Too crippled up. Thanks for your suggestion. But I couldn't read where you buy your groceries from.

Billye

Billye:

You probably qualify for the Meal on Wheels program.

Here's a link to the Texas part of it.

Just click on your county, give them a call. You can get a good meal (might even be 3 meals a day, I'm not sure),

Here you go!!!

http://www.mealcall.org/meals-on-wheels/tx/index.htm

Hope this helps!!!

Hi Kmeb, my god, you must have been super fit beforehand, i think activity is important, i did get very slack in exercise and was starting to eat anything i fancied, 2 major mistakes, it didn't take long for the weight increase and it was making me feel lazy which isn't the real me.
Hidden fat is a problem, i have changed to No Fat Soya milk & have a little 75% fat free margarine, 97% fat free cheeze and eat some walnuts each day as i believe they help lower cholesterol.
I am not limited with what i can do as far as the PN goes, walking isn't a problem anymore [thank god] so there is no excuse not to achieve my goal, the scales have already dropped 2 lbs so i am on the right track, slowly does it, i think it's the best and safest way to go.
all the best,
Brian :)

Hi Billye, it must be terribly hard for you but in your condition wouldn't you be entitled to some more home help ? especially getting & preparing food, i don't know how the system works over there, but over here, social workers in the hospital will arrange for home assistance if needed before leaving the hospital,
Even if they made up enough meals for 2 days, it would be ok in the fridge for the next day/night to eat, or make up a few and put in containers and put into the freezer, then it's just a matter of using a microwave, i think it's important for health for everyone to eat good nourishing foods.
There is plenty of good suggestions coming in, so i hope you find something thats works good for you.
all the best
Brian :)

Brain
 

You are on the right road,to no pills or shots...K you are a insperation,
I sinserely mean that....:) :hug::hug::hug: Sue

Brian Lots of folks have given you good
 

advice.
I don't know if you live in a metro area or out in the 'country' but...there are 'services' here that can help busy folks prepare 'pre-portioned' meals for a fee. You pay the fee, go there, put it all together and package it about 3-4 meals worth and some of it can refrig or freeze. All portion controlled and ready to 'heat and eat'. Web up 'pre-made meals' and you probably have them as here one name is 'LetsDish'...But each region is different? Just an Idea, tho I've not used it, it seems pretty sensible and some of the menus aren't blah or repulsive either?
Sometimes we just lose track of what to do to do 'better'. Shopping our feet hurt so we cruise by the fresh veggie or meat sections because well, our feet hurt! I go in with a LIST and usually get 80-90% of it checked off. Then I have to sort it out to be used. The sorting and using are the issues for me. When I am not hungry...Ii really couldn't care one whit! Until, like a cat...I WANT!? Hope this helps even a little - j

Please explain to me tho...What are 'Stubbies" I know french fries are chips...are stubbies similar? Are they like 'burger pods'? I feel really dense about this.......

Shiney Sue, wanted to suggest for handling hot foods you try Ove Gloves? They look like winter gloves but are insulated against heat and are made of a material that lets you grip a bit (I always have trouble dropping things) and they fit well enough to stay on while you take something out of the oven or off the stove. Make sure you get one for each hand; I think you can get them at Walgreens.

Silverlady, I cannot cook much either and must rely a lot on convenience foods or stuff you can eat right out of the fridge. Some Wal-marts have Amy's Kitchen organic frozen dinners, and some of those are gluten free. Amy's Kitchen also makes organic canned soup that you just heat up, no need to add water, and those are available at some Wal-marts.

Once every two weeks, a few hours after I get up before I'm too tired, I take a small package of skinless chicken breasts, extra lean pork tenderloin or extra lean steaks and place them on a broiler pan. No prep, just broil until they're done. I have my husband peel potatoes for me, and I just boil them on the stove for 20 minutes and use a stand-up mixer (a Kitchenaid I inherited) to make mashed potatoes, which at present is my most complicated dish.

The cool thing about the broiled meat is that you get leftovers. To make the meat go down a little easier, I add a bit of steak sauce that is free of gluten and MSG and corn syrup (it's sweetened with raisin paste, I think). I also have lots of water on hand to wash it down to help with dry throat, and I only eat meat at lunchtime, probably ten hours before bedtime, so it has plenty of time during the day and night to digest (I must skip meat altogether when the gastroparesis get really bad).

fanfaire
:cool:

Another great idea
 

Fanfaire,
The idea of cooking the week's worth of meat at one time is great! I'm going to do that today. I'm putting pork chops, chicken all together. And I'm having him get a roast and I'll put it in the crockpot and make more than one meal out of it. I just never thought of cooking all the meats together. It all tastes the same to me anyway. I can't taste anything unless it's sweet. Lost my taste buds with the dry tongue.

And I'll have him look for Amy's Kitchen meals. I didn't know they even had these. You all have given me so many ideas.

Billye

Amy's is very good. Also expensive.Her tofu brown rice is very good and I have no clue how to cook tofu so its a nice change. Random ? about sodium even if you don't have a blood pressure problem is that bad for pn? Amy's products are lower in sodium then some but some soups are so high.In the frozen dept too they have crockpot meals you throw in the pot. No chopping or anything.
Brian as for condiments stuff and hidden fats. I know Mrs D. uses these and I have the but smart balance makes an omega 3 light butter,pb so on. As for cheese reduced fat is better or a small amount of richer cheese. Like gorgonzola. My dad was telling me how he has been making the switch. I think I have mentioned this website but its called whole foods not the store but it tells you about foods which are the healthiest,recipes so on. I'm a really bad cook but try if the legs are having a good day. Now for baking I'm good at.

Thank you F,I 'll keep a eye out,I feel we have all learned so much in one
way or the other..There are good reccipes for Fat free,less salt,no sugar,
ect. for croclpots and the smell is wonderful...

Brain this has been great including the laughter ,which is so important
so very important to heath care..:D:D:D Sue

Dahlek, we can get calorie controlled meals delivered to the door, like Aussie was saying earlier, i am retired so have plenty time to get things prepared so no problems there... and yes, its been helpfull , oh, a stubbie is only a small bottle of beer, 375 ml, i think, holds a couple of glasses of beer [ half the full size bottle ], you made me laugh about the cat " Want " isn't that spot on :)

Brian :)

Ahh. Calorie controlled or 'limited' quantities of...
 

'product'? We used to have such here...difference was the alchoholic content per ounce.....Stubbies is a far nicer way of putting it tho!
Prepare, podify[put in container or whatever], cook before or after podding then cook. Microwave, broiler or slow cooker, all are good friends, but, the 'thinking' and planning ahead are the bugs in every plan. It IS easier to assemble bunches of food to use in a daily manner. Thing is, ya gotta remember to take it all outta the freezer! I don't know what meds YOU are on, but for me? Well, I'm lucky I can just get the meds alone into me.
Yes, I have been trained to talk CAT...so I end with a myeourpfff? Smiles - j

Of COURSE, you look at all those pods you have and do that 'cat thing'...I WANT SOMETHING ELSE! Sigh...Shove controlled portions of good foods into you and just be grateful you have the choices?

This time last year i weighed 386 pounds, today i weigh 255, a loss of 131 pounds! I was totally wheelchair dependant ( power chair) as i am an amputee. I had a rlapse of my MS that paralysed my remaining leg, transferring from cahir became a nightmare and i was scared to death that if my leg did not improve my independance was at risk ( i live alone and have no family to assist, and at 385 pounds that would require lifters etc to move) at 44 i felt i was close to needing residential care! Thankfully my leg improved but then i relaised i needed to get real about losing weight.
I use a web site called www.fitday.com to journal my foodintake, i actually purcahsed the full version and it has been a wonderful tool, i went ack to the basics and measured and weighed all my food, calorie counted. TO start with i was on 1000 to 1200 calories per day but did not lose weight so i went to a dietician at the Ms clinic and we decided that as i was wheelchair dependant i needed to drop my intake to 800 calories.

I eliminated processed foods, and stuck to low to moderate GI carbohydrates. Good quality but lean protein ( i have about 90 grams of lean meat per day such as chicken or turkey), i have swallowing problems from the ms that are worse first thingin the the morning so i have an optifast shake for breakfast or sometimes very sloppy oatmeal. I also found a suppor forum on line that had a lot of members who had large amonts of weight like me to lose and that has been invalable. Now that i have lost 131pounds i can use a manual wheelchair uch more than i used to and i have had a prosthesis made for my amputated leg and can now walk for limit amounts (my "good leg" is still MS affected so infact i have to rely mainly on my amputated limb so it is limited to my good days.

There are many ways to lsoe weight, the trick is to keep it off long term andi think motivation is the key- for me the far or losing my independance was all i needed, it was worse than the knowledge that being moribdly obese would shorten my life. Being indpendant is imprtant to me. I still have about 80 pounds to lose but i know that i can do it, its a lot slower now but thats ok, slow weight loss is healthier.
Good luck with your weight loss, whatever method you decide on

Kebsa
 

Kebsa,
I have so much admiration for you. That weight loss is fantastic! I'm so very proud of you for tackling that problem headon. Independence is important to me too.

I too am having limited movement problems (but not nearly as bad as yours). I am limited to my weight on crutches and it's not a good swinging movement like you see. Mine is one crutch accross the other supporting my weight movement. A little like walking on crutches. Kills my hands and wrists and shoulders because all my weight is on them. None on floor yet.

So I too have to lose weight. A year ago they were begging me to eat more, to gain weight. Now I gotta stop. It has hit me finally. So I'm consiously watching what I eat. (Terrible time to start a diet, Christmas and Thanksgiving). But I'm of the opinion that for me, it will not be so much what I eat, because I eat well, but it will be the amount. And skipping my dessert every other night. Every calorie counts.

I tried something this week that has worked miracles for helping us get better meals. I used my large crockpot to do it. I placed two small sirloins on the bottom then a layer of carrots, then I placed a layer of chicken breasts, then a layer of potatoes (quartered), then a layer of turkey sausage, and finished off with some more carrots, celery and onions). All the vegetables were a little chunky but cut small enough to layer and poke around the meat. I also left the meat frozen. I added no additional water, broth or anything. I cooked this on high in the crockpot for about 8 hours. You can tell if it is done by checking the chicken.

This gave us food for the entire week and then some. One night we had turkey sausage, potatoes and carrots. Then the next night, chicken, potatoes carrots and we also cooked some green beans to go with it. Then the next night we had the sirloin, potatoes, carrots and we steamed some cabbage to go with it. Now, I have enough left over to make a very tasty stew which we can eat for several days. This is the important part. Very limited work required to do all of this. And....no worrying about what we will eat this week. And I don't have to eat what my husband is able to cook. :D

I'm going to do it again this next week with a small pork roast, chicken and sausage.

Billye

Hi Kesba, what a fantastic job you have done, you are a real inspiration to those who want to loose weight, i admire your determination, well done :)
I have lost 7 lb since starting this thread, so i am pretty happy with the progress so far, although all the temptations [especially at parties] has been real hard to resist, but i am real determined to shed another 14 pounds which will be my target weight.
good luck to you with your goal weight too,
Brian :)

KEBSA:

Woo-hoo---good for you. That is SOME substantial weight loss. I know. I've been there. Have a few more to go, but I'll get there.

Shiny Sue- I read in one of your posts that you think we are sick because we don't eat. I had to laugh. Believe me, we eat. It's WHAT we eat and HOW MUCH we eat, that either makes you sick or makes you well.

I eat nothing processed. Nothing refined. I cook it myself. That alone, makes me know what goes into my body. I don't cook with salt. I do use it a bit on my foods. But never cook with it. Of course, when you buy fish or chicken, you don't really know where it comes from, so until I get to buy my own farm, or go fishing in the ocean, I have to trust the local fish store, and local supermarket where I get my fish and chickens. So far, Alan and I are still alive.


Melody
P.S BILLYE~~~~ Excellent idea about the crock pot. What a great way to make a week's worth of delicious food. Good job!!!!:)

Does
 

ANYONE REMEMBER WHEN A DENTIST WOULD WIRE YOUR MOUTH SHUT,
SO ALL YOU COULD HAVE WAS LIQUIDS, //////MY FRIEND LOST WEIGHT AND
TEETH....:eek::eek: THIN BUT STRANGE. SUE

Sue:

I heard of people having their mouths wired shut, but honestly, I never believed it really happened. But as your post indicated. It really happened.

My god!!

mel

Thanks for all the great encouragment! Fear was my major motivator to begin with, before the MS flare, the thought of needing to lsoe way over half my weight seemed just impossible but if you break it down into small goals 5 to 10 pounds at a time it is much easier. Now I am confident that i will eventually get to goal weight. I had a bit of a set back recently as i was on high dose oral steroids for a couple of weeks then 5 days of methylpred- boy, do the steroids increase appetite!

Silver lady, the crockpot idea is great! I forgot to mention that the other thing i did was a pantry clear out, i literally disposed of naything that may be a temptation trap, if i want ice cream, i have to go to the store and i buy a single serve- that is something that has helped me a lot, you really think twice about eating the problem foods if you have to make the extra effort to get to the shops to get it!
I can understand the problems with the crutches too, i walked like that for years, you can get crutches with shock absorbers in the main shaft and they really do take the strain off your wrists, you can also get anatomical handgrips (each is shaped for a particular hand so one is right hand only and one left hand) they are great. A PT pointed out to me that walking with crutches long term changes the way you use your upper body, you tend not to move it in the same way as when you do not use walking aids, over time it leads to back and shoulder problems- i was referred to a PT who used the feldenkreis tecnique, they look at the way the body moves as a whole. I was given some excercises to do that seemd rather strange to begin with but it really did help me.

K
 

tHANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS WITH US,AND ALL THE READERS,,,YOU
KNOW WHO YOU ARE...DEAR ONE'S READ ,WRITE,BUT MOST OF ALL
LEARN..hUGS TO ALL ,US,NEUROTALKK STAFF,DR. JOHN :grouphug:
SUE

Kebsa:

Ever watch the biggest loser?? I never miss an episode. These people have lost 100 plus pounds. The look on their faces says it all.

The other night, they had just voted off someone and Alison Sweeney, handed them all an envelope. Each of these people had lost between 37 and 100 plus pounds, so they now looked WAAAAYY different than when they first came on The Biggest Loser.

Well, the look on their faces when they opened the envelope and they were looking at photos of themseves on the first day after they arrived at their Biggest Loser Camp, well, that look was priceless.

They just stared at their former bodies and absolutely every one of them said "oh my god, this was me??" It gives people the impression that they really didn't know what they looked like. AND THAT WOULD BE CORRECT.

Because when I weighed 300 pounds, I really didn't know what I looked like. I wouldn't look into a mirror, I denied my obesity. I used to pig out in front of the tv at night and blot out the world.

No one could reach me. Now it's a completely different story when one has a weight problem because of medication. Nothing they can do except do the best they can and not over-eat.

I remember one of the trainers on The Biggest Loser telling the people "Do you know what is happening to your body when you are hungry??"
"Your body is burning fat". See, I never even knew this.

So every time I get hungry (and believe me, I get hungry just like everybody else), so every time I get hungry, and it's not time for a meal, I just remind myself "oh, your body is burning fat, how cool is that??" Now to do this at age 60 is probably ridiculous to the average person, because the average person expects 60 year old woman to be sitting in rocking chairs and doing knitting. I can assure you, I am not sitting in a rocking chair and knitting anything. (Actually I have no one to knit for, no grandchildren, etc.).

I cleaned out the cupboards years ago and replaced them with staples that I know I will use. Like no-salt tomato sauce (my husband likes that on everything, I can't stand the stuff). I have cans of sliced black olives (packed in water), that I add to all of my salads. Doesn't impact my sugar, I lost weight, so this is a good fat for me. There are no cookies, no candy, no ice cream in the fridge (hasn't been for over 6 years now). I don't buy it.

And if my friends come over, they know I have sugar-free stuff in the house. If they want something fattening, they can bring it. They never do. My friends are diabetic, so it would be a no-no in this house. I don't have any "triggers" any more. Things I can't be around. I've been doing this so long, it's like fried into my brain, eating this way. I get excited about my grilled chicken over greens (if you can believe this), but I do. Haven't touched red meat in many MANY years. Not that there's anything wrong with an occasional steak. It's a good souce of protein and B-12, but I eliminated it from my diet.

So I don't diet. I just eat fresh foods, no junk, no sugar, no preservatives, nothing with sorbitol (gives me the runs), no white stuff, (I will ocassionally use flour to coat something but that's on a holiday and not an everyday thing. It's something to look forward to.

Now my husband, he's completely different. He has "triggers". He told me "don't make the sweet potatoes with the brown sugar and marshmallows". I said 'oh really, how come?? I mean, it's Thanksgiving and you love that on Thanksgiving". And he said "Yeah, but I'll eat the whole pan".

I said: "oh, it's a trigger" and he said "absolutely".

I finally realized that food is no longer a trigger to my self-medicating, last year at a birthday party. It was actually my birthday, but someone gave my brother-in-law a birthday party and it happened to be given on MY birthday.

So I'm there with all these bowls of candies, snacks, pretzels, pretzel chips (never even heard of these things). They are baked, not fried, but really, when you come to think of it, when you pop these things in your mouth and you are sitting around, well, you just keep popping them in your mind. It's like you don't really know what you are doing, you just enjoy the salt in your mouth, and the beverage that goes along with this. Like when they keep pretzels at the counters in a bar, so people keep buying the beer.

So I'm sitting there looking at 15 bowls on a table, filled with the amazing assortment of sugar laden, salt laden, crispy, baked, fried, whatever thingees, right in front of me. Now the old me would have just kept picking.

But I had re-trained my brain a long time ago, so here I was staring at one bowl and it had this new product, a pretzel baked thing that was flat and it's all the rage in New Jersey. I had never tasted this before.

I said to myself "I wonder what this tastes like". So I had one. It was the most delicious thing I ever ate. Everybody comes in the room and they are scooping up handfuls of these snacks (like people do without thinking about it), they just sit, enjoy conversation, and pick at the snacks. I've done this all my life.

Well, this one day, I had exactly 6 items. I know because I counted. I wanted one from this bowl and one from that bowl. I wanted one cracker with some salsa. I wanted to experience but not let myself just keep shoving things in my mouth, because in the other room, there were the platters of food (wraps, cheese, etc, chicken, salads, etc. ) All food, that I would be sitting in front of and I would have to choose to put on my plate.

I made some good decisions that day. I ate the salads (and I even tried something new. It's called Cran-raisins. My niece had put them in the salad. I have never tasted anything so delicious in my life. It MADE the salad.

I then looked at the box on the counter and said "okay, you treated yourself today, but this has sugar and carbs, so no more after today". I never bought a box.

I even allowed myself a piece of birthday cake.

But the real test was when someone had gone to Costco and bought all these chocolate chip cookies. It was right in front of me. I had just poured a nice cup of coffee and I said to myself "why not have half a cookie". I took off half a cookie, put it in my mouth and ultimately realized "I do not like the taste of this cookie, it's tooooooo sweet". So I put the rest down and I finally had the lightbulb moment that I DON'T HAVE TO EAT STUFF I DON'T LIKE. That i used to eat because it was right in front of me.

I don't need to to this. The old me would have devoured 3 or 4 cookies, even if I didn't like the taste. That's why I got to 300 lbs. I ate wrong, and didn't allow my brain to take over and make the decision to treat my body better.

Once I realized all of this, it got so much easier. I look at food completely different. (I only wish I did this 30 years ago, but I wasn't ready).

Now I think of my body as a Rolls Royce, the food is the fuel that goes into the Rolls Royce, and the carbureator, the shock absorbers, and all the parts of the Rolls Royce, well, these are my kidneys, my heart, my various body parts. I say "what will this do to my engine, etc. etc.

Makes eating a whole different experience. Last night I had grilled salmon with garlic and fresh parsley. I imagined all the Omega 3 going into my arteries.

So I am so proud that you made all these changes in your life.

I know many people with MS. Various degrees.

Here's hoping you have better days ahead.

Melody

Melody I'm sure you know but be careful with certain fish cause of mercury? It seems like many here have made huge progress to health. I know the battle well in the opposite but still it takes a lot of strength. A huge part of weight is mental and making the right choices for yourself. Then of course some is genetics/metabolism so it makes it hard for some. Not everyone can be a size 2 and is more about health.