On tv the people who were trying to eat less meat like steak switched to like turkey meat. So like a turkey burger or turkey meatballs. I really feel its a fad about the eating right before bed. Its about calories in vs out not the time a day. A big reason I feel people think its bad too is cause they munch on cookies rather then a balanced snack. I keep wanting to try sushi but it will have to be vegetarian though I'm not vegetarian but raw seafood gives me the heebie jeebies. Australlia people that is neat. I always take interest in people from other countries. I hate to travel but I think the way of living out of the us though I don't want to experience it sounds interesting. I always thought you guys have less junk then us in the US. Aussie were you the one who gave up added sugar for your pain? How is that and the results if so?I'm a candy addict but trying to get better with that and of course and the idea of it helping with the pain is a huge motivator.

Aussie, you made my mouth water at the start of your post " stubbies, steak & fish & chips " the steak i can still have, but i would just about kill for a few stubbies then a big feed of fish & chips with plenty of salt & tomotoe sauce all over them only in my dreams now

I seen on Current affairs that Safeway & Coles are allowed to import fruit from countries that they use chemicals on them that are banned for use for Australian farmers to use, yet they allow it to happen , it's also well known that chemicals are used all the time to keep red meat looking fresh

I do think that not only the hidden chemicals [ which is a worry] but far to much junk food is consumed in the Australian diets, in my younger day it was the norm for fish & chips every Friday night but otherwise every other night was good wholesome food, in some families these days, Kentucky, McDonald's, Pizza's, fish & chips seem to be more popular as a choice for any night of the week and during the day as well, any wonder waist lines have increased so much.

Brian

Do in US so hopefully we are a small start ,in ending that,I hope so..Sue

IMHO, you are doing many of the right things.
I agree with the other poster who mentioned that after age 40, the body seems to fight with all it has to hold onto fat. It seems that one has to be hypervigilent the majority of the time to get it off!
Some things I have found helpful:
1) Exercising at least 4 days a week, at least 30 minutes each time. This is a must.
If possible, try for 6 days a week, at least 30 minutes each time.
2) Do some light weights (if possible) two times a week for 30 minutes.
3) Eating high fiber, low fat foods. (This is a must).
4) Cutting back on flour and sugar.
5) Eating more vegetables.
6) Eating small portions. Most people eat much more than they realize. Write down what you eat. (This is a must).
7) Drink 6-8 glasses of water per day.
8) Cut out most, if not all processed foods.
9) Take a multi-vitamin mineral supplement (minimal), plus any other vitamins your doctors has suggested that you take.
10) Think in a positive manner. See yourself at your new goal weight.


Bottom line: 1,3,6 (all are 'musts') The others are very important and might make the difference between success and failure.


If you still don't lose weight, reduce your portions in increments and exercise a little more. Be consistent. After forty, sometimes our bodies just don't need as much food as we originally thought!

If it still doesn't work, you might want to look for an established weight loss program (Weight Watchers, etc.) in your area for help. YOU on a Diet is a good book to read as well. In addition, you might want to double check with your doctor to see if you have a medical condition causing the problem or if one of your medications is the culprit. If that is the case, perhaps a change could be made.

Daniella, I am with you on the shushi bit, i don't like the idea of eating raw fish either, it's very popular over here & probably does taste good but can't bring myself around to try it either.
I have read a few posts over time were some PN'ers have found that high sugary carbs have aggravated their PN, but i guess not everyone's the same, i know when i used to drink beer i could guaranty within an hour of having some, my feet would burn like buggery. alcohol is a nerve irritant as well, which doesn't help.
Brian

You MUST try a California role at your local Japanese Restaurant (that is, if you indeed live near a Japanese Restaurant).

It's a thing that's cut into 6 pieces. It's prepared as such.

They take a pice of seaweed, spread some rice on it, and pat it down, then they add some imitation crab meet, some cucumber, and something else (nothing is raw, the crabmeat is cooked). OH, they put a bit of avocado in this thing.

Then the guy rolls it up, using this bamboo think, until it's this long rolled up thing. Then he cuts it into 6 pieces.

It's put in a little container and they put a little piece of wasabe in it. (I don't like wasabe).

Then they serve it with some low-sodium terriyaki or soy sauce).

You have never tasted anything so delicious in your life.

My neighbor told me "go and try the Philadelphia Roll".

Same method of preparation, but they use smoked salmon and a bit of creamcheese rolled up in the rice and seaweed. I know what you all are thinking, cream cheese on seaweed, and then you dip this in low-sodium soy sauce????

Let me tell you, it's the most delicious thing I ever ate. It doesn't impact my weight, it doesn't impact my sugar whatsoever. I only do this once a week but oh my goodness, it's a nice light lunch, with some Miso Soup (not for the low sodium watchers).

I have never eaten Sushi or Sashimi (this is raw). I only go for the California Roll. I'm trying to get my friend to try this. She says 'oh my god, it's raw". She doesn't believe me.

Oh, another cool thing to know about diabetes. Whenever I eat fish, my sugar is below 100 the next morning (my first sugar reading upon awakening).

Never fails to happen. I've tested this numerous times. I watch my diabetes like a crazy person, so I eat healthy every day.

But to really make it go to 95 or 93, all I have to do is eat fish for dinner. It's absolutely amazing. And I have no idea why.

I eat chicken (grilled, over a bed of salad greens) for lunch, or I have a plain turkey burger with a small salad), but for dinner, I can eat any kind of fish I want to eat, with a veggie and a salad, and nothing after 7 p.m. and lo and behold, I wake up and my sugar is 95.

If I eat chicken for dinner, or turkey, or any-non fish item, my sugar can read 123 or 135, but the fish really brings it down. I have no idea why this is so.

Maybe it's my body reacting to the fish. I eat flounder, sole, catfish, turbot fillet, shrimps (occasionally). It's all good, and it works every time.

I wonder why this happens.???

Melody

Brian I think alchol turns into glucose in the body and like sugar is an inflammatory. I have read so much that sugar does increase pain level. Its so hard to limit though. Melody I think the fish because it has high protein helps lower your blood sugar and omega 3 are known to help lower cholesterol and sugar levels. I'm sure its a combo of things helping you. I truly feel a well rounded plan is the way to go.

Sue, I know we aren't the only country that are bulking up, even some of the school kids are, some schools over here are banning soft drinks & stuff from their canteens, but what they do after school they can't control, but it's a start at least.

Melody, they do sound delicious, but i hardly ever eat Chinese/Japanese foods though, just wondering how you cook your fish ?
I just brought a glucose monitor to keep an eye on my blood sugar levels, not sure about the numerical measures compared to you guys in the US, i done a couple of readings in the morning before breakfast and it 4.5 one morning and 4.9 another, 2 hours after lunch it was 5.7 & 6.1, but after dinner it has been 8.1 & 7.6 so this another reason i cut down the evening meal, but haven't yet measured it since, I was told anything between 4.0 - 8.0 was ok, so i am trying to keep it in between those levels.

Vowel Lady, thanks for all the great suggestions, i am doing most of what you mentioned although any weights are out of the question because of C5,C6,C7 problems, it's easily aggravated then i am real trouble.
The multi minerals i hadn't thought of, so thanks for your input.

Brian

Med a few months back,was blessed with a great deal of money,that will
go to help Diabectic 2 Children... I can't tell how blessed,but it must be done.
And now...And i'm a big believer that recess,jump rope,hop ,skip,jump,
and yes junk food out,until then when should at least take a walk with
them,play catch...Well so on and the arts,not everybody has tons of money
for lessons. Just saying....Sue

Sue is absolutely right about the lack of exercise in our school systems. Why they did away with gym, and why these schools serve all this crap at lunch and breakfast, well, I know it's about money, but really. The kids are now obese and it has been said, the next generation will not outlive our generation due to obesity, diabetes, etc. It's frightening.

I remember we had gym class once a week when I was about 12. We had this stupid gym uniform. We had to play dodge ball, and volley ball, and we had to run around the gym. I was chubby and all the other kids made fun of me.

It made for lots of problems with the teachers keeping order. Can you imagine a teacher with 55 kids in one class, during a gym period, keeping everybody in line, running around, exercising??? Don't think so. Kids today run the show. There is no discipline in any of the schools unless the schools are run by the military, and we don't have schools that are run by the military. I wish we did.

Kids today bring cell phones, bring ipods, bring everything but the books. Kids have to go through metal detectors before they go to class. Any of you have to go through metal detectors way back when?? Didn't think so!!!

No, the world we live in today is a far cry from 40 years ago.

Too much freedom, too little lack of discipline. When they took away the parents rights, they lost it all.

Oh, for the good old days.

And Brian, all I do is take some fillet of anything I want, like sole, flounder, tilapia, or tubot, (it just can't have any bones). Now this recipe is for when I want to bread the fish. Here's how!!!In one bowl, I put egg substitute (or egg whites).

Now in another bowl, I put plain breadcrumbs that have no salt added. To the breadcrumbs, I add some garlic poweder, some minced onion, some cumin, some fresh chopped parsley.

Dip the fish in the egg substitute and then dip the fish in the breadcrumb mixture. Spray a frying pan with some no-stick spray. Heat the pan and put the fish in. Keep turning the fish as it browns. Takes about 5 minutes for a thin piece of fish. Fish cooks very quickly. Sprinkle on some fresh lemon juice and (only if you like salt and pepper), just season to taste.

Add some veggies and nice tossed salad and you're good to go.


Now if you don't want to bread the fish, here's how this recipe goes:

Spray a non-stick pan with no-stick spray (any frying pan will do just as long as you have no-stick spray). Chop up some parsley. Put on fish. Now take some chopped up garlic and put it in the pan with the parsley. Saute the garlic a bit together with the parsley. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil in this mixture. Then add the fish, and cook on one site for 3 minutes, turn it over and cook it another 3 minutes. Fish is done when it is white and flakey.

I also do this with Salmon. Over here, Salmon has one side with the skin still on. And this is a really good Salmon recipe.

Heat up a pan first (using no-stick spray). Put the fish in skin side down. In 5 minutes, turn it over and the skin will peel right off. Throw that away. Now you'll have a nice piece of boneless salmon. Just add chopped up garlic, parsley and lemon juice and cook until it's done. Salmon is thick so this is a trial and error thing. You'll know after you do this a few times.

It's delicious. I also have a George Forman Grill and Salmon is good on that.

But regular fish is too thin for the George Forman.

So Happy Cooking. This is what I made tonight. Fillet of Catfish, zucchini and a nice salad. Alan was a happy man.

Take care,

Melody