Any "fuller figure (or former) " warrior survivors out there?

Glad2BHere

Arayasunshine  I am stuck with lunches too.  I love bean tostadas with a whole wheat tortilla for dinner.  The other day I just through in the leftovers with some beans and no tortilla and poured salsa over the top.  I really liked it even though the beans were cold.

 Where is everyone lately?  

So I find that weekends are harder for me.  I know I can't go without the foods I love or wine forever, so I indulge more on the weekends.  Luckily I am only up 1 pound. Does anyone else have weekend indulgence issues?  

barbe1958

I work on the weekends and get Tuesdays and Fridays off so I don't get that problem. I've been too poor to buy a lot of food lately so I'm losing weight due to smaller portions! I find that I'm getting full quicker, so I guess the theory works.....

Beans have a LOT of carbs in them and so would the tortilla so be careful. It doesn't look like much but if you added it up it's way more than you think.

mumito

Cheese and red wine are my weekend bad habits

barbe1958

But if you ONLY have cheese and wine......

ToriGirl

Weekends are tough for me as well.  That's the time hubby and I like to meet up with friends or go to the movies and it's hard to be "good" at those things...

During the week is so much easier for me...but even those, at times can be a struggle, especially when I'm being particularly emotional...I tend to eat when I"m weepy, happy, angry etc....   

I try to carry "snacks" with me like Kashi cereal to munch on when I"m out and about and that seems to help...I park far away from doors, always take the steps and try to take water with me so I"m not tempted to buys something full of calories...

I still need to find different ways to get my veggies in....working on that little by little...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Tori 

MissBianca

Hi all, how's everybody doing? I want to add a voice of encouragement today. Happy Valentine's! I've read through some of the questions here, and thought I'd chime in.

On the Wii Fit, for those living with inclement weather much of the year, it is a great indoor alternative. Of course, there is nothing like a nice dose of vitamin D, not to mention fresh air, in the great outdoors. Don't want to pass up those days for a nice walk. But to help support consistency in a more active lifestyle, I personally think its worth the investment. It keeps a tab on your weight and BMI, measures your center of gravity (I had no idea my posture, or center, was slightly to the left!), and you can see your fitness level improve with concrete measurements. There are basic levels for the activities, and when you perform well enough, the advanced level opens up. You can see your previous scores, and its a great encouragement to see real numbers in improvement. I like the cardio activities, like the bike riding, where you ride around a virtual island, the step class, rhythm kung fu (lots of fun), and yoga poses (it measures your balance on the screen as you hold the pose). The advanced levels give a great cardio workout.

I think it's important to remember that there is a twofold goal here: to lose weight, and to improve our general health with permanent changes. That said, there can be confusion as to what we diet we should adhere to. Dr. Atkins made famous the high protein, low carb approach to losing weight. I know this does work, as I have personally seen my sister-in-law lose weight eating meat and salads.

However, this is not the only approach to weight loss that works. I do know this: fats will make you fat. There are good fats that we need for healthy skin, brain function, etc. and these good fats are in nuts, avocados, fatty fish like salmon, olive oil, etc. (omega 3 fats). So these good things are good in moderation.

There are complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates sustain our energy levels. I will post an article explaining the differences. Here is an article explaining why we need good carbohydrates from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Choose good carbs, not no carbs. Whole grains are your best bet.

Don't be misled by fad diets that make blanket pronouncements on the dangers of carbohydrates. They provide the body with fuel it needs for physical activity and for proper organ function, and they are an important part of a healthy diet. But some kinds of carbohydrates are far better than others.

Read about how to choose healthy carbohydrates.

The best sources of carbohydrates-whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans-promote good health by delivering vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a host of important phytonutrients. Easily digested refined carbohydrates from white bread, white rice and other refined grains, pastries, sugared sodas, and other highly processed foods may contribute to weight gain, interfere with weight loss, and promote diabetes and heart disease.

1. Start the day with whole grains. Try a hot cereal, like old-fashioned oats, or a cold cereal that lists a whole grain first on the ingredient list.

2. Use whole grain breads for lunch or snacks. Confused about how to find a whole-grain bread? Look for bread that lists as the first ingredient whole wheat, whole rye, or some other whole grain -and even better, one that is made with only whole grains, such as 100 percent whole wheat bread. Or try this recipe for hearty whole grain bread.

3. Bag the potatoes. Instead, try brown rice, bulgur, wheat berries, whole wheat pasta, or another whole grain with your dinner. Read "Health Gains from Whole Grains" for a list of whole grains and their health benefits, or check out these whole grain recipes.

4. Choose whole fruit instead of juice. An orange has two times as much fiber and half as much sugar as a 12-ounce glass of orange juice. Looking for juice alternatives? See six ideas for low-sugar drinks, a recipe for a low-sugar fruit cooler, and a recipe for sugar-free sparkling iced tea.

5. Bring on the beans. Beans are an excellent source of slowly digested carbohydrates as well as a great source of protein.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/carbohydrates/

MissBianca

 This article is from: http://www.weightlossforall.com/carbohydrates.htm

Simple And Complex Carbohydrates

 What are carbohydrates?

All carbohydrates are made up from sugars. There are a number of different types of sugars but in the body all carbohydrate metabolism converts sugar to glucose, our body's preferred energy source. Glucose is the main sugar present in many foods but some contain different sugars.

Such as fructose in fruit, lactose in milk, galactose as well as others. Most sugars are digested and absorbed and converted to glucose, some cannot be digested, we call this fiber.

What are complex carbohydrates?
Complex carbohydrates or starch are simply sugars bonded together to form a chain.

Digestive enzymes have to work much harder to access the bonds to break the chain into individual sugars for absorption through the intestines.
For this reason digestion of complex carbohydrates takes longer. The slow absorption of sugars provides us with a steady supply of energy and limits the amount of sugar converted into fat and stored!

What are simple carbohydrates?
Simple carbohydrates are smaller molecules of sugar unlike the long chains in starch. For example the individual sugars themselves - glucose, fructose and galactose ( monosaccharides ), or two sugars bonded together ( disaccharides ).

They are digested quickly because the individual sugars are ready to be absorbed immediately plus digestive enzymes have easy access to the bonds in the paired molecules. You could say most of the work has been done!

Their rapid absorption increases the chances of sugar converting to fat but only if there is an abundance of energy absorbed. Foods like cake, pastry, biscuits, chocolate and too much table sugar to name a few contain lots of "empty" calories. Because our cells usually do not require that amount of energy at that time, the sugar must either be converted to glycogen ( sugar storage within cells ) or converted to fat. The cell can only store a limited amount of glycogen so in many cases simple carbohydrate loaded foods may contribute to body fat stores. This rule can change if the glycogen levels are low such as after anaerobic exercise!

Other natural foods like fruit contain naturally occurring simple sugars, however because the amount of energy is low there's less chance for sugar to be converted to fat. Plus many fruits are high in fiber which helps slow digestion again limiting the flood of sugar energy into cells when its not needed!

Simple carb foods

Why are carbohydrates important?

Carbohydrates are the body's primary source of fuel. The energy can be released quickly and easily to fulfill immediate requirement within cells. Carbohydrates do not require oxygen to burn therefore they fuel most muscular contractions, meaning our carbohydrate intake is very important for regular exercise sessions. If carbohydrate stores are low exercise will seem like a real effort!

Glad2BHere

I totally forgot it was Valentine's Day!  My husband boycotts it, but we get my kids a little something.  Luckily he is running by the store to get them something since I forgot.

MissBianca  I am glad to hear that the better you get the more advanced the workout will get on the WII.  I like the step workout, but want it to be more advanced.  I guess I'm going to have to work at it. I also like the band marching game, I think it is helping with my chemobrain.  I have a much harder time now multi-tasking.

I lost a lot of weight doing the low carb thing like Atkins and South Beach.  In fact, I was on that diet when I got dignosed with cancer.  I can't help but feel there was a big connection with eating so many animal products and getting Triple positive cancer. 

I love the info and link you posted.  I have come to learn all this the hard way. I know my body does better loosing weight when I keep my blood sugar leveled out, but  have found I can do this eating the good carbs, fruits and vegetables and monosaturated fats like avacados, nuts and olive oil.  My mother in law is a diabetic, so I used her old blood glucose monitoring machine to test my blood sugar after I ate certain foods- just to see for sure.  Beans don't spike my blood sugar, but fruit does, so I will eat a few nuts or a little avacado along with the fruit to balance it out.  It really seems to be working. I actually love my new way of eating and feel so much better. Of course I have to have those missed foods on weekends like pizza. 

We are all different, but it is what works for me.

Have a great night!

Lisa

Glad2BHere

Update-hubby just walked in with a bouquet of flowers. AHHHH

ToriGirl

My hubby and I put no "pressure" on each other to overdo it on Valentine's day, but we try to do something for each other...sometimes it's small, sometimes it's bigger..it's just us, so it's fun...

Hope you all had a great day with those you love!

MIssBianca-Thank you so much for all the tips and all the information!  I feel so uninformed about so many things, it's nice to be able to read this thread and learn something that I never knew.  I REALLY want a WII now!

Glad2BHere--sounds like the boycott of Valentine's day is over, huh?  

Weather is gonna be gorgeous this week here...gonna get my butt outside and moving around for sure!

peace and prayers,

Tori 

mumito

We went out to a fancy resturant and took my daughter and her fiance' along.But i was a good girl just ordered a fish dish no red meat.

TMarina

Hi Ladies--just got back last night from KCMO.  Had a wonderful time with my youngest DD!  I let myself eat what I wanted at restaurants (but tried to make "reasonable" choices), but I didn't stuff myself. I made sure I got some fruit and carrots during the day.  When we travel we eat out of the cooler for lunch, then usually supper at a restaurant.  I packed ham, turkey, cheese, and wheat buns for our lunches, along with fruit and carrots.  We did a lot of walking, which helped burn those calories!

About the Wii--it's been said already, but it is a good workout for indoors.  Now, if you are used to hard workouts, it may not be enough for you, but for me, it can certainly get my heart rate up!  There is the basic step, and then there is the advanced step.  I just do a couple of them in a row to get my heart working, then I'll switch to a balance one (or the snowball fight!), then back to an aerobic one for a couple more times.  I, too, like the parade one for my chemo brain, and some of the balance games.  The Wii is perfect for people like me, who after 2 years of tx for 2 different cancers could hardly walk down the block or one flight of stairs without being winded.  As soon as it warms up more I will definitely get out for some walks!  Oh--and I use the Wii balance board on carpeting. It's very stable.  You do have to watch out that you don't step off or step on the edge of it during a workout.

Thanks MissBianca for all the info.  For me, I know it is important that I try to eat things that don't spike my blood sugar.  Most of my fat is in my belly, and that is the worst place.  And it's usually from too much glucose.  The glucose causes your pancreas to put out too much insulin, and the extra insulin turns into belly fat.

Hope everyone is getting warmer weather this week!  It's pretty nice here in MN!

Tina

Glad2BHere

Barb- I know what you mean about the money issues and trying to eat healthy.  It seems that the cheapest foods out there are the worst for you- like man n cheese and Top Ramen.  I feel for you with all your food restrictions and budget restrictions.  But, you amazingly keep at it and don't give up.  That is a true inspiration!!!!

Tina- welcome back from your trip. It sounds like you did really good with your eating under the circumstances.I agree on the insulin/weight thing.  When I keep it steady, the weight will just come right off.  

mumayan- Great job.  I still have a hard time resisting temptations at a restaurant. Luckily we don't go out to eat too much.

Tori- I'm so glad my husband lifted the Valentine's boycott this year.  I needed some cheering up since I am stuck at home for awhile.  The flowers were perfect and I am really glad he didn't get me chocolate.

MissBianca- do you have any recipe website sources you use?

Talk to you soon!

Lisa

MissBianca

Hi, Lisa! I don't use a recipe website per se, but love all the healthy diet tip info on Dr. Oz's website, http://www.doctoroz.com/ It also has good recipes.

I learned basic cooking techniques from healthy minded chefs like Giada De Laurentiis, on the Food Network. I have a simplicity standard: not too many ingredients, one or two pots/pans, and enough quantity for great leftovers. A lot of a whole foods diet (foods close to their original form), which we have been talking about essentially, does not take a lot of food preparation.

I found a great webpage for this thread on an anti-cancer diet. It supports all the foods we have talked about.

http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_cancer_prevention.htm

These are a few highlights from the page:

Simple tips for getting more plant-based foods in your diet

• Breakfast: Add fruit and a few seeds or nuts to your whole grain breakfast cereal (oatmeal!).
• Lunch: Eat a big salad filled with your favorite beans and peas or other combo of veggies.
• Always order lettuce and tomato (plus any other veggies you can!) on your sandwiches. Order whole grain bread for your sandwiches. Have a side of veggies like cut up carrots, sauerkraut or a piece of fruit.
• Snacks: fresh fruit and vegetables. Grab an apple or banana on your way out the door. Raw veggies such as carrots, celery, cucumbers, jicama, peppers, etc. are great with a low-fat dip such as hummus. Keep trail mix made with nuts, seeds and a little dried fruit on hand.
• Dinner: Add fresh or frozen veggies to your favorite pasta sauce or rice dish. Top a baked potato with broccoli and yogurt, sautéed veggies, or with salsa. Replace creamy pasta sauces, with sautéed vegetables or tomato sauce made with healthy olive oil.
• Dessert: Choose fruit instead of a richer dessert. Or a single square of dark chocolate.

Simple ways to add more fiber to your diet:
Use brown rice instead of white rice
Substitute whole-grain bread for white bread
Choose a bran muffin over a croissant or pastry
Snack on popcorn instead of potato chips
Eat fresh fruit such as a pear, a banana, or an apple (with the skin)
Have a baked potato, including the skin, instead of mashed potatoes
Enjoy fresh carrots, celery, or bell peppers with a hummus or salsa, instead of chips and a sour cream dip
Use beans instead of ground meat in chili, casseroles, tacos, and even burgers (bean burgers taste great!)

I also found a very beautiful food blog for this thread with awesome pictures, all based on an anti-cancer, healthy diet. It is http://jeanetteshealthyliving.blogspot.com/

On the righthand side of the blog, under recipes, there is a link for anti-cancer recipes, that include delicious looking soups.

 http://jeanetteshealthyliving.blogspot.com/2010/11/foods-that-can-help-fight-breast-cancer.html

Here is a list of recipes under this section in her blog:

Soup Recipes
Vegetable Broth
French Lentil Soup with Barley and Rainbow Chard
Thai Coconut Curry Lentil Soup
Black Bean Chili
French Lentil Brown Rice Soup
Red Lentil Vegetable Soup
Vegetarian Mushroom Barley Soup
Mushroom Soup with Spinach and Farro
Mixed Vegetable Soup with Wheat Berries and Baby Spinach
Suvir Saran's Lentil Soup

Whole Grain Recipes
Fiery Red Bean Chili with Farro
Steel Cut Oatmeal with Blueberry Compote
Warm Red Quinoa with Fresh Berries and Toasted Pecans
Kimchi Fried Brown Rice
Vegetarian Fried Brown Rice
French Lentil Brown Rice Soup
Mushroom Soup with Spinach and Farro
Mixed Vegetable Soup with Wheat Berries and Baby Spinach

Vegetable Recipes
Simply Sauteed Leafy Green Vegetables
Kale Avocado Salad
Roasted Cauliflower and Potatoes
Stir Fry Broccoli with Black Bean Sauce
Stir Fry Baby Bok Choy with Shitake Mushrooms
How to Cook Beans

Smoothie Recipes
Mango Pineapple Smoothie
Yummy Fruit Smoothie
Mango Coconut Smoothie
Beginner Green Smoothie

I hope this helps, and that you are all having a great day!

ToriGirl

Love al the information MissBianca!  Thanks for sharing!

I jogged/walked for 2 miles today...I"m not at all fast, but at least I was out there enjoying the day and moving...

Hope everyone else is doing great!

Tori 

Glad2BHere

Great job Tori!!!!  Keep up the great work.

Miss Bianca- I love the info and resources.  I will check them out.

barbe1958

Here is a piece of info of some of what I can and cannot eat. Now YOU make a diet for me! 

Diet sheet

Forbidden
Very high purine content.
Herring, herring roe, meat extracts, mussels,
Sardines, yeast (brewer's and baker's).
Alcohol : Alcohol contains no purine but interferes with uric acid excretion.
Liver

Avoid
High purine content - not more than one item once a week.
Anchovies, bacon, chicken soup, Beef, mutton leg, mutton chop, pheasant, salmon, sausage, trout, turkey, veal, venison, lobster, crab.

Moderation
Moderate purine content-not more than one item 4 times a week.
Asparagus, bass, bouillon, brains, cauliflower, chicken, duck, halibut, ham, kidney beans, lentils, Lima beans, liverwurst, mushrooms, oysters, peas, plaice, pork, rabbit, roe, shad, spinach, tongue, tripe, tuna, wholegrain cereals and bread.

Acceptable
Low or no purine content - as often as desired.
Beverages  -tea, coffee, cocoa, chocolate
Carbonated soft drinks
Fruit juices
Sugar, sweets
Vegetables  : (except those under BE CAREFUL)
Vegetables and cream soups (no meat stock)
Butter, fats of all kinds (in moderation)
Bread (except wholegrain)
Cereals (except wholegrain)
Cheese : all kinds (in moderation)
Eggs
Fruit
Milk - buttermilk, condensed, malted
Nuts - all kinds, peanut butter

barbe1958

Notice that I CANNOT have whole grain cereals and breads!!!!

And chicken or beef no more than once a week!

Some of the other stuff like the sodas and juices I avoid due to sugar levels, but come on!!! It's an impossible diet. This is one page of FOUR!!!!

I must say, we roasted cauliflower the other night and it was spectacular!!! Thanks to whoever recommended it. My favourite vegetable now! And it's only in the "Moderation" list....thank God!

Glad2BHere

Wow Barb that is so hard to combine the anti cancer and anti gout diets.  Are all beans bad for you?  I am glad you liked the califlower. 

barbe1958

That's why I've been complaining about not being able to eat normally....sigh. Beans are beans are legumes.

Glad2BHere

Barb.  do you have a Trader Joes near you?  Since I am mostly eating fruits and veggies, maybe I will come across some recipes that will help you too.  I love my smoothie that I have every morning banana, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and mixed berries plus a little flax. Are those things you can have? I have also tried it with chocolate and Stevia. I am going to try to make a creamy broccali soup made with regular almond milk this weekend.  If it turns out decent I will let you know.  When I was researching the glycemic index foods years ago I did find out that sour dough bread and bastamati rice does not spike your blood sugar as much as other types, so I try to get these for my family since they are not big on whole wheat.  Since you can't do whole wheat that may be an option.  If you do have a Trader Joes near you at least you might be able to find some less processed carbohydrate foods that are on your list. Plus TJ's it is really good when you are on a budget. I would be glad to try and help you come up with some options.  It has to be so hard.

MissBianca

I saw a program on a researcher who tested hundreds of food items and came up with the top 5 cancer starving foods. They starve cancer by prohibiting blood vessels from forming to the cancer cells, called anti - angiogenesis. Dr. Oz has passed along his research.

Here they are:

1. Bok Choy - This type of Chinese cabbage contains brassinin; a powerful cancer-fighter, also found in broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Bok Choy should be eaten 3 times a week, in 1/2 cup servings to obtain its full benefits.

2. Cooked Tomatoes - have more cancer-fighting properties than raw tomatoes. Both contain the molecule lycopene, but heating the tomato changes its chemical structure and makes the benefits more readily available to your body. You should eat 2-3 (1/2 cup) servings of cooked tomatoes a week.

3. Flounder - This fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and low in mercury. Three 6-ounce servings a week is ideal.

4. Strawberries - The antioxidants in this berry help fight cancers. You should eat 1 cup a day, including the juice.

5. Artichokes contain 3 different cancer-fighting molecules. Enjoy ¼ cup of hearts per day.

Here is the link for the rest of the article:

http://healthybodydaily.com/healthy-eating/dr-oz-five-foods-that-starve-cancer

Barbe, none of these items are on your list, so they would be a great addition to focus on.  I found some articles for you that might help. Also, lentils, lima beans, and kidney beans are on your moderation list, all legumes.

Here is an excerpt from this one: http://www.joint-pain.com/low-purine-diet.html

If you suffer from gout or have a family predisposition to the disease, it is a good idea to steer clear of low carbohydrate diets such as the Atkins and Protein Power diets. Their recommendation to eat large amounts of foods high purines such as meats and dark vegetables is almost certain to cause problems in those predisposed to gout.

Here are more diet tips for gout from: http://www.healthcastle.com/gout.shtml

Drink 2 to 3 L of fluid daily. Adequate fluid intake helps dilute urinary uric acid. Avoid High-Purine foods (see below)
Consume a moderate amount of protein. Limit meat, fish and poultry to 4 - 6 oz per day. Try other low-purine good protein foods such as low fat dairy products, tofu and eggs.
Limit fat intake by choosing leaner meats, foods prepared with less oils and lower fat dairy products.

Also, I found a great chart that specifies the purine content of foods (mg/100 gram food)

Dried legumes
Blackeye peas 230
Lentils 222
Great northern bean 213
Small white bean 202
Split peas 195
Pinto bean 171
Red bean 162
Large lima bean 149
Baby lima bean 144
Cranberry bean 75
Garbanza bean 56

You can check out the rest of the chart at: http://www.dietaryfiberfood.com/purine-food.php

I hope everyone is having a TGIF fantastic night!

MissBianca

Glad, delicious sounding smoothie!

MissBianca

I wanted to share this thought with all of you before I forgot it. There are mechanisms that create resistance to change, even for our good, and these are psychologically based. You may find you are arguing with yourself as to why you must stay in defeat. You must win this argument with yourself as to why you must have victory, then your mind will open up to good changes that will lead to this success.

You all can do it!!!

Glad2BHere

MissBianca  Great resources again.  Thanks!  It is funny that you mention the resistence to change comment.  I am reading one of my old diet books, "Thin for Life", by Anne Fletcher.  She researched people who were successful at losing and maintaining their lost weight.   She found commonalities through her interviews.  I just happen to be reading the section on how our own self-talk can be destrucvtive to our success.  Changing what you say to yourself to be kinder instead of beaating yourself up can make a difference.  It is a really good book if anyone is interested.

Tori- Where are you?   

Have a great Friday!

ToriGirl

Glad---I am here!    Was off the board for a bit trying to keep myself busy outside and doing some other stuff in the house....That smoothie sounds wonderful too!  

LOVE everything you guys are contributing!  MissBianca...you know so much about all this stuff!  I am amazed and grateful that you are taking the time to let us in on what you are doing and how we can be successful at this as well.  "Resistance to Change"....hits close to home for me...thank you for reminding me that I can change the way I think and do better in this journey!   

What about exercise?  What is better?  Walking or something more aerobic?

Have a great weekend all!

Tori 

barbe1958

Thanks for all the links Miss B, and the support by y'all....it means a lot! A banana has more carbs than you're supposed to have in an entire day! (30)

About the self-talk, perhaps I am using the excuse of gout to say "what the heck, I can't do it...."  Now, to get my mind off that kind of thinking....hmmmmmm.

There is a book called Mindless Eating that is good too. Shows those empty calories we usually fail to consider.

I wonder if I make worrying about food replace something else. Like if I didn't worry about food I'd worry about my finances or something. I wonder. Huh, I may be having a major break-through here!! I may be picking the easier of two evils to worry about. I can change my eating but don't have much control over finances.....I'll keep you posted!

DesignerMom

Just jumping in here to tell you of a book, that I can say changed our entire family's lives.  It was a best seller a few years back called "The Sonoma Diet" by Gutterson.  She also has a website.  I have battled excess pounds all my life and have bought probably hundreds of diet books and tried countless diets, spas etc...  I had this book on my shelf.  My DH (who would never consider dieting ever) was diagnosed with high BP and cholesterol a few years ago.  Facing prescription meds, he was finally willing to consider changing his way of eating.  We both went on the plan, which is essentially very healthy Mediterranean diet (whole grains, loads of veggies, olives, almonds, tomatoes).  The first two weeks are strict as they get you off all sugar, even sweet fruit. I believe we were addicted to sugar (it is in everything).  Once it was out of my system, I never craved it again.  And you are looking at a girl who loved her Hagen Daz!  I swear I could care less about sweets now, really.  DH and I both lost about 40 pounds and have pretty much kept it off for years.  We use the Sonoma Diet cookbook all the time.  It has fabulous, healthy recipes.  The good thing is that this Meditteranean way of eating totally dovetails with how we should be eating to help prevent BC recurrence too (low glycemic, nutrition dense etc...)    My big downfall is exercise. That is my next big challenge!  Wishing you all great success!

mumito

I am going to buy that book I have been meaning to look into the mediteranian way of eating.Dr Oz even recomended a Mediteranian diet for better health not just weight loss.

Glad2BHere

Designermom, thanks for the tips.  Congratulations on you and your husband's weight loss.  I am trying to get my family to conform a little with their diets, but they are being resistant.  I just need to lead by example, I will have to check in all my wieght loss books for the Sonoma diet.,  I probably already have it.  I think I could open a weight loss book store or I might end up on the hoarders show for my book collection- ha ha

Tori- glad you are out enjoying yourself.  I think anything that gets your body moving for a half an hour that you enjoy is the best exercise. I bet you would like the Wii, plus my whole family loves it.  We go bowling on it and play golf.  We also do it with our friends too.

Barb-  Here is an article I found that might help you with the carbohydrate factor.  With your gout diet, you have no choice, but to have carbohydrates, but if you eat better carbs and pair them with something like an avacado, nuts or seeds, it will keep your blood sugar level steady:

 http://www.buzzle.com/articles/1weight-loss-meal-plan-the-importance-of-blood-sugar-stability.html

Also, I look at the glycemic load GL of foods. Anything under 10 for glycemic load, (not index) is considered low and better for you and your blood sugar. 

 http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/diabetes/glycemic-index-values.html

I don't count carbs, I just try to eat in a way that my blood sugar stays stable so I am not hungry constantly, I can lose weight and to cure what my doctor terms "Metabolic Syndrome."

I tried a smoothie today with kiwi and berries.  It smelled a little funny, but tasted good.  You can do the smoothie without a banana, but you need at least half the fruit to be thawed and half the fruit to be frozen to get the right consistency. 

I am down 15 pounds today!!!!!!