Lmackr's Journal, 13 July 2018

NICE! 

nice drop 

I am on a roll. Doing an intermittent fasting - eating only at 12:00 and 5:00. Haven't restricted what I eat other than loosely....I am finding that the 2x eating a day isn't that hard. My kryptonite in the past was staying up late and being hungry. Now that I;m eating until full just twice, it's working. I don't tend to stay up late anymore; by allowing myself to eat til full and what I want the 2x day, it has really curbed my craving for sweets, so although I'm definitely not on a carb restricted diet or keto, there's a big decrease in sweets and the amount of food I eat. After all, how much can you really eat at 2 meals, with no snacking in between? I recommend looking at www.dietdoctor.com and reading The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung. There is much that I could do to speed up the weight loss, and I'll probably make progress on that, but in the meantime, this seems to be working for me. Not sure if you can read my food intake, but much of what I eat in meals is prepared by me, and I am selecting items from the list that are probably dramatically higher in carbs than mine. So my calorie and carb intake may be lower than what shows. I also find that I am rarely tempted in the grocery store for baked goods that are 50% off - that was another kryptonite. One more tip - I have some Sweet Drops from SweetLeaf (stevia drops) chocolate raspberry flavor that is fantastic in plain yogurt - healthy, natural no bad ingredients, and just a couple drops changes plain yogurt into a terrific dessert (with a little added granola)!! 

The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung is a great book that changed my life. Having no will power I had to follow the suggestions in the second half of the book and basically do extended fasting :) However, you seem to be doing great with the recommendations in the first half of the book :) 

I'm glad to know about the Sweet Drops. I saw them in a friend's home and forgot to ask about them. It's nice to know they come in flavors. 

watch out for some of the other stevia drops - some have alcohol and a bunch of unwanted ingredients. The SweetLeaf ones seem good 

a couple more thoughts: If I start to get hungry before it's time to eat, it really helps me to prepare the food - I find that peeling, cutting, etc sates my appetite and distracts me somehow. I can then have it set up to cook or heat up when it's time to eat. I think knowing what's waiting for me helps, and knowing I can eat until full. Since I don't eat a lot of prepared food, I do spend a lot of time peeling and cutting veggies - I eat a lot of one dish casseroles, stir fries, stews, soups.....and make enough to last for several meals. Also make a lot of big salads with loads of sliced veggies - just discovered daikon. And sometimes some prepared salads from the deli (I buy when they have reduced ones) are added to a big salad which supplies any dressing. I do eat a lot of veggies but in a filling way. 

And another (and probably last) comment - I am trying to make sure I get some exercise (it's mostly walking and cycling) to soak up any excess calories. I have no expectation of losing weight from exercise, but I'm sure it will help support the reduced food intake. I don't watch tv but I do watch dvds, which must be picked up and returned to the library that I walk to. I walk to the grocery store, and post office and drug store - i.e. for errands, instead of driving. And then separately I hike and bike for more vigorous exercise. Thank you for your support and comments - I feel I have turned a corner. Just before this, I felt a bit desperate, my weight was increasing a lot very quickly - I knew I had to take action. And, my blood pressure is dropping so maybe I can get off one of my meds. :-))) 

all great suggestions, aka tips 

It helps me to log everyday. It's a pain sometimes, but it has been key for me this time around. I have been on here 8 years and only now I get good results... the time I decide to log everyday... :)