BadgerBeard's Journal, 23 August 2013

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This is as much for myself as anyone chancing upon it and I will try to put here how I'm approaching my diet.

I need to lose weight for health reasons - to stop my back breaking due to the cantilevered weight of my beer gut (my Doc's 'advice', not verbatim, but I do have degenerative disc disease which makes walking painful, and sitting!) - and to get to a decent body size to look good in a suit at my daughter's wedding next year.

However, I'm not a small person, was born big and a natural cheese and beer monster. I'm also knocking on a bit now so not many years left to get to a healthy size. So, after much research, it's a self-imposed VLCD for me.

Fortunately (really?) around two years ago or so, in a very short space of time, almost literally overnight, I became lactose intolerant. Simplistically, for me, this means if I ingest any lactose (more of this later) within 15 minutes, my stomach will physically bloat, I will get severe stomach cramps followed by, well, Johnny Cash sang about the burning ring of fire..... Seriously though, not good, physically draining, but it passes eventually.

How is this fortunate?

Well, of course it means I have to avoid all foods with milk, butter, cheese, cream, yogurt, fromage frais, milk derivatives, milk starch etc.

On the practical side this translates to the greater majority of high-street eating establishments being no-go areas. So no more Costa, Subway, Greggs, Pizza Express, KFC, Sandwich shops, cakes, ice creams, chocolates - just take time to think how many items of food have some form of dairy in their ingredients list. All high in calories so, yes, as it happens, fortunate to my mind.

But I also have to accept my lactose intolerance, my body simply cannot handle it. There's no cure. Yes there are lactase supplements (lactase enzyme is what my body no longer produces causing any lactose to rapidly ferment, hence the above symptoms) However, why should I literally eat a poison and it's antidote? The poison always 'works', the antidote may not (it's a timing thing). No, better to avoid it altogether.

This means I have developed the discipline not to be tempted - to quote a well known phrase, I just say no.

Yes, there are little treats - Waitrose Continental chocolate is stunningly good (other dairy free chocolates are available), I can have lactose free butter and milk for my tea and coffee (and to make homemade cakes), HobNobs are dairy free too.

But, for sure, lactose intolerance is absolutely a way of life.

And that, basically, gives the hint as to why I think (hope) I can diet successfully.

That discipline and, absolutely for sure, having this site that allows me to plan my meals in advance, to put in those little treats, to eat food I like, to plan in the beer at the football match by making reductions elsewhere. Proactive not reactive!

My intent is that my diet, not as extreme as it is now (I think I'm developing dieting OCD), will become my new way of life to help me maintain my new, much reduced, weight.

So, if anybody has read this and got this far, my advice to you is to use this site to plan your meals, stick to it, give yourself the occasional treat, learn to say no, be disciplined and above all, be honest with yourself - don't cheat. And drink lots of water.

I just hope I can stick with it and don't get to eat my own words!

Here's good luck to all of us!

Diet Calendar Entries for 23 August 2013:

918 kcal

Fat: 25.03g | Prot: 68.02g | Carb: 99.15g. Breakfast: Arla Lactofree Semi Skimmed Milk, Granulated Sugar, Coffee (Brewed From Grounds). Lunch: Cucumber (with Peel), Tomatoes, Ryvita Original Crispbread, Waitrose British Wiltshire Cured Honey Roast Ham. Dinner: Clausthaler Clausthaler Low Alcohol Lager, Waitrose Love Life Olive Ciabatta Bread - 270G Loaf, Puttanesca Sauce, Chicken Breast Meat. Snacks/Other: Arla Lactofree Semi Skimmed Milk, PG tips Black Tea, Sugar. more...