Miscellaneous: The Diet

If you regularly read my blog (there's just one of you out there, right?) you have likely noticed several references to a "diet" or weightloss. It started with a trip to the doctor last year. Some of you may be the type to visit your doctor all the time. Any twinge and you think you have one week to live. Others may avoid the doctor like the plague. I don't fit into either category. I collect several twinges, make the appointment, and have the doctor take care of it all at once. Sort of like a tune-up.

So my tune up included: borderline hypertension, high cholesterol (the bad kind, people), and low levels of vitamin D. I was also just over the BMI for my height. My doctor (she's so good!) threw a fit and ordered a low cholesterol/low salt 1800 calorie diet, mega doses of vitamin D, and exercise. Being the good little patient, I immediately made changes.

Here I am 8 months later, new blood work, and all my levels are right where they should be. Granted I could fine tune some of the numbers and get them to "optimal" instead of just "within normal range" but I think I done good.

The big question always is "What diet did you go on?" Well, here's the thing. It isn't a diet diet, like eat only grapefruit or no carbs. It's this IS your diet (food intake). I changed the way I eat. The basics are 9 grains, 4 fruits, 2 vegetables, 2 milk, 6 protein, and no more than 6 fats (servings) a day. And exercise.

My grains are whole grain, high fiber (if possible). This includes breads, noodles, and cereals. Favorites are Orowheat High Fiber, Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend, and Kashi Go Lean Crunch Honey Almond Flax. I don't drink milk (Gee, could that be the reason for the low vitamin D?) so I have a soymilk (Omega-3) smoothie in the afternoons. One banana is two fruits, so that with 1 1/4 cup strawberries and blueberries makes a great snack. I take a fruit and a veggie with me for lunch. I get my protein from my lunch and dinner, but I have to admit that it is hard to get that in. So are 9 grains. Peanut butter (low fat, too) toast is good for that. Another big switch was all ground beef is now ground turkey.

It sounds really easy, but there are a lot of foods I just don't eat and therefore they weren't such an issue. I cut down on my soda to 4 cans a month or less. I drink a lot more water and less juices (those I try for 100% juice so it's a fruit and with breakfast). I don't like mayonnaise or sour cream or cream cheese or any of those heavy on the fat cream foods. I use low fat mayo on my sandwiches for lunch. I never was a pork kind of gal so bacon, sausage, and other fat filled meats are out. My only horror has been the lack of milk chocolate goodies, hence my interest in dark chocolate over the last several months.

Because the awesome hubby cooks the dinner, the whole family has had to change their diet. Now if the awesome hubby would cut out the take out at his lunch time...

One of many BMI calculators here.