The more you eat, the less flavor; the less you eat, the more flavor.
-- Chinese proverb
We've now entered week three of our Diabetes Weight Loss: Week by Week routine. So far, so good.
A few days before I started, I got apprehensive and a bit nervous. I hadn't even shopped for all the good food I was going to buy because it was still a few days before payday.
I fretted about recipes, creativity with food, exercise and the strength to muddle through. And I prayed.
It has gone rather smoothly overall, but it is still early in the game.
I have managed to write down what I eat every day, but I haven't weighed or stressed over losing pounds yet. But part of the reason I haven't weighed is because the battery in my electric scale is dead. I'm working on that.
I returned to swimming, and I still have a little stiffness afterward. But I know that will get better, too.
As for my eating, I'm working on a balanced diet. I'm reining in my carbs. It's way too easy to grab crackers, chips or other snacks that tend to spike my blood sugar.
And all of it takes planning. What is it they say? "If you fail to plan you plan to fail." I'd say that is true, especially in starting a new eating routine.
I find that if I plan what I want to take to work the next day, then get it together and put it in a bag in the fridge, it's easier. And I'll have what I need to keep myself away from the snacks in the break room machine.
I have also been more diligent about checking my blood glucose levels. They're not down as far as I'd like, but they are better. And that's the important thing.
Week 3
In this week the Diabetes Weight Loss author, registered dietitian Jill Weisenberger, wants us to work on always eating breakfast.
Her suggestions include foods like boiled eggs, meal replacement bars, instant oatmeal or last night's leftovers. It does not have to be traditional breakfast food, just filling and nutritious.
If your problem is portion size, the author recommends using a smaller dish. Imagine having ice cream and two bowls, one small and one large. The chances that we'll put just one small scoop in the big bowl are slim, so by controlling the dish, we control the portion.
Try a plate no bigger than 9 inches, 1-cup bowls for cereal, a half-cup dish for ice cream and a 1-ounce shot glass for snacks like jelly beans or M&Ms.
And if you are tracking your food intake, reflect on it. Do you see patterns? Do you eat unhealthful foods? Do you have too many snacks?
I also like to make notes in my food diary about my blood sugar readings or the time I ate. That way I don't have to try and remember them later.
Week 4
The goal of this week is to expand on the planning skills we use to control what we eat.
Here, the author writes about eating water-rich foods to help fill the tummy and trim calories. They tend to be foods like vegetables, fruit and soups. The water content adds volume to foods.
For example, which is more filling -- 15 grapes or 15 raisins? I think we know. And the concentrated sugar in the dried fruit doesn't help the old blood glucose either.
Try starting a meal with a salad or broth-based soup. Double your nonstarchy vegetables at dinner. Or add extra vegetables to pasta, casseroles or other dishes.
And don't forget to keep consulting nutrition labels. Weisenberger gives an example of fig bars and fat-free fig bars. You'd think the fat-free version would be better, but not really. There are only 10 more calories per serving in the regular version, and the same amount of fiber, protein and fat. The regular version even has one less gram of carbohydrates.
I think I know which one I'd choose. But we will never know if we don't read the labels.
Email me at:
rboggs@arkansasonline.com
ActiveStyle on 08/31/2015