OT: So grateful for these lists

[Guest guest]

> I've lost about 75 pounds but that puts me at about 222

> pounds.

 

When I was 296 people were aghast when I told them my long term goal

weight was 220. It's the weight I spent most of my adult life at and

felt the best at. I made it down to 250 by starving myself, and my body

naturally crept back to between 270 - 280 while eating an average of

1400 - 1600 calories. I'll probably never see 220 again thanks to age

and hormones, but at least eating low-fat vegan I have good lab work and

blood pressure.

 

 

 

Sue in NJ

[Guest guest]

On 4/17/08, Sue in NJ <sue_in_nj wrote:

>

> When I was 296 people were aghast when I told them my long term goal

> weight was 220. It's the weight I spent most of my adult life at and

> felt the best at.

 

I spent my adult life at 170 until I became pregnant. I had

gestational diabetes and my baby died (weighing 10 pounds, 12 ounces,

due to the diabetes.) I have not felt healthy since that time. My

body does not want the extra weight and I am glad that my low-fat

vegan diet is making the extra weight go away. But I do not judge what

other people's bodies do because I know that we are physical

individuals.

 

The BMI charts say I'm supposed to weigh in the 140s, but that is not

my goal. My goal is to get rid of this pad of abdominal fat that is

feeding my diabetes and get down to a weight that allows my feet to

heal from the rather massive injuries they have sustained from

carrying more weight than they were designed to carry. (I am not

exaggerating by calling the injuries massive. There have been many

days when I could not walk so far as from the bed to the bathroom and

had to crawl.)

 

Whatever number the scale says when my body reaches that healthy point

is fine with me. My goal is not a number.

 

Sparrow

[Guest guest]

Sparrow R Jones wrote:

> On 4/17/08, Sue in NJ <sue_in_nj wrote:

> > When I was 296 people were aghast when I told them my long term

> > goal weight was 220. It's the weight I spent most of my adult life

> > at and felt the best at.

>

> I spent my adult life at 170 until I became pregnant. I had

> gestational diabetes and my baby died (weighing 10 pounds, 12 ounces,

> due to the diabetes.)

 

Oh, Sparrow, I'm so sorry for your loss!

 

> Whatever number the scale says when my body reaches that healthy

> point is fine with me. My goal is not a number.

 

Sounds great. *hugs* if you want them.

 

Serene

[Guest guest]

Sparrow wrote:

> > Whatever number the scale says when my body reaches that healthy

> > point is fine with me. My goal is not a number.

 

Serene wrote:

> Sounds great. *hugs* if you want them.

 

aww, thanks! Hugs are a good thing. :-)

 

(And cole slaw is also a good thing. And I'm eating a big, yummy cole

slaw right now. Half a cabbage, grated (in the food processor), a

couple of carrots, grated, half a purple onion, minced, lots of

low-fat tofu mayo. Yeah, it would probably be better with sweetener,

but it's good enough for me to not want to bother getting up to

sweeten it.)

 

Hugs to you, too.

 

Sparrow

[Guest guest]

Sparrow R Jones wrote:

 

> (And cole slaw is also a good thing. And I'm eating a big, yummy cole

> slaw right now. Half a cabbage, grated (in the food processor), a

> couple of carrots, grated, half a purple onion, minced, lots of

> low-fat tofu mayo. Yeah, it would probably be better with sweetener,

> but it's good enough for me to not want to bother getting up to

> sweeten it.)

 

 

Sounds yummy! I'm avoiding added sugar these days (not completely

omitting it, just avoiding), and things are starting to taste really

sweet on their own. Of course, this always happens when I cut out fat.

My tastebuds get really sweet-sensitive.

 

Just about to fix dinner, which will be seitan and veggies (onions,

purple asparagus, maybe some carrots and/or spinach) with Thai sweet

chili sauce (speaking of sugar) and brown rice.

 

Serene

[Guest guest]

On 4/17/08, Serene <serene-lists wrote:

>

> Sounds yummy! I'm avoiding added sugar these days (not completely

> omitting it, just avoiding), and things are starting to taste really

> sweet on their own. Of course, this always happens when I cut out fat.

> My tastebuds get really sweet-sensitive.

 

I wouldn't even have thought about sweetener except that I used to

love KFC's cole slaw and it's super-sweet, kind of more like a dessert

than a salad! It's sort of what I first think of when I think cole

slaw, unfortunately. (Unfortunately, because KFC slaw is possibly the

least inspired slaw in existence.) If I had put sweetener in it, it

would have been a little touch of stevia. But, really, this slaw

doesn't need sweetener at all.

 

> Just about to fix dinner, which will be seitan and veggies (onions,

> purple asparagus, maybe some carrots and/or spinach) with Thai sweet

> chili sauce (speaking of sugar) and brown rice.

 

mmm. I've never heard of Thai sweet chili sauce before, but it sounds

like something really tasty!

 

Sparrow

[Guest guest]

Sparrow R Jones wrote:

> On 4/17/08, Serene <serene-lists wrote:

> > Sounds yummy! I'm avoiding added sugar these days (not completely

> > omitting it, just avoiding), and things are starting to taste

> > really sweet on their own. Of course, this always happens when I

> > cut out fat. My tastebuds get really sweet-sensitive.

>

> I wouldn't even have thought about sweetener except that I used to

> love KFC's cole slaw and it's super-sweet, kind of more like a

> dessert than a salad!

 

I totally love that stuff, and I make a good facsimile when I'm eating

fat, with Vegenaise.

 

> It's sort of what I first think of when I think

> cole slaw, unfortunately. (Unfortunately, because KFC slaw is

> possibly the least inspired slaw in existence.)

 

No, I'm with you. That's my standard cole slaw. Probably because I grew

up on it -- my mom is half-Italian and half-Jewish, and she never made

cole slaw at home; we mostly ate either meat-and-potatoes, or Italian or

Jewish foods.

 

> > Just about to fix dinner, which will be seitan and veggies (onions,

> > purple asparagus, maybe some carrots and/or spinach) with Thai

> > sweet chili sauce (speaking of sugar) and brown rice.

>

> mmm. I've never heard of Thai sweet chili sauce before, but it sounds

> like something really tasty!

 

 

Oh, it's so good. There's salt and sugar in it, but it's like a slightly

spicy sweet-and-sour sauce. The best brand, in my opinion, is Mae Ploy.

 

Serene

[Guest guest]

>When you eliminate processed food and eat whole food

> plant based your body will return to your natural genetic weight.

 

Been there, done that, got the size 3X t-shirt.

 

Eating the way Dr. McDougall dictates in his Maximum Weight Loss

program - as you described - I did lose weight, about half the weight I

had recently *gained* when I was unable to exercise because of foot and

neck injuries. But within a few months the weight loss stopped and I

started to immediately regain, all the time decreasing the amount of

starches (rice, potatoes, beans - nothing processed) and reducing the

calories to as low as 800 a day. When I gave up on such severe calorie

restrictions I went up a few more pounds, and for the past 7 years have

been at this current weight, +/- a 10 pound range to allow for various

states of hydration and water retention.

 

My " genetic " weight, as you call it (others call it the setpoint) seems

to lie at 130 pounds above what the BMI charts would like it to be.

 

 

I am now

> at my high school weight

 

Hey! Me, too! Oh, I lied. I'm about 15 pounds more than I was when I

graduated high school back in 1971. But as a menopausal woman who has

been a chronic dieter since birth and has been diagnosed as hypothyroid,

to be even that close to the weight I was 30+ years ago is a miracle.

 

Men, having more muscle than fat and therefore naturally higher

metabolisms and none of the hormonal issues like women do, always lose

weight faster and easier.

 

 

Sue in NJ

[Guest guest]

Sue in NJ wrote:

 

 

When you eliminate processed food and eat whole food

plant based your body will return to your natural genetic weight.

 

 

 

Been there, done that, got the size 3X t-shirt.

Eating the way Dr. McDougall dictates in his Maximum Weight Loss

program - as you described - I did lose weight, about half the weight I

had recently *gained* when I was unable to exercise because of foot and

neck injuries. But within a few months the weight loss stopped and I

started to immediately regain, all the time decreasing the amount of

starches (rice, potatoes, beans - nothing processed) and reducing the

calories to as low as 800 a day. When I gave up on such severe calorie

restrictions I went up a few more pounds, and for the past 7 years have

been at this current weight, +/- a 10 pound range to allow for various

states of hydration and water retention.

 

 

Hi Sue,

You do know, eating below 10 times your ideal weight in calories will cause your metabolism to slow down more? If your ideal weight is, for example, 120, you must eat at least 1200 calories or your metabolism will shut down and you will gain even eating less food.

Take care,

Aly

[Guest guest]

On 4/18/08, Alyza <alyzas wrote:

>

> You do know, eating below 10 times your ideal weight in

> calories will cause your metabolism to slow down more?

> If your ideal weight is, for example, 120, you must eat at

> least 1200 calories or your metabolism will shut down and

> you will gain even eating less food.

 

In Sue's case (and many, many women's case) the advice is probably too

late as the damage has been done. Sue described herself (my apologies

for speaking about you in the third person while you're present, Sue!)

as someone who had been a lifelong, chronic dieter, virtually since

birth. There is a strong chance that all the dieting damaged her

metabolism to the point where the " normal rules " will no longer apply

to her body. With all the metabolic issues Sue is facing at this point

in her life, the rule book practically goes out the window and it is

down to trial-and-error to discover what rules Sue's body lives by

now.

 

This is the damage of our culture with its stress on bodily perfection

and its approval of drastic dieting for young girls and its warped

body perceptions that lead healthy young girls to feel they are

monstrously fat and must torture themselves with ultra low calorie

diets. Our society needs to wake up to the huge damage these sort of

social attitudes and beliefs have on our people! From my reading, I

believe that there is even a strong chance that the lifetime of

dieting is what led to hypothyroidism as well (even if there is a

family predisposition for it. Just like my diabetes, one can carry the

genes for an illness but those genes only get " switched on " if the

person carrying them practices a lifestyle that activates the

problems.)

 

Where rules like not going below 1200 calories per day really need to

be stressed is among our youth who are just beginning the lifelong

treadmill of dieting that will, in most cases, lead them to an unhappy

end, metabolically speaking. Even better if we could spark the

revolution in attitude that will lead to a society where

eight-year-old girls no longer feel the burning desire to count

calories and damage their bodies to try to achieve unattainable

ideals.

 

(Sorry about my soapbox.)

 

Sparrow

[Guest guest]

Sparrow R Jones wrote:

 

> This is the damage of our culture with its stress on bodily

> perfection and its approval of drastic dieting for young girls and

> its warped body perceptions that lead healthy young girls to feel

> they are monstrously fat and must torture themselves with ultra low

> calorie diets. Our society needs to wake up to the huge damage these

> sort of social attitudes and beliefs have on our people!

 

I think I love you. :-)

 

Serene

[Guest guest]

On 4/18/08, Serene <serene-lists wrote:

>

> I think I love you. :-)

 

Does that mean I get another one of those great hugs? :-)

 

Sparrow

[Guest guest]

Well said.

 

Kim

 

-

Sparrow R Jones

Friday, April 18, 2008 11:32 AM

Re: OT: So grateful for these lists

 

 

On 4/18/08, Alyza <alyzas (AT) earthlink (DOT) net> wrote:>> You do know, eating below 10 times your ideal weight in> calories will cause your metabolism to slow down more?> If your ideal weight is, for example, 120, you must eat at> least 1200 calories or your metabolism will shut down and> you will gain even eating less food.In Sue's case (and many, many women's case) the advice is probably toolate as the damage has been done. Sue described herself (my apologiesfor speaking about you in the third person while you're present, Sue!)as someone who had been a lifelong, chronic dieter, virtually sincebirth. There is a strong chance that all the dieting damaged hermetabolism to the point where the "normal rules" will no longer applyto her body. With all the metabolic issues Sue is facing at this pointin her life, the rule book practically goes out the window and it isdown to trial-and-error to discover what rules Sue's body lives bynow.This is the damage of our culture with its stress on bodily perfectionand its approval of drastic dieting for young girls and its warpedbody perceptions that lead healthy young girls to feel they aremonstrously fat and must torture themselves with ultra low caloriediets. Our society needs to wake up to the huge damage these sort ofsocial attitudes and beliefs have on our people! From my reading, Ibelieve that there is even a strong chance that the lifetime ofdieting is what led to hypothyroidism as well (even if there is afamily predisposition for it. Just like my diabetes, one can carry thegenes for an illness but those genes only get "switched on" if theperson carrying them practices a lifestyle that activates theproblems.)Where rules like not going below 1200 calories per day really need tobe stressed is among our youth who are just beginning the lifelongtreadmill of dieting that will, in most cases, lead them to an unhappyend, metabolically speaking. Even better if we could spark therevolution in attitude that will lead to a society whereeight-year-old girls no longer feel the burning desire to countcalories and damage their bodies to try to achieve unattainableideals.(Sorry about my soapbox.)Sparrow

[Guest guest]

> You do know, eating below 10 times your ideal weight in calories will

cause your metabolism to slow down more?

 

Yep. That's why I stopped that little experiment.

 

I've been on restricted calorie diets *literally* since birth, when the

doctors had the nursery nurses water down my formula because I gained

weight in my first 24 hours of life. As long as I could remember my mom

had me on 1000 calorie diets and all my years growing up I wasn't even

allowed a piece of my own birthday cakes. I could blow out the candles

and watch my brothers eat my cake, but that was it. As an adult I was

frequently on 1200 calorie diets (all of them doctor prescribed), and

sometimes they were accompanied by various diet pills, including a few

years on amphetamines.

 

Yeah, you can say my metabolism is as slow as a sponge after all that.

 

 

 

Sue in NJ

[Guest guest]

> Sue described herself (my apologies

> for speaking about you in the third person while you're present, Sue!)

 

No problem at all!

 

 

> as someone who had been a lifelong, chronic dieter, virtually since

> birth.

 

Literally, not virtually.

 

 

 

>the rule book practically goes out the window and it is

> down to trial-and-error to discover what rules Sue's body lives by

> now.

 

I maintain at 1200 - 1400 calories, lose only at 1000 or below. Who can

live like *that* for their entire life??

 

 

> Where rules like not going below 1200 calories per day really need to

> be stressed is among our youth

 

Especially when you consider the World Health Organization, when

formulating food plans for starving countries, calls anything under

1400 - 1600 calories starvation levels and intolerable from the

humanitarian point of view.

 

 

 

> (Sorry about my soapbox.)

 

I, for one, and glad to see so many HAES - Health At Every Size -

discussions here!

 

 

Sue in NJ

[Guest guest]

> Does that mean I get another one of those great hugs? :-)

 

 

(((((((((( Sparrow ))))))))))

 

Here's one from me, too.

 

 

 

Sue in NJ

[Guest guest]

Sue in NJ wrote:

>[sparrow wrote:]

> > Does that mean I get another one of those great hugs? :-)

 

Yes!

 

>

>

> (((((((((( Sparrow ))))))))))

>

> Here's one from me, too.

>

>

 

Yay, group hug! :-)

 

Serene, hugging all y'all