Hey, something good!

40isthenew20 said:

Tell us how you did it. Great job!

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Ok, now I get to be a smart-ass and say:

I at less calories than I burned.

But to answer the real question... I was diagnosed diabetic, much of which is apparently caused by a medication I was taking for high blood pressure (cause not diagnosed).

The best key to fixing both was "lose weight, improve physical fitness".

So, I now eat about 500 to 1000 calories a day less than I burn. I walk almost every day (not amble along, this is energetic speed), I use a stationary bike and started a mile weight lifting program.

I am a vegetarian, and I try to eat a diet with very limited refined starches and minimal sugar, and keep my blood sugar under control with meal sizes and physical activity.

I wanted to do this a year ago, but the blood pressure meds all but incapacitated me - I could not walk across the WalMart store without a rest.

After getting some what more used to them, and dropped 2 of the 4 (and I have a plan to get off the rest) I suddenly find I can sustain physical exertion.

So, I walk generally 2 or more miles a day, and try to burn at least 3500 calories a day, while generally not eating more than 1500.

I've graduated from mere walking on the flat to hill climbing on my walks. Can't wait to get off the beta blocker, so heart rate will climb and I can actually do something sustained and strenuous.

I was dx with hypertension in the ER with a peak BP of over 225 / 115

Last manual test was 122 / 78.

I'm waiting for my lab results right now to find out if I have hyperactive or at least overactive adrenals. If not, I can take 2-3 weeks and wean myself off the beta blocker (Metoprolol). If I can do that and not have a large rise in my blood pressure, it means my heart rate will finally go up and instead of getting dizzy and weak from exertion I can do something that builds muscle properly.

As it is, I cannot get my heart rate into the proper zone. I haven't tested much in a while, but now even uphill hiking doesn't get me past 110. I need to get to 140 or higher.

that_girl said:

You're awesome! And inspiring!

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Not when I look in the mirror, no. I'm still the fat balding guy.

I say that slightly in jest. I've wanted to do this for a long time (lose weight), but it's been really hard to do. Stress just kills me, and I pack on weight that falls off when I'm not stressing. Except I haven't been "not stressing" in at least 5 years.

Time... Time is the biggest thing. Business is slow, the wife's not taking my time, and so I have been taking 2 hours at minimum out of my daytime hours (and sometimes more) dealing with this. Including the extra time cooking, exercise, research, etc.

The wife hasn't seen me since I started all the exercise and the biggest size changes. I've taken a total of about 5-6 inches off my belt, and my jeans how have a fistful of loose fabric pretty much anywhere.

Type II diabetes is a problem where your body doesn't use insulin correctly. I produce it, it just doesn't work. Partly, this was caused (side effect) of the BP meds. Two of them are known to cause it in some people. One I'm still on one, but since getting rid of it, I feel a million times better, now, as well. And it didn't change my hypertension any.

I would not be diagnosed as hypertensive now, at all. Not even the "pre" stage.

I do have one fear... that my high blood pressure (and with it, my high blood sugar, both are affected by stress hormones) will return when the wife gets back. Thus, my need to change the dynamics of that totally... immediately.

When I say I'm doing this to live, it's very literal.

that_girl said:

Well, I'm proud of you and I don't evne know you.

You got me off my ass to look up "gluten free vegetarianism". I was a veg-head for about 10 years before I went back to meat. I can't have wheat ...or soy...so it's frustrating to think about what I could eat.

But, I read how YOU did it, and I'm now reading through some online blogs of being a gluten free veg-head.

Thanks!

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You can do it. My wife is allergic to wheat, I am allergic to most soy proteins, even soybean oil tears up my gut.

But I can eat tofu. Trying to learn what to do to it to make it palatable. It's a good protein, which I need. I used to think there was nothing you could do to it to make it edible, then I ate some at the local Thai restaurant, and changed my mind.

I found some grain based meat analogs that work, as well.

I'm not obeying my doctor... she said "low carb". I eat mostly carbs And I'm keeping my blood sugar under control, for the most part.

My wife was vegetarian with me for most of our marriage, but started eating meat again about 5 years ago. But now she's having kidneystones big time, and so I think she's going to try dropping the meat again. It means we'll be on the same diet, again.

that_girl said:

I cook tofu for my daughter. She's been vegetarian since birth...it's good when fried in some olive oil with garlic salt and toasted sesame seeds.

Ima do more research...but it's good to get off my butt and do something about it. I haven't been feeling too good lately when I eat meat. I'll probably still eat fish though.

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I got the firmest stuff I could find, cut it into strips, and fried it in Coconut oil (coconut oil gets burned by your body, it's a "good fat" and it's a "not greasy" one, too), at moderate temperature until it's crusted and golden and then dumped into stir-fried vegetables.

Corn, french sliced green beans, carrots, fresh minced onion, fresh sliced elephant garlic, a little cocoa powder, asian spices, some crushed peppers if you want heat, liquid aminos ( something like soy sauce, but more flavor, less salt) and bean sprouts, all stir-fried on rather high heat, toss in the fried tofu and aminos and cocoa in the last 2 minutes or less, and stir well...

You'll wonder what you thought was good about meat

You have to use some fats in this, as they are required to convey the flavors and help cook the food. You have start with the onion and garlic first, and add things in the reverse order of how long they take to reach "tender", so they all get there at once, and you're done.

You can eat a whole plateful and not get very full, and the meal's calories are very much in line with a healthy amount.