Trying to change my lifestyle

Manslick

Manslick

Road
So back in October my job ended.
I was asked to vacate the premises.
No big deal as I was expecting this to happen but it was a shocker.
Up until then I would eat an English muffin with with a cheese wedge for breakfast and a cup or two of coffee.
This was usually between 6 - 7am.
At 9am I would have a hard bread (biscotti) with a sugar smear and another coffee.
At 1130 lunch, a sandwich and a couple of sweet snacks and water thru the afternoon.
Dinner was at 530-6pm with a sweet for desert.
Usually round 8pm I'd have something sweet like cereal or some other snack.
This was every day of the week but Saturday and Sunday, which was random snacks or eating out.
After the job ended so did my daily routine.
I kept the muffin going for a while but found that as I got busy I'd skip the hard bread and sometimes lunch too.
So about 6 weeks ago I decided to quit sugar all together.
Then I started doing intermittent fasting one meal a day OMAD.
OMAD was easier than giving up sugar.
I finally had to admit I was addicted to sugar as the cravings got real bad especially as Christmas got closer.
Also alcohol carbohydrates no more. That was way easier than I expected.
Why all this? Well I am pre-diabetic.
It is really hard to eat out now as everything has sugar in it and no restaurants publish their nutritional info, well some do like McD but I only get coffee there.
So I eat at home mostly now, salads, pistachios, Jicama, some meats.
I am happy to report that I feel great.
I walked 8 miles this morning.
But it is still hard.
A lifetime of bad habits is really hard to overcome and I hope I have not done irreparable damage to my systems.

TLDR? I quit sugar and it's tough/
 
Sugar's tough. It's the carbs. Even if you stop the sweets, most everything else has carbs that convert to glucose after eaten. Beef and poultry have zero carbs. Veggies are low or no carbs. Carbs in beer convert to glucose. Distilled spirits have no carbs.

My doctor has been classifying me as pre-diabetic based on past blood work which clocked in regularly at 7.0 A1C for the previous 5 years. My last two labs came in with A1C counts of 6.0 - under the 7.0 threshold, thanks to my diet adjustments. And I still treat myself to dark chocolates regularly as well as raw honey each morning in my tea. Also at least 2 pieces of fresh fruit each day (lots of carbs there).

I'm always checking restaurants for nutrition - for sodium.. not sugar. Most have online nutrition guides. I just Google "nutrition [restaurant name]" and something pops up.

I'm glad you feel great. It's hard at first but it becomes a comfortable routine after awhile.

So.. are you working again? Out on the street? Been there..
 
If you stop carbs completely your system will change. Potatoes nothing wrong with them but they are carbs. All bread is carbs.

From what you said in first post your problems appear to be sweety snacks and a desert after dinner. These are totally unneeded food items. If you must snack then eat nuts but better if you kept to just three meals. You will soon adjust to that.
 
Woman I know, has diet controlled diabetes. She still needs sugar though in some quantity, to keep her BSL between 80-120. When her sugar gets low, its no joke.

How about moderation? Don't deprive the body of anything it needs. My favorite i talk about with her is No Nut November..Who came up with that? Its stupid. No shave November was ok, it was just a bit more hairy down there. What the hell is 'no nut' , who came up with that? Some dude that had no relations and wanted to pull one over on everybody...yup s'what I think.

These feelings come with the new year too. Start a new chapter or whatever..I say be who you are. Learn to sustain. Don't to try and be something new, stand your ground and be the man you are..Good luck either way I say.
 
Grains meaning corn, wheat, barley rice etc. Used to be a wild form of grass. These grasses have been altered over thousands of years to to produce a heavy cropping grain wielding crop that instead of being protein rich, is solely carb rich for making bread and other cereal products. In the past 50 years they have gone under even more changes so that farmers can get more than one crop per season.

So basically the food you eat has been engineered to feed the mouths of the people. A hundred years ago your diet was vegetables, bread and fatty meat. Today it is meat, carbs, sugar/carbs and vegetables.

Try a diet of vegetables and meat only.
 
YOU HAVE TO WATCH FAT FICTION! For anyone who is pre-diabetic or type 2 diabetic it is a MUST WATCH...

Congrats on the backing off from sugar n booze but you need to learn how to fuel your body and this documentary will blow your mind...ONE stinking egotistic, lying piece of crap doctor did the ultimate in lying with statistics and turned our whole world upside down in the 60's. Convincing the whole world into drinking the "animal fat" is bad for you "fool-aid". It is now so grounded in Fake Facts that even most medical doctors still regurgitate...all wrong , lies / misinformation...This will make you angry but you will have an epiphany and find a good healthy way to live..I went way to heavy on the fat and wasn't losing weight,.... The take away for me is everything in moderation is the way...I am not a 30 year old man and I don't burn the same amount of calories I burned then...consequently I have been learning how to eat smaller portions and tracking calories with a goal of trying to not go over 2000 calories a day normally... when trying to drop weight trying to stay under 1500...easy peasy...

 
I had a similar situation. I couldn't return to my main job due to a health problem. I could still work If I wanted.. gotten another job. elsewhere. but I was only 2 months from early retirement and decided to go that route. I was on SS by the end of the year.
 
I too have to watch my diet, also being pre-diabetic. By moderating my intake, and what I was eating, I lost 15kg relatively easily, and have now been hovering around 71kg for a few years. However, I am always hungry!
 
gecko zzed said:
I too have to watch my diet, also being pre-diabetic. By moderating my intake, and what I was eating, I lost 15kg relatively easily, and have now been hovering around 71kg for a few years. However, I am always hungry!
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I'm hanging in there at 77kg and I too am always hungry 🌶️🍽️ . . . I eat every 60-90 minutes, all day.
 
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spantini said:
I'm hanging in there at 77kg and I too am always hungry 🌶️🍽️ . . . I eat every 60-90 minutes, all day.
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Man I'm a fat old fart.... I was bordering on 230 lbs / 104 KG but was able to lose @ 10 KG over the last several months doing the smaller portions thing and then Covid helped drop me a few more ...but since I got the Covid even though my taste is not right I am HANGRY all the time and these Christmas candy lingerings are KILLING ME. Just weighed the other day and I had gained 3 KG, I'm back to 97 KG ...dang! Oh Well I'll get on the walking and more restricted caloric intake thing again. I'd really love to get closer to the 80 KG range. At 5' 10" I'll still have a little belly on me but at 80 KG I'll be pretty svelte for 68 year old man. Gotta have a goal and that's mine..
 
TAE said:
Man I'm a fat old fart.... I was bordering on 230 lbs / 104 KG but was able to lose @ 10 KG over the last several months doing the smaller portions thing and then Covid helped drop me a few more ...but since I got the Covid even though my taste is not right I am HANGRY all the time and these Christmas candy lingerings are KILLING ME. Just weighed the other day and I had gained 3 KG, I'm back to 97 KG ...dang! Oh Well I'll get on the walking and more restricted caloric intake thing again. I'd really love to get closer to the 80 KG range. At 5' 10" I'll still have a little belly on me but at 80 KG I'll be pretty svelte for 68 year old man. Gotta have a goal and that's mine..
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Six years ago I was 199 lbs / 90 kg @ 5' 11". I started working out at home with 1-gallon water jugs - one in each hand, as well as other flexing routines. I worked out 30 minutes every day. Also got me a trail bicycle and road that around the neighborhood for 30 minutes every other day. No dieting, just exercise for 4 months.

I dropped down to 155 lbs / 70 kg and had to buy all new clothes because all my pants kept falling off me when I walked, even with my belt cinched :laughings:

Eating very little will drop it off pretty quick if you can do it without passing out or developing health problems.

I polished off two boxes of Russell Stover Dark Chocolates over Christmas week and dropped 2 lbs.

Keep after that 80 kg target - that's not too shabby for a 68 year old guy ;)
 
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TAE said:
Oh Dang...Now I'm Hangry again! Damn you! That looks DELICIOUS!
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When we'd get together at our first home studio, I used to whip up a dozen of these for our munchies but I used Phyllo dough instead of the usual pastie dough.
 
Sugar which is most foods in tiny quantities is only ever supposed to be in your body in this way. Refined neat and concentrated sugar your body cant cope with.

I think the formula for processed and fast food which makes it addictive is fat, salt, and sugar. You find that mix in everything that is bad for you. Adding sugar is the key. The cheapest fat is refined vegetable oil and lots of it because its cheap. So fry everything in it and then add more. Salt obviously. But then find someway to add sugar and it is a winner.
 
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Orson said:
Sugar which is most foods in tiny quantities is only ever supposed to be in your body in this way. Refined neat and concentrated sugar your body cant cope with.

I think the formula for processed and fast food which makes it addictive is fat, salt, and sugar. You find that mix in everything that is bad for you. Adding sugar is the key. The cheapest fat is refined vegetable oil and lots of it because its cheap. So fry everything in it and then add more. Salt obviously. But then find someway to add sugar and it is a winner.
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Hmmm Deep Fried Twinkies! Yeah that's the ticket! To the Mortuary :laughings:
 
spantini said:
Six years ago I was 199 lbs / 90 kg @ 5' 11". I started working out at home with 1-gallon water jugs - one in each hand, as well as other flexing routines. I worked out 30 minutes every day. Also got me a trail bicycle and road that around the neighborhood for 30 minutes every other day. No dieting, just exercise for 4 months.

I dropped down to 155 lbs / 70 kg and had to buy all new clothes because all my pants kept falling off me when I walked, even with my belt cinched :laughings:

Eating very little will drop it off pretty quick if you can do it without passing out or developing health problems.

I polished off two boxes of Russell Stover Dark Chocolates over Christmas week and dropped 2 lbs.

Keep after that 80 kg target - that's not too shabby for a 68 year old guy ;)
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I've always exercised throughout my life...running and mountain biking were my go to's ..Now I try and walk about a 1/2 hour every day but after doing this remodel and getting really physical I did realize though I have a really strong back and a weak mind ;) , at 68 sitting at a computer most of the time I have lost a lot of my strength. Your water jug weights was a great idea. I have dumb bell weights sitting around out in the garage that I really need to start picking up again. Circa 1970 there was an assistant football coach that set up a weight gym in his garage. I did not play football but several of my friends did and we'd all go over to "Tim's Gym" and work out. It was fortunate and I got pretty built up. It set me up for my stint as a tile setter lifting 94 pound bags of cement and tearing out tons of old tile and cement. Good times but that ship sailed 20 years ago even then I was already getting a little "portly". 20 years in sales and the pounds packed on...I'm heading back down and plan on heading into the sunset as a thinner guy than I am today. Congrats on getting yourself down to a respectable healthy weight!
 
TAE said:
... and I got pretty built up. It set me up for my stint as a tile setter lifting 94 pound bags of cement and tearing out tons of old tile and cement. Good times but that ship sailed 20 years ago even then I was already getting a little "portly".
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I used to work the other end of the houses.. the roofs. Hauling 80 lb bundles of shingles on my shoulder up a 50 ft ladder. That kept me in shape at the age of 19.
 
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