Anyone ever made a lifestyle change re: food?

[vettechick99]

DH and I are on restricted diets as per our doctors. Mine is low-fat due to my late gall bladder (may Chester rest in peace) and DH's is low-sodium due to his high blood pressure. This change is not temporary - we basically have to eat like this the rest of our lives.

A nutritionist put me on a regimented 1,400 calories of veggies, fruits and proteins with just enough yummy breads and fats to piss me off. I love fruit and cereal/breads, so I'm there. My problem is that I am running out of non-boring veggies and meats. I like chicken and steak, crab legs and lobster. Eggs are ok. Not that crazy about fish, especially smelly kinds. I do like tuna and tuna salad but have to watch my mayo intake. My body can't handle peanut butter (even the reduced fat kind) or any fatty meat. So basically I'm running out of proteins.

We are going on a month of low everything, fresh everything and we are about to die of boring food. We've eaten more chicken and frozen veggies than two people should have to and if I eat one more freakin' carrot stick I'll turn into one.

So please tell me how you made the lifestyle change and survived. I mean how will I booze and grub this spring? And any really great recipes are appreciated!!

 

[happygirl]

I'm curious I had my gallbladder removed my dr didn't put me on a diet for it

 

[LindaR]

I had my gallbladder removed 2 years ago. My doctor also told me to eat a low fat diet for the rest of my life. I was having severe....ummmm...digestive problems...if I ate high fat stuff like even a teaspoonful of mayo.

For me (and I don't know if this applies to anyone else) as time passed, the digestive issues settled down quite a bit. I thought I'd die having to give up mexican food!

I eat alot of salmon. When I have steak, it is only filet mignon (the leanest cut of beef). I eat Boca burgers.

There is PLENTY of things out there to eat that are low fat. You just need to learn what they are and find the things you like.

 

[LindaR]

I would also suggest maybe doing a little research into the things that Weight Watchers suggests. NOT because you need to lose weight, but because their program is very healthy, very low fat and has alot of flavor.

There are plenty of spices to use to make food taste "salty" without actually using sodium. When I was pregnant 20 years ago....I developed a severe "dislike" of salt. I could smell salt! I quit using salt in my cooking and never put it on my food (when I treat myself to some french fries, I ask for fries without salt....they taste like potatoes!!!).

These "diets" are both still new to you and the honeymoon phase is over! You WILL get used to the changes. I hope you do more research before you get frustrated and go back to your previous menu choices.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I have Celiac's disease, high cholesterol, lactose intolerance, and don't have a gallbladder. I can't eat gluten (wheat, rye, oat, barley) and need to watch my fat intake for cholesterol and gallbladder reasons. However, because of my celiac's disease my body also badly needs that fat to maintain everything so my doctor encourages me to eat certain amounts of fat even if it makes me sick because my body needs it to function. I also need to take in certain amounts of dairy to add calcium to my diet so I eat yogurt and cheese. Even with a gluten free diet i still have stomach problems because of my celiacs disease but my doctor and i decided slight discomfort was better than malnutrition.
Changing your diet for the rest of your life is a hard thing to do but if your doctor deems it necessary you have to follow it. .

 

[momto2girls]

Why did your doctor say that you need to be on a low fat diet forever? I had my gall bladder taken out a few years ago and my doctor said that I should watch my diet for a bit, but then I could work my way back to eating normally. I eat pretty much anything now.

 

[Loverly]

I love combining spinach , mushrooms and artichokes-whether on a pizza-or mixed with a bit of rice or pasts.

Also I have become a big fan of GRILLED fish=usually Trout, redfish, group or mahi mahi.

 

[helenabear]

I did it on my own for my own health. I went on a calorie based diet of 1200 at first and then made it around 1500 when I wanted to maintain. It was hard, but with a great support (my DH) I made it. After a few weeks it stopped becoming work.

I do a lot of cooking from scratch and my favorite is using my Foreman grill for chicken and steaks. I have a bunch of different spices and rubs from Penzey's (look them up online if you haven't heard of them) and that helps me have a different taste even if I had chicken every single night.

Not using any boxed foods, soups for sauces, or anything highly processed has really helped. Reading ingredients on everything was eye opening. I even started making my own bread to help eliminate other crap in my diet.

Good luck to you both with it!!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Buy a fish griller deal, they have them at Garden Ridge right now.

Second, here is a tip I will share, it is what my parent's friend's wife said about getting rid of the "fish taste".
Soak the fish in milk for awhile before cooking. I have not done it....yet.

As far as protein....go to the beans, lentils, tofu, sushi. I was on a great site that listed the grams of protein in stuff.

I have not totally made the leap....remember this is a process. Don't beat yourself up and do what you are able to handle.

That is all I do.

Right now I am up to eating beans, sushi, & grilled fish. I have not explore the wonderful of soybeans & lentils but that is next on the list.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Big diet change here. We are completely dairy free. No eggs, milk, cheese, cheese products, casein, milk proteins etc. I read the labels on every single thing and if I can't understand what's in it we don't buy it. We pretty much eat whole foods. Very little processed stuff. It is an adjustment and I am relearning how to cook. Pork is a lean meat. You can make that with apples and cinnamon and it tastes so good! I basically try to keep tons of fresh fruits and veggies in the house. I like hummus as a dip and it comes in flavors that are good. Black beans and brown rice that I make with saffron, fresh garlic and onion and a spoonful of oil are also good. Tonight I made chicken soup with whole wheat pasta. Dill gives it a sweet delicious taste and I put a bunch of veggies in it. Sweet potatoes are a nice side dish and don't need anything on them. You just have to be a little creative and it won't be so bad. Good luck!

 

[vettechick99]

I'm curious I had my gallbladder removed my dr didn't put me on a diet for it

Why did your doctor say that you need to be on a low fat diet forever? I had my gall bladder taken out a few years ago and my doctor said that I should watch my diet for a bit, but then I could work my way back to eating normally. I eat pretty much anything now.

My surgeon actually said I could eat anything I wanted the day after surgery. "Tie one on" was the exact phrase. I get nauseous if I have more than a few grams of fat at once. If I have too much I'll vomit or it'll come out the other way. Yeah, fun times over here!

One day I may be able to eat whatever I want, but that is a long time from now. I may as well get used to eating healthy - we'll be better for it in the long-run. So they say....

I would also suggest maybe doing a little research into the things that Weight Watchers suggests. NOT because you need to lose weight, but because their program is very healthy, very low fat and has alot of flavor.

There are plenty of spices to use to make food taste "salty" without actually using sodium. When I was pregnant 20 years ago....I developed a severe "dislike" of salt. I could smell salt! I quit using salt in my cooking and never put it on my food (when I treat myself to some french fries, I ask for fries without salt....they taste like potatoes!!!).

These "diets" are both still new to you and the honeymoon phase is over! You WILL get used to the changes. I hope you do more research before you get frustrated and go back to your previous menu choices.

Thanks for the WW tip. I definitely need some good recipes and that's probably a good resource. And frustration will get me nowhere. If I go back to my old habits I'll quickly pay for them.

Not using any boxed foods, soups for sauces, or anything highly processed has really helped. Reading ingredients on everything was eye opening. I even started making my own bread to help eliminate other crap in my diet.

I had no idea how much sodium we were both eating til we started reading the labels. I bet DH was consuming at least 5k a day - me less since I don't like a lot of the junk he does. But it really is eye opening!

Thanks for the reminders of hummus and sushi. Yum!

 

[mtemm]

cooking light magazine (and website) is an awesome resource. I have yet to try a bad recipe from there. you should be able to find some really yummy options that will help spice things up.

 

[momto2girls]

My surgeon actually said I could eat anything I wanted the day after surgery. "Tie one on" was the exact phrase. I get nauseous if I have more than a few grams of fat at once. If I have too much I'll vomit or it'll come out the other way. Yeah, fun times over here!

One day I may be able to eat whatever I want, but that is a long time from now. I may as well get used to eating healthy - we'll be better for it in the long-run. So they say....



Thanks for the WW tip. I definitely need some good recipes and that's probably a good resource. And frustration will get me nowhere. If I go back to my old habits I'll quickly pay for them.




I had no idea how much sodium we were both eating til we started reading the labels. I bet DH was consuming at least 5k a day - me less since I don't like a lot of the junk he does. But it really is eye opening!

Thanks for the reminders of hummus and sushi. Yum!

Oh, I see. Bummer! I hope that you'll be able to eat regularly again some day. I honestly don't think I'd be able to live on a restrictive diet long-term. I'm one of those people that only thinks that life isn't worth living unless good food is involved.

 

[vettechick99]

I'm one of those people that only thinks that life isn't worth living unless good food is involved.

I totally agree! It's gonna be a hard transition but I hope after a while it will seem like no big deal. The good thing is that we have a one-year old who is now going to see healthy eating habits (I guess my days of feeding her squash while I'm scarfing a pizza down are over )

mtemm, thanks for the tip! I'll go there now.

 

[mmcguire]

DH and I have gone almost vegan for our health. He has really high cholesterol and didn't want to go on meds. I need to lose about 60 lbs. We eat no meat, dairy, eggs, or other animal-derived products. We try to follow the guidelines found in in Eat To Live and The China Study.

I've enjoyed this way of eating more than Weight Watchers or other "diets" because we try so many different varieties of beans, fruits, grains and veggies.

 

[Forevryoung]

Honestly, your nutritionist can/should provide you with recipes and ideas.

My mom is a dietician and she has a million ideas. I'll show her the post and PM you with suggestions. I can scan and email recipes if you want as well.

PM me if I forget

 

[NHdisneylover]

Find the DASH diet book and cookbook. The diet was developed by the AHA for people with high blood pressure. It focuses on low sodium and low fat and lots of fruit/veggies and calcium so it should be good for you and your DH and it does have many good recipes.

For tuna of chicken salad I use plain, low fat yogurt instead of mayo. Very yummy. I make a "sweet" chicken salad with chicken breast, pineapple tidbits, green grape halves, plain yogurt and serve it in whole wheat pitas. It is very popular when we have summer get togethers and really healthy.

Ideas for Veggies:

Roasted Roots (small pieces of: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic toossed with olive oil and roasted at 425 for about 45 minutes)

Snap peas sauteed with a bit of fresh ginger

Steamed fresh spianch on top of toasted cous cous

Shred carrots and zuchini and onion and mix them into sloppy joes (use half veggies and half meat in place of what was all meat)

low fat pumpkin pie and/or muffins (pumpkin is really healthy). Pumpkin or squash soup is good too.

Stuff tomatoes with tuna salad (instead of putting it into bread for sandwhiches)

 

[Pakey]

I went lowfat about 18 months ago on doctor's instructions. I'm allowed 2 whole ounces of pork or red meat per week. woopee. DH decided to go along with me on this lifestyle change to make it easier and we are now fine with it. Of course, my fear of having to go through chemotherapy again keeps me from really caring about what foods I have given up.

We did buy a weight watcher's cookbook with nutritional info provided on recipes and we have found many many items in there that we absolutely love. I replaced ice cream with low fat yogurt, fast food for lunch was replaced with lean cuisine spa lunches with whole grains and dinners are from the weight watcher regimen. For snacks I like fresh fruit or snap peas.

The only time it's really hard now is when we eat out.

 

[Imzadi]

You make low-fat & low sodium sound like a death sentence! That is how everyone should be eating all the time - well, okay, most of the time.

Try stir-frying your meat & veggies. You can really change it up with different sauces & spices. Look at a Chinese menu. Pretty much the same basic ingredients, but made in different ways.

Lamb stew or beef stew. Alternately, learn to braise meats with different spices that become the sauce for the veggies. Braising is pretty much the same as stewing meats, just less liquid is used. People must have some lowfat crockpot, pulled pork/beef recipes.

Can you do low-fat cheeses? How about pasta sauces with fresh veggies & low-fat cheese? You can make a great Alfredo sauce with low-fat evaporated milk & Parmesan cheese. Or skip the cheese & do a pasta primavera with just olive oil, garlic & sauteed veggies.

Winter is a perfect time to make a variety of hearty vegetable soups. Changing up the spices & the broth base makes for different flavors. Pumpkin soup is good at this time of year.

Jessica Seinfeld wrote The Sneaky Chef, which is a great way to sneak in more veggies. (Less to eat them the way you have been.)

I agree with whoever said roasted vegetables. Roasted peppers, tomato, onions & eggplant are great. They take on a completely different taste when they are charred.

There is also chicken and beef satay.

Homemade hummus - mashed chick peas. I make my own low garlic version that is high on the cumin & chili powder that's yummy.


Oh, and do invest in a George Foreman grill. The grease just drips off the meats. The secret is in marinating the meats for about 10 -30 minutes to overnite. You can get all sorts of different flavors to meats by marinating.

I ake ground turkey burgers by add in a big dollop of salad dressing for each burger, like Italian one nite, or Low-fat blue cheese another nite, toss in a baggie & marnate for 30 minutes. Add some black pepper & toss on the GF grill for fantastic tasting turkey burgers. No more boring turkey!

You can still have pizza. Try one made on whole wheat pita bread. It crisps up great as a crust. Since the crust is so thin, you need less tomato sauce & less low-fat cheese. Or substitute out the mozzerella cheese with low-fat ricotta cheese. That's the cheese that is used on an all white pizza. Add more veggies or fresh basil leaves. This way you can still have your pizza craving, in a more moderate proportion.

 

[Rachie0507]

Not using any boxed foods, soups for sauces, or anything highly processed has really helped. Reading ingredients on everything was eye opening. I even started making my own bread to help eliminate other crap in my diet.

I agree completely!! I heard once on a cooking show that when you grocery shop, you should only shop along the perimeter of the store--which is usually produce, deli, meat, dairy, bakery. The "stuff" in the middle in boxes is isn't really necessary. I find that I am doing that more and more.

I am on a restricted diet due to Gestational Diabetes. I was diagnosed in my first trimester so I am sticking to the diet strickly so I (hopefully) don't need insulin later on. It has been about a month since I started on the diet and I'm trying to not to get bored on the diet but it is hard. I'm hoping that in another month this will be my lifestyle, not a "diet" so it is easier to continue after the pregnancy. I'm at higher risk for Type 2 Diabetes now and that scares the crap out of me.

My DH LOVES to grill I've been giving him "assignments" such as scallops, a good steak, or chicken and telling him to come up with something (he's had to come up with homemade marinades and rubs because most of the premade ones are high in sodium and/or carbs). It's been working out great! The veggies are getting old but I kind of feel like I don't have a choice.

Also, a visit with a nutritionist might be helpful. She didn't give me many specific ideas about what to eat, but did tell me what food combinations to eat together to be satisfied. I didn't think much about it until the first time I didn't eat enough protein with my breakfast. I ended up starving for the rest of the day and having to many carb servings...and then feeling gross. Now I stay on top of my food choices and make sure I have the right combinations of foods. It makes a huge difference