[knit1purl2lose3]

Leeney, on 05 August 2011 - 01:33 AM, said:

Do you have any experience with chiropractors? The one I see is very knowledgeable about nutrition and has helped me a lot. MD's probably have about 3 weeks training in nutrition, so unless they take it upon themselves to learn about it, and some do, they know about as much as the average lay person. It's a shame because in most ancient civilizations, and in some places today, food was medicine.

The chiropractors I've gone to make me hurt far more. They want to touch me in all the places where it hurts, which isn't helpful to me, so I stopped going. All the chiros I've been to, across several states, have all advocated vegetarianism, and a lot of supplements, which I already take. But that's all they've done with nutrition with me. Their advice is always to lose weight and eat vegetarian, but nothing really helpful beyond that.

I firmly believe in the directive, "Let thy food be medicine, and thy medicine be food"! It's so sad this has been dropped completely in med school education! In fact, low sodium was really big in the 80's and 90's, but now to find a restaurant that offers a low sodium meal? Impossible! Low sodium has gone SO out of vogue, and my belief it is because of 2 factors: (1) cheap drugs that Big Pharma WANTS everyone to depend on for "health" and (2) the fact that a low sodium diet takes a lot of effort to follow whereas popping a pill is easy.

Just yesterday I was able to say to my doc, in response to her saying there was no need to re check my cholesterol since it wasn't treatable (i.e. I can't/won't take statins), that I wanted to recheck it to see if my dietary changes are making a difference. I even said, "Popping a pill is easy; this diet is very hard. But in the long run, it's worth the effort, because one med always requires another med, and then they all have side effects. I believe I can do this without drugs and through diet." She then said that we can recheck the cholesterol when we do my A1c. I am hoping she's in for one HUGE surprise! I've even ordered an extra copy of the RD Solution book I can give to her at my next face to face appointment. She probably won't read it, but I can at least offer her the material.

I wish there were some packet of info made specifically for primary care docs so they could know this is a tried and trusted research-based eating plan that WILL and DOES make a HUGE impact on health! That's the one thing I think is missing from all of the RD books, a chapter written specifically to the physician. Maybe someone who knows Kitty and Dr. Rosati can pass that info along to them??

Anyway, I am THRILLED about this progress, regardless of the scale!!!! It's all happening so quickly! It makes facing this eating plan a little easier every day.

And I am grateful for these forums. I can actually speak openly about the RD without everyone running amok screaming "fad diet! fad diet!" and this one I love--"you're not eating enough!" Hellllllo! What do you thin got me to this poundage? People think their metabolism will be ruined forever if they don't eat some predetermined generic amount and don't even get started on the protein myth! What they don't realize is that the range is so huge from body to body, AND the fact that metabolism will be just fine with a little movement! As far as muscle loss during weight loss, again, a little movement will help with that.

Anyway, it's nice to have a RD "home" to come to and talk about it freely where people don't think I'm a loonie because I'm getting (gasp!) HEALTHY on a "fad diet"!!

[knit1purl2lose3]

Now for my GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!

...... it's time for a SING-A-LONG!!!

The weather is better (where I am, anyway), and my health is improving, so it's time for a sing-a-long, don't'cha think?

Okay, loudly now, to the tune of She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain....

Oh that scale she is a'movin' once again!
Yes that scale she is a'movin' once again!
Oh that scale she is a'movin'
And this Tigger is a'groovin'
Yes that scale she is a'movin' once again!

There! Wasn't that fun?

Okay, now as far as lowest weight points is concerned, this isn't a huge jump downwards, but the POINT is, after a lengthy stall, and then a 6 lb rise from going off the b.p. pills, all of the post-medication weight has been lost (again) AND there is a wee bit of additional loss from my previous lowest point!

Can I get a YEEEE HAWWWWW!?

I have eaten absolutely on plan all week. Stopping the b.p. meds caused a rapid increase of 5lbs so that I was at 279 (again) on Monday morning, but as of THIS morning, I am at 274.2!!! That's only 2/10ths of a lb less than my lowest, but WA-HOOEY!!! My body has now readjusted to not having the meds in my system, and hopefully now I can slowly perk along with a bit of a loss before the next stall. (which will happen. I just need to get over it and accept it).

Regardless of the scale, I am convinced that this eating plan works for my HEALTH. Not just weight loss, but for my OPTIMAL health. I know at maintenance I can tweak it a bit, and I can relax a little here and there, but it has to be OCCASIONAL, and I have to be prepared for the consequences of that. It's a tough plan to follow, and like I wrote yesterday, I did NOT want the RD to work for me because it's so tough! For years I've been among those saying it's not healthy because of the too low protein and it will ruin one's metabolism. But I recant. Any diet that has returned my b.p. and my blood sugars to normal in three weeks (and not even following it rigidly that entire time, either!) is something I need to PAY ATTENTION TO. Regardless of the scale.

And then there's also the ENERGY I get from this diet! Wow! I'm asleep around midnight (used to be earlier) but up around 7am, and anyone who has known me for the past 10 years knows that is SO not me! I needed a MINIMUM of 9 hours of sleep, and usually 10 hours was more normal, some days 11 or 12. I am having more problems falling asleep these days, because I have so much energy. It could also be the low sodium, which is why every few days I try to increase my sodium to around 1,000mg. There is research linking very low sodium with sleep problems. But I am sure I'll get that part figured out.

I also probably need to take a B complex supplement. When I was vegan 5 years ago, in 3 short months I depleted all my B12 and became anemic to the point of needing a transfusion. But 5 years ago I was also in menstrual he!! and bleeding profusely every month, with no doctor willing to look at that. Now that I am post menopause (I think), the anemia will not be a problem but the B12 could be. It's not that I'm not eating any meat, but I'm eating very little. I was also on Metformin, which depletes B12, although docs seem to be woefully unaware of that little side effect. When I mentioned that to my doc who wanted me back on the metformin last year, she dismissed the whole metformin-B12 depletion thing, saying surely it had nothing to do with my rapid B12 depletion. I'm not sure why most docs refuse to seriously look at SIDE EFFECTS of those little pills they give us.

In any case, better to be safe. B complex is easy and inexpensive. I only get the methylcobalamin form of B12, though. Although I certainly don't need the energy from B12!

I think my hormones are reshifting, too. Things they are a'changin' in this ol' gray mare's body!

Oh I feel as if I have so much more to say, but I already wrote too much. I'm just so excited about all of this, and so happy to have found these forums! I hope to do more exploring of them today!

[Aomiel]

Yeah for the scale moving again! I've stopped calling this the 'rice diet' because people automatically assume it's a 'fad' even though I'm eating fruits, vegies and non-animal sources of protein. So I call it what it is...a vegetarian diet. Like you, I look at this as less a diet than a healthier way of eating. When I'm on the RD, my joints just don't ache the way they do on other types of eating plans.

.

[knit1purl2lose3]

Aomiel, on 05 August 2011 - 05:31 PM, said:

Yeah for the scale moving again! I've stopped calling this the 'rice diet' because people automatically assume it's a 'fad' even though I'm eating fruits, vegies and non-animal sources of protein. So I call it what it is...a vegetarian diet. Like you, I look at this as less a diet than a healthier way of eating. When I'm on the RD, my joints just don't ache the way they do on other types of eating plans.

Yay! Go you!!!

I can't say I'm following a vegetarian diet, because I still eat a little fish and meat, although far far FAR less than I used to. Although I COULD maybe call it a low sodium flexitarian diet. That would probably stump most people that they wouldn't know what else to say! ;-D Still, it's a great idea, to call it something else. think think think.....

I haven't been achy, which is a HUGE improvement and all because of the RD, but this afternoon I suddenly am, and it feels like rain. So I just looked at the forecast, and there is nothing but days and days and days of rain ahead... ack. So I look forward to not being as achy even when the precip falls!

Have a great evening and weekend!

[Leeney]

Love your enthusiasm, knit! And I'm so glad you are getting the results you need. I was a vegetarian for about 35 years before I started the RD, so there was very little for me to adjust to. The big factor for me was the sodium. That made...and continues to make...all the difference.

I'm singin' with ya!

[knit1purl2lose3]

I have to make this quick before I dash off to knitting, but this morning I am comfortably wearing pants from 1992 and a 2x tshirt I've had for 4 years and never been able to wear! AND IT IS NOT TIGHT!

Blood pressures are getting lower every day and blood sugars, too. AND I have ONE MORE FULL POUND of loss showing on the scale!!

I am so glad I didn't give up on this plan, but kept going, even through that horrible stall. If I hadn't, I may still be at this weight, but I would also still be on my b.p. meds.

Gotta run for now. I'll ramble around the site more later this evening when I'm back.....



ONWARD towards health and DOWNWARD on the scale!

Have an excellent day!!!

p.s. On Monday morning I weighed 279, with 4.4 lbs of that a regain from going off the b.p. meds. This morning, just 5 days later, I weigh in at 273.4!!!!! This plan is nothing short of a miracle! My lowest previous scale point was 274.4, before going off the b.p. meds, so there is still a solid one pound loss additional beyond the b.p. med regain! Woooooooooo hooooooooooooo!!

Gotta skeedaddle for now.......

[MonicaC]

Congrats on your new lowest weight. It feels good to be able to wear clothes in our closet that we haven't in awhile. WTG!!

[Aomiel]

Congratulations on the lower blood pressure and lower blood sugar!

.

[knit1purl2lose3]

Well, I've just pretty much been on a high all day!! Love these things that are happening and shifting in my body! I'm still a very big girl, but normal b.p. and blood sugars and a smaller size in clothes? PRICELESS!

I talked up the RD to my knitting group. Not sure if any of them will be brave enough to try it, but nothing speaks louder than results. I can do this whether anyone else chooses to join me or not.

While I strongly believe that not every body responds well to every diet, I do think that several people I know would greatly benefit from giving the RD a whirl, especially anyone with metabolic syndrome, CHF, or diabetes. But, that's for them and their doctors to decide, not me. I've found something that works for me, almost DESPITE medical care, and I enthusiastically endorse it, but realize it's not for everyone, nor can everyone do it. Even those who made need it most--they just may not be able to do it, because it's the hardest eating plan I have ever been on.

I wasn't ready for the RD before now, even though I tried so many times. Read the RD Solution book several times. Read every article that ever came out in the women's rags (Woman's World, etc.) and SAVED them, too. I think there must've been some part of me that said, "Hey! You! Pay attention!" But I just was not ready. I wish I would've been. I think if I had ever met someone in person who had been successful with the RD--not just for weight loss (cause there are hundreds of plans that accomplish that) but for actual reversal of so many health issues early on in the plan--perhaps it might've made a difference. But for whatever reason, I wasn't ready before now, and I pray every day that I STAY THE COURSE.

I do know that it's a far superior and "easier" plan than what post-gastric bypass patients have to live with for the rest of their lives! So better to do this now, no matter how long it takes or how hard it gets!!

I have a friend who elected gastric bypass one year ago. And maybe that was the right call for her; I don't know. But I do feel a little sorry for her that she wasn't at least given the info about the RD to try before going that route of surgery.

In any case, I've done well with food today, although I found myself needing a little more potassium for the day. A banana or baked potato would help, but I already had a banana for breakfast and want to save the other 2 for Sunday and Monday; and I am blocked in my driveway by the neighbors' party, so I can't go get a 99cent Wendy's potato, and I don't have potatoes here at home. (They go bad too quickly--no good place to store them.)

Tomato sauce is an EXCELLENT potassium source, PLUS it's very low cal, no fat, and no or low sodium. BUT, I didn't need any more pasta or rice for the day, and I couldn't think of a single way to eat tomato sauce without pasta or beans or rice.....I'll have to ponder that one for future reference.

In the end, I had a cup of high fiber low sodium high potassium bran cereal (without milk; just dry). Only 160 cals and 20g fiber, 160mg sodium, 8g protein, and a full 700mg potassium. I'm ending the day at only 1700mg potassium, so I need to work on that. But as long as I am getting at least double the amount of sodium I eat, then I'm doing okay.

I hope to do more around the forums tomorrow. For now, it is time to do other things. Onward and downward!

[Leeney]

Quote

Tomato sauce is an EXCELLENT potassium source, PLUS it's very low cal, no fat, and no or low sodium. BUT, I didn't need any more pasta or rice for the day, and I couldn't think of a single way to eat tomato sauce without pasta or beans or rice.....I'll have to ponder that one for future reference.

gazpacho?

[knit1purl2lose3]

Leeney, on 07 August 2011 - 10:11 AM, said:

gazpacho?

I've never tried gazpacho, but I might look into it.

I might be having a yikes sodium day today by accident. I totally misread the number of servings on the cans of tomato sauce I want to use up. Yeah, low cal high potassium and filled with yummy goodness, but WOW ON THAT SODIUM!!

Now I have a skillet with fresh french green beans, diced potatoes, cannellini beans, no salt seasonings, and not one but TWO cans of the tomato sauce that I did mis-figured on the sodium!!!!!! I wanted to use it up because it was in my pantry, but YIKES!!!! So now I'm not sure what to do!! 1 cup of this stuff is like 800mg sodium! I had no idea!

Maybe if I just each 1 serving, and then have totally no sodium food high potassium for the rest of the day, I'll be fine. Right now, if I have it for my lunch, I'll be 1000mg sodium and 1100mg potassium. I need to get the potassium to at least 2000mg to counteract the sodium, but so far I am doing fine with up to 1,000mg of sodium.

OH! And I lost another pound!!! Yay! 6 days ago I weighed 279. This morning the scale reads 272.4!! AND....drumroll..... I just took my b.p. and it's at its lowest yet: 97/65. I can't imagine how I would be feeling if I had done what my doc told me to do, and just cut one pill in half but keep the dose the same otherwise!!! I had already told her that I was dizzy and going way too low with my b.p. during the night. She is going to be gobsmacked with these numbers in a few days!

I am doing more research, but more and more I am beginning to suspect that soooooooooooooo many of the health issues related to metabolic syndrome (weight, heart, blood pressure, diabetes...) are all directly a result of the increased sodium in our society. What if these outward manifestations/symptoms were all a sort of "allergic reaction" to sodium? The sodium triggers the adrenals, which pumps out loads of adrenaline, which triggers a cascade of other events and on and on it goes! Plus there is the lack of potassium, and potassium is really like anti-sodium. It counteracts whatever sodium does.

Is there really not much research that backs this up? Is this critical key really that easy to ignore by the medical world? Or is it because getting people to reduce sodium and increase potassium does not pay the Big Pharma bills who are the ones paying for all the research studies?? Is there no voice out there loud enough to rise above the masses to shout the battle cry against sodium and for potassium? Can it really all be this simple??

Honestly, I think the key that makes this entire RD work is this sodium link, with the natural increase in potassium through the diet, although potassium isn't really talked about. Now I could be off about that, but more and more I am suspecting sodium as the biggest culprit that is simply being ignored, especially with the Salt Institute folks out there banging the drum that reducing sodium intake is bad for people!

In any case, the research continues, but I am happily down yet another pound (it is the beginning of the month afterall) and the blood pressure continues to fall!! My fasting blood sugar was 109 this morning, but that's barely above where I would like it to be, and the bad night of sleeping can contribute to that. I am not at all worried about my blood sugars. They seem to eb taking care of themselves, and I know my A1c at the end of the month is going to be back down into normal, below 6.0.

My doc is not going to believe that this is from diet alone. She just isn't.

[Leeney]

You might want to look into tomato paste instead of tomato sauce. It's a different consistency, but it's usually lower in sodium and you can thin it down to the consistency you like.

btw...be sure to take a pic of your doc's face when she discovers what you've been up to!

[karolinakat]

LOL Leeney, pulling a cam out in a docs office would be interesting. Keep it up knit1, and I usually use unsalted diced tomato and make my own puree or sauces, that way I control the salt!

[knit1purl2lose3]

I totally plan using low sodium tomato products after I use up what is in the pantry. That's always been the plan. But I have these on hand and need to use them before getting more. And I can work them into the plan, just a little bit at a time.

What I made yesterday ended up being 7cups total, so I refigured the nutritional data based on 7 cups rather than the 5 cups I had estimated. (I tend to under estimate everything). So the sodium came out to 700mg for 1cup. Which means I'll be eating it for a week.

My sodium for the day yesterday came in right at 1,007mg, and I slept better last night than I have in several days...well, since last time I allowed 1,000mg of sodium. So maybe my body just needs 1,000mg. I still lose weight on 1,000mg and I still have completely normal b.p.s on 1,000mg plus I sleep really well.

I updated my doc in email this orning; haven't heard back from her yet. Basically, I said "Not a week's worth of data yet, but I wanted to check in. First, you need to know that I have not had a single dose of either b.p. med since our last email. I thought it would be mush easier to up-titrate than down-titrate. Here are the b.p. numbers WITHOUT DRUGS since 8/4:
8/4 7am 113/76 10pm 110/77
8/5 9am 105/78 4pm 103/66 10pm 105/74
8/6 3pm 110/74 10pm 102/75
8/7 1pm 97/65 8pm 108/71
8/8 9am 109/71
I'll of course keep tracking, but can you see any reason for me to add Amlodipine or Micardis back in for now? So far it seems that the sodium:potassium has been a critical key, because I haven't had b.p.s this normal for 15 years, no matter what I weighed or how much weight I had recently lost!"

We'll see what she says. I even check my b.p. at Rite Aid this afternoon, and it was 111/71, so my cuff at home is working right.


I was disappointed by an email from my MIL this morning. The subject was, in big bold letters: You are really worrying me!!!!!! Then she went on to write, "Your blood pressure is getting way to low.  I know how bad I felt when my blood pressure was 115/60.  You better slow down and you are losing weight too fast too.  What does S say about this new diet???????  Just hope you really know what you are doing."

So I fudged just a bit. I told her I am on the DASH Diet. It was just rated #1 by USNews and World Report, above Weight Watchers and the Mediterranean diet. And the RD isn't too different from DASH. Although I did tell her that DASH recommends 1500mg sodium and I wasn't getting the results in my b.p. that I wanted, so I found research that suggested 1,000mg a day was even better to reduce b.p. by diet.

I remember her doc told HER to reduce her sodium to 1 gram a day (1,000mg) but she never even tried. She uses more salt than anyone I know!! They keep ratcheting up her b.p. meds, and now they've added a statin and all sorts of other drugs. She was put on the Diabetic exchange diet a few years ago and lost some weight and felt better, but as soon as the doc told her how well she was doing, she stopped following any of it, so I think my talking about losing weight and getting off b.p. meds has triggered something and so of course she needs to tell me that what I am doing is unhealthy. (Because if what I am doing is healthy, then what she is doing isn't healthy, and that's just more than she can handle. Which is okay; it's where she is. I didn't share any of my progress with her to make her feel bad; I wanted her to be happy for me. But I guess she can't do that.)

Since I will likely be seeing her in mid-September, I am setting the stage for her to know that this is a diet plan I MUST follow for my health. I am not just doing this to lose weight, although the weight loss is nice. This is for my health, because drugs will never make me healthy. All they do is manage symptoms. So when I see her next month, I will do whatever I need to do to eat right and stay on this good path.

Anyway, I talked up the DASH Diet. She would feel a whole lot better on that, I think, and I know I could NEVER get her to understand the RD.

I think the RD's biggest problem is that it has kept the old name of the diet even though it has radically updated the plan. People hear rice and think all they can eat is rice. And that was the original plan, but that was 70 years ago! I think they should call it Whole Grains for Whole Health: the Low Sodium Way to Reverse Hypertension, Diabetes, etc. ......or The S.O.S. Diet (Stamp Out Salt)... or something like that. They need to get away from the stigma that the term "Rice Diet" brings with it today. A new name would go far to get the word out. But that's just my opinion.

The other thing the RD has done that has been confusing to the public, I think, is to keep switching the plan a bit. Even though WE know it hasn't made any real drastic changes, there have been enough changes that a lot of people find it confusing. Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase whatever, Basic Rice Day, Turbo Day, Detox Day.... they keep changing it just enough but still calling all of it the Rice Diet that it makes it way too confusing for most people. But, that's just my thoughts.

Heck, I avoided the RD for a long time because I couldn't imagine it being balanced and healthy because, well, it was the RICE Diet. And today it is so much more than just the rice. But the name, and the old plan, does nothing to dispel that myth/association. Which is partly why there is such a stigma about the RD, I think.

So anyway, because of the stigma, I told my MIL that I am doing the DASH. That, she can accept. Well, she at least can't say it's an unhealthy unbalanced diet! Even the Mayo Clinic endorses it! And just maybe she will get her panties out of their wad and be happy for me rather than all poopy about "you're not eating healthy! You're losing weight too fast. Your b.p. is too low." Has anyone ever told a person who had gastric bypass that they were losing weight too fast? How about any of the Biggest Loser people--anyone say they're losing weight too fast? Gack!

I also educated her about what the NORMAL ranges are for blood pressure. She doesn't really know much at all about health or nutrition. And now, she probably won't be speaking to me for a good long time. Not that I'm crying about it.

I need to remember that when it comes to family dynamics, one person getting healthier will always cause a ripple, and it's usually the people who most need to make similar changes who are going to do the most to try and sabotage the progress of the person trying to get healthier.

Oh well. All in a day of moving towards better health.

[knit1purl2lose3]

Dag nab it! I keep trying to go poke around these forums some more so I can connect with more people, but I get so distracted with the other bazillion things I have to do online.

My MIL totally misreads my emails. BUT, it's only when I talk about something health-related, like my weight loss, or my blood pressures normalizing.

So this morning I get an email from her telling me she is really worried about me, that I am losing weight too fast, that my blood pressure is going too low, and that I am not eating healthy.

(This from a woman with high blood pressure, too much weight, more pills every time she goes to the doctor, and who is now putting more and more and more salt in her food every day, and it was already too salty 20 years ago!)

So, I sent her a chatty email and talked about normal blood pressure ranges and that mine is squarely normal now, so it's not too low, and that I am eating healthy and balanced, on a diet nearly identical to the DASH diet which was just rated number 1 by USNews & World report, even above Weight Watchers and the Mediterranean diet, and that I am not losing weight too fast. 31 pounds in 8 months is hardly winning any speed records. I even sent her info about the DASH diet, all to alleviate her worry.

Well, I guess it all hit too close to home, and my success pushes her buttons, but of course she lashes out at me. Maybe she's angry that she's still stuck taking so many pills. She was doing better a few years ago when she was following a diabetic diet, but after losing a few pounds and getting a pat on the head from her doc, she went off plan, and her health problems have done nothing but worsen since. So maybe my success makes her feel like a failure. I don't know. It's all I can figure out. I'm certainly NOT rubbing it into her face!

I certainly never pointed any fingers at her. All I did was write a chatty and informative email about what **I** was doing and how well it is working for me, in the hopes that she would stop worrying and maybe be a little bit happy for me. I don't care whether she chooses to eat more healthfully or not. Well, I care, but you know what I mean. I am not out to "convert" her or convince her. I just simply wanted to share how ecstatic I am that I am off all blood pressure pills for the first time in forever! I've never had this kind of success before. I guess I shouldn't have ever said one word to her. Hrrmph.

Why are family dynamics often the hardest thing about losing weight and getting healthy? Why does my success make her feel threatened or whatever it is she is feeling?

I am sorry for the down post. I'm really disappointed how negatively she responded to me. I won't be emailing her again. Period. And I certainly won't be telling her about my dieting successes and health victories.

Hrrmph.

Why is it people love to judge you when you are eating badly and have health problems, but when you start actually DOING something about them, suddenly you're not doing it right, and if you show them how healthy you ARE eating, then suddenly they just get all defensive and angry!! Why can't they just be happy and supportive? Is that really too much to ask from someone who is supposed to love and care about you??

Ack.

[Leeney]

This is a wonderful place to come and vent, knit. We may not have had the same experience, but we've all had our buttons pushed by family one way or another. Your results will speak louder to her than your words. Maybe she will be inspired by your improved health and sense of well-being when you see her. One can only hope. Anyhow we're hear to listen and accept, so rant on if you need to.

[karolinakat]

knit1purl2lose3, on 08 August 2011 - 11:31 PM, said:

hardest thing about losing weight and getting healthy? Why does my success make her feel threatened or whatever it is she is feeling?
Why is it people love to judge you when you are eating badly and have health problems, but when you start actually DOING something about them, suddenly you're not doing it right, and if you show them how healthy you ARE eating, then suddenly they just get all defensive and angry!! Why can't they just be happy and supportive? Is that really too much to ask from someone who is supposed to love and care about you??

Ack.

A combination of jealousy and fear that you'll be better than they are maybe? or fear you'll get too sexy for your current hubby and move on?? Ignore her, you know you are doing fine, and listen only to your doctors. I tell no one about my results or even what I'm doing unless they have been supportive in the past. Safer and easier

[knit1purl2lose3]

karolinakat, on 09 August 2011 - 12:33 PM, said:

Ignore her, you know you are doing fine, and listen only to your doctors. I tell no one about my results or even what I'm doing unless they have been supportive in the past. Safer and easier

Great advice, karolinakat! Thanks! And thanks to Leeney for her support, too!!

I am feeling so much better today! The scale is the same for the 3rd day in a row, but hey, at least this morning it is the same and not up!!! I've been on plan for all three days, too. Actually, I haven't gone off plan for a week. The only thing I did that could be considered off plan was eat a fruit snack last night at 8:30pm, and I normally cut off all eating at 7:30pm. BUT, it was more important for me to eat that fruit snack at 8:30pm than not to. Why? It actually comes down to a food-emotion victory..... last night as I was stewing about how angry I was with how angry she was at me (sort of makes me laugh now just to type that!), I found myself wanting to go face down in food. 'Cuz that's how I handle anger. Well, that's how I handled anger in the past.

I was aware of the underlying feelings, which I usually am these days, but I am not always willing to follow up the awareness with appropriate actions. Last night I did not say to he!! with it all I'm going to eat anyway. Last night, when I heard myself saying "I'll show her" I followed it up with "I'll show WHAT to WHOM exactly by eating HOW?" And I was able to stay out of the food. Today the scale is the same as it was yesterday, so that's a good thing.

I did allow myself a treat of Yogavive Apple chips. HAVE YOU EVER TRIED THOSE?? Oh my goodness they are so yummy!! Nothing but organic apples and a little peach flavoring in mine. YUMMMMMM! And it averted me from eating something unhealthy. Eating these was a fruit that works right into my eating plan. I did eat later than I allow myself to eat, but I figured 35 calories of a fruit treat at 8:30pm was better than face down in pizza at midnight. And it worked!

So, I am moving on today, with good energy and positive vibes. My doc has given me the okay to drop all b.p. meds but to keep tracking.

I shared this whole MIL issue on another weight loss forum I post to regularly (but can't really openly talk about the RD on there), and the supportive comments I received were tremendously valuable.

They were good reminders of so many important points. They reminded me that if the MIL can't be happy for me that says a whole lot more about her than it does me. Makes me feel sorry for her.

They reminded me that she's likely feeling jealous and insecure, and that I've been jealous and insecure, too, when I see others having success and I'm not. It's always because I KNOW I can do it-- I just get too lazy to put forth the effort sometimes, or convince myself it's too hard and I can't do it. Maybe that's the feelings my success triggered for her. I'll have to be careful what I share with her, for sure.

And they reminded me that I can't give advice to anyone but myself. I can only find what works for ME, and then go with it. Others have to find their own way. I cannot make them be ready and I cannot tell them that what has worked for me will work for them. It might; it might not. That's their journey. Mine is just to keep working on MY progress, not theirs!

So, it's a new day, another opportunity to "get it right." Another chance to eat for my health and not for my death. So, onward and downward we go!!!!

Little by little, I am finding my way around these convoluted forums. Give me time and I'll finally get to all the forums..... eventually... maybe....

[Leeney]

Knit, I have to chuckle at your efforts to work you way around in the maze that is the RD Forums! I can't help but think that it's part of your journey to conquer this at some point!

Glad to hear that you have come to terms with the MIL situation. Really, she'll do what she's going to do, and you can just set her on a shelf and deal with her if and when you choose.

Coming to terms with emotional eating is the hardest thing I do. So kudos to you for your triumph last night! The snack sounds fine and sure beats scarfing pizza. From what I've been reading lately, current research is showing that it doesn't matter when you eat as much as what you eat. I know for years I've cut off my eating in the early evening, and really there's no reason for me to eat beyond that time, but if the need is there, I'm doing it.

I'm following your blog on Spark people, and I'm glad you found such validation there. You're doing great!

[Cattrix]

Hello! You're new,.. (Waves )

I wasn't ignoring you, I've been gone for a few days and I didn't even know you were here. I will agree that this board is the HARDEST ones I have ever tried to negotiate around.

Bio chemical and hormonal, I agree there also. I started taking thyroid meds and now can't seem to lose.

Bizarre.

Welcome to the Board!