another attempt

Welcome to ASD, Jason. I've never been bothered with gout so I'm not real
familiar with which foods might irritate the condition. There are some good
websites with diets for gout. Have you researched any of them?

Hope to see you posting often.

Beverly


"jason" wrote in message
. ..
Ive failed at losing weight quite a number of times over the last few
years for various reasons.

I am male, 33, 6'2 and approx 330 - 340 pounds (I havent weighed myself
in a while so not sure exactly)

I suffer from accute gout which is also triggered whenever i start to
lose weight even if it is very slow and steady. I mainly get this in
both ankles and the front outer side parts of my feet - so far only 1 at
a time and the pain is severe. It has been my main reason for quitting
losing weight as i could not handle the pain and the painkillers i was
on didnt help as much as they should have and with my work i needed to
be mobile.

Anyway, im now on 2 different sets of medication that seem to be working
for me at the moment so i am on a mission to lose weight again. At least
this time i have good meds that seem to be doing the trick so wish me
luck!

I wont be doing anything drastic, just cutting back on the junk and
eating more fresh and healthy food - generally of the salad and
vegetable, lean white meats variety, etc and a bit more fibre. I will
start trying to do some walking and maybe swimming too to get my
exercise off the ground as well.

340'ish / 340'ish / 210
start today

jason wrote:

says...

have you considered trying something like the SOUTH BEACH DIET?

It was exactly that sort of diet that kick started my accute attacks of
gout ... I cut out carbs and slowly added a few back but it was the
rapid weight loss and hard exercise combined at the time that apparantly
took my body over the edge as far as gout was concerened - that was a
couple of years ago and ive suffered terribly with it since.

I think you're talking about a ketosis induction diet. That isn't what
we're suggesting.

The South Beach Diet, Glycemic Index Diet and Zone diet all pay
attention to blood sugar maintenance through-out the day. You aim to
get balanced macronutrients in every meal, that means that every meal
has some high-fiber carbs, lean protein and healthy fats. You should
also eat frequently, every three or four hours, in small portions.

I don't see how this would increase uric concentration if you're
drinking plenty of water, but YMMV.

The benefit to this sort of way of eating is that it leaves you feeling
sated, with high energy levels, and without food cravings on a
relatively low amount of calories. I find that I just fuel my body
better when I eat this way.

Im not much into gimmicky different ways of eating especially after that
so the traditional sort of things im going to do include:-

continue to drink only water during the daytime and plenty of it
switching to a sweetener in my evening coffee or tea instead of sugar
moving to semi skimmed milk instead of full

Go straight to skimmed milk, no stopping elsewhere. You'll grimace
through one gallon but then you'll be okay. I swear it - you'll rapidly
get used to it! There is just no reason to drink the saturated fat in
cow's milk if you're over the age of 2.

eat more fruit
eat more veg
cut out sweets/candy/crisps - and have a small treat at weekend for
doing well tho!

I think the main rule I'd pass along here is that a carb has to have a
reason for going into my mouth. I'm not by any definition "low-carb",
i.e., half my calories come from carbs, but the carbs are the ones that
sneak up and leap into my mouth, so they're the ones I watch out for.

For a carb to go into my mouth it has to meet one of these criteria: it
has to have fiber, phytonutrients or an entertainment value that is
worth the calorie load.

Again, I try to balance my macronutrients (for better blood sugar
maintenance, satiety and energy) so I try not to just eat an apple.
I'll eat half an apple and put peanut butter on it. Or eat some rye
crisp crackers with cheese and horseradish sauce on it.

The point is, don't just eat more veggies, eat better thought out snacks
and meals.

not go overboard on portions
if im having baked potatoes not to also have bread - same with pasta,
etc

Remember what I said about glycemic indexes and carbs? Neither baked
potatoes nor refined flour bread have enough value in my diet to be
worth the calories they take up. It's not that they're evil, it's just
that a limited calorie budget doesn't have room for stuff that spikes my
blood sugar and is stored as fat so easily. I've replaced potatoes and
bread and pasta with brown basmati rice and sweet potatoes for the
duration of my fat loss.

My uncle has a mantra that made me laugh, but it's short and to the
point: "If it's white, it ain't right." I agree - throw out all the
white foods in your diet. :-)

make sure i eat breakfast, i like plain muesli and sweeten it with
splenda

Breakfast is incredibly important, I agree. I know one obese woman who
lost 20 pounds immediately just by adding breakfast to her schedule.

I like muesli, too, but the fact is that the portion sizes are tiny (or
the calorie load is immense) and it'd be way better to add some protein
and fat to that.

My two mainstay breakfasts are 1/2 whole wheat bagel with smoked salmon
on it, or an oatmeal/protein powder/peanut butter combination. I also
like an occasional scrambled egg with whole grain toast. I had to give
up breakfast cereal completely because it just used too many calories
for what it gave me in terms of energy, satietion and blood sugar
management.

start exercising regularly but simple swimming or walking, nothing too
strenuos otherwise it wll kick of that darn gout!!


The studies I've read suggest starting with small goals is a great way
to move yourself along without burning out. How about you define some
specific, measureable, achievable goals and make a plan on how you're
going to implement them? For example, "swim 10 laps without stopping by
August 31 and to get there you'll swim three times a week increasing
your laps by one lap each week." Obviously I just made that up, but my
point is to visualize a goal, visualize succeeding at it and then think
about how to implement it. It's an incredibly powerful 10 minute exercise.

Good luck! I'm so glad you came here. Not everything I say will fit
your life, but between all of us I bet you can fine tune here and there
until you get what works for you.

Dally

"Beverly" wrote in message
...

"Cp" wrote in message
gers.com...

Anyhow, aside from that I think your plan is good. I did exactly what
you're planning and in 3.5 months I've lost almost 40lbs.

Good luck!
Cp

Congratulations Cp! This is fantastic.

Beverly


Thanks beverly I feel it's fantastic as well.

On Tue, 13 Jul 2004 00:18:49 +0100, jason wrote:

Ive failed at losing weight quite a number of times over the last few
years for various reasons.

I am male, 33, 6'2 and approx 330 - 340 pounds (I havent weighed myself
in a while so not sure exactly)

I suffer from accute gout which is also triggered whenever i start to
lose weight even if it is very slow and steady. I mainly get this in
both ankles and the front outer side parts of my feet - so far only 1 at
a time and the pain is severe. It has been my main reason for quitting
losing weight as i could not handle the pain and the painkillers i was
on didnt help as much as they should have and with my work i needed to
be mobile.

Anyway, im now on 2 different sets of medication that seem to be working
for me at the moment so i am on a mission to lose weight again. At least
this time i have good meds that seem to be doing the trick so wish me
luck!

I wont be doing anything drastic, just cutting back on the junk and
eating more fresh and healthy food - generally of the salad and
vegetable, lean white meats variety, etc and a bit more fibre. I will
start trying to do some walking and maybe swimming too to get my
exercise off the ground as well.

340'ish / 340'ish / 210
start today


Your plan sounds good! Go gradual and see how it goes, swimming and
walking are great exercise!

Cynthia

On Tue, 13 Jul 2004 23:31:10 +0100, jason wrote:

In article ,
says...
jason,
using this place as a daily source of support has helped many of us
to remember that we ARE NOT DIETING, but have chosen a WOE (way of
eating) that we will maintain for life.
have you found that?
have you considered trying something like the SOUTH BEACH DIET?



It was exactly that sort of diet that kick started my accute attacks of
gout ... I cut out carbs and slowly added a few back but it was the
rapid weight loss and hard exercise combined at the time that apparantly
took my body over the edge as far as gout was concerened - that was a
couple of years ago and ive suffered terribly with it since.

Im not much into gimmicky different ways of eating especially after that
so the traditional sort of things im going to do include:-

continue to drink only water during the daytime and plenty of it

Excellent!

switching to a sweetener in my evening coffee or tea instead of sugar

moving to semi skimmed milk instead of full
eat more fruit
eat more veg
cut out sweets/candy/crisps - and have a small treat at weekend for
doing well tho!

All good thoughts! Try to make the veg of the non-starchy variety.

Just watch the treats... it's really easy to get going and overdo. I'd
make it something that you can easily control the portion of, like
maybe one candy bar. Bought singly, so you don't leave a bag of
temptation laying about the house.


not go overboard on portions
if im having baked potatoes not to also have bread - same with pasta,
etc

Yes, portion control is important, especially with items that pack
calories. (Hint... I would not have baked potatoes plural, G, one
should do.)


make sure i eat breakfast, i like plain muesli and sweeten it with
splenda

Another tip, get a good quality protein powder, and add that to your
cereal milk. It gives you a better balance in the morning.


start exercising regularly but simple swimming or walking, nothing too
strenuos otherwise it wll kick of that darn gout!!




Also a good plan.

Cynthia

On Tue, 13 Jul 2004 23:31:10 +0100, jason wrote:

In article ,
says...
jason,
using this place as a daily source of support has helped many of us
to remember that we ARE NOT DIETING, but have chosen a WOE (way of
eating) that we will maintain for life.
have you found that?
have you considered trying something like the SOUTH BEACH DIET?



It was exactly that sort of diet that kick started my accute attacks of
gout ... I cut out carbs and slowly added a few back but it was the
rapid weight loss and hard exercise combined at the time that apparantly
took my body over the edge as far as gout was concerened - that was a
couple of years ago and ive suffered terribly with it since.

Im not much into gimmicky different ways of eating especially after that
so the traditional sort of things im going to do include:-

continue to drink only water during the daytime and plenty of it

Excellent!

switching to a sweetener in my evening coffee or tea instead of sugar

moving to semi skimmed milk instead of full
eat more fruit
eat more veg
cut out sweets/candy/crisps - and have a small treat at weekend for
doing well tho!

All good thoughts! Try to make the veg of the non-starchy variety.

Just watch the treats... it's really easy to get going and overdo. I'd
make it something that you can easily control the portion of, like
maybe one candy bar. Bought singly, so you don't leave a bag of
temptation laying about the house.


not go overboard on portions
if im having baked potatoes not to also have bread - same with pasta,
etc

Yes, portion control is important, especially with items that pack
calories. (Hint... I would not have baked potatoes plural, G, one
should do.)


make sure i eat breakfast, i like plain muesli and sweeten it with
splenda

Another tip, get a good quality protein powder, and add that to your
cereal milk. It gives you a better balance in the morning.


start exercising regularly but simple swimming or walking, nothing too
strenuos otherwise it wll kick of that darn gout!!




Also a good plan.

Cynthia

Cynthia Perry wrote in message . ..
On Tue, 13 Jul 2004 23:31:10 +0100, jason wrote:

Just watch the treats... it's really easy to get going and overdo. I'd
make it something that you can easily control the portion of, like
maybe one candy bar. Bought singly, so you don't leave a bag of
temptation laying about the house.

over time I'm eating less & less 'treats'. Everyone's different, but
now I just don't have a perceived need for a 'reward'. 1lb is
~3500kcal, these 'treats' add up, and now that I'm closer to my goal I
just don't want to keep pushing it away by eating pure crap as some
sort of 'reward' -- *my* reward is going to be winning the battle of
the bulge --- period.

Actually, I suppose a daily treat is my protein powder in milk. It
certainly tastes sweet (that's the stevia sweetening + lactose), but
I'm getting a lot of protein and dairy calcium from it so it's not an
empty 'reward ' by any means.

Plus I do occasionally eat out at eg. Quiznos, Panda Express, or
Chipotle, but all these meals come within my daily calorie limit and
they're also a part of my eating habits of balanced carb intake with
protein and fat.

Heywood

(236.5) - 232 - 190.3 - 182?
(scale is now under 190 for two days in a row, no more 10lb
milestones, woohoo!)

over time I'm eating less & less 'treats'. Everyone's different, but
now I just don't have a perceived need for a 'reward'. 1lb is
~3500kcal, these 'treats' add up, and now that I'm closer to my goal I
just don't want to keep pushing it away by eating pure crap as some
sort of 'reward' -- *my* reward is going to be winning the battle of
the bulge --- period.

I agree.

I also never make food a reward or consolation anymore.

i

and the word here is 'anymore' ....

You cant just throw away several years of deeply seated bad habits
overnight (or rather 'I' cant!), a small treat each weekend at the
beginning of this diet / way of eating, whatever you want to call it,
will aid me immensly in being able to continue with the daily grind.

I already know i am addicted to food, especially what I term as treats,
be they sweet chocolate, savoury snack food - in fact all sorts. Too
many to mention. I am making lots of small changes all the the right
general direction towards a healthier lifestyle.

Eventually I would love to think the way you do on food but somehow I
dont think I will ever be able to let my guard down.

I am a food addict ... fat, thin, fit or unfit. I just hope I can get
control of it properly as many here seem to have done.

"jason" wrote in message
. ..
over time I'm eating less & less 'treats'. Everyone's different, but
now I just don't have a perceived need for a 'reward'. 1lb is
~3500kcal, these 'treats' add up, and now that I'm closer to my goal I
just don't want to keep pushing it away by eating pure crap as some
sort of 'reward' -- *my* reward is going to be winning the battle of
the bulge --- period.

I agree.

I also never make food a reward or consolation anymore.

i

and the word here is 'anymore' ....

You cant just throw away several years of deeply seated bad habits
overnight (or rather 'I' cant!), a small treat each weekend at the
beginning of this diet / way of eating, whatever you want to call it,
will aid me immensly in being able to continue with the daily grind.

If you think it will help then try it, but you might want to start finding
other ways to reward yourself. I was on a very strict diet that didn't
allow me to reward myself with food so I found other little things. It
sounds weird but I got to like certain scratch-off lottery tickets - and I
*never* play the lottery. But, I would buy myself a $2 ticket, less than I
would have spent on a fast food meal.

I already know i am addicted to food, especially what I term as treats,
be they sweet chocolate, savoury snack food - in fact all sorts. Too
many to mention. I am making lots of small changes all the the right
general direction towards a healthier lifestyle.

Making the small changes will really help as long as you can stick to them.

If you feel like you're addicted, it might be best to give it up altogether
for a short time. I like sweets and chocolate and I do let myself have a
piece once a week, except the PMS week when I know I won't be able to
control it. That week I depend a lot on cocoa powder - mixed into fat free
ricotta with some splenda is like chocolate cheesecake. I also mix it into
plain yogurt or cottage cheese. It might sound gross but don't knock it
until you try it.

Eventually I would love to think the way you do on food but somehow I
dont think I will ever be able to let my guard down.

You probably won't. It depends on your history and any physiological issues
that might be at play. I think Barbara posted something earlier stating
that you just have to accept that you need to eat less and exercise more
than an "average" person in order to be/stay at a healthy weight.

I am a food addict ... fat, thin, fit or unfit. I just hope I can get
control of it properly as many here seem to have done.

I recommend some reading on binge eating. Overcoming Binge Eating by
Christopher Fairburn is a good start. There are many others out there and
reading some might be helpful.

Jenn

"jason" wrote in message
. ..
over time I'm eating less & less 'treats'. Everyone's different, but
now I just don't have a perceived need for a 'reward'. 1lb is
~3500kcal, these 'treats' add up, and now that I'm closer to my goal I
just don't want to keep pushing it away by eating pure crap as some
sort of 'reward' -- *my* reward is going to be winning the battle of
the bulge --- period.

I agree.

I also never make food a reward or consolation anymore.

i

and the word here is 'anymore' ....

You cant just throw away several years of deeply seated bad habits
overnight (or rather 'I' cant!), a small treat each weekend at the
beginning of this diet / way of eating, whatever you want to call it,
will aid me immensly in being able to continue with the daily grind.

If you think it will help then try it, but you might want to start finding
other ways to reward yourself. I was on a very strict diet that didn't
allow me to reward myself with food so I found other little things. It
sounds weird but I got to like certain scratch-off lottery tickets - and I
*never* play the lottery. But, I would buy myself a $2 ticket, less than I
would have spent on a fast food meal.

I already know i am addicted to food, especially what I term as treats,
be they sweet chocolate, savoury snack food - in fact all sorts. Too
many to mention. I am making lots of small changes all the the right
general direction towards a healthier lifestyle.

Making the small changes will really help as long as you can stick to them.

If you feel like you're addicted, it might be best to give it up altogether
for a short time. I like sweets and chocolate and I do let myself have a
piece once a week, except the PMS week when I know I won't be able to
control it. That week I depend a lot on cocoa powder - mixed into fat free
ricotta with some splenda is like chocolate cheesecake. I also mix it into
plain yogurt or cottage cheese. It might sound gross but don't knock it
until you try it.

Eventually I would love to think the way you do on food but somehow I
dont think I will ever be able to let my guard down.

You probably won't. It depends on your history and any physiological issues
that might be at play. I think Barbara posted something earlier stating
that you just have to accept that you need to eat less and exercise more
than an "average" person in order to be/stay at a healthy weight.

I am a food addict ... fat, thin, fit or unfit. I just hope I can get
control of it properly as many here seem to have done.

I recommend some reading on binge eating. Overcoming Binge Eating by
Christopher Fairburn is a good start. There are many others out there and
reading some might be helpful.

Jenn