[email protected] (ElfHunter) wrote in message
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[email protected] (shinypenny) wrote in message
> news:<
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> >
> > Regardless, vitamin deficiencies are virtually nonexistant in countries such as the U.S. This is
> > because we have a fortification program, so even if you eat the **** created for the masses,
> > it's highly unlikely you'll have a deficiency. You will, however, be setting yourself up for
> > problems caused by too much fat and not enough fiber.
> >
> I don't completely trust government recommendation of food intake. They seem to change their mind
> from decade to decade. Besides the masses don't run 20+ miles a week. Heck, I doubt if they walk
> more than 5 miles a week.
I don't trust the gov't recommendations, either. But on the flip side, I also don't trust the latest
fad research, particularly since I happen to be in PR and marketing, and I know how this stuff
works. It's meant to scare you away from certain foods, while plopping your money down for useless
fixes.
The recommendations that I do trust are those of a Dr Willett out of Harvard University. Do a search
on "Willett harvard new food pyramid" if you're interested. I think his pyramid makes the most
sense, and is a good balance between the whole Atkins thing, and vegetarianism (I was a militant
vegetarian for a long while).
> I didn't pay much attention to vitamins until I saw a PBS problem on free radicals damage from
> metabolism. That made me worried because I am deliberately ramping up my metabolism by running
> five times a week. I agree with your assertion on fiber but I am unwilling to start a discussion
> about fats. A discussion about fats as fuel is another can of worms altogether.
A multivitamin is probably harmless. Mega-dosing on this or that fad vitamin of the day I question,
particularly for those who live in a country with a fortification program. That's what worries me,
and why I responded to this thread. We tend in this country to be the "If a little is good, more is
even better" mindset. Moderation in all things is best.
With that said, let me tell you about my 2nd pregnancy. At that point in my life, I was a militant
vegetarian. During my first pregnancy, the prescribed prenatal vitamin made me quite ill. So during
my 2nd, I decided to go without it. My OB was apalled, basically accusing me of fetus abuse, yaddah
yaddah. But I was particularly careful with my diet. Most notably, I made it a habit of eating whole
grain cereal with a tablespoon of dried fruit and wheat germ every morning. Not a difficult change
to make. I also ate a lot of fruits, veggies, eggs, nuts, and whole grains but no meat or chicken.
Going into labor, the OB tut-tutted to all the nurses that he was very worried about how the blood
tests would turn out when the baby was born. Well, he tested my blood and my daugthers, and came
running back in with the report, completely astounded. He said we had the best tests he'd seen in
his entire 20 years of practice! Despite getting pregnant while breastfeeding, my iron levels were
strong, and so were my daughters. Additionally, this daughter was a whopping full pound, six ounces
heavier than my first daughter, with whom I was a maternal junk-food junkie and gained way more than
I should have (she also slept through the night the first night and thereafter-- but that might be
attributed more to her easy going nature!). He sat down with me and grilled me about the specifics
of my diet, so he could impart them to his other patients.
What I'm saying here is that if you are worried about free radicals due to increased metabolism,
then consider making the effort to change your diet for the better. It certainly can't hurt.
> > You sound like an intelligent person who cares a lot about your health. I wonder why someone
> > like you would obsess over something like mercury, when the real risk may be too much fat and
> > not enough fiber? And if you're concerned about the food created for the masses, then why not
> > make it a priority to start substituting with better choices? I found for me it helped to take
> > baby steps and start small, such as replacing white rice with brown, etc.
> >
> If you make any mistakes with caloric retention, you can remedy the problem later. However, it is
> my understanding that once mercury enters your system it does not come out. The effect is
> cumulative. The same is true of lead and probably other heavy metals. Incidentally, I heard that
> were concerns about heavy metals pollution caused by cremation.
I used to obsess about stuff like this all the time. As I said, I was a militant vegetarian! I gave
it up when I realized that I want to enjoy my life. Eating really is a joy for me. I approach my
diet the same way -- eating a Big Mac isn't a joyful experience for me anymore -- it just leaves me
feeling greasy. But eating a giant spinach salad with fresh strawberries, dried cranberries,
mushrooms, red onions, almonds and honey mustard dressing...... now, THAT's a delight and a joy! I
also love fish, and don't intend to give it up. And there's lead in my 100-year-old house, but I'd
rather live here than a boring brand-new, lead-free condo. If I live a few years less because of my
lifestyle choices, then so be it. I will die knowing I really LIVED. Overindulging and getting fat
would not be "living" to me -- I'd be miserable, hate the way I look, and hate not being able to run
and play. But dying early because I ate too many delicious, mercury-laden fish? That's a trade-off I
can make... YMMV!
> > What do you consider young? I'm 38. How old are you?
> I am older than you. I consider anyone under 40 young.
I feel young.
> > I used to diet all the time, but I found that as I entered my mid-20s and particularly after I
> > had my two daugthers, I would have to eat less and less in order to simply maintain my weight.
> > It was sooo frustrating and I hated going around starving all the time!
> >
> If you are hunger all the time, you are not dieting correctly.
Back then, when I was hungry all the time, I wasn't exercising. I don't know if it was about not
dieting correctly, so much as being terribly unfit. I was thin, but had no muscle and didn't
exercise at all.
> Dieting can simply be a change of the type of food your eat and your eating habits. Strictly
> decreasing volume and frequency of food intakes do not work in the long run becuase it is painful.
Very true. If you feel deprived, a diet will never work.
> My dietary changes aim at reducing blood sugar fluctuations. I am never hungry.
I found on a grazing-style vegetarian diet high in whole grains, I had no blood sugar fluctuations
whatsoever. I was amazed by that. The whole grains seem to stick with you longer.
On the flip side, now that I work and grazing isn't as easy, nor is it as easy to prepare whole
grain foods from scratch every day, I've found that making sure I have a little bit of animal
protein and fat at each meal helps keep the fluctuations at bay.
> Of course my approach is slow. In almost 2 years I only lost 45 lbs. It is not one of those
> miracle diets you see on TV, but I don't see myself gaining any of this fat back in the
> near future.
That's fantastic; you sound like a true success story! Two years is probably 98% better than
most dieters!
> > So I educated myself and learned this is because as we age, we lose muscle mass, and muscle
> > burns more calories than fat. This is what they mean when they say, "metabolism slows down as we
> > age." So I started lifting weights, and at one point I found I could eat twice as much and not
> > gain wieght. My weight over the last decade has fluctuated, but stayed more or less within
> > 110-120 range and a size 2 or 4. I don't obsess over every calorie, but if I am unable to
> > exercise and lift, I do tend to adjust and eat a bit less.
> >
> When I was about your age I used to lift weight daily without changing my diet. It worked to some
> extent. I am actually 20 lbs lighter now.
I find when I lift weights, my weight will go up to 120 but I'll fit in a smaller dress size. When I
don't lift, my weight will go down to the low end, 110 or even less, but I will wear a larger size!
As you already know, the scale doesn't tell the whole story; body fat is a better measure.
> > > I am very careful about avoiding large fluctuations in blood sugar. With a constant blood
> > > sugar level, you don't go around hungry. Blood sugar level is something I never worried about
> > > when I was younger.
> >
> > Yes, I'm trying to fine-tune my diet now, too, and paying attention to the blood sugar thing.
> > It's less about losing weight and more about feeling more even-keeled during the day.
> >
> I found that if I don't eat often enough, I tend to overeat when I have a chance. By slowing down
> my eating and eating more often, I was able to lose weight without hunger. The key to not to make
> yourself suffer, because if you suffer you will tend to do something really stupid when your
> concentration breaks.
Agree on both counts. Going back to work full time and not being able to graze was an adjustment for
me. Life always seems to throw these type of challenges, and the best diet seems to be the one that
enables you to respond and adjust accordingly. I do take a full lunch box to work, packed with
healthy snacks to eat throughout the day. It took me awhile to get this built into my routine.
> > > Incidentally I am back to my body weight when I was a teenager. No, I was not a fatass back
> > > then.
> >
> > That's great that you're back to your teenage body weight! I weighed about 97 lbs when I
> > graduated, but I grew another inch in college. I think I look much better now since I have more
> > muscle definition. Certainly my legs are more shapely, as I was a total unathletic couch potato
> > back in high school. My high school weight just doesn't seem healthy to me anymore.
> >
> I was in the school volleyball team when I was a teenager. I was not very good but I was fit. My
> current goal is to have a body fat content of under 9.5%. This is not extreme by any standard. I
> am sure that many here are already at this level without trying. It just so happen that my body
> weight at this level of body fat content is the same as my high school weight. Go figure.
Have you checked out www.virtualmodel.com? I thought it was interesting to play with.
Good luck with your goals,
jen
