Dieting

I don't know if it's covered under dieting but I'm trying to make sure that there's some healthy go-to food for the family when I have the energy to do it, particularly with the kids preparing their own school lunches.  My husband just finished the pumpkin soup I made the other day and I've currently got a Croatian Eggplant soup simmering away.  The problem is, I start out doing these things and halfway through, run out of energy and motivation.  I do feel good when it's done, though.  It makes me think I still contribute something to the household!

My dietician said the aim going into chemo was to maintain your weight, plus or minus a few kilos either way. She said they don't want you losing muscle mass.

@Sister Yes staying stable is good on chemo. I on the other hand lived on carbs. Focusing on losing once chemo is done. 

Thanks @primek They look great, both for me and the hungry hordes I live with.

Even though I'm far from my ideal weight and would love to lose 10kg (more, if I'm honest), I've been told in no uncertain terms that I'm not to do it while on chemo.  Probably couldn't if I tried - I had no appetite last week but the only things I could force myself to eat were carbs.  I'm not really sure why the restriction given that I get weighed beforehand every week.

Hendrix the tomato ham and lentil soup gave me  7 large serves it freezes well and is very yummy 

@SoldierCrab cool thank you...

@Hendrix
Yes I sometimes do that or I freeze the leftovers for another evening. 
I will eat treats when I am out for lunch with friends or for special occasions etc but it is a matter of choosing the best options available for the main meal and then occasionally having say a dessert.  I drink 3 litres per day of water as that is what my weight range needs for hydration each day. This also helps to keep the hunger away. I am under my GP's guidance and she has said it is not extreme but a good diet when I was so obese. I know my weight loss would of been higher if I had exercised more but working from home has its disadvantages. not many steps from my bedroom to my office. 

Hendrix the bacon and beans with zucchini noodles is very much more yummier on the 2nd night. 

Oh boy well I enjoy my chocolate in moderation, not giving everything up and stop living lol. As long as Im active and eat well thats it. I worked extensively with my Exercise Physiologist and have learnt alot, she said I've smashed my recovery. I'll never be where I was pre 2 diagnosis but boy I've worked hard and am very happy where i am...Ive been through too much in 7yrs and my body moreso to put it through the wringer with extreme diets and exercise. Slow and steady wins the race :) 

@Josephine66 It's nothing startling I'm afraid. I gave up alcohol (other than the occasional one at Christmas, birthdays etc), stopped eating dessert, replaced my one latte/flat white a day with one macchiato a week approx). I emphasise eating protein, eat lots of salads, veg & veg soups. Two serves of fruit a day, complex carbs at one to two meals a day but never three.

I try to have finished eating by 7 - 8pm, and so don't eat for 12 - 14 hours overnight. Research has shown this to be very important for health and weight control.

I pay attention to gut health. I have plain yoghurt most days, have the odd Yakult, drink kombucha, eat kimchi. Both the latter are low in kjs.

I try to control my portion sizes, I weigh a lot of what I eat, and I count kjs on an app on my phone.

I count steps on an app on my phone. When I'm my normal self I aim for 10,000 a day minimum, but get better results if it's over 12,000. I do stuff like park in the furthest car park from the supermarket at the shopping centre. That plus the walk round the supermarket adds about 1.7kms of walking to my day! When I'm well I walk the dog 4 - 7kms most days. I live in a hilly area and try to go fast.

I weigh myself every morning. I know this is not for everyone but it helps me to stay accountable and I learn to understand what makes my weight fluctuate.

Finally, I'm not too ruthless. I do have some chocolate from time to time, mostly dark and good quality and rarely 'too much'. If my husband has chips out, I have a handful, but only one. I'll have a spoonful of the yummy dessert, but not a serve, I'll have a slice of birthday cake but not a big one. You gotta live!

However mostly boring self-discipline and willpower is heavily involved. For example, on Friday night some girfriends took me out to a wine bar to celebrate my coming through the operation and return to good health. Two of them ordered the charcuterie plate. Now I adore charcuterie! But fatty cheeses & an array of salty cured meats and breads are not good for your waistline. So I declined to share and had lamb kofta and a roast tomato salad instead. Protein & veg. Thankfully it was delicious.

The reality is sometimes I've just gotta be hungry. It helps shrink my stomach. I can't lose weight without sometimes feeling hungry. Not all the time, but it's good to feel it every now and then. Hunger is my friend I say to myself.

I'd like to lose another 8 - 13kgs. I'm paranoid about putting any of the lost weight back on. I don't know how menopause is going to treat me yet, or the Letrozole. I will be despairing if I start to gain. Eternal vigilance will be required. Good luck Josephine! Let me know how you get on. K xox

@melclarity that’s what I’m worried about..not been able to shift these extra extra kilos.  I’m hoping the 8 BSD works

@SoldierCrab do you eat the same dinner for 3 nights? That would make my life so much easier and cost effevtive as i live on my own.