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The Awful Warning

(55 Posts)
Teetime Tue 07-Jul-15 10:04:37

DH invited his brother and wife to Sunday lunch this week. We hadn't seen them for a year when they came to Sunday lunch before (they don't do invites back). BIL& SIL are only a couple of years older than us respectively but we were shocked at how much weight they had gained and how much older they looked and sounded. They sat on the sofa and never moved except to the dining table (and the loo) for 6 hours despite it being quite nice in the garden and talked incessantly about food and wine and trips to supermarkets hither and yon. They take no exercise of any kind save a short walk for the daily paper (Express!!). I shot out yesterday bought some new trainers and am off to the gym to sign up. I've decided golf and walking aren't enough. They are now known as The Awful Warning.

Teetime Fri 10-Jul-15 09:47:17

varian they do say its 'face or figure' after 50 a little subcutaneous fat does push out the wrinkles so I'm keeping it - I'll never be thin anyway but I just want to stop the slow creep and maintain some flexibility and good mobility so its off to golf on a nice sunny day to work of the Strawberry Tea I had yesterday!! smile

RevGrandmaEMR Thu 09-Jul-15 20:46:01

Before I had the op to remove my gallbladder and gallstones, apples were one of the few things that helped me. That and porridge. Later I found some info that orchard fruits were recommended for problems with gall bladder.

varian Thu 09-Jul-15 18:27:21

Sorry, I meant that the fat "girls" looked happier - and a lot younger> I think the fat irons out the wrinkles.

varian Thu 09-Jul-15 18:25:09

I went to a school reunion after umpteen years of not seeing any school friends and noticed that the thin "girls" looked a lot older than the fat "girls" - and a lot happier!

NanKate Thu 09-Jul-15 17:45:41

I was told that fruit starts to ferment in the stomach and it us better to have it at the base of your stomach rather than on top of other food.

Also if I had an upset stomach and felt sick my mum used to scrap an apple and it froths up a bit and then I ate it and the pectin in the apple calmed my stomach. Still do this with equal success.

Tegan Thu 09-Jul-15 17:42:03

I often eat them with cheese as well as my teeth are so senstive when eating anything acidic and it neutralises the acid. It also make a small piece of cheese go further [I love cheese]. I was told that we digest fruit quicker than other food so, if we eat it after other stuff, it pushes the other food through our system quicker; not good if you suffer from IBS [which I do].

merlotgran Thu 09-Jul-15 17:37:26

I love apples and I've found the best way to avoid stomach cramps is to cut them into pieces like Tegan and eat small cubes of cheese at the same time.

I'll try eating fruit before a meal and see if that helps.

Tegan Thu 09-Jul-15 17:33:08

I was told years ago to always eat fruit before a meal not after. Because of my sensitive tooth I haven't been able to eat apples but recently started eating one a day, cutting it into pieces and chewing it very carefully. I find it more filling that way, probably because it takes me ages to eat it and I feel as if I've eaten a small meal.

Mamie Thu 09-Jul-15 16:21:23

That is great news Merlot and Anya.
I like the fact that it is so easy and you don't have to count calories or do anything other than cook and eat real food and cut the carbs.

Anya Thu 09-Jul-15 16:03:48

Merlot ditto re my DH too!

merlotgran Thu 09-Jul-15 15:58:10

My DH is out of pre-diabetes as well, Mamie. Our practice nurse was flabberghasted when he weighed in at two stone under his last check up.

My IBS has almost disappeared since I gave up bread but I still have to be careful with fruit so I only eat it at home.

Mamie Thu 09-Jul-15 15:37:14

I think the point is that exercise and fitness are good for your health but it is your diet that affects weight loss. I have seen 80:20 quoted as the diet to exercise ratio for weight loss.

NanSue Thu 09-Jul-15 15:18:52

My awful warning came a couple of years back when we were in a motorway services station and I took my little grandson to the loo. In the cubicle I told him to just wait while I had a wee. He announced in a very loud voice. "Nanny your legs are humungous"! blush shock

janeainsworth Thu 09-Jul-15 15:14:19

Thanks mamie smile

janeainsworth Thu 09-Jul-15 15:13:47

Anno
I saw this article theconversation.com/poor-fitness-is-a-bigger-threat-to-child-health-than-obesity-43653 recently which although it's about children's wellbeing, makes an important distinction between fitness and obesity and their effects in general health.
I think it probably applies to adults too - after all it's no good being a size 12 if you get out of breath going upstairs, is it? And conversely does it matter if your BMI is 25 and you can get upstairs without stopping for breath?

annodomini Thu 09-Jul-15 14:42:31

I have just had a text from the health club I used to go to offering me a special deal. I could do with swimming and aquafit - possibly pilates. Maybe...

Mamie Thu 09-Jul-15 14:35:55

No we don't have a target JA, but generally we don't have carbs at all at dinner if we have had them at lunch and vice versa. We never have bread or rice now but still have new potatoes and spaghetti occasionally, but only about 100g between us. So a cold meat and jacket potato meal has become cold meat and aubergine parmigiana, for example. If we feel we have had too many carbs we cut them out at both meals for a day or so. We always have a slice of spelt toast and our own muesli at breakfast, unless it is an egg day. We started off with just low GI and ate stuff like bulghar, quinoa and pearled spelt but have reduced carbs even more as we got used to the diet.
We find we can't really eat sugar at all now as it just tastes too sweet. OH found that he was putting a couple of pounds back on recently so he cut out summer fruit (this was hard) and the weight came off again. Lots of trial and error, but I think you do develop a sort of sensitivety to what feels right after a bit.

annodomini Thu 09-Jul-15 14:11:23

I got the Awful Warning two weeks ago when I found three cotton skirts in my wardrobe that don't meet round the waist (what waist?). I promptly signed up on Weightwatchers on line and behaved very well until I went off for a long weekend with first, DS2's family and then DS1's lot. I must admit to being shocked by the amount DS2 and partner put on the table and the number of packs of crisps they have in the cupboards. The two GSs are lean and fit, thank goodness but the same cannot be said for their parents. DS2, formerly a chef, produced well balanced meals and he and his wife are very fit looking. Cycling to and from school keeps the DGC fit. Anyway, I am back home now and recording what goes in my mouth - unless it's my foot!

janeainsworth Thu 09-Jul-15 13:52:07

MamieWhile you're there! I've been meaning to ask this question for a while. Do you have a target daily carb intake or do you just generally reduce and avoid high GI foods?

janeainsworth Thu 09-Jul-15 13:48:27

Crossed posts mamie

janeainsworth Thu 09-Jul-15 13:47:59

Lucy have a look at the thread about support for those following a low carb diet.
Lots of gnetters have found that they not only lose weight, but indicators for prediabetes are reduced too when they reduce their carb intake.
I know the 5:2 works for some, but my reservation about it is being able to eat anything you like on the 5 days. It does nothing to reduce intake of refined sugars which are increasingly thought to be a big factor in the development of many chronic illnesses.
Helmsley That is very tough, and I agree with you we shouldn't judge people as awful warnings when we know nothing about their underlying health problems.

Mamie Thu 09-Jul-15 13:42:13

Lucy, my OH has got completely out of pre-diabetes with the low-carb diet. We have both been doing it now for eighteen months. He has lost nearly four stone, I have lost three stone and am now under 9 stone and a size 10. We get quite a lot of exercise through gardening and walking, but have not increased the amount of exercise throughout. Low carb, moderate fat and smaller portions have done it for us. We love the diet because we can continue to eat butter, cheese and fat in meat. We have both seen a significant drop in cholesterol and my OH has been taken off statins.
We have continued to drink moderate amounts of wine throughout.
You would be very welcome to join us on the low-carb thread!

lucyinthesky Thu 09-Jul-15 13:26:30

Thanks Winifred01 - I found the 5:2 worked well for me last summer but since this prediabetes diagnosis I can't eat such a low cal diet for two days in the week. Also when I was on the 5:2 it did enable me to eat much of what I enjoyed like cakes, deserts etc which, once again cos of a worry about diabetes, means that the 5:2 isn't the healthy option for me any longer sad

I agree with you though that it is a very effective diet otherwise smile

Helmsley444 Thu 09-Jul-15 13:11:12

To all the above gransetters really you dont no how lucky you are .I was a cyclist and gym bunny and swimmer then at the age of 36 i was struck down with hydshimotis disease.Then me / cfs followed then fibromslgia.Depression and 6 other auto immuume diseases including kidney disease and siogrins syndrome and lupus.Im in such pain day and night , and suffer with crippling mind seering insommia.Yet i struggle on each day and do my housework laundry and gardens.I had to quite a job in a bank and havent worked for 10 years.Ive no carres only a loysl and loving husband.Im 54 now and believe me i am your awful warning.Is it really so bad if people are age are in to meals out and walking I do both and im rreslly not able.Every thing i do i have to pay for good or bad by three days or weeks confined to bed.But i never give up get up each dsy and go out eith my teo pugs and my wonderful husband.Perhaps those peopke who are giving u lot the swful warning have like me dome invisable illness either mental or physcical and shouldnt be juged too harshly by you lucky heslthly

e work in a very well psid

winifred01 Thu 09-Jul-15 13:06:44

Lucyinthesky try the 5:2 diet. I have had a problem with my weightfor decades, tried many diets to no avail. Started 5:2 two years ago , lost 3 stones gradually and have kept at my present weight for 6 months.