Help with weight gain?

[Zygala87]

Hello. Does anyone know of a way to drop about 10 pounds? Please don't say stop eatting. What about HOODIA? Many pills on the market now have Hoodia in them. Is this stuff IC friendaly? Many people without IC swear it works. My problem is I become very tired in the afternoons and I eat thinking it may help. Most of my social get-togethers of course are eatting. Either a pot-luck or dining out. I also am a evening snacker. I know it is very bad for dropping weight. I seem to crave food at that time. When I cook for my Husband I can't stand not to have some even if it is full of calories. I have loss a great deal of weight on the Atkins diet before IC. I fear this diet would do more harm to my bladder as the fat mostly is burned off and goes through the bladder. I would urinate often and the pounds fell off so fast. I was never once hungry. I often think I may have caused my IC due to this diet. Any advice? Hugs to all. Ziggy

[ICNDonna]

One of the things I learned in diabetes education is that if I actually plan snacks, I don't get hungry before meal time. I usually eat cereal and one piece of toast for breakfast, then mid-morning I will have a small banana, another piece of toast, or a few crackers. Lunch is usually a sandwich. Mid afternoon I usually have a low fat ice cream bar or fudge bar. In the evening if I'm hungry I go for one of the 100 calorie snack packs. They even have little candy bars!

The great thing is that I don't get hungry --- and since my diabetes diagnosis in September I have lost 26 pounds!

Hugs,
Donna

P.S. I did try Hoodia last year --- it didn't bother my bladder, but made absolutely no difference in my appetite.

[SharonA]

I have heard for years that the best way to eat is several small, planned for meals throughout the day. That is what Donna is describing. It is very important not to feel hungry because that will cause you to over eat at meal time and snack on not very healthy stuff in between.

[Iceblink_Luck]

One of the things I learned in diabetes education is that if I actually plan snacks, I don't get hungry before meal time. I usually eat cereal and one piece of toast for breakfast, then mid-morning I will have a small banana, another piece of toast, or a few crackers. Lunch is usually a sandwich. Mid afternoon I usually have a low fat ice cream bar or fudge bar. In the evening if I'm hungry I go for one of the 100 calorie snack packs. They even have little candy bars!

The great thing is that I don't get hungry --- and since my diabetes diagnosis in September I have lost 26 pounds!

Hugs,
Donna

P.S. I did try Hoodia last year --- it didn't bother my bladder, but made absolutely no difference in my appetite.

How do you eat those 100 calorie snack packs and fudge bars without getting a major flare?

[Bea]

gosh donna.. I wish I would get full off of that.. i don't know what it is, but I too just can't stop eating.. my weight is fine, but I wonder why I don't get full ...

now ziggy.. on another not.. my day is great health wise.. it is night time you might want to ask others about

Morning.. I mix three different cereals with ground flaxeed.. dry oatmeal and blueberries with milk.. yummy this meal for some reason fills me up more than anything

if I am hungry mid morning.. I have a banana.. now I have to eat them more on the green side not to bother my IC

lunch.. I have a sandwhich.. I cook turkey and make a sandwhi.. or I eat peanut butter(it is okay for me) or almond butter with fresh blueberry jelly and bananas on top that.. yum yum..

snack.. I eat graham crackers.. pretzels..cottege cheese with some bran or pear.. or something.. like today I had cottege cheese with home made granola.. then I had a few handfulls of pretzels and a pear.. yes I know a lot.. but you don't have to eat all lol

then dinner.. always a carb, protein and veggie..

snack at night.. I have ice cream and a few vanilla cookie.. I eat the slow turned yogurt blend ice cream.. yummy.. then I always have pretzels.. or something else.. I can't help my night time sweets.. I also make home made blueberry pie.. or vanilla cake.. I can't control my night time

now this is on a good day..but my weekends are aweful..

good luck hon.. a

[Claredale]

I can eat the special K bars...blueberry are my favorite and the 100 snack bag (oreo crisps). Neither of these bother my bladder, but I am no that diet sensitive...especially these days. I always keep them at my desk, and I can tell a difference.

I also love to eat carrots and celery sticks.

T83

[alwayspeeing]

I tried the Hoodia to help me lose the weight gained from the elmiron, first couple of days I was doing good then on the 3rd day, it hit me, I got a really bad flare from the product, I immedaitely knew right away that it was the hoodia, as I has been keeping a close eye on everything I ate, drank, and my activites, I stopped taking them and the next day I was fine again.....so back to losing weight the good ol' fashioned way...diet and light exercise for me :bonk:

[BellaLuna]

it caused a flare and did nothing for my appetite...

always how much did you gain from the elmiron? I didn't know that was a side effect... I guess it didn't do that to me like the elavil did. Ugh was that bad!

My advice in general is to stick to a low calorie diet no matter where the calories come from and make sure you get in some exercise! I stick to rice crunchems and plain chicken in lettuce wraps when I wanna lose a few pounds. Its filling and low calorie, and I get a few marshmallows as a low cal snack.

[dverba]

i finally found something!!!! it does not hurt my bladder at all! i used in years ago and i just started using it agian. it is call xenadrine. they no longer use the same ingredients from years ago so it is safe. makes me hyper but i need the energy so that is good for me and if i crash at the end of the day that works for me too.

[Goldfinch]

If you can find an easy answer to this question you can make some big money. Here's the answer no one ever wants to hear: everything in moderation. Eat less. Don't stop eating, just eat less. Get exercise. Eat foods that are low in fat and calories and high in fibre. If it doesn't involve some hard work and discipline it won't work. And if it isn't a healthy diet it won't be worth it. The Atkins/South beach diets are high-fat low fibre diets. They seem to work but that type of heart-attack eating is a high price to pay.

Never swear off anything you love to eat (that your IC can tolerate, of course.) Everything in moderation. If you love ice cream, don't deprive yourself...but if you eat it every day you will have a hard time losing weight, unless that's all you eat for dinner. It's a total indulgence: make it special. It sounds like you cook high-calorie food for your husband and then try not to eat it. That seem punishing--and unfair to yourself. Unless he needs fattening up for some reason perhaps you could be making dinners that are lower in calories and fat that you both can eat.

Then there's the Flossing Diet. This actually can work! If you are a dessert-prone kind of person, floss and brush your teeth immediately after your main meal. You will feel far too stupid having dessert right after that. And any time during the day that you find yourself craving a sweet or salty snack that you know you don't need, FLOSS AND BRUSH. You will be smug in the knowledge that your dentist will complement you at your next cleaning and that you are saving yourself from one more portion of empty calories.

[BellaLuna]

diet pills only work in the short run and after you are done you will gain it back and then some... trust me I study this stuff for school. Just do what goldfinch says!!

[bluetou]

I have to agree with goldfinch, great post. Exercise, and moderation in your eating. I hate the word DIET....our children are growing up with the word DIET in the home....what is that?? I never new that word cause my mother never dieted, so my eating habits are really well established. I think that if you just make some modifications to your food intake and choices you will drop the pounds.

I think your food intake should be based around the Canada Food Guide, and eat with moderation and exercise to tone and lose weight. (not sure if the US has a food guide or not??) I am sure if you do a google search on the Canada Food Guide it will show you.

It is a simple strategy really. Taking a pill is just a "quick fix"...something you think is going to work, but in the long run you will only bring the pounds back on. Diet pills and drinks are just in my opinion dieuretics and some even speed up your heart rate....hey a quick brisk walk can do that.

Be positive and get a mental change of the mind that you are going to start fresh into a positive eating habit and drink a glass of water if you feel the urge to snack. Most times we are thirsty and not hungry. Wait 30 minutes, and if you are still hungry after your drink of water, then you probably are.

You sound very motivated to try and lose weight, use that motiviation to change your eating habits, if you like to graze during the day, make smaller meals throughout the day as Donna suggested. I know I love to graze, so sometimes at supper (when I KNOW that evening I want to snack)...I make sure my supper is smaller, so later in the evening I can have an extra snack.

Eating takes planning, so make a plan on how you are going to eat. Don't stress over it, relax and enjoy each and every bite, food is here to nourish us.

I use to tell my clients this quote
We don't live to eat
We eat to live

Peace
:pray:

[elamar]

I haven't used any diet supplements, but I read on these forums that someone had good luck with Alli. Again, you will have to watch your diet and exercise. It has some sort of plan included with it. Someone claimed using it put her in remission. I do not make any sort of claim like that!! It is basically a fat blocker - makes it so your body doesn't absorb some of the fat you eat. I just wanted to put it out there. It is an over the counter supplement that you can find at any drug store. Good luck to you.

[Natsy]

Hi Ziggy

If you had success with Atkins, but are worried about the fat, maybe you could try a low GI (Glycemic Index) diet. Are you familiar with it? It's not as extreme as Atkins and you can still do it low fat. It may also stop you from getting so tired as it will help stabilise your blood sugar levels.

I hope you find something that works for you - I know how much it can get you down when you feel like you're carrying extra weight.

Good Luck!

Natalie