I discovered that I've gained a few pounds over the winter, and I don't feel like I can afford to do that. Less and less so as the years go by. I'm a life-long on-and-off dieter, with more failures than successes, but whether I'm losing weight or not, I feel it's very important to eat healthfully. And that may be one of the most important ways of being frugal in retirement. Nothing can derail a pensioner's budget, happiness and life faster than a serious health problem.
I find the whole field of nutrition quite interesting, so I read about it often. But what confounds me is the huge divergence of opinion over what constitutes an optimal human diet. What type of diet is best: paleo, vegetarian, low-fat vegan, grain/gluten free, USDA "My Plate," old-fashioned four-food-group balanced? Organic, sugar-free, low-carbohydrate, or something else?
I read and understand it all, but still find myself very confused and conflicted on this issue. I know I'm not alone. I need to lose weight, want to do it in a healthy way, but have no idea what approach is best, especially at my age.
My first approach was low-fat vegan. I once lost a fair amount of weight on that type of diet, although that was over a decade ago, and I believe it works well for some people. More recently, however, it's quickly led to my feeling bad, including intestinal problems that match those of SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). Yet I keep thinking it's a fluke and try it again, as I did a couple of weeks ago, and ended up thinking I had the stomach flu! (I didn't.) This just does not work for me any more, gotta face it! As you age you generally become more insulin resistant, which is why so many older people find themselves diabetic. For me, I think this kind of all-carb eating is just too unbalanced... too much carbohydrate.
And then there's my other dietary temptation... low-carbohydrate. I have to admit to initially feeling a lot better, especially when I've been "overindulging". Low carb does a good job of controlling my appetite, too. And so I tried to get started on this again, only to realize after a couple weeks that I was feeling increasingly bad... freezing cold (metabolism lowered), occasional dizzy spells, and periodic episodes of what are definitely symptoms of low blood sugar. I was not even doing anything approaching very low-carb ketosis levels, such as those as found in the Dr. Atkins and other popular plans. Still, it just seems I'm less adaptable to these extreme ways of dieting, no matter how effective they may be for others.
At any rate, I'm not giving up. I've dug out my Weight Watchers materials and have re-started that program. It's pretty much just an easy way of counting calories, although there is a minor effort in the points calculations to encourage you to eat lower-fat and lower-carb foods. If you follow the guidelines, it's a classically well-balanced controlled-calorie diet. And for me, for some reason, it's a lot easier than counting calories directly. I joined the online program, and then realized it's not a good value for me. So I cancelled. I like the meetings, but at over $40/month they are prohibitively expensive. The online site really doesn't offer that much that I use. I prefer my own customized Google Sheets spreadsheets for planning my meals and keeping track of points, exercise, and weight. And I have built a calculator into my spreadsheets that calculates the points value of foods (based on grams of carbohydrate, fat, protein, and fiber). I didn't steal it - it's a matter of public record in Weight Watchers' patent application, which is available all over the internet (just Google it). I have additional sheets in the workbook, categorized by food type (i.e., vegetables, fruits, meat, dairy, etc.) where I collect the point values of the foods I eat regularly. I copy completed days' sheets to an archival workbook (fast and easy in Google) so that I have a permanent record for reference. Almost like Weight Watchers online, but faster and... free.
But if I felt I could afford it, I'd sign up for meetings again. They really are very good, and more than worth the money. I subscribe to the magazine, which is excellent. It's just a good program. And I'm feeling better than in a long time. Hungry occasionally, yes, but just "better" in that indefinable way in which your body tells you you're doing something right. I wasn't getting that on the other plans.
Psychologically, I like that with Weight Watchers nothing is really off-limits. I may have to limit quantities of high-calorie foods, but I can have them if I choose. I can also tilt the program towards more protein and fewer carbs, or vice versa. I can have an occasional (very occasional) McDonald's burger and fries meal if I choose. The system of "daily points" plus "weekly points" is actually very sound, as it lets you have lower calorie days and higher-calorie days, which is a good way to lose without slowing your metabolism. And "earning" extra points by exercising is genius, too. I remember back in my distant Weight Watchers past, long before Exercise Points, going for a long, strenuous hike and then being famished and not having much left in my food budget. Now, I'd have earned enough extra points for a hearty snack.
I guess our bodies become more sensitive to changes or extremes in diet as we age. That kind of makes sense, doesn't it? All throughout our lives, we abuse them with extreme diets, junk food, overeating, too much or not enough exercise... but at some point, our resilience likely decreases. At this point, I think we need to look for a more optimal, balanced, non-extreme way of eating that will support health and lessen the risk of serious health problems, or that won't exacerbate problems we've already acquired.
So I'm swearing off the extreme dieting plans. No more! I'm sticking with lots and lots of the vegetables I love (pretty much all of them), moderate fruits and starches, some good-quality fats, and mostly lower-fat protein sources, including lots of beans! Last night I had a really nice dinner: a bowl of homemade spicy chili with beans (delicious): a big bowl of creamy cabbage slaw made with shredded carrot and red onion and dressed with cider vinegar, a little olive oil, and a tablespoon of sour cream; a dish of yogurt mixed with a diced red apple and cinnamon; and finally a cup of mint and green tea with a splash of milk. Full of vitamins and minerals, a balance of protein and starch, and modest fat. These are foods I've eaten all my life, am adapted to. I know I won't be a perfect Weight Watcher... but I'm going to use the program as a framework for a good, healthy, moderate diet that will keep me in good shape for the coming years.
I read and understand it all, but still find myself very confused and conflicted on this issue. I know I'm not alone. I need to lose weight, want to do it in a healthy way, but have no idea what approach is best, especially at my age.
My first approach was low-fat vegan. I once lost a fair amount of weight on that type of diet, although that was over a decade ago, and I believe it works well for some people. More recently, however, it's quickly led to my feeling bad, including intestinal problems that match those of SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). Yet I keep thinking it's a fluke and try it again, as I did a couple of weeks ago, and ended up thinking I had the stomach flu! (I didn't.) This just does not work for me any more, gotta face it! As you age you generally become more insulin resistant, which is why so many older people find themselves diabetic. For me, I think this kind of all-carb eating is just too unbalanced... too much carbohydrate.
And then there's my other dietary temptation... low-carbohydrate. I have to admit to initially feeling a lot better, especially when I've been "overindulging". Low carb does a good job of controlling my appetite, too. And so I tried to get started on this again, only to realize after a couple weeks that I was feeling increasingly bad... freezing cold (metabolism lowered), occasional dizzy spells, and periodic episodes of what are definitely symptoms of low blood sugar. I was not even doing anything approaching very low-carb ketosis levels, such as those as found in the Dr. Atkins and other popular plans. Still, it just seems I'm less adaptable to these extreme ways of dieting, no matter how effective they may be for others.
At any rate, I'm not giving up. I've dug out my Weight Watchers materials and have re-started that program. It's pretty much just an easy way of counting calories, although there is a minor effort in the points calculations to encourage you to eat lower-fat and lower-carb foods. If you follow the guidelines, it's a classically well-balanced controlled-calorie diet. And for me, for some reason, it's a lot easier than counting calories directly. I joined the online program, and then realized it's not a good value for me. So I cancelled. I like the meetings, but at over $40/month they are prohibitively expensive. The online site really doesn't offer that much that I use. I prefer my own customized Google Sheets spreadsheets for planning my meals and keeping track of points, exercise, and weight. And I have built a calculator into my spreadsheets that calculates the points value of foods (based on grams of carbohydrate, fat, protein, and fiber). I didn't steal it - it's a matter of public record in Weight Watchers' patent application, which is available all over the internet (just Google it). I have additional sheets in the workbook, categorized by food type (i.e., vegetables, fruits, meat, dairy, etc.) where I collect the point values of the foods I eat regularly. I copy completed days' sheets to an archival workbook (fast and easy in Google) so that I have a permanent record for reference. Almost like Weight Watchers online, but faster and... free.
But if I felt I could afford it, I'd sign up for meetings again. They really are very good, and more than worth the money. I subscribe to the magazine, which is excellent. It's just a good program. And I'm feeling better than in a long time. Hungry occasionally, yes, but just "better" in that indefinable way in which your body tells you you're doing something right. I wasn't getting that on the other plans.
Psychologically, I like that with Weight Watchers nothing is really off-limits. I may have to limit quantities of high-calorie foods, but I can have them if I choose. I can also tilt the program towards more protein and fewer carbs, or vice versa. I can have an occasional (very occasional) McDonald's burger and fries meal if I choose. The system of "daily points" plus "weekly points" is actually very sound, as it lets you have lower calorie days and higher-calorie days, which is a good way to lose without slowing your metabolism. And "earning" extra points by exercising is genius, too. I remember back in my distant Weight Watchers past, long before Exercise Points, going for a long, strenuous hike and then being famished and not having much left in my food budget. Now, I'd have earned enough extra points for a hearty snack.
I guess our bodies become more sensitive to changes or extremes in diet as we age. That kind of makes sense, doesn't it? All throughout our lives, we abuse them with extreme diets, junk food, overeating, too much or not enough exercise... but at some point, our resilience likely decreases. At this point, I think we need to look for a more optimal, balanced, non-extreme way of eating that will support health and lessen the risk of serious health problems, or that won't exacerbate problems we've already acquired.
So I'm swearing off the extreme dieting plans. No more! I'm sticking with lots and lots of the vegetables I love (pretty much all of them), moderate fruits and starches, some good-quality fats, and mostly lower-fat protein sources, including lots of beans! Last night I had a really nice dinner: a bowl of homemade spicy chili with beans (delicious): a big bowl of creamy cabbage slaw made with shredded carrot and red onion and dressed with cider vinegar, a little olive oil, and a tablespoon of sour cream; a dish of yogurt mixed with a diced red apple and cinnamon; and finally a cup of mint and green tea with a splash of milk. Full of vitamins and minerals, a balance of protein and starch, and modest fat. These are foods I've eaten all my life, am adapted to. I know I won't be a perfect Weight Watcher... but I'm going to use the program as a framework for a good, healthy, moderate diet that will keep me in good shape for the coming years.
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