Physical Check-In #2

I hope this passes soon. I experienced similar before a party not so long ago, The party was fine (apart from one mean person (two actually, and they were people who ''should'' have at least been civil) who I tried to ignore)

Feel better soon, its going to be fun

Feeling pretty good today although I jacked up my neck somehow while I was sleeping last night. I went ahead and worked out pretty hard anyway. My muscles are in that weak and twitchy post exertion state, but it feels good because I did not make formal exercise a priority for the last three days or so. I zoomed around the house working and played a lot with my kids, but it isn't quite intense enough.

I've gained a few pounds over the last few months. I found myself stepping on the scale too much and becoming disappointed. I decided to put it away for a while and just focus on doing what I know leads to a more optimal state for me. I'll know what's up by looking in the mirror. I don't need the scale.

Afternoon snacking is my challenge area I'm trying to tackle. My children have a rest time in the afternoon and I find that I most often reach for junk food at that time of day. I eat pretty great otherwise. I know I can tackle this habit. I've been paying attention to my patterns for a few weeks and have a few strategies of how to tackle all of the sneaky ways my mind will try to convince itself do stick to the usual plan. I recognize that for me at least there is a difference between how I eat when I am alone and when I am with others. It shouldn't matter whether or not that nobody's watching and I need to get to the root of that. I remember behaving like this as a child. I'm trying to rewind my mind to figure out what secret indulgence means to me and/or what it is trying to cover up. Good times! I figured admitting to it here is a solid first step.

Hi fern. A lot of my overeating of starchy snacks happens when I'm alone in the evening (hubby is in his office or asleep in bed). Sometimes if I have baked some dessert, I eat more than a serving during the day, when hubby is at work. When he's with me (awake) I'm pretty good. Actually, he's pretty good when I'm with him, too. He obviously eats plenty I'm not aware of. More than what I give him for breakfast or in his lunch bag.

I didn't do any formal exercise today, but did exercise a lot running around all over town doing errands. I made a point to not drive from spot to spot, but to park in one place and walk some distances to other stores, and then back. Then when I was home I had lots of unloading to do, and must have gone up and down the stairs to the second level 25 times. So I'm OK with today's physical activity. Tomorrow I'll try to do a little dancing, but I have my afternoon therapy and then French class in the evening. As usual, I've left the French studies to the last minute. I can get away with that now, since it's all review, but later down the line I will suffer consequences.

I ate overnight oats with lowered sugar OJ and coffee for breakfast, a little tuna salad with tomatoes (no bread) for lunch, and had reduced fat Wheat Thins as a snack. Tonight I'll make Belgian Endives wrapped with a deli roasted ham slice in a low fat Swiss cheese sauce, along with some sugar snap peas and cauliflower. If I get hungry after that, I'll have one slice low carb/low cal toast with cinnamon and Truvia, and maybe some cantaloupe cubes. I did make a 6-inch lowered fat chocolate cheesecake sweetened with Swerve (to be 6 servings), but I won't have any until tomorrow. It needs to chill.

went shopping tonight, got some healthy snack foods like hummus and carrots, radishes (but I cook those with my meat), bananas...some gluten free bread to go with my almond butter...

also, finally worked out properly again tonight. walked for 30minutes on the treadmill and did chest presses and lat pulldowns for some weight training. It does seem that the weight training is the most effective way of losing weight for me. I had taken a break for probably over a week now and had gained a pound in that time. So, gotta keep up the exercise for sure...so I can eat what I want!

Since it's been awhile, I hope I can sleep tonight. The first time I did weights again after a looooong time, I couldn't sleep until 6am!! I guess we'll see!

Never posted here, but here it goes...

Since stopping my rexulti, I've pretty much stopped eating. I eat only once or twice a day. For example, two days ago, I ate 2 eggo waffles for breakfast @ 4am and then had a small amount of pasta with red sauce @ 3pm. It was like 1/3 of a standard bowl of pasta. Then yesterday, I ate 2 eggs for breakfast and half a grilled cheese for lunch.

I was never an overeater and have never been overweight, but I guess I'm just eating a lot less. I don't know why. Prior to this, I'd eat breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, and an early afternoon snack. (Yeah, no dinner. Never ate that because I'd get horrible reflux.) Now it's like... I hardly eat. Just not hungry or interested in food anymore, I guess. In fact, eating is more of a hassle than anything else, and I can't be bothered to do it.

I don't even want to weigh myself. I managed to pull my weight up to 110 at some point, but I'm sure it's back down again from not eating. But I'm also not that tall... I'm somewhere between 5'4" and 5'5". Still, I've always had problems with eating because of reflux and IBS... and gaining weight back is hard unless I want to get severe reflux pain and the shits.

I *was* prescribed protonix for reflux at one point after having an endoscopy, but after hearing about Zantac causing cancer in people, I didn't want to touch it anymore. Then again, my aunt has the same problem as me where there is an irritation of the stomach spinchter from reflux and she needed surgery to fix it. I hope that doesn't happen to me. But I find that if I just eat less and eat healthier, I don't have to worry about reflux so much. I would normally eat like 1200-1400 cals a day on average, but nowadays, it's more like... 500 or less.

Hi bluebicycle. I don't think there is anything that wrong with eating only twice per day. I would suggest that if you do eat little that the content be fairly well-rounded or if not, do you take a multi-vitamin? I hope my suggestion doesn't sound preachy, but it is very important not to become deficient in various ways.

Yeah, I should probably try vitamins. That's a good idea.

I have to pick up my cogentin today anyways since my pharmacy didn't fill it yesterday, so I'll browse the vitamins aisle.

I forgot to say... sometimes when I get too much reflux, I puke in my mouth and have to go spit it out in the toilet or whatever, then rise my mouth out with water. That's a big reason I try not to eat too much crappy food in one day. But I'm afraid of the cancer stuff that comes with a lot of reflux meds.

That's terrible that your reflux gives you such distress! I wish I had some suggestions. Does bread help?

One need not buy 3 or more bottles of vitamins. One really good multi-vitamin can often be plenty.

Too much bread and crackers can give me bad reflux, but I can eat some. I'd say that Ritz crackers and Cheez-Its are probably the worst offenders for me (in fact, eating both of those things isjust as bad as chewing on hot peppers, which I had done before as a young kid), but if I eat lots of toast (for example), then I will get a burning sensation and possibly puke a little.

Veggies are safe for me, even if I am not a huge fan of them.

But I can eat spicy food and be okay, as long as I eat in moderation. I don't know why bread and crackers are worse than spicy foods, though.

Oh my, I was dead wrong about the bread. As I wrote, I didn't really know. I'm sorry you suffer from the reflux. I don't have a major problem with it, but I do get gastrointestinal issues from time to time. I remember my GP recommended Zantac. I only just heard about the cancer risks. I had been taking Nexium OTC, but I stopped because it gave me a rash on my face. I have never gotten to the point of needing prescription treatments.

Hey Blue. I'm glad you're posting with us. I'm also sorry to hear about the reflux. I don't like ingesting chemicals either. Maybe one of these would help?

Natural Remedies for Acid Reflux

Eating twice a day is ok for some people, but generally speaking small amounts of food spread out into 6 meals or so is the recommendation for optimal digestive health. Just something to keep in mind.

Eating only 500 calories a day is a red flag though and you can easily throw your body into an unhealthy level of ketosis with that approach. You don't have much of a fat reserve, so your body will feed elsewhere when the reserves dry up.

In the past, I think it was over the summer or early fall, when you were mentally symptomatic the same eating pattern came about. You even got to the point where eating anything at all was incredibly painful. I'm concerned.

Have you been tested for gluten intolerance or Celiac? I'm just wondering about this since you struggle so much with breads and crackers. Also, sorry that you're having such troubles. No fun! But yes, I am also concerned about the low amount of calories. And 5'4" or 5'5" is not really short.
Best wishes!

Reflux is such a tricky issue and it affects so many people. There are basic foods to avoid like refined carbs, refined sugars, caffeine, alcohol, tomatoes, and some others but it seems to hit everyone a bit differently.

My husband has horrible reflux and had a close relative pass from reflux induced esophageal cancer. My husband takes Prilosec and it works for him, but I wish he'd be open to natural methods or controlling it better with diet choices. He prefers to rely on a pill. I don't push it since the main goal is to keep the reflux at bay. Eye on the prize!

@BirdDancer: Yeah, makes sense why you stopped Nexium. Nexium didn't help me whatsoever. Protonix helped when I was prescribed it (since I think it's Rx only), but the cancer stories scared me away since colon cancer runs in the family. (I know the med works on the stomach, but the intestines are connected to the stomach!) I do worry about the chronic cough and sphincter inflammation, though.

@fern46: Thanks for the link. Maybe I should try eating multiple meals a day to see if that'll help. I do remember eating being painful, though, yeah. I think Rexulti has really messed with my digestive system. I just hope that the cogentin I took doesn't worsen things, since apparently it can reduce hunger and affect your GI tract in a number of other ways.

@giddykitty: yeah, I was tested for celiac disease when I was tested for chronic diarrhea, but it came back negative. They instead said I have IBS-D. I don't have so much of a diarrhea problem now, though, because meds constipate me. lol. But I used to take an antispasmodic a while back.

I've also read a number of times that eating the small frequent portions assists with the reflux. I'm not up to speed on the sciemce behind it, but it makes sense that it would be helpful to be constantly giving the acid something small to work on. I hope it helps a bit.

Yes, I've the same diagnosis. IBS-D. I now take probiotics 30 billion CFUs as well as a diet overhaul. Like I said, you could still be gluten intolerant even without celiac. So my diet is ideally supposed to be no gluten, no dairy, no sugar (some fruit is Ok, but no orange), no heavily oiled foods, and for some reason, no peanuts. Part of this is the stomach issues, part is for preventing or limiting inflammation. I think the combination has helped a lot. Although I'm not supposed to eat yogurt (unless it's....blah blah. I could never remember or ever find the right kind anyway), but yogurt used to be my cure for diarrhea. But like you, I've not experienced much diarrhea since the diet and probiotics and aspirin I take to decrease inflammation...except for this past January's visit to the ER for terrible vomitting/diarrhea. I ate some thawing and uncooked Indian cheese, but really, it seems like it was a weird thing to have given me so much trouble. I dunno. Anyway...yeah, maybe consider trying such a diet anyway and/or probiotics.

I also hope smaller more frequent meals might help. Maybe your body is just stressed right now and needs to reset. Hmm, I was going to suggest the BRAT diet (without the bread of course or a gluten free type), but if you're eating spicy foods and veggies with no trouble, then that might not be necessary. Yeah, meds can really screw with your stomach too. That just sucks! I'm sure you've already considered med alternatives if that's the case though, right?

Awe! My heart just goes out to you! Stomach/digestive issues just plain suck! I'm part of the No Fun Club (lol it's just thing thing this musician I love came up with for these types of issues that he also struggles with. :P)
Best

Hey!

I just want to add:

Some people have a hiatal hernia, which should be diagnosed and treated by a doctor.
I have known of 2 people who have a hiatal hernias. They avoid eating late. They eat 1/2cup to 1 cup of yogurt after dinner.

I do not eat late into the evening. I eat by 6pm at the latest, or I might have reflux.

Please do see a qualified doctor for treatment. My stepdad had chronic reflux. He failed to see a doctor to help him. He'd suffered immensely once he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He died of this. Take reflux seriously.

Thanks everyone

Maybe I should start a keto or otherwise lo-carb diet to see if carbs have been exacerbating my reflux. I am a super picky eater, though, so I don't know how I'm going to cut out most of my carbs. I live for carbs apparently.

I tried looking up keto recipes, and a lot of them use cauliflower. I have never tried cauliflower before, but I suppose it could be a good start. You can apparently use it to make breads, pizza crusts, "mac & cheese," "mashed potatoes," etc..

The goal is not to lose weight, but to stop the puking in my mouth, which happened again this morning (at work). Though, I didn't eat anything when I puked, and hadn't eaten anything since 3pm yesterday, so I don't know what gives. Maybe keto or lo-carb wouldn't 100% solve the puking, but I think carbs aren't helping (based on what you guys have been saying and what I have been reading).

I'd like to try this diet change first before considering going back on a PPI like protonix. I definitely don't want esophageal cancer, though.

I know you like pasta, so I wanted to mention Barilla makes pasta made from red lentils and another kind made from chick peas. When you pair it with sauce it tastes like regular pasta. My kids are supwr picky and they like it. That may be worth a try. It is with the regular past in my store and it comes in a tan box.

I've use cauliflower for mashed potatoes before. It is pretty good. I actually like it better when I do half potato half cauliflower.

I hope this new approach can work for you

You mean barilla's protein plus pasta? Yeah, I like that kind. I have some already in my pantry and have been eating it for years.

I don't think I can ever go back to regular pasta. The protein plus one is just so much healthier for you. It was actually recommended to me by a nutritionist I saw when I was having cholesterol problems caused by Latuda.

Anyway, I can try half potato, half cauliflower mashed potatoes. That's a great idea. I definitely want to try the cauliflower pizza, though. Have you ever tried it?

I really like cauliflower mash or just steamed cauliflower alone. It's especially yummy with a cheese sauce. I hope you can find a good cauliflower crust pizza. I never have. I'd rather just have very thin regular crust. Or an alternative that I like better than cauliflower crust is to make mini pizzas on fried polenta. You can buy premade polenta and fry it, or make it yourself, which requires a bit of effort.

What's wrong with cauliflower pizza crust? Does it have a weird flavor or something? Genuine question.

I have never tried polenta before, but I can put that on my list. Thanks for the idea.

No, its different. Check out this link. There's no wheat in it at all and there is 11g proterin per serving in the chickpea kind and 13 in the red lentil kind.

Legume Pasta | Barilla

No, I have never tried the cauliflower pizza crust before. I'm sure I would be ok with it. I'll eat pretty much anything... Back in the day my mom used to use slices of tofu for pizza crust. You have to press the water out and cook it before you top it, but it isn't terrible.

Hi bluebicycle. If I dislike something, of course it doesn't mean that everyone would. I just found the flavor and texture of the cauliflower crusts I've had undesirable (some slightly sour and/or just didn't mesh well with the sauce and/or toppings). I've tried four different brands. Maybe there would be some other brand that was better. I do really like cauliflower. I find it an excellent substitute for potatoes, especially boiled potatoes. I have also had the mashed cauliflower and found that nice. Again, as a sub for potatoes.

Making homemade polenta can be a bit of work. The "quick cook" is easier. When you make polenta for the sake of frying, it is initially like a corn meal mush (but the polenta corn meal is different than regular corn meal). It can be plain, or have some flavorings added (i.e. herbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic). Then I usually put it in a loaf pan and let it harden (some hours) and chill in the fridge. Then I slice it and fry it until it's crisp. It could also be hardened in a pizza shape in a round cake or frying pan. Typical pizza toppings can be added on top and melted/heated in an oven or toaster oven. It is different than flour crusts, but if you like polenta it's nice. Some grocery stores sell pre-made polenta usually in the shape of a tube. In those cases, it is ready to slice and fry. I guess frying isn't mandatory, but the crispness is very appealing, in my view. Here's a picture of a pre-made polenta in a tube.

Here's an example of a fancy recipe for polenta pizza, but you could simply put your own toppings on it. This NY Times recipe opens only once per day, unless you have a subscription: Polenta ‘Pizza’ With Pancetta and Spinach Recipe - NYT Cooking

I'm not exactly a picky eater, but I can be a harsh food critic.

The red lentil one sounds good. Thanks for the link. I'll have to go looking for it in the grocery store the next time I go. Sounds like a decent option.

I have never heard of tofu being used for pizza crust before. That is very interesting. I have only had tofu a handful of times, though. I made a tofu Parmesan dish (as opposed to chicken Parmesan) and it tasted pretty good. Most of the flavor comes from the breading anyways.