If the Chefs of HAL offered South Beach.....

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Knowing that I would be eating a really good dessert everynight is how I managed to walk a full hour on the treadmill the first 5 mornings. One thing I learned is the treamills on the Oosterdam turnoff when you have walked 60 minutes. The gym was usually busy but I was always lucky to get a treadmill. I would get there about 6:30 to 6:45 At home I do the treamill last but on the ship I would grab a treadmill first. Then I would work on weights for about 15 minutes, then go back to the cabin to shower and then DH and I went to breakfest. Actually in my walking I was thinking I was walking off last night dessert and champagne.

[Vicar]

S7S

 

Thanks, well I did have a little serious motivation , ironically it is 15 years ago today I lost my dad to a heart attack at the age of 58.

 

And a good friend and co worker who was terribly obese and had numerous health problems died at 45 a few years back. He died while I was at Maximum weight and it became a real wake up call.

 

 

Also you are sooooo right about treating yourself. As long as you eat well and excercise regularly on a daily basis, there is no reason you can't have a little treat even once a week (an ice cream cone , instead of the "kitchen sink" sundae :) )

 

Then when you are on vacation you can indulge and you won't do too much damage.

[sail7seas]

As a cross country runner, while I don't go carb crazy, I can't run without some carbs. So I just run 4+ miles a day and don't overindulge.

Kerry

 

 

teencruiser.....The South Beach Diet calls for carbs....plenty of them. On South Beach you avoid the bad carbs but eat the good.

 

Beans, high carb veggies, high fiber cereals, whole grains.....these are all an important part of South Beach.

 

South Beach is a healthy way of eating that does not eliminate any food groups but does teach which foods are highly nutritious vs those empty carb foods that provide absolutely no nutrition (white pasta, white rice, white bread....all over processed foods ).

 

It addresses glycemic index and pancreatic secretion of insulin in response to high jolts of sugar being consumed. These sugars are not necessarily in the form of cake and candy......

[sail7seas]

Vicar......

 

 

When I was at Mass General Hospital during my recent illness, I asked they send in the Dietician for me to consult with. With the huge resources there, I wanted to take advantage of all the expert advise I could get.

 

What delights a cardiologist more than a patient wanting diet advice?

 

My DH happened to be with me when she arrived and we talked for 45 minutes. Brilliant woman with loads of common sense and a sensible approach. When she inquired as to our "normal" way of eating and asked for an example of a week's worth of dinners in our house, she smiled and said our diet was absolutely fine and needed few, if any changes. Neither of us is overweight. We have always eaten much chicken and fish....although we also have beef. Tons of veggies; lots of fruits; fiber; few white potatoes and lots of whole grains, wholewheat pasta, ......

 

What she did stress was that she never tells most patients they can never again eat a piece of cheesecake if that is something they really, really enjoy. (Obviously, some health conditions preclude that advise). She says have it; once in a while. Don't eat the whole piece...have a few bites and don't feel guilty. She feels that the only way most people will stay on a healthy eating style for life is if they can occassionally have that "treat" . So, in order to continue to maintain individual goals, I think it only realistic to pick and choose what treat you will enjoy and when you will choose to have it.

 

We cruise alot and I cannot (will not) allow the pounds to pack on each cruise. Two pounds per cruise with 5-6 cruises a year = big trouble for me :eek:

[Vicar]

S7S,

 

This is true , you do cruise a lot so indulgeing on every one of them would be a problem.

 

Some one like myself I take a cruise every other year and maybe one or two land vacations every year with a few weekend getaways here and there. And not every one of them are eating "orgies" like cruises tend to be.

 

For taking as many cruises as you do , I commend you for still maintaining a healthy eating habit. God knows how tough that is on a cruise where the food is just there for the taking morning , noon and night

[sail7seas]

When I got sick, we had Rotterdam 10 day Panama Canal cruise booked for under 3 months from my surgery. DH asked the docs if he should cancel. We had not yet made final payment. All the Mass Gen'l docs said I would be okay to go and to not cancel. We listened.

 

I then saw my local cardiologist a month after I was home. I mentioned to him we would be cruising...with his permission. He was not happy. I was very surprised and asked why he did not approve. He said he is reluctant to advise his patients to select cruising as their vacation. I still didn't get it. I commented how much we have cruised, how it is such an easy way to travel in comparison to alot of other travel we did in the past......His reasoning is that he has seen far too many people go on cruises; blow their diets; come back 10 pounds heavier and their cholesterol and blood pressure way up from their normal. Too much emphasis on food in his opinion. (He did cruise once himself so he would have first hand experience in making his recommendations) .

 

He knows my DH and he agreed for us to go because when he heard how much we have cruised and clearly have controlled our eating or we would be much larger people, he then said....well, you have figured out you do not have to eat everything that does not move before you catch it so he let me go . He knows we are going again and this time he has no reluctance. I'm actually some pounds lighter than when we cruised in March.

 

It does take discipline and each adult person has to decide for themselves what life style suits them. How they want to live, eat, exercise....... Lectures on what someone is doing wrong in their lifestyle are never appropriate IMO Provide education and information and then each person makes their own choices.

[Vicar]

S7S

 

 

See it does pay to take care of yourself .

 

As serious as your recent problem was, imagine what it would have been if you had been very overweight, or a heavy drinker or smoker.

 

So glad that all worked out and that you are back on your feet and back on those "DAM" ships :)

[TedC]

The elegantly dressed woman shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills was approached by a homeless man:

 

"Ma'am, I haven't eaten in three days."

 

 

The woman replied:

 

"God, I wish I had your will power!"