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Posted 3/5/2013 3:36 AM (GMT 0)
Eliminate bread or bread products, potatos, pasta, and rice completely.

Carbs are not bad, they are just too easy to get. Plain and simple, Americans eat Way too many simple carbs. If a person eats enough healthy foods, they will get enough complex carbs.

^ + Their goes the gluten :)

{note: I do eat two bowls of oatmeal each day... the only carb dense thing I eat. My reasoning for this choice of dense carbs are, its "likely" to be 100% gluten free. It is very lightly processed, so it takes longer to break down, hence longer lasting fuel.. with less of an insulin spike. And its easy to regulate. I use a measuring cup to fill my bowl. I bump it up or down depending on my weight / BF goals at that moment (cutting or bulking)}

Eliminate Dairy. Their is just no evidence that adult humans need anything found only in dairy products. Calcium is easy to get elsewhere.

^ Their goes any chance of lactose intolerance.

Eat all the lean meat you want (within reason, I mean ;) If you have an appetite like mine, you have to use will power not to hammer more than 20oz of it at one time ;)

Eat TONS of veggies and fruit.... leaning toward veggies :) Fruit is great, but it is possible to eat too much, and get enough sugar carbs to gain body fat. I tested this theory last year with watermelon :) Mmmmm... were those good ! I was eating like 6 lb hunks, every day, and my belly would stick out from under my ribs :) LOL Okay, so I'd just pee about 3 X's and Bam, belly is gone again.. amazing :) Oh, but the point is, I put on about 8 lbs in a pretty short time period > so it wasn't all muscle :)

Eggs ! Avocados ! Blueberries ! Strawberries ! Nuts, of all kinds + peanut butter :) Mmmm. Silk Soy milk... light if you don't need all the extra cals. I'm so addicted to this stuff.. for taste, protein, calcium.. Bam ! :)

Mix all this ^ stuff up for a ratio of about equal thirds, lean proteins, healthy fats, and (hopefully, mostly) complex carbs :)

Then get your daily cals figured out, adjust to what you need, and Bam ! Wasn't that easy ?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Couple places I step out of the box though...

1) I'm not afraid of a little bit of processed sugar in stuff like my BBQ sauce, Yoshida's sauce, etc. I want my food to taste good.

2) I'm not afraid of a TON of artificial sweeteners. Might I die from cancer ? Well sure, but I'm doubtful it would be from too much sweetener.

3) I'm not afraid of salt. I believe that as your body gets back to functioning properly, your body will tell you when you need more salt.

4) The buzzword "Organic" .... how do I type the 'fart sound' :) LOL As soon as I see organic, A) I don't trust it, and B) I know I ain't paying that much for it :)

Peace,

Fish

 

Post Edited (Fishchris) : 3/4/2013 8:42:40 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 3/5/2013 3:55 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks. Just diagnosed with fibro and I think that I will try everything natural before taking all the medications that they are imposing on me
Posted 3/5/2013 4:05 AM (GMT 0)
Fish, I'm glad this diet works so well for you. But we're all different. Very different!

I can't eat the way you do...I used to, and was always very uncomfortable. I have IBS. My body doesn't like to digest a ton of veggies and fruits, especially if they're raw. It's unfortunate because I love them....but too much and I become BADLY constipated! Go figure.

I'm a vegetarian....and during the periods I've eaten meat, I've felt no different (I just don't want to eat animals.)

I do best with a lot of soluble fiber - bread, potatoes, pasta, tortillas and rice; some cooked veggies; a little fruit, preferably without the peel; a little cheese and yogurt; and some nuts and beans and eggs.

Sugar's not a problem for me, if I don't overdo it - same with chocolate. I have 2 cups of coffee a day, too.

And then there's the daily doses of Miralax and Citrucel. Ya gotta love gettin' old! ;)

Debbie
Posted 3/5/2013 4:14 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Jenn :) Welcome. I think that is a much better choice than I originally made. I tried a few different prescription drugs, and they just whacked me out so bad ! No drugs for me.

Yea', nowadays, I think I might take too much ibuprofen {because I'm 48 yo, and try to work out like a teenager ;) LOL ...but it is really all I need.

Hey Jenn, besides Fibro, do you have any other related disorders, such as spinal issues, or rheumatoid arthritis ?
The reason I ask, is that the other, full "half" of the story, aside from diet, is exercise, but I understand some people have other problems besides just Fibro, which might prevent a lot of exercising.

Best wishes :)
Fish
Posted 3/5/2013 4:26 AM (GMT 0)
Debbie, Debbie :) Of course I understand.

I just keep thinking that there might be a good number of Fibro sufferers out there who could eat pretty much anything, but who are just choosing the wrong stuff. Or in other words, I just think too many people don't go all the way with the whole diet regime.....
It's like, if your gluten intollerant, you don't eat bread. Period. If you eat even a little, it will give you problems.
If your lactose intollerant, you don't drink milk, or eat dairy. Not even a little bit.

I think a person with fibro, should try to clean it all up, for at least 6-12 months, and just see if it helps.

BTW, I joke about eating TONS of different things, but that's all relative. I'm still a big guy, and my machine takes a lot of gas :)

Peace,
Fish
Posted 3/5/2013 5:18 AM (GMT 0)
Fish,
I've been on the Atkin's diet for 2 weeks now. Protein, lots of veggies, some fruit, no bread, no pastry, no milk, no sugar...:(
I've lost 12 pounds and hadn't even really exercise due to other health problems.
My taste buds and sweet tooth are revolting some, but they are getting a little quieter.
My stomach grumbles some from all of the extra fiber. :/
Posted 3/5/2013 6:19 AM (GMT 0)
Couchtater, 12 lbs is great ! :) But just be careful, and listen to your body. And remember, unless you make permanent lifetime changes in your diet, you will not make permanant lifetime changes in your health.

I'm not on a diet. This is how I eat now :)

Peace,
Fish
Posted 3/5/2013 3:25 PM (GMT 0)
Fish,
You mentioned that you eat oatmeal everyday because it is gluten free?? Maybe I misunderstood, but oatmeal itself is NOT gluten free, unless that is the type you buy. In general no oats or grains are gluten free..so just be careful in what you are getting.
And while I agree, I am not sure what you pay for gluten free food where you are, but in the states a loaf of gluten free bread is around $6. It is certainly not a cheap diet by any means, but Can make you feel sooo much better :)
Good luck!
Posted 3/5/2013 4:10 PM (GMT 0)
Find what works for you.

Paleo is what so does. It makes me throw up. Just sayin'
Posted 3/5/2013 4:26 PM (GMT 0)
Well, Chris, I do have to add to this thread.  I tried not to!  tongue

 

I believe in everything in moderation if you are not allergic to it or get sick from it.  So I do eat most foods in moderation, have lost a lot of weight counting carbs..not eliminating them...lost it in a very safe way by losing 2-3 pounds a week, and have now kept it off for almost 8 years.  Losing the weight helped with my fibro because I wasn't carrying all the weight around.  I have been on the Atkins Diet, NutriSystem, worked with a psychologist, tried hypnotisim, and even tried starvation....225 calories a day in college.  I did lose weight on these but also put it back on when I stopped the diet and gained even more weight.  Counting carbs finally did it for me.

 

I do worry when people eat soooo much meat, chicken, and eggs.  The veggies are great but you are clogging your arteries with all the meat you are eating.  My husband died at 51 years old because of this.  Meat has a lot of fat and cholesterol.  Chicken has fat and the amounts you say you are eating isn't healthy for you.  I'm glad your fibro is better but this really isn't healthy.

 

You know me and my links.  smilewinkgrin    Here is one about red meat.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/12/health/red-meat-shorten-lifespan

Here is one about too much chicken.

 

http://www.medimanage.com/my-diet/articles/too-much-of-chicken-isnt-good.aspx

 

Here is a link about eggs.  I love eggs but I try to limit myself to four yolks a week.  I will make scrambled eggs or omelets using one whole egg and one egg white. 

 

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol/HQ00608

 

I know you urge us to get away from breads, pasta, and potatoes.  I don't eat much bread or pasta but I do have potatoes nearly every day...usually a baked potato.  That is my all-time favorite food in the world and there is no way I will give it up.  Plus a potato is filled with so many wonderful benefits.  I'm having a medium baked potato with my meatloaf tonight...add fresh green beans and that is a balanced meal.  My ground beef is 93% fat free, too.  Yum!  Anyway, here is a link about my wonderful potato.  wink

 

http://www.livestrong.com/article/413116-are-potatoes-healthy-to-eat/

 

I posted this because I care about you and I want you to be fully aware of what you could be doing to your body with this diet plan you are on. 

 

Sherrine

Posted 3/5/2013 5:35 PM (GMT 0)
MrsBugz, "not so much" just because its gluten free... Heck, I might not even be alergic to gluten anyway.
But anyway, the way I understand it, is that most oatmeal, is "mostly" gluten free. It's only because grains can easily become contaminated through cross fertilization with other wheats, or even wild wheats, which do contain gluten... so if it has .2 % gluten, they can't call it gluten free. Typically though, if your eating something like Quaker Old fashioned rolled oats, its probably about 99.8% gluten free.

Peace,
Fish
Posted 3/5/2013 6:11 PM (GMT 0)
Fish, Fish :) Of course I get what you're saying. It's very important to eat well.

My point was that, to a large extent, that means different things to different bodies.

Debbie
Posted 3/5/2013 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
Sherrine, thank you for your concern :)

The first article on red meat.... I agree too much is not good, although I think a little is better than none. I do have to say though, when the very first line of the article said, "Want to live longer" ? Uhhhh..... well, to be quite honest, I hardly ever even think about living longer. If it's in the cards, so be it. What I really want, is to live as good as I can "today" ! Never any guarantees for tomorrow.

Too much chicken: First off, my lean chicken breasts (which is the only chicken I eat) cooked with a low fat method, is closer to 5% fat, than the 23% mentioned in the article. Second, I personally believe too much meat proteins, would only be hard on my (or the next person's) body, if they ate all the proteins I eat > but left out all the veggies, fruits, etc. Fact is, in proportion to how much other stuff I eat (remember, I eat a LOT ;)) I don't feel like my meat consumption is excessive. Now granted, my daily overall cals might seem excessive, but if my weight is doing what I want it to, then I'm on the right track, there too :)

Eggs, and dietary cholesterol: Ya' know, back in the old days, my bad cholesterol level was 300+ ! I hardly ever ate aggs. Now I eat 50-70 jumbo egg whites, and maybe 8-12 yolks, per week, and my cholesterol levels are way down closer to 100. My BP has also gone from averaging 150/100, to 115/65.
I'm reading more and more (and going by personal experience, really believing) that dietary cholesterol, has little to no effect on body cholesterol levels > in most people who eat an otherwise healthy, balanced diet, and get plenty of exercise.
In other words, if your machine is working properly, it will take care of your cholesterol levels for you (aside from those with a genetic tendency for high cholesterol levels.... although I believe this is often used as an excuse, by people who just haven't put in enough time and effort to get into really great physical shape. Note: people with Fibro, "might" have a little better excuse, for not becoming a straight up athlete)

Finally, my 16-20 oz of meat every night with dinner might seem like a TON. But when you consider that this is just part of my daily 3500-4000 cals, it would only be equal to like 6-8 oz, for somebody eating only 1500-1800 cals a day....
Believe me, my mountain of greens almost buries and hides the meat on my plate ;)

In reality, I don't think my diet is any more extreme..... Heck, maybe less extreme than that of a vegetarian. Heck, we did not evolve to eat much dairy, or grains, but we totally evolved eating meat.

I agree that a 100% Paleo diet is a bit extreme..... but with just a few little things added in, it has become the perfect balance of all the rocket fuel + the building blocks that I need :)

It's funny: Vegetarians think I eat too much meat... Paleo fanatics think I eat too much grains (my oatmeal) and Silk soymilk....

While my diet might be called extremely rigid, I feel my balance of foods is quite good.

Peace,
Fish
Posted 3/5/2013 6:30 PM (GMT 0)
Debbie, of course. Especially when it comes to "how much" we need to eat :) Most people could not shove down as many cals as I do, and if they did, would become obese, even eating all healthy foods ! :)

Peace,
Fish
Posted 3/6/2013 2:07 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Fish,

I'm glad your diet is working so well for you! I was a bit put off however at the title, because this is NOT easy for everyone. You are mentioning all the foods I LOVE, unfortunately, so this would not be an easy choice for me.

I'm Italian, gotta have my pasta and bread wink

You seem to come across a bit evangelical and while I understand your enthusiasm with finding what works for you, understand that attitude may be a tad off-putting to certain people.

But, as I said in the beginning of my reply here, I'm glad this is working for you, and you've found something that makes you feel better. Please don't think it would be, as you said, "EASY" for everyone, because, it just isn't.
Posted 3/6/2013 3:08 AM (GMT 0)

Hello Me-O :) I'm sorry, I guess the part about being easy, was kind of facetious. I mean, it seems easy to me..... it's the whole rest of my life I lose focus of. OCD + ADD are an interesting mix :)

You said, evangelical.... :) Yes, probably :) Now if I could learn to talk like Joel Osteen ;) LOL

Anyway, I always agree that Fibro and its treatments are different for everybody..... I just also believe that their will be people out there, for whom my fitness plan "would work", but of whom will never find out, because they are too afraid to go at it hard-core !

Heck, look at my stupid arse ! It took me 20+ years to decide enough was enough.... and any time during those 20 years I'd have told you, "Why should I bother ? I have Fibro anyway. It's incurable and I will always suffer with it".

Now I curse myself for throwing away as many years as I did.... but that's water under the bridge.

Peace,

Fish

Posted 3/6/2013 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
fishman thanks a lot! I find this helpful as I was diagnosed yesterday with celiac :p Maybe my fibro will improve idk, it willl be wonderful if it does
Posted 3/6/2013 5:15 PM (GMT 0)
Smurfy, that's great that you have a solid diagnosis to work with ! I couldn't imagine that cutting out all bread / gluten products wouldn't help you....

Best wishes with that !

Who needs bread anyway ? I only miss it about once or twice a week, when one of my room mates has like a big piece of toasted sour dough, with butter on it, right in front of my face ! :)

The other 99% of the time, I just have to think, "Wow ! My stomach actually feels fine ! Think I'll go run stomp around in the hills" :)

Peace,
Fish
Posted 3/7/2013 7:48 PM (GMT 0)
I may be one of the few who cleaned up my diet for 7 months.  After I had my daughter I was nursing and she ended up with cow's milk colitis (allergy to cow's milk in her intestines).  I had to eliminate all dairy and soy (soy proteins are very similar to cow's milk protein) from my diet.  Milk is a fairly easy elimination, soy is in just about EVERYTHING.  So, for 7 months I hardly ate any processed foods.  Not only did I not feel any better, I felt worse.  I was eating Greek Yogurt almost every day during my pregnancy and lost a significant protein source when I cut out dairy.

I believe that each Fibromite is unique.  I do not believe that what works for one will work for another when it comes to diets or medication.  I do believe that if we keep moving in some capacity we are better off because we don't allow ourselves to stiffen up.  That is the extent to which I think Fibromites are similar.  At the end of the day that is the only thing the medical community can hang their hats on too.

So glad that what you do works for you.  And I think it's great that you put it out there so other people can try it as well, but again, as someone who has had to go on an elimination diet of essentially fruit, vegetables, eggs and meat it made no difference so I don't recommend people running to eliminate foods in hopes of lessening their pain.

Posted 3/8/2013 4:38 AM (GMT 0)

Thank you Frankey. I'm sorry your 7 months of eating clean, didn't help you like it has me.

Only one thing though, when you said > as someone who has had to go on an elimination diet of essentially fruit, vegetables, eggs and meat it made no difference so I don't recommend people running to eliminate foods in hopes of lessening their pain. <

As someone who suffered horribly with Fibro and IBS for 20+ years, and now lives, and most of the time, feels like an athlete, I totally DO recommend that everybody try eating a clean, healthy diet, and just see for themselves if it helps.

BTW, eating this way actually made you feel worse ? Really ?

Ya' know, for years I had convinced myself that eating fast food was better for my "condition" {only had Fibro diagnosed about 4 years ago} as when I pigged out on a bunch of greasy garbage, it was so much more likely to.... uhhh... not sure how to say this nicely... but blow right through me. Whereas, on the rare occasion I ate something healthy, my body would try really hard to hang onto it, then I'd be all screwed up with constipation for 3 or 4 days :( Freaking IBS :( But now really, is their anyone here who thinks that my 6000-8000 cals a day, of fast food and processed garbage, was more healthy than fruits, veggies, lean meats, eggs, Silk soy milk, etc ? Point is, I made myself believe what I wanted to believe. And I really don't think I'm the only person who has ever done this......

Anyway, I say, what does a person have to lose ?

Peace,

Fish

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