LOSING WEIGHT

[EileenDavid]

Same with us Stanley. We also have a friend at site in Brittany (lives in Wrexham) age 68 and he's 32 stone and can't walk or breathe properly. Phoned us last week to tell us he now has to have oxygen for about 2-3 hours a day. We have tried to help him but he just carries on eating usually the wrong foods and taking no exercise. He's got a pacemaker fitted and takes a cocktail of drugs daily. He says his doctor jokes about his weight. Eileen

[Stanley]

It's a problem isn't it. We hesitate to criticise people but in the back of your mind you simply wonder. Why????

[EileenDavid]

I think it's a major problem didn't have the problem when there was food rationing. I wasn't born then but mam having lived through 2 wars never overfed us. As there was 6 kids living probably couldn't afford to. She used to go mad at me for snacking wish I had listened. Dad never topped 9 stone his entire life, I think mam only put weight on when she was pregnant so it can only be down to over indulgence. Eileen

[Stanley]

It's complicated stuff Eileen. I have read all I can on fats and diet and wile I don't have a definitive answer the rise of what we now call 'The Western Diseases' coincides with the development of supermarkets, high end food processors, the campaign against saturated fats and the use of vegetable oils to raise profit levels and prolong shelf life. It all fits but the food lobby has been fighting against reformation all the way. Work it out for yourself who the bad guys are....

[Sue]

There was a programme on Horizon years ago, it covered research into diets in third world county and compared with UK etc. the finding was the level of fibre in the diet was higher in the third world countries and that the intestine transit time was less than 12 hours. In developed nations it was nearly two days. It was at this time that we were encouraged to eat more fibre. The more soluble fibre gets into the circulation and lowers cholesterol levels. More fruit and veg is great if you don't have IBS. Try it then!!

Also in the third world countries they ate bulky foods, ie high cellulose, and smaller meals.
I always advocate, and I have said this many times. Eat a balanced diet and if you want to lose weight eat smaller meals and do more exercise. There is nothing wrong with margarine ( except the taste) and most people ate that in the war. Meat has a lot of fat in it, so cut off the visible fat and you should still get e ought. Fat is essential in our diet for the production of cell membranes, and some key hormones, as well as dissolving vitamins ADE and K . We can't go fat free, but we can reduce fat levels to a healthy level.

As for the cholesterol carriers in the blood. ( high density lipo proteins and low density lipo proteins) our ability to produce those is partly genetic and partly by what we eat. These are commonly called good and bad lipo proteins and form the cholesterol complexes in the blood enabling this fatty material to be transported to where it is needed ie the liver , carrying the vitamins with it for storage or for removal or to cells for use. I can never remember which we round they are! Eating lots of vegetable material increases the good level in the blood, and hence lowers the cholesterol levels. Excess cholesterol is normally excreted as a complex salt with the bile and into the intestine where it then helps us to digest fat

What is important is that we get the essential fatty acids that are mainly found in meat.

I hope I have remembered that correctly. It's a long time since I taught it.

[EileenDavid]

My friend Norma has been to every slimming club going and has had great success with them all but only now at the age of 68 has she now cracked the dieting that all you need to do to loose weight and keep it off is to eat less. Re education on what we eat I think but you are right I think on the greed of the supermarkets. I have high cholesterol since first having the test done but my doctor many years ago said it was to do with my Scandinavian ancestry (Viking move over Nolic) and didn't recommend statins. New doctors seem to want to put everyone on them, I am trying to lower by diet but the doctor doesn't think its possible as I eat a balanced diet. Eileen

[Sue]

If its genetic then it's rather difficult to control by diet

[Stanley]

Re. statins, my doctor half suggested them for me even though my blood analysis was OK but I told him that I'd pass thank you. The only pills I take are the Metformin because he told me that the latest thinking was that if you are not yet a serious diabetic, they slow down progress towards needing other medication. Seeing as they don't seem to disagree with me I took his advice. Too many question marks with statins for me! I've flagged it up before but 'Queen of Fats' by Susan Allport is a wonderful overview of lipid research over the last eighty years and is well worth reading. I lent it to my doctor and he said that even he learned from it.

[Stanley]

I'm not what you'd call picky in my dress, I dress for comfort these days! I tend to have about four pairs of comfortable trousers and they are all cotton or linen base so they get washed and worn over and over again. My old brown corduroy trousers (Hebden Bridge Cord Company) are almost white now. This morning I tried a pair of trousers on I haven't worn for a while because despite being marked as 40" waist they were too tight for comfort. Despite the agonising slowness of what the scales report, they are comfortable again so I am seeing results. The Hogg green moleskins fit again! Isn't it funny how, despite what the label says your waistline doesn't always agree with the label!

[EileenDavid]

Tell me about it Stanley. Dave is a 32" waist and 29" leg. His trousers and jeans bought previously are this size and fit perfectly. Now he can't find a pair of jeans despite trying the 32" waist don't fit the 34" waist are too big the length's all wrong. We took some back to M & S the waist fitted but the crutch was down to the knees he looked deformed. So no new jeans for Dave as he's sick of trying them on then having to take them back. Went for his MOT at the Doc's and they said he was perfect weight for his height sickening really as he eats everything and anything. Eileen

[PanBiker]

Try stretch Wranglers, best thing since sliced bread and very comfy. Get mine from Boundary Mill, they usually have a very good choice of sizes in boot cut or comfort fit.

[PostmanPete]

Went for his MOT at the Doc's and they said he was perfect weight for his height sickening really as he eats everything and anything. Eileen

I went for my MOT at the Doc's today. He said that I was the perfect weight but I should be 8ft 10ins.....!

[Sunray10]

I dont really have a problem with my weight, I'm rather skinny looking at about 9 stone and I'm 5 foot 6-7 inches tall approx. But I have kept by "boyish good looks" because of that. I don't drink and don't smoke and enjoy much of what I like to eat. I must be very lucky in that direction at least.

[Stanley]

You've both got worms...... Danny Pateman always said his weight was OK, he was just 6" too short.
There seems to be a fashion for low slung crotches in trousers, some of the shorts look more like Harem Pants! Bart Simpson has a lot to answer for.....

[Sunray10]

Erm what are 'harem pants'. I'm trying to visualise them, but having difficulty with the word "harem" My imagination is going towards beautiful ladies scantily-clad. Now now stop it.

[Tripps]

It's all explained here Sunny, Oldham's Burning Sands

[PanBiker]

Nice one Dave

[Sunray10]

Yes I thought those "harem pants" had something to do with Arabia. Very nice.

[Stanley]

Iron discipline is being maintained as we enter the danger zone!

[EileenDavid]

I am also trying but it's hard with all the chocolate. Weight watches say that a roast dinner with white meat is one of the best for loosing weight as long as it's with plenty of veg and easy on the roast potatoes. I'm not a pudding or cake person that's Dave's area so the Christmas Pud and cake doesn't interest me but I am a bit of a chocoholic but limit myself to a couple of squares a day. Eileen

[Sunray10]

I do like my Christmas dinner very much with all the trimmings around the turkey and roast potatoes, though I must admit those brussel sprouts give me some wind (wind as in flatulence). I'm not that bothered about Christmas pudding and would much rather have a mince pie instead. Go easy on those parsnips as I believe they are an 'aphrodisiac'. Luckily, I don't need to bother watching my weight and can eat everything over Christmas, including 'chocolate'.

[Sue]

I love Christmas dinner and also love making it, but this year is a year off the cooking and I don't know what my sister is making. It will be good as she is a superb cook. We have just finished eating a Chinese meal that I cooked, and am now resting, ready for tomorrow! We have just had a trial run with Skype to Julia in Coventry so we can see the grandchildren in the morning.

[Stanley]

Enjoy your Xmas dinners but remember that on average people eat three times their recommended daily intake of calories on Xmas Day..... (All right, I'm an old Scrooge!)

[EileenDavid]

With all the best intentions ate too much but compensated the day after as I wasn't hungry. Eileen

[Stanley]

All I can report is that the waistband of my trousers is as easy now as it was before Xmas. That'll do for me.....