More Health Updates

In the two months of this new year, I have so far managed to lose more than 20 pounds. TWENTY POUNDS!!! How did that happen? I almost am not able to believe that it is for real. But, it is real. My pants are loose, I'm almost able to fit into some smaller ones that I haven't been able to get into for quite some time, and every time I get on the scale, it is a significantly smaller number than I have been used to seeing. It's a good feeling.

The switch to soy milk is going well. I've been using it, mixed with some skim milk, in my cereal and gradually using more of the soy and less of the traditional milk. It's not bad. And since I've been doing that, I haven't had any problems with my lactose intolerance. I still eat cheese some (lowfat), yogurt, and sugar-free puddings that are made with real milk. But since I've cut back on the amount of dairy I'm eating, it is made a big difference. I'm keeping some skim milk around to use when I cook, because I don't want a vanilla soy milk flavoring in my mashed potatoes!

I've managed to get the recommended amount of fiber on a regular basis now for several weeks without problems. So now, my next goal is to work more carbohydrates in, and to keep an eye on the sodium that I get. I've started tracking my sodium on SparkPeople.com and I'm finding that some days I am seriously higher than I should be, while other days I am in a good range. With carbs, typically I have too few, though occasionally I will end up in the low end of the recommended range. So, I'm going to try to work on those things in order to get healthier.

More soon.

It's Working!

Well, I've somehow managed to lose 16 pounds since the beginning of the year. Not too shabby! I just hope I'm able to keep losing, and then to keep the weight off!

In the process of losing weight, I've been learning a lot about food and nutrition. It's really amazing the things we eat, how they are sooooo not good for us. But, I'm learning, and I'm starting to make better overall choices.

I've added to my daily fiber intake considerably. Once I started tracking how much fiber I was getting in a day, I realized that I was getting anywhere from 2 grams to less than 10 grams a day. They recommend getting 25-35 a day, minimum! Huge difference there. So, I did a little research and started to learn which foods were high in fiber. Adding just a few things like multi-grain English Muffins or tortillas has gotten me to where I'm now getting anywhere from 25+ without really trying. One word of caution though folks...when upping your fiber intake, do it slowly. It can cause some serious gas! Sorry if that's TMI. LOL. I've got it under control, but I did a gradual increase, not like what I had thought about.

This week, I'm going to try soy milk instead of regular milk. I've been drinking 1% milk for quite a while. I am lactose intolerant though, and I'm curious if I can help with that by switching to soy. The soy milk is very comparable to the 1% in calorie and fat content, but I believe that it has more protein in it. Hopefully it'll work out. I'll know in a couple of days.

More later.