Nutrition

[Pete]

Just thinking out loud here. I've gotten pretty faithful about exercising over the past couple of months. Now walking 2+ miles 3x weekly and doing resistance training 2x weekly. I feel really good. But my pred belly (taking 5 mg/day as a minimum dose that keeps symptoms away) is showing no signs of going away. My abdominal muscle tone is poor as I have difficulty doing crunches correctly and can't do sit ups at all.

I'm seeing a dietician next month to see what I can do so that 1) my clothes fit better 2) I'm meeting my nutritional needs, and 3) I can continue to lead an appropriately active life style for an almost 70-year old. About a year ago, I was working with a chiropractor/wholistic doc and was getting good results until he died unexpectedly and I went off part of the plan. Since then, I've gained 8-10 pounds.

The chiropractor has me eating more healthily. More fresh fruits and vegetables, whole milk dairy (milk and yogurt or Skyr), more oily fish, a little less red meat, and virtually no processed "foods". He was doing morphogenic field analyses (muscle testing against nutrient samples) and selling me food supplements (Standard Process brand) to ensure my nutrition needs were met. My wife has found another chiropractor that sells Standard Process, but he's a bit of a jerk, and I don't need a problem on my treatment team. I also have doubts about what is in the supplements. (What on earth is bovine extract?)

I had a good conversation with my PCP about this. He has referred me to the dietician in his office, although he admits that I'm probably looking for someone who can provide more long-term guidance. If the dietician can't/doesn't help me, the next stop is sports medicine with a doc that also provides nutritional guidance.

By any chance, would any of you have some thoughts to share about this? Thanks!!

[andrew]

Yo Pete
I saw a dietician for a while. She actually knew the WG. She was great but basically told me stuff I already knew and it just highlighted how much it's up to me to do the right thing and not someone else

Anyway back to you... I think a dietician with at least a passing knowledge of AI diseases would be great at least for a start to get on the right path. Fresh fruit and veg less meat more fish and no processed crap is a great way to go and can only be beneficial. From all the way over here though I would have thought that if you're eating a good diet your nutritional needs would be met and the benefits of any nutritional supplements would be negligible at best unless your body isn't absorbing your food properly?? If indeed your needs aren't being met it might be more of a tweak to the diet that's necessary rather than pills and more cost.

Anyhoo just my deux centimes...

[Pete]

Thanks, Big Guy!!!

[mishb]

I agree with Andrew, Pete, and it really does sound like you have the food selections correct.

Supplements are something that I avoid, mainly because of the cost, but also because my liver doesn't agree with them.

I mentioned to Alysia the other day, that when I try something different, in regards to supplements, I like to only take one thing in between each blood test, so that I can tell what the impact of that one additional item will be on my bloods and body. If I decided to add 3 different supplements at once and my blood reacted to this, then I wouldn't know which of the supplements was causing the problems. Therefore I try one at a time, before adding another, or stay clear of them. If you are eating the right way, then they wont be required.

Unfortunately at our age (over 50), that middle spread is a lot harder to shift, and I'm not certain a supplement will help with this.

I think you are doing an amazing job, by the way, with your walking and resistance training.

I'm sorry I can't give you any real nutritional idea's but I think you have that one sorted.

[Debbie C]

Pete, I agree with Andrew and Mish, you are doing great with everything, The most important part is what you are eating and you seem to be doing that right. Maybe your trainer at the gym can show you different works out for that specific area. I started doing my yoga again and a thing call yogalates. A mix between pilates and yoga ( it was originated in Byron Bay in Aust. by Louise Soloman ) I don't know if any of you over there have ever heard of her. But I am back down to my pre pred weight of 102 !!! I still have a little pudge but it is going away. Maybe you should try yoga, it is great for everything and everyone............Good luck and let us know what the dietician says. I just thought about this, that if you take about a cup of water warm to hot water mixed with lemon juice and a little honey, 20 min.before you eat in the morning,it will burn more calories and boost your metabolism..just my deux centimes !!!!!! Ohhhhhhh if you have an exercise ball ,I find it easier doing sit ups on that than laying on the floor. K..I'm done

[Pete]

Thanks for the affirmations everyone. I'm just tired of looking like I'm four months pregnant. I never had this issue before wegs/pred, and I'm a little frustrated by not being able to do much about it. I'll talk to a trainer at the Y and see what that leads to in terms of exercises for the paunch.