A new person contemplating CR

[Nikita]

Hello everyone :)

 

I have just come across CR, although I've been aware of the scientific studies into calorie restriction and longevity for years.

 

I've had a pretty much lifelong lack of nutrients and poor diet, and this is my main reason for wanting to try CR - I will be 30 at the end of September, I am obese and very unhealthy with a range of health issues (thyroid and gut problems, still under investigation at present) and with my health basically hitting crisis point last year it's clearly time for me to get to grips with it.

 

My diet at present is starchy carb-rich (mostly potato and junk) so it's going to be a massive change but I'm conscious that if I don't take control, I'm going to end up a total mess. The nutritional awareness of CR really appeals to me from that POV - I have known deficiencies that I'm already supplementing for but of course, getting the nutrients through diet is preferable.

 

My BMI at the moment is around 36, I'm roughly 6st overweight. I do get exercise - I have 9 dogs so I can't help but get exercise

 

I'm just at a bit of a loss where to start, really. I know I have some issues that will probably cause a problem - I HATE leafy greens and nuts for one thing, I have tried numerous times to get accustomed to them but I just can't. I can however have them if I chuck them in a blender with milk and fruit and make a smoothie, but is that any good on CR?

 

As for my specific deficiences - folate is bottom of the range (or was a few months back, it's being retested next week as part of the health investigations for thyroid trouble), B12 likewise and if I don't supplement that strongly, I get thick (best way to describe it really). My vitamin D is deficient - not badly but below range and to keep it up I'm on 30,000IU a week (that is half what I was recommended, I did take more but again, that'll be checked next week so I can tweak if needed but going by the previous test, it's probably not enough).

 

Frankly though I just don't know where to begin with those - D I know is tricky on a calorie restricted diet as it's not easy to get in sufficient amounts in diet, I'm happy to keep supplementing that but I'd rather get the others up to par naturally.

 

How easy is it to tailor the diet to specific needs like these? With my thyroid wonky that is a consideration as well.

[keithsct]

Hello everyone :)

 

I have just come across CR, although I've been aware of the scientific studies into calorie restriction and longevity for years.

 

I've had a pretty much lifelong lack of nutrients and poor diet, and this is my main reason for wanting to try CR - I will be 30 at the end of September, I am obese and very unhealthy with a range of health issues (thyroid and gut problems, still under investigation at present) and with my health basically hitting crisis point last year it's clearly time for me to get to grips with it.

 

My diet at present is starchy carb-rich (mostly potato and junk) so it's going to be a massive change but I'm conscious that if I don't take control, I'm going to end up a total mess. The nutritional awareness of CR really appeals to me from that POV - I have known deficiencies that I'm already supplementing for but of course, getting the nutrients through diet is preferable.

 

My BMI at the moment is around 36, I'm roughly 6st overweight. I do get exercise - I have 9 dogs so I can't help but get exercise

 

I'm just at a bit of a loss where to start, really. I know I have some issues that will probably cause a problem - I HATE leafy greens and nuts for one thing, I have tried numerous times to get accustomed to them but I just can't. I can however have them if I chuck them in a blender with milk and fruit and make a smoothie, but is that any good on CR?

 

As for my specific deficiences - folate is bottom of the range (or was a few months back, it's being retested next week as part of the health investigations for thyroid trouble), B12 likewise and if I don't supplement that strongly, I get thick (best way to describe it really). My vitamin D is deficient - not badly but below range and to keep it up I'm on 30,000IU a week (that is half what I was recommended, I did take more but again, that'll be checked next week so I can tweak if needed but going by the previous test, it's probably not enough).

 

Frankly though I just don't know where to begin with those - D I know is tricky on a calorie restricted diet as it's not easy to get in sufficient amounts in diet, I'm happy to keep supplementing that but I'd rather get the others up to par naturally.

 

How easy is it to tailor the diet to specific needs like these? With my thyroid wonky that is a consideration as well.

You can start by weighing & recording everything you currently eat for two weeks. Many people record their info in www.cronometer.com, but there are other options. Another thing is to get a set of medical tests to use as a base line before you start to change your diet. Once you've done these two things, then you're ready to start.

CRON has 2 basic rules to follow: 1) get all of your recommended nutrients in your diet and 2) reduce your calories by 10 - 30% from what a nice thin version of yourself would normally eat.

 

CRON is all about tailoring the diet for your individual needs. It's bad news to hear that you don't like leafy greens and nuts since those are excellent sources of folate and healthy essential fatty acids. An alternate source of folate would be lentils which you can boil in water just in the same way you cook rice. I stir fry both kale and spinach in a wok with a bit of grapeseed oil and find that it's much better than eating it raw. Always eat your cooked leafy greens with something like rice or sweet potatoes, a little olive oil and some spices, because the flavors is improved compared with eating leafy greens alone. The best way to get all your nutrients is to eat a little of 9 - 12 vegetables in each meal. It sounds like a lot, but if you prepare them ahead of time on the weekend, and then again one evening during the middle of the week, you can do it with a minimum of fuss.

Carrots, yams/sweet potato, beets, brown rice, green beans, lentils, peas, egg plant, mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, kale, squash are all good choices. Adding olive oil, flax seed oil and some spices like paprika, salt/potassium salt, pepper, curry and chili powder can really help improve the taste. Soups are another way to eat your veggies and are great for winter. Fruit is great, but limit the quantities to reasonable amounts. Bread should be eliminated until you've lost the extra weight.

 

Your #1 target in modifying your diet should be to replace your breakfast cereal with a healthy alternative. You could have fruit and yogurt. Another option could be a combination of beans, oatmeal, walnuts and sesame seeds with some blackstrap molasses for flavor.

 

You need to choose reasonable calorie targets and then slowly reduce the amount you eat while at the same time exchanging one bad thing you eat with one good thing. After a year of this you'll have dropped lots of unnecessary weight and you'll feel a lot better. Do keep recording what you eat every day so that you can review where you were and how things have changed. It's a real motivator and sometimes it's nice to go back to some previous version of the diet for one reason or another.

I know it's lots of work, but in the end, being healthy is worth it.

Good luck with it.

 

Cheers,Keith

 

PS: There are several books that are good to read:

The CR Way by Paul M. and Meredith A.

Beyond 120 year Diet - How to double your Vital Years by Roy L Walford.

The Longevity Diet by Lisa Walford and Brian M. Delaney