NO MORE CHOCOLATE CANDY BARS

[SuzyQ411]

I have frequently said that my drugs of choice are nicotine, caffeine, and chocolate.

Well, I've quit cigarettes and am staying away from coffee (for the most part.)

But, chocolate candy bars have become my "go to" on this bumpy journey to freedom from cigarettes.

Hershey's with almonds have been my favorite; Almond Joy a close second. (And I have found they each now come in jumbo size.)

I would not keep them in the house; my resistance to chocolate gluttony is very low at this point.

So, every few days, when I'm out on errands, I have been picking up two or three.

And within a few hours, they'd be all be gone.

And, crap....

• I have gained almost 10# and my new wardrobe purchased after my recent loss of 45#, is getting snug,

• And now to top it off-- my routine blood work this past week showed an elevated cholesterol level. 

Cholesterol--along with nicotine tar--are responsible for the thickening of my carotid arteries. 

Which led to my decision to quit smoking.

So anyway, my cardiology practitioner asked: "Have you been taking your cholesterol meds?"

"Yes."

"Have you changed your low cholesterol diet?"

" Well, yes...  I um..um.. have been eating some candy bars..." (And did not mention the pretzels, cheese and crackers, cookies and milk, french fries crisped in oil etc, etc...)

"Well, here's the thing: No more candy bars."

While she said an occasional NIBBLE of dark chocolate would be ok, (as it's much lower in cholesterol than milk chocolate ) I was to eat fresh fruits and vegetables and a generally well-balanced diet. And stay away from high-cholesterol foods. 

In other words, I was to stay away from all the good stuff.

Well, I made a special trip to the store and have stocked up on green salad fixings, melon, blue berries and strawberries. Also, albacore packed in water, plain baked beans, and turkey, for a start. And have continued eating my high plant-based protein cereal with 1% milk.

Also, I found some tiny dark chocolate chunks with less that 5mg cholesterol per 8-piece serving, to be used only in "emergencies". (They can hardly be called chunks; they are more like minuscule flecks.)

So, I'm now off cigarettes AND chocolate!

Hopefully, while getting my cholesterol level under wraps, I can also lose some of that unwanted non-smoking weight gain~ Fingers crossed!!

[Denise1961]

Oh SuziQ!!

You are a person after my own heart! I was told that the chemotherapy treatments would cause weight gain but this is horrible! I wasn’t a skinny Minnie before but 27 pounds is almost traumatic. I have never weighed this much ever. I think my addiction to smoking has migrated to food and sweets like chocolate. I also found out that my body is not absorbing Magnesium and it is super low. One of the things I crave is chocolate with almonds which happens to be high in magnesium. Go figure!!! So tomorrow I have to go back to the infusion center for Magnesium. I guess all the Magnesium vitamins that I take are a waste of money. I thought about trying the NOOM app? All I know is that this weight has to come off. 

Any ideas would be appreciated. 

[Giulia]

Carrots.  Carrots are filled with sugars and satisfy a lot of my needs.  Raw, cooked - doesn't matter.  Good for you and although they won't replace chocolate - they do offer a treat. At least for me.  I'm not a fruit eater, so veggies are my go-to.  Well, along with all the other stuff.  I am an omnivore and enjoy both of those sides of my palate.  

 have stocked up on green salad fixings, melon, blue berries and strawberries. Also, albacore packed in water, plain baked beans, and turkey, for a start. And have continued eating my high plant-based protein cereal with 1% milk.

That's a great diet to be on. Not even a diet, just perfect eating.   Fish, turkey, greens, fruit... And an occasional chocolate candy kiss once in a while  (in my realm).  There are many other types of beans that you might do some research on.  Cannellini, Garbanzos...  There's a dish we have here in our house which I consider mouth-watering - just open a can of Cannellini beans, drain the can juice into a sauce pan, add a cut up clove of garlic, let it simmer a bit until the garlic is done, then add the beans and heat.  Add a package of spinach (cook it first) ... combine the two and add whatever spices you like in the process and... spinach and cannellini.  Great combo and GOOD FOR YOU!   Of course if you're not a garlic lover, then add your own spices to charge it up.  A little olive oil can't hurt.

I had no idea that chemo created weight gain.  God.  As with all the drugs we take to combat our ailments, there are side affects.  Sorry Suzy.  I don't think we're meant to say away from all the "good" stuff.  The really good stuff for us, unfortunately,  is that not too exciting stuff that's best FOR  us.  I really think it all has to do with "moderation."  I haven't gotten there yet, in certain other areas of my life, but I recognize that that's what I need to do.  We're addicted to that dopamine high - in whatever form it takes.  I look forward to the day when dopamine doesn't cause me to indulge in some of those things that aren't good for me.

[sweetplt]

Oh Suzy Q...I chuckled at this post...but I know on a serious note your eating is bad for you cholesterol....its the old question, “why is everything so good, so bad for us ?”  It stinks, but after a few days of not eating chocolate, it gets easier...I gave up my fave, a handful of M&M with almonds every night since Thanksgiving and lost 5 pounds...I so missed them in the beginning, but not so much anymore.  You are one strong lady, so I know you will get back on track and that cholesterol down...keep that beautiful quit going....and a Happy Wednesday ~ Colleen 436 DOF 

[AnnetteMM]

For me it's been Honey Crisp Apples. Juicy, crunchy, and sweet.

It ain't chocolate, but it satisfies.

[Barbscloud]

Good news.  There are foods that help lower cholesterol.   One is dark chocolate!

Barb

[Bonnie]

I love beans and always have at least one can of each variety (garbanzo, kidney, cannellini, pinto, and black) in my cupboard. I buy organic as they're only 99 cents at the local 99 cent store . Just bought one of those big things of spinach yesterday and I'm going to make your "recipe" today. Thanks, Giulia, sounds delish!

[Bonnie]

I enjoy your posts so much.  I completely understand the inability to control yourself if you keep your favorite indulgence conveniently at home...no way could I do that early in my quit.  You made great food choices on your shopping trip, including the tiny chocolate bites (especially if they're dark chocolate).  To completely deny yourself wouldn't be wise.  I'm sure if you stick to your new "food plan" your new wardrobe will continue to fit (and look great on you).

Thanks for the smile today!

[Giulia]

If you didn't want to use the juice from the can to saute the garlic, you could always add a wee bit of olive oil instead.  Gives it an amazing taste.  I prefer the non-virgin as it has more flavor.  And by the way, you need to drain the spinach and get as much water out of it as you can before adding it to the beans.  Hope you like it.

[SuzyQ411]

Thanks Giulia‌ for the helpful info. I over- carroted myself on the first round of my quit that I am so so so sick of them!.  But I'll tell you what: That spinach cannelloni sounds just delish! What size can of beans? What size bag of spinach? I will make it per the recipe but drizzle the finished dish with just a bit of olive oil~Thanks so much!! 

[indingrl]

GOOD healthy health plan - congrats STAYING NON SMOKER- yahooooooo - WAY TO GO

[SuzyQ411]

Somehow I had missed that you'd been on/are on chemo. I know that sometimes a person also receives prednisone with chemo, which can quickly add pounds. Perhaps that's the case for you? Regarding losing weight, I have no tips but Giulia‌ has a great post below, plus a terrific sounding recipe.

I lost my weight due to an illness- I had gastritis; cause unknown. While they were running all sorts of tests to figure out what was going on, I just kept losing. Once I was given the appropriate medication, my weigh loss leveled off. 

I can identify with your speaking of a cigarette addiction "migrating to food and sweets like chocolate".

Yes, almonds-and other nuts- are high in magnesium so there's another menu item. And, lucky for me, they also lower the "bad" cholesterol (forgot to mention I am snacking on nuts as well).

I know nothing personally about the Noom approach to weight loss other than the fact that a great-grand-daughter has told me it's working well for her~

Wishing you well in figuring out a weight-loss plan that will work for you while you continue on with getting those nasty cigarettes out of your life!

[SuzyQ411]

Hi Bonnie Thanks for your encouragement and support! Glad you enjoyed my post 🙂 Unfortunately I am not a "beans person" other than regular baked beans. Which is too bad as they are full of protein! My grand-daughter is a vegetarian who cooks a lot with all the type beans you mentioned. Glad to see many in this younger generation (aged 30's +) eating so much healthier than mine did.

[SuzyQ411]

Thanks sweetplt‌ for your support!! I will look forward to weighing less, as you did, with my elimination of umpteen weekly calories from those chocolate bars~

[SuzyQ411]

Good idea! I do have clementines in the house but didn't think of apples! Thanks AnnetteMM‌

[SuzyQ411]

Yes!!!!! Your post made me chuckle Barbscloud‌~ so I will stick to and ration wisely these teeny tiny pieces of dark chocolate that I bought 🙂

[SuzyQ411]

Thanks, as always, for your support indingrl‌ 🙂

[elvan]

I need to force myself to eat healthy foods, have to admit that I am drawn to sugar.  I like fruit but I REALLY like Sour Patch Kids.   I used to eat a fair amount of chocolate but find it less appealing these days, for some reason.  I have high cholesterol and cannot tolerate statins.  I really need to try to control it with diet and exercise but my cardiologist said it is genetic and that no diet and no amount of exercise is going to get it under control.  My low dose CT Scan did show Coronary Artery Disease, not good news.

Giulia‌'s recipe sounds good.  I love quinoa and will add all kinds of things to it to make a "bowl".  I add garbanzo beans, almonds, avocado, and a light salad dressing.  It's really good and I can change it up according to what I have on hand.

My son is a vegetarian and my youngest daughter eats "clean" and exercises regularly.  I eat very little meat but sometimes, I HAVE to have something.  

Ellen

[Giulia]

There's something very unfair about having high cholesterol when you look as slim and wonderful as you do.  Somehow we expect it of those who are on the plump side (e.g.  me), but a thin thing like you (and I've seen you in the flesh!) ... kind of sucks.  And frustrating when it's simply a matter of heredity.  Yeah, and whoever said life was fair.  But I can be mad FOR you!  Your "bowl" sounds great!  As far as trying to eat right - I made a spinach salad tonight with sauteed chicken tenders, hard boiled eggs, shrooms, bacon bits, almonds, zero cheese.  Not a vegan meal but other than the bacon bits, pretty healthy eating.  (jury's still out on eggs I believe)  'Course it also depends on what dressing you use.  Mine is oil and vinegar.  Something like Ranch is gonna up the calorie and bad fat content.  I love quinona too.  Somewhat crunchy.  Sort of like the difference between lima beans and mukamami.  One's al dente, the other, limas (for me anyway) always end up kind of mushy.  I like things that crunch more than... shall we say okra.  (I know, I know, you okra lovers out there.... more power to ya!).  For those of you reading this - go buy yourself some edamame or mukamami.  Baby soy beans. ("gluten free and low in calories, contain no cholesterol, and they are an excellent source of protein, iron, and calcium.")  

"

• Lima beans have fewer calories, are fat free, and have more vitamin A, C, and iron.
• Edamame have twice the protein and nearly half the carbs.
• Edamame have all nine essential amino acids."  

[Bonnie]

My best friend is the same way, doesn't like beans except for classic baked beans.  I'm grateful that I do

[Bonnie]

And I recommend organic on all soy...otherwise you're eating GMO and God knows how much Roundup is on your food.  They just found out that OATS has one of the highest glyphosate (Roundup) measurements...pity the poor children eating their oatmeal or Cheerios or oatmeal cookies today....and their mothers who think they are providing healthy food for their kids...

[SuzyQ411]

Hi Bonnie,

Just a question as a no-informed person: If a food is classified as organic does that men that absolutely no herbicides are used to control weed growth?

Totally amazed by the info you posted on oatmeal and oat foods such as Cheerios (a staple snack for today's toddlers)!

Scary~

Suzy

[elvan]

@Bonnie, for some reason, I can't copy your link.  I had never heard that about oats and I eat a LOT of oatmeal and Cheerios because I was told that oats may help lower cholesterol.  This is really disturbing. @Mark, apparently can't mention him either. I just sent him a direct message.

Ellen

[SuzyQ411]

I have posted various links before and it appears that Mark has to approve them before they are posted. One of the concerns is apparently copyright issues~

[elvan]

Sorry, I meant that I couldn't @mention Bonnie.  That was confusing, wasn't it?  Bonnie‌, Mark reminded me of using quotation marks around the name and it worked.

Ellen

[Giulia]

I'm 70 years old.  I figure I've adapted to all the carcinogens I've been fed in my lifetime.  We build immunities by taking in little bits of them on a daily basis.  Flu shots are a small dose of the flu.  If we sterilize ourselves too much by hand sanitizers, anibiotics, etc. we stop building up our immune systems.  That's why now we're told to use vaseline on cuts and other items instead of antibacterial ointments.  Even good old peroxide for cleaning out cuts is only recommended if it's diluted.  Or so the doctors NOW say.  Who knows WHAT they'll say tomorrow.  We learn as we live.  

I just discovered that most of our over-the-counter vitamins that you get at Walmart, for example, are made in China.  Who knew.  I didn't.  Makes me think twice about them now.   

It would be great if we all had the money to buy nothing but "organic" everything.  But that stuff costs big bucks.  Most people can't afford it.  

[Bonnie]

here's some articles and a video to chew on, Ellen:

glyphosate in oats - Bing : "Darby Campsey, director of communications and producer relations for Texas Wheat, said Texas wheat farmers follow the science that shows glyphosate is nontoxic."

https://www.fooddive.com/news/kellogg-to-reduce-glyphosate-use-in-supply-chain-as-epa-oks-weed-kille... 

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/02/19/glyphosate-in-oat-products.aspx 

quaker glyphosate - Bing video 

[Bonnie]

Suzy, there's no guarantee that any food doesn't have any herbicide in it, as Roundup can be found in even rainwater and the air we breathe: U.S. researchers find Roundup chemical in water, air - Reuters (and this article was written 8 years ago).  It's been banned in some countries: Countries That Banned Glyphosate Weedkiller (Updated) | Weed Killer Crisis 2020.  

[Bonnie]

I'm 70 also and live on Social Security.  We have some great stores that offer organic at reasonable prices.  I don't eat a lot of meat, so I can buy a can of organic beans for 99 cents.  I'm not rigid about it, but if a bunch of organic radishes costs 90 cents and a bunch of non-organic radishes cost 75 cents, I buy the organic.  I find that the organic tastes better and lasts longer. I also grow Japanese eggplant, zucchini, snow peas, green beans, tomatoes, and a variety of lettuce in big pots, and have enough to share. I think the list of "dirty dozen" has expanded to more than 12, and I don't buy everything organic, but I do buy organic spinach, celery, apples.  I do it for my bod and I do it for Mother Earth. I do what I can and that's all I can do.  P.S.  And I don't get flu shots

[Giulia]

Good for you!

[DonnaMarie]

It has taken me a year to really take off my quit smoking weight. I'm afraid that if I tried to give up chocolate, I'd lose my mind even worse than usual   Congrats to you!

Donna

[SuzyQ411]

Well, DonnaMarie‌, it's not really something I chose to do but was actually told to do by my cardiologist. Since that time, I've found some dark chocolate mini-morsels with minimal cholesterol and some chocolate hazelnut made with cocoa powder that has no cholesterol. So, when the fruits and veggie and nut snacks have lost their appeal, I do have back-up options when I just can't seem to quell my craving. Not sure if I will lose much--if any--weight this way but I believe my new snacking choices (and meal changes) will lower my cholesterol. I will know in about a month....

[elvan]

SuzyQ411‌ I haven't had my cholesterol rechecked but I read the results of my last low dose CT Scan when I was getting one yesterday.  Along with emphysema, COPD, and lung volume reduction surgery, it says CAD (that's coronary artery disease) and that test was a year ago.  I think I am going to have to deal with the intense nausea from the statins, I rarely eat meat, I like fruits and vegetables and I DID like oatmeal and Cheerios...my son and daughter in law had a vegetarian and vegan cafe with a small locally sourced grocery.  My daughter in law is an amazing cook and I loved working and eating there (until they closed).  In any event, we sold a lot of organic produce but it wasn't "certified" organic because getting that certification is apparently really expensive.  We trusted the suppliers when they told us that their food was organic.  I never saw such beautiful vegetables in so many different colors!

[Barbscloud]

I want to share this with you from my doctor.  I just had my lung CT and I've had other's for G.I. issues.  They're available online so I read everything.  I questioned my doctor about other issues mentioned on the CT other than my lungs.  Why does one CT state something that another one doesn't?  His response was lengthy and addressed why each particular item was mentioned on one and not the other.  But the gist of it was " If you reported every single thing you see on the CT scan reports would be 3 pages long. Some radiologist are pithy and report only relevant findings whereas others are more detailed. You got a detailed one this time."

Barb

[SuzyQ411]

Denise1961‌...this is a rather late response to your above request for diet suggestions but I was just thinking about when my husband Pete was gaining weight with his chemo: While most of his weight was from the side effects of Prednisone which he not only received with each infusion but also needed to take at other times as well, his oncologist referred him to a nutritionist regarding a healthy meal plan. His insurance covered this referral, perhaps yours might as well? I remember that one thing she stressed is that you read the labels on all foods you buy. She said to avoid products with added sugars and high salt content, and to seek those with high protein and fiber levels. And she gave him lists of menus and recipes. Perhaps your oncologist could refer you for such a workup as well???

Best wishes for success with you chemotherapy and magnesium infusions 

~Suzy

[indingrl]

AMEN AND AMEN -  NO flu shots for ME - I people pleased and got flu shot and ONE of the side effects is BELLS PALSY - which I got and - 12 YEARS later I am still in very painful eyes and NO full smile - stroke face  - and in the beginning -  I wanted them to have BELLS PALSEY and I wanted to sue them and destroy them and as I continued to pray HARD for them and in TIME - I prayed to forgive them - JUST like I was forgiven and for ME to be filled with love and gratitude for them and that they be eternally saved in MY Lord Jesus name amen 

[indingrl]

I am glad for YOU SuzyQ progessing nicely under Gods construction NOT humans -

[Christine13]

I also gained weight on chemo 11 years ago, have managed to loose about 20 lbs. of it.  I take 3 weight gaining meds, and it's very hard to loose weight on them.  I love veggies!  Eating them is like eating candy for me.

I'm sorry you have to give up your chocolate Suzy.  I rarely eat it or other sweets, but bread is my downfall.  I like to eat at least 2 pieces a day. I lost about 80 lbs. on weight watchers, and I've kept it off.

I think it's the carbs that I eat, that is so bad for me.