Dieting Problems With Veterans

[Jimmy1]

Just wanted to get some comments and opinions.

I went to a dietitian yesterday to get sorted with losing weight prior to my back surgery in May. Anyway, she came up with some interesting info for me. Apart from comfort eating which is associated with depression, she said our upbringing and the military have a lot to answer for.

For starters, when I was little my parents used to say 'Your not leaving the table till you have finished what you have on your plate' , and 'Eat everything and you will grow in to a big strong boy'. I suppose that was fine. I was young and burned heaps of calories with school, sports and the like.

Then there was the military. At boot camp, or recruit training or whatever you want to call it, you needed the calories as you were burning so many with the rigorous training; however, you only had little time to eat. I am sure you remember 'You have 5 minutes', or whilst you were out patrolling, you stopped for 5-10 min. Its amazing how you managed to scoff down a shit load of food and still make a brew and have a smoke all in 10 min. It all did not really matter as you burned all the calories you took in with the military way of life.

When you are discharged thought, things change. You still eat the same amount in the same amount of time with a vast difference in the amount of exercise. Especially if you have an injury, or are depressed, or have PTSD and don't want to leave the house.

Well, this is my problem and I have a goal of 5 kg in 5 weeks. Pretty reasonable for a guy with a screwed back. I want to lose 10 kg, but I was told it was unrealistic.

Any way, I would appreciate any other opinions.

James

 

[vikingr12]

I went to a dietitian, twice. (Good lookin' had nothing to do with the 2nd visit.) I am type II diabetes so I wanted to learn more about what to do.

She said all vegetables and fruit was good but watch the carbs. Only 50 per meal and a snack of 15 three times a day. I have been doing Ok with the weight but I am slowly losing the battle because I tend to starve instead of eating when I should. Not good for the blood sugar level. It makes you spike and get more hungry and thus binge eat. I cannot pass up a good pastry.

Certainly depression does not help but I am one that does not eat to make it feel better. Maybe sometimes. As you said, upbringing and parent "taping" is part of it. But I never had that problem. My parents could have gave shit about whether I was eating properly or not. I had malnutrition twice before I even graduated from high school. Had to get vitamin shots. Part of the piss off about my childhood.

 

[Raven]

I'm lucky I still seem to have a passably quick metabolism and that I don't mindlessly snack. I am guilty of wolfing down a lot of food in a short amount of time, usually just once a day... most nutrition experts will tell you to do just the opposite of that.

I have a slight... uh... beer gut. Not a potbelly, not yet anyway. Just a little extra padding to... uh... keep my organs insulated through the winter? I can grab a small handful right under my bellybutton.

I'm self conscious about it but not enough to go on a real diet or follow through when I go on an exercise stint. It always ends up losing steam after a few weeks anyway.

But I do take more diet pills than I probably ought to.

I told my husband before we got serious that if I start to get pretty hefty, I probably won't be added to do much about it so instead of bitching and moaning at me to lose weight, he can pay for the liposuction and I would happily go through with it. He didn't quite know how to react.

Just routine maintenance. That's how I look at these things.

 

[Chin Strapped]

That sounded allot like my life mate. I will never Force my kids to sit at a table for 1.5 hours and eat; I don't believe it helped me at all.

I tried the caveman, I mentioned it in anotheir thread; lost a fair bit in a couple of weeks. Just a diet based around eating better things and training the mind to enjoy it.

I stopped to enjoy the silly season, I know I Will go again in the New year.

Good luck shifting it mate, stay strong.