Team '72 Week of May 5th, 2008

[farley109]

Good morning all! I'm at work!! Gonna be a long day!!

You know how I said yesterday that I was gonna have a cook out for my MIL and Granny n law...And that my SIL was helping plan it? Well my SIL called last night and she's changed her mind...doesnt want to do it now! She and her DH are gonna go out tonight and so she didn't bother telling anyone or scheduling anything! I guess I should have tried to schedule it myself, but with me being the only one that actually COOKs, I just didn't have the time! I mean I work full time and manage a house with 4 kids...5 if you count the DH!! She was off yesterday and was gonna handle the planning part! That gripes me! I have to work today and don't have time to organize anything. I give up! I ordered them both Tulips and bought a happy mothers day cake. I guess I will drop it off tonight and visit a few minutes.

I still have my mom's tomorrow to look forward to!! My sister called last night and told me to be sure and get the Scavenger Hunt ready...I had forgot! Last year we did a scavenger hunt and it was WILD!! But everyone enjoyed it!! Some of the things on the list include....cow patty...still smoking...extra points...Live snake, worm, fish, bird, etc. Dog turd....still smoking...extra points!! We have a blast!!! Last year my nephew stood by with a feed sack watching the cows like a hawk!! Sure enough...his was still smoking!!! EWWWW but hey...it was an extra 100 points!! He's 36 by the way!! I also have bonus questions...like what was Great Grandma's nick name....or how many kids did Aunt Martha have....(its tricky cause Aunt Martha had twins but one died at birth).

I also had to type Ty's Geography paper this morning!! UGH!! What a day!!!

[farley109]

Jen...your lucky...my boys have NEVER spent the night with their Grammy or granny!! Only my mom!! And she is 76!!! My MIL is only 50!!! They are just tooo much for her!! She's single for God's sake!! She has NOTHING to do with my boys...Now the girls she does on occasions, but only when the girls call and ask!!! She never just calls or comes by and she lives right across town. And when I say right across town, I mean the entire town isn't a mile across!!! More like 6 blocks!!! GRRRRRRR

[marymc]

Good morning ladies and Happy Saturday!! I think I'm late behind all of you but maybe ya'll will catch up later.

My male house finch is out front singing to his mate to come get her food. He brings her food all day long!! DH went to an AA fish fry with his AA buddies... I took a pass myself. Wonder if he'll bring ME food!

Wow Ing, I got wore out just reading your post!! Horses are a mighty lot of work that's for sure. Well, guess I rather enjoy riding somebody else's and leaving the work to them! But you make me feel better about paying the rental fee... apparently it isn't nearly enuf. I feel for you on the diabetes - it is something I watch for too. My mother didn't have it, I don't have it and I'm hoping that getting my weight under control will help, but all of my mother's siblings had it to the level of having to do insulin shots. Some of them were overweight, but many were not so it is not the adult onset type in my family. My godmother had it bad - she has since passed away from complications. I have relatives who have lost limbs due to it. And my grandmother (my mother's mother) passed away following a diabetic coma so far as I can remember. I, and she, was very young. I have a cousin - my godmother's daughter - who actually has to wear a pump. Pretty serious stuff... so even though I do not have it, and I do get checked periodically, I do monitor myself. My levels generally run low, not dangerously low but low. So yeah out of fear, I voluntarily stab myself for no good reason - how nutso is that!?

Oh and Ing, on that Callanetics DVD... I bought a Pilates tape once, thinking that type of exercise would be the best for me since I don't sweat and I get easily overheated with any kind of extended cardio. Well... I couldn't even get through the opening stretches!!!! I tossed that tape aside and never looked at it again lol.....

Arrrrrrggggghhhhhhhh...... those kids are next door in the front yard screaming again - I don't know why that drives me so nuts but it does. They are toddlers - both under 2 - and it's just this constant super high pitched screeching really - and yes, I can hear it in my house and with the tv turned on!! Frankly, I don't know how they can stand it! It goes on all day!!!!! My son was never like that - is this common with kids these days??? (see how little patience I have lol.... again, only the one child for me! Thank you Lord!) Ayiyiyi...

Onefit you have been so subtle these days??? Just a quick drive by from you!

Shala, I hope you had a fun day today... those kids love you and I know you love them!! Oh and I know that you are kidding about the flask, but you'll probably need a cocktail or three tonight for sure!

Brandi, I'm afraid that I'm in the 2 pound club with you. And none of mine left in the toiled either!!!! Well Monday is my "official" weigh in but I got on the scale today and instead of a loss this week, I am up two pounds. I'm not surprised because ever since I added in the walking, I have been retaining water. Anybody know why that is and how long that will last??? Makes me not want to exercise that's for sure. I'm drinking plenty of water, but I can see the puffiness in my face and it's been with me since the last week of April when I started back to the treadmill. I was fine and losing before adding in the exercise. Boy, that's encouraging to keep exercising... NOT!!

Diana, Happy Mother's Day to you too!!! I see you're down to 201!!! Yeaaaaa! You'll be in Onederland soon! Hey ... I think you dropped off your last 2 pounds at my house!!!

Tommie, so sorry about your SIL... guess she just didn't feel up to the planning, but geez she sure coulda let you know a little sooner???!!!! That scavenger hunt sounds like a hoot! Again you with the stories... we really should get together and write a book I swear!!! I keep telling my DIL that I will keep my grandson any time, but she is still at that stage where she hasn't left him with anybody overnight. I think her grandma is the only one that actually has kept him during the day when DIL was working. She's only working occasionally now, part time. That whole thing with her grandma is kinda weird. DIL's grandmother had two children, both girls, but long, long ago she did have a baby boy that died right after he was born. She still grieves about it even though it's been like 50 years - you can see it when she talks about it she gets very sad and teary. I think the worse part is that they buried the baby before she even got out of the hospital so she didn't have closure. So I think in a way she looks at this baby - my grandbaby - as the boy baby she lost. Kinda creeps me out. So I am sure that's how she guilted DIL into letting her keep him instead of me. Yeah, she's one of "those." Oh lordy... here I go again.... do I sound bitter???

[farley109]

Mary....My Granny in law has 3 daughters and had 1 son that died at the age of 2. Jason was born on the day he died 2 years later. His mom was only 16 when Jason was born. Granny raised him and there is more of a bond between him and Granny than him and his mom!

I was just like your DIL until I had my second child!! They are always more protective of the first one!! Just keep trying!! I would love for mine to at least call and offer. My DH and I could really use some away time!! We NEVER go anywhere alone anymore. I just don't want to subject someone to my kids. Plus I feel guilty because I leave them to go to work so much.

[farley109]

Mary...my entire family is a bunch of country bumpkins!! My brother is a game warden (actually went to college to teach, but?) My oldest sister is a teacher....the next one works at a prison....the next one works of the Dept of Human Services....The next a nurse....We all have grew up fishing...hunting....and chasing cows!! Mom and dad always had cows!! We roamed the country side!! And we love thinking up crazy things to do!!!

Did I ever tell ya about bowling with Pumpkins and using the twins as bowling pins??? I even taped that one!!! hahaha

[marymc]

Jen, sorry the rolls didn't work out for you. I'm like Tommie, I prefer them fresh too, but they never lasted more than a couple days most with me since I used 2 at a time with sammies and burgers. The drying out and storing in an open ziploc has to happen from the fresh out of the oven stage - I don't think you can dry them out once they get soggy on you. Oh I love big Italian families!!! I once went to a multi-course Italian dinner with an ex-BF's family and it was fantastic! Things didn't work out with me and him, but his mama was full bloodied American Indian and his father, Italian so it was an interesting family.

Kathy, that has got to be so difficult for you with DD right now. I remember this very thing happening to me and crying my eyes out for days. On hindsight it seems silly now.. though I honestly don't think I've ever gotten over that one really. My mama was there to just listen to me and give me a hug and that was all I needed. More than anything DD just needs you to be there to listen to her. Just want you to know I'm thinking about you.

[marymc]

lol Tommie... no I don't remember the bowling pin story! Girl, I'm serious as a heart attack! You gotta book in you.

I don't know what's wrong with me today... I am totally unmotivated for some reason. I think I must be sad, whoever it was that said that earlier. I do miss my mom...

On the other hand, my turtle is still in the backyard! I guess he just keeps circling the perimeter. I put out pie plates of water in several places and some strawberries, bananas, lettuce, bread and even dog food. He's bound to like one of those lol... hopefully he won't chow down on my plants!

Originally Posted by farley109

Mary...my entire family is a bunch of country bumpkins!! My brother is a game warden (actually went to college to teach, but?) My oldest sister is a teacher....the next one works at a prison....the next one works of the Dept of Human Services....The next a nurse....We all have grew up fishing...hunting....and chasing cows!! Mom and dad always had cows!! We roamed the country side!! And we love thinking up crazy things to do!!!

Did I ever tell ya about bowling with Pumpkins and using the twins as bowling pins??? I even taped that one!!! hahaha

[marymc]

Kim, I know you're not here right now but in case you show up sometime this weekend...

Thanks for sending the metabolic typing test. Based on my answers, it looks like I am a balanced oxidizer too. Isn't that what your's was?

Anyway, it says a BO (oh isn't that hilarious, I'm a BO) needs foods that have equal quantities of protein, fat and carbs in order to optimally process, produce and use the energy from my food. It says I will feel best on a wide range of foods and that has been true. I feel much better with the way I've been eating than I did doing strict low carb and higher protein/fat. I've been aiming for right around the same percentages that she recommends for BOs, 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat, though I actually think my protein has been coming in a bit lower than 30% most days. I'll need to work on that! Overall though, I was already following her guidelines with this recent change in my WOE, so I think I'll stick with what I'm doing.

I'll post this in case anybody is interested to see what it says for them.

[marymc]

Oxidizer Test

For each of these questions, circle the response that best applies to you. You may not know the answer right off the bat—it may take a couple of days if you have to see a pattern, but really think about these questions and analyze how different foods affect your body and your moods. The better you know yourself, the greater your odds of achieving exactly the results you want.

In the morning, you:
A. Don’t eat breakfast.
B. Have something light like fruit, toast, or cereal.
C. Have something heavy like eggs, bacon or steak, and hash browns.

At a buffet, the foods you choose are:
A. Light meats like fish and chicken, vegetables and salad, a sampling of different desserts.
B. A mixture of A and C.
C. Heavy, fatty foods like steak, ribs, pork chops, cheeses, and cream sauces.

Your appetite at lunch is:
A. Low.
B. Normal.
C. Strong.

Your appetite at dinner is:
A. Low.
B. Normal.
C. Strong.

Caffeine makes you feel:
A. Great—it helps you focus.
B. Neutral—you can take it or leave it.
C. Jittery or nauseous.

The types of foods you crave are (sugar is not listed because everyone craves sugar when they are tired or run-down):
A. Fruits, bread, and crackers.
B. Both A and C.
C. Salty foods, cheeses, and meats.

For dinner, you prefer:
A. Chicken or fish, salad, and rice.
B. No preference—choice varies daily.
C. Heavier, fatty foods like pastas, steak, and potatoes.

After dinner, you:
A. Need to have something sweet.
B. Could take dessert or leave it.
C. Don’t care for sweets and would rather have something salty like popcorn.

The types of sweets you like are:
A. Sugary candies.
B. No preference.
C. Ice cream or cheesecake.

Eating fatty foods like meat and cheese before bed:
A. Interferes with your sleep.
B. Doesn’t bother you.
C. Improves your sleep.

Eating carbs like breads and crackers before your bed:
A. Interferes with your sleep, but they’re better than heavier foods.
B. Doesn’t affect you.
C. Is better than nothing, but you sleep better with heavier foods.

Eating sweets before bed:
A. Doesn’t keep you from sleeping at all.
B. Sometimes makes you feel restless in bed.
C. Keeps you up all night.

Each day, you eat:
A. Two or three meals with no snacks.
B. Three meals with maybe one light snack.
C. Three meals and a lot of snacks.

Your attitude toward food is:
A. You often forget to eat.
B. You enjoy food and rarely miss a meal.
C. You love food and it’s a central part of your life.

When you skip meals, you feel:
A. Fine.
B. You don’t function at your best, but it doesn’t really bother you.
C. Shaky, irritable, weak, and tired.

Your attitude toward fatty foods is:
A. You don’t like them.
B. You like them occasionally.
C. You crave them regularly.

When you eat fruit salad for breakfast or lunch, you feel:
A. Satisfied.
B. Okay, but you usually need a snack in between meals.
C. Unsatisfied and still hungry.

What kind of food drains your energy?
A. Fatty foods.
B. No food affects you this way.
C. Fruit, candy, or confections, which give you a quick boost, then an energy crash.

Your food portions are:
A. Small—less than average.
B. Average—not more or less than other people.
C. Large—usually more than most people.

How do you feel about potatoes?
A. You don’t care for them.
B. You could take them or leave them.
C. You love them.

Red meat makes you feel:
A. Tired.
B. No particular feeling one way or the other.
C. Strong.

A salad for lunch makes you feel:
A. Energized and healthy.
B. Fine, but it isn’t the best type of food for you.
C. Sleepy.

How do you feel about salt?
A. Foods often taste too salty.
B. You don’t notice one way or the other.
C. You crave salt and salt your food regularly.

How do you feel about snacks?
A. You don’t really snack, but you like something sweet if you do.
B. You can snack on anything.
C. You need snacks but prefer meats, cheeses, eggs, or nuts.

How do you feel about sour foods like pickles, lemon juice, or vinegar?
A. You don’t like them.
B. They don’t bother you one way or the other.
C. You like them.

How do you feel about sweets?
A. Sweets alone can satisfy your appetite.
B. They don’t bother you but don’t totally satisfy you.
C. You don’t feel satisfied and often crave more sweets.

When you just eat meat (bacon, sausage, ham) for breakfast, you feel:
A. Sleepy, lethargic, or irritable.
B. It varies day to day.
C. Full until lunch.

When you eat heavy or fatty foods, you feel:
A. Irritable.
B. Neutral—they don’t affect you.
C. Satisfied.

When you feel anxious:
A. Fruits or vegetables calm you down.
B. Eating anything calms you down.
C. Fatty foods calm you down.

You concentrate best when you eat:
A. Fruits and grains.
B. Nothing in particular.
C. Meat and fatty food.

You feel more depressed when you eat:
A. Fatty or heavy foods.
B. Nothing in particular.
C. Fruits, breads, or sweets.

You notice you gain weight when you eat:
A. Fatty foods.
B. No particular food. You gain weight when you overeat.
C. Fruits or carbs.

What type of insomnia, if any, applies to you?
A. You rarely get insomnia from hunger.
B. You rarely get insomnia, but if you do, you often need to eat something in order to fall back asleep.
C. You often wake up during the night and need to eat. If you eat right before bed, it alleviates the insomnia.

Your personality type is:
A. Aloof, withdrawn, or introverted.
B. Neither introverted nor extroverted.
C. Extroverted.

Your mental and physical stamina are better when you eat:
A. Light proteins like egg whites, chicken, or fish and fruits.
B. Any wholesome food.
C. Fatty foods.

Your climate preference is:
A. Warm or hot weather.
B. Doesn’t matter.
C. Cold weather.

You have problems with coughing or chest pressure:
If yes, “C”; if no, move on to the next question.

You have a tendency to get cracked skin or dandruff:
If yes, “C”; if no, move on to the next question.

You have a tendency to get light-headed or dizzy:
If yes, “C”; if no, move on to the next question.

Your eyes tend to be:
A. Dry.
B. Fine.
C. Teary.

Your facial colouring is:
A. Noticeably pale.
B. Average.
C. Pink or often flushed.

Your fingernails are:
A. Thick.
B. Average.
C. Thin.

Your gag reflex is:
A. Insensitive.
B. Normal.
C. Sensitive.

You get goose bumps:
A. Often.
B. Occasionally.
C. Very rarely.

You are prone to:
A. Constipation.
B. No stomach problems.
C. Diarrhea.

When insects bite you, your reaction is:
A. Mild.
B. Average.
C. Strong.

Your body type is:
A. Short and stocky.
B. Average.
C. Tall and thin.

Your nose is:
A. Dry.
B. Normal.
C. Runny.

Scoring Your Metabolic Typing Test

When you have finished the test, add up the number of A answers, B answers, and C answers you have circled.
A______ B______ C______

If your number of C answers is 5 or more higher than your number of A or B answers, you are a fast oxidizer.

If your number of A answers is 5 or more higher than your number of B or C answers, you are a slow oxidizer.

If your number of B answers is 5 or more higher than your number of A or C answers, or if neither A, B, nor C’s are 5 or more higher than the other two, you are a balanced oxidizer.

If you’ve answered this questionnaire and you are still not clear which category is the right one for you, there are two other tests you can take to help clarify your metabolic type. These tests are a little drastic and provocative, and they are only intended for those who truly cannot type themselves using the questionnaire.

1. Niacin test: Take 50 milligrams of niacin on an empty stomach. If you experience an immediate flush, you are most likely a fast oxidizer. If you experience a moderate flushing effect, you are a balanced oxidizer. If you experience a significantly delayed flushing or nothing at all, you are a slow oxidizer.

2. Vitamin C test: Take 8 grams of vitamin C in equally divided doses over 8 hours. The fast oxidizer will respond by feeling acidic and uncomfortable, and may even experience other symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, or increased intestinal gas. A true balanced oxidizer may find that his or her stomach feels less acidic. A slow oxidizer will have no response at all.

[marymc]

Fast Oxidizers

You require foods with higher percentages of protein and fat than carbohydrates. Make sure there is protein in everything you eat including snacks. Your ideal macronutrient ratio is 20 percent carbs, 50 percent protein, 30 percent fat.

Proteins
All proteins are not created equal. The ones that are best for you are high-purine proteins, which are commonly found in fattier meats. This is not to say that you should cut out chicken or fish, but you need the heavier proteins most because they help slow down your rate of oxidation.

Choose from this list of proteins when deciding on a meal or snack:

High Purine: organ meats (pâté, liver, etc.), herring, mussels, sardines, anchovies
Moderate Purine: beef, bacon, dark meat chicken, duck, lamb, spareribs, dark meat turkey, veal, wild game, salmon, shellfish (lobster, shrimp, crab), oysters, scallops, octopus, squid, dark tuna
Low Purine: cottage cheese, milk, yogurt, eggs, cheese, white meat chicken, turkey, fish

Carbohydrates
Your metabolism thrives when your carb intake is limited, but there are different kinds of carbs. Some aren’t as bad as others. Avoid simple carbs, which convert to sugar quickly in the bloodstream. The carbs you can incorporate into your diet are the complex kind found mostly in nonstarchy vegetables. You can choose from these ideal carbs when deciding on a meal or snack.

Low-Starch vegetables: asparagus, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms, spinach

Fruits: avocado, olives, apples and pears (in limited quantity and never without protein on the side)

Grains: sprouted grain bread only (Ezekiel bread is a well-known brand that is available at supermarkets and health–food stores)
Legumes, tempeh, tofu

Fats
To best support your metabolism, you should be getting roughly 30 percent of your daily caloric intake from natural oils and fats. Choose these ideal fats when deciding on meal or snack preparation.

Nuts/Seeds (listed in order of protein content): walnuts, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, filberts, pecans, chestnuts, pistachios, coconut, macadamias

Fat/Oils: butter, cream, almond oil, peanut oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, flaxseed oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil

Along with knowing the foods that are ideal for you, it is important to know the foods that are worst for you. You don’t always have to eat off the ideal foods list, but the following foods will sabotage your weight-loss efforts.

1. Don’t ever eat a meal that is predominantly carbohydrates.
2. Don’t drink alcohol. It causes an increase in blood sugar and fat storage, and it will lead to a sugar crash as well as an increased appetite for carbs. If you choose to have a drink, avoid sugary cocktails, beer, and wine. Stick to clear alcohols like vodka or rum with calorie-free mixers like diet or club soda, and you can always just do what I do and drink it all straight.
3. Don’t eat carbohydrates that are high on the glycemic load index. The next chapter will tell you everything you need to know about the GLI. For now all you need to know is to stay away from high-GLI foods. It is important for all metabolic types to watch their high-GLI intake, but it is especially crucial for you. If you should happen to eat high-GLI foods, make sure to combine them with a protein in order to slow down the production and release of blood sugar.
4. Don’t drink too much caffeine. It is true that caffeine can be used as a fat burner and a performance enhancer when exercising. This is only effective, however, when the caffeine is taken in pill form in conjunction with aspirin. In the forms of coffee, tea, and soda, caffeine gives you short-term energy but does so by getting your adrenal glands to dump adrenaline into your blood like it’s going out of style. As a result, when the caffeine leaves your system, your adrenal glands will be depleted for a while, which leaves you feeling weak and tired from substandard blood-adrenaline levels. Caffeine also speeds the rate of oxidation, which is the exact opposite of what you want your nutrients to do. Avoid caffeinated beverages whenever possible and keep your overall caffeine consumption to a minimum.
5. Don’t overcook your meat. Avoid overcooked animal products, since heat destroys essential amino acids and valuable enzymes.
You will have less physical ailments and feel energized if you eat the foods that contain the ideal macronutrient ratios for your metabolic type. However, these foods are all very high in calories. You must remember to keep within your caloric allowance in order to lose weight.

[marymc]

Slow Oxidizers

In order to best serve your metabolism and feel energized both physically and mentally, you require foods with a higher percentage of carbohydrates. Your ideal macronutrient ratio is 60 percent carbs, 25 percent protein, and 15 percent fat.

Proteins
The best proteins for slow oxidizers are low-purine proteins, which are found in leaner meats. It’s not that you can never have steak again, but high-purine, high-fat proteins slow down the rate at which you convert nutrients into energy, which is what you’re already doing too slowly, so the less the better. In general, you want to stick to this list.

Low Purine: white meat chicken, turkey breast, lean pork, catfish, cod, flounder, perch, sole, trout, white meat tuna, swordfish, low-fat cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, skim milk, low-fat yogurt, egg whites

Carbohydrates
Although your metabolic type is better than the others at processing carbs, you still have to pick and choose carefully. You want to avoid simple carbs, which convert into sugar very quickly in the bloodstream, and choose complex carbs instead. Follow this list of ideal carbohydrates when deciding on a meal or snack.

Vegetables—Low Starch: asparagus, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, cucumbers, garlic, kale, leafy greens, onions, peppers, scallions, sprouts, tomatoes, watercress

Vegetables—Moderate: Starch beets, eggplant, jicama, okra, yellow squash, zucchini

Fruits: apples, berries, cherries, citrus fruits, peaches, pears, apricots, plums, tropical fruits, olives

Grains: barley, brown rice, buckwheat, corn, couscous, kasha, millet, oat, quinoa, rye, spelt
Legumes tempeh, tofu (eat sparingly as they are high in purines) beans, peas (should be eaten fresh, never dried)

Fats
You should be on a low-fat diet to keep your metabolism working smoothly. This does not mean no fat—fat is still an essential part of any healthy diet. You should allow 15 percent of your caloric intake to come from fat. You can go over that percentage if you like, but eating foods that are too high in fat content can make you feel lethargic, anxious, and irritable. Choose from this list of fats when cooking a meal or having a snack.

Nuts/Seeds: raw and unsalted only—be very sparing

Fats/Oils: vegetable or nut oils such as almond, coconut, flaxseed, olive, peanut, sunflower, walnut

It’s not enough to know the foods that are ideal for you—you also have to learn which foods are worst for you. If you find yourself straying from the list of suggestions, remind yourself of these guidelines.

1. Don’t eat foods that are fatty or that contain high-purine proteins, such as organ meats and fish such as herring and sardines. Limit your intake of fats and oils, as they will slow down your ability to convert food into energy even further. Avoid red meat or dark white meats, and stay away from high-fat dairy, nut butters, and avocados.
2. Don’t drink alcohol. This is less of a concern for you than for fast oxidizers, but at the end of the day alcohol still increases your blood sugar and inhibits fat metabolism.
3. Don’t drink too much caffeine. This too is less of a concern for you than it is for fast oxidizers, but caffeine gives you energy by acting on your adrenal glands, causing them to over-produce and flood your system with adrenaline. When the caffeine’s effect has worn off, your adrenals are exhausted and you are left with lower-than-normal levels of adrenaline in your system, which makes you feel tired and sluggish.
4. Don’t exceed one serving per meal of simple or starchy carbs like potato, pasta, or rice, and always eat them with a lean protein to help stabilize your blood sugar.

Remember to consume your ideal foods in accordance with your caloric allowance; otherwise, you will not lose weight.

[marymc]

Balanced Oxidizers

If you are a balanced oxidizer, your diet is the easiest to follow, since you require an equal percentage of carbs, fats, and proteins. You feel at your best on a diet that incorporates a wide range of foods. Your ideal macronutrient ratio is 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat.

Proteins
You operate best when you are getting 30 percent of your total calories from protein. Be careful to mix the kinds of protein you eat so that you consume high-fat and high-purine proteins with low-fat and low-purine proteins.

Choose from this list of proteins when deciding on a meal or snack.

High Purine: organ meats (pâté, liver, etc.), herring, mussels, sardines, anchovies

Moderate Purine: beef, bacon, dark meat chicken, duck, lamb, spareribs, dark meat turkey, veal, wild game, salmon, shellfish (lobster, shrimp, crab), oysters, scallops, octopus, squid, dark tuna, eggs, regular-fat cheeses

Low Purine: white meat chicken, turkey breast, lean pork, catfish, cod, flounder, perch, sole, trout, white tuna, swordfish, low-fat cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, skim milk, low-fat yogurt, egg whites

Carbohydrates
With regard to carbs, the real significant difference between balanced, fast, and slow oxidizers is not the types of carbs allowed but the quantity. You should get 40 percent of your nutrients from carbs, but like everyone you should avoid simple carbs and foods that are rated high on the glycemic load index, which we get into in the next chapter. Refined sugars like those found in cookies, sweets, and soda and processed grains like white bread or white rice should be shunned whenever possible, especially on a weight-loss regimen. You do best with a mix of fruits and vegetables from both the fast and slow oxidizers’ carb lists.

Vegetables—Low Starch: asparagus, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, cucumbers, garlic, kale, leafy greens, onions, peppers, scallions, sprouts, tomatoes, watercress

Vegetables—Moderate: Starch beets, eggplant, jicama, okra, yellow squash, zucchini

Fruits: apples, berries, cherries, citrus fruits, peaches, pears, apricots, plums, tropical fruits

Grains: barley, brown rice, buckwheat, corn, couscous, kasha, millet, oat, quinoa, rice, rye, spelt
Legumes/Lentils (all fresh, nothing dried), tempeh, tofu, beans, peas

Fats
In order to best support your metabolism, you need to be getting roughly 30 percent of your calories from natural oils and fats. Don’t eat excessive amounts of fat, but don’t specifically restrict your fat intake. You can choose from fats on both the fast and slow oxidizers’ lists of permissible fats.

Nuts/Seeds: (listed in order of protein content) walnuts, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, filberts, pecans, chestnuts, pistachios, coconut, macadamias

Fats/Oils: butter, cream, almond oil, peanut oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, flaxseed oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil

Eat the foods that are ideal for you. Also remember these guidelines of what not to do.

1. Don’t eat meals made up of just one macronutrient. Make sure you adhere to your ideal ratio of 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat.
2. Don’t drink alcohol. It depletes glycogen storage in the liver, which causes an increase in blood sugar and fat storage. In addition, you will most likely experience a sugar crash, which leads to a heightened appetite for carbs and the nutrients you need to metabolize them. If you do have a drink, choose wisely and avoid sugary cocktails, beer, and wine. Opt instead for clear alcohols such as vodka or rum with calorie-free mixers, like club soda diet, light fruit juices or diet Snapple. And there’s always straight or on the rocks as well.
3. Don’t eat foods that are high on the glycemic load index. (Again, see the next chapter for a full understanding of glycemic load.) If you should happen to eat high-GLI foods, make sure you accompany them with protein in order to show down the rate of oxidation and stabilize blood sugar and energy levels.
4. Don’t drink too much caffeine. Caffeine is only effective as a fat burner or performance enhancer when taken in pill form and combined with aspirin. In the forms of coffee, tea, or soda, caffeine gives you short-term energy but does that by signaling to your adrenal glands to dump all of their store out into your blood. When the caffeine wears off, your adrenal glands are so depleted they have to take a break, which means that you feel tired and weak.
5. Don’t overcook your meat. Avoid overcooked animal products, since heat destroys essential amino acids and valuable enzymes.

Now that you have your list of foods that are ideal for your metabolic type, you will have more energy and feel better if you eat to support your metabolism. However, many of the foods on your list are high in calories. Your diet should incorporate these types of foods in accordance with your caloric allowance.

[farley109]

Mary....thanks for the test. I haven't read threw it yet. I printed it for reading when my mind is more focused!!

hehehe My bowling story is quite funny!! I always buy pumpkins for Halloween and I leave them in my yard until after Thanksgiving. Well this year I bought about 8 of them. All sizes and shapes...well I live on the side of a hill. A big hill!! Anyway, my front yard slopes down and there is a road right in front of our house. Well by accident, my pumpkins kept rolling down the hill!! Anyways...after thanksgiving, the girls asked if they could roll the pumpkins down the hill. (Theres a big empty pasture in front of our house right across the road!) I told them I guess they could since the holidays were over. We were sitting on the porch watching and as they rolled the pumpkin down the hill, the boys ran ahead of them trying to catch them. Well they got infront of the pumpkins, and the pumpkins were sooo big and gained so much speed, it knocked their legs right out from under them....THUS THE BOWLING PIN was born!!! We had soooo much fun, we kept carrying the pumpkins back up the hill!!! Did I mention the boys stood in the road??? Yep...that was the point of impact!!! hehehe It really was funny!! Not much traffic on our road most days. But the neighbors got a big kick out of it too!!

[farley109]

I got home to TWO new pets yesteday!! The kids found two water turtles somewhere. They now live in the boy's swimming pool in the back yard! We have a GIANT toad frog living in the back yard too!! I don't feed him though. He's so big, I think he's finding plenty to eat on his own!!! He pee peed on Gunner the other night!! I couldn't help but laugh!!

[marymc]

Oh I'll bet!! That family of your's ... ya'll are just too much fun!

Yeah, take that test when you get time. I'd be interested in seeing what everybody else's type is. Kim passed that on to me but I think she pulled it off of the Biggest Loser website. I don't have that diet book, but honestly I think it's about the only one I don't have!! I've tried just about every diet in existence I think.

I love my frogs... I used to have a huge fat one that would visit every evening. It must've died off or got into the food chain somehow (don't wanna know ) but I have some younger ones out there now. They shy away from me still but they all show up when I feed the dogs. Guess they like dog food. I hope my turtle hangs around. That's a first for me. I have lots of lizards too - I accidentally ran over one the other day. I kept trying to shoo it off of my car but it must've gotten up on my wheel and when I left I couldn't see it so I thought it had run off into the grass but no, I squished him. I was upset all day over that! Don't know why I can squish bugs with no problem, but frogs and lizards if I hurt one of them accidentally it's so upsetting to me!

Well, I'm off to piddle in the yard. BBL!!

[jenjenjen]

Good Morning!
Mary I will print the test at the office on Monday and get back to you. Looks interesting.
As for not marrying the Italian........blessing is disguise..... we are all nuts!

I am also part Irish......hence my love of alcohol! My mom (Italian) used to say that a feast on my dad's side of the family was a boiled potato and a pint!!!! My mom's family.....huge foodies!!

Tommie: Your family sounds like loads of fun!!!!! I am sure you are making wonderful memories for your kids!

OK ladies.......I am feeling very weak minded today. I am going to meet my girlfriend to take our kids to a movie. I do not want to blow a perfect week of induction on popcorn, but as I type this I am hungry and nothing sounds good. Give me strength!!!! Why is this weight loss sooooooo freakin slow. I thought the beauty of this diet was how quick and dramatic the loss was........not so my friends!!

Jen

[farley109]

Jen...I love movie theater popcorn!! Last time I went, I packed my purse with jerky and pork skins.....I still had popcorn!! I tried!!