Ok, so I saw a dietician on Saturday for my stomach problems. Without a doubt I have ‘frutose malabsorbtion’ and I have a diet I now have to follow. It basically consists of no wheat, onion, garlic and certain fruits and vegetables, in saying that, there is alot I can have.

I’v ehad a few stomach pains and upsets but generally I’m ok. I feel like I’m loosing weight rather than putting it on, which was also one of the aims of the diet. Mot putting on weight is getting me down, I feel like I’m not eating enough. It’s weird to have to think abotu what oyu eat before you eat it.

Mum did buy me special wheat free Mac and Cheese. It was a massive surving and I ate it all. Om Nom NOM! It was great.

I also got my RSA last night, it was fairly cruisy and easy. Like most people say ‘you get given the answers’. We had some good laughs too with a great teacher.

I finally plucked up the courage to tell Mum and Dad that I wanted a new tattoo. They recieved it better than I thought, but in saying that they advised caution about the money side of things. Mum seemed to like the design, she thought it was very pretty.

Mel is also apprently coming down this weekend. Which is a shock, but I’m excited. I tried to call her but she didn’t pick up. But omg excited!!!!

I have become anxious today; the number of dresses I have left to wear has reached an all time low.  For the first time I am forced to consider the possibility the project may not be able to run the whole year  through.  Although I have received many dresses from a number of generous people, both friends and relative strangers alike I have done a count up today and it is not looking good.  Even if I wear my ball-gowns, bridesmaid dresses and a couple of jumper dresses which are so short I would be giving the liberal legging lovelies a run for their money in wearing them, I am still left with less than ten dresses.  This means that unless I find some more and soon, the project will cease to exist in ten days.

If I am being honest I am devastated about it.  I am not yet ready to stop wearing dresses and I am reluctant to give up this one creative outlet in my life which I have absolutely loved doing.  Admittedly I am starting a new job in just over a week so I had already made a decision to make the posts shorter, but to stop them all together? It makes me depressed just thinking about wearing the same old skirts, tailored trousers and dull old denim and I feel like crying at the though of it all coming to such a sad end. (I do realise I am being a tad dramatic)

Rather than focusing on the sadness however, I have decided to quit my moaning and instead use this post to thank you all just in case this is indeed the beginning of the end.  It has been a pleasure to post, particularly on the days when I log on near midnight and notice a sudden surge in viewings has rocked my numbers up high and away off of the chart.  .  Many of you have kindly recommended me to friends through facebook and twitter which has been a great help and is much appreciated;  there is after all little point in my rants and raves if there is nobody on the other end of cyberspace reading it and wondering if I might be having a bit of a “mad day”.  I also want to thank everyone who has commented, even the charming young fellow who asked me if I was an alcoholic, all of these responses helped me to carry on with what have at times been difficult posts.  When I first took the leap and decided to talk more openly on the blog about my troubles with depression and the difficulties I have had with coming to terms with my diagnosis as bipolar II I had expected my numbers to plummet but they did not and the post where I reveal them is actually the most popular.

Those of you who have loaned and given me dresses for the project please understand I have no words to express how grateful I am but thank you, a trillion times thank you.  When I returned home yesterday it was to find a dress had been sent to me by one of my old house-mates, CDLAD. She is a super stylish chick with an amazing name which I will not share for fear of exposing her too much but she has always been a great gift giver and once sent me a beautiful bunch of flowers to cheer me up when I was having head poorly troubles.  The dress is gorgeous a black slinky little lycra number which I will wear tomorrow once I’ve done a few sit ups.  Last week when I met my sister for lunch she presented with five pretty dresses to borrow.  Although she is my sister so I would have stolen them from her eventually, the sentiment was kind and it did prevent a lot of hassle and the usual, “Mum, she took my dress”.  Yes we are nearly as old as the pebbles on the beaches but we still occasionally like to use our mother as a mediator.  It just makes good sense and besides it’s fun to wind her up.

KR my best friend has now leant me three dresses, two of which she kindly said I could keep as well as today’s dress which was extremely sweet of her because it is one of her favourites and looks gorgeous on her.  AC leant me the two beautiful brown dresses over the Valentines weekend and has opened her closet to me though sadly she can not open the stage wardrobe to me, just think of all the amazing vintage finds, ah well cest la vie.

My other good friend Monica Kenny and her sister leant me an entire shopping bag full of dresses which were all gorgeous and even when I had to come clean and tell MK that her dress had ran in the wash she took it in fairly good humour and didn’t gouge my eyes out as she would have been entirely justified in doing.  I have also recieved dresses from my family in Ireland and my fairy God mother which have been some of the nicest I have worn yet.  Also last week there were the stunning dresses leant to me by BS who has also promised very kindly with her husband to buy me an extra special dress for my birthday.

I hate to be defeated and failure is not something I like to ever become familiar with but though I might be feeling deflated and depressed, I am so thankful to all of you who have donated or who are in the process of doing so.  I know my sister’s friend who is also a very kind supporter of the project, HP (not the sauce), has sent some dresses back with my sister to keep me hanging on.  Two lovely ladies in America are sending me some in the post and a couple of people who read the article in the Harborough Mail have come forward with offers to send dresses.  

I wonder if part of the problem is so far I have been unsuccessful in getting shops and clothing companies involved in the project, either through loans or donations.  This is my fault really as although I had hoped the Harborough Mail might generate some local business support, nearly two weeks since I wrote the article I have still heard no word.  Perhaps I will just have to swallow my pride and go directly to their door to ask for help.  I am umming and aahhing about whether or not it is better to write them a letter first and then go in or just walk in without a warning guns a blazin’?  If anybody has any thoughts on the best way to approach store managers do please let me know, the future of The Mind Project depends on it.  

• Today’s dress is on loan from KR.  It looks a hell of a lot better on her but it is lovely to wear as the cotton feels all soft on one’s skin and it reminds me of being on holiday somewhere hot where man-made materials are not an option unless you lack sweat glands.  It reminds me of a skirt I brought in Venice which has loads of different lengths to it which is one of my favourite pieces of clothing and which I missed so much I actually tried it on the other day to see if it would work as a dress. It did not.

I’ve never really been a calorie (or kilojoule) counter. Over the years I have become used to simply eating the portions as prescribed for me by dieticians or by following the formula selected for me at Weigh-Less. So much easier in my view!

However, I have recently become curious and have swotted up about the balance of macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein and fat) in eating plans suitable for those of us with Metabolic Syndrome (Insulin Resistance Syndrome.)

Remember that according to the IDF (International Diabetes Federation), for a person to be defined as having metabolic syndrome, they must experience the following metabolic abnormalities:
- abdominal obesity (defined as a waist circumference beyond ethnic specific values (see elsewhere on this blog),
Plus any two of the following factors:
- raised triglycerides (above 1.7mmol/l);
- reduced HDL (good) cholesterol (below 1.03mmol/l in men or 1.29mmol/l in women);
- raised blood pressure (systolic >130mmHG; diastolic >85mmHg); or
- raised fasting plasma glucose (above 5.6mmol/l).
Ria Catsicas – The Complete Nutritional Solution to Diabetes. Publisher: Struik Lifestyle 2009.

According to Anne Till, another leading South African dietician, the balance of macronutrients could look like this:

Proteins 15%
Carbs 45-55%
Fat 30-40%
The Ultimate Diet Solution. Anne Till. Published by Struik 2006

Through membership of the GI Club run by GIFSA (Glycemic Foundation of South Africa), I have direct access to Liesbet Delport and Gabi Steenkamp authors of the bestselling Eating for Sustained Energy books. The books published by these two dieticians are the gold standard on low/lower GI/GL, lower fat eating in South Africa.

Liesbet Delport has advised me not to have more than 20% protein and 30% fat in my eating regime so I have tweaked my Benutriwise software to reflect the following breakdown:
Protein: 20%
Carbs: 50%
Fats: 30%

“BMR / Calories Required Calculator

Basal Metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of calories needed by your body at rest.

For the average sized body the BMR is extremely accurate. However, for larger bodies (both muscular and fat) it can be inaccurate in determining your caloric needs.

For the muscular body type, the BMR can underestimate the number of calories required, and for the
overweight body type it can overestimate the number of calories required.

What you eat and how much you exercise are both important for achieving health and the type of physique you want.

But, the basic equation remains the number of calories taken in minus the number of calories consumed equals what’s left over to be stored as fat.

The BMR is calculated according to the formula :
Women: BMR = 655 + ( 9.6 x weight in kilos ) + ( 1.8 x height in cm ) – (4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 13.7 x weight in kilos ) + ( 5 x height in cm ) – ( 6.8 x age in years )

To calculate Calories Required, BMR is multiplied by a factor depending on your Activity Level:

Sedentary – 1.2
Lightly Active – 1.375
Moderately Active – 1.55
Very Active – 1.725
Extra Active – 1.9

Based on the above, a Lightly Active, 30 year old woman, 55 kgs, 155 centimetres will have a BMR of
BMR = 655 + (9.6 x 55) + (1.8 x 155) – (4.7 x 30) = 1 321
Calories Required = 1 321 x 1.375 = 1 816 (calories required to maintain weight)

Be in good health “
www.benutriwise.co.za. Should you opt to download a trial version of this great nutrition software, please be good enough to quote agent code AG Hall. Thank you! More about how I use this resource in a future post.

Brekky: Wonderful farina prepared by hubby. Topped it w/2 tbsp. powdered flaxseed, maple syrup, & rice milk.  Fruit cup consisted of sliced gala apple, banana, strawberries, & blueberries. Had wonderful, fresh, organic Dona Isidora coffee from Colombia (Taylor Maid brand) w/last of the soymilk; fresh slice of honey bran loaf (baked yesterday) toasted w/peanut butter & honey. YUM.

Lunch: Leftover veggie chow mein (from dinner last night) w/tamari, Chinese jasmine green tea, steamed red bean paste bun (YUM!)

Mid-afternoon snack: Slice of honey bran toast w/peanut butter & honey, w/freshly brewed coffee & rice milk (ran out of home-made soy milk. Made some this evening).

Dinner: Unbelievably, hubby got off work early today, so he made Indian meal: garbanzo bean stew, sauteed potatoes, basmati rice w/peas, cauliflower w/red bell peppers, w/chutney and lemon pickle. Awesome!

In my previous post, I briefly covered Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) labelling and how they can be useful in allowing customers to make informed decisions about their food purchases. As you can see from the image, they typically show the quantities of calories, carbohydrates, sugars (a subset of total carbohydrates), fat, saturated fat (a subset of total fat), salt, and sometimes other items. They typically also include a percentage indication of what these values represent in terms of how much an average adult female, unless otherwise specified, should consume per day to maintain a healthy weight.

That last point is particularly important and not well understood by the public, and ties into body mass index (BMI) and basal metabolic rate (BMR). Although the scientific basis of BMI is still contested, there seems to be little argument that there is a correlation between height/weight and general health (with most of the controversy surrounding things such as fat-to-muscle ratios and male vs female natural body fat). With BMR it seems to be more straightforward, with the amount of energy burned while doing nothing (e.g. in bed) — your base metabolism — a function of both your BMI and age.

The reason those two values are important is because the number of calories that you should consume each day are tied directly to your BMR. This means that the example image above shows the product contains 218 calories, and that this represents 11% of your recommended caloric intake. However, this is based upon the assumption that you are 1) an adult, 2) female, 3) do regular moderate exercise, and 3) are currently at your recommended ideal weight (requiring 2,000 calories per day to maintain).

This is a long list of assumptions that you can be perfectly sure the food industry knows the general public is blissfully unaware.

If, however, you are a 38 year old 175cm tall male who weighs 120kg, then eating just 2,000 calories a day will be very hard work indeed. Why? Let’s see…

Based upon the figures above, this works out to:

• BMI: 39.2
• BMR: 2,335

A BMI of 30+ is considered obese and 40+ is considered morbidly obese. A BMR of 2,335 means this person needs to consume 2,335 calories per day to maintain their current weight while in bed doing nothing all day (and is why you still get the munchies when having a duvet day). Any additional activity then requires more calories to maintain the same weight. Using some estimated values of a regular white-collar lifestyle, I entered into the calculator activities of 8 hours rest, 14 very light, 1 light and 1 moderate; this represents 1,216 calories. The example man is consuming 3,550 calories (BMR + activity) per day to maintain a BMI of 39.2.

The recommended calorie intake for an adult male of correct weight is 2,500 calories per day, assuming a normal level of daily activity. In order to lose weight steadily, with minimum discomfort and maximum chance of succeeding, you need to subtract 150-200 calories per day from your current caloric intake (and never consume less than 1,200 per day). As your weight reduces, both your BMI and your BMR change, so you need to adjust your caloric intake periodically as your needs change.

Using this as a guide, here is a table of the ideal caloric consumption for this example man (assumes constant age of 38 and no change in level of activity):

This means that at 120kg at the levels of exercise entered into the calculator, our example man needs to reduce his 3,550 calories down to ~3,375 calories per day to begin losing weight steadily, then down to ~3,275 calories when he reaches 115kg, and so on.

It’s interesting to note that, when you enter these values into a BMI calculator, not only does BMI and BMR reduce in correlation with weight, but so does the number of calories burned for the same level of activity. The same amount of work or activity becomes easier with decreasing weight, and this is why it’s often said that an obese person running a short distance can be working harder than a thin, fit person running a much longer distance. In the activity values used above, this person is burning 1,126 calories at 120kg but only 858 calories at 70kg; nearly a one-third reduction in effort.

So there we have it. GDA labelling can be useful, but only if you understand the assumptions and science behind it, and watch for manufacturer’s dirty tricks. Even if you have read and understood the sizing and caveats, it’s not as simple as just following the GDA values on these labels as they represent quite a small proportion of the population (i.e. women who require exactly 2,000 calories per day to maintain their current weight).

As with all quick fixes and easy options, refer to the excellent and insightful Dr Ben Goldacre’s response to such statements:

“I think you’ll find it’s a bit more complicated than that.”

I wish you all the best in your weight and fitness efforts, but unfortunately it’s never easy. It’s just a shame that commercial and governmental efforts that are supposed to make things easier actually make it more complicated. Still, at least the values are in plain sight on the packaging, which is a step in the right direction.

A gripe in summary

One final but important point to all this — and was the original motivation for these last two posts — is that you must examine the portion size that they’re using on the GDA label very carefully. It’s easy to assume that a label refers to the whole package or serving size (the most common), but it appears that the food industry can use whatever portion sizing they like when presenting to you the pretty, coloured label.

Last week I purchased a pre-made supermarket brand 465g pasta salad. A quick glance at the GDA label satisfied me that it was quite good, but it wasn’t until I’d eaten half of it the next day that I realised the portion size they were using was the completely arbitrary portion size of 1 tablespoon. Very small print on another label on the underside indicated that one tablespoon represents 20g, meaning the entire container was almost 2,000 calories. Of course I can only blame myself for being duped, but I’m still very annoyed.

I suppose the fast-food equivalent would be if McDonald’s were to place a GDA label on their Big Mac boxes with the small print stating it referred to one-quarter of the burger. Doesn’t “122 calories, 7g protein, 10g carbs (2g sugar), 6g fat, 1g fibre, 0.5g salt” make the numbers (if not the ratios) look healthy…

Note: If I’ve made any glaring omissions, assumption or serious errors in this post, please let me know (and provide relevant links). And, as always, any copyrighted, trademarked or servicemarked items mentioned in this post are the properties of their respective owners. Duh.

Monday:

• Breakfast: Granola bar
• Lunch: Leftover Kung Pao Tofu and brown rice
• Dinner:
• Snacks: A few corn chips
• Drinks: Water, coffee, some Pepsi at lunch

Tuesday:

• Breakfast: Granola bar
• Lunch: Basil stir fry from a local thai place with tofu (vegan, says so on the menu!)
• Dinner: A weird mix of popcorn and hummus with pita chips
• Snacks: See dinner
• Drinks: Coffee, water and two whiskey and cokes