New RD visit & diet (EWWW!) | Arthritis Information

 

I went to my new rd today after firing my last one of 3 years who never did any xrays and was a *ss. I really like her. I was there for 2 and a half hours. She was very nice and I could tell she was in it for the right reasons. I am really over weight and she put me on a diet of slimfast for breakfast and lunch and fish or chicken for dinner with cabbage, cucumbers, green beans, and asparagus. She held my hands and looked in my eyes and I could tell she cared and said "you need to loose weight, I am putting you on a strict diet because you need to lose weight. You are only 41 and just think when you get older. Do you want to end up with your kids helping get out of bed or in a nursing home?" She was very frank and it hit me. I almost started crying. So I promised her I would try it for 2 weeks and she said if I followed it faithfully I could be at least 7 lbs lighter. She gave me a pep talk after that and then sent me off for bloodwork (6 tubes) and xrays on my hands, feet, and hips. I saw her again and asked her for some pain meds and she gave me darvacet (which doesn't work well and I told her that). I asked for vicoden and she thinks I am addicted to it which I don't think so cuz' I have been without it for weeks and don't have any withdrawel symptoms. I just hurt like a bitch! So I go back in two weeks and I think tomorrow I may call back and beg for some other type of pain meds. These darvocets just make me sleep and with the vicoden I had some energy and could do things. Also I am to continue enbrel and my shot is tomorrow so maybe when that kicks in, it will all be good!

Good for you CinDee!  I lost 30 lbs. in 3 months by drinking a slimfast in the morning and having a weight watchers frozen dinner for lunch and dinner.  I didn't snack and I did drink lots of coffee (using splenda for sweetener) and water to curb the hunger.  I went from 160 to 130 and I felt so much better.  After I dropped the weight, I went back to "normal" eating I just reduced portion sizes and continued with the no snacking and I was able to keep off the weight, it's been 6 years.  I can understand why weight loss would be so important with RA patients because of the increased strain on joints.  Don't give up, it will work if you stick to it and be patient. That's for the luck wish. Not only will it help my ra but the cardio benefits are awesome. I just can't stand the choc slim fast. I wrote down a list of food that high in omega 3 and strawberries are on there! YES! It sounds like you found a very caring Rheumatologist! I hope she's a keeper. I wish you all the luck in the world with your diet. It might be hard in the beginning, but you can do it! Maybe even a little bit of walking to help things along. You will have a whole group here rooting for you!!!!! You go girl!! Weight and RA is so important and so is a healthy diet..GOOD LUCK!Glad you like this new doctor Cindee. That's good news. Good Luck with the diet. Try the vanila....I think it's better. Not great; but better.Good luck! Just make sure you don't feel hungry cause I think that's the diet kiss of death. Make sure you keep some little carrot sticks or something handy just in case you get that famished feeling. I'm not too keen on having a drink twice a day and no solid food till dinner. Can you maybe have a little oatmeal or something for b'fast instead? Let me know how it goes. I will be rooting for you.CinDee - WTG with firing the ex-rheumy - sounds exactly like my first and only one I fired too - no xrays and pushed my WBC way down out of normal with the chemo.  Absolutely no humanity in this man, and he was a young.  Ridiculous behavior.  I eat all those foods your doc recommended on a daily and weekly basis.  The cabbage is very healing for your stomach and most of those foods help with inflammation.  Good luck.Cindee.  A really helpful website is  SparkPeople. its  a weightloss site, but full of intelligent ideas on how to eat.. They have  message boards too  its a very supportive place.Kathy,

I just found that site the other day and it is amazing.

For me, I struggle daily with emotional eating, boredom, anger, depression, whatever.  I have also added some RAW foods into my diet.  AND, I don't look at it as a diet, I look at it as something I can maintain for a lifetime.  I have also become more active, which is paramount. 

I think we had a support thread going at one time and it was a lot of fun, maybe we can do that again!

Good Luck!!!Phats- emotional eating is the worse, i found a great thing to do if you have a sweet tooth, green grapes frozen. they taste like candy.yum and help with the emotions like chocolate does.I'm glad you found a good Dr.
You may need a diet now, but in the long run diets don't work and you can't be on one forever. You need a lifestyle change. Talk to a nutritionist, learn what a portion size is, join weight watchers or something like it, it teaches healthy eating and incorporates a  lifestyle change. Good luck with the weight loss. I had 80 pounds to lose and am half way there, it's been a year since I actively started trying to lose.  So happy you found a good doctor! Good luck with your diet! That Spark People website is very helpful- I agree.
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