I am still losing weight.

Since I got off the beta blockers back at the end of January, I have lost 34 pounds with very little effort.  What I did was cut out salt, sugar, cook fresh and very little meat.  I also stopped my weekly pizza night with the grandkids because they are afraid to come over.  They are afraid they will bring me the virus.  I would take my chances, but as my son pointed out, if they gave me the virus and it killed me, they would never forgive themselves.  So I settle for face time with them. 

My diet before was eggs, toast and sausage for breakfast. Lunch was usually a salad or sandwich, but that sandwich was made with processed lunch meat and that is loaded with sodium.  Dinner was vegetables, salad, and bread.  Maybe a bowl of ice cream about twice a week. 

Now my breakfast is still eggs, sausage, toast, but only once a week.  The other days, I have oatmeal, unsweetened applesauce, blackberries, 1 slice of whole wheat or Jewish Rye toast with butter.  Lunch is either tuna sandwich and salad or just a salad.  Dinner is baked fish or chicken, vegetables, no bread.  And the vegetables I use are beans, mustard greens, squash, brussel sprouts, sometimes potatoes, carrots, and broccoli.  I roast the broccoli, brussel sprouts and squash with onions coated in olive oil and seasoned with herbs and dry mustard.  The mustard greens I cook in no salt chicken broth, herbs and a touch of nutmeg.  These I serve over whole wheat cornbread.  Sugar and salt are gone.  The sugar I keep is to make nectar for the hummingbirds.  And I exercise.  I walk every day, whether around the block, which for me is 2 miles or on the treadmill for an hour.  So for almost 70, I am doing pretty good,.  We will see what the cardiologist says in June,.  But those beta blockers were well on the way to killing me. 

update on health

I am still on the ACE inhibitor for the blood pressure.  I may have to stay on it for the rest of my life,  I have lost 31 pounds now.  And the blood pressure is under control with this medication.  Also, my blood glucose is running from 80-130.  I notice that I can no longer eat anything with sugar.  Or maybe it was the preservatives.  I fixed canned cinnamon rolls yesterday.  I did not add the icing because that much sugar makes my teeth hurt.  But I did eat one cinnamon roll.  And I spent the night in misery.  My intestines felt like they were on a roller coaster.  So from now on if I crave a sweet, I will make it from scratch.  But it is a rarity that I want  anything sweet.  I have managed to cut out most sodium as well.  My diet consists of either fresh or frozen vegetables, beans, sometimes some baked chicken or fish.  Mornings are oatmeal, unsweetened applesauce, and blackberries or strawberries.  And about once a week, I treat myself to two scrambled eggs, one sausage patty, and a slice of toast made from Jewish Rye bread. 

The best thing I have learned is that if I just eat like I did when growing up, I'm good.  We had lots of vegetables, very little meat, eggs, milk, oatmeal and biscuits and gravy.  And we were healthy.  And those vegetables came from our own garden and those eggs from our own chickens.  So back to basics it is.  I have 57 more pounds to lose and I am now confident I can lose it.