A Lethal Fruity Mix.

Losing weight is really such a struggle. Sometimes I wish there was an easy answer to my weight woes. In fact, I have been tempted MANY times to try one of those supposedly "tried-and-tested" diet fads such as the oatmeal and hard-boiled egg diet, the 3-day diet, South Beach diet, Cabbage Soup diet, and even the Grapefruit Diet. These are just a few of the many lose weight quickly plans that have been popularized.

However, because I am taking medication for a health condition, I have to think twice about trying one of these fads. Apparently, some of the food items we take can counteract with medications we are taking. I had no idea, however, that grapefruits would be one of them. Because it is a fruit, I assumed it would be healthy and safe to take no matter what. After all, it comes from nature, right? Who would think that fruits when consumed in tandem with prescription medications can be a lethal mix?

According to CBS news something in the grapefruit juice causes a negative interaction with some drugs which can result in dangerous side-effects. AOL Health also explains that something in the juice which still is a mystery to scientists latches onto an enzyme in the intestine which breaks down the drug thus more of it is absorbed into the bloodstream. This is harmful when you are taking statins or cholesterol lowering agents because it can cause abnormal high blood levels which can cause liver damage. Other medications that can have a negative interaction with grapefruit juice are certain antibiotics, cancer medications, allergy and cough medicines, and even drugs like Zoloft and Cialis. No wonder in an episode of Grey's Anatomy, a patient made a comment about delaying taking her contraceptive pill for about half an hour because she had just consumed a glass of grapefruit juice! I just dismissed this as a quirk of the patient but now I know there is so much more to it after all. As always, before trying out any diet and going on new medications, consult your physician about what you can or cannot take together.

photo from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/20/health/webmd/main668105.shtml

Taking it Seriously.

Okay...so this time I will try to take my diet a wee bit seriously. Its about time. Haaaaayyyy....I know it's not gonna be an easy journey but like my friend told me, it needs some internalizing. So I am tapping into my inner motivation reservoir and saying I will make this work.

I have decided to take it slow, however, mainly because I can't afford to buy Xenical or Reductil or any of those diet pills in the market. (hint hint to med reps and researchers...need a sample for a study, I'll volunteer!!!). For now, I am committing to doing the following in an attempt to lose at least 10 pounds by the time the first term of classes end:


1. I will not park closest to the entrance anymore. Not a big step, but one towards the right direction, I think. By parking farther from the entrance, I guess I'll be forced to walk.

2. Increase the pace of my typical walk. I think I walk too slow nowadays. I guess it's an offshoot to having a heavier butt harhar!!! Seriously though, when I was very huge years ago, I never realized how heavy it was to lug around my weight. But when I lost a huge chunk of it then gained some back, I realized that it is indeed a heavy load to carry. So now I will try to walk at a quicker pace, after all, they say that exercise can be done in bursts, right? So walking to and from class at a quicker pace should be a good start.

3. No more softdrinks, even diet sodas. This is one thing I really became lax about after losing weight. After a carbonated drink fast for two years, I started having it on occasion then now it's back to almost everyday...and every meal. Enough of that!!! Now iced tea...well....limit will do!

4. One cup of rice a day for now. When I first lost a lot of weight, I completely swore off rice. As in 100%. Pasta too. I'm probably not ready for this at this point, so 1 cup at lunch time and thats it.

5. Stock up on chicken, fish and veggies. I will limit pork and beef intake for now. During my rice-less days, I also went almost 100% vegetarian. Maybe by October I will explore this again, but for now, chicken and fish stay!

6. Walk with Bubba at least once around the village park as much as possible. Given that it's the rainy season, it would be difficult to commit completely to this. In lieu of walking, half an hour of hula-hooping should suffice.

7. Sweets and treats in strict moderation. I've tried to give this up, but everytime I deprive myself I end up indulging. So I will honor the urge when it comes, but only enough to give it a taste. No more pints-of-ice-cream-in-one-sitting or giant slices of cake.

8. Monitor the numbers. Much as I am inspired by iMom and her fitness project, I am not yet comfortable writing those numbers in my blog. It's going on my calendar though :-)

That's it for now, I suppose. Wish me luck!