I Saw A Dietitian Yesterday

And the experience went well! My doctor didn't recommend her directly, but the appointment setter did. She had personal experience with the dietitian, and had nothing but good things to say. She also suggested I bring a notepad to keep notes, and it definitely paid off.

The less fun part was the assumption that I wanted to lose weight, because I got classified as class 2 obese. Which is frustrating because a lot of that is actually muscle, but no one wants to take that into account in the weighing process. They just look at the BMI number and go from there. But I do want to drop some weight. I don't want to be skinny; been there, done that, and was classified as underweight (lmao). I've always felt better at 150, but am currently aiming for 180 to account for muscle mass. That's technically overweight, but I think it's a solid goal.

But I really don't want to focus on weight here; it was a sore point as a kid and fixating on it does nothing for my health. Instead, I want to talk about what I've been doing “wrong” these last few years: not eating enough non-starchy veggies! I've mostly been consuming starchy foods/carbs and protein, but skimping on the non-starchy veg. Part of it has been living with my girlfriend, who has different tastes and likes to order out. I subsequently gained more weight after moving to Ohio, despite keeping up my workout routine. That got better when I bought a treadmill, but then it stopped functioning…

I recently bought an exercise bike to help get that cardio I crave, so with it and an improved diet, I think I'll reach my goal within a year or so. I mostly eat well, I just get hungry cause I'm not eating balanced meals! I honestly don't know if I ever was. Before coming up here, I ate more salads for sure, with protein (usually tofu or chicken), fruit, and seeds.

We've got mostly starchy food in the cabinet, non-starchy in the fridge and freezer. And as I am the main cook, I get to make meals that fit my needs, and my girlfriend gets the added benefit. I tested that last night, after realizing I hit that sweet spot with lunch Sunday, when I made yellow rice with peas and a side of mussels. That was filling and had me content until dinner; no snacking needed. The only problem was the lack of non-starchy veggies. For dinner last night, I reheated the leftover rice and peas and added snow legs as our protein, and some roasted brussels sprouts as our non-starchy veg. It was more filling than I expected, oops! But it carried me through the night (we eat around 5-5:30) and I don't feel hungry this morning. That'll change after I work out, I'm sure.

I was also advised to eat no more than 500 calories a meal, which I've kinda been doing on my own. I'm not strict about it, but I have a good idea of what is “too much”. Especially when eating out. I'm really excited to see how this all works out for me, now that I have a plan. I'll be seeing my dietitian again in a few months (ideally sooner), to follow up and talk about fats. I like to think I know what fats are, but I felt the same way about veggies and lentils (lentils are carbs and proteins).