Posts by anokhi13

It's funny how I hear a stranger's advice with more strength and conviction than those closest to me.  My family tends to say the same thing to me - that I act on emotion too much and am very aggressive trying to prove a point.  And as much as I try to argue that - they are right, you are right.  There will always be people who disagree with me and offend me, and getting all worked up over that does little for me, and probably less for them.  And if I don't learn to deal with that better, I won't like any career I'm in, not just medicine. 

So, thanks for clearing that up.  I don't intend on going into R&D because I would rather be at the end of the path - reading, interpreting, and building on the results in clinical practice, not doing the manual labor to achieve them. 

In the meantime, still curious on that ginkgo...!  Keep the replies coming

To the earlier posts - I am a vegeterian, so do not eat fish.  However, I already take Lovaza (prescription fish oil supplements - pure and concentrated) every morning.  I absolutely agree that DHA is crucial to heart health and mental function.  Thank you, though.

To ds1973 - I originally did find that comment offensive.  Medicine is all about research - trial and error that results in some form of efficacy is then repeated over and over in hopes that it one day, becomes the truth about the human body.  That's how it has worked for the last thousand years - from the time when they used leeches to stop bleeding, to now when they can implant an artifical heart - it's all because of research.  That's why there are hundreds of medical journals, and millions of publications.  It's not even about the fact that I haven't had training yet - I am published in a journal myself and believe I have a very solid foundation for entry into the medical field.  What I'd like for you to understand, is that there will always be a treatment, always be a drug/supplement, that works in some, maybe even most, but not on all.  I have researched PubMed for information on ginkgo biloba and its use in clinical trials, as well as other legitimate sites as I mentioned earlier - what I was asking in this post, is to get personal stories/experience with it.   Unless I received a few thousand replies, I wasn't going to base my decision solely on random posts; I was just looking to do exactly what I was taught to do - research. 

I'm sorry you have dealt with people in my future profession that believe they know it all.  Any good doctor will not be afraid to tell you what he doesn't know - and most of the time, that is a substantial amount because there is plenty we do not know about the human body still. 

Thank you for everyone elses comments - much appreciated.

If you space it out, you really shouldn't have any side effects.  I've read that our body can't absorb much more than 30 grams of protein at a time, so I try to distribute 120 grams of protein over my day, and haven't had any issues.  But of course, that hasn't been a daily number I can reach, so that can be why I haven't noticed any adverse effects.   

I've only tried greek yogurt several times, but I would rather use it as a sour cream substitution than yogurt.  In my mind, yogurt should be sweet! =/

Not the reply I was hoping for lol....but you're absolutely right.  Sometimes I do feel like my form is off and I'm using other secondary muscles inappropriately to help me get through the movements. 

Thanks so much for clearing it up; I will start lifting first before cardio.  I'm sure when I start seeing better results, I'll be more enthusiastic about it also.

Last question - should I even warm up?  10 minutes of cardio or stretching beforehand?

I really dislike strength training.  It's bad enough that I have to do it, why can't I put it second, after my cardio workout?  I still push myself and do heavy weights; will it make that much of a difference in the long run? 

I know it is generally a rule of thumb to do strength training first and then cardio, but has anyone seen results in completing it the other way around? 

I would suggest getting more protein.  I'm a vegeterian and so I tend to mix a scoop of whey protein powder in my oatmeal in the morning, or I'll have a milkshake with protein powder before bed.  I believe you can even mix it with coffee.  Or there's always other natural sources like greek yogurt or cottage cheese, but those are higher in calories. 

Besides that, your meals look complete to me (option 1 is better for breakfast).  I'm surprised you don't get hungry for dinner though.  It might be best to have a protein shake at night as a replacement for the days you dont eat dinner. 

I use "All the Whey" brand in the cinnabon flavor (which tastes amazing!).  I got my 5lb container for $24 with free shipping, but I think that deal passed.  Google around and see if you can find any deals but here is the website where I bought mine...

http://www.nutraplanet.com/product/all-the-wh ey/whey-protein-blend-5-lb.html

~100 calories, 22g of protein and 80 scoops in a container.

Also, on a side note, and anyone correct me if I'm wrong, I've heard that your body can only digest 30g of protein at a time, so the rest are just excess calories.  So maybe your better off using a scoop of this mixed with milk so you hit the 30g mark 3x/day...? 

I suffer from the same issues as you and have for the past 5 years.  I can offer some advice that has worked for me:

Depending on your support system, emotional issues, and schedule, I would first and foremost recommend a therapist.  However, they can be expensive, and are usually seen once a week.  While it is a good idea (I am currently am seeing someone), it isn't always enough.  I would recommend trying OA (Overeaters Anonymous).  If you can look past the stigma of it, I believe it can offer exactly what you're looking for. 

Good luck, feel free to message me for more info.

South beach snack bars are a delicious 140 calories, 10 grams of protein and less than $0.80 when you find get them on sale.   

I can talk from personal experience...usually depending on how long you've been binging on, the side effects vary.  The first few times, I only noticed a physical change in my body from the excess weight.  Over time with my continued habit, I developed severe constipation, heartburn, and lack of energy.  This is aside from all the emotional problems that come with binging (ie. self hatred, disappointment, fear, guilt).  However, it is my personal opinion that most of the phsycial side effects will go away after the binging stops.  If you are still worried, you should see a doctor and maybe get your blood work done (it might be effecting your thyroid, etc).

On a side note, I understand your pain; it does become a habit where certain places you feel wired in your brain to overeat.  But it doesn't have to be like this forever; start looking at the emotions behind your binging.  Journal, call people who can understand your problem, read, make a plan for eating in advance so you are aware of what portion sizes and what foods you can have, etc, etc.  My binge episodes have drastically reduced by doing these types of things but sometimes it's still really hard.  At those times, I just sit with the urge, and wait, minute by minute, for it to pass. 

Good luck, I believe you will be just fine. 

Thanks for your responses!

The protein bars I eat tend to have a carb-protein-fat ratio of <50%->25%->25%...I look at the pie chart when logging in the calories to determine if a protein bar has more carbs than necessary.  Hence, I don't think protein bars are the main source of extra carbs in my diet.

Actually...I don't think I have that many extra carbs in my diet.  I DON'T want to start a low-carb diet...I want to have a healthy balanced diet, and so I aim for 200g of carbs, 50g fat, 100g protein.  It's really the protein and fat that I am lacking.  

I definitely eat greek yogurt, cottage cheese, 1% milk, egg whites.  However, I still can't get my protein high enough.  I weigh ~140 right now and am 5'4''.  In the past I have lost weight from eating low fat-low protein-high carbohydrates diet, however I have also lost weight in places I wish I hadn't (butt, chest).  This time around, I'm trying to keep my figure and still lose 20 pounds.

I can give you a sample of my menu - and feel free to criticize...

Breakfast - 1% milk, total cereal or fiber one cereal
Snack - south beach diet meal replacement bars (210 calories)
Lunch - large garden salad, 3-4 tablespoons low fat dressing
Snack - greek yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit

Workout - 40 minutes on the elliptical, strength training every so often

Dinner - egg white omlett with veggies, salsa, 2 slices whole grain toast
Snack - something chocolate...usually chocolate protein bar (200 calories)

As you can see, I am limited in fruit, but I'm sure I make up the sugar in the protein bars that I love.  I guess my original question is this - is this diet conducive to weight loss as well as to my overall health?

After my workout, I eat pretty much what you said - a 4 egg white omlette with 2 slices of whole wheat flax toast.  A little black pepper, oregano, and ketchup. Gives me about 30 grams of protein, 3 grams of fat, and a good amount of carbs.

 I'm a vegetarian, so while my choices are limited, I think this is an ideal meal and I have it everyday.  I actually crave it on my drive back from the gym because I've made it such an basic part of my day.

I work out on the elliptical 5x a week for 45 minutes and strength train 2x a week.  So far (3 weeks), great results. 

try palak paneer - using tofu instead of paneer.  it tastes exactly the same and absolutely delicious.  and for the palak I use creamed spinach and just heat it in the microwave before adding the spices to it.