My Dr G (G for gastroenterologist) sent me off to see a dietitian. Given weight management is also important for arthritic conditions, this was a sensible recommendation all around, I thought. We had a bit of a rocky start to our relationship, did Ms D and I. Our first appointment was changed three times before I got to see her! I sent her all my eating records from MyFitnessPal so she could analyse my current intake. My second consultation was yesterday morning and I have to eat more vegetables and more dairy. I knew about the vegetables already (guilty as charged), but the dairy I had been avoiding. Apparently women my age (there’s that damn age thing again) need lots of calcium. Ms D also noticed I have a weakness for the odd piece of chocolate (small, within my calorie limit).

Ms D is keen on legumes. I’m not. I blame that on my mother’s broad bean fetish (I hate the darn things). I’ll eat green beans, but Dr G wants me to stay away from them due to the fructose. I’ve agreed to eat baked beans every now and then.

Did you know a standard serve of porridge is 1/2 cup? HALF A CUP? I’ll starve to death. On the other hand, I am supposed to eat four serves of grain (cereal) foods a day. Oh, that includes bread I’ve just realised, so maybe achievable. I was envisaging eating muesli with my dinner. I think I can have two serves of porridge for breakfast!

I am to snack on walnuts or almonds, but brazil nuts (my favourite) were not considered as “fit for purpose”. Now, I like walnuts, but I wish the “Healthy Eating for Adults” and MyFitnessPal talked the same language. The former talks grams, the latter talks “walnut halves”. There is no correlation between what each thinks a serve is. The former says 30 grams, the latter says four halves. Four halves is nowhere near 30 grams. I’m confused. (NB: I did find another entry later for 25 grams, that will do)

Does Ms D know how expensive walnuts are?  Nearly $12 for 400 grams. Mind you, at 25 grams a day, that will last sixteen days. I hope. I have resident two-legged rats……. I’m hoping they don’t like walnuts……

Then the government says:

Replace high fat foods which contain predominately saturated fats such as butter, cream, cooking margarine, coconut and palm oil with foods which contain predominately polyunsaturated and mononsaturated fats such as oils, spreads, nut butters/pastes and avocado.

Meanwhile MyFitnessPal says my goal is zero grams for polyunsaturated and mononsaturated and gives me a nasty red negative number if I eat any. I’m confused. But I’m allowed 45 grams of fat in total, but only 15 grams of saturated fat, so what is the rest supposed to be?

MyFitnessPal’s own blog says:

All dietary fats provide about 9 calories per gram but, as you likely already know, some fats are better for our health than others. For example, polyunsaturated omega-3 fats, found in foods like wild salmon and flaxseed, have protective, anti-inflammatory properties, whereas artificial trans fats have been linked to increased inflammation and heart disease.

So, me being me, I followed the author on Twitter and asked why I had no polyunsaturated goals. Maybe I am supposed to set them myself, but why do I get a nasty red negative number if I eat any? Surely I should be getting a nice green tick or something?

Never mind, back to my dietitian. Ms D was very happy with my getting close to achieving my target of 1,200 net calories a day everyday. Net being 1,200 after anything I earn extra from activity like walking or swimming.  The good news was I can set myself a target of 1,400. Ms D works in kilojoules, I stick to calories. I don’t understand kilojoules.

So I’ve been a good girl and bought supplies. I’m not sure the muesli passes muster as I’m not sure how low GI it is. Even my low sugar Weetbix favourite didn’t pass muster, but Sustain is good. So Sustain and porridge it will be.

At home I weigh everything. Eating out is harder. Trying to find something in MyFitnessPal’s database that I think and hope matches what I am eating is a bit of a struggle. On Sunday I allowed myself a treat: 166 millilitres of Bailey’s Irish Cream. You know how many calories that was? FIVE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-ONE!!! My daughter tells me to buy Bacardi and have with Coke Zero – much less calories. But Bailey’s is so…….. nice. And, sadly, very more-ish.

I have been walking. Got to earn a few more calories somehow! I’m managing 8,500 steps a day in short ten to twenty minute bursts. No hour long walks for me any more. I love the twin flowers but you may need to click on the picture to see it full size, depending on your display.

I managed a thirty-four lap swim (800 metres) on the weekend, but that is a far cry from my 120 lap best during the GCC last year. A day at a time.