Hi - Could you guys give me some advice on nutrition please?

I love these forums as they are so focused and full of technical information. I have a lot of health issues including CFIDS, which makes it tough to exercise, and when I have a relapse I put on weight because I can’t do much for weeks or even months. Lactose build up is a problem, sometimes within 2 or 3 minutes, so during a bad patch, diet is the only means I have of controlling my weight. I need to stop putting it on when I’ve relapsed and rushing to get it off when I recover.

I’m well at the moment and am focusing my energies on suitable exercise, oxygen intake, water intake and now diet.

I’m using a Tanita monitor which is brilliant for monitoring hydration levels (although you need to be very aware of how hydration levels badly affect the fat% it calculates). I also use a polar HRM and an Omron 705 BP monitor as tools to learn how breathing and exercise affect my BP and pulse in the short and long term. I am pretty much using the ‘gadgets’ as research tools to learn how my body works.

My big problem is that I mostly don’t feel like eating in the morning. I have 2 cups of coffee (my only coffee of the day) which I would find very hard to give up. Lately I’ve been eating a banana for breakfast, for vitamin C and potassium (to help keep my BP down). Maybe some eggs for lunch and I’m trying to eat my main meal early, say 5pm, e.g. chicken and salad and about 8pm some fruit and yogurt.

I find it really hard to get away from the bulk of my food in the evening. I don’t like cereal much and I need to keep away from too many carbs (rice, bread, pasta, potato) or I tend to overeat. I’m a butter freak so bread is out or I slap a load of butter on it.

I’m trying to use my elliptical twice a day especially after my main meal of the day (not too soon after). I also use flax oil and omega 3 supplements as I have high cholesterol.

I would like to eat the minimum that is sensible until my main meal late afternoon.

I would really appreciate your suggestions. I’m in the UK by the way so we don’t have as many options as in the States when it comes to food!

Thanks, Gay

ps 53 year old female, MHR=172, Resting Pulse=65, weight 160lb and losing

Although I can eat in the morings, when I'm tring to really restric calories I too find it much easier to miss meals in the moreings than in the evening. Somehow my body knows that it needs to catch up.

I have two pieces of advice:

1. Although I might eat 1/2 my calories after 4pm on many days, I'm still below 10%BF and dropping (probably closer to 9%) - so it can be done.

2. Lift weights in the evening and do cardio in the morning.

Even though I only lift 3 times/week (4 every other week - I'm on a 6 day split), it certainly helps and allows me to eat more from 5pm onwards those days, and reduce calories in the morning. On non-lifting days I simply try to restict my eating after 5pm, having a smaller than usual (or more veggie - less rice/yam) dinner and another snack before my pre-bed meal.

However, I would say eating is something you can control unless you physically bring the food back up. So, you still need to have 6 meals during the day (eat every 3-4 hours) and those meals should have protein (+fat and/or carbs). The number of calories may depend on your total, but I would shoot for at least 1/2 your calories in your first 4 meals, fairly evenly spread out.

I also find that if I do eat decently in the early afternoon, it helps me not eat too much in the evenings.