Anyone Without Mac Losing Weight

@ursala7 TRUE: "Between all the daily chores, like food shopping (for myself and husband), prep, clean up, trying to eat 2000 calories a day, consistent exercise to move mucus, airway clearance techniques, and other bronchiectasis treatments, self-care is a quite a commitment."
Most of us, I believe, understand what you said and are feeling, I sure do and it's just me, I do not have another person or sweet pet to feed and consider within the house.

Some things for me just aren't getting done as I would like and want.....I am working on getting more help....if the finances say: "You can do it." So much to consider. I often daydream of getting an apartment where there MIGHT be less to have to take care of and still be able to cook my own meals. I said to my PCP about his talk with me about thinking of a Independent Community with cooked meals...."I'd die or get high blood pressure from the food cooked at the facilities." Hard to find a facility that cooks fresh produce for all meals etc.
Hope you are having an easy day. Yes, it all could be worse.
Barbara

blm1007blm1007:

Sounds like you have a good diet, incorporating the main ingredients to better health! I do not eat sweets or most processed foods (I will eat cereal, for example) and do not snack other than fruit/nuts. None of these is a recent change -- that has been most of my life.

I do not drink alcohol and dislike soda or really anything but water, which I boil and refrigerate. I do not use any milk products but will have cheese once in a while and a low fat cottage cheese and Fage Greek yogurt, incorporating the latter two into my smoothies. I use unsweetened almond milk in my smoothies and occasionally I'll use 1/2 bottle of the Boost VHC (very high calorie) as the base with added almond milk if needed for consistency. The Boost is heavier than almond milk and more filling.

I add frozen fruit, avocado, hemp seed, chia, flaxseed and nuts to the smoothie. I buy fresh fruit and then freeze blueberries, strawberries, bananas, raspberries, grapes, and pineapple, adding them to make the smoothing taste more like a dessert shake.

To make water more appealing, I add Liquid IV (Amazon) to my daily water to change the taste.

I do not use protein powder due to recent testing of the products.

Ironically, my dietician wanted me to eat more sugar-filled desserts, goodies, to gain weight but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Psychologically, I can't think of anything less nutritious and more filling -- and I am too used to eating well.

It just goes to show -- even though I have been on a Mediterranean diet (+chicken for the protein) for many years, have a history of exercise/competitive running, and thinking I was doing everything "right" for a healthier life -- I still got MAC/BE/and a lung fungal infection. And now those are the recommendations to keep the diseases at bay. I haven't needed to change anything because the above has been a habit all along. Go figure!

@blm1007blm1007
Agree! My sisters are signed up for a senior housing development (5 year wait) which transitions into assisted living when needed, and semi guarantees them a spot in full nursing care. I went along to the presentation to learn about it. I agree with you about the meals provided; I would have boggy lungs eating the salty, sugary food choices. The other unfortunate negative: mixing with people - other residents wouldn't understand our reluctance to mix and have fun at the provided activities, because our susceptibilities are not visible. Not to mention the staff often spreads respiratory illness. I'm going to opt for an apartment.

@pmmar1 Be it BE, Bronchiectasis, with and infection or other health issue that comes up...many who eat healthy, exercise and get enough sleep at some point their/our luck runs out. I have said for many years now, long before the BE/Intercellular diagnosis given me, there is a matter of luck when it comes to many things including our health. I think, also, the medical field needs to be educating us more so. So now that I have BE and the infection I do tell my story to others in hopes of letting others know there are more things to know and learn about as we journey through this life.

I like your idea of adding the seeds etc. to the smoothies.
I slice apples into 1/4's and then half moons and place almond butter on the slices with all the types of seeds...pumpkin, sunflower, chia, flaxseed etc. One of my favorite breakfasts.
My new favorite snack is a prune with a bit of peanut butter.
I like to make different teas using ginger, cinnamon, tumeric root, garlic. You probably do the same. I have used Ultima from the health food store. I had not heard of the Liquid IV. Looked it up after reading your post.
Hemp seeds vs hemp protein powder???? I know what they are saying about it, lead...Yes?
Enjoyed your response.
Barbara

@ursala7 Lost my first response, Must have forgot to hit reply.
Your sisters must have signed up for a Continuity Care Community with a buy in??? Do they have health problems or are they without at this time in life?

Wow, you did good. You thought of two things I had not thought of, much to my surprise.
"mixing with people - other residents wouldn't understand our reluctance to mix and have fun at the provided activities, because our susceptibilities are not visible. Not to mention the staff often spreads respiratory illness"
I know I don't want to be a prisoner in my own home and that can happen if you are unable to get out and/or no longer able to drive. Maybe an apartment near a hospital or across the street from a great grocery store. 🤣
Reality, until one lives it one really doesn't know if what one thinks is the answer, will be the answer. So we just have to go for it to find out.
Barbara

Hi, Picartist. Have you seen your regular doctor about your weight loss? I too lost nearly 20 pounds in one year, which I attributed to a healthier diet and habits, and caring for my spouse. I have never before had weight loss from MAC. But I actually had a sneaky gynecological cancer which almost always presents with no symptoms until it’s too late. It was caught incidentally on a lung scan for the MAC! The weight loss might be worth a visit to your regular doctor.

@juliea55 I am doing that next week after my blood draw tomorrow. It is a regular annual, just fortunate now so I can talk about the weight loss. However, dollars to donuts I am not getting enough calories and still exercise in water aerobics four days a week. My desire to not eat much at 88 is something that popped up this year when my wife went to Assisted Living in my Life Care Community. When she was home I cooked a lot and ate what I cooked. I have dinner at her place which I often bring because of not eating Gluten so I cut back a lot on eating.

@blm1007blm1007
I like your snack ideas. My favorite seeds are hemp, flaxseeds, sunflower, pumpkin, chia (ground), and favorite nuts are walnuts, pistachios, almonds, and cashews. Not all at once, of course, but they do add to smoothies in their own tasty ways. Hemp protein powder sounds good too! I'd need to check to see if that product has been tested. I'm not real excited about drinking lead daily!

I make tofu scrambles a couple of times a week, adding carrots and celery and spinach, plus turmeric, a bit of salt and pepper. With the scramble I toast a slice of sourdough and then add mashed avocado, sunflower seeds, and topped with sliced tomato -- so delicious.

Because my weight is too low, I drink 4 oz of Boost VHC (very high calorie) nutritional drink at each meal (other than dinner, due to nighttime GERD). Drinking an 8 oz carton wouldn't allow me to have the real foods I enjoy -- too filling.

We all have our stories to tell but in different ways! Wishing you well!

@pmmar1 When you said "Because my weight is too low, I drink 4 oz of Boost VHC (very high calorie) nutritional drink at each meal..." it reminded me - When I was losing a dangerous amount of weight while on antibiotics, the nutritionist directed me to do that BETWEEN meals. She had me eating 8 small meals a day just to maintain my weight. After antibiotic therapy, I kept up the regimen for a year to regain what I had lost. Now, 5 years later, I am on other meds that are the opposite, if I don't watch what I eat, I'll gain too much. C'est la vie!
PS My primary & pulmonologists say not to worry about a few extra pounds because if I get MAC or Pseudomonas again, that could be gone very quickly.

@sueinmn:
Everything you say is true. I drink the other half of the Boost mid-morning and an another half mid-afternoon. If I drink the whole carton at once, I'm done eating until lunch and sometimes later than that. The Boost is too heavy all at once.

Your suggestions are the same as my dietician at NJH -- small meals throughout the day. One half a Boost is a small meal to me! I'm on no other medications to "boost" my appetite although the dietician did suggest taking Mirtazapine, which is an anti-depressant and causes hunger. I'm the furthest thing from depression -- maybe if I cut the pill in half, I'll be more hungry? 🙂 Thank you for your response, Sue. We are definitely all on different journeys!