The Medical Thread

[Endless Soul]

Just found out today that Mrs. ES has glaucoma. Zod, if it's not one thing, it's another.

Endless "..." Soul

[NoemiChan]

Originally Posted by SummeryDreams

There's been vaccines for Small pox, Chicken pox, Influenza that offers immunity. But we don't care, you want to pay 1.5k for a Chicken pox vaccine? Or 1k per year for Influenza? I'd rather have the disease wherein I can just suffer or a week and wait for my body to gain immunity over the strain - free of charge + experience.

LOls.... I never had chicken pox and I already handled around 6 patient with the disease and never got infected.... I guess exposing yourself to this elements with a healthy body is better than vaccines....

[AnimeFan188]

Scientists Can Now 3D Print Transplantable, Living Kidneys:

"For the first time ever, scientists are successfully 3D printing actual, living human
kidneys. Like the human livers printed in the past, the kidney are currently miniature in
size, but with about 90% of the printed cells being alive, the potential for human use
looks immensely positive.

To produce mass amounts of the living cells, samples of human kidney cells are
cultured in large volumes and blended with hydrogel, a water- and nutrition-rich
material that makes up the 3D printed kidneys' base. Afterwards, the printed cells can
survive for up to four months in a lab thanks to this gel's rich nutrient source."

See:

http://gizmodo.com/scientists-can-no...idn-1120783047

[AnimeFan188]

Stem cells turned into cancer-killing immune cells:

"The authors started with existing T cells, which would have already gone through the selection
process that prevents them from attacking normal cells. They then used the techniques that have
been developed to induce them to adopt a stem cell fate to grow them up into large numbers."

See:

http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/...-immune-cells/

[SummeryDreams]

Originally Posted by GenjiChan

LOls.... I never had chicken pox and I already handled around 6 patient with the disease and never got infected.... I guess exposing yourself to this elements with a healthy body is better than vaccines....

You've had expose yourself with the virus on its weaker state that's why maybe you've got immunity. Remember that if you have this type of patients in the hospital, they are already undergoing treatment and we can say that the pathogen were weakened. Nevertheless, vaccines if I'm not mistaken are the weaker version of the pathogen that infects human. I guess my theory make sense? xD Not sure but I guess that's most probably be the case.

[SummeryDreams]

Originally Posted by AnimeFan188

Stem cells turned into cancer-killing immune cells:

"The authors started with existing T cells, which would have already gone through the selection
process that prevents them from attacking normal cells. They then used the techniques that have
been developed to induce them to adopt a stem cell fate to grow them up into large numbers."

See:

http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/...-immune-cells/

Make sense. They can actually take a live sample of both cancer cells and immune cells, and mix them all together. With that, there will be some of which that will recognize the cancer cells, then use it for for further experiment. I don't believe the cure for cancer have already been discovered, but atleast maybe not so long anymore that this deadly disease will find its rival.

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by SummeryDreams

You've had expose yourself with the virus on its weaker state that's why maybe you've got immunity. Remember that if you have this type of patients in the hospital, they are already undergoing treatment and we can say that the pathogen were weakened. Nevertheless, vaccines if I'm not mistaken are the weaker version of the pathogen that infects human. I guess my theory make sense? xD Not sure but I guess that's most probably be the case.

Not for viruses, no. It's most likely that GenjiChan was infected with chicken pox as a child and didn't remember it/parents didn't recognize it as such, or he has some incredibly good hygiene technique.

Remember, viruses aren't living creatures. They aren't "weakened" by a human host. The number of viral particles in the host can change and the virus may undergo mutations, but a viral particle either exists or it doesn't. When we discuss vaccines, we have two types: "dead" vaccines and attenuated vaccines. With "dead" vaccines, the viral particles have been deactivated (usually be chemical treatment). The body recognizes the particles as foreign and mounts a response against them, but they are harmless.

Attenuated ("weakened") vaccines are viruses that have been forced to undergo mutations, usually by putting them through cells belonging to a different species of animal. The viral particles that successfully take hold and replicate bear mutations that make them specific to the cells from that species. These mutations mean that those viruses will have some difficulty infecting and replicating within human cells. Of course, it is possible for the viruses to undergo further mutations or mutations that reverse the prior mutations, resulting in a wild-type "full strength" virus. The point here is that the viruses are "weakened" not because the host cells are doing anything to them, but because they aren't well-adapted to infecting and replicating within human cells. It's very unlikely that you'd find such a thing occurring within another human.

(Note also that I'm using the terms "strength" and "weak" to refer to the virus' capabilities to infect and replicate within a cell, and not to the "health" or "power" of the virus itself.)

Originally Posted by SummeryDreams

Make sense. They can actually take a live sample of both cancer cells and immune cells, and mix them all together. With that, there will be some of which that will recognize the cancer cells, then use it for for further experiment. I don't believe the cure for cancer have already been discovered, but atleast maybe not so long anymore that this deadly disease will find its rival.

This was my research area. The specific technique that this group used is interesting, but the concept isn't new. There is also a major hurdle to contend with at the cancer site itself that this methodology can't easily contend with, which is cancer-induced immunosuppression.

[NorthernFallout]

So here's a question someone might have some more info/opinions on:

On my closing shifts at work, we're allowed to eat as many free sausages as we want at the end of the shift, around 9pm. This usually serves as my dinner as I get home around 10pm, way too late for an actual dinner. Lunch is around 3 or 4PM before this, and during the rest of the shift I'm unable to get proper food. 8-9 sausages a week has been the norm for a while now.

Combined with quite a serious case of IBS, this is a debacle since I can't get a very large lunch (which would result in... unpleasant consequences). The thing is, I'm very aware of industry-made sausages being unhealthy, usually filled with nitrite (at least here in Sweden), which CAN be a source of cancer. And that's not counting other areas such as diabetes etc.

However, I barely drink soda (<1 liter per month), actively avoid candy/snacks, am a non-alcoholic/smoker, and sometimes work out (stepping up that part of the game atm.) Though lunch usually consists of pasta and bacon, because that's the easiest thing to make and digest atm with some kind of nutrients.

With this limited info, am I at a health risk if I keep eating so many sausages for a prolonged amount of time or am I just over-analyzing?

[SummeryDreams]

Originally Posted by NorthernFallout

So here's a question someone might have some more info/opinions on:

On my closing shifts at work, we're allowed to eat as many free sausages as we want at the end of the shift, around 9pm. This usually serves as my dinner as I get home around 10pm, way too late for an actual dinner. Lunch is around 3 or 4PM before this, and during the rest of the shift I'm unable to get proper food. 8-9 sausages a week has been the norm for a while now.

Combined with quite a serious case of IBS, this is a debacle since I can't get a very large lunch (which would result in... unpleasant consequences). The thing is, I'm very aware of industry-made sausages being unhealthy, usually filled with nitrite (at least here in Sweden), which CAN be a source of cancer. And that's not counting other areas such as diabetes etc.

However, I barely drink soda (<1 liter per month), actively avoid candy/snacks, am a non-alcoholic/smoker, and sometimes work out (stepping up that part of the game atm.) Though lunch usually consists of pasta and bacon, because that's the easiest thing to make and digest atm with some kind of nutrients.

With this limited info, am I at a health risk if I keep eating so many sausages for a prolonged amount of time or am I just over-analyzing?

This deserves to be at the medical thread, but anyway I'll answer you. Yes you are at risk of cancer (though everyone is xD), but not just cancer related to eating sausages but still a lot more, you might not notice a vise of yours, either way, cancer is still considered as idiophatic, so though you have a risk of eating sausages, you still can't prove that you'll have cancer because of eating it everyday, but will just be a factor. BUT! I guess you will be at most risk of heart problems, ESPECIALLY KIDNEY problems in the future. Processed meats are nephrotoxic you know, and don't take it lightly, it kills mercilessly as well.

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by NorthernFallout

However, I barely drink soda (<1 liter per month), actively avoid candy/snacks, am a non-alcoholic/smoker, and sometimes work out (stepping up that part of the game atm.) Though lunch usually consists of pasta and bacon, because that's the easiest thing to make and digest atm with some kind of nutrients.

With this limited info, am I at a health risk if I keep eating so many sausages for a prolonged amount of time or am I just over-analyzing?

For IBS the main concern that I would have is malnutrition. Pasta and bacon, sausages... I'd be concerned about your cholesterol with those alone, but the IBS also raises issues for vitamin deficiencies.

Nitrites aren't limited to sausages, but also to other processed meats (sandwich meats and the like). Pickled foods, which are thought to be the main cause of increased levels of gastric cancers in Japan as compared with the rest of the world, are also a large source. While that seems like a lot of sausages to be eating, it may not be a big deal so long as you're not eating other processed meats and/or pickled foods.

I am not a nutritionist so I can't tell you exactly how much sausage you could get away with eating, and I don't know that there's any data to indicate safety levels either. The general rule is that the fewer processed meats, the better. If you're not eating any other processed meats or pickled foods then averaging a sausage a day probably isn't exposing you to much more nitrites than people throughout the western world are consuming and you're probably fine. If you have the opportunity to eat fewer processed meats, please do so. Regardless of the meat scenario, ensure that you're eating a sufficient supply of vegetables and fruits, and possibly consider taking a multivitamin.

[SummeryDreams]

Originally Posted by Ledgem

For IBS the main concern that I would have is malnutrition. Pasta and bacon, sausages... I'd be concerned about your cholesterol with those alone, but the IBS also raises issues for vitamin deficiencies.

Nitrites aren't limited to sausages, but also to other processed meats (sandwich meats and the like). Pickled foods, which are thought to be the main cause of increased levels of gastric cancers in Japan as compared with the rest of the world, are also a large source. While that seems like a lot of sausages to be eating, it may not be a big deal so long as you're not eating other processed meats and/or pickled foods.

I am not a nutritionist so I can't tell you exactly how much sausage you could get away with eating, and I don't know that there's any data to indicate safety levels either. The general rule is that the fewer processed meats, the better. If you're not eating any other processed meats or pickled foods then averaging a sausage a day probably isn't exposing you to much more nitrites than people throughout the western world are consuming and you're probably fine. If you have the opportunity to eat fewer processed meats, please do so. Regardless of the meat scenario, ensure that you're eating a sufficient supply of vegetables and fruits, and possibly consider taking a multivitamin.

By the way, I guess you know better than me. So I guess I should ask you something about some questions about eating. I'm effin fat, and I want to reduce weight. I've heard a lot about eating breakfast like hell, and little to no eating in dinner. Is it effective? I kind of do that right now, like in my breakfast, I'll eat pork/beef with some vegies and about 3 cups of rice. But in lunch I'll eat about 1/4 of that said above, and almost nothing during the night. I don't know if I do it best, but I have a very little knowledge about decreasing weight in a food approach. Any good ways?

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by SummeryDreams

By the way, I guess you know better than me. So I guess I should ask you something about some questions about eating. I'm effin fat, and I want to reduce weight. I've heard a lot about eating breakfast like hell, and little to no eating in dinner. Is it effective? I kind of do that right now, like in my breakfast, I'll eat pork/beef with some vegies and about 3 cups of rice. But in lunch I'll eat about 1/4 of that said above, and almost nothing during the night. I don't know if I do it best, but I have a very little knowledge about decreasing weight in a food approach. Any good ways?

Weight control is one of those topics that seems like it should be so incredibly easy to understand, and yet guidelines and recommendations seem to change every few years. What I mean is, we're talking about energy; if you expend more than you take in, you lose weight, and if you take in more than you expend, you gain weight. Simple, right? And yet there are dozens of diet and exercise advice plans, and no one plan has proven superior.

What you've heard about breakfast is somewhat correct: eating breakfast supposedly raises your metabolism for the day, so it's advised to eat breakfast rather than skip it. It's also suggested that breakfast and lunch should be your larger meals, with dinner being smaller. However, it sounds like you're eating quite a bit for breakfast. I would reduce the amount that you're eating for breakfast, and increase what you're eating for lunch and dinner.

If you can tolerate it, reducing what you eat in total is the way to go. This shouldn't be a dramatic change, however. Don't cut meals or suddenly cut your food portions in half. If you normally fill your bowl to the brim with food, try filling it to only 75% of its total capacity (or better yet, use a smaller bowl). If you eat dessert with every meal, try cutting back so that you eat it with only one meal, and possibly limit yourself to every other day. While you may find yourself feeling uncomfortable and hungry at first, you will adjust and eventually feel fine with that. Once you reach that point, reduce your intake further. Monitor your weight so that you can slightly increase your intake once you reach your target weight.

Exercise is recommended, not only to help with weight loss but for its other health benefits. The current guidelines suggest performing at least 90 minutes of a moderate-intensity cardiac workout per week for optimal health. There's a simple formula for figuring out what your target heart rate should be, but most people won't be measuring that. Just know that you're likely at your target when you feel that you would be able to speak a few sentences, but would be too breathless to do so if you pushed yourself harder. (In other words, it's a misconception that you need to strain and go through a ton of pain to achieve that target heart rate... but if you want to push yourself beyond the target heart rate, that's perfectly fine.)

However, it's a misconception that exercise alone can result in weight loss. It can help, but dietary modifications are currently regarded as being the only effective way to change your weight.

Take small steps and set targets. Reduce your intake by a little bit this week, keep it up for two or three weeks, and then reduce it a bit more again after that. You'll get there.

[NorthernFallout]

Thanks for the replies.

@Ledgem: At this point, I can rule out malnutrition as a risk. I had the thought, but seeing how my energy levels are fairly stable, I'm not sickly thin, I sleep relatively well and I keep gaining muscle, it'd be a longshot.

The other stuff you mentioned, however, are risks I find more plausible. Especially cholesterol, which I plan to check in the near future. Currently, I'm trying to up my intake of vegetables and fish, mostly. Specific fruits are very bad with my IBS, but I get by. Processed foods in general are minimal in my diet, I think, seeing how complicated it is (fast foods and the like I eat maybe 2-3 times a month). I'm starting to remake my breakfasts to feature more vegetables as well, instead of plain ham or something.

Though... It doesn't hurt cutting down on the sausages anyway, I feel, so I'll try to do that.

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by NorthernFallout

@Ledgem: At this point, I can rule out malnutrition as a risk. I had the thought, but seeing how my energy levels are fairly stable, I'm not sickly thin, I sleep relatively well and I keep gaining muscle, it'd be a longshot.

That you have IBS makes you at risk for malnutrition by virtue of IBS itself. I'm not saying that you must have malnutrition at this moment (and it doesn't sound like you do), but be careful.

[NorthernFallout]

Ah, you meant it like that. Then yes, agreed.

[SummeryDreams]

Originally Posted by Ledgem

Weight control is one of those topics that seems like it should be so incredibly easy to understand, and yet guidelines and recommendations seem to change every few years. What I mean is, we're talking about energy; if you expend more than you take in, you lose weight, and if you take in more than you expend, you gain weight. Simple, right? And yet there are dozens of diet and exercise advice plans, and no one plan has proven superior.

What you've heard about breakfast is somewhat correct: eating breakfast supposedly raises your metabolism for the day, so it's advised to eat breakfast rather than skip it. It's also suggested that breakfast and lunch should be your larger meals, with dinner being smaller. However, it sounds like you're eating quite a bit for breakfast. I would reduce the amount that you're eating for breakfast, and increase what you're eating for lunch and dinner.

If you can tolerate it, reducing what you eat in total is the way to go. This shouldn't be a dramatic change, however. Don't cut meals or suddenly cut your food portions in half. If you normally fill your bowl to the brim with food, try filling it to only 75% of its total capacity (or better yet, use a smaller bowl). If you eat dessert with every meal, try cutting back so that you eat it with only one meal, and possibly limit yourself to every other day. While you may find yourself feeling uncomfortable and hungry at first, you will adjust and eventually feel fine with that. Once you reach that point, reduce your intake further. Monitor your weight so that you can slightly increase your intake once you reach your target weight.

Exercise is recommended, not only to help with weight loss but for its other health benefits. The current guidelines suggest performing at least 90 minutes of a moderate-intensity cardiac workout per week for optimal health. There's a simple formula for figuring out what your target heart rate should be, but most people won't be measuring that. Just know that you're likely at your target when you feel that you would be able to speak a few sentences, but would be too breathless to do so if you pushed yourself harder. (In other words, it's a misconception that you need to strain and go through a ton of pain to achieve that target heart rate... but if you want to push yourself beyond the target heart rate, that's perfectly fine.)

However, it's a misconception that exercise alone can result in weight loss. It can help, but dietary modifications are currently regarded as being the only effective way to change your weight.

Take small steps and set targets. Reduce your intake by a little bit this week, keep it up for two or three weeks, and then reduce it a bit more again after that. You'll get there.

Thanks. Seems that I know everything except for that exercise that will lose weight, I mean effectively will lose. Anyway, still difficult for me to do that. xD Though I'm a big person, my height is 6^2, and for a Filipino to be 6'2, that must have been really a big man. But I can't stop eating, and I'm overweight. xD I'm about 95 kilos I guess. It's difficult for me to not to eat much, I'd rather skip eating rather than decreasing my intake, because I can't resist the temptation of eating more than desirable if I'm already in the table. That's why sometimes I'll skip both breakfast and lunch but will overeat at dinner, very bad idea, but I can't help but do it. Plus I work during dawn at times, and I can't afford to eat breakfast and lunch because I want to sleep like hell after work. Anyway, seems like an excuse for a healthy habit, but yes, admittingly, I'm a b*tch in terms of my own diet.

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by SummeryDreams

But I can't stop eating, and I'm overweight. xD I'm about 95 kilos I guess. It's difficult for me to not to eat much, I'd rather skip eating rather than decreasing my intake, because I can't resist the temptation of eating more than desirable if I'm already in the table. That's why sometimes I'll skip both breakfast and lunch but will overeat at dinner, very bad idea, but I can't help but do it.

Based on your estimated height and weight, you're technically overweight but not by that much. If you lose 15-20 pounds (roughly 6-10 kg) you'll technically be in the "normal" range, although you may want to lose some more just to have a little buffer.

You would most likely benefit from behavioral modification. Here are some general bits of advice; use them as appropriate to your situation:

1) Force yourself to eat more slowly. Many people eat a sufficient amount of food to satiate themselves, but because they're eating so quickly their body still feels hunger and they continue to eat a bit more. While you can use some external aids (watching a clock, or some other method of tracking time to pace yourself), you can also help this by changing your eating utensils. If you're using a fork or spoon, for example, use a smaller silverware set. If your current silverware set has multiple sizes of forks and spoons, use the smallest ones (salad/dessert fork instead of the regular fork, teaspoon instead of the soup spoon). If you're using chopsticks, avoid putting the plate or bowl to your mouth to "shovel" food. This will help you to slow you down, although you'll still need to actively pace yourself.

2) Avoid situations where "mindless eating" can occur. In America the stereotypical example is eating while watching television. This mostly pertains to snacking. If you're the type to eat a major meal while watching a television program (or an episode of anime) that's fine, just make sure that your portion is fixed beforehand. Place the food that you're going to eat into a container (bowl or plate) and set the portion; don't keep the larger supply of food nearby, and don't resupply.

3) Similar to tobacco addicts who are trying to quit smoking, identify triggers in your life and learn to avoid them. Do you watch cooking shows, and do those make you feel hungry? Stop watching them. Do you often find yourself bored, and then eat out of boredom? Get a hobby or find some other activity to occupy your time with. If you frequently eat out at restaurants with friends, try to find another activity that you and your friends can engage in. Eat to live, don't live to eat.

4) Eating out at restaurants is problematic, because your ability to control the portions is very difficult. In America this is a particularly large problem; when I was in Europe the food portions were quite small by comparison, but the issue likely remains. Have the discipline to only eat part of what is on your plate, and have the rest of the food wrapped up to bring home for a second meal if possible. Avoid buffet-style restaurants.

5) I touched on it briefly before, but you want to avoid binge eating or eating more heavily at certain meals than at others. A more regular schedule should also help you to determine what portion sizes you can tolerate for portion control, and to eat more slowly (it's near-impossible to eat slowly when you feel like you're starving). If you're having difficulty finding the time for full meals, or if smaller meals aren't lasting you through the day, then the advice is to eat smaller meals more frequently. In other words, snack.

Portion control is important with snacks as well. I always carry two or three snack bars around the hospital (usually nut bars or "healthy cookies"), but I only use them if I've had to miss lunch or dinner. Nut bars aren't that difficult to make yourself, and of course there are a host of other snacks that you could use besides nut bars. Try to keep the snacks healthy, though, and try to avoid eating snacks as a supplement to your normal meals; if you need to take a snack, try to eat a little bit less during the remaining meals of the day to make up for it.

6) Eat healthy. You hear this one all the time, but it's true. As mentioned before, weight gain or loss is all about energy balance. A donut isn't very large but it's packed with energy and it tastes wonderful, which makes it likely that you'll eat it quickly and won't feel satiated (and will probably want to eat more). Vegetables (particularly lettuce) are excellent "fillers" - they'll provide you with vitamins, fiber, and modest energy while contributing to your sensation of feeling full.

Good luck!

[NoemiChan]

Originally Posted by SummeryDreams

Thanks. Seems that I know everything except for that exercise that will lose weight, I mean effectively will lose. Anyway, still difficult for me to do that. xD Though I'm a big person, my height is 6^2, and for a Filipino to be 6'2, that must have been really a big man. But I can't stop eating, and I'm overweight. xD I'm about 95 kilos I guess. It's difficult for me to not to eat much, I'd rather skip eating rather than decreasing my intake, because I can't resist the temptation of eating more than desirable if I'm already in the table. That's why sometimes I'll skip both breakfast and lunch but will overeat at dinner, very bad idea, but I can't help but do it. Plus I work during dawn at times, and I can't afford to eat breakfast and lunch because I want to sleep like hell after work. Anyway, seems like an excuse for a healthy habit, but yes, admittingly, I'm a b*tch in terms of my own diet.

and I thought I'm over weight at 78 kg at 5'9..... the only advice I can give you and the same advice I give to all my patients is "...one cup of rice and unlimited veges ( especially green and leafy)"...

[SummeryDreams]

Originally Posted by Ledgem

Based on your estimated height and weight, you're technically overweight but not by that much. If you lose 15-20 pounds (roughly 6-10 kg) you'll technically be in the "normal" range, although you may want to lose some more just to have a little buffer.

You would most likely benefit from behavioral modification. Here are some general bits of advice; use them as appropriate to your situation:

1) Force yourself to eat more slowly. Many people eat a sufficient amount of food to satiate themselves, but because they're eating so quickly their body still feels hunger and they continue to eat a bit more. While you can use some external aids (watching a clock, or some other method of tracking time to pace yourself), you can also help this by changing your eating utensils. If you're using a fork or spoon, for example, use a smaller silverware set. If your current silverware set has multiple sizes of forks and spoons, use the smallest ones (salad/dessert fork instead of the regular fork, teaspoon instead of the soup spoon). If you're using chopsticks, avoid putting the plate or bowl to your mouth to "shovel" food. This will help you to slow you down, although you'll still need to actively pace yourself.

2) Avoid situations where "mindless eating" can occur. In America the stereotypical example is eating while watching television. This mostly pertains to snacking. If you're the type to eat a major meal while watching a television program (or an episode of anime) that's fine, just make sure that your portion is fixed beforehand. Place the food that you're going to eat into a container (bowl or plate) and set the portion; don't keep the larger supply of food nearby, and don't resupply.

3) Similar to tobacco addicts who are trying to quit smoking, identify triggers in your life and learn to avoid them. Do you watch cooking shows, and do those make you feel hungry? Stop watching them. Do you often find yourself bored, and then eat out of boredom? Get a hobby or find some other activity to occupy your time with. If you frequently eat out at restaurants with friends, try to find another activity that you and your friends can engage in. Eat to live, don't live to eat.

4) Eating out at restaurants is problematic, because your ability to control the portions is very difficult. In America this is a particularly large problem; when I was in Europe the food portions were quite small by comparison, but the issue likely remains. Have the discipline to only eat part of what is on your plate, and have the rest of the food wrapped up to bring home for a second meal if possible. Avoid buffet-style restaurants.

5) I touched on it briefly before, but you want to avoid binge eating or eating more heavily at certain meals than at others. A more regular schedule should also help you to determine what portion sizes you can tolerate for portion control, and to eat more slowly (it's near-impossible to eat slowly when you feel like you're starving). If you're having difficulty finding the time for full meals, or if smaller meals aren't lasting you through the day, then the advice is to eat smaller meals more frequently. In other words, snack.

Portion control is important with snacks as well. I always carry two or three snack bars around the hospital (usually nut bars or "healthy cookies"), but I only use them if I've had to miss lunch or dinner. Nut bars aren't that difficult to make yourself, and of course there are a host of other snacks that you could use besides nut bars. Try to keep the snacks healthy, though, and try to avoid eating snacks as a supplement to your normal meals; if you need to take a snack, try to eat a little bit less during the remaining meals of the day to make up for it.

6) Eat healthy. You hear this one all the time, but it's true. As mentioned before, weight gain or loss is all about energy balance. A donut isn't very large but it's packed with energy and it tastes wonderful, which makes it likely that you'll eat it quickly and won't feel satiated (and will probably want to eat more). Vegetables (particularly lettuce) are excellent "fillers" - they'll provide you with vitamins, fiber, and modest energy while contributing to your sensation of feeling full.

Good luck!

I already know all of these techniques, but not the lettuce part. hmmm.. Seems really difficult for me to follow those, been tried so many times, but I scked at it, maybe I;ll try lettuce then。。Though it tastes horrible for me. xD Damn, I'm hopeless, uuuhhhmmm.. I should better have a motivation to do this very difficult change (for me). Thanks for the help though! VERY APPRECIATED.

[SummeryDreams]

Originally Posted by GenjiChan

and I thought I'm over weight at 78 kg at 5'9..... the only advice I can give you and the same advice I give to all my patients is "...one cup of rice and unlimited veges ( especially green and leafy)"...

You don't have to tell me that as I know it already, seem really basic - my problem is more like a psychological rather than the food intake. Discipline is my problem.