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user 37518

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Well I have an obesity problem and lately my legs have become swollen, the doctor says its because I drink too much beer and my Uric acid is too high. I mentioned to the doctor that I can live with swollen legs, but I can't live without beer. Before this I never had any health problems, I guess this is how things start to go downhill ? Ohh well...
 
I started walking a couple miles every morning, and slowly I'm incorporating running into it.  I'm not obese but I could feel the pump was gearing up to give me an attack sooner than later.  I like hard liquor, but the time for that kind of fun is over.  I do at least 400 push ups per week but I need to turn it up to look and feel like my younger self
 
Yeah I should definitely excercise more often, I'm thinking on buying a TRX to do some work at home, im just too lazy....
 
I'm lazy too but I want to be around to enjoy what I earned.  Key word is enjoy, can't enjoy nothing when your health is screwed.
 
It's no fun to move around when overweight. The key is to change your diet and start moderate excercise. Moving around is fun once you're slim and healthy. There's no way around cutting down on the beer, maybe restrict drinking beer to once a week, like Friday night for a while? I know I wouldn't feel well if I drank beer more often... Didn't when I was younger, and I certainly don't now...
 
I've found that trying a  cleanse of sorts can help jump start things in the right direction. Very effective at cutting cravings to different things.

Fruit fasting is effective but I've tried some commercial liquid product before, can't remember the name, and could tell it had a similar effect.....
 
user 37518 said:
Well I have an obesity problem and lately my legs have become swollen, the doctor says its because I drink too much beer and my Uric acid is too high. I mentioned to the doctor that I can live with swollen legs, but I can't live without beer. Before this I never had any health problems, I guess this is how things start to go downhill ? Ohh well...
I wasn't aware of the beer to uric acid (gout) connection. Apparently the extra lactic acid from beer interferes with the body's normal uric acid clearance.

I can appreciate declining to give up beer, but you may need to give up eating so much food, and seriously consider getting more exercise. Gout is not the worst side effect from obesity (metabolic syndrome : diabetes, heart disease, etc).

Last century I suffered from blood pooling in my ankles after standing for several long days in a row at trade shows (my doctor said I had varicose veins). The medical advice was to wear compression stockings but they suck... I figured out that if I ran several miles at least one morning in the middle of the trade show stretch, my legs would not swell up.

If you are over weight you can not just start running several miles, but you can start walking, I hope. Walking is pretty much the same exercise as running the same distance, it just takes longer.  ;D  Even walking one mile each morning could make a difference.

Good luck and take care of yourself.

JR
 
I think exercise can be a cure all for a lot of things, certainly a good place to start , create a baseline
Helps the mental emotional side of things as well, most people who quit drinking say they've never felt better
waking up with energy and feeling good, good luck !
 
I’m a 30 year old fairly tall, naturally muscular, physically super lazy guy.
Over the last 3 year I’ve gained 30lbs from excessive drinking. I didn’t even notice it. I’d slam 4-5 pints of 7% beer in around 2-3 hours daily. Get a bit tipsy, no big deal, or so I thought. I was a bartender and it had become part of the gig.

Began feeling weird so I got a physical for the first one in 3-4 years. I was diagnosed with fatty liver disease and on my way to cirrhosis.

So I quit my job and started managing a record store. Quit drinking. Tried to start exercise but I’m so bad at keeping it up.

Went back to the doctor and they said I’m in the safe zone now and that my liver is healing.

Occasionally I’ll drink for a special occasion but it doesn’t hit the same anymore.

Weirdest thing about quitting drinking is realizing that all your friends are stupid when they drink. The jokes aren’t funny, the conversation is boring, the whole event is lacking. I find myself slipping away to think alone, reading about circuits on my phone, or calling it early.  This is a huge change from my previous self. But honestly, if I could drink with no consequence, I wouldn’t go back. I’d rather be lost in complex thoughts than a mindless party animal.

I know this isn’t everyone’s experience with alcohol. But I’d say put your health before your destructive hobby. It’s really boring. Trust me. You just don’t realize it yet.

 
Watching people getting rat arsed is never going to be fun , I've heard of many bar/pub managers getting fond of the drink on duty and of course 'lock ins' after hours etc , it can end up like pissing on your own doorstep for a finish if things get out of hand.

Most nights I have a few quiet beers ,
If I was to up my intake to 6-8 pints and maybe a couple of whiskies every night it wouldnt be long before Id gain a spare tyre buldge around my mid section , if I knocked out walking, exercise and good diet things would be heading south even quicker .

My guess is if you make some lifestyle adjustments and return to a more sensible few beers at some point everything will be fine,
Probably a good time to get out of the pub trade anyway with lockdown etc , having to 'police' customers compliance with social distance rules sounds like a right pain for bar staff.


 
Tubetec said:
Probably a good time to get out of the pub trade anyway with lockdown etc , having to 'police' customers compliance with social distance rules sounds like a right pain for bar staff.
One pub added an electric fence to keep patrons from getting too close to the bar.

iu


JR
 
I was a thin guy, I started gaining weight since I started taking an anti anxiety pill around five years ago, I must say that my diet isn't great either, and that plus the beer is how I got here. I had some blood tests done a few months ago, everything was ok, no high glucose, cholesterol ok, everything ok except uric acid. Some times I may stop drinking for a week and my uric acid levels will get back to normal and my legs will stop being swolen. My uncle has the same problem, he is also a heavy drinker, my grandfather, may he rest in peace also suffered from high uric acid and was a heavy drinker, seems like it runs in the family.
 
I have heart, weight, and drinking/drug problems in my family starting around my grandfather’s generation. My family is Scots-Irish wool farmers that originally immigrated to west-virginia and eventually Chicago. I’ve seen adult pictures of family members going very far back. I can tell you that the high stress lives of post industrial revolution long hour jobs, the stuff we eat, and the stuff we drink to cope with these weird modern lives is bad for you.

 
user 37518 said:
I was a thin guy, I started gaining weight since I started taking an anti anxiety pill around five years ago, I must say that my diet isn't great either

Similar situation to you.  I'm 5'11" and  fluctuated between 155 and 165 lbs for all my adult life up until 10 years ago. 
I've been on a high dose of anti-seizure meds as well as an SSRI  for the last 10 years and I'm now up to around 215 lbs. 
I don't drink often, but I do tend to drink a lot of it when I do partake - 'Maker's Mark' is my usual. 
 
I was working for years in a corporate job downtown in a big city, pretty much completely desk-bound. Great pay. It wasn't good for my health at all, although it would disingenuous of me to purely blame work. People make their own choices.

I also drank, smoked and ate too much. I'm a big bloke with a big frame (6' 5") and a slow metabolism, I was on a slippery slope to bad health problems. I got up to about 280lbs, wasn't sleeping well and had chest pains, possibly from anxiety but who knows.

I quit the job, quit the city and moved to the provinces. I got an active dog and started walking cross-country, climbing (eventually) mountains, that sort of stuff. It took a while for my knees to get used to it and for strength to build up. Early last year I also quit smoking.

I love food and love eating well. I also love wine. From walking (admittedly climbing steep hills), I lost about 60lbs, no change in diet. I put a bit of that back on when I gave up smoking but I'm relatively stable now.

My changes in life required a lot of sacrifices (not just for me) and I wonder sometimes whether or not I was just better where I was (mainly for financial reasons). I work for myself now and trying to establish a small (sole practitioner) consultancy is a very challenging thing to do. It hasn't got any easier in 2020!

I recommend that everyone learn to cook and start eating well. By well I mean quality of produce, variety and flavour experience. I know that this may well not be possible for everyone. I don't believe in the excuse that there is never enough time, but I also understand that there are people working themselves to the bone to just survive and are basically getting up to go to work before they even get to bed (to paraphrase Monty Python).  However, if you have the opportunity of choice, I suppose it comes down to what is important to you, and that seems to be largely what is under consideration here.
 
like others have said, reduce, start off slow and work your way up.

Start to reduce intake of calories. Diet changes, and so forth.  Rome wasn't built in a day and neither should a complete overhaul of what you ingest eat or drink. That is the easiest way to ensure you do not stick too it. Ween off things if you will.

From them start with low impact exercise, walking if possible is a great way to do that as is time in a swimming pool.  Then can work you way up to other things. But yeah again starting cold turkey at full speed  is not a healthy way  to do this and often leads to quitting quickly.
 
Yes, cook for yourself, use herbs and spices and buy quality unprocessed food (if you can afford it). Lot's of alcohol intake may be one reason for weight gain, but eating energy dense industrial food that only mimics quality nutrients it doesn't actually contain may be another reason.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dorito_Effect

Eat lot's of plant protein (or at least dairy) first. Once protein is taken care of, hunger generally subsides. A bag of chips contains flavor enhancers that suggests protein that isn't there. Eat food that contains a lot of micronutrients and dietary fiber (salad, vegetables legumes), slowing down carbohydrate intake as well as the subsequent blood sugar rise.
 
living sounds said:
Yes, cook for yourself, use herbs and spices and buy quality unprocessed food (if you can afford it). Lot's of alcohol intake may be one reason for weight gain, but eating energy intense industrial food that only mimics quality nutrients it doesn't actually contain may be another reason.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dorito_Effect

Eat lot's of plant protein (or at least dairy) first. Once protein is taken care of, hunger generally subsides. A bag of chips contains flavor enhancers that suggests protein that isn't there. Eat food that contains a lot of micronutrients and dietary fiber (salad, vegetables legumes), slowing down carbohydrate intake as well as the subsequent blood sugar rise.

You absolutely nailed it, I never cook, I always order take out, and as you may know, take out is rarely healthy food. Like I said, I am too lazy, I've bought vegetables and I'll cook for a day or two and thats it, most of the food I buy slowly rots in the fridge.
 
user 37518 said:
You absolutely nailed it, I never cook, I always order take out, and as you may know, take out is rarely healthy food. Like I said, I am too lazy, I've bought vegetables and I'll cook for a day or two and thats it, most of the food I buy slowly rots in the fridge.

It's up to you then! Takeout doesn't necessarily have to be unhealthy, and healthy takeout can even taste great (I was recently very pleasantly surprised by a poke bowl we ordered). But depending on where you live high quality takeout food might not be availible at all, and it is also more expensive than the unhealthy stuff.

I'd also recommend reading books and watching documentaries about mass food production in the west and in China (where more than one would expect of the food for sale in Europe comes from) and about the current food industry and the health effects of eating their products.
 
pucho812 said:
like others have said, reduce, start off slow and work your way up.

Start to reduce intake of calories. Diet changes, and so forth.k Rome wasn't built in a day and neither should a complete overhaul of what you ingest eat or drink. That is the easiest way to ensure you do not stick too it. Ween off things if you will.

From them start with low impact exercise, walking if possible is a great way to do that as is time in a swimming pool.  Then can work you way up to other things. But yeah again starting cold turkey at full speed  is not a healthy way  to do this and often leads to quitting quickly.
+1 DO NOT DIET, this implies some short term effort that allows you to return to previous behavior after.

Extreme energy deficit (dieting) can cause you to lose weight but you will often lose (good) lean body mass, like muscles, along with fat and water weight. After a period of extreme energy deficit, your resting metabolism will consume less energy due to lost muscle mass. Meaning you will gain weight even more easily than before the diet. DO NOT DIET.

living sounds said:
Yes, cook for yourself, use herbs and spices and buy quality unprocessed food (if you can afford it). Lot's of alcohol intake may be one reason for weight gain, but eating energy intense industrial food that only mimics quality nutrients it doesn't actually contain may be another reason.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dorito_Effect

Eat lot's of plant protein (or at least dairy) first. Once protein is taken care of, hunger generally subsides. A bag of chips contains flavor enhancers that suggests protein that isn't there. Eat food that contains a lot of micronutrients and dietary fiber (salad, vegetables legumes), slowing down carbohydrate intake as well as the subsequent blood sugar rise.
There is a lot of magical thinking surrounding weight loss plans, this is a mega-million dollar industry that profits from selling easy answers to desperate people for difficult problems. Like fashion, macro nutrients (protein, fats, carbohydrates)  rotate in and out of favor. Rather than favoring or avoiding single macro-nutrients eat all in balance and moderation. If you eat only healthy foods in moderation, your weight will take care of itself. You have the rest of your life to scrub off any excess weight, just stop consuming excess energy.

+1 the processed food industry is all about food engineered to make you eat too much (or more than you need). Read the labels, you might be surprised by contents.  We evolved to be always hungry, and to eat whatever was in front of us when it was available, because we didn't know when the next meal would come.  We now live in a golden age where we can buy fresh vegetables all year long, and have way more food available than we need. Even the formerly poverty stricken nations now suffer from obesity and metabolic syndrome. 

I can't remember the last time I ate fast food, or even processed food (again read the labels), I was a fat kid and have paid attention to my typical overweight condition for pretty much my entire adult life. In hind sight it is easy to understand (taking in more energy than I expend, results in excess energy stored as fat.)

Cooking for yourself is not rocket science, but it is an acquired skill.  I have been cooking since I was a kid, when my father died (too soon). My mother took a full time job. Me and my siblings were tasking with taking turns cooking our family evening meal. Some rough early meals, but not rocket science, and this makes me respect my mother even more (RIP).

We have technology now that makes cooking even easier. I am a big fan of slow cookers (like Cuisinart, crock pot, whatever). I cook my dinner meal once a week and freeze single serving portions in my freezer (using 2 cup pyrex containers) for daily consumption later. This has the added benefit of portion control, so you are less likely to over eat.  I do a similar trick with lunch but use smaller 1 cup servings and typically freeze 3 weeks worth of lunches at a time. You can use a microwave to easily reheat frozen portions. Since I'm a nerd I move my frozen portions from the freezer down into the main section of the refrigerator to defrost a day before serving.

I do my grocery shopping once a week so buy meat and fresh vegetables for use in that week's meal. I probably spend less time cooking than most who eat only home cooked food. I won't bore you with recipes (yet) but these are pretty widely available. I am now getting fresh vegetables from my own raised bed garden but I still depend on a well supplied market to fill gaps in my weekly recipe needs.

Sorry if this is TMI but thats how I roll...

JR

PS: I do not advocate zeroing out beer (or any food) unless you identify a specific issue (like your uric acid clearance issue). A healthier diet may tolerate moderate beer drinking but a pause until then probably makes sense. You can gauge your status from your legs.
 
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