# Mediterranean Diet



## JennyF (Feb 9, 2018)

Has anyone successfully improved their health markers and lost weight on this diet? I have diabetes and high blood pressure so I'm thinking of trying it. My husband lost 40 pounds on the Keto diet and has kept it off for over a year. I've tried it and can't seem to lose any weight, so I'm throwing in the towel and looking to do something different. I've read that the Mediterranean diet is one of the best. I just wonder if it is really all it's cracked up to be.


----------



## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

The Mediterranean diet is a heart healthy diet. It is basically just the way the people around the Mediterranean eat (or used to) using the foods available to them and they have a pretty good health record.

This is the way I have been eating for years except for the chicken and red meat as I am vegetarian. I lost weight very steadily. It may be difficult for a person who does eat a lot of meat and does not like vegetables or fish to adjust to less meat and more pulses and veggies. But there is an enormous variety in this way of eating and it is very satisfying. You do of course have to watch portion sizes. The Mayo clinic has a pretty good explanation of the diet and even has a program to join for $4 a month.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-...ting/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801


----------



## Nsoitgoes (Jan 31, 2016)

JennyF said:


> Has anyone successfully improved their health markers and lost weight on this diet? I have diabetes and high blood pressure so I'm thinking of trying it. My husband lost 40 pounds on the Keto diet and has kept it off for over a year. I've tried it and can't seem to lose any weight, so I'm throwing in the towel and looking to do something different. I've read that the Mediterranean diet is one of the best. I just wonder if it is really all it's cracked up to be.


I am a diabetic. I did lose some weight, slowly, on the Mediterranean diet but my blood sugar control was lost because it is by and large too high in carbs for me. My medications were being increased, which frightened me, so I quit it. My blood pressure did go down a little, but whether that was due to the diet or weight loss I have no idea.

What do you think caused your lack of success with keto? Did you record what you ate, and track your macros? Sometimes you just need to tweak it a little to get it to work. I think one of the major stalling problems is eating too much protein, which can be recycled into glucose. I aim for around 50 grams or so a day.


----------



## JennyF (Feb 9, 2018)

I did track macros. We primarily followed the recommendations by DietDoctor.com and Dr. Berg. I found it very difficult to stick to. I realize grains can affect glucose levels, which is why I think if I do Mediterranean diet that I could cut the grains down to minimum. Maybe a sprinkle of low fat granola on top of Greek yogurt with berries for breakfast, a big salad with avocado and shrimp, or a small portion of chick peas and feta for lunch, and something like grilled salmon and lots of green veggies with maybe a half cup of wild rice for dinner, or lamb chops and a small sweet potato with veggies. I'm thinking that if I try very small portions on the grains and load up on all the veggies, I might be able to pull it off. 

How many carbs a day were you eating on the Mediterranean diet? Did you track them? I don't want my blood sugars to go up either.


----------



## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Nsoitgoes said:


> I am a diabetic. I did lose some weight, slowly, on the Mediterranean diet but my blood sugar control was lost because it is by and large too high in carbs for me.


Yeah.

My Father's Family is Portuguese, that diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet, and the foods they like to eat really are high in carbs. I am also a type 2 diabetic so I had to alter the recipes a bit.

Some useful tweeks:

A wide variety of vegetables is used: KEEP that.

There are many different ways of preparing fish, more so than most American's use. Keep that also: it will give you new recipes to try and chances are you will like some of them. Fish soup is actually pretty good: Americans lap up clam chowder but there are many, MANY other kinds of fish soup. Most of them are low in calories. For that matter the Chinese have excellent recipes for shrimp and vegetable soup. Some good ideas are found across the world.

I grew up with spaghetti as a main course: DROP that! I now use it as a side dish, and I will not eat more than 3/4 of a cup at a sitting. The main course is lean protein.

Beans. I grew up on them but read the can: the most popular canned beans have sugar in them. Avoid that.

Salads. Get a dressing that is low in fat and sugar and enjoy them.

Cheese. Oh, we do love our cheese! It really is fattening, though. I now use the kind of cheese with a sharp flavor, such as Feta, parmissan, and aged cheddar, and I use much, MUCH less. My goal is flavor without gobs of the high fat. A grating across a salad is a nice touch when I want cheese, or a little Feta.

Main courses. This is not very Meditteranean, but I liked baked, skinless chicken breasts with McCormic steak or chicken seasoning.

Baked fish is also nice: I use non-stick spray and I gently sprinkle the fish filets with the cornmeal fish breading I get at the stores. I do NOT roll them in the breading: I just sprinkle a small amount on. The texture of thick breading is only good if you fry the fish and I bake my fish.

I like sweets. I use fruit (do not eat many bananas, they make blood sugar go up) and I make sugar free desserts like jello.


----------



## JennyF (Feb 9, 2018)

Great choice of foods there! I can do that!!



Terri said:


> Yeah.
> 
> My Father's Family is Portuguese, that diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet, and the foods they like to eat really are high in carbs. I am also a type 2 diabetic so I had to alter the recipes a bit.
> 
> ...


----------



## Nsoitgoes (Jan 31, 2016)

JennyF said:


> I did track macros. We primarily followed the recommendations by DietDoctor.com and Dr. Berg. I found it very difficult to stick to. I realize grains can affect glucose levels, which is why I think if I do Mediterranean diet that I could cut the grains down to minimum. Maybe a sprinkle of low fat granola on top of Greek yogurt with berries for breakfast, a big salad with avocado and shrimp, or a small portion of chick peas and feta for lunch, and something like grilled salmon and lots of green veggies with maybe a half cup of wild rice for dinner, or lamb chops and a small sweet potato with veggies. I'm thinking that if I try very small portions on the grains and load up on all the veggies, I might be able to pull it off.
> 
> How many carbs a day were you eating on the Mediterranean diet? Did you track them? I don't want my blood sugars to go up either.



I honestly can't give you the macros for when I was on the Mediterranean Diet. I concentrated on plenty of low carb veggies, moderate protein (but probably more than I eat now) and kept things pretty low fat. I did eat very small amounts of pulses and grains, such as hummus and home made whole wheat bread. I aimed for around 1300-1400 kCalories while on it (I am short and "Reubenesque") I do remember being quite hungry on it - couldn't wait for my next meal. But I am very carb sensitive, or insulin resistant. One or the other. I currently eat fewer than 20grams per day of total carbs, 50grams of protein and enough fat to keep me satiated. 

Every body is different, and reacts differently to the various permutations of diet. My SO is thin as a rail and eats enough carbs at breakfast alone to send me into a coma <G>, but his blood work is exemplary. My daughter has several autoimmune problems and so must restrict some things that are very common in my diet, but she can eat moderate amounts of things I can't without her blood sugar being affected... All you can do is give it a try and see how your body reacts.


----------



## Solar Geek (Mar 14, 2014)

Terri said:


> Yeah.
> 
> My Father's Family is Portuguese, that diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet, and the foods they like to eat really are high in carbs. I am also a type 2 diabetic so I had to alter the recipes a bit.
> 
> ...


Terri, Please if you don't mind saying:
1. did you lose weight,
2. how much and 
3. over what time period with your slightly altered Med diet? Also how do grains fit in such as whole oatmeal, whole wheat bread, etc? When we were in Italy in fall with our church, bread and pasta were everywhere and everything else was so $$$$ that we ate more of those 2 but lost 6 lbs in 10 days with walking and just not being hungry at all.


----------



## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Solar Geek said:


> Terri, Please if you don't mind saying:
> 1. did you lose weight,
> 2. how much and
> 3. over what time period with your slightly altered Med diet? Also how do grains fit in such as whole oatmeal, whole wheat bread, etc? When we were in Italy in fall with our church, bread and pasta were everywhere and everything else was so $$$$ that we ate more of those 2 but lost 6 lbs in 10 days with walking and just not being hungry at all.


I don't remember, as it was a while back. I have integrated the changes into my everyday eating plan, and I am usually on a maintenance diet now instead of a weight loss diet. OK I am working to lose what I gained over the holidays but MOSTLY I am now on a maintenance diet!

Basically, I eat the grains in amounts that do not make my blood sugar act up. In the morning I can eat one carb exchange (a slice of toast or 15 grams), at lunch 2-3 carb exchanges, and at dinner time 2-4 carb exchanges. That must cover both grains and starchy vegetables.

For example breakfast this morning was one packet of sugar free oatmeal (18 grams of carbs, which is close enough), Lunch was half a PB&J sandwich (1 carb exchange of bread and one of jelly), my afternoon snack was 1/4 a cinnamon-raisin bagel (1 carb exchange) and dinner tonight will be a boiled dinner, with beef, carrots, and potatos. Since a fist-sized potato is 1 carb exchange, I can have meat, that fist sized potato, a few carrots, and a piece of bread.

USUALLY I eat baked chicken or fish as a main course, as it is lower in calories so I can eat more, and wit it I might have a small amount of rice or stovetop stuffing or whatever. And I can have as much low-starch vegetables as I like: yesterday I had celery sticks with my dinner and the day before that a salad.

And, every time I eat baked fish or chicken for dinner with between 2-4 carb exchanges I give myself a quiet "atta girl". Because I am taking care of myself.

I really like salmon, baked with just a sprinkle of salt. And for Valentines day I think I will make DH and I a shellfish boiled dinner, with crab boil and shrimp and maybe scallops and perhaps some cracked crab legs. MMMmmm... Fish is low in fat and healthy! And I can throw in just a little sweet corn for carbs....... Yum.


----------

