How do I maintain my weight on the Kidney Stone Diet?

SPYR

Welcome back to the Kidney Stone Diet Podcast, the show about reducing your kidney stone risk and living your best life. I'm your host and fellow student, Jeff Sarris.

Yeah, hi Jeff. It's me, Jill, kidney stone prevention nurse and I just noticed that we just taped the show, I didn't change my shirt. Shirt, I really think like I'm Cher and Bob Mackie is in the back with a designer back in 1972 waiting to put me in a new outfit.

That's what I think, that's what I think. Okay.

No, that's good. I think I've been wearing the same probably this hoodie or one of two other shirts and basically every episode because I'm very, very consistent in my attire.

Yeah, well, we love that about you.

Well, no, it's just it's not that whole like they always say, what was it, Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs or someone, "Oh, I wear the same thing every day because it's less decisions." It's just I just tend to wear practically the same things every day. I only have a small selection of things generally that I like and I buy a couple of them, but yeah, I don't know.

Well, that's the thing. I'm kind of like that, too. I stick to my look and that's it because at the end of the day, who really gives a damn what we're wearing.

I don't care what people wear. I feel like you have to be You have to be comfortable in the clothes you wear, so you can show up in the world, your best self. And if that means wearing hoodies and T-shirts and gym clothes, which is what I like to wear, then who What is it anybody else's business, right?

I think you need to be comfortable. Being yourself fully is also wearing what makes you feel totally comfortable with yourself, right?

Absolutely. Yeah, I mean that's so important. Oh, and I wanted to touch on the kitty from the other episode.

You brought that up that people were a little upset that my cat was covered by the YouTube, the next video that YouTube showed at the end. So, hopefully Alpha will join us again soon. He's not in here now, but it's funny.

When I'm doing this, like this podcast, or the other ones that I do, he knows. He just he doesn't come in here. Otherwise, he's on my lap all day.

Like if I'm ever sitting, he's just sort of like, "Hello. Can I come up there with you?" So

All right. So I'm going to tell you this. So whenever that one aired, I got I started getting emails.

I was working my email cuz I'm always 200 behind. So I'm working my emails and I'm like, "Ooh. I must have put on a great show.

Look at this, all these emails, and it says from YouTube. I really outdid myself that show." It was about your freaking cat. It was about the freaking cat.

"Dear Jill, tell Jeff, what the hell? He had his cat, but we can't see it because there's a stupid graphic up." I said, "Oh, okay. I'll be sure to tell him, Irene.

Jesus." They were mad, Jeff, and I didn't blame them. So when I never look at the video We do them, and we don't look at them. So, when I turned to the I put that video on and you're petting the cat.

What? They Nobody can see it cuz it's the next episode. It's the graphic of the next episode, so I understood.

When you're an animal lover, and somebody saying, "Look at my animal," and you can't see it, well, that's going to piss some people off for sure. I laughed at them.

Yeah, so I'm going to have to get him at some point. Maybe yeah, maybe when we're going through this question, I might step out for a minute and actually bring him in here so then I can show him.

Yeah. Well, we all know I'm very long-winded, so you'll definitely have time to do that. You best, cuz people were in an uproar about it.

But yeah. So, let's dive right into this week's question. This is from Molly.

And again, if you have a question, the number is 773-789-8763 and we'll feature you on a future episode. But let's get to it.

Molly.

Hi, Jill. This is Molly. I am a newer member on your Facebook page and, I live in Oregon City in Oregon.

And I just had a question. First off, I just am loving your videos. I've been watching your podcasts and just keeping up to date on some things as I'm learning more and more.

And you are so funny. It really, really, motivating and really picks me up when I'm feeling discouraged as I'm feeling like it can be really defeating, when you fail at the goals that you have and you're new when you're new to this, change. So, I just wanted to thank you for everything that you're doing.

My question that I have is a little bit more towards, how do I like I thought my weight, how do I maintain this change? How do I get on the Kidney Stone Diet if I am somebody who can't really afford to lose weight? I'm pretty petite and have been my whole life.

Of course, I've been able to eat all the sugar in the world at most of my life and stay thin. And so now that I'm having to think about sugar and all those other things in the Kidney Stone Diet, I also don't want to lose 20 pounds. So if you could give a little advice on those of us that really can't afford to lose weight, that would be great, while still setting ourselves up for success with the Kidney Stone Diet.

Thank you so much. Bye-bye.

Okay, all I've got to say is dear Molly, there's sometimes you hear a voice in the world and your heart just breaks wide open. So, Molly, for you, my heart just broke wide open. Number one, I've done a lot of phone work in my life, a lot, so I never get to see patients.

I just hear them on the phone. And you can hear, I feel like, even though I'm getting older, my mind is going a little, but my hearing is so great. And so, what I hear in her voice is just so sweet.

She could be a serial killer. What do I know? But Molly, you radiate such sweetness, just all goodness.

So, thanks for your call. And I love this question because I do work with a lot of people that have to maintain their weight because they don't have a lot of weight to play with. And so my practice is mostly overweight people because mostly in the States, we are overweight.

So, that's just part of it. But then there is this smaller segment of people that come to me and say, "Look, I'm I'm losing weight." And this is common enough for me that I'm great very grateful for the question. And sometimes, it's hard for people to get in a forum and say, "Look, I don't want to lose any more weight," because the rest of the world is going, "Oh, too bad for you, baby.

Hard life you have." But when you are when you are on the slim side and you've been told you have to change your diet, damn right that Molly's nervous that she doesn't have any weight to play with. And then what happens if Molly gets sick? There's another couple pounds that she doesn't have to play with.

So when people come to me and tell me they want to maintain their weight, that is just as serious to me as somebody who's 300 pounds and needs to lose some. So, same thing for me. So Molly, I appreciate your question and you're everything good in the world to me as far as I can tell from that 30-second question.

So, what does Molly do? Most people just, especially people that are already on the slim side and don't have weight to lose, you have to pay attention. 25 g of added sugar.

Molly, I heard her. She said, "I could eat as much sugar as I want, I don't gain weight." So now, we're telling Molly, 25 g of added sugar, she may lose weight because she's going to be less calories, because she's eating less junk. Remember, Molly, it's added sugar, so don't be counting where God put it naturally or your spirits above or whatever you believe, an apple, God put it there.

A cookie, the plant, the food manufacturer put it there, ain't natural. So, that's added sugar. So, remember that, first of all.

So if Molly has to pay attention to how much sugar she's having, added sugar, she may lose some weight. But we're also telling her you got to make sure you get some calcium. So some of the sugar that she's not going to eat anymore, those calories she's going to pick up from getting some calcium, whether it's unsweetened coconut milk, pea milk, dairy, yogurts, whatever, she's going to get some calories now there.

So hopefully, that will help balance it out. The first thing I want to tell somebody who is already at a weight and doesn't want to lose weight is don't think they can't eat anything they want. Mostly, they can, meaning the oxalate.

That's where people want to start. "Well, I can't eat this, this, this, and this." Yes, you can. You cannot eat almonds and spinach.

You cannot eat those two things. Everything else you can work in, everything else. You just can't eat as much as you want of.

So, for my for my slim patients that want to maintain their weight, these people are used to eating as much as they want. So, they're doing the same thing as the overweight patients. The thin patients though, the underweight or maintaining their weight patients, just didn't have to pay attention to it before.

Now, they do. So, both sets of patients, even though they're combatting two different things, must pay attention to the same logic, the same philosophy. So, there's plenty to eat within normal portion sizes, end of story.

So Molly, even though you're going to be giving up some extra calories from sugar, find those calories in healthier foods. Maybe you'll have some oatmeal instead of cereal in the morning. Typically, it's more calories.

So actually, forget about talking about food and pay attention to calories, which I don't talk a lot here. I do privately with patients. I do in the Kidney Stone Prevention Course.

But calories, that is set on so many specific things with each person. Do they move? Do they not?

What are they eating? What are their genetics? A lot of things, a lot of moving parts.

You cannot talk generically about specific calories for each person. So Molly, what basically you're asking is, "How am I going to make up for the calories that I'm losing from eating all the sugar I want to all day long?" You're going to find those calories in healthier foods. That's what you're going to do.

That's what works for most patients. Now, the specifics of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, that would, you know, take a call with Molly, obviously. But does that make sense, Jeff?

Yeah, it absolutely does. Yeah, because that is It's a It's a spot that not everyone is like in, considering that like a lot of times we have to lose weight, like you said, like most people, that's just where we are as a society right now. But that is important and I really like that you mentioned too like if you get sick, if things happen, you do need to have some of that weight, so it's there's concerns there as well then and why it's so important to consider this topic for the person that this applies to like Molly.

And yeah, having those getting those calories, getting the inputs that maybe you were dialing back in other ways, that totally makes sense to me. It's it might even sound like a little counterintuitive because this is called a diet, but it's it's more our diet. It's not a diet that you're on and off again.

This is This is the new lifestyle, the new diet that you're pursuing for from here moving forward to reduce your kidney stone risk.

Yes. You know, I'll tell you about the word diet. I loathe it.

Now, Dr. Co and I several years ago, we were putting all the goals. How do we were doing an article for his website.

We had not We never title our articles until we finish the article. So, we were doing an article and it was all the goals that one needs to do based upon science to lower their kidney stone risk, lowering sodium, lowering added sugar, getting enough calcium, making sure you get enough fluids to produce 2.5 to 3 L of urine a day, not grossly overeating meat protein, and getting your oxalate down to a reasonable amount.

Okay? When we were done with that article, "Okay, sweetie," he turned to me and said, "what should we call this?" We sat there. He said, "This is something.

What is this?" I said, "Well, we can call it the Kidney Stone Diet." "I don't like the word diet, but everybody else does," meaning he said to me, "Is that what you want to call it?" I said, "Yeah, let's call it the Kidney Stone Diet because these are a set of goals. This is to reduce kidney stones and people are attracted to the word diet." So, I So, we called it that.

I mean, even Harvard calls it that now, so that's out in the world, the Kidney Stone Diet. The deal is, though, I don't love it because people have such you know, so many so many gross misinterpretations. They've been on and off diets their whole life.

This is a lifestyle. And, also, then people don't want to hear a lifestyle. It's all boring to them.

So, what is this? This is the way that everybody should lead their lives. We are trying to reduce kidney stones, and this absolutely works for kidney stones.

But if you think about it, all the institutions, the heart people, the bone people, everybody says lower added sugar, lower the amount of salt you're eating for your heart, for your kidneys. It's really important, because if you lower sugar, added sugar, and if you lower salt, your organs are going to work a lot better.

We're already getting old. Shit wears out, people! Why would we want I always say, "Boy, if you could see the inside of your body and what a Coca-Cola does every hour on the hour to your liver, you have fatty liver disease?

What are you putting in your mouth? Your kidneys with your diabetes, heart disease, if you saw what that did to your organs, you may think twice about it." But all our society talks about is stupid fat. Who cares about somebody's body size?

I don't care about that. Does that mean I'm going to love or not love somebody? Come on, people.

That's terrible. It matters like when I hear Molly and I can tell she's pretty much everything freaking good, and if I could see her in person, I'd give her a big fat hug with my mask on. That's what I would do, cuz I get who Molly is just by that little bit of a call.

So, I'm saying stop looking at fat and what I look like in a bikini and all that crap, people. I'm talking about eating healthy so your body works for you. That's what I'm talking about and that's what I'm very passionate about.

So, yeah, I make it cute and adorable and fun and all that, but you can tell this is coming from somewhere. I've been sick. My mother's been sick.

I've seen how sick she's been. My sister's sick. I have sickness in my family.

I know people that are sick. Sick sucks. Eat better.

It's no guarantee, but while you're going through something terrible, it might get you through it better. So, there's my two cents. So, I don't love the word diet because people, and this is a whole other video, people think, "Oh, I can't do it." Yes, you can.

I have thousands of patients that do this. Are they special? No.

They work their butt off. That's what they do. They work.

And when they slip, cuz we all do, a birthday comes, I'm not going to have a piece of cake? What, are you nuts? I'm having a cake.

Once in a while out at my mom's house, I'm going to have hot dog and crinkle fries. I'm having it, and I get right back to work. I didn't fail.

I had something that I don't normally eat, that's all this is. People, it's just food, but we wrap everything up with that word diet, and food, and fat, and all of it. I don't believe in any of it.

You're feeding your body, you're nourishing it the best you can more days than not. You're not perfect, but the diet industry wants to make you think you're perfect, and when you fall off the wagon, that's it, you suck, you're done. It's not a black and white issue.

We practice the Kidney Stone Diet, that's what we do. We practice. We're always practicing.

People that work with me in the Kidney Stone Prevention Course, they're in my accountability calls with me, "Jill, I was doing so good. Let me tell you what happened this weekend and it's Monday morning." Well, but I'm back to it today. That's all, no shame, no guilt, no woe is me, back to work.

It's awesome. So, anyway, so the diet the word diet, even though we decided to call this the Kidney Stone Diet, we know people are attracted to it, but what I'm trying to push here and educate you on is a lot more than just lowering sodium. It is a philosophy, it is about not beating yourself up when you have a less-than-stellar day, it is learning how to get through obstacles without overeating all the time, or undereating, or somebody calling us up and saying, "Look, I eat sugar all the time.

Now, you're telling me I got to watch it. I'm already really thin. I'm nervous.

What do I do?" So, this is so much more complicated and this is why our culture is in the shape it is in literally, because there's not enough education, real, not bullshit education by the way. Sorry, YouTube, I know you don't like swearing, but that's who I am too, in real life. Jeff's like, "Oh boy, we got through another episode where she didn't say F." It's a good day!

All right, anyway, I'm done.

No, but it's just the passion that comes through because this is something that's near and dear to your heart. You've worked with so many people for a very long time, like 20 Is it 22 years now?

Almost 23 now, yep.

Yeah, wild. But yeah, I mean the passion comes through and I just want to mention also we have the Kidney Stone Diet meal plans on the website. It is a premium service, but that will give the inspiration to go out and sort of pursue the diet, pursue this lifestyle to reduce your risk for kidney stones, but also to maintain weight, to lose weight, to sort of get you the calories that you need and get you along that path.

I mean things will be tweaked and adjusted. This isn't a one-size-fits-all meal plan, but it's inspiration to show what you can eat, what the opportunity is, and how much there really is that's still like on the table, if you will.

And Jeff, I think why I love the meal plan so much is because people understand, "Oh, my gosh! She made a pizza! I can have pizza?" Yes, if you learn how to do it.

So, those are foods I eat. And so, you know, you tweak a recipe until the hard part is making it healthy, but also you want to eat it. That's not easy.

And so the meal plan takes all that guesswork out. So, I know you're like, "Well, you're selling your meal plan." But I'm just telling you, it's been a lifesaver for a lot of people, even if you just got it for a month, right? So you get to see, you get a feel for, "Wow!

I'm restricting myself way too much. No wonder I've lost 30 lb. This girl in Chicago, she's eating black beans and she too follows this diet, and she tells me right in the recipe how much oxalate's in it.

This is on the plate now." So, that meal plan, and we all know I was not It was finding the time to do all that cuz that's a very laborious project ongoing. And, you know, but I'm so grateful I did from a patient perspective. It has brought Oh, my god.

I didn't know what I didn't know, just like none of us know what we don't know, and that meal plan service is really bringing people a lot of exactly why I do what I do, less anxiety, more comfort, feeling more confident in leading a healthy lifestyle now. So, that gift is that's that's been a gift to watch the how much that's helped people.

I had no idea it would be that big of a deal, you know?

Yeah, and you mentioned it's ongoing because you're constantly making new recipes, adding them in. So, like every month, it's just growing. And, yeah, like Yes.

Yes. You know, we don't like push this stuff hard. This isn't Everything's for free.

We have as many things for free as we can. There's a ton of recipes on the website on kidney- kidney-stonediet.com, Yeah. Absolutely free, and the meal plans is just a little more structure to get you through.

So, it's a premium service, but yeah whatever kind of help you need. This show is always free. We're going to keep going.

We're already Oh, I wish I looked it up what number we're up to, but we are up there. In the '50s? Oh, we're definitely over 50.

I think we already passed 60. I'll have to look when this is over and see exactly what number we're on, but it's it's wild. Like, we've been doing this for a while because once a week, I think we missed one week out of the whole time.

But yeah, we're like over a year in, like well over a year in. I think it was around September that we started, maybe 2019. But yeah, I mean, so, but we're going to keep going.

So much content here. We have the weekly the free weekly email on the website and the prevention group on Facebook. So many different things, but also there's the course, there's the consults, the urine analysis, all the premium things on the website if you want to dive a little deeper.

But yeah, I think this is a good spot to wrap. So if you have any questions, like first, thank you, Molly. Thank you for your question.

We really appreciate it.

Thank you, Molly. That was awesome.

Yeah, and if you have any questions that you want answered, the number again is 773-789-8763 and we will feature you on a future episode. So, I think that'll do it. I totally forgot right now I'm realizing I didn't run and get Alpha, so stay tuned next week and I will hopefully have the kitty for you.

Hopefully. Thank you, Molly, so much. Thank you for calling us.

Sweet. We'll see you.