Perpetual Healthy Eating and Fitness Rant & Rave thread

[Mom of Scooby]

I know I have trouble resisting treats when they are in my house, so I often prevent them from being there too.  I will take a serving (or maybe two) and then either freeze or toss the rest.  If I have someone else to give it to, great. 

  Otherwise I eat too much and just feel bad about myself later.     I too have gotten over the guilt of not keeping all the goodies/treats that I somehow end up with.  I appreciate the gift, but I don't need to consume the whole thing to do so. 

I will start this out by saying and I working with a nutritionist now and am really not allowing myself my "wants".. However, I did just take a very great course at work called Energy for Life and there was a huge portion of the course presented by a nutritionist and even with all of my research in the past, it was soo soo informative. In short.. she talked about how she would be "good" all week and then go crazy on the weekend.. until she started doing her current job..

She taught about the plates.. the "peace plate" with 40 % carb 40% fruits/veggies/ 20% protein.. She also advocated every day 80/20 "needs/wants".  Now that isn't to say eat all of your food and then your wants.. but she did say that in a healthty eating program there are room for "wants" to the extent of 20%.. You have to adjuster your "needs" down for that day.. most likely by redicing a carb/bread to make up for the want. Although I presonally am not following an eating plan like that right now.. I do see the value of it.. Allowing yourself something you "want" every day would seem to me a good way to avoid "want binges".. Of course everyone needs to know their danger food... and certain there is no reason for a single person to need 2 dozen cookies in the house.

[cgraz]

Good points all around. I like the idea of learning to balance needs and wants, and I think doing WW has helped me do that - trading more activity for a "treat" or choosing between two treats but not having both. For me, making a plan to be successful from here out and not just "on a diet" means being able to look at a plate of cookies and take just one. I know I won't be able to remove temptation forever or in every setting - some will always be out of my control. I don't want my choices to isolate me from others, and I love to enjoy food and celebrations with others, so being able to manage it in a healthy way is important to me.

[meredith]

I have no problem, if the cookies are packaged straight up and wrapped as gifts, I would not unwrap them. It is when they are just hanging out that i will eat them I brought all our extra cake pops to DD's school this week, otherwise we would have all eaten them, one a day, per person, til they were gone.

[merigayle]

OMG
WHY AM I POSTING AS MEREDITH? And why did j post in all caps?

[caito]

OMG
WHY AM I POSTING AS MEREDITH? And why did j post in all caps?

IT FEELS GOOD, DOESN'T IT!  SO EXPRESSIVE! 

[cgraz]

IT FEELS GOOD, DOESN'T IT!  SO EXPRESSIVE! 

 

[merigayle]

IT FEELS GOOD, DOESN'T IT!  SO EXPRESSIVE!

  I am on the kindle which I rarely ever use to.post tron and it has autocorrect and puts punctuation in silly Milly. Lol

[Run Amok]

Good points all around. I like the idea of learning to balance needs and wants, and I think doing WW has helped me do that - trading more activity for a "treat" or choosing between two treats but not having both. For me, making a plan to be successful from here out and not just "on a diet" means being able to look at a plate of cookies and take just one. I know I won't be able to remove temptation forever or in every setting - some will always be out of my control. I don't want my choices to isolate me from others, and I love to enjoy food and celebrations with others, so being able to manage it in a healthy way is important to me.

You definitely have to figure out what works for you, and what your low value items are. For me, it's about making trade offs. For example, I could live on pasta, bread, beans, and all things sweet. In fact, I did for a long time. But I get chubby on that kind of diet.

I haven't given up pasta completely. But, if I eat pasta I eat 1 cup of pasta with several cups of steamed veg, sauce, and a modest amount of cheese (2 measured table spoons). I also eat a huge salad with it. I get to have pasta and I enjoy it and I don't feel deprived at all. So, that is one kind of moderation.

Another thing is realizing that I don't really like most baked goods and they aren't worth it. Eating a cookie is likely to set off a food sugar spiral that will affect me for the rest of the day. Also, once I go for one cookie, it's too easy to go back for more. So, for me, eating that cookie is a pretty big splurge. So, 99% of the time, I avoid the cookie. Honestly, I don't miss them when I'm really good about not eating sugar. If I let it sneak back in, I think about it crave it, and it's a problem for me.

So, for me, instead of eating the occassional cookie, or the occassional bag of chips, or other stuff that's just not that important... I'd rather be able to eat a splurgy meal at a restaurant with a friend. 2 meals/week is about 10% of your meal consumption. I try to eat within plan for all but 2 meals or so a week and that seems to work out ok. It helps me keep in mind that eating lunch out, or that bag of chips, or that bagel that someone brought in is one of my splurgy meals. That might be fine, but if I already have stuff planned... I'm not going to "waste it" that way.

Also, a lot of is habitual. If I'm on plan and eating 6 small meals a day of limitted variety... I'm happy, satisfied, not craving other stuff, not hating my "diet", and it also helps me make good choices when I *do* go out (because I'm used to eating smaller portions and can really only handle a few bites of the really rich stuff).

But, it's all about what works for you. Orza had great success doing that french version of atkins. I tried it and gained weight in the couple of days I was on it and was craving things like mad. The plan I'm doing now works really well for me and I never feel deprived... but others didn't like it. It's all about finding the right balance for you!

[MiniDriver]

Yes, find what works for you!  And be prepared to change and adapt.   What worked for me 10 years ago (or even 2 years ago) doesn't work for me now. 

I'm making the transition to a vegan lifestyle, and it's really helped with weight fluctuations.  Last weekend, eating some meat, cheese, and dairy I gained 4 pounds of water over the weekend.  Other weekends I've gained up to 7 pounds.  This weekend I only gained a half-pound, and that may have been premenstrual.  I'm also having fewer premenstrual symptoms (due to increase in soy?)  So for this time of my life, the vegan plan is working. 

I'm not a perfect vegan.  I still have skim milk in my coffee.  I just can't handle it black, or -horrors- doing without coffee entirely.  I had some sushi and a few strips of bacon on Friday.  And when I go on vacation, I probably will eat whatever I want. 

I don't throw out cookies, but I convince myself they're not mine.  They're my husband's. They're my step daughter's, they don't belong to me so I can't eat them. 

[merigayle]

The Silk plain, unsweetened soy milk is what DH uses in his coffee, they also make soy and coconut based creamers as well.

I am 99.9% vegan, but last night ate some phyllo pizza and of course cookies going to package them up today and maybe the mailman will stop by today and i can give him some

[Mom of Scooby]

The Silk plain, unsweetened soy milk is what DH uses in his coffee, they also make soy and coconut based creamers as well.

I am 99.9% vegan, but last night ate some phyllo pizza and of course cookies going to package them up today and maybe the mailman will stop by today and i can give him some

Mine were already out the door today .. I was so tempted to eat more last night while watching the game but I had way too many while tasting at your house!  Thanks for a great time.. it was so fun and all of the kids were so great!!

[merigayle]

Mine were already out the door today .. I was so tempted to eat more last night while watching the game but I had way too many while tasting at your house!  Thanks for a great time.. it was so fun and all of the kids were so great!!

except my DH was convinced there was going to be ER trips for some of the kids. He is a worry wart Debating if i should go out and run errands or hide inside until i pick up DD this afternoon. It is so cold and wet out, but i wanted to hit up TJ Maxx. Meh. May just hide inside. But i wanted to get a big tin for the cookies, but i may just make a basket and wrap it up for DH's work. Today will probably be my last run for two weeks, I really cannot run when DD is home and winter break starts tomorrow at noon

[Mom of Scooby]

except my DH was convinced there was going to be ER trips for some of the kids. He is a worry wart Debating if i should go out and run errands or hide inside until i pick up DD this afternoon. It is so cold and wet out, but i wanted to hit up TJ Maxx. Meh. May just hide inside. But i wanted to get a big tin for the cookies, but i may just make a basket and wrap it up for DH's work. Today will probably be my last run for two weeks, I really cannot run when DD is home and winter break starts tomorrow at noon

Yeah.. that one boy fell a million times!  Some times I think no running for two weeks is a good break.. A mental break of always feeling like you have to do something... and then you come back refreshed.

I am so totally exhausted today... Stayed up for the entire Pats game and then up at 5:45 for my personal training session this morning... I think I'm going to fall asleep at my desk.

[merigayle]

you must be exhausted. I forced myself on the TM and just walked, but better than the lay on the couch and watch tv i was about to do. I am going to spend the rest of the day wrapping gifts and just relaxing. I am just exhausted. my period sucks. They have not all sucked lately, but this one does. And icky days make me lazy. AND i was moving the TM and dropped it on my toe! another reaosn i just walked.

[Mom of Scooby]

you must be exhausted. I forced myself on the TM and just walked, but better than the lay on the couch and watch tv i was about to do. I am going to spend the rest of the day wrapping gifts and just relaxing. I am just exhausted. my period sucks. They have not all sucked lately, but this one does. And icky days make me lazy. AND i was moving the TM and dropped it on my toe! another reaosn i just walked.

OMG.. Yes.. I am so exhausted.  I've been up late every single night for the past week.. Have to stop this!  I am going to make myself stop at the gym on the way home for a little bit just so I can say I did something since I didn't get there early enough to get any cardio done today.  I think I am going to go take a nap in my car during lunch!

[rocketgirl]

Frankly, any home-baked cookies I receive always get thrown out ASAP.  I do not need temptation in the house.

Send them to ME!!! I love cookies!  Sadly, I am willing to eat cookies instead of real dinner.

[debbatx]

Why is that sad?

[rocketgirl]

Why is that sad?

Well, in theory, I ought to care more about my health than to eat something with no nutritional value whatsoever and call it a meal.

On that other hand, how much worse for you are cookies than, say, a grilled cheese sandwich?  (Even if it is gouda on French bread using real butter...)

[merigayle]

I may have had cookies for bfast.... They are all boxed up nicely now though and sealed

[diablita]

I AM SO SORE!

Yesterday afternoon we had a Chanukah party with some friends and their kids.  We had like 20 people here and I put out mostly healthy food:
fruit salad
teetime's cabbage slaw with carrot-ginger dressing (so, so good)
crudite
apple sauce for the latkes
nuts

I MADE ABOUT 100 LATKES. Plus I put 2 zucchinis through the shredding blade on the food processor, added a small bit of the potato mixture and potato starch flour (we used it in our latkes to make them GF) and some spices & eggs and I made patties out of them too.

Since I didn't use my arm for nearly 2 weeks and am just now allowed to use it a bit, the whole right side of my body is crazy sore from all the cleaning, prepping and latke flipping.  I hurt.