How much bettter do YOU feel?

domeofstars

I've noticed that since I've started to eat healthier, I have SO MUCH more energy. Especially the next day. I think for the longest time, when I ate lots of fatty and processed food...I got used to always feeling exhausted and like I have 'no fuel in the tank'.

I'm not following any particular 'diet', I just am active and eat what I want within my calorie limit. But since I've started to log and track everything I am amazed at the impact that certain foods have had on how I've felt. So I guess I just wanted to post this and ask: have you noticed the impact that certain foods have on your energy levels? Which ones?

For me: if I eat fried fatty foods (mcdonalds, pizza hut, kfc), certain processed foods (2 minute noodles, and rice crackers) the next day my energy is totally shattered.

Hello_its_Dan

When getting into to something novel and new, you'll experience a type of euphoria. But just like New Year resolution seekers, this tends to last about 3-5 weeks.
So keep at it! Even if one day you wake up feeling like trash, the next day could be euphoric!
Consistency over time shows results!

PS: When I started at 190lbs I looked and felt 5-10 years older. Now I'm in the best shape of my life at 140lbs and I feel 5-10 years younger.

jemhh

I cut way back on cookies/cake/sweets type foods 3 years ago. The bulk of my diet is vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, dairy, and some whole grains. I do feel much better eating this way. I have a treat once a week or so. That doesn't make me feel ill but I do feel sick if I overeat on that stuff. That's a change from the past.

kommodevaran

I have gone from periodically obsessively overeating junk food and bland food and diet food - and felt "normal" because that's what I was used to - weak and didn't like to move or feel my body because I felt fat (and was fat, on and off), to a more normal eating pattern. It's a lot like the way I used to eat as a child, adjusted for time and age - I decide for myself what to eat, and lots of new foods are available, while others have become really difficult to find.

I have noticed that when I eat a nutritionally balanced and varied diet, made up of predominantly whole foods, composed into meals the way I like, and don't worry about "getting it right", "eating healthy" or "clean foods" - or demonizing foods or food groups - I feel full on appropriate amounts, satisfied on a deep level, energized, happy, strong and relaxed. Much like how I felt as a child.

lulalacroix

Eh I feel the same. But I have always eaten a lot of nutrient rich foods whether thin or fat.

crzycatlady1

I eat all sorts of fatty and 'processed' foods, (on way to a pizza place right now), and I have no issues with my energy levels. I haven't really changed what I eat, just how much of it I'm eating, and that's working well for me.

zyxst

I only feel mentally different: more depressed, more prone to emotional blow-ups, angrier in general. I don't eat the foods I want in amounts I want whenever I want. When I'm stressed and depressed, I don't self-medicate with the usual, soothing suspects which sounds fantastic on the outside, but inside my head it's horrible. I know exactly what will calm me down but I don't eat it because I'll be over calories/sodium.

I feel I'm worse off with my weight loss than when I was 300+#.

Hello_its_Dan

zyxst wrote: »

I only feel mentally different: more depressed, more prone to emotional blow-ups, angrier in general. I don't eat the foods I want in amounts I want whenever I want. When I'm stressed and depressed, I don't self-medicate with the usual, soothing suspects which sounds fantastic on the outside, but inside my head it's horrible. I know exactly what will calm me down but I don't eat it because I'll be over calories/sodium.

I feel I'm worse off with my weight loss than when I was 300+#.

@zyxst question:
When you focus on your situation with your depression, what's THAT like metaphorically?
I do this with my clients who deal with depression or other feelings and emotions whenever they're "dealing" with it.

descene

I had a period of truly clean eating that lasted a few weeks, and I noticed I had a lot less fatigue and my chronic heartburn was completely gone. Even if you aren't keen on eating super cleanly, I recommend trying it for a couple weeks because it might surprise you just how much the types of foods you eat affect you. Personally I couldn't be happy living that way forever, but it certainly shocked me. It was enough to get me thinking about whether some of the things I ate were worth it, and it is influencing the food choices I'm making now even if I'm not being as strict about my choices as before because I realize the connection now between how I feel and what I'm eating.

fdnando2879

33lbs lighter

Machka9

Even when I was gaining weight I ate a reasonably healthy diet ... just a bit too much of it.

However, if I spend a weekend eating at restaurants and cafes, it does feel really good to get back to my usual diet again ... mainly because restaurant meals tend to cause my gallbladder to act up. It took a week after our February long weekend away for it to settle down.

nomorepuke

Overeating was never my problem. I never binged or obsessed with food. I gained a lot of weight from not being able to eat. I worked 12-15hours a day 7 days a week. ( when I started my own accounting firm) I remodeled the entire office myself with my colleagues in order to cut some expenses. I was always out doing something. So I was constantly moving around. I forced myself to eat frozen/fast/processed foods on the go. There were times where I remembered I hadn't eaten anything all day except a candy bar or a beef jerky. Sometimes I'd just go home and sleep, too tired to eat anything. If I eat, I would throw a handful of pizza rolls in the microwave.
Now, I eat more. I eat more Whole/unprocessed foods. It was hard for me to eat more in the beginning because I was not a big fan of food. Now I eat a lot. Although I never count calories, MFP'd show me the macros along with the calories. I'm 5'2" and I eat 2000+ a day. The job is settled, I have time to cook and enjoy at home.
I have lost over 20lbs since Dec 26. Sometimes I don't eat the whole plate of food because I'm full. Sometimes I eat 2 plates of food for dinner if it's my favorite. I eat as much as I wish. Cutting out calorie deficit to me is a nightmare. I don't understand the fact that some people can't eat as much as they want. It's like a torture to me.
I feel great now! I have more energy. My depression and mood swings are gone. I'm beginning to like the way I look. My skin is softer. I'm a happy person after all.

zyxst

Hello_its_Dan wrote: »

zyxst wrote: »

I only feel mentally different: more depressed, more prone to emotional blow-ups, angrier in general. I don't eat the foods I want in amounts I want whenever I want. When I'm stressed and depressed, I don't self-medicate with the usual, soothing suspects which sounds fantastic on the outside, but inside my head it's horrible. I know exactly what will calm me down but I don't eat it because I'll be over calories/sodium.

I feel I'm worse off with my weight loss than when I was 300+#.

@zyxst question:
When you focus on your situation with your depression, what's THAT like metaphorically?
I do this with my clients who deal with depression or other feelings and emotions whenever they're "dealing" with it.

There's a weight on me that I can't move. I become a statue and all I feel is pain. I'm assuming you mean when the depression is in full swing.

neldabg

I've eaten a varied diet pretty much all my life, but I also always ate too much sweets, chips, etc., and I ate large servings of my mom's nutritious, but high-calorie cooking. Once I learned to eat appropriate portions of everything, I felt better overall. It's great to feel satiated every day and not overly stuffed. The resulting weight loss also made physical activity and clothes shopping easier.
Additionally, I've become very aware of how candy particularly high in sugar, like candy corn, makes me feel hyper (it's a good thing during midterms and finals).
As long as I have everything in moderation, I don't feel low in energy, even if I had McDonald's or something for a meal.

amusedmonkey

zyxst wrote: »

I only feel mentally different: more depressed, more prone to emotional blow-ups, angrier in general. I don't eat the foods I want in amounts I want whenever I want. When I'm stressed and depressed, I don't self-medicate with the usual, soothing suspects which sounds fantastic on the outside, but inside my head it's horrible. I know exactly what will calm me down but I don't eat it because I'll be over calories/sodium.

I feel I'm worse off with my weight loss than when I was 300+#.

I could really relate. I prefer how I felt when I was 300+ pounds. Just eating whatever I want whenever I want in whatever quantity I want. There was this food innocence that has been lost for good. I will always be aware of the calories in things even if I stop tracking.

One more thing I shared before, but I don't feel many share my experience. I'm more self judgemental now than I was back then. At my highest weight I was a-okay with my shape and did not feel any pressure to look or dress a certain way. I did not care if something was flattering or not, I just wore whatever I fancied and did whatever I wanted. I took more risks and did things for the heck of it. People tend to have fewer expectations for the obese for some reason, so there was no pressure on me to act a certain way. Mentally I'm a little worse off and feel a bit trapped in my current body because I'm having some trouble letting go of the way I remember myself. In my mind's eye whenever I think about current situations, I always see a morbidly obese version of myself as if it's my identity. This is probably why I'm not keen on losing the weight fast and I'm taking my sweet time. I have yet to meet anyone who prefers their past weight over their current, so this very uncommon and might not be a thing you would need to worry about in the future.

Physically, I have seen positive changes. I'm lighter on my feet and I have gone through some exciting "first" experiences, like first time I could cross my legs, first time I noticed collarbones, first time I could run...etc. These are nice and I welcome them with a childlike excitement.

Diet-wise, not much different. I've never been horrible eater and have always gravitated towards nutrient rich foods, but I do have to pay more attention to iron now because the sheer amount of food I consumed in the past was enough to keep my iron levels up, now I need to make more conscious effort to include certain foods.

Overall it has been pleasant, but not without drawbacks. No life shattering positive experiences or changes so negative that I can't handle them. Just a realization that this is how my life is now, so might as well accept it and find new ways to enjoy the ride. I'm generally a happy go lucky person, so cutting through the negative noise has not been a problem, but to deny it exists would be lying.

Hello_its_Dan

zyxst wrote: »

There's a weight on me that I can't move. I become a statue and all I feel is pain. I'm assuming you mean when the depression is in full swing.

@zyxst
Yep! You're petrified!
Before the petrification sets in, what's left? What's rights? What's behind? And what's before you?

zyxst

Hello_its_Dan wrote: »

zyxst wrote: »

There's a weight on me that I can't move. I become a statue and all I feel is pain. I'm assuming you mean when the depression is in full swing.

@zyxst
Yep! You're petrified!
Before the petrification sets in, what's left? What's rights? What's behind? And what's before you?

I'm going with you meaning spiritually/metaphysically rather than reality. Mistakes and big holes that can't be filled "properly". Hope that satisfies you because I suck at coming up with philosophical answers.

VintageFeline

lulalacroix wrote: »

Eh I feel the same. But I have always eaten a lot of nutrient rich foods whether thin or fat.

Pretty much this dietary speaking.

The thing that has made an impact is being physically fit and active. I feel awesome that if I want to do something I can, or at the very least give it a crack. That's helped my mental health a little.

But I need the "crap" too to satisfy me mentally. It's a balance. Overeating it does make me feel a bit crap but that's just because there's an excess of food that can make me feel a bit bloated. If I eat it in moderation I feel no different.