LTL Wednesday July 11, 2018

imastar2

We meet here to explore, share, celebrate, and (sometimes) agonize over how we do (or don't) incorporate weight loss guidelines into our daily lives. "It's a lifestyle, not a diet" is easily and often said, but sometimes not so simply put into practice.

This is a thread for everyone. If you're new to GoaD, or to weight loss, your questions and comments are always welcome. If you're maintaining, or a long-term loser, your thoughts on the topic may be just what someone else needs to hear. If you're reading this, join in the discussion!

Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion. Thread starters for July are:

Monday - whathapnd (Emmie)
Tuesday - 88olds (George)
Wednesday -Imastar2 (Derrick)
Thursday - savignr (Bob)
Friday -Al_Howard

Today's Topic:
On a daily basis LTL do you:
1. Live to Eat or do you Eat to live.
(Above Not a trick question.)

2. Does concentrating on a daily menu ever frustrate or annoy you? If so how do you handle it. If not what do you do or what have you done to keep this form happening.

imastar2

This was not a trick question.
1.I really can't seem to get my head totally around eating to live. I know people who absolutely don't really seem to think about eating thus they just eat to live. Me on the other hand seem to live to eat. Not a good mindsets If the fat cells are lingering in your blood just waiting for me to toss them the very foods that make me gain weight. I think about food way too much always have. It's a constant battle ecstasy for me to do my best to occupy my mind on something besides food.

2. Trying to figure out what I(we) want to eat on a daily basis is very frustrating for me and DW. Not as bad for DW as me so because of that I usually leave the evening meal up to her. She however gets annoyed at what to fix on a daily basis. We seem to just work together on this problem by focusing on it at some point during the day. She eventually winds up taking something out of the freezer and we just drive on through this annoyance. Some times though we just decide to go out then we can't decide where to go and both get annoyed at that process. We've just waded through this process for years but that doesn't make it any less easier.

Guess we'll just keep working at and plan better. 😀


SW 400.8
CW 342.0
Next GW 300.0
Final GW 185.0

58 8 lbs Total lost

steve0mania

I'm not sure I'd categorize myself in either of those "camps" fully. On one hand, my live does NOT revolve around eating the most special, tastiest, crave-fulfilling, highest-calorie, foods in the world. On the other hand, I do want to enjoy my food.

This does tie into your second frustration.

I will say that the things that helped me the most was to develop a "standard-approach" towards food that is as mindless as possible, and as such, avoids a lot of frustration.

First off, I have the same low-calorie/low-point but filling breakfast every day.

Second, my lunch is nearly always dinner leftovers from the night before (about half of what I had for dinner).

Third, we have a "base-meal" consisting of skinless/boneless chicken breast baked, steamed or simply-grilled veggies, and a small portion of a microwave-baked potato.

That base meal gets modified by a variety of spices, approaches, additives, etc., to give it some variety (Buffalo chicken, salsa chicken, Asian chicken, teriyaki chicken, BBQ chicken, etc.). However, those additives are usually just small amounts of a sauce marinated in (to keep the calories low).

Once you sit down and figure out the calories, and the varieties, the whole approach makes it very simple. I never get frustrated by this approach, there's enough variety to keep it interesting, the portion sizes are straightforward, and tracking the same basic meal every day is really easy.

I rarely eat out. When I do, there is a certain level of "splurge," because those meals are rare enough to be a special treat rather than a mainstay of my diet.

gadgetgirlIL

I probably was in the live to eat camp earlier in my life. Now I'm more in the eat to live camp, especially since working around my food intolerances makes pre-planning absolutely essential.

I know some really enjoy traveling to try new restaurants and cuisines. That is not my reality as it can be hard to find safe-to-eat things in more remote areas. I really prefer trips where I can drive my car as I can pack stuff in a cooler so I have options when I arrive.

I'm currently in the midst of planning for a multi-day cycling event that goes through the upper peninsula of Michigan. I'm just a volunteer but I'm in charge of the 4 riders who have special dietary needs.

88olds

I eat to live. And I want, among other things, a satisfying life, eating included. That involves making eating choices beyond best available fuel. Sometimes treats, sometimes prep aimed at taste over nutrition numbers.

2. I eat pretty much the same stuff nearly all the time. Breakfast is always the same. I’ve got 2 or 3 picks for lunch, 2 or 3 for dinner. Been like this for years.

Not being susceptible to the whole bored with what I eat issue has been a big help.

imastar2

@steveOmania & @gadgetgirlIL very insitefull and helpful comments. Thanks for sharing.


SW 400.8
CW 342.4
Next GW 300.0
Final GW 185.0

58 4 lbs Total

minimyzeme

On a daily basis LTL do you:
1. Live to Eat or do you Eat to live.

On average, I now eat to live although in my past life, I definitely averaged out live to eat.

At this point, I enjoy so many benefits of living in a smaller body--all the NSVs we commonly report are NOW worth so much more to me than any particular food or drink (x 100 or 1000).

I still remember feeling so heavy in my body and soul, but I just kept feeding the problem. It was easier to do that than to change. I built my days and nights around eating and drinking opportunities. Because I did a lot of field work, I guess I managed to "carry it well"--but I was carrying it in size 38 pants and XL shirts.

75-80 pounds down, I enjoy being lighter on my feet, keeping up with my younger generation of family, feeling and sleeping better, etc. I still love food--I just don't prioritize it as high as I used to. I accept the tradeoffs that come with generally maintaining my weight now. I never say never but so far, I've committed to each new day preferring that I eat to live instead of the alternative.

2. Does concentrating on a daily menu ever frustrate or annoy you? If so how do you handle it. If not what do you do or what have you done to keep this form happening.

I'm pretty lucky in that my partner does most of our cooking. We talk about the menu some but she does the bulk of the work. I call myself a "fork pounder" in that I pound my fork and the food magically appears!

That said, the menu can get stale from time to time. I think the easiest way to overcome it is to mix it up. We've found WW, Skinnytaste and Emily Bites online to be great sources of recipes and ideas that help us keep the menu fresh, interesting and good to the taste. We enjoy an occasional meal out, but ironically enough, I find I prefer to eat at home much of the time because it helps me live life in a smaller body.

I don't have to think back too far to remember life 75-80 pounds heavier. That difference alone makes occasional menu boredom easier to live with so I can live my life in a smaller body.