Living The Lifestyle ~ Thursday, January 17, 2019

gadgetgirlIL

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 January are below:

Monday - imastar2 (Derrick)
Tuesday - whathapnd (Emmie)
Wednesday - myallforjcbill (Bill)
Thursday - gadgetgirl (Regina)
Friday - Al_Howard (Al)

Today's Topic: Are your shopping and/or eating habits influence by looming snow storms?

Last weekend the areas south of me got 9-12 inches of snow. There were plenty of reports of long lines and empty shelves at stores just prior to the storm hitting.

If you live in an area that has the potential for large snow storms, do you find yourself running out to the store at the last minute to stock up? Or do you have enough items in the house that you really could skip going to the store for a few days until the roads have been cleared?

Or is a looming storm an excuse to stock up on comfort food?

ETA: Snow may not be a consideration where you live, but are there other weather events that trigger a similar response? I'm not talking about hurricanes where there is likely to be property damage, extended power outages, and the chance for the loss of life or other injuries. Those type of events are in their own category.

cakeman21k

snow is a pretty minor concern here SE Virginia, having said that it does happen just not in huge amounts. Having been a resident of the northeast for the first 60+ years of mt life, I get the giggles listening to the dire predictions and the panic buying that sets in when the forecast is for 2 inches of snow. It does not change what I do much and if anything I get more activity when it does snow than normal because of the need to go out and sweep the 2 inches of snow off the front steps.

steve0mania

We live in an area with potential for real snow, but thankfully, we are lucky enough to have plenty of food on-hand to last for a few days. I don't really find my eating changing when there's a big storm. Perhaps the one issue I still battle is "boredom eating." If I'm not actively busy (e.g., ,during a storm, or sometimes, even just on a lazy Sunday), I find myself wanting to eat more than usual, and "junkier" than usual. It's weird because it sure seems like it's hunger, but obviously it's not. That's one of my current battles.

imastar2

Here just north of Atlanta about 45 miles we really don't have much of a threat for snow but Ice is a different story. We can have and have had the potential for some fairly severe Ice storms. Not every year but quite a few years we've had storms that cripple us for almost a week at a time. I've had several times through the years in which tree come down and then power is gone till it can get restored.

We usually go to the store for essentials that we need so as to not run out of certain items we like or need for our daily routine. The issue comes with cooking. We're limited to the gas grill or a camping stove. We do have a small generator but it doesn't work the electric stove.

All in all though we don't rush out to stock up. Pantry and freezer stays pretty stocked up.

myallforjcbill

We don't get snow here in the Bay Area. And generally the weather has minimal effect that is too lasting. Cold wet weather makes us think of making more soup, not much else.

podkey

No snow in PDX in the foreseeable time frame. I don't find comfort in food or really seek out the "mac and cheese" chip stuff for emergencies per se. Yes I can at times do a more boredom eating . I like the idea of soups for cold weather too. Our cupboard is overstocked right now for sure anyway.

gadgetgirlIL

My mother grew up on a wheat farm in eastern Washington state where it was a long way to travel to the store. Thus, she grew up in environment where there were always provisions in the pantry, deep freezer, and root cellar. Not to mention they had cows and chickens.

My father had a rough upbringing due to his mother dying when he was 5. He always tended to be more self-sufficient as a result (or at least that is what I believe). We always had a large garden and there was plenty of food either canned or stored in the freezer.

Thus I never remember any panicked trips to the store when there were snow storms. I've only ever lived in northern Illinois and it was really snowy in the winters the late 70s and early 80s! I also remember the big 1967 blizzard (anniversary is next week) that paralyzed Chicago. Somehow my father managed to get from Roosevelt and Central where he worked in the factory to our house in the south suburbs but it took him over 4 hours. There is a picture somewhere of 6 year old me standing on one of the huge snow drifts in our backyard!

So with this upbringing, I confess that I roll my eyes when people get all panicked that we might get 6 inches of snow this weekend. Travel can certainly be bad, but I'm not going to starve. But hopefully we really will get a good amount of snow so my snowshoes can finally get out for an adventure!

Al_Howard

Here in southern NH we get plenty of snow. The line is "going to get bread and milk". I laughingly (now) say "beer and pizza".
We usually have all we need, food-wise, so seldom make a shopping trip. More likely is the gas station to fill the gas cans for the snow blower and generator. (Of course tey have beer there too. )

misterhub

Weather is not usually an issue here in SoCal; so, when I am working in San Diego, it's not that important. If it rains heavily, I try to avoid going out because people drive like idiots in the rain.

When I am at my place in Oregon, weather can be an issue. We try to have a good pantry fill during the Fall and Winter months. Rain can be a an issue, causing floods in certain areas. Also, winds accompany the storms, making fallen trees a real concern. Plus, power can be knocked out at any moment (generally 3-5 times a year; so, we have easy fix stuff on hand for those situations. If it does snow, it's usually a small amount, and they keep the roads clean. Occasionally, we get some serious snow, and we just hang out at the house.

linmueller

My story is similar to Regina's. My parents grew up in the depression, and while we were far from rich, we were comfortable. As a result of these two things, I grew up with a pantry, freezer, frig full! And the apple didn't fall far from the tree. When we got ready to move out of our home of 32 years, I did work hard to shop less and eat the stored food. In the end, we left the extra chest freezer for the new owners and are working with just to one in the frig.

And re. the snow storms of the late 70s, I have photos of myself (HS age) standing on the sidewalk with walls of snow on either side of me that I couldn't see over, and a snow pile in the front yard from shoveling the roof, that I used to step down from the roof! It was crazy.

So no, I don't go to the store when a storm is predicted. There's going to be plenty to eat for my husband and I for weeks, and we could probably feed a few neighbors too

Jerdtrmndone

I don't go to the store last minute but I will buy the necessities we need. I can't stand an over crowded store.

whathapnd

We live in an area that could get lots of snow but really hasn't in the time we've been here. And we live walking distance to the grocery store, so I'm never panicked. (And walking distance to good take-out options.)😀

I worry more about power outages so the few times there have been large storms forecast, I've made sure we have things like canned tuna and peanut butter in the house.

I do love a hearty soup or pot of chili even more than normal during bad weather!

minimyzeme

If you live in an area that has the potential for large snow storms, do you find yourself running out to the store at the last minute to stock up? Or do you have enough items in the house that you really could skip going to the store for a few days until the roads have been cleared?

Did I mention that I'm a little Type-A-ish? And I've lived in snow country most of my life--including about five years in a very remote part of Idaho? There's no need for last-minute stocking up as I make sure we've got supplies on-hand for whatever's coming our way. I don't like to get or sound too cocky about that because things can always go wronger than planned. However, for the most part, storms are a part of life here and we are usually prepared without last-minute shopping.

Storms can definitely be stressful but I've learned comfort food was really just a concept that allowed me to make excuses for eating stuff that wasn't consistent with my current weight management objectives.