What's On Your Mind Today?
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Re eating sugar
Sugar is like a drug for me. I watch my friends and relatives have a little here and there and I wish I could do that.
If I eat a little, within a couple weeks I've got donuts hidden in my desk, I'm having an ice cream cone everyday and there's a box of chocolates under the seat of my car. And I can't wait for my husband to go to bed so I can either sneak out to buy, or so I can raid my stash. It's ridiculous. Seriously, none of that is an exaggeration. It's an addiction for me. And when I'm on sugar, I'm an emotional wreck, I'm unorganized, forgetful, mean, spend too much money and cry a lot. If I stay away from it, life works pretty well even if things get hard. Probably 20 years ago I came across the book, Potatoes Not Prozac. The book seemed to be all about me. If your interested check out radiantrecovery.com. There's a whole community there.
I'm glad to be here. Stayed on track today because of this group. 2 days of success.
@VickiSLaw
Over my time on MFP, only two things have *almost* made me leave.
1. “Cheat days”
You wouldn’t tell an alcoholic “you can drink whatever you like; it’s your Cheat Day!”
How I solved this. “I am a person who doesn’t believe in Chest Days because I’d only one I’d be cheating is myself.” I do not eat with abandon, for it would reactivate my earlier eating patterns.
2. People arguing with me over the effect of sugar on my eating.
We know our bodies. I tested sugar at least 10 times over a few years. Finally said “uncle” & we stopped buying it. My husband just gave up the last of his sugar. This morning he said, “Yeah, I stopped eating it. Just not fun having to fight the urge to have another piece or not”
It’s real. Why jeopardize all we’ve worked so hard to accomplish?
My focus now is on Insuring my success & making it as easy as possible.
Kudos to you for a very important post.
🌸M7 -
Sorry - posted in the wrong thread.1
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@MadisonMolly2017
I've tested it that many times over 20 years. It always starts with me telling myself I can be like everyone else and have a little. Telling myself it's just about will power. It ends weeks or months later and I'm a wreck. The times I've really gone off the rails was when someone close to me dies. When my dad died, I was on a sugar-fest for 18 months. My husband finally pulled me back. I'm glad someone else here knows how I feel. I know most people can indulge without losing all sense of reality. I cannot. Lol. You should check out the link I posted. You'll find a whole bunch of people who can't eat sugar and be sane at the same time.
Thank you!7 -
I noticed they FINALLY did away with the disagree button this week! There is a pinned post somewhere explaining it. I am SO glad that all that passive aggressive stuff is gone. To me if you do not agree with something it's much better to explain yourself (kindly I would hope) than to just follow some one and disagree with all their posts like a stalker. (I think I have one of those btw but maybe just paranoid)
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Here is the link to the MFPStaff post for anyone who wants to read it in full. Title: Disagree, No More.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10858616/disagree-no-more#latest
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Yeah I saw that disagree post. I didn’t even realize that was a button much less use it0
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"You can still use the Like, Awesome, Inspiring and Insightful reactions."
Can phone-app people see an "awesome" button ??? I can't on the website interface. (and we STILL need an LOL or other "chuckle indicator" button according to many of you - unless the assumption is that one of the emojis serves that function even if it is more steps for just the short-list of face expressions that come with the website interface)0 -
I'm glad they got rid of the disagree button. This is a site that is supposed to support others in their health journey. The disagree button adds no value to that end.1
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@daciasil21
Re your supposed plateau:
Weight is only one indicator of progress towards health and fitness. Body measurements, and loosening of clothes are other indicators.
As we adopt a more healthy lifestyle, body composition changes. Fat reduces, and muscle mass increases as the body becomes more toned. This body recomposition is part of the process. It may appear as if you have stalled, but this is not the case.
1kg of muscle takes up less space than 1kg of fat. If your clothes are becoming looser, it could be because your body is in one of it’s recomp phases.
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Some of us have been campaigning for the removal of the <disagree> button for years 😆 So pleased to see it gone.
Apart from anything else, the placement of it made it all too easy to hit it accidentally when scrolling through posts.2 -
Spent yesterday with my 2 sisters and our mom. Oldest sis has recently been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, but her health going in was fantastic. Major surgery didn't show any surprises, and they got everything they went in for. 2nd chemo was last Thursday and she feels good all things considered. Docs have given her a good prognosis. Other sis, mom and I walked for 40 min or so. Not fast because mom is 86, but not slow either. I stay masked inside and we have a good airfilter going. They are all a pod and I'm dangerous because hubby, son and I are in a mostly unmasked community and out in public a lot. I'm just grateful I get to spend time with them, even with the mask.8
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Just back now from a 65 minute walk outdoors with my lovely husband. He got me off the couch and out of the house, in an effort to get me out of this funk. Such a grey day here today (matching my mood 🤔🧐🤨). Grateful for my IcyTraxx as they are exactly the ticket for such icy conditions and I felt so secure.
The bitter cold stretch has broken (hope I am not jinxing this by posting … 🤪) and other than some wind chill effect on the open prairie, it is so much milder than it has been in a long time. Our highs for the coming 14 days are ALL above zero Celsius.
Tomorrow I will be planting some of my indoor seedlings once I figure out the count back from our predicted final frost date (currently set as May 17 or 21 depending on the source). I have family in Toronto and Halifax and their final frost dates are in April. My new raised bed planters arrived on Friday (waist height for accessibility for me and to avoid Mr Handsome’s love of all garden produce). Good thing that pup is so cute. I am really looking forward to growing more herbs and vegetables this year — especially with the soaring organic produce prices and the times our access has been so limited. I am a really new garden enthusiast and finally have a schedule that can allow me to dedicate some time to this.
Who else here gardens?6 -
@jamcnewman - weather is tough this time of year. Last Saturday it was 66 Fahrenheit so I went for a bike ride. The next morning…..snowing. I’m not a winter hater, but it gets harder to get out there for a walk. Glad your hubby got you out and the Icy Traxx sound great.
My hubby and I love our garden! We don’t have raised beds, so it’s awesome you have those. We compost like crazy though. What are you growing?1 -
@jamcnewman My hubby puts in a large garden every year - I work more with the flower gardens. Lol. We don't have raised beds either - and we compost as well! I'm excited for you to garden this year!1
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Thanks so much for your responses @biketheworld and @Mrs_Hoffer 👩🌾 this is my first year starting seedlings myself. Usually we purchase the seedling plants at the greenhouse. We do have many perennial flowers, bulbs, fruit trees and shrubs, and grasses that we’ve been working years to increase to lessen the work load each year for those areas of the garden.
For a number of years I was in a wheelchair and so accessibility planning became key to allow me to continue to garden. My garden had failed for a number of years and was such a sorrow until I admitted that this change was necessary. I am not in the wheelchair now and God willing, will keep the tremendous mobility I have right now. All the planning in our garden and our home is with accessibility at the heart, as there is no way to tell when or if things will change. I try to live in the today. 🥰
We now have four CedarCraft waist height beds which will double my space for growing zucchini, cucumbers, and tomatoes. I also have some cascading vertical planters, some deck balcony boxes, and many patio pots all of which were elevated on brick columns and that I use for greens, herbs, and whatever else I decide to put in. My husband built me a long raised bed (waist height) along the length of the back of the house and the hardscaped patio that we put in to allow me to get around outdoors. I use that plant bed solely for flowers (as it was only hindsight that caused either of us to think about the problem of using a treated lumber bed for any food production). But no worries — as I love my flowers too and always plant his favourites.
In the plans for starting seedlings:
Rosemary, basil, thyme, mint, garlic chives, tomatoes (yellow pear-shaped, early girl, black plum, and moneymaker), cucumbers (muncher burpless, space master bush), zucchini (dark green).
I will seed in the ground when the magical date arrives: dill, three kinds of lettuce (butter crunch, red sails, prize head), pea snow Taichung, and other veggies.
Will still purchase some seedlings from the greenhouse (tarragon, sage, etc) and will supplement whatever seedlings don’t thrive.
Things that return each year in my garden include chives (in a big patio pot), rhubarb strawberries, raspberries, haskap, and an apple tree.
Our growing season is only about 100 days, so starting or purchasing seedlings is really the only way to get a diversity of produce. We compost too, but as our season is short, we haven’t had a huge amount of production output. We have two compost bins and hubby rotates and waters it to get the greatest production we can.5 -
It's almost 9:30pm here. We finished dinner around 7pm and I'll go to bed in about an hour. Here's the challenge: I want to eat all the cheese in the fridge. Or I want to go on Deliveroo and have a bag of crisps and some cookies delivered. Or maybe I will have a banana and some almond butter....
It sort of feels like I'm hungry. I know that if I engage my rational brain, I will recognise that I just want food and it's probably more about boredom or thirsty than about food particularly since I can't decide on what I am actually craving. So I'm going to try to drink some water, push through, and eventually go to bed.
Is anyone else in this boat? How do you handle evening cravings?1 -
@Cowphilosopher
Here's what I do about evening cravings.
Once I put my son to bed and feel "free" for the night, I really really want to sit and eat a sweet snack. I have tried giving it up several times over the years, but trying to resist always results in eating ALL the sweet snacks.
So instead I preplan the snack - generally 1 cookie and 1/2 cup whole milk frothed in the steamer. On my current fiber kick I have been experimenting with oatmeal or frosted mini wheats instead. But if there is something in the house I am craving I will often tell myself I can eat it at night and then resist the nibbles all day and eat it at night. But the key here is to eat only what I have preplanned and budgeted and not ALL the things.
What helps me do that is:
- Before eating, I preplan and prelog the next day in MFP - that way I get that done and also it puts me in the right mind frame.
- While I eat, I read MFP forum and nutrition books (but not the parts with recipes). This also helps me keep the mindset and is better than reading Facebook or news which will get me upset before bed which is not great for not eating and also not great for sleeping.
- When my snack is done I get up and immediately brush my teeth so that I won't want to eat any more.
- I try to go to bed pretty soon after that. If I stay up for a few hours, I will eat again, but if I am to bed within an hour or so I don't get hungry again so pretty easy to resist. Once I am in the bedroom on the third floor even if I get hungry I am usually too lazy to head down to the kitchen.
This is not 100% by any means - I still sometimes keep eating beyond what I have planned. But I would say most of the time I am satisfied and happy from having my ritual, and I have still managed to lose weight while doing that.5 -
@Caroline_slowandsteady -thx for that! I usually avoid later snacks but not so much yesterday1
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What did they do to the food log screw that up
too?0 -
@snowshoe072snowshoe072 wrote: »What did they do to the food log screw that up
too?
Mine looks the same. Had a blip earlier today but I put that down to our power outage and internet gateway issues that followed. It is working fine for me now… I only use the app on my iPhone for MFP.0 -
Sorry folks, lots of passes this week. Couple of sticky days so food was all over the place3
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@snowshoe072 earlier this week I noticed that the food log on the app on my iphone is just a little different in an annoying way - is that what you mean? It's subtle but I think there are a few more clicks needed for every entry and that's annoying.
I also noticed a few months or so ago that the food log on the computer and the one on my phone do not sync accurately, so I only use the one on my phone, even though I use the community more on my computer...
Yeah MFP is not headache free!1 -
@Caroline_slowandsteady exactly what I meant my iPad does not sync with my phone anymore either or at least they play catch up I usually use my phone. The old saying goes if it’s not broke don’t fix it I wonder if they at mfp have heard that before?
Enjoy your day2 -
Mrs_Hoffer wrote: »I joined in January before life overwhelmed me so left. I’m going to try harder this time round. The obstacles are here to stay so I have to find ways round them.
Very, very true. I like your spirit @Lessennan !!
@Lessennan I don't know what your obstacles are, but I have something similar about "obstacles that are here to stay". What you said " The obstacles are here to stay so I have to find ways round them" spoke to me. Thank you.
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@jamcnewman
I am gardening now that I have retired. My husband used to do it mostly by himself but yesterday we planted seeds together and he said ¨this is 100 times more fun.¨
I very recently signed up for a free beta tester account for an application called Seedtime-- that is to help you plan your garden. I really think it is cool, you enter in the program your weather zone. Then each year you enter your crops and varieties of the plants. It show you a calendar, filterable, of when to start seeds, prepare the beds, when to plant, when to cultivate, etc, including for successive crops. I have only started trying it but already it really helped us. If any of you are interested in trying it, message me and I will give you my link to invite friends (I think it is against MFP policy to post the link as it would probably be considered promotion. I was able to get the program free, they say the basic version is free for life, and they don´t ask for credit cards, but they did try to sell me a lifetime upgrade, so beware the sales pitch.)
This winter we did purchase two little indoor Aerogardens and also a seed starter for one, so we just transplanted some Pak Choy (and then it snowed-- hope they survive.)2 -
@ideas2@jamcnewman
I very recently signed up for a free beta tester account for an application called Seedtime-- that is to help you plan your garden. I really think it is cool, you enter in the program your weather zone. Then each year you enter your crops and varieties of the plants. It show you a calendar, filterable, of when to start seeds, prepare the beds, when to plant, when to cultivate, etc, including for successive crops. I have only started trying it but already it really helped us. If any of you are interested in trying it, message me and I will give you my link to invite friends (I think it is against MFP policy to post the link as it would probably be considered promotion. I was able to get the program free, they say the basic version is free for life, and they don´t ask for credit cards, but they did try to sell me a lifetime upgrade, so beware the sales pitch.)
This winter we did purchase two little indoor Aerogardens and also a seed starter for one, so we just transplanted some Pak Choy (and then it snowed-- hope they survive.)
I am intrigued to know more — have sent you a friend invite to DM you on this. Thanks for sharing! 💛0 -
Hi everyone! I very rarely post in “what’s on your mind” but I wanted to tell everyone I am following the dash diet per dr’s orders-Much easier to stay in range and track right away/pre track and bathroom issues are resolving! Lost a pound since Friday and blood pressure is behaving5
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Stress is on my mind. I have made a point of having a stress free life since I retired about 1.5 years ago. While my prior job was somewhat stressful I handled it well most of the time. But now I'm in a period of high stress and I can't relax. My stomach is constantly in knots ... which is something I haven't experienced since I was in my 20s.
Outside of alcohol (which is a short term solution) what advice do you have for relieving stress?2 -
@LazyBlondeChef I am sorry you're so stressed! Here are things that have helped for me - with the caveat of depending on what is causing the stress, sometimes those things make it impossible to do some of these coping methods - so the fundamental one is just self-forgiveness and knowing you will get through it and rebuild whatever you need to on the other side.
- Doing a brain dump list of everything I am worried about. Then separating out from that list the things I have some control over and trying to make a plan to tackle them. Also separating out the things that are very unlikely, and reminding myself that they are unlikely when I start to spiral over them. It does always leave a list of bad outcomes that are likely and not under my control, but it is a smaller list and I feel better. Even just acknowledging that last list does actually make me feel better - I am not worried about nothing - so I can forgive myself being off my game because of worry.
- Trying to still stick to my routines and basic self-care
- Exercising and consciously trying to shake out/work out the extra adrenaline. Sometimes a walk around the block while deep breathing. Sometimes release work with a lacrosse ball working out the knots and breathing.
- Talking to someone about it (therapist or kind friend)
- My wife has a thing that she does in her mind that I laugh at her about - and I am not always sure it is healthy, and sometimes it makes me crazy but sometimes it helps. She classifies things as "too early to worry about" - because she doesn't have enough information, it probably won't happen, it's still far away, etc. and "too late to worry about" - because it's definitely happening and there's nothing you can do about it. As a result she is worry free because it's never the exactly right time to worry about something. Like I said it makes me crazy but sometimes I do find myself using it and it helps.
Good luck - I hope your stressful time passes without too much trouble.5 -
Over the weekend I bought myself an indoor smokeless grill. After the divorce, I bought a grill pan for the stovetop but it was not the same. I have been slowly replacing the kitchen appliances and I decided it was time to buy the indoor grill. My son and I currently are in an apartment, so the outdoor grill is not an option at the moment. I am hoping that the indoor grill will be a step closer to the outdoor grilling I have missed. I am starting to gather indoor grilling recipes so I wanted to ask if anyone wanted to share their favorite grill recipes? Thanks! 2
