Purge my vices 28 day challenge
purtchiarn
Posts: 12 Member
So I see these articles on FB all the time "he gave up alcohol and look at the difference" yada yada and the difference seems amazing.
I've identified 5 vices in my life I'm considering giving up for a month after the superbowl which will be the last day of my vices because I have already made plans including pretty much all vices. And I plan to add in the vices I would like back after but in moderation or even minimal use.
What are people's experiences of giving up a few vices at the same time?
Vices I'm considering giving up for 28 days after the superbowl are:
Vape/nicotine All caffeine Alcohol Junk food (crisps (chips us) chocolate sweets and pop) And bread/flour.
I've identified 5 vices in my life I'm considering giving up for a month after the superbowl which will be the last day of my vices because I have already made plans including pretty much all vices. And I plan to add in the vices I would like back after but in moderation or even minimal use.
What are people's experiences of giving up a few vices at the same time?
Vices I'm considering giving up for 28 days after the superbowl are:
Vape/nicotine All caffeine Alcohol Junk food (crisps (chips us) chocolate sweets and pop) And bread/flour.
0
Replies
-
Do you want to debate this or have it as a motivation thread? (I'm cool either way, just want to make sure you aren't here in debate accidentally.)
Depending on how you define "vice" I've had mixed reactions. Sometimes it is useful to focus on entirely renewing my life and giving up/adding in a bunch of stuff rather than taking the chance of bouncing from one to another -- synergistic. Sometimes I feel like it can be overkill and I get stressed about doing everything and miss the focus, especially if there really is one big vice that needs to be addressed.
Understanding why you consider it a vice and how the things fit together if they do can be helpful. (For me vice has a moral connotation or at least "opposite of virtue.")1 -
What are you expecting to get out of this challenge?
Oh, and what constitutes a vice? Especially as you list bread and flour as one of them.2 -
purtchiarn wrote: »So I see these articles on FB all the time "he gave up alcohol and look at the difference" yada yada and the difference seems amazing.
I've identified 5 vices in my life I'm considering giving up for a month after the superbowl which will be the last day of my vices because I have already made plans including pretty much all vices. And I plan to add in the vices I would like back after but in moderation or even minimal use.
What are people's experiences of giving up a few vices at the same time?
Vices I'm considering giving up for 28 days after the superbowl are:
Vape/nicotine All caffeine Alcohol Junk food (crisps (chips us) chocolate sweets and pop) And bread/flour.
Nicotine - Worth eliminating
Caffeine- No negatives
Alcohol - Ok in moderation
Junk food (within your daily calories - No negatives
Bread/Flour - Absurd
Not really sure what the point in this needless elimination and restriction except for the nicotine.4 -
Giving up that many things at once would be virtually impossible for me. They're all things that are considered challenging to give up even individually.
I can see the benefit in giving up nicotine and alcohol (if you're currently drinking to excess or it's causing problems for you), but the others don't seem to have as clear of a benefit. Are they things that are currently keeping you from meeting your goals?3 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Giving up that many things at once would be virtually impossible for me. They're all things that are considered challenging to give up even individually.
I can see the benefit in giving up nicotine and alcohol (if you're currently drinking to excess or it's causing problems for you), but the others don't seem to have as clear of a benefit. Are they things that are currently keeping you from meeting your goals?
A giant wall formed of loaves bread blocking your front door to your house could keep anyone from getting to work, let alone meeting a goal.1 -
How is bread/flour a vice?
IMO, giving up so many things at once is a very drastic change to your lifestyle and will not be sustainable.
I'm also confused as to whether you're planning to only do it for a month or forever? If you're only doing it for a month, what's the point?1 -
Things I've given up:
Vape/nicotine: It was a nightmare. It's was so hard. Hardest thing I've ever done. I don't even know the benefits aside from the known health ones because it took so long just to feel like a normal person again.
All caffeine: For the first few days, I was sleeping as much as I could. I think I slept about 14 hours a day. I had a headache non stop for a week. A lot of my anxiety went away. I felt relaxed and a lot of muscle tension went away.
Alcohol: I don't miss it. I miss the feeling of being hungover most but that's probably just me. I used to drink to excess but only on rare occasions. I quit alcohol when I quit smoking because I feared I would give in and smoke if I drank. I just never picked it up again. But, people who drink a lot generally are bloated as a result and they quit drinking, the bloat goes away and they look fantastic. I've definitely noticed that.
Junk food (crisps (chips us) chocolate sweets and pop) And bread/flour. - I've given up processed carbs completely on several occasions. I am far less hungry overall when I do it. My appetite decreases by half. I don't know what the mechanism is or what is going on but, if I want to lose weight, cutting out processed carbs makes it easy. I takes about 3 or 4 days for me to notice the effect but it's very noticeable. Every time I want to lose some fat, it's the first thing I do.
I don't even really miss the carbs after the first few days but I will have a strong occasional desire to eat chips when I'm dieting. It isn't a craving, exactly. It's that, when I'm eating chips and watching television together, I completely check out mentally. That's the thing I miss and the thing that I crave when I crave chips. It's not the taste or anything. It's the little mental vacation it affords me.1 -
nokanjaijo wrote: »Things I've given up:
Alcohol: I don't miss it. I miss the feeling of being hungover most but that's probably just me. I used to drink to excess but only on rare occasions. I quit alcohol when I quit smoking because I feared I would give in and smoke if I drank. I just never picked it up again. But, people who drink a lot generally are bloated as a result and they quit drinking, the bloat goes away and they look fantastic. I've definitely noticed that.
Say WHAT?! You miss being hungover? Explain, please!!!0 -
DanielleTake2 wrote: »
Say WHAT?! You miss being hungover? Explain, please!!!
Once I've had an Aleve and the headache goes away, it's just this fuzzy feeling in my head. Also, food tastes amazing. I'm calmer because I can't really think clearly. What is even weirder is that I also feel this way about diarrhea so it's probably the dehydration making my head fuzzy. And I just love when my head feels fuzzy like that.
Anxiety is a real problem for me is the take away here, I suppose.
2 -
I've given up alcohol completely and don't miss it. Then again I'm an alky, so moderation is out of the question for me lol.purtchiarn wrote: »
Vape/nicotine All caffeine Alcohol Junk food (crisps (chips us) chocolate sweets and pop) And bread/flour.
Smokes - I do partake now and then. I'm planning on putting those down soon.
The rest - I used to think the same way about giving them up, but experience here over a year has taught me I don't have to. I had my "football food" watching GB vs Dallas the other day and stayed within my restrictions, thoroughly enjoyed the food.
0 -
nokanjaijo wrote: »
Once I've had an Aleve and the headache goes away, it's just this fuzzy feeling in my head. Also, food tastes amazing. I'm calmer because I can't really think clearly. What is even weirder is that I also feel this way about diarrhea so it's probably the dehydration making my head fuzzy. And I just love when my head feels fuzzy like that.
Anxiety is a real problem for me is the take away here, I suppose.
Interesting. I have another vice you could try that would give you all of those same feelings... fuzzy, food tastes better... without the other side effects. It also gives you dry mouth so that might make you feel dehydrated? Do you see what I'm getting at?
3 -
nokanjaijo wrote: »DanielleTake2 wrote: »
Say WHAT?! You miss being hungover? Explain, please!!!
Once I've had an Aleve and the headache goes away, it's just this fuzzy feeling in my head. Also, food tastes amazing. I'm calmer because I can't really think clearly. What is even weirder is that I also feel this way about diarrhea so it's probably the dehydration making my head fuzzy. And I just love when my head feels fuzzy like that.
Anxiety is a real problem for me is the take away here, I suppose.
well that is a first, the one person who actually enjoys a hangover...3 -
OP - why would bread and flour be a vice????1
-
Vices are what makes life worth living. One reason I work out is so that I can enjoy my vices.3
-
nokanjaijo wrote: »DanielleTake2 wrote: »
Say WHAT?! You miss being hungover? Explain, please!!!
Once I've had an Aleve and the headache goes away, it's just this fuzzy feeling in my head. Also, food tastes amazing. I'm calmer because I can't really think clearly. What is even weirder is that I also feel this way about diarrhea so it's probably the dehydration making my head fuzzy. And I just love when my head feels fuzzy like that.
Anxiety is a real problem for me is the take away here, I suppose.
well that is a first, the one person who actually enjoys a hangover...
I have never been hungover but this makes me want to try it. (no, it doesn't)
I limited certain foods at the start of my weight loss because I did a poor job of eating them in moderation but I've never actually totally given any up.2 -
So I see a lot of people asking me about bread and flour. It's more the refined flours etc bread isn't that healthy and contains a lot of sugars and salts. The theory is to cut out something that clogs you up, more salads and a fresh diet. I would try vegan for 28 days to experiment but I feel that would be going to far, I'm likely to be agitated already with lack of caffeine and nicotine.
Alcohol, I'm not an every day drinker or massive ginger, but I do have alcohol regularly, I feel cutting out alcohol and junk food may need to a better quality of sleep.0 -
Ginger : binger0
-
purtchiarn wrote: »So I see a lot of people asking me about bread and flour. It's more the refined flours etc bread isn't that healthy and contains a lot of sugars and salts. The theory is to cut out something that clogs you up, more salads and a fresh diet. I would try vegan for 28 days to experiment but I feel that would be going to far, I'm likely to be agitated already with lack of caffeine and nicotine.
Alcohol, I'm not an every day drinker or massive ginger, but I do have alcohol regularly, I feel cutting out alcohol and junk food may need to a better quality of sleep.
This is just me, but if I want to eat more of something it's psychologically much easier for me to say "I'm going to have a salad with dinner every night" than to eliminate bread and somehow hope that works out to eating more salad.
Your experience may be different. Have you had good success with eliminating things before?
Refined flour, sugar, and salt can all be part of a healthful diet. If you're eating enough of them that they're crowding out other things you need or causing you to go over your calorie goals, I can see wanting to manage that. But lots of people have found that an "all or nothing" approach is actually counter-productive for them.2 -
purtchiarn wrote: »Ginger : binger
That typo made me giggle harder than it should have. I agree with Jane on focusing on adding things, rather than restricting them. It just reframes in a more positive light.1 -
purtchiarn wrote: »So I see a lot of people asking me about bread and flour. It's more the refined flours etc bread isn't that healthy and contains a lot of sugars and salts. The theory is to cut out something that clogs you up, more salads and a fresh diet. I would try vegan for 28 days to experiment but I feel that would be going to far, I'm likely to be agitated already with lack of caffeine and nicotine.
Alcohol, I'm not an every day drinker or massive ginger, but I do have alcohol regularly, I feel cutting out alcohol and junk food may need to a better quality of sleep.
why is bread not healthy?
you can eat bread, be in your calorie count, and hit micros and macros and that is a healthy diet..
how exactly does bread "clog" you up?
I would suggest doing some actual homework on these things, and not just googling it and reading all of the "bread is the debil" posts out there.
Absent a medical condition there is really no reason that one cannot eat bread, unless you don't like the taste...
3 -
Bread is actually nutritious. There is more sugar and salt in a lot of other foods. And there is nothing wrong with sugar and salt. Nothing is healthy in too large amounts. But you aren't eating only bread?purtchiarn wrote: »So I see a lot of people asking me about bread and flour. It's more the refined flours etc bread isn't that healthy and contains a lot of sugars and salts. The theory is to cut out something that clogs you up, more salads and a fresh diet. I would try vegan for 28 days to experiment but I feel that would be going to far, I'm likely to be agitated already with lack of caffeine and nicotine.
Alcohol, I'm not an every day drinker or massive ginger, but I do have alcohol regularly, I feel cutting out alcohol and junk food may need to a better quality of sleep.
Please explain the theory of bread clogging you up. What kind of clogging is it, of what, how do you know it's clogging, what's causing the clogging, what will stop the clogging, and how do you know it's not clogging anymore?
What is a fresh diet? If you want to eat more fruit and vegetables - just eat more fruit and vegetables.2 -
A lot of people are so negative. Some people see bread as a vice because it causes weight gain-Nothing wrong with eliminating bread.
I won't do that myself though haha but totally support those who do.
For me- calories over 1,200 are too many. Even hoping to get back to 1,000 a few days a week with just moderate exercise.
I gave up smoking for the most part but take an anti-anxiety med instead.
Cake/brownies- big vices because they're unnecessary for me in order to get to my goal weight. Yes those are total vices!
I'll continue to eat a little bread, chocolate, and a little pasta (although I do consider those "vices" plus I'm pre diabetic) because in moderation I think they're all right.-2 -
trigden1991 wrote: »purtchiarn wrote: »So I see these articles on FB all the time "he gave up alcohol and look at the difference" yada yada and the difference seems amazing.
I've identified 5 vices in my life I'm considering giving up for a month after the superbowl which will be the last day of my vices because I have already made plans including pretty much all vices. And I plan to add in the vices I would like back after but in moderation or even minimal use.
What are people's experiences of giving up a few vices at the same time?
Vices I'm considering giving up for 28 days after the superbowl are:
Vape/nicotine All caffeine Alcohol Junk food (crisps (chips us) chocolate sweets and pop) And bread/flour.
Nicotine - Worth eliminating
Caffeine- No negatives
Alcohol - Ok in moderation
Junk food (within your daily calories - No negatives
Bread/Flour - Absurd
Not really sure what the point in this needless elimination and restriction except for the nicotine.
This.0 -
purtchiarn wrote: »So I see these articles on FB all the time "he gave up alcohol and look at the difference" yada yada and the difference seems amazing.
I've identified 5 vices in my life I'm considering giving up for a month after the superbowl which will be the last day of my vices because I have already made plans including pretty much all vices. And I plan to add in the vices I would like back after but in moderation or even minimal use.
What are people's experiences of giving up a few vices at the same time?
Vices I'm considering giving up for 28 days after the superbowl are:
Vape/nicotine All caffeine Alcohol Junk food (crisps (chips us) chocolate sweets and pop) And bread/flour.
Re the bolded. These are not real. These are manufactured clickbait to try to get you to click on the advertisements once you get to the page. Most of the time the pictures are fake.
If you feel like there is something you are consuming that is harming your health, there's no harm in trying to give it up. But don't take a FB posted Buzzfeed article as motivation to cut all that stuff out. You have a much better chance of making a change in your lifestyle if you tackle one thing at time anyway.
So why not quit smoking and focus on eating more veggies? Then once you are successful at that, you can decide if you want to do more or if maybe that was all you needed.
Personally, I feel great and am a healthy weight while having caffeine, diet soda, bread, junk food and chocolate every day and alcohol several times a week. I see no evidence any of it is holding me back from anything. (I also eat plenty of nutritious food every day as well!)
Whatever you decide, best of luck :drinker:2 -
PrettyHalloweenUnicorn wrote: »A lot of people are so negative. Some people see bread as a vice because it causes weight gain-Nothing wrong with eliminating bread.
I won't do that myself though haha but totally support those who do.
For me- calories over 1,200 are too many. Even hoping to get back to 1,000 a few days a week with just moderate exercise.
I gave up smoking for the most part but take an anti-anxiety med instead.
Cake/brownies- big vices because they're unnecessary for me in order to get to my goal weight. Yes those are total vices!
I'll continue to eat a little bread, chocolate, and a little pasta (although I do consider those "vices" plus I'm pre diabetic) because in moderation I think they're all right.
Bread, in and of itself, doesn't cause weight gain. If it causes you to consume more calories than you're burning, it can be an issue. But that's true of any food.
5 -
I can see bread as a vice (I assume we are using literary license by saying "vice") if you have a hard time not eating too much of it (too much meaning an amount that allows you to stay within your calorie goal.)0
-
PrettyHalloweenUnicorn wrote: »A lot of people are so negative. Some people see bread as a vice because it causes weight gain-Nothing wrong with eliminating bread.
I won't do that myself though haha but totally support those who do.
For me- calories over 1,200 are too many. Even hoping to get back to 1,000 a few days a week with just moderate exercise.
I gave up smoking for the most part but take an anti-anxiety med instead.
Cake/brownies- big vices because they're unnecessary for me in order to get to my goal weight. Yes those are total vices!
I'll continue to eat a little bread, chocolate, and a little pasta (although I do consider those "vices" plus I'm pre diabetic) because in moderation I think they're all right.
Weight gain happens when someone consumes more calories than their maintenance calorie level but it doesn't matter what kinds of foods those calories are made from. It's so odd to me that people continue to demonize bread when there's numerous ones that are fairly low calories and are a great base for all sorts of calorie friendly meals.4 -
purtchiarn wrote: »So I see a lot of people asking me about bread and flour. It's more the refined flours etc bread isn't that healthy and contains a lot of sugars and salts. The theory is to cut out something that clogs you up, more salads and a fresh diet. I would try vegan for 28 days to experiment but I feel that would be going to far, I'm likely to be agitated already with lack of caffeine and nicotine.
Alcohol, I'm not an every day drinker or massive ginger, but I do have alcohol regularly, I feel cutting out alcohol and junk food may need to a better quality of sleep.
The bread I ate at lunch (which I used as a base to pile loads of fresh spinach and other lovely toppings), has 1g of sugar and 170mg of sodium for two slices (Brownberry multi-grain sandwich thin roll). It also contained 5g of fiber and 4g of protein, which are beneficial. Plus calcium, iron, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin and Folic Acid. Also good stuff. And my lunch total for the sandwich and a side of chips came in under 500 calories and held me for 5 hours before I felt any kind of hunger again.
And really, bread clogs you up? It's usually a good source of fiber so I'm confused why this would be happening to you. Perhaps instead of cutting it out, you could just find a lower calorie option that has a good amount of fiber in it. Then you have a tasty vehicle for all those fresh veggies you're adding to your diet 1 -
PrettyHalloweenUnicorn wrote: »A lot of people are so negative providing insight for OP. Some people see breadexcess calories as a vice because it causes weight gain-Nothing wrong with eliminating bread.
I won't do that myself though haha but totally support those who do.
For me- calories over 1,200 are too many. Even hoping to get back to 1,000 a few days a week with just moderate exercise.
I gave up smoking for the most part but take an anti-anxiety med instead.
Cake/brownies- big vices because they're unnecessary for me in order to get to my goal weight. Yes those are total vices!
I'll continue to eat a little bread, chocolate, and a little pasta (although I do consider those "vices" plus I'm pre diabetic) because in moderation I think they're all right.
fixed it3 -
Ha I feel I struck a nerve with bread, I have it with every meal, breakfast toast, lunch sandwich or a bagel and with my tea hell I even have it as a desert sometimes iced roll. For 28 days I am going to use alternatives and not go for the easy option a white bread sandwich. Much like junk food I don't eat a lot and usually my calorie intake I suspect is close to maintaining weight. It's just an experiment to make better choices. If it's not an option I would have to look for an alternative such as ryvita etc. I feel like I may have offended the bread fan club. I'm not saying it's absolutely detrimental to a good diet, just that for me it's a go to and I could find a healthier option. Much like alcohol, I want to go to the pub and not drink alcohol or pop.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 394.1K Introduce Yourself
- 43.9K Getting Started
- 260.4K Health and Weight Loss
- 176.1K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.6K Fitness and Exercise
- 435 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153.1K Motivation and Support
- 8.1K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.9K MyFitnessPal Information
- 15 News and Announcements
- 1.2K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.7K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions