Salads? Walking and eating
Replies
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I'm echoing the concern that there are some potentially disordered thought processes around food.
Eating two things of (plain?) lettuce to fill up before eating junk food is an all or nothing approach. Why not eat a nice salad with avocado, nuts, chicken, a tasty dressing, other veggies? I'll quite often have a mega salad dinner of in a huge mixing bowl and I love them. So many flavours and textures!
I have an exercise desk and sometimes I'll eat while slowly cycling, but I don't do it because I feel like I have to. It's the compulsiveness that's raising red flags to all of us.
If you have health insurance, it is worth investigating if you can do therapy, especially as the case could be made that the mental side could end up impacting your kidneys. You might be surprised.7 -
paperpudding wrote: »Ok, so my very unpopular opinion is eating while exercising isn't that big of a deal UNTIL, like someone else said, you're doing things like not being able to eat in a restaurant without walking around. And it seems you know that since you were thinking about therapy?
I still have to get this out because some stuff that was said bugged me.
What's boring and unsustainable for one person doesn't mean it has to be boring or unsustainable for another.
I eat while walking ALL THE TIME. I frequently pick up something at the whole foods hot bar or my favorite frozen yogurt shoppe and eat while finishing my walk home. I've eaten hamburgers while still walking.
I do a walking dvd at home and just like being on my tablet, I've eaten while doing it. Maybe it's easier because I don't eat what people would consider an actual meal and I don't need to wield a knife to cut something. Eating most of my dinner isn't an every day occurance tho. Usually only when I have to work weekends.
I'm short, old, and hopefully after all the cake I ate this weekend, no longer under weight (not intentionally). I like food and I like it to be more than the ohhhhhh 1600 calories it would probably be if I didn't walk as much as I do. So, for me, sitting while eating is a waste of a precious piece of chocolate.
I also don't think the calorie burn for your trainer is out of the realm of possibility. We don't know his or her stats, how fast they were going or for how long. And eating a protein bar while doing it is wrong? Protein bars were made to be portable.
Well that was me who said it would be boring to walk around inside the house for 2 or 3 hours ( the approx time to burn 500- 600 calories)
And I did qualify it by saying it seems boring to me.
But I don't think walking and eating at same time is neccesarily wrong - people walk and eat when it is convenient to do so or is an enjoyable combination, eg strolling along the beach eating an icecream cone.
But I think that is quite different to walking around inside the house for hours on end to burn extra calories.
It's how I catch up on my tv on the weekends. I'll watch the episodes while pacing my apt. I would just rather be moving instead of sitting on the couch or at my computer and this way I'm not distracted and can pay attention to the shows.
I just did an activity log for today and burned just shy of 250 calories for 2 hrs 15 mins.
Truly, I don't see why it's a problem. People say increase your NEAT to help with weight goals. This is one way to do that.
There are a number of aspects in the OP's comments that raise red flags for disordered eating and comments that justify them will do nothing to encourage treatment if there are issues. You are right that many of us walk while eating at times. That is not the issue. The issue is the compulsiveness to do this with most meals with the belief that a lot of calories are being consumed. The issue is the belief that copious amounts of lettuce need to be eaten so that other 'bad foods' are avoided. These are not normal, justifiable thought patterns.7 -
It might be a little insulting to OP's in any thread on mfp to suggest they get to therapy.
Its really not up to mfp posters to give the first port of call for newcomers a diagnosis of eating disorder and ask them to seek psychiatric sessions for such.17 -
It might be a little insulting to OP's in any thread on mfp to suggest they get to therapy.
Its really not up to mfp posters to give the first port of call for newcomers a diagnosis of eating disorder and ask them to seek psychiatric sessions for such.
Why would suggesting therapy be an insult? Many of us get stuck in thought pattern ruts and just dig ourselves deeper in when we try to get out on our own. There is nothing shameful about benefiting from therapy - I could make a case that pretty much everyone could benefit from a little therapy.
OP straight up asked if he is going to extremes, said he has a horrible addiction to step counting, and said he has a bad relationship with food. Combined with some of his other posts, I think suggesting that there is a damaging thought pattern there that needs to be fixed, which might be easier with some help, is a perfectly reasonable suggestion. And certainly not an insult.22 -
It might be a little insulting to OP's in any thread on mfp to suggest they get to therapy.
Its really not up to mfp posters to give the first port of call for newcomers a diagnosis of eating disorder and ask them to seek psychiatric sessions for such.
Why is it insulting to tell someone that it would be helpful if they saw a therapist? If you think going to a therapist is a bad thing, then ok - but that's your own issue steeped in stigma.
This would be no different than someone reporting that they are experiencing pain and vomiting when they eat and someone suggesting that they see a gastroenterologist. I also went back and skimmed the posts and no one diagnosed the OP with anything. The closest that anyone got to that was, "it sounds like the beginnings of an eating disorder", which is not a diagnosis.13 -
paperpudding wrote: »Ok, so my very unpopular opinion is eating while exercising isn't that big of a deal UNTIL, like someone else said, you're doing things like not being able to eat in a restaurant without walking around. And it seems you know that since you were thinking about therapy?
I still have to get this out because some stuff that was said bugged me.
What's boring and unsustainable for one person doesn't mean it has to be boring or unsustainable for another.
I eat while walking ALL THE TIME. I frequently pick up something at the whole foods hot bar or my favorite frozen yogurt shoppe and eat while finishing my walk home. I've eaten hamburgers while still walking.
I do a walking dvd at home and just like being on my tablet, I've eaten while doing it. Maybe it's easier because I don't eat what people would consider an actual meal and I don't need to wield a knife to cut something. Eating most of my dinner isn't an every day occurance tho. Usually only when I have to work weekends.
I'm short, old, and hopefully after all the cake I ate this weekend, no longer under weight (not intentionally). I like food and I like it to be more than the ohhhhhh 1600 calories it would probably be if I didn't walk as much as I do. So, for me, sitting while eating is a waste of a precious piece of chocolate.
I also don't think the calorie burn for your trainer is out of the realm of possibility. We don't know his or her stats, how fast they were going or for how long. And eating a protein bar while doing it is wrong? Protein bars were made to be portable.
Well that was me who said it would be boring to walk around inside the house for 2 or 3 hours ( the approx time to burn 500- 600 calories)
And I did qualify it by saying it seems boring to me.
But I don't think walking and eating at same time is neccesarily wrong - people walk and eat when it is convenient to do so or is an enjoyable combination, eg strolling along the beach eating an icecream cone.
But I think that is quite different to walking around inside the house for hours on end to burn extra calories.
It's how I catch up on my tv on the weekends. I'll watch the episodes while pacing my apt. I would just rather be moving instead of sitting on the couch or at my computer and this way I'm not distracted and can pay attention to the shows.
I just did an activity log for today and burned just shy of 250 calories for 2 hrs 15 mins.
Truly, I don't see why it's a problem. People say increase your NEAT to help with weight goals. This is one way to do that.
The op is young and has a very unhealthy relationship with food. He also has kidney issues.
That's why it's a problem in this particular situation.5 -
Also, walking inside is preferable than walking in hot temperatures with smog. Many cities in Europe and in the east are so smog ridden that walking inside is the only safe exersize.
To respond to the rest. I'm not against therapy, certainly not that.
It just seems to me that we are just not in a posotion to strongly suggest psychotherapy or to diagnose an ed on a forum.There is no way we can tell of this is the case. Better to be encouraging with our responses even if we suspect an ed is the problem. Really it might not be that. You can't really tell from a few posts from a person who is looking for suggestions.15 -
The op is young and has a very unhealthy relationship with food. He also has kidney issues.
That's why it's a problem in this particular situation. [/quote]
I still think its better not to diagnose over the internet. We can always make positive suggestions that are alternatives.
Eating and walking, we really can't tell from what has been said if its an eating disorder.
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Also, walking inside is preferable than walking in hot temperatures with smog. Many cities in Europe and in the east are so smog ridden that walking inside is the only safe exersize.
To respond to the rest. I'm not against therapy, certainly not that.
It just seems to me that we are just not in a posotion to strongly suggest psychotherapy or to diagnose an ed on a forum.There is no way we can tell of this is the case. Better to be encouraging with our responses even if we suspect an ed is the problem. Really it might not be that. You can't really tell from a few posts from a person who is looking for suggestions.
In his first post he asked if his behavior was extreme. He also indicated that in the past he had binged and then restricted. All of this indicates an unhealthy relationship with food. IMO the best advice is to work on his disordered thinking concerning food.8 -
I still think its better not to diagnose over the internet. We can always make positive suggestions that are alternatives.
Eating and walking, we really can't tell from what has been said if its an eating disorder.
[/quote]
no one is diagnosing an eating disorder - they are saying there are indicators of disordered eating...this is a subtle difference8 -
I still think its better not to diagnose over the internet. We can always make positive suggestions that are alternatives.
Eating and walking, we really can't tell from what has been said if its an eating disorder.
But you don't have to be diagnosed with anything to benefit from talking to someone about your relationship with food.
As someone else alluded to, if a poster says their heart flutters whenever they work out, we don't have to diagnose them with heart problems to suggest it wouldn't be a bad idea to schedule a checkup and mention the heart flutter. And it may actually be irresponsible to tell them to just ignore the flutter and do what they think they need to do to lose weight.
Why would a worrisome thought pattern be any different? OP might not really need it, but better to be safe than sorry.
And there's been a lot more said here than just "eating and walking".8 -
It just seems to me that we are just not in a posotion to strongly suggest psychotherapy or to diagnose an ed on a forum.There is no way we can tell of this is the case. Better to be encouraging with our responses even if we suspect an ed is the problem. Really it might not be that. You can't really tell from a few posts from a person who is looking for suggestions.
We are not in a position to DIAGNOSE an ED on a forum; but, we are more than most certainly in a position to SUGGEST that someone who has a problem should get it checked out by a medical professional or a specialist especially if the indication of a potential problem are strong.
"I gained 30lbs of weight overnight and my legs are swollen and look like balloons, is this related to my new high fiber diet?" Err, no, friend, stop worrying about your new diet and get your self and swollen legs to an ER and a doctor to get checked out ASAP! M'ok?
"I am BMI 17 and scared that if I eat more than 1000 Cal a day and not burn them all with exercise I will become huge and fat and ugly".
Oh, don't worry about it my friend, warm fuzzy and positive thoughts are all we will send your way in case your *kitten* gets hurt if someone suggests to you that it SOUNDS AS IF YOU MAY HAVE DEVELOPED AN ED AND SHOULD GET TO A PROFESSIONAL WHO CAN DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU.
And guess what.
Maybe the discussion with the professional on a one on one setting and with a more complete medical history at the disposal of the professional unearths that there is a different underlying health cause... and thus they refer the OP to the right medical professional who can help them fix the different issue. Or they help the OP develop a better relationship with food and/or other issues that may be impacting them.
But none of this will happen unless each OP either finds the switch they need to make changes on their own or gets their *kitten* out to someone who can actually help them fix things!
Warm fuzzy supportive thoughts, it seems to me, have a way of encouraging lack of change.
But sometimes change is needed.
This doesn't mean that the suggestion to get help should not be done in a warm and fuzzy way!
P.S. I do think that sometimes there are fairly evident first steps that people should perform to gauge how much certain things are impacting them and see if they are able to make positive changes on their own before running to their doctor. This would be equivalent to taking two aspirins and seeing if the fever continues in the morning--which is what you do first, unless the fever is over 40 and you also have additional symptoms, right? So, a common situation on MFP, is people who under eat excessively (or over-exercise) and simultaneously develop ED type thoughts and behaviours. IMHO, and assuming we are not in an ER type situation of high fever with extra symptoms, the first step would be to eat normally and see if the thoughts and behaviours resolve. If normal eating (and/or more normal exercise behaviours) cannot be resumed, and/or if the issues don't resolve, the answer is obvious: aspirins are not enough and something more is needed! Again, though, I fail to see how a pat on the head and implicit validation of destructive behaviours helps anything!18 -
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paperpudding wrote: »Ok, so my very unpopular opinion is eating while exercising isn't that big of a deal UNTIL, like someone else said, you're doing things like not being able to eat in a restaurant without walking around. And it seems you know that since you were thinking about therapy?
I still have to get this out because some stuff that was said bugged me.
What's boring and unsustainable for one person doesn't mean it has to be boring or unsustainable for another.
I eat while walking ALL THE TIME. I frequently pick up something at the whole foods hot bar or my favorite frozen yogurt shoppe and eat while finishing my walk home. I've eaten hamburgers while still walking.
I do a walking dvd at home and just like being on my tablet, I've eaten while doing it. Maybe it's easier because I don't eat what people would consider an actual meal and I don't need to wield a knife to cut something. Eating most of my dinner isn't an every day occurance tho. Usually only when I have to work weekends.
I'm short, old, and hopefully after all the cake I ate this weekend, no longer under weight (not intentionally). I like food and I like it to be more than the ohhhhhh 1600 calories it would probably be if I didn't walk as much as I do. So, for me, sitting while eating is a waste of a precious piece of chocolate.
I also don't think the calorie burn for your trainer is out of the realm of possibility. We don't know his or her stats, how fast they were going or for how long. And eating a protein bar while doing it is wrong? Protein bars were made to be portable.
Well that was me who said it would be boring to walk around inside the house for 2 or 3 hours ( the approx time to burn 500- 600 calories)
And I did qualify it by saying it seems boring to me.
But I don't think walking and eating at same time is neccesarily wrong - people walk and eat when it is convenient to do so or is an enjoyable combination, eg strolling along the beach eating an icecream cone.
But I think that is quite different to walking around inside the house for hours on end to burn extra calories.
It's how I catch up on my tv on the weekends. I'll watch the episodes while pacing my apt. I would just rather be moving instead of sitting on the couch or at my computer and this way I'm not distracted and can pay attention to the shows.
I just did an activity log for today and burned just shy of 250 calories for 2 hrs 15 mins.
Truly, I don't see why it's a problem. People say increase your NEAT to help with weight goals. This is one way to do that.
There's a big difference between pacing around while watching TV because you like to move, and pacing around while eating a meal in the belief that doing so will burn a significant number of calories. I doubt either way that OP's meal involves over two hours of serious pacing.
I would even take this one step further and say there is a big difference between pacing while eating because you like to be on the move or it helps you focus vs. pacing at home while eating for the simple purpose of burning the calories that you are currently in the process of consuming.9 -
yes and it is the degree and context of the issue that is concerning.
I dont think people trying to minimise it by " I like strolling along the beach eating an ice cream cone*, cant see the problem with eating and walking" are really helping.
* made up example to illustrate the point5 -
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paperpudding wrote: »yes and it is the degree and context of the issue that is concerning.
I dont think people trying to minimise it by " I like strolling along the beach eating an ice cream cone*, cant see the problem with eating and walking" are really helping.
* made up example to illustrate the point
Wasn't that like an actual example?
Look, I'm sorry for whatever part I played in this but I still maintain it's not a huge deal IF YOU'RE NOT ON THE VERGE OF AN EATING DISORDER.
People around here get very concerned, very easily, about that. I know because I've been on the other end of just because I made a comment about slowly going into maintenance.
Concern's obviously not a bad thing tho.2 -
I would *much* rather people get directed to a professional for help - even if in error - than continue to bang on about it by offering suggestions that could potentially do way more harm than good. Sometimes saying less is more. Waaaaaay more.7
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staticsplit wrote: »I'm echoing the concern that there are some potentially disordered thought processes around food.
Eating two things of (plain?) lettuce to fill up before eating junk food is an all or nothing approach. Why not eat a nice salad with avocado, nuts, chicken, a tasty dressing, other veggies? I'll quite often have a mega salad dinner of in a huge mixing bowl and I love them. So many flavours and textures!
I have an exercise desk and sometimes I'll eat while slowly cycling, but I don't do it because I feel like I have to. It's the compulsiveness that's raising red flags to all of us.
If you have health insurance, it is worth investigating if you can do therapy, especially as the case could be made that the mental side could end up impacting your kidneys. You might be surprised.
I put siracha and mustard and shake it up. Pretty tasty imo1 -
It might be a little insulting to OP's in any thread on mfp to suggest they get to therapy.
Its really not up to mfp posters to give the first port of call for newcomers a diagnosis of eating disorder and ask them to seek psychiatric sessions for such.
Why would suggesting therapy be an insult? Many of us get stuck in thought pattern ruts and just dig ourselves deeper in when we try to get out on our own. There is nothing shameful about benefiting from therapy - I could make a case that pretty much everyone could benefit from a little therapy.
OP straight up asked if he is going to extremes, said he has a horrible addiction to step counting, and said he has a bad relationship with food. Combined with some of his other posts, I think suggesting that there is a damaging thought pattern there that needs to be fixed, which might be easier with some help, is a perfectly reasonable suggestion. And certainly not an insult.
Always looking for a great community I can talk to!!1
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