oliverwnc Member

Happy World Food Day, all - and a chance for us to celebrate the enjoyment of food as nourishment, for our health, for our happiness, for our cultural grounding, and for our social engagement.

On that latter note, I think my goal is getting to the point of being able to eat intuitively according to what my body genuinely needs. But for activity, that's much harder! If you're enjoying it, fuelling it adequately and avoiding injury then long may it continue. If any of those gives way, perhaps it's time to be a…

Thank you very much. I'm sure you're right that this is very common for anyone looking to stay in a calorie deficit. I often find it hard to convince myself that rest is good, too - and listening to my body is important. How can we convince ourselves?! I think forcing oneself to rest and then actively noting how much…

Thank you so much, and I'm humbled by your comments. I have experienced just a bit of this, in that I would regularly force myself through 15,000 steps a day even when I was exhausted. I enjoy sport and weightlifting, which may mask an unhealthy obsession (6x workouts per week) but I think it's ok for me mentally. I…

That's very kind - thank you for your comment. I suppose I always knew I was obsessive but felt it was something I controlled... right up until it controlled me! It sounds like you do well to guard against that and avoid that slippery slope. I'm very pleased to hear!

Thank you all so much for your kind and supportive comments. I had no idea about the MFP groups but will seek some out. I hope my progress offers some kind of comfort or reassurance to others.

I wouldn't overthink it or stress about it too much. If you're exercising, hitting a reasonable number of calories and your protein is in the right range then you'll certainly get the results. We're talking about the final 2-3% to reach perfection! On these questions, I think the idea of strength gains for 6 weeks and then…

Hello! Happy to answer, and hope this helps: - Yes, I do aim for 1g/lb. That way falling a little short is OK. - Yes, always keep macros consistent whatever the day. - Protein shakes are food...! The only question here is whether you need something that fills you up a bit more rather than just drinking your calories. - I'm…

There's a lot of good advice in here, but I'd just like to add one quick thought which I find is so, so important in the long-term: do the minimum required to continue getting stronger. That may sound counter-intuitive, and I know we all like a good, intense workout with a great pump and some real muscle exhaustion. But…

Great response, @nanastaci2020. Hard to add anything to that. Hats off!

The sustainability & environment activist in me says that we should try to avoid those single packs... but I'm not going to question the taste - I haven't tried it! Maybe I should... Nut butter, of course, is a good addition. That addition of hot sauce... I'll think about it!

I agree with you but I must find out more about this oatmeal recipe. With guacamole & Swiss cheese?! I'm astonished. Is that a good combination?!

Lots of good advice here. I would certainly increase your calorie intake a little, and try to stay somewhat active. No need for huge, intense, epic workouts. Just get your step count up such as you can. For meal timings, I completely agree it's all about preference. For a long time, I'd backload my calories - very late…

There is a lot to be said for some level of intuitive eating, in my opinion. The restrictions do lead to binges, whereas listening to your body rarely does. It turns out that when you have sufficient calories, you don't necessarily have that urge to eat the whole jar of cookies!

Personally I do find that tracking (very accurately) is helpful - and it does sometimes mean you feel in control. However, for me it started to become overwhelming at times. I would obsess, too. Often, eating intuitively sees me giving my body what it needs better than doing things by the numbers. Some days, my appetite…

Do it! Enjoy it! Do it again! You're still in control and still moving towards your goals even if you do treat yourself occasionally. It's only all out binges and blowouts we really need to avoid. Even then, it's recoverable.

I relate. I really, really relate. First and foremost, you can. Your relationship with food does improve. It feels so, so far off - there were times when I thought I'd never be able to be "normal" again - but then things begin to click into place. I know that the relationship with exercise can complicate things, but it's…

Thank you - and I am glad to hear that you're also overcoming some similar challenges! Now, about that brownie...

This is very relatable, and I'm glad you're making progress! I do find - as you say - that exercising more and being more active makes the whole thing rather easier. It feels better, for one, but you also have a sense that the calories are doing something more than sitting on your waistline! Love your point about minimum…

I thought this would work for me but, in fact, day-to-day restrictions were doing me more harm than good. What I learnt is that I can have one cookie. I don't eat the whole pack. And that's OK. Anorexia does not always equate to being very thin, by the way. You do so many self-sabotaging things that you may find yourself…

The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, I think is the one! Thank you very much. It feels like a much brighter journey ahead now.

Thank you very much! It was long overdue and I knew I needed to get myself into the road to recovery. These are the first steps.

Thanks very much indeed! It feels like I broke a negative cycle so, while I'm sure I'm not out of the woods yet, it feels like a real breakthrough. Enjoy your chocolate.

It really isn't healthy to become so restrictive. I always thought I was practising IIFYM and flexible dieting but, ultimately, you start to obsess over foods that are more satiating and voluminous, and easier to fit into your macros. That's where I lost all of my flexibility. And my enjoyment of food.

I had porridge / oatmeal for dinner. Not even ashamed. I love the stuff. - 80g oats - 50g almond milk - 400g water (seriously) - 12g PB2 - Toffee flavour drops - 1/2 a protein brownie This is only possible with the right oats, but you cook that for 8-10 minutes (stirring occasionally) and it thickens up beautifully. Add…

I'm really, really enjoying the post-lockdown workouts because getting back into the gym means we can all enjoy newbie gains while using really light weights and low volumes. All I did today is in the picture attached... ...but the pump was awesome, I feel everything activating nicely, my strength is increasing and in only…

100% - try it. Great for mental and physical health. Absolute game-changer for me.

Recovering my mental health while keeping on track with my physical goals. I know I can control my diet, my weight, my workouts and my strength. But my relationship with food has been awful. I've had an eating disorder. I've been miserable. I've seen a counsellor. Being able to eat any food without inhibitions, guilt or…

Hi Lane, How's it going? I'm really pleased to see your post because I was in a similar situation and I think I have a bit of advice to share here, based on my experience. I went from around 170lbs to 151lbs over the course of many months, and then totally stalled. That was it. I couldn't do more. I cut my calories…

Thanks a lot, Ann - really appreciate the insight.