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tigerbright's musings
Jul. 15th, 2002 10:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidI read her post about Tigerbright's current thoughts on food, and realized it triggered some thoughts of my own.
I have never managed to go to a dietician, and perhaps I should; it sounds like she found someone who listened well, rather than just trotting out the food pyramid.
I need to get myself moving; that's been the best way for me to keep my weight under control and stay in reasonable shape. Two and a half years ago, I weighed the most I ever have in my life, and just the number scared me, being above a milestone number. I decided that all movement was good, and I needed to increase mine. In th e past, I'd tried Weight Watchers. It worked, but required a mindset I didn't have, and I felt it added to my food obsession, which is never good, focussing on counting just what I can have. I am not dissing the program; it just wasn't for me then. Instead, I decided I needed to exercise at least 100 minutes per week (with some undercounting of time spent walking), and avoid refined sugars except on Shabbat. I knew I couldn't cut them out completely, 'cause that would make me nuts and cause me to fail, but reminding myself I couldn't have that just now seemed to work (and I still let myself have honey, maple syrup, fruit; it's amazing how many prepared foods have refined sugars in them....). And I decided that I would buy myself any produce I wanted, no matter how expensive, since I wasn't getting the sugary stuff. At least overeating on asparagus, or mesclun, or whatever, was less likely to get me into difficulties... A lot of my problem with food is indulging on theoretically reasonably healthy foods, just not managing portion control. This didn't change so obviously when I managed to exercise, but I tend to eat less, or more reasonably, when I exercise enough, so it worked well. The weight I hadn't managed to budge when I went to the gym through the winter started going away (oh-so-slowly) as I walked and biked and ate less sugar. My average rate of a half-pound a week frustrated me to no end, but (a) at least it was going, and at a rate that most people agree is likely to stay off, and (b) my shape was changing, as I developed more muscle (all together, everyone: "Muscle weighs more than fat!").
And now, I haven't been on my bike in months. First it was the winter (I managed to get out at least once a week last winter, when the roads were dry and it was at least 25 degrees (F)), then my broken finger. Now I have neither excuse, and I find myself doing other (useful, to be sure) things around the house, avoiding that first ride. I need to get myself moving (and no, someone else reminding me of that isn't helpful. I know it, really I do.), especially since I feel I'm regaining some of the weight I lost. I need to rebalance my time, spend more in motion, less in (hmm. Socializing? Food prep (but then what do I eat?)? LJ (radical thought!)? Sleep (nah.)?)...
Perhaps at this point it's easier to modify the food side of the equation. Still, the exercise is necessary, not only for weight, but general health (I want to feel I can do what I want and my body will be able to do it without massive later dismay.). Cutting back on the sugar wouldn't be a bad thing, either, and perhaps that will jumpstart me to the exercise.
I have never managed to go to a dietician, and perhaps I should; it sounds like she found someone who listened well, rather than just trotting out the food pyramid.
I need to get myself moving; that's been the best way for me to keep my weight under control and stay in reasonable shape. Two and a half years ago, I weighed the most I ever have in my life, and just the number scared me, being above a milestone number. I decided that all movement was good, and I needed to increase mine. In th e past, I'd tried Weight Watchers. It worked, but required a mindset I didn't have, and I felt it added to my food obsession, which is never good, focussing on counting just what I can have. I am not dissing the program; it just wasn't for me then. Instead, I decided I needed to exercise at least 100 minutes per week (with some undercounting of time spent walking), and avoid refined sugars except on Shabbat. I knew I couldn't cut them out completely, 'cause that would make me nuts and cause me to fail, but reminding myself I couldn't have that just now seemed to work (and I still let myself have honey, maple syrup, fruit; it's amazing how many prepared foods have refined sugars in them....). And I decided that I would buy myself any produce I wanted, no matter how expensive, since I wasn't getting the sugary stuff. At least overeating on asparagus, or mesclun, or whatever, was less likely to get me into difficulties... A lot of my problem with food is indulging on theoretically reasonably healthy foods, just not managing portion control. This didn't change so obviously when I managed to exercise, but I tend to eat less, or more reasonably, when I exercise enough, so it worked well. The weight I hadn't managed to budge when I went to the gym through the winter started going away (oh-so-slowly) as I walked and biked and ate less sugar. My average rate of a half-pound a week frustrated me to no end, but (a) at least it was going, and at a rate that most people agree is likely to stay off, and (b) my shape was changing, as I developed more muscle (all together, everyone: "Muscle weighs more than fat!").
And now, I haven't been on my bike in months. First it was the winter (I managed to get out at least once a week last winter, when the roads were dry and it was at least 25 degrees (F)), then my broken finger. Now I have neither excuse, and I find myself doing other (useful, to be sure) things around the house, avoiding that first ride. I need to get myself moving (and no, someone else reminding me of that isn't helpful. I know it, really I do.), especially since I feel I'm regaining some of the weight I lost. I need to rebalance my time, spend more in motion, less in (hmm. Socializing? Food prep (but then what do I eat?)? LJ (radical thought!)? Sleep (nah.)?)...
Perhaps at this point it's easier to modify the food side of the equation. Still, the exercise is necessary, not only for weight, but general health (I want to feel I can do what I want and my body will be able to do it without massive later dismay.). Cutting back on the sugar wouldn't be a bad thing, either, and perhaps that will jumpstart me to the exercise.
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no subject
Date: 2002-07-15 08:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-07-15 08:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-07-15 08:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-07-15 02:39 pm (UTC)(Sorry to hear about your injury. I hope your knee feels better soon.)
no subject
Date: 2002-07-15 08:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-07-15 08:34 am (UTC)Btw, I don't know if there are any farmer's markets by where you work, but every time I go to one, I find myself inspired by the veggies available.
p