Healthy Choices in 2018

[lhamo]

No offense intended to the other health and fitness focused 2018 threads, but I wanted to start an alternative for those of us who may have problems with being triggered by certain language or approaches.

So, this is the place to celebrate your healthy choices in 2018 in positive, forward-looking way.   No need to obsessively calorie count or beat yourself up about the fact that you didn't meet your ambitious workout goal or meet your weight target today.   Did you at least go to the gym and move for a bit?   Did you walk up and down the stairs rather than taking the elevator?  Did you get out of bed?   Did you eat an apple instead of a bag of chips?  Those are all good things, and we want to encourage each other to do more of them!

Hope many of you will join me on this road to healthy choices and better health.  Let's enjoy the journey as much as the destination....

[Free Spirit]

Hi lhamo, I'd like to join you! I made another gauntlet called curb your sweet tooth but I like your's better. :) Going to let that one die and get on this train instead.

So! My healthy choices for January (one step at a time for me) are no sugar besides what's found in whole foods, eat more balanced and nutritious meals, and get outside every day.

I may add to my list but that's my humble beginning. Thanks for starting this!

[Chippewa]

Quite my cup of tea. Thank you for the gauntlet. I definitely want to walk more. And with warm temps, I have no excuses.

[pbkmaine]

Here!

[Cressida]

I like this!

[1967mama]

This is a perfect challenge for me!

[alleykat]

Yes, this is perfect. No bad snacking for two days.  Instead I grab for apples with a good spoon of peanut butter and have been enjoying that.  If that doesn’t do the trick, I have been making large plates of vegetables with just salt, no oil for snacking. Trying to reorganize my view of food and not reach for it when I am feeling emotional or bored.   Limiting treats to the weekend and on limited basis. It will be a challenge.

I have exercised for two days now this week.  Only 10-15 minutes but will build up to at least a half an hour.

[Zola.]

I am trying to drink as little alcohol as possible in 2018, maybe once a month at the very most.

I am currently off it for the whole month of January, and intend to see it through.

[Prairie Gal]

Sounds good to me!

Currently working on:
 - Getting some exercise/activity every day.
 - Cutting out added sugar.

[annann]

I do a few things that have been very helpful.

I have a dinner menu for 5 weeks at a time.  It makes meal prep so easy because in the past my biggest problem was deciding what to eat.  The variety is also helpful. 

We eat dinner together at the table.

The one time I think seriously about food and snacks is when I am in the store.  The decision about what snacks to eat happens there.  I avoid buying my "go-to" junk food (chocolate candy, chips, ice cream).  I do buy junk but try to limit it such as one candy bar instead of a large bag of candy.

We have two dogs that get walked multiple times a day.  I do this exercising with a wonderful attitude.  For many years I did no exercise and when I started exercising regularly mostly walked.  I do more or less and I sometimes do a lot of biking.  But I always find my way back to a reasonable about of walking. 

I will soon be 71. Not old old by today's standards but I live in a 55+ community and see many people who struggle because of weight problems, health issues, and lack of exercise.  I am no longer consumed with what size I am but I want to be healthy and active as long as I am here.

[Mongoose]

I'm in. I'd like to shed a few pounds but am more interested in eating nutritious food and sitting less. I'm trying to find a balance between family meals and eating only when I'm hungry. We love to sit down together. Maybe I'll take a page from my kids playbook and only eat a bit, saving the rest for later, at those times.

I found myself staring at some cookies yesterday but stopped and thought. I realized I wasn't hungry and they didn't even sound good then. I was just feeling really anxious. I did some drawing instead.

[nessness]

I previously joined both the weight loss and "curb your sweet tooth" challenges, but I'm going to switch over to this one instead. I don't want to do all the tracking and calorie counting that seems to be the focus of the weight loss thread. I'm looking at weight loss as more of an intended side effect of a healthier lifestyle that my primary goal.

My goals are:
Less sugar
More vegetables
Exercise 3+ times per week
Walk during my lunch break most days

I'm not vegan but I do try to eat a plant-based diet. Does anyone have recommendations for a filling plant-based breakfast? I've been eating plain oatmeal with some cinnamon and slivered almonds, but I'm hungry again within like 2 hours. Sometimes I eat the Morningstar Farms vegetarian sausage patties, but they're expensive and I'd like to focus more on whole foods.

[G-dog]

I previously joined both the weight loss and "curb your sweet tooth" challenges, but I'm going to switch over to this one instead. I don't want to do all the tracking and calorie counting that seems to be the focus of the weight loss thread. I'm looking at weight loss as more of an intended side effect of a healthier lifestyle that my primary goal.

My goals are:
Less sugar
More vegetables
Exercise 3+ times per week
Walk during my lunch break most days

I'm not vegan but I do try to eat a plant-based diet. Does anyone have recommendations for a filling plant-based breakfast? I've been eating plain oatmeal with some cinnamon and slivered almonds, but I'm hungry again within like 2 hours. Sometimes I eat the Morningstar Farms vegetarian sausage patties, but they're expensive and I'd like to focus more on whole foods.

Monstermonster is vegan and has mentioned having back bean tacos/burritos for breakfast.

[G-dog]

Snacking is my Achilles heel - it is easy for me to sort of graze all day, but night is an especially preferred time to keep nibbling.

I am tracking my food, and am trying to drop weight. But I really want to track food and monitor my eating without the onus of weight loss. I like to believe that if I can shift my eating behaviors (reduce mindless eating), and re-develop accurate hunger and satiety signals, the weight loss will happen.

As Annann mentioned, many of the decisions need to happen in the store.

Thanks @lhamo for starting this gauntlet.

[Serendip]

I'm not vegan but I do try to eat a plant-based diet. Does anyone have recommendations for a filling plant-based breakfast? I've been eating plain oatmeal with some cinnamon and slivered almonds, but I'm hungry again within like 2 hours. Sometimes I eat the Morningstar Farms vegetarian sausage patties, but they're expensive and I'd like to focus more on whole foods.

I eat mostly plant-based as well and start the day with almost a full litre of turmeric milk--(creaminess made with either a few cashew or almonds, not milk) (sipped over the course of an hour) and then eat a variation of overnight oats.

Basically it's lazymans oatmeal but I plump it up with chia, lots of groundflax, pumpkin seeds and fruit. This will usually fill me longer than regular oatmeal. Sometimes I mix in a spoonful of pb to up the calorie intake (and tastiness)...obviously not the best option for people trying to lose weight, but that's not my current focue.

The litre of tasty, warm drink also helps fill the belly.

Love this thread. I am always up for increasing health but don't usually have 'measurable' goals in mind. Increasing energy is key for me. Trying to do a daily action (a walk, XC ski, yoga, etc) and 5 minutes of morning meditation.

[Free Spirit]

I found myself staring at some cookies yesterday but stopped and thought. I realized I wasn't hungry and they didn't even sound good then. I was just feeling really anxious. I did some drawing instead.

Good for you! I love doodling to calm my mind. It really makes you focus on the moment doesn't it?

I tend to eat my feelings when I'm down and need to find healthier options. I found myself eating a few squares of dark chocolate last night out of habit. I stopped and thought, am I hungry or just out of mental energy? When I realized I just needed a bit of a pick me up I decided to look at pictures of cute animals instead. Mindfulness is really helping me in this regard. But at least dark chocolate has antioxidants, right? ;)

[Lauran75]

I previously joined both the weight loss and "curb your sweet tooth" challenges, but I'm going to switch over to this one instead. I don't want to do all the tracking and calorie counting that seems to be the focus of the weight loss thread. I'm looking at weight loss as more of an intended side effect of a healthier lifestyle that my primary goal.

My goals are:
Less sugar
More vegetables
Exercise 3+ times per week
Walk during my lunch break most days

I'm not vegan but I do try to eat a plant-based diet. Does anyone have recommendations for a filling plant-based breakfast? I've been eating plain oatmeal with some cinnamon and slivered almonds, but I'm hungry again within like 2 hours. Sometimes I eat the Morningstar Farms vegetarian sausage patties, but they're expensive and I'd like to focus more on whole foods.

I'm WFPB (Dr. Greger's How Not to Die is what got me started on it, though I was already vegetarian when I read it.) Pretty much every morning I have a smoothie consisting of: 1/3 cup old fashioned oatmeal, 1/4 tsp of turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg; 1 cup of spinach (or other greens), a handful of carrots, a handful of sliced cucumber, 1/2 cup frozen berries, 1/2 cup other frozen fruit, 1 banana, 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 cup of water, 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses (I think that's it ..) In addition, I have a slice of PB toast. It keeps me quite full from breakfast at 6:30 to lunch at 11:30. :)

Oh, you could also make your own black bean burgers to use in place of the patties. (I love Morningstar for the convenience factor, (corndogs are my fave!) but really try to limit them due to fat/salt/oil/really processed aspect.)

---
For purposes of this thread -

in 2017 I lost a bit over 10% of my bodyweight - started really watching my eating habits, exercise mid-January. I pretty much have maintained since May.

My goal for 2018 is to ingrain the healthy eating habits more deeply (so I don't have a period of 3 or 4 months of eating increasing amounts of junkfood ...) and hopefully in the process lose another 5% of my body weight. (My BMI is 35 something.)

My plan to achieve this is to reach 90%+ on the Daily Dozen (a list of foods which is suggested to eat as a minimum every day for good health) most days of the week. I also want to average 35k steps per week (which would help me out on the DD list as well - exercise is a component of it.)

Limiting added sugar is another aspect of it. In 2017 I managed a bit over 3 months with NO chocolate or other white flour/sugar heavy foods. Then I let myself have a candy bar ...

I will be completely happy even if at the end of this year I am still at or near my current weight. The habits of healthy eating and consistent body movement really are what is important to me. (I'm already good with drinking lots of water, and am close to 1 1/2 years no soda.)

[nessness]

Thanks all for the breakfast suggestions! My mornings are pretty rushed but I could pre-prep in the evenings.


@Serendip can you tell me more about the turmeric milk? Is it just water, nuts, and turmeric, or do you put other stuff in it too? Does it stain your teeth?

[Lauran75]

I'm not vegan but I do try to eat a plant-based diet. Does anyone have recommendations for a filling plant-based breakfast? I've been eating plain oatmeal with some cinnamon and slivered almonds, but I'm hungry again within like 2 hours. Sometimes I eat the Morningstar Farms vegetarian sausage patties, but they're expensive and I'd like to focus more on whole foods.

I eat mostly plant-based as well and start the day with almost a full litre of tumeric milk--(creaminess made with either a few cashew or almonds, not milk) (sipped over the course of an hour) and then eat a variation of overnight oats.

Basically it's lazymans oatmeal but I plump it up with chia, lots of groundflax, pumpkin seeds and fruit. This will usually fill me longer than regular oatmeal. Sometimes I mix in a spoonful of pb to up the calorie intake (and tastiness)...obviously not the best option for people trying to lose weight, but that's not my current focue.

The litre of tasty, warm drink also helps fill the belly.

Love this thread. I am always up for increasing health but don't usually have 'measurable' goals in mind. Increasing energy is key for me. Trying to do a daily action (a walk, XC ski, yoga, etc) and 5 minutes of morning meditation.

I have replaced my hot chocolate habit with the turmeric latte - kind of similar to what you're talking about. 1 cup of plant milk, 1/4tsp turmeric, 2 or 3 pitted and soaked dates, a touch of cinnamon and vanilla, 1/2 tbsp of cacao powder, and 2 or 3 walnuts. Blend well (until the dates are pretty much obliterated) and then I microwave it for 90 seconds. So yummy! 

[nessness]

I'm not vegan but I do try to eat a plant-based diet. Does anyone have recommendations for a filling plant-based breakfast? I've been eating plain oatmeal with some cinnamon and slivered almonds, but I'm hungry again within like 2 hours. Sometimes I eat the Morningstar Farms vegetarian sausage patties, but they're expensive and I'd like to focus more on whole foods.

I eat mostly plant-based as well and start the day with almost a full litre of tumeric milk--(creaminess made with either a few cashew or almonds, not milk) (sipped over the course of an hour) and then eat a variation of overnight oats.

Basically it's lazymans oatmeal but I plump it up with chia, lots of groundflax, pumpkin seeds and fruit. This will usually fill me longer than regular oatmeal. Sometimes I mix in a spoonful of pb to up the calorie intake (and tastiness)...obviously not the best option for people trying to lose weight, but that's not my current focue.

The litre of tasty, warm drink also helps fill the belly.

Love this thread. I am always up for increasing health but don't usually have 'measurable' goals in mind. Increasing energy is key for me. Trying to do a daily action (a walk, XC ski, yoga, etc) and 5 minutes of morning meditation.

I have replaced my hot chocolate habit with the turmeric latte - kind of similar to what you're talking about. 1 cup of plant milk, 1/4tsp turmeric, 2 or 3 pitted and soaked dates, a touch of cinnamon and vanilla, 1/2 tbsp of cacao powder, and 2 or 3 walnuts. Blend well (until the dates are pretty much obliterated) and then I microwave it for 90 seconds. So yummy!

This sounds delicious!

[chasingthegoodlife]

Love the idea of this thread and I am joining.

I don't want to feel critical towards my body, or buy into the (IMHO often shoddy) diet industry. I do want to take better care of my health in 2018.

I've had great balance in the past, but for a range of reasons (stressful job and tendency to comfort eat, husband who loves food and wine and enjoying those things together) things have gotten a little bit off track in the last few years.

These are my general health intentions for 2018:
- Stop drinking alcohol on weekdays, except for special occaisions e.g. birthday dinner.
- Get back to good water habits. Try to have chilled bottle with me at all times. Was given a soda stream which may help with this.
- Focus on eating from my garden and reducing the volume of processed carbs, especially things that aren't giving me taste value (cheap bread, crappy free snacks at work).
- Plan to take all my annual leave and rostered days off. Use these days to recharge and do things that support my mental health (see friends, bush walk, gardening, creating, vacation).
- Add some high intensity activity at least 3 times per week.

This is what I'm doing right now to be kind for my body:
- Did a short bedtime yoga video on YouTube last night, felt very relaxed and had an excellent sleep.
- Made an omelet with fresh veg for breakfast.
- Packed my lunch every day this week (which, to be honest, I do most days anyway) but focusing on increasing the veg and fruit content. Left my usual morning snack at home and substituted green tea or some homegrown cherries.

[Serendip]

I'm not vegan but I do try to eat a plant-based diet. Does anyone have recommendations for a filling plant-based breakfast? I've been eating plain oatmeal with some cinnamon and slivered almonds, but I'm hungry again within like 2 hours. Sometimes I eat the Morningstar Farms vegetarian sausage patties, but they're expensive and I'd like to focus more on whole foods.

I eat mostly plant-based as well and start the day with almost a full litre of tumeric milk--(creaminess made with either a few cashew or almonds, not milk) (sipped over the course of an hour) and then eat a variation of overnight oats.

The litre of tasty, warm drink also helps fill the belly.

I have replaced my hot chocolate habit with the turmeric latte - kind of similar to what you're talking about. 1 cup of plant milk, 1/4tsp turmeric, 2 or 3 pitted and soaked dates, a touch of cinnamon and vanilla, 1/2 tbsp of cacao powder, and 2 or 3 walnuts. Blend well (until the dates are pretty much obliterated) and then I microwave it for 90 seconds. So yummy! 

that is a great suggestion to just heat in microwave if you are using premade plant/nut milk.

I actually start off with boiled water since I blend it in a Vitamix. ..I put 1tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cinnamon, a small finger of peeled ginger root (or ginger powder), a small bit of cashew or almond (8nuts) or a spoonful of the nutbutter (depending what I have in the house).. a bit of honey and pour about 3 cups of hot water overtop. Blend on high..it turns nice and frothy. Sometimes I put a bit of cracked black pepper. It's been the only drink which has helped me leave my daily coffee habit behind (now I just drink coffee as a occasional treat).

It won't turn your teeth yellow..but will stain countertops, dishcloths, etc.
I drink out of glass jars and am careful with pouring but I drink it daily so accidents happen.
And my blender is definitely an uplifting shade of yellow..

[Sun Hat]

Thanks for starting this thread! Like nessness, my focus is primarily on adopting a healthy lifestyle of eating healthy foods, exercising and reaping the benefits of increased energy, weight loss, and mellowness that go with that. More intense focus on calories stresses me out, and I don't need more of that.

I've been exercising regularly since October (a habit I had until 2013ish) and have found that intense exercise really quiets my mind. This is a delightful discovery, since I've been struggling with an anxiety disorder since 2013. I'm grateful to have the physical health to allow me to work out to exhaustion most days so that I can have some zen. On a humorous note, back when I was super fit, it would take me AGES to get similarly tired, but now that I'm plump and less fit, I can get to my sweet point of exhaustion in a jiffy!

[Lauran75]

I'm not vegan but I do try to eat a plant-based diet. Does anyone have recommendations for a filling plant-based breakfast? I've been eating plain oatmeal with some cinnamon and slivered almonds, but I'm hungry again within like 2 hours. Sometimes I eat the Morningstar Farms vegetarian sausage patties, but they're expensive and I'd like to focus more on whole foods.

I eat mostly plant-based as well and start the day with almost a full litre of tumeric milk--(creaminess made with either a few cashew or almonds, not milk) (sipped over the course of an hour) and then eat a variation of overnight oats.

The litre of tasty, warm drink also helps fill the belly.

I have replaced my hot chocolate habit with the turmeric latte - kind of similar to what you're talking about. 1 cup of plant milk, 1/4tsp turmeric, 2 or 3 pitted and soaked dates, a touch of cinnamon and vanilla, 1/2 tbsp of cacao powder, and 2 or 3 walnuts. Blend well (until the dates are pretty much obliterated) and then I microwave it for 90 seconds. So yummy! 

that is a great suggestion to just heat in microwave if you are using premade plant/nut milk.

I actually start off with boiled water since I blend it in a Vitamix. ..I put 1tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cinnamon, a small finger of peeled ginger root (or ginger powder), a small bit of cashew or almond (8nuts) or a spoonful of the nutbutter (depending what I have in the house).. a bit of honey and pour about 3 cups of hot water overtop. Blend on high..it turns nice and frothy. Sometimes I put a bit of cracked black pepper. It's been the only drink which has helped me leave my daily coffee habit behind (now I just drink coffee as a occasional treat).

It won't turn your teeth yellow..but will stain countertops, dishcloths, etc.
I drink out of glass jars and am careful with pouring but I drink it daily so accidents happen.
And my blender is definitely an uplifting shade of yellow..

If I had a Vitamix, that's the way I'd go as well. :) My wonderful Ninja just barely is able to obliterate the dates ..

[ZiziPB]

Will type a better response when I’m on a real computer, but definitely joining and following!  Thanks for starting this thread lhamo!

[expatartist]

Hi lhamo, I'd like to join you! I made another gauntlet called curb your sweet tooth but I like your's better. :) Going to let that one die and get on this train instead.

Free Spirit, I'm keen to lower my refined sugar intake. It's always been really high. Will look up your thread and follow, even if you want it to die ;)

Lhamo, looking forward to lots of tips and good advice on this thread!

[nessness]

Not a great day yesterday - my nephew has been staying with us over his winter break and is going home today, so we let him pick whatever he wanted for dinner last night, which was pizza and soda. I had a little too much pizza but resisted the soda - which wasn't too hard as I'm not a huge fan of soda.

Not too bad on the exercise front - I got off work early so I took the dog for a brisk walk and weeded the yard.

Back on track today! I got some falafels from Costco that aren't particularly good, but they're reasonably healthy and I don't want to waste them so I'm going to have those for lunch with some fruit and veggies.

[horsepoor]

Perfect thread - I'm trying to clean up my diet after eating way too many cookies over the past couple months (everyone was baking this year!).

Just finished my big kale salad with hardboiled eggs and managed to ignore the big tray of donuts sitting out by the coffee machine.

I'm not vegan but I do try to eat a plant-based diet. Does anyone have recommendations for a filling plant-based breakfast? I've been eating plain oatmeal with some cinnamon and slivered almonds, but I'm hungry again within like 2 hours. Sometimes I eat the Morningstar Farms vegetarian sausage patties, but they're expensive and I'd like to focus more on whole foods.

If you like that breakfast, you could try adding a tablespoon of coconut oil.  Some fresh fruit mixed in or on the side would be good and add bulk too.  Some egg or whey protein could also be added since you're not strictly vegan, but obviously it's not so much a whole food.

[Mongoose]

Our whole family had grapefruit for dessert last night. Juicy, yummy, Texas ruby red grapefruit! I love this time of year for the citrus and making it the highlight as the end of a meal was fantastic. Zero desire for cookies today...I just want more grapefruit.

I'm going to ease back into running a bit tomorrow. Took a couple of weeks off when I was sick (had the extended coughing plague). Looking forward to trail running with some friends. Exercise helps with my high anxiety levels as well. I've also found recently that drawing/art are relaxing for me so I've been doing that more.

[seemsright]

Just my thing...thank you.

I am working on many things diet wise. I must get away from all gluten. I am finding that I am way less bloated and constipated with out it. I am also allergic to Dairy after having my DD 7 years ago. I am working on learning how to eat without the substitutions. I am trying to eat whole food. Just the other day my 7 year old was in the pantry having the best time 'mixing my jars into a baggie' she was making a trail mix. Momma I was just mixing your jars. Hubby and I had to explain to her we buy ingredients to make food. And go for it and make a different trail mix every day. She loves raw dry oats with nuts and raisins.

I am also trying to learn how to be more gentle on my body from way two many years of hard workouts and Karate. I am experimenting with kettle bell swings and push ups with some yoga and outside stuff like hiking, walking and biking. I must learn how to not need the gym. I want to save the time and energy from going there and once we FIRE going to the gym will be at the end of my to do list. The goal is to be able to cancel the gym membership by Aug. (I am giving my self some time to learn how to do my own thing, I have spent almost 2 decades going to the gym 4-6 times a week and it is proving a hard habit to break but man I am enjoying to workout upstairs)

This is a year of learning to be okay with who I am, the path I am on and focusing on myself, hubby and the 7 year old and the goals we are trying to work on. It is a great place to be to craft enough time to enjoy a jigsaw puzzle and work on it with DD and DH. Learning how to enjoy the simple.

[1967mama]

Diet clean up here too!

Breakfast was oatmeal with almond milk, frozen berries, ground flax, chia seeds, maple syrup and pecans. Lunch was hummus and snap pease, quinoa and tomatoes. Yum!

[fluffmuffin]

As someone who loves health + wellness but is triggered by calorie counting and diet talk, I think this is my spot! Thank you lhamo for starting a safe(r) space :)

My goals for 2018 are to find a new rhythm with non-running exercise (including more mindfulness-based practices like yoga); start my own veggie garden this spring; and to maintain my focus on plant-based nutrition (although I will always be an omnivore because it turned out that going vegetarian was not good for my health).

In the shorter term, I'm feeling kind of blegh after all of the holiday indulgences, so I'm not planning to drink on weeknights in January and to recenter on eating lots of delicious plants.

I'm on Team Overnight Oats, BTW. Even with chia, nut milk, and berries, I have to load up on PB for them to be filling. I do have a jar of flax seeds that I could think about adding, though, which is a great suggestion. I also really want to try some of those turmeric latte recipes!

[lhamo]

Oh yay!  I'm so glad so many of you have hopped on this thread with such awesome comments and practical steps.

Last night I didn't sleep well -- went to bed fairly late for me because I was wired from evening out, and then woke up at 4am worried about the stupid taxes.   I shouldn't be worried.  It is what it is.   But it looks like we are going to have to pay a lot more than I had originally estimated, and that has me stressed.

Was still pretty messed up with anxiety when we got to the gym this morning, but pushed through my urge to quit on the rowing machine several times and actually did an ok pace -- not my best, but not too bad considering how crappy I felt when I started.   Having a couple of kick butt songs come on rotation toward the end helped.  Then I did a mile on the treadmill in 20 min to cool down, followed by some lower body weights and back/abs.

Had some portobello mushrooms I got on sale the other day, and avocados we need to use up, so when we got home I made toasted MALT (mushroom, avocado, lettuce tomato) sandwiches for lunch -- a whole for DH and a half for me.  I also ate half an apple.  Anxiety seems to have dissipated with the exercise and the food, so now I'm brewing a cup of decaf tea to warm up.  Cold and rainy here again today.

[G-dog]

@lhamo - way to go on the exercise! You are amazing, I hope you know that.

Your sleep problems worry me, maybe I am reading too much into the times you've posted about sleep issues over time (aka I have inaccurate data). I have struggled with insomnia in the past, and did some work to develop good sleep "hygiene".  But I know the feeling of waking up (or not falling asleep) due to worrying about something.

[RamonaQ]

I would like to eat better but also stay sane, so this seems like a good place to hang out!  I've had great results counting macronutrients in the past but the idea of doing it again makes me want to stab myself in the eye with my fork.  So I'm going to focus on the "Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants." type of diet.  (Using "diet" here to mean "what I eat" not "structured food plan")

[Tris Prior]

I'm on the other thread but this might actually be more my speed. I can get pretty obsessive and self-flagellating about counting calories. Using My Fitness Pal appears to have woken up some disordered-eating thinking that I thought I kicked 20 years ago. (Does it HAVE to tell me, on days that I go over my limit, "Oh hey, if every day were like today you would gain 1 bazillion pounds in the next 5 weeks, fatty!")

My goals for the year are:

- Practice yoga.... let's say more days than not. Every other day would be a good goal. Right now I'm doing a 30-days-of-yoga challenge so am doing it daily but that's a lot easier when it's 3 degrees out every day and leaving the house for any reason is unappealing. I don't think I can keep up daily yoga when it's gardening season and I'm otherwise busy with stuff that involves leaving the house.

- Less booze. This got out of control last year; not excessive drinking really, but drinking a glass of wine or a beer after work more days than not. (It was my coping mechanism when the national news got to be too much for me.) I believe this is largely responsible for the 10 pounds I suddenly packed on over the summer/fall. Right now I am shooting for no more than 2 drinks per week.

- Eat minimal crap - sugar, white flour, grease. For the past few months I've been doing no white carbs, but am finding that a SMALL amount of potatoes or white flour seems to help me feel less hangry all the time. This is the opposite of how our bodies are supposed to work, but it seems to be true for me so far.

- Sleep better. I admit I have no idea how to accomplish this. I have the same problem as you, lhamo, of waking up in the middle of the night (usually due to the cat, or having to pee) and then not being able to fall back to sleep because anxiety. I'm also pretty sure I'm in perimenopause and the night sweats are just killing me.

- This is a really vague goal but I don't know how to make it more specific - figure out how my body works now that I am older. I used to have to watch what I ate very closely, when I was in my 20s (and was an overweight child and teen). Around age 30 I suddenly grew a metabolism and could eat what I wanted without gaining. Last fall, I discovered that I could no longer fit into my pants, and got weighed at the doctor and was shocked that I'd packed on 10 lbs without changing my habits (other than drinking more booze). With perimenopause starting now, I honestly do not know what my body wants, how much I can eat, how much I need to exercise, etc. Was it just the booze? Should I quit gluten? (Signs point to no). Should I quit sugar? (probably, but so far I've just cut it waaaay down and I don't think I want to completely quit as I'll feel deprived). I'm really just guessing. My body, which I could always rely on before to cope with whatever I put into it, feels strange and not in my control now.

So in general I want to figure out what works for me and what feels good and what keeps me healthy.  I have no idea how to do this, mind, other than tracking calories closely and I find that somewhat triggering. So, more to come on this, I guess.

[MerryMcQ]

This is totally my kind of thread! I’m in. I tend to focus on what I screwed up and don’t remember to celebrate my successes.

Today I ate carrots and a tangerine for a snack. :) It was an orange kind of day. It was also day 5 of no sugar. Total win there! :)

I had major surgery 2.5 weeks ago. No exercise allowed until the end of February so I’m focusing on good sleep and eating well for healing.

[Sun Hat]

Good news, bad news. I'm under 170lbs for the first time in 5 years for nearly a week now! Only 6 lbs to go to the "healthy" BMI range! I'm also really pleased with how my running has improved. I used to be a strictly outdoors runner, but I joined the YMCA this past fall and have been running there on a treadmill. Initially it was good because the treadmill reduced the impact on my joints of running while heavy, but I've discovered that the 30 minute time limit encourages me to run harder, and that each week I'm able to go faster and faster.

The downside to all of my running is my ever-growing appetite. I woke up at 4:30 this morning because I needed to eat. I let my veggie intake lapse the past two days and have been eating fruit with peanut butter as a snack instead. Not the end of the world, but a good reminder for me to watch my grazing!

As a funny sidebar, I brought my mom to the gym with me this week and she marveled at how sweaty I was - loudly enough to make a nearby handsome gent smirk.  Fortunately it wasn't a surprise to me, so I was able to laugh with her.

[SquashingDebt]

- Eat minimal crap - sugar, white flour, grease. For the past few months I've been doing no white carbs, but am finding that a SMALL amount of potatoes or white flour seems to help me feel less hangry all the time. This is the opposite of how our bodies are supposed to work, but it seems to be true for me so far.

[...]

- This is a really vague goal but I don't know how to make it more specific - figure out how my body works now that I am older. I used to have to watch what I ate very closely, when I was in my 20s (and was an overweight child and teen). Around age 30 I suddenly grew a metabolism and could eat what I wanted without gaining. Last fall, I discovered that I could no longer fit into my pants, and got weighed at the doctor and was shocked that I'd packed on 10 lbs without changing my habits (other than drinking more booze). With perimenopause starting now, I honestly do not know what my body wants, how much I can eat, how much I need to exercise, etc. Was it just the booze? Should I quit gluten? (Signs point to no). Should I quit sugar? (probably, but so far I've just cut it waaaay down and I don't think I want to completely quit as I'll feel deprived). I'm really just guessing. My body, which I could always rely on before to cope with whatever I put into it, feels strange and not in my control now.

So in general I want to figure out what works for me and what feels good and what keeps me healthy.  I have no idea how to do this, mind, other than tracking calories closely and I find that somewhat triggering. So, more to come on this, I guess.

For the eating carbs to feel less hangry - I have a coworker who swears that she is also the opposite of how things are supposed to work in that carbs will keep her full longer, while protein doesn't help with that much.  I guess I'm mentioning that to say that you're not alone in that and maybe can go ahead and trust your body :)

Since MyFitnessPal is a bit much, maybe you could try old-fashioned food journaling?  Aka just writing down what you eat and not worrying as much about the calories in it?  The tracking part (vs. the calorie counting specifically) is a big part of what helps me pay attention to what I eat and make healthier choices.  I'm also recording my food right now because I'm dealing with a new health issue and want to see if there's any long-term patterns between what I eat and how bad the symptoms are.

[Tris Prior]

I'm having some resistance to stopping the calorie counting because I'm afraid I'll pack weight on again. The thing is - other than the booze I was not making unhealthy food choices. I ate when I was hungry, stopped when I was full, had cut down on sugar and white flour. That's what I can't figure out.

So I assumed that, OK, here comes the thing where you hit perimenopause and are in your 40s and suddenly cannot lose a pound and are packing on weight quickly. The thing that my mother warned me about. The thing that all the information on the Internet (which is probably false anyway) warns you about. I read somewhere that after perimenopause hits women have to exercise vigorously one hour a DAY just to keep from gaining, not even to lose?! I do not have time for that!

But, you know, it likely WAS the booze - especially the beer. So maybe I need to trust that my body was telling me "hey! you're drinking too much, I don't like it, quit it!" and be less worried about my portion size. Because I can't go through my life as hangry as I have been since the day after Christmas (when I started hardcore calorie counting again).

Also - I am committing right now to STOP reading the My Fitness Pal forums. Because all the "calories in calories out, do not go over your limit, if you're not losing weight then you're not weighing your food properly, you shouldn't be hungry if you're eating protein and fat" bullshit is seriously triggering to me. I do not need more diet talk in my life, I get enough of that at the office.

[fluffmuffin]

I'm another weirdo who needs carbs to feel full and keep my stomach happy. Whatever, bodies are weird and unique and what's good for one person (or even a lot of people) is not good for every single human. That's one of the things that I find the most frustrating about mainstream diet movements, including "healthy" ones like Whole30 and paleo: that they're universally awesome and if they don't work for you, you're doing it wrong.

Tris, I am here to support you in stepping away from the calorie counting and the My Fitness Pal forums. It sounds like they are not a place that is supporting your health as a whole, complex, and individual human being. I also have a history of ED, and I can tell you that any environment with talk like that does not support healthy decisions for me. Even seven years after my last episode of disordered behavior around food (four years since the last time I was hysterical on the floor of my closet because something didn't fit, sobbing into the helpline at my university's counseling center; managed to keep forcing myself to eat normal food tho), it's amazing how easy it is for the feelings and self-talk to start sneaking back in. Being hangry since Christmas is not good! No one should feel like they have to live like that.

Have you done any exploration around the health at every size movement? Reading HAES-friendly blogs and articles has been really healing for me in the last couple of years. The idea is that, no matter what size or shape your body is, you should work on nourishing it with foods that are good for it; moving your body in a way that you find enjoyable and sustainable; and taking care of the other aspects of your mental/physical health. It decouples eating healthy food + exercising + making healthful choices from the expectation or hope that they will lead to weight loss, and recenters them on just doing awesome things for your body and health.

[Serendip]

I
Also - I am committing right now to STOP reading the My Fitness Pal forums. Because all the "calories in calories out, do not go over your limit, if you're not losing weight then you're not weighing your food properly, you shouldn't be hungry if you're eating protein and fat" bullshit is seriously triggering to me. I do not need more diet talk in my life, I get enough of that at the office.

Good work on noticing the triggers! There is more and more info out there supporting the idea that 'calories in, calories out' can be a flawed approach for many.  The past few years I've been learning more about gut health and the microbiome and it has been a delight to learn to enjoy feeding my body whole food/fiber/plants. The Rich Roll podcast has some interesting interviews about the microbiome if it seems like something you want to learn more about.

[Serendip]

Have you done any exploration around the health at every size movement? Reading HAES-friendly blogs and articles has been really healing for me in the last couple of years. The idea is that, no matter what size or shape your body is, you should work on nourishing it with foods that are good for it; moving your body in a way that you find enjoyable and sustainable; and taking care of the other aspects of your mental/physical health. It decouples eating healthy food + exercising + making healthful choices from the expectation or hope that they will lead to weight loss, and recenters them on just doing awesome things for your body and health.

 Love all of this. YES!

[katscratch]

Oh my gosh I love this thread. A year-ish ago when I found MMM I never would have thought that after all the years of reading various fitness/health related forums I'd find my people here :)

Some of the following is ripped directly from my journal, as it's been a slow start here today and copy paste is too easy.

I have become much better in the past few years about using language with myself that empowers me rather than nitpicks. I find that I don't have self-blaming language when I'm not making the changes I want, but I do have frustration at my process and patterns.

I also find that I totally rebel against internal rules and deadlines, as well as group challenges - for example, one of my friends does a huge cycling challenge every April, and even though we'd biked together all year, those challenge rides really annoyed me and I resented having to ride my bike by the end of the month. Whereas in March I'd ridden nearly every day on my own.

This year, then, is all about slowly changing the tide of my mindset and inner landscape to allow for more permanent growth down the line. Instead of setting goals for all the things my ideal self wants to accomplish right now, I'm starting the year off by taking time to notice my current habits and how they affect my overall well being.

So, for January 2018:

Physical Health:

• Silly things like brushing/flossing that I already do but will help me establish a pattern of checking in and paying attention.
• Pay attention to how caffeine and alcohol affect my mood and sleep. I have informally done this in the past, but actually noticing on a regular basis will better help inform decisions moving forward.
• Pay attention to how much sleep I am getting throughout the week. I know lack of sleep is very detrimental to my mood and overall health. I tend to fudge here and there because my work schedule doesn't match my social group's timelines and I stay out too late too often.
• Pay attention to how much movement I am working into a day. Not steps. Just moving: things like doing the dishes, hanging the laundry, walking a loop in the OR once an hour or walking the stairwells. Standing up.
• Pay attention to how food is making me feel. I sometimes have rather dramatic reactions both physically and emotionally to foods. It's wise to notice these patterns.

Financial Health:

• Continue the Frugalwoods' Uber Frugal Month Challenge from the perspective of watching my patterns. Last year I fully participated and it was a definite success. This year I'm not following as literally and am more curious about where I have leaks in my non-consumer mindship.

Emotional Health:

• Pay attention to the times I feel less compassion for myself and notice when I feel peace with my emotions. Emotions will happen: they are physical responses to external stimuli and I can observe the story my brain chooses to tell about them.
• Pay attention to my internal reactions to particular workplace dynamics. Breathe.
• Notice how I feel when I write consistently. My brain has always craved pen to paper. It's a habit that waxes and wanes with the seasons of my life and has been something I've wanted to cultivate more.

I'm including all these aspects because for me they are all intertwined. My eating affects my sleep affects my mood affects my spending. And so many other permutations that lead to a cycle of wellness or a cycle of disrepair.

Happy 2018 everyone :)


edited due to formatting-before-coffee!

[pbkmaine]

I know it’s a bit counter-intuitive, but Weight Watchers helps me to eat healthy without obsessing over weight. Most fruits and vegetables have no points, so you can eat all you want. Most lean proteins have no points. The plan “nudges” me to stay away from too many fats and carbs and helps me feel better.

[Stachey]

Thank you for starting this thread lhamo!

I hear you about the sleep difficulties.  If you find something that helps, can you share with the group?  I definitely would like to improve in that area.

I'd also like to add more exercise.  I got a DVD about tai chi so I thought I would try that.

Also I find I get stuck in a "meal rut" where I have my handful of go-to recipes that I rely on too heavily.  I need to expand the recipes in my repertoire.

[G-dog]

Thank you for starting this thread lhamo!

I hear you about the sleep difficulties.  If you find something that helps, can you share with the group?  I definitely would like to improve in that area.

I'd also like to add more exercise.  I got a DVD about tai chi so I thought I would try that.

Also I find I get stuck in a "meal rut" where I have my handful of go-to recipes that I rely on too heavily.  I need to expand the recipes in my repertoire.

I university I took a relaxation techniques class - elements of meditation (focus on breathing) coupled with some awareness of tension in your body.  We would lay on the floor on our backs, pull your shoulders down, make sure shoulder blades are under you.  Then we would tense a muscle group, then relax it, move to next muscle group, repeat...  That helped to get an awareness that certain areas had been tense, we just didn't notice because it was the baseline, then purposefully relax the area, but also the ritual of doing that was helpful.

I got better at relaxing, and would practice this while lying in bed. I never got as good as the folks that would fall asleep next to me in the relaxation class - which made me very angry!

[lhamo]

Re: sleep issues.  I don't typically have problems falling/staying asleep.  When I do it seems to be related to either stress/anxiety or perimenopause stuff (too hot or needing to pee in the middle of the night, or both combined...).  DH does have insomnia issues and that can spill over sometimes -- when I woke up at 4am the other night part of the reason I couldn't get back to sleep was I was worried I was going to wake him up with my tossing and turning. So I went down to the living room and put on a podcast, which helped me doze a bit.

I definitely sleep better when I have exercised during the day.

[Stachey]

Thank you for starting this thread lhamo!

I hear you about the sleep difficulties.  If you find something that helps, can you share with the group?  I definitely would like to improve in that area.

I'd also like to add more exercise.  I got a DVD about tai chi so I thought I would try that.

Also I find I get stuck in a "meal rut" where I have my handful of go-to recipes that I rely on too heavily.  I need to expand the recipes in my repertoire.

I university I took a relaxation techniques class - elements of meditation (focus on breathing) coupled with some awareness of tension in your body.  We would lay on the floor on our backs, pull your shoulders down, make sure shoulder blades are under you.  Then we would tense a muscle group, then relax it, move to next muscle group, repeat...  That helped to get an awareness that certain areas had been tense, we just didn't notice because it was the baseline, then purposefully relax the area, but also the ritual of doing that was helpful.

I got better at relaxing, and would practice this while lying in bed. I never got as good as the folks that would fall asleep next to me in the relaxation class - which made me very angry!

Thanks Gdog!  I'll give that a try.   (lol - those overachieving relaxers  ;)

lhamo - it's good to hear you don't have a lot of sleep problems.    I try to exercise every day but I think I might need more.  Anyway thanks for starting this thread.

[lhamo]

Guys, look at me -- today I:

1)  Suggested to DH we go to the gym.  I don't usually on weekends, and usually he is the one to suggest it when we do and

2)  Ran 3 miles in 32:56 -- I broke the 11 minute mile mark! 

I also only had some peanuts and a small bowl of pasta for lunch (needed to use up the remains of my clam sauce, but resisted the urge to eat the big bowl I would normally scarf down).

Now I'm going to reward myself with a second cup of decaf tea.