September Thread - Bhuz Diet Team

[Adishakti]

Thanks, Mish.

I saw a lady walking down the street with a walker today. The poor thing was walking very slowly with turned-in feet.

You know something? We're alive and we're darn lucky to be able to dance. A few extra pounds really isn't reason to beat yourself up.

Sit back, watch the sunset, go for a walk through the leaves, play ball with your kids... whatever it takes to enjoy life and be healthy. So what if your butt's a little big? I mean, really!

Right now, I'm focusing on health. If I obsess, I overeat. Particularly when life isn't going as I'd like it to. Lots of veggies, healthy snacks, sensible portions, and some sort of exercise (on top of dance) every day. It has to be my focus right now or I'll beat myself up for not behaving perfectly.

There's a great article in Cosmo this month about women and eating habits...

[Lauren_]

Mmmmmm. Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeese.

[Lauren_]

Thanks so much for the support, it really does make me feel better and there's lots of good advice here. I'm reserving the right to start an off-topic thread about my personal life later, I suspect it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Lilladancer, your advice really suits me to a T, all of it. We must have compatible coping styles or something, that's just the kind of thing that works beautifully for me.

[Gwoofer]

Originally Posted by Lauren_

I need help.

I'm going through a painful divorce thing right now, and I feel very lost & sad. My body wants me to soothe it with lots of carbs & sweets & yummy cheeeeeeeese -- all the foods that boost seratonin & other happy body chemicals.

Besides hot bath and massage, what are some other NON-food ways to be good to yourself when you're stressed & hurting?

Awww Dammit Lauren! I am so very sorry. Definitely do not feel bad for bringing it up, it's crucial to how you are going to be dealing with everything right now.

I certainly don't want to sabotage any progress but I don't think this may be a good time for you to even focus on diet and loosing, unless that focus actually helps distract.

For me, when I'm in the dregs I've always found that getting really into something, anything, that is a diversion helps a lot. A new form of exercise, dance, music. Or some intellectual persuit, like a class in a subject of interest, or something you just want to be more proficient in. If you are so inclined, animal friends, borrowed or your own involved in new activities like a class in agility.

And never underestimate the power of a new look, hair or makeup, or clothes.

Very best to you, g

[danidance]

Stress is a killer of diets. I've had the 2 most stressful weeks these past few weeks - haven't felt so much stress since I was in school and dealing with a new boss a year ago.

Been up at 4:30 so that I could be at work by 6:30 or 7 and then working until 9 at night. Hate it, I tell you. Then dealing with various workplace issues that are emotionally exhausting.

So, what do I do - went out to dinner last night and said "f*ck it" - I had white peach and burrata salad, braised short ribs with parnsip puree and a cognac cream sauce, and cheeeeeeeeesssssse for dessert. And wine. And bread. Will not get on scale until monday.

I'm sure I'll be back to my "normal" weight these days by then. Indulging and soothing is fine as long as we get back on track. Just don't fall into the trap of saying - "whatever, who cares" - for too long. Why? Because you care (the universal you) - and there is too much self-loathing associated with being heavy for those of us working on this issue. It's not worth going there.

[mish_mish]

I was talking to my mom about all of this. She is still really struggling with the death of one of her best friends from a heart attack last November. It hit all of us hard, but my mom is really still in the throes of anger and disbelief over it. She told me she's just a mess lately and I had a feeling she was, but I wasn't sure how to broach it.

It's these things that dump us off the trail. I'm not sure if there is a way to do all of the things we need to do all of the time--I'd love to learn how to see that my healthy eating actually helps me the MOST when I'm a mess. So far, I haven't been able to do that.

[mish_mish]

So, I lost 2.6lbs this week. Yay! That means I'm only 4lbs and off from my Weight Watcher lifetime goal! Yay!

[darkangel7631]

Originally Posted by danidance

Stress is a killer of diets.

I completely agree with you on that danidance! stress has been killing my diet for the past weeks now and I've gained quiet abit of weight.....It just hard going to nine classes a day at school cause by the time I get home i'm mentally and phsyically out of it to were I just want to lay around and do nothing...and with the pressure of trying to keep all my work together and turned in were I make good passing grades it puts that uber great stress that makes me feel like I got to eat 24/7....one of my buddies said going to a nutrionist might help and I was wondering if that was true or not..could it help? I'm going to try very hard this october to get back on track and get some of the weight I gained off and maybe set and if I succeed I'm going to set a new goal to work for till new years.

[ssipes]

Well, I partially made up for the catfish and pizza of yesterday. Ate 1300 Cals (but too many carbs, not enough protein) and am going to bed hungry.

I think I'll get up tomorrow and fix some scrambled eggs with onion, peppers, and salsa to start my day off right.

Sedonia

[mish_mish]

Socializing is also a killer of diets! I did pretty well staying on track but we went to the Fog Fest in Pacifica today (it's full of vendors, food, entertainment) and went out to lunch. Last night we went to a friend's birthday party at a bar in Oakland--cake and beer (but I had just a few little bites of frosting from the carrot cake and a light beer and I counted the points!).

This week I also have a 3 day conference at Asilomar in Pacific Grove. I plan to walk every day and avoid the desserts.

[ssipes]

I just read yet another study correlating diet sodas with obesity and weight gain. Although I don't drink alot (1-2 per day usually) I decided tonight that I am completely quitting diet sodas cold turkey.

From now on, if I want something that's not water, I'm having green tea.

I thought making this announcement public would cement it into my head better.

Sedonia

[danidance]

I'm not sure how that would work. Sodas and obesity - yeah - diet sodas? I guess it would be a problem if you eat an entire cocout cream pie and think you're balancing it out or saving calories by drinking diet sodas.

I feel better when I'm not drinking them. I will work on giving them up again as well - thanks for the "challenge" :)

I'm drinking crystal light in water now. It's a good transitional drink.

Rach - socializing is lethal and I am NOT looking forward to the period between Hallowe'en and New Years - it's so very very hard - way too many parties.

Originally Posted by ssipes

I just read yet another study correlating diet sodas obesity and weight gain. Although I don't drink alot (1-2 per day usually) I decided tonight that I am completely quitting diet sodas cold turkey.

From now on, if I want something that's not water, I'm having green tea.

I thought making this announcement public would cement it into my head better.

Sedonia

[*Shira*]

Originally Posted by danidance

I'm not sure how that would work. Sodas and obesity - yeah - diet sodas?

I'm drinking crystal light in water now. It's a good transitional drink.

I'm not so sure crystal light is an improvement over diet sodas. The issue is NOT calories or fat, obviously. It's something about aspartame (the sweetener used in a number of sugar-free items, including sodas, coffee sweeteners, and probably Crystal Light) and how it behaves in the body. I don't remember the details, but I think doctors suspect it does something like stimulating the insulin response, and messes up the body's ability to discern when it has had enough to eat. Anyway, I'd urge anyone who is using aspartame as a substitute for sugar to do some research on it before continuing to use it.

Another sugar substitute to beware of is sorbitol. That gets used in stuff like sugar-free gummi bears, sugar-free cookies/wafers, etc. Sorbitol is a naturally-occurring ingredient in prunes - it's the active ingredient that makes prunes act as a laxative. You can tell from the package whether it has sorbitol or one of its chemically close things, because it'll say on the package that it could have a "laxative effect" in some people. In fact, sorbitol is actually used in at least one brand name of commercial laxative. So, beware of those sugar-free cookies and candies!

[Gwoofer]

Originally Posted by Adishakti

Thanks, Mish.

I saw a lady walking down the street with a walker today. The poor thing was walking very slowly with turned-in feet.

You know something? We're alive and we're darn lucky to be able to dance. A few extra pounds really isn't reason to beat yourself up.

Sit back, watch the sunset, go for a walk through the leaves, play ball with your kids... whatever it takes to enjoy life and be healthy. So what if your butt's a little big? I mean, really!

Right now, I'm focusing on health. If I obsess, I overeat. Particularly when life isn't going as I'd like it to. Lots of veggies, healthy snacks, sensible portions, and some sort of exercise (on top of dance) every day. It has to be my focus right now or I'll beat myself up for not behaving perfectly.

There's a great article in Cosmo this month about women and eating habits...

I think that's the single most difficult and important thing in dieting. I mean, really, it's ridiculous to wack out on eating when you're about to blow. Also, holidays and such, just enjoy and get back on when they are over rather than stress over not overdoing during the actual holiday.

This stuff is a long process

[danidance]

Okay, well that sucks. I guess it's back to plain old water. Is the Aspartame study proven? It would make sense, actually. Guess I'll have to wean myself off the crap. Damn. Maybe if I think of it like an experiment I'll have an easier time of it.

thanks for the tip!

Originally Posted by *Shira*

I'm not so sure crystal light is an improvement over diet sodas. The issue is NOT calories or fat, obviously. It's something about aspartame (the sweetener used in a number of sugar-free items, including sodas, coffee sweeteners, and probably Crystal Light) and how it behaves in the body. I don't remember the details, but I think doctors suspect it does something like stimulating the insulin response, and messes up the body's ability to discern when it has had enough to eat. Anyway, I'd urge anyone who is using aspartame as a substitute for sugar to do some research on it before continuing to use it.

Another sugar substitute to beware of is sorbitol. That gets used in stuff like sugar-free gummi bears, sugar-free cookies/wafers, etc. Sorbitol is a naturally-occurring ingredient in prunes - it's the active ingredient that makes prunes act as a laxative. You can tell from the package whether it has sorbitol or one of its chemically close things, because it'll say on the package that it could have a "laxative effect" in some people. In fact, sorbitol is actually used in at least one brand name of commercial laxative. So, beware of those sugar-free cookies and candies!

[ssipes]

This is only one piece of anecdotal evidence, but I drank a tall glass of iced Celestial Seasonings decaf green tea last night and was not hungry at all after dinner.

Sedonia

[*Shira*]

Originally Posted by danidance

Okay, well that sucks. I guess it's back to plain old water. Is the Aspartame study proven? It would make sense, actually. Guess I'll have to wean myself off the crap. Damn. Maybe if I think of it like an experiment I'll have an easier time of it.

thanks for the tip!

The aspartame study was something my husband read a while back on one of the medical sites he visits regularly. He doesn't remember the link any more, but if you tried googling for keywords such as aspartame, obesity, insulin, etc. I'd expect you'd be able to find the original detail.

There is another controversy surrounding aspartame. Some animal studies suggest it might cause cancer, but other studies contradict that. I'm not sure which to believe on that one, but since I rarely consume anything with aspartame I'm not too worried about it.

You might want to try green tea as a beverage of choice. It helps appease the appetite, contains no calories, and offers some good nutrients.

[Souzan]

Aspartame apparently mimics sugar to the body and raises blood sugar rates. When the blood sugar is not used, it is stored as fat.

I use Splenda because it does not have affect on blood sugar.

Souzan

[Auroradancer]

Originally Posted by Lauren_

I need help.

I'm going through a painful divorce thing right now, and I feel very lost & sad. My body wants me to soothe it with lots of carbs & sweets & yummy cheeeeeeeese -- all the foods that boost seratonin & other happy body chemicals.

Besides hot bath and massage, what are some other NON-food ways to be good to yourself when you're stressed & hurting?

Lauren, my main non-food stress relievers are:

1. Reading- especially comfort books. Rosamunde Pilcher, LM Montgomery, Susan Allen Toth.
2. Walking with headphones on. I'd recommend somewhere safe for this. Also, walking in gardens/getting back to nature is good.
3. Journaling.
4. I just found a book on creating personal rituals. The joy of ritual : spiritual recipes to celebrate milestones, ease transitions, and make every day sacred by Barbara Bizou. She has some interesting ideas for dealing with stress that might be useful.

I'm sorry you're having a tough time. Take care of yourself.

[Annie]

Ugh, Lauren, I'm so sorry. Beaming out