Quittrain for eating?

[PorkandPancakes]

So whilst I have dipped in and out of the forums over the last three years and spend time hanging out all over, I have never really spent any time in this section. That’s because I am neither fit nor particularly healthy. In the beginning I was focussed on quitting smoked and had THE perfect excuse to ignore the rest of my lifestyle. 

 

So so now I’m 38, the heaviest I’ve ever been and SUPER unfit. I tend to overeat either by portion size or evening grazing and I have a very sedentary lifestyle. I have tried every diet and I always fail or (usually) self sabotage. I am required to do an annual fitness test for work around November so each spring I start some kind of fitness which just about let’s me struggle through but I am yet to achieve a result I’m proud of or to sustain anything. I have very low self esteem for this stuff and essentially give in to the negative talk. I just don’t know how to make it stick.

 

this forum gave me the tools to keep my quit but also, right from the start, ‘something clicked’. I finally understood the secrets of smoking. I understood I didn’t need it, I chose to do it and all the other stuff.  I know there’s no magical answer for weight loss and fitness but I have to believe that for those who are successful, something clicks. So guys, help me out here. Have you been successful in this?  Did something click?  What can I do to achieve something I have consistently failed at? Any advice gratefully received.

 

(I’m even braced for Sarge’s forthright yet possibly abrasive comment)

[Reciprocity]

For sure ..... I would be of NO help.

 

@Boo is your man on the exercize front I would say. Healthy eating? Probably lots of peeps here that can advise.

 

First off .... get rid of that auto-order button!

[Doreensfree]

I was unfortunate / fortunate ...whatever ..I suffered gall stones...needing to have my gall bladder removed last year ...

I survived on beetroot and lettuce literally.... Great way to lose weight ...

[Mee]

2 hours ago, PorkandPancakes said:

So whilst I have dipped in and out of the forums over the last three years and spend time hanging out all over, I have never really spent any time in this section. That’s because I am neither fit nor particularly healthy. In the beginning I was focussed on quitting smoked and had THE perfect excuse to ignore the rest of my lifestyle. 

 

So so now I’m 38, the heaviest I’ve ever been and SUPER unfit. I tend to overeat either by portion size or evening grazing and I have a very sedentary lifestyle. I have tried every diet and I always fail or (usually) self sabotage. I am required to do an annual fitness test for work around November so each spring I start some kind of fitness which just about let’s me struggle through but I am yet to achieve a result I’m proud of or to sustain anything. I have very low self esteem for this stuff and essentially give in to the negative talk. I just don’t know how to make it stick.

 

this forum gave me the tools to keep my quit but also, right from the start, ‘something clicked’. I finally understood the secrets of smoking. I understood I didn’t need it, I chose to do it and all the other stuff.  I know there’s no magical answer for weight loss and fitness but I have to believe that for those who are successful, something clicks. So guys, help me out here. Have you been successful in this?  Did something click?  What can I do to achieve something I have consistently failed at? Any advice gratefully received.

 

(I’m even braced for Sarge’s forthright yet possibly abrasive comment)

I am right there with you P and P.  I am approaching 8 mos smoke free and have gained approximately 25 pounds since I quit. I keep telling my self that, if I could quit smoking, I could quit the unnecessary eating.   I have joined a gym but pushing myself out is a definite chore.  I was hoping my energy level would improve when I quit,  but it has not.

My self esteem has also taken a hit.   I am 64 years and losing weight is not easy.  Spring is almost here.  I am hoping to get out walking then.  

[PorkandPancakes]

3 hours ago, Linda Thomas said:

I am right there with you P and P.  I am approaching 8 mos smoke free and have gained approximately 25 pounds since I quit. I keep telling my self that, if I could quit smoking, I could quit the unnecessary eating.   I have joined a gym but pushing myself out is a definite chore.  I was hoping my energy level would improve when I quit,  but it has not.

My self esteem has also taken a hit.   I am 64 years and losing weight is not easy.  Spring is almost here.  I am hoping to get out walking then.  

Aw Linda it’s rubbish isn’t it?  I have started thinking that maybe I do the same with eating that I did with smoking. There’s the bargaining, the arguing with oneself, the ‘spoilt child’ (why shouldn’t I have one?!)..... so maybe I need to apply some of our tried and tested quit techniques to overeating too?   See right now I’ve been good all day, I’ve started an exercise regime (very very low key at the minute because there’s far too much of me to be bouncing around hard) and I start thinking I want something sweet. I feel this as the start of me either cracking open wine or cracking open the fridge. It’s the same ‘hunger’ I used to get for cigs. Did I replace one with the other?  I find myself looking around thinking ‘I WANT....’ and if it isn’t cigs and it isn’t food, what do you do to either satisfy or banish that feeling?  Answers on a postcard please peeps!!

[Mee]

1 hour ago, PorkandPancakes said:

Aw Linda it’s rubbish isn’t it?

Yes it is,  but it still is not enough to make me want to go back to smoking.  I seem to crave different things since I quit.   I never was a snacker but find I am hooked on Cheetos.   Maybe that is because of the improvement in taste after quitting. 

The will power we used to put down the cigarettes was immense.  We should be able to apply that to food.

I am at my heaviest weight and am quite embarrassed about it.  Yes peeps.  We need a thread to get us going.  Maybe we could have a celebration thread for losing weight.  

[Boo]

I'm always preaching "keep it simple" in regards to quitting smoking.  Same goes for getting healthy.  

 

Stop dieting.  Start eating right.  Nutritional sustenance is vital.  So, let's not demonize eating.  Instead, let's start eating real food again.  Cut out any processed garbage and replace it with real food.  Diets are temporary.  New habits are built to last.

 

Even with healthy foods, keep track of what you are eating and how many calories you are consuming daily for a while.  Tracking is boring and frankly a bit of a pain in the ass.  Tracking is also vital to mapping out your fitness journey.  You don't need to track forever, just until you have a firm grasp of what you are doing right and where there is room for improvement.

 

GET PLENTY OF REST AND QUALITY SLEEP!  I'm not yelling at you, I just felt the need to drive home that point for myself.  Good sleep, or a lack thereof, will affect every aspect of your life.  I'm good at getting plenty of sleep except for when I'm not.  Oddly enough, sleep is the health and fitness issue I have struggled with the most.  I do very good for a while, then I start to slide back into my old habits.  Enough about me...It may seem counterintuitive that sleeping more is vital in the process of losing weight and getting healthy.  I'm starting to ramble and getting dangerously close to referencing "the research"...just take my word for it and get some sleep.

 

Exercise, that's that thing meatheads like Boo do when they grunt and pick up heavy things or run in the woods until their lungs are burning and their legs feel like jelly...right?  It can be.  It can also be just walking around.  Maybe doing some chores.  I recently saw something on TV featuring some ladies who are professional dancers and noticed that they all had very nice physiques (I wasn't gawking, it was research).  Point is: anything you do that requires some level of physical exertion can be counted as exercise.  You don't need to run a marathon next week, just build the habit of moving around more and making steady progress.

 

Of course, the most important thing one can do to get healthy...Farmer's Walks!!!!  Just kidding, my love of that particular exercise has become a running joke in the health and fitness sub-forum.  Although....

[Reciprocity]

[Mee]

1 hour ago, Boo said:

I recently saw something on TV featuring some ladies who are professional dancers and noticed that they all had very nice physiques (I wasn't gawking, it was research).  Point is: anything you do that requires some level of physical exertion can be counted as exercise.

Boo, I am a little old for pole dancing.  Maybe even Sex lol. My only hope is hitting the pavement.  Isn't it you that says move a muscle change a thought.  

I like your sleep idea.  I get a lot more of that these days.  I love naps.  You are an inspiration.  I love reading you workouts!

 

[Boo]

2 hours ago, Linda Thomas said:

 Isn't it you that says move a muscle change a thought.  

 

I agree with that statement 100%, but Whispers gets credit for that one.

[Doreensfree]

GET PLENTY OF REST AND QUALITY SLEEP!  I'm not yelling at you, I just felt the need to drive home that point for myself.  Good sleep, or a lack thereof, will affect every aspect of your life.  I'm good at getting plenty of sleep except for when I'm not.  Oddly enough, sleep is the health and fitness issue I have struggled with the most.  I do very good for a while, then I start to slide back into my old habits.  Enough about me...It may seem counterintuitive that sleeping more is vital in the process of losing weight and getting healthy.  I'm starting to ramble and getting dangerously close to referencing "the research"...just take my word for it and get some sleep.

 

This is Great Advice.....if only....

I don't get nearly enough ...( sleep either )...

Alziemers Peeps don't seem to want to sleep much ...4 hrs ..and he,s up and ready to go again.....it's draining ...

He now has sleeping pills ,and still only want,s 6 hrs  max...

Maybe I should take them instead lol....

[Mee]

4 hours ago, Doreensfree said:

This is Great Advice.....if only....

I don't get nearly enough ...( sleep either )...

Alziemers Peeps don't seem to want to sleep much ...4 hrs ..and he,s up and ready to go again.....it's draining ...

He now has sleeping pills ,and still only want,s 6 hrs  max...

Maybe I should take them instead lol....

Doreen, do you have any home heath care or help?  You will need time for yourself.   I do hope you know to take care of yourself.  I so wish we were not oceans apart.  

My neighbor and I often looked after our neighbor with vascular dementia so that his wife could get out.  

[bakon]

Ok let's start with how fat.....selfies please. I can't give advice until I know where we are starting

 

Food vs Exercise.  Gym owner/ bodybuilding type had me and wife on a program years ago...said food was 90 percent/ workouts were 10 percent . I feel workouts are little more as they are motivating and actual start to feel good when doing them. Kind of the kick.

   The feel good comes from improvements  so start slow. Be steady and add a little each week.  When I take time off I go back to gym at 50 percent of weight or time on exercises and work up slow for 4 weeks before going hard again.  Slow and add a little should be a motto.

 

Food- what booger said is right. Point is eat right. But have cheat days. Same gym owner gave his students weekends off the diet.  Eat anything and do what you want. First weekend is beer and pizza. Monday you start back but notice you have lost progress, next weekend is less beer and hamburger,  little less but no restrictions feels ok. Next weekend its mostly healthy and little excess of pie or a few drinks.  Point is there is no rules but you are seeing improvements and don't go overboard.  And when the special party happens you aren't stuck eating rabbit food and drinking water with lemons.  Life is one shot. So don't miss out to save a pound. But don't eat lik e everyday is a party

 

Now post those fat ass pictures. bakon loves a big butt.

[Reciprocity]

16 hours ago, Linda Thomas said:

Boo, I am a little old for pole dancing.  Maybe even Sex lol. My only hope is hitting the pavement.  Isn't it you that says move a muscle change a thought.  

I like your sleep idea.  I get a lot more of that these days.  I love naps.  You are an inspiration.  I love reading you workouts!

 

You're never too old for pole dancing 

[PorkandPancakes]

5 hours ago, bakon said:

Ok let's start with how fat.....selfies please. I can't give advice until I know where we are starting

 

Food vs Exercise.  Gym owner/ bodybuilding type had me and wife on a program years ago...said food was 90 percent/ workouts were 10 percent . I feel workouts are little more as they are motivating and actual start to feel good when doing them. Kind of the kick.

   The feel good comes from improvements  so start slow. Be steady and add a little each week.  When I take time off I go back to gym at 50 percent of weight or time on exercises and work up slow for 4 weeks before going hard again.  Slow and add a little should be a motto.

 

Food- what booger said is right. Point is eat right. But have cheat days. Same gym owner gave his students weekends off the diet.  Eat anything and do what you want. First weekend is beer and pizza. Monday you start back but notice you have lost progress, next weekend is less beer and hamburger,  little less but no restrictions feels ok. Next weekend its mostly healthy and little excess of pie or a few drinks.  Point is there is no rules but you are seeing improvements and don't go overboard.  And when the special party happens you aren't stuck eating rabbit food and drinking water with lemons.  Life is one shot. So don't miss out to save a pound. But don't eat lik e everyday is a party

 

Now post those fat ass pictures. bakon loves a big butt.

Fo sure you don’t wanna see my big butt but I can’t post pics in this place anyway. I don’t know how!  In answer to your question though, about 240lbs. That’s way too big for my 5ft5 frame. So I’m starting small like you all said. Little bit of exercise. No snacking on junk and no self sabotage. I don’t really eat processed crap anyway, I am a home cook kind of gal but I do graze or lose track if I’m not constantly aware. Evenings are the worst.

 

Goals for this month

* no midweek drinking alcohol

*no snacking/cakes/crap

* regular exercise at least 4 times a week building up slowly

* 4 ‘cheat days’ by April 30. 

[Doreensfree]

8 hours ago, Linda Thomas said:

Doreen, do you have any home heath care or help?  You will need time for yourself.   I do hope you know to take care of yourself.  I so wish we were not oceans apart.  

My neighbor and I often looked after our neighbor with vascular dementia so that his wife could get out.  

Aww Thank You Linda ...

I am coping OK for now ...I have help in showering him ....it's just I could do with a bit more sleep ...how lovely you looked after your neighbour ...

My kids live too far away ...for the moment I can still have time out ...I know it will get worse ....

Oh I wish you were nearer too....we could have a good natter ..xx

 

[PorkandPancakes]

Doreen, I too am sorry you and your husband are suffering such awful disease. I hope you manage to get some respite if even a little?  

 

Having made a healthy start and some pledges in this thread I’m going to keep adding to it so I’m recording it somewhere and can see my progress. It’s been really interesting reconnecting with the board and the philosophies at the same time as I had planned a ‘healthy eating and fitness’ attempt. I pretty much fall immediately back off the wagon in every previous attempt but this week my thinking is different.

 

I’ve been getting some strong cravings for sweet stuff. Chocolate, cake, actually anything insanely bad for me and crammed with sugar or salt. I’m not dieting yet, I have just stuck with 3 meals a day with plenty of fresh fruit and veg so I won’t be losing weight. I just wanted to ‘monitor my intake’ and try to keep it on an even keel so I know it’s not hunger making me crave. It’s something else. I read somewhere it’s a ‘go to’ for emotions or rewards. You come home from work, cook, clean, kids to bed, finally sit and ‘reward’ with food and/or wine. Which is fine if you don’t have excess weight but I do. So this week I’ve been responding to craves by asking ‘what do I really want or need?’  And then telling myself I don’t need to eat because it isn’t hunger. I can’t say the want passes as quick as the cig cravings used to but it has changed my thought process. 

 

In in the meantime I’ve bought a mini trampoline because I hate exercise so I wanted to add some fun to it and I’m building up my minutes on it each day. 

 

@Linda Thomas, are you ready to join me?

[Doreensfree]

Aww Thank you Sweetheart....

I am entitled to Respite ....and use them for breaks away !!!!

 

Good luck in losing the Pounds P  !!!......you can do it ....

[Mee]

1 hour ago, PorkandPancakes said:

@Linda Thomas, are you ready to join me?

I am ready P & P. 

I think if we can make small changes and move a little we will see some improvement.  Let us see where we are n 4 weeks.  

We don't want to lose it fast.  Let's shoot for 5 pounds each.

[notsmokinjo]

On 3/27/2019 at 4:10 AM, Doreensfree said:

I was unfortunate / fortunate ...whatever ..I suffered gall stones...needing to have my gall bladder removed last year ...

I survived on beetroot and lettuce literally.... Great way to lose weight ...

Oh Doreen, everybody knows, you can't beat a root

 

On 3/27/2019 at 10:43 AM, Boo said:

I'm always preaching "keep it simple" in regards to quitting smoking.  Same goes for getting healthy.  

^^ That.... OK so not the healthiest, fittest or thinnest I have been but Keep it Simple Stupid is the way to go.

 

I read somewhere once that more often than not when we feel hungry we are actually thirsty.... most food has a water content and our bodies are programmed to respond to hunger messages than they are to thirst messages... so our body sends the I need a drink message and gets no response so it opts for the i'm hungry message and get some fluids. So this article I read (think it was from the CSIRO) suggested to slowly drink a large, cold glass of water when you feel hungry... wait 15 minutes after you finish it and chances are not hungry no more.

[Mee]

P & P,   I don't know if you celebrate Easter and the Easter Bunny but I can tell you I am a jelly bean junkie.  I only eat them this time of year.    I also like to get the peeps and let them get stale and hard.  I love to eat them that way.  

I found the perfect way to get rid of them.  Do you think we could use them this way and not go crazy seeing them like this?  lol.

Edited March 28, 2019 by Linda Thomas

[Boo]

2 hours ago, notsmokinjo said:

I read somewhere once that more often than not when we feel hungry we are actually thirsty.... most food has a water content and our bodies are programmed to respond to hunger messages than they are to thirst messages... so our body sends the I need a drink message and gets no response so it opts for the i'm hungry message and get some fluids. So this article I read (think it was from the CSIRO) suggested to slowly drink a large, cold glass of water when you feel hungry... wait 15 minutes after you finish it and chances are not hungry no more.

 

Spot on! 

 

Drink plenty of water...It is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

[PorkandPancakes]

2 hours ago, Linda Thomas said:

.  Do you think we could use them this way and not go crazy seeing them like this?  lol.

Oh Linda that made me chuckle. I’m afraid I may be forced to drink the flower water in case it tasted sweet and delicious!!  

 

jo and boo, you’re both spot on. I’ve been drinking from a 2litre bottle (4pints for those American lovelies) slowly through the working day so it’s not thirst either. I also (and this is not like me at all) and been getting up early for a short bounce on the trampoline and a fruit and yoghurt breakfast. 

 

Linda, 5lbs sounds excellent. Weigh in on April 30th?

[notsmokinjo]

Ok @PorkandPancakes have you had your thyroid checked...just to be on the safe side and rule it out. Lots of smokers never realise they have a thyroid condition until they quit as nicotine masks the symptoms. 

[Ankush]

On 3/26/2019 at 10:20 PM, PorkandPancakes said:

So whilst I have dipped in and out of the forums over the last three years and spend time hanging out all over, I have never really spent any time in this section. That’s because I am neither fit nor particularly healthy. In the beginning I was focussed on quitting smoked and had THE perfect excuse to ignore the rest of my lifestyle. 

 

So so now I’m 38, the heaviest I’ve ever been and SUPER unfit. I tend to overeat either by portion size or evening grazing and I have a very sedentary lifestyle. I have tried every diet and I always fail or (usually) self sabotage. I am required to do an annual fitness test for work around November so each spring I start some kind of fitness which just about let’s me struggle through but I am yet to achieve a result I’m proud of or to sustain anything. I have very low self esteem for this stuff and essentially give in to the negative talk. I just don’t know how to make it stick.

 

this forum gave me the tools to keep my quit but also, right from the start, ‘something clicked’. I finally understood the secrets of smoking. I understood I didn’t need it, I chose to do it and all the other stuff.  I know there’s no magical answer for weight loss and fitness but I have to believe that for those who are successful, something clicks. So guys, help me out here. Have you been successful in this?  Did something click?  What can I do to achieve something I have consistently failed at? Any advice gratefully received.

 

(I’m even braced for Sarge’s forthright yet possibly abrasive comment)

@PorkandPancakes I am neither an expert on diet nor exercising. But here's what I did when I was trying to loose weight. I already had prior experience in going to the gym (although for a very short while). So I made a list of exercises that I had learnt and I stuck to them. If you don't know what exercises to start with, I would suggest going for walks to loosen up those muscles. I would also highly recommend hitting the gym. You will see other people doing exercises and you will be able to learn from them. Plus, there always is the trainer to help you. Using the treadmill for about 20 to 30 minutes a day should be a good start. Start slow and work up to a slow jog, since you don't smoke, it should be easy to work up to a jog and later on, a run. Also, eat plenty of salads. Reduce the portion size with whatever food you eat. You will tend to feel hungry as you adjust to eating smaller portions but resist the urge to eat. You can still have fried food but maybe restrict that once in two weeks. Also cut down on sugar and salt intake. Food like nuts, seeds (flax/pumpkin seeds/quinoa), and fresh vegetable salads will help. If using quinoa seeds, remember to wash them well before boiling them. You can cut fresh vegetables, use sprouts and yogurt and a dash of seeds, some seasoning and a little salt to enjoy the salad. A boiled egg once in two days and maybe some chicken in the salad is yummy as well (chicken once or twice a week depending on the quantity). This is just my experience talking though. See a dietician, read articles on the net on what food to eat while loosing weight and most important, go to the gym. Once you gain enough experience at the gym, you can do the same exercises using dumbells or buy a treadmill to do the exercises at home (if you have a busy lifestyle with work, it will save you travel time to and from the gym). Also reduce the quantity of red meat drastically, lean beef is OK (from what I have read), but lay off red meat while trying to loose weight initially. Hope this helps.