Saturday, September 07, 2013

Getting healthy

I'm sure I'm not the only one who cares about exercise, good nutrition, etc., in spurts. I'll do really well for a while. Then I'll fall back into bad habits. Or create new ones.

I was doing really well for a couple of years. I was eating a low-carb, low sugar diet that really made me feel great. As a bonus, I lost 27 pounds. Then my daughter got engaged. There were cakes to taste and food to plan. There were showers.

At the same time, we bought and started refurbishing a money pit.

And my husband started spending five days a week in another state.

And, then, there was leftover wedding cake.

I just never went back. Oh, for the most part I still ate better than I did before my low-carb, almost-no-sweets days, but I was giving in too often to weaknesses like crusty baguettes with homemade pesto, the Ragin Cajun's white chocolate bread pudding, and my various pasta creations. At the same time, I was drinking wine and beer more often.

So over the last two years the pounds have crept back on. I'm perilously close to where I started. And I have been feeling worse and worse. Stomach problems. Achy joints. General blergh.

Unfortunately, it has also become clear to me that my beloved coffee is a problem. My stomach just can't handle it. So I'm in the cutting-back-to-quit process. I'm also limiting alcohol to dinners out or get-togethers with friends. I've just finished my third day successfully low-carb. I have a kombucha starter from a friend. Each of these things is likely to help.


Why does it take so long to do the right things when we know that they will make us feel better?


6 comments:

Lora said...

When I worked at a nursing home, every minute was full of things to do, so we develop habits that help us manage. When they switch up the routine, there was always a ton of protest among the staff. It was very difficult.

Last year was the same way. We figured out a way to get through, and it worked okay, but it wasn't healthy and it wasn't relaxing or wonderful, and we suffered for it.

That, combined with the fact that sugar itself has an addiction response, as does caffeine, and activates pleasure centers in the brain that we want activated, and starches and grains have their own body responses, it is hard to break way, and even harder to break away the 2nd, 3rd, 4th...etc. time.

Throw in complete chaos like you describe, and you want all of these things. Not to mention you don't want to think about what you want to eat at these times. You just want to be able to eat, preferably something that helps relieve some of that stress.

Throw in the social aspect..it is HARD to eat deliberately, and even harder to eat deliberately socially. Food brings people together, and it feels like it is isolating when you throw in NOT being able to eat things. There is something else in the picture besides being able to simply enjoy each other and good food.

Knowing these things helps. Acknowledging the stress and feelings helps, too.

Anonymous said...

Jane, if the problem with your coffee is too much acid, there is a product called Prelief, that you can find at Walgreens that cuts the acid. I limit myself to one cup of coffee and use the Prelief in it. I understand fully where you are coming from. I was doing really well on my low carb diet and no chocolate/coffee until we went to Europe last summer. I am slowly getting back to that diet, because of health issues that I will have to live with for the rest of my life. Hang in there.

Lu

Elephantschild said...

Cold-brewed concentrated coffee, the kind you make by the gallon then keep in the fridge and add hot water to, is also much lower in acid.

Hang in there, Jane. I know how hard it is. Oh, do I. You can do it!

mom said...

As you know, it's been very difficult for me to get back on the wagon - and stay there.

I'm happy to see your resolve. We both know you can do it!

Nat said...

I must ask, are you counting calories?

Elephantschild said...

That way lies madness, Nat!

:-)