Hi all, this is completely off topic in terms of finance, but...
I am addicted to sugar!! Or so I think I am. I can't help myself. Everything I get cravings for sweet things and I am so afraid of becoming excessively overweight.
Over the past two years, I've lost a great deal of muscles and I probably have about 25% bodyfat as of now.
I eat large meals three times a day, and I snack in between as well.
Help!!! What can I do? I don't exercise as much as I used to anymore, but I do try to walk for at least an hour each week (usually on my weekends).
I think I could somehow cut down on my junk food budget, but I can't seem to have enough will power to say no!!
ah.....now, xmas will be here soon....more food...yummy....in Japan we have a lot of chocolate xmas cakes...
....damn..
Off Topic: Diet help
December 18th, 2006 at 02:37 pm
December 18th, 2006 at 03:22 pm 1166455348
December 18th, 2006 at 03:29 pm 1166455781
When it comes to losing weight, it's more important to exercise than it is to diet, although it's ideal to do both.
If you exercise enough to offset your caloric intake, you can eat sweets if you really want to....
I don't know how well this would work, but if I was in your shoes anyway, I would force myself to work for something. Just as we can motivate ourselves to save before we can go out and buy something, we can also motivate ourselves to exercise with the promise of a sweets afterwards.
I don't advocate outright restrictions on anything, because that will only lead to short-lived misery. Rather, I do believe in balance in all things, and working for your rewards with equal parts of work.
December 18th, 2006 at 03:55 pm 1166457329
Now I still love my chocolate, and I will eat anything sweet, but I find the hint of sugar in my muffins sweet, and the store bought kind overkill. I munch on semisweet or dark chocolate and avoid milk..this was a 7 year slow change over, so don't expect overnight results, but for a tiny payout, you get killer returns (all outside reports say I have a nice to 'hot' body)
I do get some physical activity in, but it is more in the relm of chores, cleaning, playing with kids and occasional walks....plus I park wherever I can, not trying to get up close, I walk from one store to the next in a strip mall, not move the car, I take stairs most ofthe time (the kids have a fondness for escalators though)....in short I try not to let my life get to easy...
December 18th, 2006 at 04:55 pm 1166460919
sugar is addictive (glucose levels, insulin, endorphins, yadda yadda) and it's hard to get off the sugar train! substituting natural sugars for those processed ones might help you wean yourself.
things i have found helpful: dark chocolate, bread drizzled with honey, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, baked sweet potatoes (HEAVEN!!!).
December 18th, 2006 at 05:35 pm 1166463355
Anyways. Try taking chromium. I take the drug store version - If you are interested in the amounts I take reply to me by email and I'll go into the amounts I take. It makes a difference ( in my sugar cravings when I take this regularily.
The other thing I was wondering when I read your post is if you might be insulin resistant or if you have PCOS. I used to have huge sugar cravings - to the point of eating spoon fulls of white sugar when there was nothing else in the house. I'm not diabetic or technically insulin resistant but I take Metformin daily because of the PCOS. That too (with the chromium) makes a huge difference in my sugar cravings. At times now I can take or leave sugar. And it has helped with my "off" switch. Before my hunger switch was always on hungry. I never understood about being full. Now I can understand that people can just be full and even feel that way myself at times.
I know technically people can tell you to eat healthy or try to avoid sugar. None of that worked for me at all. I just couldn't do it.
December 19th, 2006 at 06:38 am 1166510331
I think you should start substituting raw sugar with fructose instead. A quick search on wikipedia gives: Honey; tree fruits; berries; melons; and some root vegetables, such as beets, sweet potatoes, parsnips and onions. Try eating sweet fruits or have fruit drinks instead of eating any candies or chocolate. Fruits in Japan is expensive, but having a better health is more important. Try also making things like honey-garlic chicken and other meal-type recipes that are sweet tasting, so you don't go for any sweets after your meal.
Lastly, exercising is the best medicine. I find running as the best exercise. When you don't have weights at home, do varieties of push-ups, lunges, squats and sit-ups.
December 19th, 2006 at 06:41 am 1166510463
I've kept a food diary for several years now, and I find that pretty useful to keep from mindlessly eating and to figure when I eat. You need to mix it up. Not just sugar, but fat and protein to keep your blood sugar even. Do you have sugar cravings at specific times during the day and do you have a sugar junkie routine?
December 19th, 2006 at 02:11 pm 1166537466
Let me answer some questions here by giving you guys some more information. I am 5"3, and I currently weigh about 48kg.
Two years ago, when I was in my peak physical fitness, I had around 18% body fat, and I was around 50kg.
Since then, I have lost my muscles from being inactive.
In my current job, I tend to snack between breaks and meals. My typical food diary for the day would go something like the following:
9am - I'd have a cup of coffee (milk and sugar) about 1.5 teaspoon each.
11am - Brunch - Usually a small bowl of rice with fish/chicken and vegetable soup. The soup is served in a large bowl the size of 2 bowls of breakfast cereal. I like vegetables. heh. For dessert, I have about 1/3 of a whole chocolate muffin (regular size).
2pm - Snack #1 - At work. I snack on whatever I can find. Usually chocolate or cookies. If I eat cookies, I tend to have 2-3 pieces of cookies, and if I have chocolate, I'd get about....3 pieces the size of a dollar coin.
5pm - Early Dinner - At work, I will have my packed dinner. Usually some rice, a piece of small fried chicken the size of a pingpong ball or smaller, some other side dishes like spinich or something. For dessert, I will have another cup of sugary coffee or milk tea.
8pm - Snack #2 - Again, chocolate to boost my energy. Same serving size, around 2-3 dollar coins.
9:30pm - At Home. Tired from a day's work...I tend to feel really hungry as well. I usually make myself some noodles, or have some rice again. After that, I tend to eat 1/3 of a chocolate muffin, or junk food like potato chips and what not.
My girlfriend is a junk food junkie, so whenever she eats, I tend to eat with her as well. It is difficult to resist. However, she is a lot skinnier than I am, and she gets more of a workout at work whereas I sit on my ass all day.
eekk..
I will try to switch to some fruit, but they are expensive!!! Dried raisins are great, but they are also high in processed sugar.
*sighs*
December 20th, 2006 at 05:20 am 1166592040
I think your diet goes a bit awry after early dinner. You have no protein, nothing but carbs after 5 pm, which would make me stick my head in the fridge and grab with both hands.
December 22nd, 2006 at 05:36 pm 1166809001
Also can you park farther from the office door? rev up hte engine in the AM and at night, without much more time spent.