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What's your attitude about eating?

For me, eating has always been a repetitive chore. When I feel sad- "Hello, seasonal affective disorder" - my appetite and weight drop.

To address this, I try to cook food that is more appetizing. Last weekend, I made banana-nut muffins and pear crisp. I eat four or five small meals per day, aiming for lean protein, nuts, fruit, vegetables and a whole grain. I cook at home from scratch. Love dark chocolate.

My dad died of colon cancer at 51. I was 24. Since then, I have not eaten fast food, preserved or processed meats, deep fried food nor red meat. Never drank soda pop.

Living alone, sometimes I stand at the sink to eat. I know that's bad. It amuses me to chew while gazing out the window. It's like the impulse to move my feet when brushing teeth.

A favorite hiking partner, Dan, made me add cheese to sandwiches. "Carrots and celery are not enough," he lectured. "While hiking, you need more calories to offset the calories you burn." After Dan moved to Utah, I stopped eating cheese.

Currently, I make and chill whole-grain pasta in the morning before a hike. Add a little salt and I'm happy. This keeps me going. Food is fuel.

"How can you eat noodles without something on them?" Karen asked. "I have always loved bare-naked noodles," I replied. "What do you add to noodles?"

"At least sesame oil," Karen replied. Alas, my unopened bottle of sesame oil spoiled after years in the refrigerator. I threw it away. Typical.

How about you?

LiterateHiker 9 Nov 18
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24 comments

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5

Food is fuel.
Some things definitely taste better than other things.

I have to remind myself that I need to vary my menus.
Not liking many vegetables, and being allergic to certain foods, sometimes makes making healthy choices difficult.

I've never met a carb I didn't like.
😜

4

I like to relish everything I put in my mouth. 😀

Same here. Please also pass the claret bottle.

@anglophone Bugger the plonk, a nice icy cold glass of Iced Coffee made with fresh milk and Bickfords Iced Coffee Essence is my biggest 'vice' these days.

3

Eating is the greatest sensual pleasure available to me. Besides the immediate pleasure, it's also calming. Sorry, but that's my reality.

3

I love eating, the different combinations and things that complement each other.
For hiking I like to make my own trail mix with my favourite things in, usually including some dark chocolate.
When I was going to a nutritionist, after being severely reprimanded by my doctor for low iron, she said I wasn’t eating enough protein with my meals and to try and eat 100gs per meal, be it nuts or other.
I cook at least 3 times a week 😉

2

I'm an intermittent faster. I wake up early - mostly because I love to - and, I have chickens that want to get to their free ranging !
I do a fruit/veggie/vegan protein powder smoothie around 10:30, after work-out/hike/whatever. Then whatever foods I consume is done by 6. The only thing I allow after that sometimes, is air-popped popcorn. I mostly eat healthy, plant based - except for eggs, because I know they come from very happy birds that will always be pets. I don't eat critters - well, because I love them !

I'm a good cook, but don't do it every day. I've been known to eat out of a container, while standing up, or walking around outside. Who cares ? Living alone does has great perks !

Sometimes I eat total sugary crap. And I know it is. And I enjoy every damn bite !

With some fluctuations over the years - I've settled into the same size I was in my 20's, and still have a few of the same clothes ! I feel pretty good ! Regular blood donor since I was 19.
And my mantra, in this time of Covid is : " I am a resistant organism ! "

@evergreen

I'm the same weight as I was in high school: 112 lbs. Now I'm taller.

I grew 1-1/2 inches in height between ages 18 and 24.

At age 20, I ate 24 pancakes in one sitting. The man making the pancakes couldn't believe it. Now I can only eat three.

@LiterateHiker Cool ! That's a scary thing I know about myself, I could really pig out if I allowed myself to. But feeling good, feels better than feeling too-tight-clothes !

History : When I was about 16 - me and my parents would order 2 large pizzas (and they were truly large then in NYC), with extra cheese. They'd eat one, and I'd eat most of the other ! And I got away with it ! Ha

Intermittent Fasting has been very effective for me, but discipline has been elusive for me lately.

@BitFlipper From what I'm hearing all around me - you are so not alone ! Doing the best we can, is the best we can do during these crazy times !

2

I used to eat chocolate when I was stressed, or happy, or lonely, or whatever. It was my drug of choice. In the past few years I have gone mostly vegetarian, and this year I have had to give up chocolate, sugar, and caffeine because it causes anxiety. I can see changes in my resting heart rate and stress levels on my fitness watch when I consume those items. I usually sit in front of the computer when I eat, but this week I have chosen to read while I eat lunch. I keep only healthy and real foods in the house. I need to lose some weight before I retire. I discovered recently that Medicare Supplements can cost more if you are overweight, if they don't deny you the coverage. Plus my knees are bothering me. And my back. I turn 63 in January, so I've got two years to get to 'normal' weight. I don't know if I've ever been 'normal' weight since I was 4.

Huzzah to chocolate !! In just about any form ...

Fun fact. At least for now, if you enroll in a supplement at the time you first enroll in Medicare, its the same price for everyone, no matter what. After that, its at the leisure of the company, to charge you extra for whatever pre existing conditions

I like the taste of chocolate, but have to avoid it, because I react very strongly to it. I can not sleep at night, I can feel my heart pounding, and I get nose bleeds from the raised blood pressure.

@Fernapple I haven't had the nose bleeds, but I can feel the heart racing, and don't sleep well.

2

I make sure I eat protein , cheese is good or cottage cheese without protein with exercise you can lose muscle

bobwjr Level 10 Nov 18, 2020
2

Eating is a pleasure for me (like for many Portuguese). These days it's hard to know what is really healthy so I eat a bit of every poison.

There's about up to 700 000 Portuguese between Johannesburg and Cape Town. Newcomers too
Year's ago myself and three Portuguese girls cooked up a storm with lobster, langoustines and fish. Our meals were enjoyed by about 20 people - family, kids etc. One of the (Portuguese) husband's prepared rice with lemon butter and chilli oil. ...was delish, finger-licking. Another guy prepared crab on a wok. Those were them days. ...haven't been in a public or friend or Atheist get-together since mid March.

@TimeOutForMe, I have a former colleague and friend who grew up in South Africa and he loves also Portuguese food. I can tell you it's very rich, every region has their own traditional dishes. It's also very fatty, with many sauces and not really the healthiest. Unless, of course, you follow the philosophy of "it compensates the harm that it does with the good that it tastes".😉

2

When Hiking...I make my own Granola...so I have Granola with Boiled water for breakfast, and of course Coffee...for Lunch, Salami n Swiss(don't need to refrigerate either of them😁) on Portuguese Bread(or NY Rye or Italian if I can't find the Portuguese)...maybe some Lipton Chicken Noodle Soup...snack on Apple's and Oranges and Granola unless I make Granola Bars. Dinner is 2 Knorrs Noodle packages with Summer Sausage or dried beef for some Protein and dried Veggies...and if course Hot Tea...I usually carry a.book to read before I fall asleep. Been doing the same formula my whole life ... It works for me...At home...I love to cook so the sky is the limit...Lasagne, homemade pasta...Ministrone, Scallopped Potatoes...Tons of Chicken Recipes...Pork Roast...Beef Roast...lots of Potato and Veggie dishes...most people eat to live...I live to eat.😂

"I love to cook so the sky is the limit".
Good for you 👍

@TimeOutForMe tonites dinner...3 Lasagna...2 for the freezer and one for consumption...and a Carrot Cake for desert.

@phoenixone1 now that's what I called organised. You don't have to go hungry when you want a day off to relax ...and carrot cake too 😋

@TimeOutForMe NOPE😂I learned a long time ago to cook for multiple days...i used to devote Sunday's for Bulk cooking day but since I retired it is by whim😅

2

I have the opposite issue with depression, which isn't seasonal- when I'm depressed, I want to eat everything that isn't good for me. All the comfort food ever. I eat my emotions. I'm doing well now, controlling my eating and calories and losing weight. Here's hoping I can keep it up.

2

I saw Ed McMahon one time on Carson. Some diet guru or other was on and Carson made a quip about he didn't understand why anyone gained weight. Ed interrupted him, the only time I ever remember that happening. He asked Johnny WHY he ate. Johnny replied to stay alive. McMahon pointed out in an aha moment that THAT was the difference because Ed ate because it was enjoyment. Johnny didn't speak much the rest of that segment. Ed had a lot of questions to the guest and did most of the talking. It explained much to me.

I am a foodie. I love everything about it. I love going shopping and picking the best possible ingredients down to the fact that peppers are different between male peppers and female peppers. I can taste the difference in picking my own and buying it. I love gardening for that reason.

I had a restaurant for a short time but the recession in 2008 took that away. I could have left it open and lost money but I'm too much the accountant for that. While open, we did very well. But the town is far from St Louis and there was no way to make money in a recession that way. I've won state fairs for pie before. I am a restaurant grade chef but choose to not live that lifestyle.

We all have our likes and dislikes. If your attitude to food is not a love relationship, then I suggest comparing it to your love of hiking. Different strokes for different folks! I mean I walk a lot, but I only walk so that I don't weigh 300 lbs-I tend to plan menus or think of new flavor combinations while walking. Sound familiar? 😀

2

Too often a self-medication against boredom.

2

1800 calories or less a day. High protein very low carbs.

2

Eating to me is usually a pleasure. Two years ago I started very low carb ( not strict keto) and intermittent fasting. I’m now much more conscious of nutrition, the quality of foods and act of eating. It’s interesting to wake up, sip on coffee, and contemplate breakfast after a 36 to 40 hour fast.

2

I enjoy cooking I also enjoy eating I also know when to say I've had enough to eat and sometimes making my own food is a pain in the ass but I do it anyhow. 😁

@oldFloyd

Exactly. Sometimes cooking is a pain in the neck but I do it anyway.

Hate kitchen cleanup but I do it anyway. In the morning, I love walking into a clean kitchen.

@LiterateHiker I have a very small kitchen so when I'm cooking I have to clean as I go otherwise I'd run out of space in the first 15 minutes. 😉

1

I eat a lot of veg, tend to avoid fast food and carbs. No cake, bread, sweets for months. Because I am outside and take a lot of exercise, I can however suffer from low salt, get limb aches, and headaches. So my only use of fast food tends to be potato crisps, which I take for the high salt content when needed.

1

I like to eat, but I have to watch what I eat or will gain weight. I am at 155 LBs and want to stay there. I usually eat fruit and nuts when hiking along with a Clif bar. I could not eat bare naked noodles when hiking.

@Robert_2001

With an ectomorph body type, I have a fast metabolism. So, I pack a big lunch for hikes:

Lean meat, 1 serving.
1 cup nuts
2 cups chilled, whole grain noodles with salt.
Raw vegetables, two types.
Dessert: fig bar and chocolate Luna bar.
Hot tea with honey.

1

Your eating habits are interesting and I understand them. Four or five small meals daily are a great way to burn calories and keep energy up. I did that when I was bodybuilding and got the idea from Jack LaLanne circuit training. Unfortunate for me these days that I'm not following this and also cannot tell when I am full. It means I constantly over eat.

1

My attitude to eating is much like as the very old saying, " If you don't eat, you don't shit and if you don't shit you'll die, end of story."
But, I do allow myself the odd, somewhat unhealthy treat from time to time such as my Sunday hamburger MADE fresh at the nearby Fish and Chips Shop.
My regular meat supply mostly comes by way of my doing a bit of work for a good friend who owns and runs a Sheep Property where instead of cash in the hand I get paid with freshly killed Lamb or the occasionally killed Yearling Beef.
My vegies are ALWAYS steamed rather than boiled since steaming keeps the vitamins, etc, in them rather than them disappearing down the drain.

1

I have heard it said that some people live to eat and some people eat to live. Every morning I have a basic workout routine for 30 minutes and then a light breakfast which mainly consists of protein. I am not a vegetarian but seldom eat red meat as I seem to have just simply lost interest in it .I usually eat four or five different vegetables every day and some fruit. I reduced my carbohydrate intake by about 80 to 90% for four months and walked an average 10 miles a day that was when the weather was warm. Currently, I ride a 220 KG motorcycle throughout the day and that probably burns a few calories. I still enjoy an occasional pain au chocolat with coffee..

You're a good boy. You're disciplined 😉

@TimeOutForMe Coming from a good girl that is a compliment. 😉

@ASTRALMAX I try 😊 I didn't get to do my parkruns and gym visits. I'm staying away due to covid-19. I hope I can get back on track next year again I've done ocean marathons in the past too. I cook at least 6 days of the week and prepare salads inbetween and healthy pasta dishes too but I don't eat beef and pork. I eat lamb very seldom. I stick to free range chicken and fish mostly and plenty vegetables. ...so a good girl most of the time 😂

@ASTRALMAX exactly that, a compliment 😉

@TimeOutForMe My daughter who took second place in the 2018 UKBFF Competition is also a personal instructor and gym manager. She arranged free family membership at a local branch of the gym network. After a vist to the local gym I was not very impressed because there seemed to be scant observation of the social distance rules. I relinquished membership for the time being and continue to do a daily workout at home.

@TimeOutForMe Thank You 🙂

@ASTRALMAX wise decision to stay away and be safe instead. I'm missing out on my diamond vitality status, down to silver now ...but I'll just catch up next year, can't stress about points right now.

@TimeOutForMe You can always do some form of physical exercise at home and there are plenty of videos on Youtube. Do you practice yoga?

@ASTRALMAX I don't do yoga. Classes all over here including at the gym. ...but I'm energetic enough so sort of lucky 😉 thankfully.

@TimeOutForMe Looking at some of the postures of those doing yoga makes me think that it is something that is best started at an early age. My daily workout routine includes some stretching exercises. 🙂
In both China and Japan it is common to see people in their 80's and 90's doing some form of exercise in public, maybe more so in China.

@ASTRALMAX you're right. I started off in the temple at a much younger age. ...but stopped going to the temple from a young age too.
Yes stretching is good enough as we get older, less strenuous but great benefits.

@TimeOutForMe I wholeheartedly agree 🙂

@ASTRALMAX my older son lives in Japan. He does a lot of walking and the gym is two blocks from their apartment. He's seen old Japanese men and women exercising in the park in Tokyo on one his walks. They are still fit at an older age.

@TimeOutForMe It is very encouraging when you see people in their 80's + standing on one leg and placing a foot on a bar that is higher than their heads..🙂

1

unfortuneatly for me usually basic stuff i ca n micro wave most of the time ,like accorn squash,veggys ,usually cook my meat on the bbq about 8 months out of the year,keeps heat and smells out of the house ,occasionally will do a crock pot but since retird i have actually tried making different dishes now that i have time and not a rushed life style ,love medettrain cooking , usually not a picky eater,not a fan of spicey foods ,love all meats except organ meat and all veggys but have to much junk or snack food to loose weight unfortunealty but have cut back

Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Indian does it for me😉

@TimeOutForMe only Med for me ,have never really got into those cuisines ,not a spicy ,curry person .love sushi also

1

I like it.

1

Sometimes I forget to do it.

I eat what occurs to me to eat when I remember about eating. I don't usually plan ahead more than...

Maybe chicken tonight. That sounds good.

0

I have been trying to eat healthily for decades, now. Veggies, raw, always accompany lunch, which frequently does include Virginia, or other processed ham, nonetheless. Tuna, and sardines, the latter on WW bread , each twice a week round out lunch. Whole wheat bread has mostly given way to whole wheat tortillas, which get cut in half. Breakfast is steel cut oatmeal served with blueberries and low-fat yogurt, to cut those carbs, 5 days a week. Two eggs and 1 slice of WW bread do fr the other 2 days.
Dinner is most often chicken, no skin, an occasional pork item, or fish, w/veggies. Portion control is a focus, as I've worked my way down towards 6 lbs. over my thin H.S. weight. I'm almost 18 lbs below my heaviest ever weight, which was 25 lbs. over the H.S.one. I have no chronic medical conditions, and am approaching an "almost" 80th year.

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