Eating healthfully: a ramble

[cjsmith]

I eat a staggering amount of Various Things Bad For Me. (Also: I am still not exercising and my feet still hurt. Hey, maybe that's why I'm staggering!) I should note that this is not truly heinous. If I had to stack myself up against all the shoulds in the nutrition world, I might get a grade of something like C+. Still, when I write it all down for a while, that forces a modicum of honesty.

Y'know what's so hard for me about making better eating choices? It's not just one decision. (Well, there's usually one "big" decision, a resolution of some kind. But also --) It's a huge, long, unending, overwhelming list of LITTLE decisions.

F'rex. It's 11:30. My stomach's rumbly. Lunch is in an hour or less. Do I need a snack at such a moment? If so, what will I choose? If I eat a snack, will I eat the same lunch I would otherwise have had?

Let's take a little tour of my office. Over here is the tea, and a mug I love. No, I didn't bring any food in, so let's walk down the hall. What does the break room look like? Ah, a cornucopia of sweet and fatty bounty! Potato chips, Reese's peanut butter cups, Starbursts, Luna and Clif bars, M&Ms, fruit if it's Monday, bagels and cream cheese if it's Tuesday.

When I wander into the kitchen here at work, the chocolate caaaaallllls me. Mmm, CJ, it says in its silky-smooth little chocolatey voice. I would taste sooooo good. Wouldn't I? And then my Amateur Psychologist brain gets into the act. Is this about entitlement, CJ? it asks me. You've been working yourself awfully hard. Don't you deserve a treat? Its cheerful, upbeat contralto is hard to resist. The fruit, if present, is silent. Silly! Fruit can't talk!

If I snag a Reese's, the next voice I hear will be my Amateur Doctor brain. Aren't you descended from Type II diabetics on both sides of the family? You PASS OUT around needles, remember? Do you think that would be some kind of fun adventure? You can't opt back out of that one, you know. The devious Amateur Psychologist agrees: I'm sure you know better ways to take care of yourself. What stops you from doing them? (I think the Amateur Psychologist's name is Janice. Janus? Um, moving along.)

Funny, it's not even Reese's that I want. I want deep delicious dark chocolate. (See, less sugar!) And tea. And a vacation -- a few days where Reese's, or any decisions made when tired and hungry, don't count. And different genes. *sigh*.

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

all those damn low-carbing carnivores.

Why the cuss, are they rude about it? I hate it when people are rude about their particular food religions. Is it frustrating to be the only veggie around?

Wow, I don't usually have the jitteriness (I think) but I do have nerve pain from it. (Well, increased by it, anyway.) My doctor thinks it's because caffeine can trigger inflammation. I know anti-inflams HELP the pain so if caffeine causes inflammation, then it all hangs together. If a lot of your pain is inflammation-based then maybe it's worth looking into.

Yes, TEMPERATURE!! for me too. Wowee.

[just-cyd.livejournal.com]

Why the cuss, are they rude about it?

my frustration is from the low-carb craze in general. we get TONS of new products in every single day. nearly all edible ones are low-carb. the quick-fix mentality frustrates me to no end. Yes, there are some people who must follow that type of diet, but making every food out there low carb will NOT do any good for the general population until people learn simple things like, oh, i dunno, moderation? self-discipline? maybe some good old-fashioned common sense? (ok. rant over!)

and yes, being the lone vegetarian in a fairly conservative (narrow-minded?) office is difficult. i try to have a sense of humor about it, but it doesn't always work.

as for the pain, the more i get into my treatments and diagnoses, the more i wonder how much my pain is inflammation-based, and if perhaps that's why the anti-inflamms aren't providing any relief.

it was fifteen degrees last night. i woke up feeling like the Tin Man in dire need of his oil can. it hasn't gone away. :(

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

my frustration is from the low-carb craze in general.

Ah, ok. Frankly I could care less what other people eat unless they are being rude about it in some way, but I think I'm in the minority there. You're not alone.

Me, I am healthier when I eat less carbs. Not zero, but less. Particularly sugars. It's because of inflammation, surprisingly enough! Plus of course the diabetes worry.

i try to have a sense of humor about it, but it doesn't always work.

I just bet. I have a coworker who's vegan, and it's got to be just mind-bogglingly annoying when everyone around him gets free food at the company brunch but there's nothing he can eat. Nothing. I feel for him. He's pretty philosophical about it, but still... :-(

the more i wonder how much my pain is inflammation-based, and if perhaps that's why the anti-inflamms aren't providing any relief.

Hmmmm. They don't help? That seems to me like a big clue waiting for a detective to come pick it up. I would have thought a lot of your pain was from inflammation.

Fifteen degrees! Yikes! I hope you have LOTS of covers and the cats snuggling up to you all night.