My small recovery and self care steps for the week. Please wish me luck :D and share your recovery steps if you want

[seabird]

@seabird

I am craving sweets like crazy after 4 months of no sugar, its wrecking my diet.

can you explain more about the mechanism that causes sugar cravings?

Sorry for delay, I have been busy today and just saw this now.

I'm sorry that the craving hasn't abated Angie. From what I understand, ingesting sugar gives our brain a reliable hit of dopamine. This is what drugs like cocaine and heroine do, as well as other foods and circumstances. When we eat normal meal we are also rewarded with dopamine, and when we eat the same foods that boost or reward is a bit lower. This doesn't happen with sugar, it keeps on giving the brain that hit of dopamine. It is possible that if you've been dieting, then the brain is perhaps craving what its been used to? You may be able to soothe it by bringing in interesting and new foods (healthy ones) which will give a bit of a boost.

Here are some articles with solid info. The second link is a ted talk about sugar.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3124340/

https://www.ted.com/talks/nicole_avena_how_sugar_affects_the_brain/transcript

 

[seabird]

No need to stop as far as I'm concerned. I think it's good to talk about things like this.


I seem to get lots of protein, and I eat primarily whole foods. I think I crave sweets more when I don't exercise.

Exercise, done regularly, helps balance us in so many ways. It's literally medicine to us, to get some movement in our days, every day if possible. Even 3 or 4 daily 10 minute walks around or inside one's home is hepful, if a person is just starting out.

About the reward system and dopamine; it's a huge subject and I'm not a scientist or nutritionist. I know after a couple of decades of fighting anxiety, depression and suicidality, that for me that I have to keep after several other activities and behaviours which give me rewards, besides food. Finding and being on SF is one.

hugs

 

[iloverachel]

This sounds awesome!

I've heard that it's good not to eat anything for a few hours before bedtime, but I hadn't heard anything about carbs in particular at night.

Those might be good, but there's some risk to your back and knees if exercises like these aren't done correctly.

I've had a lot of success with traditional Chinese dietary therapy. The core concept is to eat freshly cooked whole foods served warm. Chewing thoroughly is also good.

There's also notions of what foods to eat and not eat, which can vary significantly between person to person. Most people should eat primarily vegetables and grains, with only small amounts of everything else.

A little bit of fruit can be ok, but from this perspective more than that can be a problem, especially since fruits are often consumed cold and raw.

Unsweetened yoghurt with live cultures is considered the best form of dairy. Any amount of dairy can be a problem for some people (not just people who are lactose intolerant), especially if you're overweight.

That's just my 2 cents on the subject. However you proceed, I hope it works well for you.

Thank you for being helpful as always! Appreciate it

 

[iloverachel]

Exercise, done regularly, helps balance us in so many ways. It's literally medicine to us, to get some movement in our days, every day if possible. Even 3 or 4 daily 10 minute walks around or inside one's home is hepful, if a person is just starting out.

About the reward system and dopamine; it's a huge subject and I'm not a scientist or nutritionist. I know after a couple of decades of fighting anxiety, depression and suicidality, that for me that I have to keep after several other activities and behaviours which give me rewards, besides food. Finding and being on SF is one.

hugs

a couple of decades of anxiety and depression sounds frightening. Its been 8 years of dealing with it and its pure torture.

Have you been able to manage the anxiety and depression, or is it still bad for you?

 

[seabird]

a couple of decades of anxiety and depression sounds frightening. Its been 8 years of dealing with it and its pure torture.

Have you been able to manage the anxiety and depression, or is it still bad for you?

hugs back

Yes, maybe not to the degree I'd hoped, but it's a lot less. I used to have panic attacks, and was unable to deal with being in some kinds of environments.

Running, and keeping physically fit more or less, is what changes me for the better, I guess. I'm alive.

ALso like I was going on about with the sugar, keeping myself away from addictive substances. Addiction is what happended to my brother - we were a lot alike.

 

[KM76710]

2nd day of diet and training went well. Hope I can keep this up
Have a good day everyone

I believe in you that you can keep things up, and you have a nice looking set up on the working out.

 

[MisterBGone]

my brother - we were a lot alike.

I'm so sorry... I've always wondered what it was like, to have a sibling like that, especially even more-so . . . Maybe? When it is a brother/sister, or sister/brother relationship dynamic. As we could not have fought anymore vehemently, from start to finish (while under one roof!). So, it is both heartbreaking to hear of your story. But I also admire it, greatly--even though, it remains something of a mystery to me (how they - those kinds of sibling relationships - not necessarily can exist, but that they do exist~ is a very foreign feeling to/or for me, to try & imagine). Although it has evened or leveled out significantly ever since we've reached Adulthood. I'd also say that we haven't spent an incredible amount of time with one another.

And in case I misread it, I am sorry for that, but even that you were very similar in some ways. That is still also very different from how my Sister & I are. There's almost nothing we have in common. Or any (other) ways in which I can think of, that we are alike!

 

[MisterBGone]

a couple of decades of anxiety and depression sounds frightening. Its been 8 years of dealing with it and its pure torture.

Have you been able to manage the anxiety and depression, or is it still bad for you?

I hope that it gets easier for you to navigate, and to maintain a semblance of sanity with which, or how the symptoms--when at their worst--can present themselves, and seem to/or seemingly, "terrorize" our own lives. I do understand this, yes I know. . .

& I think you're doing a great job, here-too, with this, by the way!

 

[iloverachel]

I hope that it gets easier for you to navigate, and to maintain a semblance of sanity with which, or how the symptoms--when at their worst--can present themselves, and seem to/or seemingly, "terrorize" our own lives. I do understand this, yes I know. . .

& I think you're doing a great job, here-too, with this, by the way!

thank you. I am on my 4th day of clean eating

 

[iloverachel]

I believe in you that you can keep things up, and you have a nice looking set up on the working out.

thank you my friend

 

[Harrow]

Dude you've got this. Proud of you for wanting to do all those steps 😊

 

[iloverachel]

Dude you've got this. Proud of you for wanting to do all those steps 😊

Thank you my friend
Hope you are doing well

 

[iloverachel]

my healty dinner for today. Lean beef with brown rice, lettuce tomato onion.

Will be going to the gym tonight. It will be busy and outside my comfort zone but i will try my best to overcome my fears.

Have a good day and thanks for reading

 

[iloverachel]

Hey guys just an update!
Went to the gym by myself for the first time in a very long time! I have severe anxiety around crowded places so I forced myself to get up at 4:30 am to walk to the gym and it was almost completely empty which was great

8 days of clean eating so far with just 1 cheat meal

Slowly feeling better, more motivated about life and my passion for lifting is slowly coming back. I still have some bad moments here and there but feel an improvement overall

 

[iloverachel]

2nd morning session of gym done.my current body weight is 102.5kg .goal is to lose fat and be 95kg

 

[seabird]

Well done #2 weight work. Nice clean looking machines iloverachel. That is superb you found a time to go do your workouts which feels betteer for you.

 

[iloverachel]

Well done #2 weight work. Nice clean looking machines iloverachel. That is superb you found a time to go do your workouts which feels betteer for you.

Thanks how have you been. Do you still go for ealks in nature. I'm walking a bit now at the park. Nice and quiet in the morning

 

[KM76710]

You are doing very well, and a nice mix of the lifting and taking it easier with the walking and cardio.

 

[iloverachel]

You are doing very well, and a nice mix of the lifting and taking it easier with the walking and cardio.

Thank you my friend
Hope you are doing well

 

[seabird]

Thanks how have you been. Do you still go for ealks in nature. I'm walking a bit now at the park. Nice and quiet in the morning

Seems a very pleasant place to stroll. Pictures of walks, runs, hikes, even tiny bits of travel are cool to see.

I'm doing my (slow) runs 3 to 5 times a week. Today's was a little over 8k/5 miles. Nature walks ... not as much. Those were happening because I lived within walking distance of the preserved littoral rainforest next to the ocean.