Everywhere you look, obesity is there. I am not advocating to be a food policeman, but we need to start making a voice in our land. People do not like being overweight. But certain foods are addictive and the public needs to be educated on proper unbiased nutrition. Meat and dairy products and foods that are fried are absolutely in no way beneficial to the human body. The human physiological system is completely adaptable to a total vegetarian diet. But with the refined sugars and fatty foods that poison our body and cloud our minds, addiction sets in deep and becomes 'nearly' impossible to break the bonds.
I am challenging every nurse to take up the baton on this one. If we, health care professionals cannot make the first stand on the nutrition value of America, then the general population have little to no hope.
Marla, that's an interesting concept. I don't listen much to my body, meaning I keep eating when if I would stop and listen, it might tell me that I'm full and it's time to stop eating. I like the way the older Okinawans do it, eat until you're almost full, or 80% full. I know I wouldn't stuff myself with junk if I listened, because ultimately I feel better.
EmerN, kudos on the weight loss. That can work for me too - portion control (something I'm not too good at) and cutting out the junk food.
Along the same lines: The article is about six months old, but presents a study that showed a vegan diet helped diabetics better than the traditional ADA. Naturally it's one study and should be looked at with criticism, but interesting nonetheless. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/26/health/webmd/main1837927.shtml
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
I do not know when I am hungry.
I do not know when I am full.
I never know when "enough really is enough"......
I have no clue cause I am an emotional eater. Can you believe that? I have messed up my mind and body so much that I am truly unsure what I need and when. My cues are all messed up by messages that tell me to binge on something stupid----be it chocolate or crackers and cheese---or starve myself for a day cause I am gaining weight. My poor body....I even "binge" on vegetable juice. No food is safe in my house when I am in an emotional state. Food is my substance of abuse choice.....I abuse it with abandon and harm no one but myself, so something in me has told me "this is ok" to do.
I don't know when to start.
I don't know when to stop.
How's that for messed up?
I have been working on this and trying to heal myself and make myself realize, on the deepest, subconscious levels that food is not something we use for emotional healing. It is just so sad to me, being unable to tell true metabolic hunger from emotional hunger.
I am sure I am not the only one so-affected. I only pray my kids don't end up on this road I find myself traveling.
This is my story, anyhow. It can't be all that different than so many others who don't know when to quit and become part of the 'fatting of America". Be careful how harshly you judge that fat person you see; you have no idea what path he or she may be walking. But you can be sure it's a lonely one.
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
I do not know when I am hungry.
I do not know when I am full.
I never know when "enough really is enough"......
I have no clue cause I am an emotional eater. Can you believe that? I have messed up my mind and body so much that I am truly unsure what I need and when. My cues are all messed up by messages that tell me to binge on something stupid----be it chocolate or crackers and cheese---or starve myself for a day cause I am gaining weight. My poor body....I even "binge" on vegetable juice. No food is safe in my house when I am in an emotional state. Food is my substance of abuse choice.....I abuse it with abandon and harm no one but myself, so something in me has told me "this is ok" to do.
I don't know when to start.
I don't know when to stop.
How's that for messed up?
I have been working on this and trying to heal myself and make myself realize, on the deepest, subconscious levels that food is not something we use for emotional healing. It is just so sad to me, being unable to tell true metabolic hunger from emotional hunger.
I am sure I am not the only one so-affected. I only pray my kids don't end up on this road I find myself traveling.
This is my story, anyhow. It can't be all that different than so many others who don't know when to quit and become part of the 'fatting of America". Be careful how harshly you judge that fat person you see; you have no idea what path he or she may be walking. But you can be sure it's a lonely one.
Deb, you are exactly where I've been for forty years. I don't even remember a time in my life where I didn't think about food all the time, what I wanted to eat, where and how to get it, and of course, how to hide it. I was so terrified of being without food that I'd eat 'prophylactically"---in other words, eat when I wasn't hungry just in case I were to be hungry later and couldn't get to food. I also ate whenever I felt bored, angry, sad, depressed, left out, lonely, tired, lazy, and even when I was happy.
Honestly, sweetie, I'm still not entirely sure what hit me; all I know is that now I eat to live.........I no longer live to eat. And the compulsive drive to overeat is just GONE---I just don't look to food to cope with my emotions anymore. It's lost its loaded meanings somehow and become what it is: fuel. It's not love, friendship, success, fulfillment, stimulation, money, popularity, security, or any of the other things people think they're missing, and no matter how much one stuffs oneself, food will never replace any of them.
I think that getting rid of GUILT is also a major factor in learning to stop overeating. I've struggled with it most of my life, and I think it's probably the single most destructive emotion human beings can have. I also think that it's a self-fulfilling prophecy---when you lose the guilt and start treating yourself better, you feel better because you're not letting anyone (including yourself) down by being self-destructive!
Don't get me wrong, I'm never going to be convinced I'm 'cured' of compulsive eating, anymore than I'm cured of alcoholism just because I haven't taken a drink in 15 years. I will always have to be on guard, even though food has lost most of its allure, because unlike alcohol and drugs, one cannot give up food entirely. I'm also under no illusions that I'm going to lose enormous amounts of weight, although I'm reasonably sure I can get down to a weight that's much healthier than where I am now (not to mention where I WAS). It took me many, many years to get to this size; I don't see myself losing 200 pounds anytime soon, and probably never. But whatever I do manage to lose will help me achieve better health, which at my age is all it should be about anyway.
I can't tell you what to do, Deb, but if you can draw anything from what I've learned, I hope it's this: Do whatever it takes to get rid of whatever guilt you may be living with. Guilt is unproductive, takes too much joy out of life, and it only hurts you. Be gentle with yourself, you are only starting the journey........it gets better. I promise.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Funny you bring up "guilt" Marla. That is the central issue my therapist says I am tackling too. I guess you guys are pretty smart. So WHY am I spending so much on HIM when you are helping me for FREE???? ROFL
You are so wise. And I am truly happy to see you're on a good path. You seem so very much at peace with everything: who you are, your life and what you do with it. I am very happy for you. Keep up the great living. Like the commercial says, "I'm not there yet, but I will be". I know I will.
I know I'm going to sound like a freak, but I actually like counting calories. I am keeping it between 1200-1500/day and I have lost 19 pounds since Jan.2nd. I know that's kind of fast but I am never hungry. I eat snack all the time.
I love planning out my calorie plan for the day and keeping my little journal with me.
Specializes in ICU, ED, Transport, Home Care, Mgmnt.
If we ran fast enough to get our heart rate into the "target zone", they would think that a code had been called.
If I ran fast enough to get to a "target zone" I'd need that code team and probably a back board and Ccollar and a lot of strong good looking men to pick me up off the floor.
Dairy, when you look at the good things about it, is about as perfect a health food as you can get....calcium, protein, all those great vitamins and minerals.
The dairy industry really does a very good job at selling these points. Especially the "we have to drink milk for the calcium to prevent osteoporosis" thing. Americans eat so poorly personally I think people should drink milk because we get so precious little good things in our diet.
However, vegans such as the original poster (whom is no longer here, so don't bother talking to him -this message is for everyone reading this thread) know a darker side to dairy, the hormones, the antibiodics, the cruelty, the fact that we are one of the top four dairy consumers yet also have one of the top four rates of osteoporosis, and the fact that it is not biologically necessary to consume another species milk (we were meant to drink mom's milk and then be weaned), among other things.
http://www.notmilk.com/ is an interesting site. It's a bit propagandish, but so is the dairy industry, so read with an open mind, but with a grain of salt too.
There's good and bad in just about everything isn't there.
Tweety, BSN, RN
36,304 Posts
Marla, that's an interesting concept. I don't listen much to my body, meaning I keep eating when if I would stop and listen, it might tell me that I'm full and it's time to stop eating. I like the way the older Okinawans do it, eat until you're almost full, or 80% full. I know I wouldn't stuff myself with junk if I listened, because ultimately I feel better.
EmerN, kudos on the weight loss. That can work for me too - portion control (something I'm not too good at) and cutting out the junk food.