OT: Diets

[Lefty2one]

Do any of you enjoy food, go out to restaurants etc.? I'm all about eating healthy most of the time and exercising but many of you sound like you cut out good tasting food, good tasting restaurants altogether.

My wife and I rarely go out to eat, though part of that is our frugal nature. We cut out dining out when we started saving for a house years back and never went back to our previous habits. Cooking at home is enjoyable, cheap and healthy. We probably go out to eat 3-5 times per year and it's almost always when family drags us out. I can't remember the last time we went out to dinner ourselves outside of our anniversary or on a vacation. It's not something that we're interested in anymore. If we're really itching to go out, which is rare as well, we'll make dinner at home and then go get 1-2 drinks at a place.

My only real cheats are getting a pizza from Modern every couple of months and in the summer, even as a vegetarian, I'm getting one lobster roll per month in Jun/July/Aug.

 

[scrappy2.0]

I would rather live a rockin life until 65 then one of a pansy until 80.

I mean I get people " feeling better" by employing healthy habits. More power to you. If you don't feel miserable and deprived to accomplish that goal, you are ahead of the game. If it does make you miserable maybe rethinking your approach to life is in order.

What gets me is people who make themselves miserable over it for some future goal of longevity. What fun are you going to have at 77? Its fine if you are alive, no problems there, but I think being unhealthy in your 20s and 30s is more fun than being healthy in your 70's.

Why are people's lives geared toward the future always? A future that may never come no matter how many good decisions you may have made. Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans. No need to make it Torture.

Suck the marrow out of life everyday ( and for the purposes of this thread I mean literally go to Firebox and order some marrow and suck it down) . Bang some chicks, get hammered and blast a rail in a Buffalo Wild Wings bathroom stall. Eat some Arby's porkbelly.

No choice for me. Im in good physical shape. No smoking I can easily job 5 miles I lifted weights since I was 13 BUT my Dad died of a heart attack when he was 31 and his dad died of the same thing at 54. When I go to the doctor--I have no horrible habits to let him in on--but its always about what else can I do to prevent something bad. Last time I went he simply said I think you can drop 15-20 pounds and I did what he said. I gave up beer about 5 years ago--again not a choice that I really wanted. This is like the tourney--survive and advance. I have no days guaranteed for me.

 

[8893]

LMAO life IS struggle. Life IS pushing through misery. Life is not about stagnating in what is comfortable. You very clearly have never considered this.

I think you're wrong about that as pertains to August.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Sw33t m3lt

That's about what I expected

 

[Lefty2one]

Bang some chicks, get hammered and blast a rail in a Buffalo Wild Wings bathroom stall. Eat some Arby's porkbelly.

I mean, that was my life until I was about 32 or so. Then my body essentially told me to off. Started getting heartburn from damn near everything, started feeling chronically lethargic, drinking even three beers would give me a hangover the next day to the point where it was a useless/wasted day. It was a chore to get out of bed every morning, my brain did not want to wake up. Injuries and aches & pains started popping up. It stopped being fun and certainly wasn't "living life". There was no point in eating like crap and binge drinking when it meant I was spending the next 48 hours on the couch being a waste of space.

Sure, I eat the way I do because I hope to extend my life but it's even more about today. Having more energy, being in less pain, being able to do more. I don't need food/booze to "feel alive" or some nonsense. That sounds like an absurdly juvenile outlook on life.

 

[superjohn]

Sw33t m3lt

#Veganmelts

 

[bobbygt]

I'm not a big guy-5'8", and I've been around 150 my whole adult life. I'm pushing 165 now and I feel awful.

Short version- I was very active- playing soccer, reffing games, hiking, biking. Then last August, I came down with sciatica and the mri revealed 2 herniated discs. It was the most painful thing I've ever had. To make matters worse, my wife tore her acl at the exact same time.

Since absolutely nothing helped with the pain, I took to drinking a lot of beer.

Then in November, we found out my wife was pregnant with twins and her dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Stress high- more beer.

After her dad passed away in January, I inherited their liquor cabinet because her mom wanted to purge. So, I started experimenting with cocktails and making my own bitters.

On top of this, it's been unusually rainy in the bay area this year and it's been an exceptionally grey winter.

But, my wife was just diagnosed with gestational diabetes (pretty common for twins) so she has had to cut out sweets and carbs. Her diet has helped me tremendously and I've decided to have a drink only 2x per week- once on my 'night out' and then 1x on the weekend.

My sciatica is much better and even though I can't exercise like I would like, I walk a lot and have started to ride my bike a little.

I've just lost about 5lbs over the past two weeks. And I feel so much better.

So for me, the key is cutting out the booze (all kinds) and less carbs (sandwiches/pizza) and sweets.

It's not a longevity issue so much as a feel better right here, right now issue. For some annoying reason, I can get very grumpy after a night of pizza and beer- especially when my 5 year old wakes me up on Sat/Sun. Knowing that I'll be getting about 2 hours of sleep a night pretty soon with the little ones, being grumpy is not an option.

 

[August_West]

That's about what I expected

Someone who sees things in such absolutes isn't worth debating and is also not cognizant of all that is out there.
In fairness I wasn't either at your age. You'll get there, I think .... ( if your brain isn't atrophied from protein and B12 deficiencies)

 

[storrsroars]

Do any of you enjoy food, go out to restaurants etc.? I'm all about eating healthy most of the time and exercising but many of you sound like you cut out good tasting food, good tasting restaurants altogether.

Last night I made myself a sausage/mushroom/rapini/onion frittata with a glass of Grenache and a small bit of crusty bread with butter. As long as I keep the bread down, it's a pretty low-carb meal and delicious. Hell, RichZ's chili is low carb and (I imagine) delicious. All sorts of delicious possibilities out there.

Wife and I get lunch or dinner out once a week, usually. Pretty much any ethnic food is ok, although we never go out for pasta, but we never did anyway as we make it better at home (will still get a pizza about every other week for a cheat).

Also simply need to reiterate that chicken tenders are not adult food if that's where you were heading with this.

 

[8893]

I know we've talked about it before in a couple different threads, but Blue Apron has been really good for us in terms of providing good, whole meals with interesting flavor. We do the plan that delivers ingredients for two meals for four people each week. As mentioned before, the prep times are grossly underestimated and the salt is grossly overestimated (we cut it by like 75% and never miss it), but the meals are usually pretty well balanced and really good, and the portions are legit and don't leave you wanting.

This was last night's meal and it was excellent:

Recipe: Spicy Pork & Korean Rice Cakes with Baby Bok Choy - Blue Apron

 

[storrsroars]

So you're saying mebbe scrappy should slather some marrow on his Subway veggie subs? Would you apply on top of the egg whites, on the veggies or directly on the bread?

That is a horrible waste of good marrow.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Someone who sees things in such absolutes isn't worth debating and is also not cognizant of all that is out there.
In fairness I wasn't either at your age. You'll get there, I think .... ( if your brain isn't atrophied from protein and B12 deficiencies)

This. Putting aside the merits of either side's position, it is just flat out insufferable to listen to some 20-something kid who can't make a post without pointing out that he's had sex lecturing adults about how the world works.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

In the nineties I was pushing 260 and for a guy my age and poor eating habits it's a slippery slope to 300.
I'm 6'ft tall so the perception was never one of morbid obesity but I knew I was fst
If you graphed my weight change my adult life it was an extreme sawtooth.
I kidded that I probably had lost 1000 lbs in my lifetime.
I joined weight watchers in the 90's and lost 70 lbs and made what the call lifetime ( I don't have to pay for anything including thrir E-Tool AP)
I quickly stopped going to meeting and gained some of the weight back.
After retirement in 2007 I pretty much maintained my weight of about 220
As I was Golfing 200 rounds a year .
After events changed which limited my golf I started raining weight again by waist was 42"+, and approaching 240"
I went back to weight watchers with pretty low expectationd but within 4 or 5 month I was within my goal weight .
I decided to lose and additional 10bs . I've been around 178 since the summer of 2013 my waist is 34" and I feel better than I did at anytime in my life.
I walk 10-15000 steps a day and lift wright 4 or 5 times a week
I haven't played too much golf but the last time I played even though I was 73 I was driving the ball as far or farther than when I was in my 60's and plsyed every day. My overall game is another matter.
The best part of WW is it'd a plan you could sustain beyond the depravation period. A big issue with low carb.
You could lose weight with any number of regimines but sustaining that weight loss requires a simple plan.
The Big thing if I gains few lbs ,as binging never goes away ,you can easily get back on the program.

 

[temery]

Why does the slaughter, butchering, and consumption of innocent sentient beings have to be a part of any enjoyable life?

A super majority of people are in to consumption. If they had to slaughter and butcher, they'd like be vegans.

 

[temery]

This. Putting aside the merits of either side's position, it is just flat out insufferable to listen to some 20-something kid who can't make a post without pointing out that he's had sex lecturing adults about how the world works.

Fair enough. But somebody had to throw a little testosterone into this thread.

 

[Lefty2one]

Semi-related, anyone have good takes on coffee? I love, love, love coffee but gave it up a few months ago, which was much more difficult than any regular dietary change. I loved the process of making it, the smell, the taste, the buzz. Everything. Always drank it black. But man did it have a negative impact on me. Trouble sleeping, brain fog, etc. Granted I was making turbo jet fuel in my french press every morning, I think I'm a case of OD'ing on caffeine but I have no self control with the stuff. 16-32 oz a day of french press coffee is not good for my brain lol. I feel so much better after giving it up. Still have a cup of decaf a few times a month, which I'm pretty sure just makes matters worse.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Fair enough. But somebody had to throw a little testosterone into this thread.

Is that what that was?

 

[temery]

Is that what that was?

Not sure. But I'm fairly certain this thread could be published in Vanity Fair with great success.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Someone who sees things in such absolutes isn't worth debating and is also not cognizant of all that is out there.
In fairness I wasn't either at your age. You'll get there, I think .... ( if your brain isn't atrophied from protein and B12 deficiencies)

Oh, buddy! There are several salient points I'm trying to discuss. Points that you brought up yourself: the implied un-manliness of refraining from meat; how/why the average Westerner is so addicted to animal products to the point of becoming "miserable" without; the staving off of long-term interests for immediate and short-term gratification... and we can talk about a few of these concepts outside the realm of diet.

You shy away from serious discussion because you know you've never had anything more than "muh bacon" "muh ancestors" and "who wants to be old anyway!"

And you know that those fallacious "arguments" hold no ground against mine. I did tell @intlzncster not to make me shame you...

This. Putting aside the merits of either side's position, it is just flat out insufferable to listen to some 20-something kid who can't make a post without pointing out that he's had sex lecturing adults about how the world works.

Care to refute anything? Or are you only interested in trying to invalidate my aruments with my irrelevant age and a single irrelevant subordinate clause?

Please flex your intellect and bury my arguments.

 

[8893]

Semi-related, anyone have good takes on coffee? I love, love, love coffee but gave it up a few months ago, which was much more difficult than any regular dietary change. I loved the process of making it, the smell, the taste, the buzz. Everything. Always drank it black. But man did it have a negative impact on me. Trouble sleeping, brain fog, etc. Granted I was making turbo jet fuel in my french press every morning, I think I'm a case of OD'ing on caffeine but I have no self control with the stuff. 16-32 oz a day of french press coffee is not good for my brain lol. I feel so much better after giving it up. Still have a cup of decaf a few times a month, which I'm pretty sure just makes matters worse.

@storrsroars is the expert on coffee.

I love it, too, and am also kind of fanatical and snobby about it. Shocker, I know.

I used to drink it all day and, not surprisingly, that began to cause issues after several years.

I now drink only two cups (mugs) first thing in the morning, and then I drink Oolong tea the rest of the day.

No more issues for me--except when I don't have it. Then there is an issue for everyone.

I make my own with spring water, Willoughby's beans, a Breville burr grinder and a Behmor Brazen coffee maker.

 

[The Funster]

I called it the cancer diet.

I was 6'2, 220. Developed neck and throat cancer and lost 50lbs!

Nearly 2 years later the cancer is gone but 45 lbs. came back...I gotta find a better way.

 

[8893]

I called it the cancer diet.

I was 6'2, 220. Developed neck and throat cancer and lost 50lbs!

Nearly 2 years later the cancer is gone but 45 lbs. came back...I gotta find a better way.

Sorry to hear about the cancer, but glad to hear it's gone.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Yes the worst topic in the world
For two months I've been eating 3/4 of a veggie sub from Subway-- all veggies and I cut into 1/4 eating 3 a day. I add two egg whites to each one and have one bowl of oatmeal in the am with one small glass of ok then water all day I've lost 17 pounds in 9 weeks and it really doesn't feel like I'm deprived in anyway.

I'll risk saying I'm vegan. Please don't "at" me w/meat comments. Thanks.
I've dropped 36 pounds - have not been sick in over a year - am off all prescription meds - and am exercising better than I have my entire life.
No - I'm not deprived. I'm happy.

 

[storrsroars]

I make my own with spring water, Willoughby's beans, a Breville burr grinder and a Behmor Brazen coffee maker.

Damn, that's a better setup than I ever had at home!

I have no clue what, if any negative effects coffee has on me currently. Not that unusual for me to do 32-40 oz daily. If I go beyond that, I mitigate with water. My doctors just laugh when I tell them why I can't quit.

However, I have had caffeine poisoning on more than one occasion, and had to give up being a sensory judge at competition because I couldn't manage it well. A three day competition with pre-event sensory calibration might have one tasting 100 espresso drinks in 72 hours - and the ones you judge in actual competition have to be entirely consumed. So that can amount to more than 25 shots of espresso per day. It's not uncommon for a judge to go back to their hotel and vomit for a half hour or so.

 

[8893]

Damn, that's a better setup than I ever had at home!

Hey now! You're the one who shamed me about the Krups blade grinder I had been using for more than 20 years and made me buy the burr grinder.