Achilles Heel Thread

[Ultralight]

For me it all food-related, I think.

1. I overeat.
2. I eat some unhealthy foods.
3. I eat at restaurants too often.

Food. Food. Food.

[catherine]

This used to be a big issue for me. When I started getting better sleep I suddenly felt more energized (suddenly was after a few weeks of catching up on sleep), I found myself being more productive and I procrastinated less. You mentioned that you're a bit sleep deprived. Could that have something to do with it?

Good suggestion, but I've been a life-long procrastinator, and I have a decent energy level throughout most days. My energy is just diverted to other things. Having a report due always seems like the best time to clean out a closet.

But on the sleep-deprived note, I got a Fitbit about 2 months ago and was astounded to see that my average sleep time is only 6 hours 30 minutes, even though I'm pretty regular about my 8-hour bedtimes/wake times. Pretty sure the dog is too blame.

[Williamsmith]

Definitely my lack of patience. I hate standing in lines, waiting on someone else, relying on someone else. I want things done my way, on my terms, to my satisfaction. Because of this, I have a secondary Achilles heel. Outwardly, I look very calm and cool. Inside, I am boiling and I have an explosive temper. Not violent. There is a difference. I have learned how to avoid turmoil and since my retirement I have become very even tempered. But my family is always looking for signs and knows how to deescalate potential confrontations. I have researched this myself and determined that I can recognize hypervigilence as a developing trait that threatens my happiness. So I place myself in stressful situations in order to practice patience, place my trust in others including strangers and thus....I can make small steps away from any effects of PTSD like symptoms. I'm not saying I have PTSD. I don't think I do but ask others and you might get different opinions.

[Tybee]

I seem to have more Achilles heels than I have feet. . .

[Geila]

I seem to have more Achilles heels than I have feet. . .

[Geila]

The treats have not cascaded so far, but there will be a big gathering at Thanksgiving.

Yesterday I ate only a salad at 11:30 and wasn't hungry until 7 PM. I never go that long without wanting to eat, so maybe I am getting somewhere. It had lettuce*, tomatoes** onion, feta cheese, chia seeds, tahini, oregano** and thyme**. *locally grown **from my garden
Edited to add: and a hardboiled egg

Have any of you found that fresher, more flavorful foods fill you up better?

Geila berries are a better fruit. Do nuts, seeds, or sugarfree yogurts appeal to you? A hardboiled egg? A piece of cheese? Celery with natural peanut butter?

Yppej - your salad sounds delicious!

My body does not handle dairy very well. Occasional cheese is okay, but yogurt is not (shame too because I like yogurt). Peanuts/peanut butter don't work well either. Nuts like pistachios/almonds are ok in small quantities. Eggs work very well so I use them a lot in salads. I also like deviled eggs.

I think I'll take some time today to boil a batch of eggs and prep some broccoli for eating with olive oil and lemon juice. I'd also like to cook up some meat to make tacos with romaine leaves instead of tortillas. I've really liked that in the past. There's also a Vietnamese grilled pork that I really like with greens. It has a bit of sugar but I find that if I eat the sugar with protein, fat, and veggies, it's not a problem.

Oh, I've been wanting to try tahini!

[SteveinMN]

Right now I can say, "No, you're not having X. Have some fruit instead." And it works. Not sure what I'll do when the fruit is not an option either. Maybe veggies or salad prepped and ready to eat in the fridge.

Veggies/salad is good. Watch commercially-prepared dressings, though -- many of them have surprising amounts of sugar even if they don't taste sweet.

Pickles are good -- they're my go-to (again, not the sweet ones though, tbh, some of the commercial ones are far too vinegary for me). Roasted seaweed snacks and pork rinds fill the "chip and pretzel" void for me quite well. A taste of high-fat something is good, too -- an ounce of cheese, a little (plain) yogurt, a few slices of pepperoni or salami, a hard-boiled egg. Fat is not the enemy here and is more satisfying for a longer period than even complex carbs.

Gradual is good. Having a substitute ready when the pang hits is even better.

[Float On]

Oh food. Definitely a week area for me. I've noticed over the last year that I eat too late in the day. Use to never eat after 6pm but now I seem to consume most of my food between 6-9pm! No wonder I'm reaching for the Tums almost nightly and then not in the mood for breakfast or lunch the next day. I'm out of balance. I will work on that.

CL: Congrats and wonderful improvements over the last year. I like that you looked at it that way. Sometimes we never see a change until we take a longer view. Progress is progress!

[Geila]

Vent.

I'm so hungry today. I did a short walk this morning because my old knee injury has been bothering me since the weekend. And I planned a quiet day today to acclimate the kitty to the family, so not much other physical activity. But it's like I just can't eat enough. I have the TOM coming up this weekend, but normally I don't get hungry this early.

It's 11:30 and I've already had:
coffee
banana
scrambled eggs with sausage and sauteed cabbage
banana
apple
bowl of chicken broth

I'm still hungry and I'm feeling a bit of stomach cramps, the kind you get with the TOM. I'm going to prepare some linguica with broccoli next. I think when I eat fruit it actually makes me hungrier. I've been having about 3 pieces of fruit per day. I've already had that so I'm going to avoid any more fruit today.

ETA: I'm also feeling more nausea than the past couple of days. I had plans to cut back on the morning coffee but it did not happen.

[JaneV2.0]

Fruit, and carbohydrates in general, make you hungry by raising insulin, known as the "hunger hormone." That, in turn, really messes with your blood sugar levels. And the cycle continues. Also, fruit--fructose--is directly metabolized by the liver and can lead to tissue damage, including fatty liver.