About Me

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I have recovered from the disease of Alcoholism. I believe there is only one person really,.. everybody. And that peace of mind is everything. -So treat your neighbor as you would treat yourself, because your neighbor IS yourself. I think most of recovery is what I would call common sense, but that learning to be ordinary is a true gift very few people acquire. My ambition is to accept everything unflinchingly, with compassion, and therefore be intrinsically comfortable in my own skin, no matter what. I am comfortable being uncomfortable and am willing to go to any lengths to improve my life. I believe the Big Book was divinely inspired, and is extraordinarily powerful. Unfortunately AA's best kept secret a lot of the time. (In my opinion). I just try to do what works, no matter what it is.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

No such thing as a free lunch

Before I started going to the gym, I really thought that people who were in good shape just had more exercise-type bodies, or higher metabolisms. It NEVER crossed my mind that they just ate a LOT less than I did and really pushed themselves to go to the gym every day.
Well I put some weight on while I was studying, and its only since my exams that I've got back to more of a 'normal' routine. Thank GOD the fat % has dropped. A bit. But my GOD, It makes you realize how much you can let things slide. This time around, I've noticed that some foods are just making me feel ILL, so I've cut them out. Even I am surprised how few foods really 'work'. This is what I have discovered. Here are some things that I CANNOT eat (at the moment anyway) without putting on weight and feeling, fat, bloated, and generally EXHAUSTED.

Sugar
Honey. And other sugars.
Bread, Wheat.
Potatoes and other high GI veg.
Dairy
Eggs
High Gi fruits.
Fruit juice
Processed foods

What I CAN eat:
Raw vegetables
Unroasted nuts. Seeds.
Pulses.
Whole wheat brown rice
Spelt stuff
Cherries. They are low gi. And other low gi fruits.
Quorn occasionally. Yeah I know its processed, but it seems to be agreeing with me at the moment..
Meat VERY occasionally
Soya milk, and other non dairy milks

So there you go. Depressing isn't it?
Yeah on top of that, I have to go to the gym pretty much every day.
No wonder half the country is either becoming obese or in danger of heart disease and diabetes, if this is what I have to do to shift some fat. Oh yeah, and I only really eat once a day. (Admittedly quite a LOT once a day!) Crap isnt it? All those adverts and the stuff they sell you in supermarkets really make you think it is 'ok' to eat all that stuff. Yeah right! Dream on!
Anyway, the GOOD news is that I FINALLY feel a bit like my old self, even though I've still got quite a bit of work to get back to the way I was before I started all that study. But at least I am starting to feel a bit more normal. Thank GOD!
Why are there NO shortcuts or 'easier, softer ways' for ANYTHING in life???
Oh well. Never mind eh.
Yeah I know this is a high class problem, but I'm just a bit shocked at how draconian one has to be to shift a bit of weight and not feel exhausted these days. That's all. Us alkies. We do LOVE a shortcut don't we?

4 comments:

johno said...

interesting stuff. I find that eating or rather grazing through the day helps me overall than one big meal, things levelled out, moods and HALT stuff. But thats just me, I havent got it cracked though, somedays am rubbish at eating and revert back!! Yeh the easier softer way is hard work at times. But its is so worth it.

Most of Martha Woodroof in one place said...

Okay, call me crazy but I enjoy the gym. I'm a journalist, so always pushing against deadlines, and for me a good workout is better than a Manhattan ever was Plus, I think of healthy self-discipline as an investment for old age--which I guess is just about here, actually. I want to be able to dance all night when I'm eighty.

Sarah said...

I'm a grazer too, my HALT gets away from me easily otherwise. But I have recently noticed the big mood swings I get after white flour and refined sugar . . . it just doesn't seem worth it.

Quite different than when I first got sober and couldn't get enough sugar.

It's so great to get to know my body again. I spent so long punishing or ignoring it.

Shadow said...

i'm glad you're getting your routine back.

i bounce, on a mini trampoline, about 20-30 minutes, 4-5 days a week. it works for me.

and also only eat once a day...