That settles it...

[jay]

I've already restarted workouts and skating over the past two weeks... I need to start skipping meals again. Must lose the 6-7 lbs I've regained since mid-July... When those close to me begin agreeing with me that I'm out of shape and not particularly physically attractive, that's time to fully mobilize. No breakfast for me ;).

Comments

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

Meal-skipping... calories are calories, on a daily basis.

Simply not true, Brian. Living systems are very different from non-living ones. There are plenty of studies out there that show that the type of food you eat matters, as does how much you eat at any given time, and the time of day you eat it.

People react very differently to all these different variables, of course, and for SOME people the total number of calories doesn't appear to matter nearly as much as the percentage that comes from carbohydrates (there is good science behind the current craze, even if most people on the bandwagon shouldn't be there or are doing for all the wrong reasons). The trick will be to figure out which one(s) of these factors are most important FOR YOU, AT THIS TIME IN YOUR LIFE. Clearly, your youthful metabolism has now deserted you, and you need to pay attention where you didn't used to. I know that I never used to need to do "extra" excercise--the amount of moving around I got in my "normal" activities was sufficient. But that's not true anymore, so I now have to add exercise into my schedule (which is a real nuisance).


And it is easier to, say, skip breakfast and then go out to lunch with friends, than to try to eat two tiny meals.

Easier, but likely to screw with your metabolism so that by the time you're 80 you're surviving on tea and toast and still gaining weight. Why not go out to lunch with friends and share an entree? Or have a salad? Really, Brian, studies HAVE shown that it's easier to maintain a steady, healthy weight if you actually have a small amount of food for breakfast.

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

I've tried to shift to a lower-carbohydrate diet over the past year, with some success... not as formalized as the pop-culture diet fads, but ketosis agrees with me. Too bad I don't fancy salads, though, or most vegetables... I'd rather skip a meal than eat a salad, most days. I'd *run* from brussels sprouts! ;)

Folate is a vitamin

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

By definition, vitamins are substances vital to health which have to be ingested. Greens are particular important for folate. However, there are many other important nutrients which can be obtained at least partially from greens.

So, the trick is to find ways to eat greens that you actually enjoy. One friend adores huge ricotta and 'spinach' stuffed cannelloni with tomato sauce, which can be made with just about any cooked green, and be low in saturated fat. Another adores greens stir-fried with chilli and nuts, Thai-style. Spending time enjoying cooking seems to be a reasonably reliable way to fall in love with vegetables, if you're imaginative, resourceful and persistent enough...

Vegetables aren't optional ... poor diet choices may well be as significant a contribution to cancer deaths as is smoking.

[geekchick]

Brussels sprouts are nasty. But they're far from the only vegetables out there. Perhaps it's time to branch out a bit. Incorporate vegetables into your meal, rather than just sitting down with a bowl of iceburg lettuce and a tomato. Try a stir fry with chicken and vegetables. Or a bowl of soba with vegetables. Or a vegetarian lasagne. That cannelloni purpletigron mentioned sounds delicious, in fact. =)