This blog entry started out as just a quick blurb to go along with an article I was forwarding on Facebook, and quickly morphed into a larger analysis of how this year has gone for me, with regards to my 2013 resolution to lose weight and get healthier.
Here's the full text: Forget Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead.
The whole article is awesome, and an excerpt that really spoke to me is this:
1. Goals reduce your current happiness.
When you’re working toward a goal, you are essentially saying, “I’m not good enough yet, but I will be when I reach my goal.”
The problem with this mindset is that you’re teaching yourself to always put happiness and success off until the next milestone is achieved. “Once I reach my goal, then I’ll be happy. Once I achieve my goal, then I’ll be successful.”
SOLUTION: Commit to a process, not a goal.
Choosing a goal puts a huge burden on your shoulders. Can you imagine if I had made it my goal to write two books this year? Just writing that sentence stresses me out.
But we do this to ourselves all the time. We place unnecessary stress on ourselves to lose weight or to succeed in business or to write a best-selling novel. Instead, you can keep things simple and reduce stress by focusing on the daily process and sticking to your schedule, rather than worrying about the big, life-changing goals.
When you focus on the practice instead of the performance, you can enjoy the present moment and improve at the same time.
2. Goals are strangely at odds with long-term progress.
You might think your goal will keep you motivated over the long-term, but that’s not always true.
Consider someone training for a half-marathon. Many people will work hard for months, but as soon as they finish the race, they stop training. Their goal was to finish the half-marathon and now that they have completed it, that goal is no longer there to motivate them. When all of your hard work is focused on a particular goal, what is left to push you forward after you achieve it?
This can create a type of “yo-yo effect” where people go back and forth from working on a goal to not working on one. This type of cycle makes it difficult to build upon your progress for the long-term.
Wow. Yeah... been there, learned that the hard way, and I'm doing my best to keep reminding myself that it's not about the destination, it's about the journey, as clichéd as that is. I have a pretty hard head, so I have to keep hammering the idea in.
My journey this year has had it's ups and downs. I've had setbacks with back injuries, weight gain from steroids used to treat said injuries, knee injuries, and my weight doing the yo-yo up and down with various vacations and times I lost my focus. I've made a lot of progress this year, but it's been anything but smooth sailing. Initially, I was only keeping track of my progress by weights and tape measurements. I'd get too hung up on those numbers, and when the pounds and inches weren't coming off as fast as I thought they should be, I'd get incredibly frustrated and discouraged, and I'd lose my motivation.
I lost a nice bit of weight pretty quickly in the first five months or so of 2013, but then the pounds started coming off REALLY slowly, and my scale progress slowed to a snail's pace. I was counting calories, eating healthy more often than not, and working out, but that promised 2 lb loss per week just wasn't happening, and it was really messing with my mojo. I slipped back a bit, but eventually managed to get myself back on track.
A few months ago, I got the okay from my doc to start the "Couch to 5k" running program. It's supposed to be an 8 week program to take a beginning runner from novice to 5k (or 30 minutes.) I started in late September, and I've had some stops and starts, and two weeks long stints away from home, but I've kept coming back to it, and I'm making good progress. I've gone from not being able to run more than 30 seconds (back in April, when I first started working out again) to running 25 minutes (2 miles!) at a stretch. Whew! I never, EVER thought I'd be able to do that, and the prospect of trying, frankly, terrified me. I'm slow, and still quite a ways off from completing a 5k run, but I'm still doing it, and still making progress.
I've gotta tell you, I absolutely *hate* running while I'm doing it. It's slow torture. By the end of it, my legs burn, my back hurts, and I feel like I must be absolutely daft to be putting myself through the misery of it all, but I love how much better my body feels the rest of the time I'm not on the damn treadmill, and it's making some nice changes in my muscle definition.
Now, back to why that article spoke to me. In the past few months, mainly since I started running, I feel like I've been able to shift my focus away from only losing weight, to measuring my progress in multiple areas, and actually feeling good about it, instead of feeling like those measures of progress were just a consolation prize. I made the purchase of a really good scale an ARIA WI-FI SMART SCALE from Fitbit that measures weight, body fat percentage, and provides the weights for both your lean body mass, and your fat. I LOVE that thing! It automatically syncs my weight and body fat stats with my Fitbit Flex activity tracker, both of which are integrated in the food and activity tracking iPhone app I use from My Fitness Pal. Yeah, I'm a techie kid, and I love tracking my metrics every which way.
I took a break from the gym and my diet plan for the past three weeks over the holidays, and naturally, I gained four pounds back. Now, with the return of those four pounds, my weight is more or less the same it was 4 months ago, but I can still see that I've lost fat and gained muscle, and I've earned some nice definition in my legs that I didn't have before. My back is bothering me less, and it's been more than 4 months since the last time I threw my back out. *Knocks on wood.* I know I'm healthier, more active, and more fit than I was 4 months ago, even though my weight is the same. If I was only keeping track of my progress by the number on the scale, I'd feel like I was at a standstill and a failure, not accomplishing anything, when I've actually made some pretty damn good progress.
I'd by lying if I said I didn't care about the number on the scale, but going into 2014, I'm choosing to focus on the process, and trusting that the rest of the details will fall into place in time. For the first time, I have confidence that I can actually make that happen. I've had a nice 3 week break from my routine, my batteries are recharged, and I'm looking forward to getting back on track full throttle come January 1st. I'm giving myself the next few days to get my groceries in place, and refocus on my healthy eating plan, which for me, means morning protein shakes, tracking my food, counting calories/carbs/fat/protein, eating smaller portions, avoiding sugar, fried food, junk food, simple carbs, and alcohol, and focusing on eating complex carbs, whole grains, lean protein, veggies, and healthy fats. It's what's gotten me this far, and I'm sticking to it. I'm a fan of the South Beach Diet in general for this, and the very restrictive first two weeks of the plan really help me kick the sugar and crap food cravings I always pick up over the holiday season. I'm putting my energy into increasing my endurance while running, and going for distance, rather than speed. I will continue to run 3 days a week, and do non weight bearing cardio the other days to give my feet a rest. I plan to continue to consistently work out 4-5 days a week.
I may or may not ever reach that ever elusive GOAL, whether it's being under 170 lbs, under 30% body fat, or running a 5k, 10k, half marathon or whatever else, but I can, I have, and I will continue to make PROGRESS. I'd hoped to be farther along in my weight loss by now than I am, but my current 239 lbs is a helluva lot healthier than when I started this trip at 284 back in February. I know if I stick to it, in another year, when 2015 comes around, I will be in an even healthier place than I am now.
So, here's to the journey of 2014!
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Lucky
So, this past Saturday I went to my monthly Nutrition Support meeting. As we were going around the room doing the standard intros of when we had our surgery, how much we've lost, etc... something another woman there said really rubbed me the wrong way. I've lost more weight than she has in less time, and she said "You're so lucky!" I told her right then and there that luck had absolutely nothing to do with it. I've busted my butt and fought for every pound I've lost in the past six months, and I'm still a long way from my goal. I track every calorie that goes in my mouth, and I work hard at being active. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it, but I feel like attributing any of my success to luck sells all of my hard work short. The success I've had is the result of a lot of discipline and will power. The fact is, if I want to, I can eat just about anything I want, especially if I take my time, whether it's steak, bread, Cheetos, or ice cream. Some days, all I want to do is lay on the couch eating a mountain of chocolate. Most of the time, I can resist those temptations, but sometimes I give in and I deal with the setbacks they cause. The issues I have with food didn't magically go away just because I got some restriction in my band. The band helps me eat less, but most of the time, I can still overeat if I choose to. I still have to push myself to get off my ass and go to the gym (which is something I'm working hard at doing more consistently.) I'm building up to four days a week, and my stamina and strength are seeing real improvements. I've lost a total of 41 pounds, and I'm down to 243, which is the lowest I've been in four years. The 230s are on the horizon and I want in! So it's more of tracking on My Fitness Pal, pushing myself harder and harder on the recumbent bike, and climbing uphill on the treadmill. The only way to get there is dedication and hard work. I still doubt myself, and I still wonder if I can really pull this off, but I'm committed to proving to myself that I can do it, one day at a time.
Current weight: 243 lbs, BMI 35.9
Starting weight: 284 lbs, BMI 41.9
Monday, May 27, 2013
How Lap Band works
In case you're not familiar with it, here's a short video about how the band works:
Back on the Band Wagon with LapBand
Hey folks, it's been a good while since I've posted here, and some things have changed with my situation. In the year or so since I was last active on my blog, I allowed my weight to creep back up to about 273 by the beginning of the year. This was due in part to slipping back into bad eating habits, but also because I stopped working out after all of the foot problems I had from overtraining. My feet have gotten better than they were, but the problems are still there. I deal with it as best I can, but it's a constant annoyance. Back in February of this year, I had a very painful incident where I pulled a muscle in my back in such an ugly way that I was laid out for a week. I've never experienced pain like that in my life! My doctor put me on a steroid to help me heal, and in a week, I'd gained ten pounds and landed on the scale at 284lbs.
OH.HELL.NO!!!
I called Surgical Weight Control Center up that very day and made an appointment to get a lapband adjustment. I'd been without restriction for more than a year and a half at that point. By the time I got my fill, I'd lost most of the weight I gained from the steroids, and started back on the LapBand Wagon at 275. It's been a learning experience, and I've had to spend some time re-acquainting myself with how to eat as a bandster. I've been working hard at learning how to do things right this time around. In the time I'd been gone, SWCC had stepped their support game and are now offerring weekend support seminars in addition to their weekday evening meetings (which I can't attend due to my schedule.)
I went to a bariatric nutrition 101 seminar in March to get the ball rolling, and I feel like I'm doing things better this time around with a solid nutritional base. I've also attended two of the monthly Nutrition Support meetings, which I enjoy, and I feel like it helps me to stay on track. I'm focusing on lots of protein, 90+ grams a day, veggies, complex carbs, and staying away from junk food. I've been using the MyFitnessPal iPhone app to track my food and excercise, and I've been working on getting active again. I've been doing a recumbant bike for my cardio because my feet are still jacked, and my podiatrist told me to stay away from weight bearing excercise. A little over a week ago, I had a trainer at the gym set me up with a weight routine, and I've been trying to get on program with that. My back and knees have been twingy, so I'm taking things slow and not pushing too hard.
I had a number of band adjustments between February and April, until I got to what feels like a good level of restriction. My last adjustment was on April 8th. Hopefully I won't need to get another one for a few months until I lose substantially more weight. I've had some bumps in the road along the way, but I've been doing pretty well for the most part. I've lost about thirty pounds since I started, and currently weigh less than I have in about three years. A stretchy pair of size 22 jeans that I could barely fasten three months ago are starting to get baggy. In another ten pounds or so, they'll probably be too big to wear. I have a huge pile of clothes, including jeans and capris going down to about a size 18. I don't expect I'll have to buy any pants until the fall, though I'm in desperate need of some new bras now.
My weight loss is slower than I've liked, and I've plateaud here and there, but at least I'm losing. I'd really like to be losing a steady 2 lbs a week, but it's been half that. Still, if I can keep this pace up I'd be in the 220's by my birthday in late October. I've been changing up my routine, after a friend pointed out that I'm probably not eating enough calories. I've bumped them up to about 1400 net calories a day including exercise. Previously, I'd been doing anywhere from 750-1300 net, depending on the day, and not eating back what I'd burned through excercise. We'll see how it goes.
Anyhow, I'll try to keep the updates coming. I'm planning on keeping my posts less formal than before. As fun as those multimedia posts are, they take a lot of time to write, and it's just not as much fun for me if I feel like I'm under the gun.
TTFN,
Stephanie
Current weight: 253 lbs, BMI 37.3
OH.HELL.NO!!!
I called Surgical Weight Control Center up that very day and made an appointment to get a lapband adjustment. I'd been without restriction for more than a year and a half at that point. By the time I got my fill, I'd lost most of the weight I gained from the steroids, and started back on the LapBand Wagon at 275. It's been a learning experience, and I've had to spend some time re-acquainting myself with how to eat as a bandster. I've been working hard at learning how to do things right this time around. In the time I'd been gone, SWCC had stepped their support game and are now offerring weekend support seminars in addition to their weekday evening meetings (which I can't attend due to my schedule.)
I went to a bariatric nutrition 101 seminar in March to get the ball rolling, and I feel like I'm doing things better this time around with a solid nutritional base. I've also attended two of the monthly Nutrition Support meetings, which I enjoy, and I feel like it helps me to stay on track. I'm focusing on lots of protein, 90+ grams a day, veggies, complex carbs, and staying away from junk food. I've been using the MyFitnessPal iPhone app to track my food and excercise, and I've been working on getting active again. I've been doing a recumbant bike for my cardio because my feet are still jacked, and my podiatrist told me to stay away from weight bearing excercise. A little over a week ago, I had a trainer at the gym set me up with a weight routine, and I've been trying to get on program with that. My back and knees have been twingy, so I'm taking things slow and not pushing too hard.
I had a number of band adjustments between February and April, until I got to what feels like a good level of restriction. My last adjustment was on April 8th. Hopefully I won't need to get another one for a few months until I lose substantially more weight. I've had some bumps in the road along the way, but I've been doing pretty well for the most part. I've lost about thirty pounds since I started, and currently weigh less than I have in about three years. A stretchy pair of size 22 jeans that I could barely fasten three months ago are starting to get baggy. In another ten pounds or so, they'll probably be too big to wear. I have a huge pile of clothes, including jeans and capris going down to about a size 18. I don't expect I'll have to buy any pants until the fall, though I'm in desperate need of some new bras now.
My weight loss is slower than I've liked, and I've plateaud here and there, but at least I'm losing. I'd really like to be losing a steady 2 lbs a week, but it's been half that. Still, if I can keep this pace up I'd be in the 220's by my birthday in late October. I've been changing up my routine, after a friend pointed out that I'm probably not eating enough calories. I've bumped them up to about 1400 net calories a day including exercise. Previously, I'd been doing anywhere from 750-1300 net, depending on the day, and not eating back what I'd burned through excercise. We'll see how it goes.
Anyhow, I'll try to keep the updates coming. I'm planning on keeping my posts less formal than before. As fun as those multimedia posts are, they take a lot of time to write, and it's just not as much fun for me if I feel like I'm under the gun.
TTFN,
Stephanie
Current weight: 253 lbs, BMI 37.3
Starting
weight: 284 lbs, BMI
41.9
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Week 14 Review: Limping along, but still losing!
So this week, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I lost another 1.5 lbs this week! (Cue crowd cheering and fanfare.) The bad news is that my feet are not happy and I'm limping even worse than I was a couple of weeks ago.
I went to the podiatrist for a follow up on Monday, and they made me another pair of temporary supports, only this time, instead of making a removable half sandal that I could slip on and off, the doc's assistant attached the neuroma padding and arch supports directly into the insole on my sneakers. Seems like a good idea, right? Unfortunately, the arch supports are a little too high, and it was making my foot roll to the outside when I walked, which has caused me additional soreness and really pissed off my left ankle (where I have a sprain/strain in addition to neuromas and plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, and metatarsalgia which is in both feet. Apparently, I also have bone spurs in both heels according to the doc's dictation notes from my last visit.) I spent about three or four hours on my feet while window shopping Saturday, and I'm really paying for it today. (Whaaa whaaa... whine...okay, I'll stop. But it really sucks and I'm tired of being in pain with every step I take.)
What it comes down to, is that I need really good orthotic inserts to wear while things are healing up and recovering. I have really high arches, and none of the pre-fabricated inserts have a high enough arch to be beneficial to me, so they're going to cast my feet in plaster and create custom orthotics just as soon as I get the go-ahead from my insurance. Have I mentioned that this has been an expensive process? *sigh* I just hope they can fix me up. As long as the treatments work, it will have been worth it.
In happier news, I was able to get to the gym twice this week, and I'm having pretty good results on the bike. I also have a new addiction: Pinterest. Have you been on pinterest yet? It's sort of a virtual memo board where you can create collections virtual memo boards of pictures, links, blogs, as well as browse through other people's topic boards, and add the ones that strike your fancy to your own collection. It's been both a boone and a curse for me, because I have found so many amazing recipes, nerdy humor things, art, decorating and gardening ideas... the list goes on and on. The downside is, it's super easy to waste vast amounts of time perusing the goodies. The good part is that they have an iphone app, and I've been spending my gym time on the bike finding some really great recipes and "fitspiration" photos, which I've been adding to my personal motivation board.
You can see what I have so far here, if you like: http://pinterest.com/thecurvymermaid/fitspiration/
Overall, I've found some great stuff, and I figure every little bit of motivation and support that helps me stay on track is a good thing.
As for fun stuff this week, on Friday night, I went to see Titanic in 3D with good friends, and for three hours, I was 17 again. Saturday, I ventured out to Town Square to meet a friend for traditional tea at English's "Quintessentially British" gastropub. It was a fun experience! We were seated on the patio on the second floor of the building with a view of a sort of village green where there was an Easter egg hunt going on. It was a fun to watch the kids go wild while we enjoyed a variety of scones, finger sandwiches, and sweets. With the exception of the little strawberry, chocolate, and tiramisu bites on the top tier of the tray which were AMAZING, the food didn't blow my mind, but it was tasty, resonably priced, and the day was beautiful. I'll likely be back, if I can get down there again before the summer heat really kicks in.
Later that afternoon we ventured downstairs to Double Helix for more outdoor patio fun. My friend had some lovely wines (I was being good and stuck to water) and eventually, we ordered a charcuterie platter with a couple of different kinds of sausage, duck, gruyere, brie, truffled goat cheese, fresh fruit and quince preserves. After all the carbs at tea, we skipped the bread. Beyond that, all I can say is YUM! I'll definitely be back to try them again sometime!
I did pretty well at staying on track with points, tracking, and excercise, and I've lost another 1.5 lbs to prove it. (Yay!) I was able to budget for the weekend's indulgences (Everything from movie popcorn to the tea, and all the rest) by saving up all of my weekly points and the activity points I earned at the gym for the weekend. I'll be sticking to my points this week, and taking the foot stuff day by day. I'm hoping that I'll feel up to riding the bike in another day or two, but I'll have to see how things go.. I suspect that returning to an excercise routine is what's gotten my weight loss in gear again, and I don't want to mess up my mojo in that department.
I'm SO CLOSE to my 20lb mark that I can taste it, and I'm really ready to be out of the 260's. Only a little farther to go! There are eight months to go in 2012, and I have just over 40 lbs to lose in order to meet my goal for the year. I'm hoping to catch up to my 2012 1 lb a week minimum goal within the next few weeks.
Weeks down: 14
Weeks to go: 38
Starting weight: 271.5 lbs
Current weight: 262 lbs
This week's loss 1.5 lbs
2012 weight loss: 9.5 lb
Current BMI 38.7
Started WW on 11/28, @ 281.5 lbs
I went to the podiatrist for a follow up on Monday, and they made me another pair of temporary supports, only this time, instead of making a removable half sandal that I could slip on and off, the doc's assistant attached the neuroma padding and arch supports directly into the insole on my sneakers. Seems like a good idea, right? Unfortunately, the arch supports are a little too high, and it was making my foot roll to the outside when I walked, which has caused me additional soreness and really pissed off my left ankle (where I have a sprain/strain in addition to neuromas and plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, and metatarsalgia which is in both feet. Apparently, I also have bone spurs in both heels according to the doc's dictation notes from my last visit.) I spent about three or four hours on my feet while window shopping Saturday, and I'm really paying for it today. (Whaaa whaaa... whine...okay, I'll stop. But it really sucks and I'm tired of being in pain with every step I take.)
What it comes down to, is that I need really good orthotic inserts to wear while things are healing up and recovering. I have really high arches, and none of the pre-fabricated inserts have a high enough arch to be beneficial to me, so they're going to cast my feet in plaster and create custom orthotics just as soon as I get the go-ahead from my insurance. Have I mentioned that this has been an expensive process? *sigh* I just hope they can fix me up. As long as the treatments work, it will have been worth it.
 |
| I really like this one, and it's "Make Every Day Count" Can-Do attitude. |
You can see what I have so far here, if you like: http://pinterest.com/thecurvymermaid/fitspiration/
Overall, I've found some great stuff, and I figure every little bit of motivation and support that helps me stay on track is a good thing.
As for fun stuff this week, on Friday night, I went to see Titanic in 3D with good friends, and for three hours, I was 17 again. Saturday, I ventured out to Town Square to meet a friend for traditional tea at English's "Quintessentially British" gastropub. It was a fun experience! We were seated on the patio on the second floor of the building with a view of a sort of village green where there was an Easter egg hunt going on. It was a fun to watch the kids go wild while we enjoyed a variety of scones, finger sandwiches, and sweets. With the exception of the little strawberry, chocolate, and tiramisu bites on the top tier of the tray which were AMAZING, the food didn't blow my mind, but it was tasty, resonably priced, and the day was beautiful. I'll likely be back, if I can get down there again before the summer heat really kicks in.
Later that afternoon we ventured downstairs to Double Helix for more outdoor patio fun. My friend had some lovely wines (I was being good and stuck to water) and eventually, we ordered a charcuterie platter with a couple of different kinds of sausage, duck, gruyere, brie, truffled goat cheese, fresh fruit and quince preserves. After all the carbs at tea, we skipped the bread. Beyond that, all I can say is YUM! I'll definitely be back to try them again sometime! I did pretty well at staying on track with points, tracking, and excercise, and I've lost another 1.5 lbs to prove it. (Yay!) I was able to budget for the weekend's indulgences (Everything from movie popcorn to the tea, and all the rest) by saving up all of my weekly points and the activity points I earned at the gym for the weekend. I'll be sticking to my points this week, and taking the foot stuff day by day. I'm hoping that I'll feel up to riding the bike in another day or two, but I'll have to see how things go.. I suspect that returning to an excercise routine is what's gotten my weight loss in gear again, and I don't want to mess up my mojo in that department.
I'm SO CLOSE to my 20lb mark that I can taste it, and I'm really ready to be out of the 260's. Only a little farther to go! There are eight months to go in 2012, and I have just over 40 lbs to lose in order to meet my goal for the year. I'm hoping to catch up to my 2012 1 lb a week minimum goal within the next few weeks.
Weeks down: 14
Weeks to go: 38
Starting weight: 271.5 lbs
Current weight: 262 lbs
This week's loss 1.5 lbs
2012 weight loss: 9.5 lb
2012 goal: 219.5 lbs
Starting BMI 40.00
Started WW on 11/28, @ 281.5 lbs
Total loss: 19.5 lbs
Monday, April 2, 2012
A quick bit of pasta and veggie goodness
 |
| photo borrowed from: http://www.tastespotting.com |
2 oz Whole Wheat pasta (5 points)
1/2 cup serving marinara (2 points)
4 meatballs (Target Market pantry brand), Sliced, 5 points
2 handfulls of baby orange and yellow bell peppers, sliced
1 cup fresh spinach
1 Tbsp basalmic vinegar
garlic powder
1 small handful fresh basil, finely chopped
A couple of squirts of sriracha
1 TBSP parmesean (1 point)
Lightly Sautee bell peppers and spinach in a small pan while pasta cooks. Add sauce, garlic, sritacha, and meatballs. Toss with pasta and fresh basil. Top with a little parmesean.
12 points of pure crunchy, basily, spicy, meaty, carby yumminess, and hearty enough to see you through the rest of your work day!
Let me know what you think, and enjoy!
Food for Thought: Study links Junk food with Depression
Reposting from Huffington Post.
This is nuts! I'm so glad that I've cut most of this crap out of my diet. I didn't actually take blood tests before I turned over my new leaf back in November, but I'm positive that my cholesterol and blood pressure numbers are way better than they were. I was eating a ton of butter and salt, and comparatively use very little now.
Check out the video at the Huff Post link below too!
A new study shows that junk food may have effects beyond expanding your waistline and upping your sodium levels -- it might also be sabotaging your mental health.
A new study in the journal Public Health Nutrition shows that regularly eating commercial baked goods -- including doughnuts and croissants -- as well as fast food -- pizza, hamburgers and hot dogs -- is linked with an increased depression risk.
Researchers from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the University of Granada found that the people who regularly eat these foods are also more likely to be more sedentary, smoke, eat other not-so-nutritious foods and work 45 or more hours a week.
"Although more studies are necessary, the intake of this type of food should be controlled because of its implications on both health (obesity, cardiovascular diseases) and mental well-being," study researcher Almudena Sánchez-Villegas said in a statement.
The study included 8,964 people who didn't have depression (and weren't taking any antidepressant drugs) at the start of the study. Their depression statuses and diets were tracked for an average of six months.
At the end of the study period, 493 people were depressed or were taking antidepressants. The researchers found that the ones who ate the most junk food were 51 percent more likely to develop depression, compared with people who ate the least of these foods.
The Mayo Clinic reported on a previous study also showing a similar link. That study showed that people whose diets are high in fried foods, processed meats, desserts and high-fat dairy had an increased risk of depression symptoms, compared with people who eat lots of fruits, veggies and fish.
And earlier this year, a study in the journal PLoS ONE showed that there may be a link between eating trans fats -- common in a lot of junk foods -- and being irritable and aggressive.
The researchers of that study, from the University of California, San Diego, found that greater trans fats intake seemed to predict whether a person was more aggressive. The finding held true even after taking into account factors like sex, age and ethnicity.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/31/junk-food-depression_n_1392093.html?ref=mostpopular
This is nuts! I'm so glad that I've cut most of this crap out of my diet. I didn't actually take blood tests before I turned over my new leaf back in November, but I'm positive that my cholesterol and blood pressure numbers are way better than they were. I was eating a ton of butter and salt, and comparatively use very little now.
Check out the video at the Huff Post link below too!
A new study shows that junk food may have effects beyond expanding your waistline and upping your sodium levels -- it might also be sabotaging your mental health.A new study in the journal Public Health Nutrition shows that regularly eating commercial baked goods -- including doughnuts and croissants -- as well as fast food -- pizza, hamburgers and hot dogs -- is linked with an increased depression risk.
Researchers from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the University of Granada found that the people who regularly eat these foods are also more likely to be more sedentary, smoke, eat other not-so-nutritious foods and work 45 or more hours a week.
"Although more studies are necessary, the intake of this type of food should be controlled because of its implications on both health (obesity, cardiovascular diseases) and mental well-being," study researcher Almudena Sánchez-Villegas said in a statement.
The study included 8,964 people who didn't have depression (and weren't taking any antidepressant drugs) at the start of the study. Their depression statuses and diets were tracked for an average of six months.
At the end of the study period, 493 people were depressed or were taking antidepressants. The researchers found that the ones who ate the most junk food were 51 percent more likely to develop depression, compared with people who ate the least of these foods.
The Mayo Clinic reported on a previous study also showing a similar link. That study showed that people whose diets are high in fried foods, processed meats, desserts and high-fat dairy had an increased risk of depression symptoms, compared with people who eat lots of fruits, veggies and fish.
The researchers of that study, from the University of California, San Diego, found that greater trans fats intake seemed to predict whether a person was more aggressive. The finding held true even after taking into account factors like sex, age and ethnicity.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/31/junk-food-depression_n_1392093.html?ref=mostpopular
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