The Health and Fitness Thread

[wandshogun09]

Right, I'm a coke addict.

 

 

 

Cherry Coke usually. But sometimes I'll switch up and go for a Cherry Pepsi Max or Lucozade.

 

What's triggered this post is that I've been at work from 6am-2pm today. And in that time I've clattered what must be a good 2ltrs of fizzy, fuck all good for you, toothrotting but lovely tasting pop. And I do that Monday to Friday.

 

I guess it's different for each person but I find drinking loads of water (and only water) makes the weight drop off me. Fizzy drinks have always been a weakness for me and I go through spells where I fall back into guzzling that shite like I own shares in the stuff. I absolutely cane the stuff for a couple of weeks, feel like shit, put weight on and then start getting heartburn so I stop. Then I go through weeks of just drinking water and I feel way better, way less bloated, weight drops off me, my skin looks better and I have more energy. But I always ending up back to my old ways.

 

It's really frustrating because, aside from this, I live pretty healthily. I've always eaten quite healthily, pretty much. Not necessarily consciously trying to eat clean, just that I'm a fussy eater and most of the stuff I like is healthy anyway. I've always been fairly active physically as well. Always done physical jobs, I've been into running/jogging since my late teens (I'm 30 now) and I've been in and out of different martial arts gyms most of my adult life.

 

Yet I can't beat this addiction to these little cans of liquid sugar? I know there's worse things to be addicted to (had my issues there in the past as well) and in the big picture I haven't got it that bad. But it's a pisser when you know full well how bad something is for you, and you just keep going back to it. At this rate my daughter will start calling me 'Pops' instead of 'Daddy'. I've got to knock this shit on the head.

[Keith Houchen]

I don't know about the health benefits from it but I've switched to Pepsi Max, sure it's still rotten for you but not as bad as the full sugar version.

[CavemanLynn]

If all you've drunk at work is pop, my question is: is that literally all there is available?

 

You acknowledge the good drinking lots of clean water does for you, so you could grab that wholeheartedly. Depending on how active your job is, take a bottle or flask into work full up with a good healthy drink you like. I used to take a litre flask with cold water and a squeeze of lemon, refilling it once I'd drunk the lot by lunchtime. A guy at work always has a bottle of flavoured (no sugar) water by his desk so he doesn't need to rely on the fountain. Really simple things to try.

 

I know in terms of calories, no-sugar pops are "better" but you risk training your body to think it needs more sweet stuff to get the energy it thinks it needs. At least sugary drinks contain real calories that your body can register correctly and you can burn off or use accordingly through exercise or activity.

 

Above all though, show some self-control. You've clearly got some, because you've acknowledged the problem and the benefits of kicking it into touch. Bad food and drink doesn't attack you and force you to consume. Keep making good choices and you'll be golden!

[Keith Houchen]

Cheers CaveyWavey (I used to love her who said that as a 7 year old) so that sugar free stuff is a total swizz?

[CavemanLynn]

Sugar free in itself seems fine, but it's how it trains your body to react to foods that is the problem. Every step of digestion sends signals back and forth between your body and brain about what it's eating and what effect it's having. Sweeteners are many times sweeter than natural sugars. However, your body reacts to them in the same way, but as they are low or even zero calories, excessive consumption can teach your body to associate higher levels of sugar with fewer calories than it actually contains. That can cause unnatural cravings because your body thinks it needs ten times more sugar than it actually does. It's all wibbly-wobbly sciency-wiency stuff, but the overall message is, once you've detoxed and reestablished your body's baseline calorie needs, if you want sugar, have proper sugar, but use it as fuel and listen to your body to learn when it's had enough.

Edited April 16, 2016 by CavemanLynn

[wandshogun09]

If all you've drunk at work is pop, my question is: is that literally all there is available?

That's the thing, no. There is a nice canteen upstairs which the office staff use, I'm allowed to use that as well as I do various maintenance/electrical work for the building. There are tea and coffee making facilities in there, and obviously taps. I could easily bring a bottle of water to work and just keep refilling it with water from the taps in the canteen all day. That's what I've been doing when I've been trying to stay off the toothrot before. But I'm just weak minded when it comes down to it. There are a few vending machines about with drinks and chocolate/crisps. I don't get tempted by the chocolate/crisps one. But if I pass the drinks one and I've got a couple of quid on me, and I can see that cold bottle with the little droplets on the outside...I'm buying it.

 

Thanks for the advice. The worst thing is, I pretty much know how bad it is for you. And I've gone through fairly long spells before of not touching the stuff and I've felt better for it. But then I'll be at work and I'll cave and think 'I haven't had any pop for ages, I've been good. One bottle won't do any harm'. Then I slowly fall back into necking it every day for a bit. It's not even a calorie/weight concern so much for me, like I said, I'm always usually on the go so I don't put too much weight on and if I do I burn it off quite easily. It's more an annoyance that I know I feel better when I'm not drinking loads of shite yet I still can't stop myself buying it.

 

Stupid. I think I'll always be the same. I'm just going to try to limit the amount I have a week and be strict with myself on it.

[d-d-d-dAz]

I'm with you Wand, when I focus my mind on it I can easily give the junk food a miss but those fizzy drinks? Oof, that's a tough one. I love a can of cherry coke or a Dr. Pepper and I'll absolutely drink THE SHIT out of a can of relentless.

 

The only way I've ever been able to do it, really, is to set days. So I'll have it in my mind that Wednesday and Sunday I can have one as a treat, and I'll look forward to that as a way of getting me through the dry days. On the off days, too, I have to absolutely drown myself in water. Constantly sipping the stuff. I'm pissing pure Evian by midday. But it seems to work.

[CavemanLynn]

See, that's where any advice I can give is limited. I've always had willpower, and as a result I've built up good habits over years to the point I can't fully understand the thinking of some people who struggle with some bad diet habits. I don't get how having nutritionless junk counts as a treat. And I don't get how any psychological stress should mean you deserve nutritionless junk. It just adds physical stress on top. You reward dogs with treats for doing tricks, and I hope I'm a step up from a dog. I wonder if illegal substances were involved, people's attitudes might be different. "I'm trying to kick my massive cocaine habit, but if I walk past my dealer and I've got a couple of quid, I can't help buying some." I'm being facetious of course, but that's how I imagine that mindset being. Habits of any kind are a form of addiction. Give yourself 28 days. In that time, don't touch your vices. Switch them with clean healthy replacements. Make them as convenient for you as the junk was. I did this with coffee, and after getting through the first week of cravings and second week crash, it was like all my senses popped - I felt better, happier, more alert. A friend did the same with chocolate and had the same effect. In fact, I had a cup of coffee with my breakfast one weekend and half an hour later was speeding my tits off, lol! You don't realise what these things are doing to you til you cut them out. Give it a go, or don't, but good luck whatever you do!

Edited April 16, 2016 by CavemanLynn

[d-d-d-dAz]

See, that's where any advice I can give is limited. I've always had willpower, and as a result I've built up good habits over years to the point I can't fully understand the thinking of some people who struggle with some bad diet habits. I don't get how having nutritionless junk counts as a treat. And I don't get how any psychological stress should mean you deserve nutritionless junk. It just adds physical stress on top. You reward dogs with treats for doing tricks, and I hope I'm a step up from a dog. I wonder if illegal substances were involved, people's attitudes might be different. "I'm trying to kick my massive cocaine habit, but if I walk past my dealer and I've got a couple of quid, I can't help buying some." I'm being facetious of course, but that's how I imagine that mindset being. Habits of any kind are a form of addiction. Give yourself 28 days. In that time, don't touch your vices. Switch them with clean healthy replacements. Make them as convenient for you as the junk was. I did this with coffee, and after getting through the first week of cravings and second week crash, it was like all my senses popped - I felt better, happier, more alert. A friend did the same with chocolate and had the same effect. In fact, I had a cup of coffee with my breakfast one weekend and half an hour later was speeding my tits off, lol! You don't realise what these things are doing to you til you cut them out. Give it a go, or don't, but good luck whatever you do!

You may have more willpower than me. I may be more of a dog than you. But you are still an agonisingly patronising cunt.

 

Having cheat meals, or treats, doesn't derail a diet and can serve as motivation. Good for you if you don't need/want to eat something nice from time to time, more power to you. Maybe we'll share a paleo pint and some grilled chicken bites one time. But don't be a twat about it.

[wandshogun09]

On the off days, too, I have to absolutely drown myself in water. Constantly sipping the stuff. I'm pissing pure Evian by midday. But it seems to work.

Jesus, yeah, when I'm just drinking water I piss constantly. No wonder I drop weight when I'm strictly on water. Not only am cutting a massive amount of my sugar intake out, the amount of running back and forth to the toilet I do must burn the rest of any fat off that I've gained as well. Staggering amounts of piss. In fact, sometimes it seems like I'm pissing out double the amount I'm taking in, somehow.

 

I've gone longer than 28 days without fizzy drinks as well. And I've still gone back to it. I'm never going to cut it out 100%. Life's too short and often too dull to NEVER have the things you like, even if they're not good for you. But I'm going to have to do something to cut it right down. Can't carry on guzzling like I have this week all the time.

[Kaz Hayashi]

Pepsi max, not only does it have taste, and is the choice of the new generation, it's stupidly addictive. I bloody love it.

Edited April 16, 2016 by Kaz Hayashi

[Undefeated Steak]

Hey, at least it's not energy drinks. A lad I worked with for a bit last year used to drink about 10 cans (no shit) of the stuff a day. He was a few swigs away from being able to walk through walls. Vile stuff. 

[d-d-d-dAz]

I used to have a 3-a-day Monster/Relentless habit. My engine would always run hot. Palpitations, the works..

[Undefeated Steak]

Yeah, they're bad for that. The worst is when you see school kids with the street grade 40p Happy Shopper stuff. 

[Kaz Hayashi]

That's mental Daz.

 

One thing I have to say regarding Caves post (and not taking away from your recent posts in this thread as they have been very insightful reads), is that I use Pepsi max like a drug and I believe it is a bit of an addiction. I would find it difficult not to have at least one can a day and find that I can become irritable if I haven't.

 

However, other than beer, I'm not really in to sweet/sugar produce at all. Not a fan of sweets, choc in small doses, can not abide any full sugar drinks and can happily avoid options of a pud after a meal out. Never had sugar or sweetener in the very minimal amounts of tea that I drink either.

 

I have also managed to avoid coffee my entire life. So while it's clearly horrid for my innards, I do find that it has 'helped' me to avoid other craps my body can do without.

 

I'm maybe giving it more credit than its due, but considering I smashed full fat coke as a youngster and my arms and legs were basically made of mars bars, I can't help but think it's had an influence.

 

I remember a nick name I was called by my pals when I was a young little podgy Kaz...

 

 

Fat cunt.

Edited April 16, 2016 by Kaz Hayashi