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I have two...
I started exercise. The endorphins! The wonderful glorious endorphins! Plus I can eat far more and I fucking love eating. I started when I was 26 and never looked back
I went veggie! I had to learn to cook better cos meat isn't the centrepiece of a meal (I'm still not great). My finances improved and I've noticed some health benefits. Plus I like animals so it's good for my mindset
Ooh what are some of your favorite veggie meals? I love using chickpeas as the centerpiece.
I love chickpeas too! Some of my favourites are: A buddha bowl which I do with rice, spinach, sweet potato and chickpeas. Bean goulash Sweet potato and black bean stew I also like to do one with butterbeans and veggie sausages. Which is just onions, garlic, chopped toms and water, oregano, paprika, reduce sauce. Whack in pre cooked sausages and butterbeans for the final 10.
For several years I've been making incremental changes with eating habits. Every year I try to pick something small to change, so I have a hope of making it last. I have successfully;
This year I'm focused on eating something fermented every day. I tried last year, but hadn't succeeded until this year. I'm also still struggling (but trying) with eating more beans, and only planning one meal per week with meat.
It's not the primary goal, and most people wouldn't be content with this rate of progress, but I have lost 40 pounds over 5 years. I don't seem to be in any danger of gaining it back and the changes I've made were incremental enough to become solid lifestyle habits.
I have lost 40 pounds over 5 years.
so impressive, you should be really proud of yourself 💕
Thanks! I am proud of myself, not for the weight loss which I view as incidental, but because I've made healthy choices. Even the ones that haven't stuck for me yet, it matters that I'm trying.
Those are all excellent changes well done! How hard was it?
Some things are harder than others. We all have little things that are important to us. Coffee wasn't bad because I started buying flavored coffees (Aldi ftw!)
Beans, lentils and chickpeas are really hard. They're so good for you and I don't hate them, but I don't love them. I just keep trying new things. Fortunately I compulsively cook new things anyway.
I'm actually afraid of new foods, but I've learned to introduce them by "hiding" them in foods I like. Pizza and Risotto are great for this.
Those are really good tips thanks for sharing
Quit Reddit
Hear you there! What was the final straw?
Exercising for sure. And reading
That's my winning combo as well!
For exercise, sometimes it's hard to keep the momentum going, but I try to remind myself that anything is better than nothing. Last month I was aiming really high (for my standards), following my Garmin's recommendation. Almost never I manage to keep up with that rhythm and I feel a bit deflated about it. But, objectively, because I'm aiming so high, the twice a week I end up managing (one day weight training, one day swimming) is actually not bad at all and already helps immensely with my well being.
For reading, definitely reducing social media time, especially in the evening and during my commute, is what made the biggest difference to boost my reading. I love not feeling like I'm scrolling my life away 😅
What kind of stuff do you read?
Mostly novels in popular genres like fantasy and crime, but some factual literature as well
I like factual stuff I'm reading one on NXIVM cult atm
Neat! Never heard of 😄 what is it about?
I usually prefer novels since factual text are not as smooth a read but
It was a self help cult that was disintegrated and it's leaders went to prison. Alison Mack from smallville was in it... they used to brand people and the leader was having sex with a lot of his followers. What factual stuff do you read?
bidet 🤭
Took up gardening.
That's a great idea! What kind of gardening do you do?
Mostly vegetables, herbs, and berries, but I've been starting to branch out into flowers and other non-edibles more. Been covering the sides of the yard in rhododendrons and azaleas for more color with little need for upkeep most recently. Well, most recently was planting the spring veggies, but before that, I was working on getting the rhodies in.
I'd recommend it! It can be as much or as little work as you want it to be depending on what you plant.
I also used to have a hydroponic garden inside, which I've been meaning to get set back up. That's great for having leafy greens available year-round. That is a bit of work to maintain, of course. Need to pay attention to nutrients and pH more.
That sounds great! It's a nice mix. Have you had any luck with the vegetables?
Oh yeah, the only problem I ever really get is that powdery mildew is super common here and extremely hard to fight. I've given up on pumpkins (and any other squash) as a result, which is a real shame because I love pumpkins. But what can you do?
But I grow a bunch of peas, spinach, a huge variety of brassicas, carrots, green beans, onions, garlic.... That's what I've got going for the moment, anyway. I've grown eggplants and peppers in the past, but they do better indoors or in a greenhouse here and right now I've just got a few raised beds.
Nice work I'm impressed!