I applaud you guys for your discipline. I'm with Joe. I like my cookies and brownies and garbage way too much. Bread too. Where does Skoal fit into these diets? If I don't give it all up, will it matter?
Best if I don't type much here today. At the James with my mom. Last time I was here was for my dad's brain cancer. Feeling pretty cynical. All these appointments skew a person's thoughts about a lot of things.
Everyone needs to walk their own path. Probably going to ramble a bit (I know you're all shocked).
My journey is similar to many on here. Work a job, but feel more connected and mentally refreshed when reconnecting to an "older" lifestyle. I enjoy gardening and my chickens and other similar activities. Not because I want to be a cool granola muncher (I do drive a subaru though). I prefer the vegetables i grow and the simplicity of providing things for myself. There are some great thoughts on this in Michael Easter's book the comfort crisis thatI love and I try to read it regularly. Then similar thoughts in other books by Dr Grundry, or Dr Fung and other health/better yourself books that I read to try to get this to implement in my life. I don't do something from all of them but try to find reoccurring concepts that I can implement.
This lead me into thinking more about simpler less prepared and processed foods and the health implications. This photo got me started
What has changed from that photo to today when we have a SELF Reported Obesity map of this
(
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/php/data-research/adult-obesity-prevalence-maps.html)
A few well timed conversations with some on here pushed me down a few rabbit holes. I don't agree with all the Dr Gundry books I've read, but I like some of his points and am trying to use them.
Where do you sit on the "give a
" meter when it comes to this aspect of your health? Some of our friends are trying like hell to make large changes and are seeing the results after seeing things that they didn't like in their health. I'm happy with my slow few lbs and week slide down the scale. Maybe you don't have anything that you want to change right now and that's fine too. You mentioned skoal, I know there's a thread about that somewhere in here but no pressure to quit unless you feel the need imo.
As to feeling cynical due to being surrounded by cancer diagnoses I totally get it. Here's my take and it's worth exactly what you paid for it and it's all my opinions. I have a more sedentary job than you and have noticed a decline in my health and wasn't happywith it even though compared to most I was doing well. First I want to make these changes so that whatever time i have before I have any major life changing health concerns as long and trouble free as possible. I want the greatest quality for whatever time I'm blessed with on this rock. Secondly I am greedy and selfish and want as much time with my kids as I can squeeze out. So if i can get more quality time with them due to these changes so much the better.
No hard feelings and no attempt to force you to follow my path.... just explaining my path