perks

  • So while the scale isn't moving...there are still some perks to this whole eating healthy thing.

    My bank account. People may say that healthy food is costly, but eating out all the time is worse. I was one of those who would go spend 300$ at costco then eat out. Effectively drying out my checking. Its nice to not be broke just before payday.

    My GI symptoms. I'm fairly certain I had IBS. Since I cleaned up my diet, I've only had one small flare up. From a cheat day I think.

    My changing taste buds. I had no idea raisin bran was so packed with sugar. I had it as a craving, bought some, ate a couple bites and felt like i was way over sugared. Its nice to be turned off by something I once loved.

    So I'm going to be happy with these perks. Anyone else want to add some perks they have enjoyed?
  • My skin, hair and eyes look better. A good diet does that. And I look younger too.

    I wish my bank balance was better though. It was when I was eating less and losing.

    Now I am eating more but better, I spend a LOT on food.
  • Oh goodness I wish I was saving money. I was never one to eat out often so it hasn't had too much of an effect on my bank account. You are lucky there!

    I've also seen my "IBS" nearly disappear, which is a HUGE plus. Oh, and no more heartburn! Though I attribute both of those to fasting, not necessarily the types of food I eat.

    I also I sleep a lot better. I don't run out of breath from a flight of stairs. My skin is clearer.

    Oh, and I guess I save money in one way...I am a cheap drunk now!
  • I've been very, very lucky so far... Despite not being at my ideal weight, my bloodwork always came back normal and I was a healthy girl even when pushing 150 (at my highest). Physically, other than the shrinking, I haven't noticed much.

    That said, there are a wealth of psychological benefits. I knew what I was eating wasn't healthy. My depression spells certainly weren't helped by my sugar consumption, and the fact that the first thing I did when I was feeling really down was go to the cupcake shop or bubble tea stand... Not good. Even if I didn't binge, the little sweets here and there added up. The fact that I'm in control of my diet has really helped me get control of my mind as well, in a weird way.

    I also don't doubt that if I had continued eating the way I had been, my luck would've run out. I was eating 130+ grams of sugar in a typical day, and much more on days when I felt I needed to splurge... Now that I'm down to less than 30 grams per day (except on rare, planned occasions), I can only imagine that I've averted some pretty nasty side effects 5, 10, or 20 years down the line.
  • Great to hear! Aloof those are super motivating. My skin got worse for a while but it's finally clearing up.
    Ian, I imagine high fish diet would be pricey, but I'm betting it's worth it. I read once that compared to other countries in the US, we actually spend less on our diet. We just don't care about what we put into our bodies compared to other countries.
    No names, I think the reason I'm saving money is because I'm not throwing away a bunch of food that went bad because I wanted to eat out, then spending xtra money eating out. Veggies only last so long.
  • Yeah, fish is expensive. A quick estimate is that I spend about...$20-30 a day on fish alone (I eat close to 2lbs of it a day). Wow. Hadn't done the math before.

    But it is worth it. You were right there!

    I throw out very little now because so much of my stuff is portioned or just keeps for ages.