Do you ever lose your resolve? page

[GeorgiaPeach]

Ya ever question your battle with conventional wisdom when you see seemingly healthy people succeed on chronic cardio/vegan/vegetarian lifestyle?

I like the idea that I eat cleanly. But when a vegan or veg claims they eat clean because they DON'T eat meat, it makes me feel some what unclean. I then start to worry about all the meat I eat, and then fret over the meat I eat that isn't grassfed even though I try to get a much grassfed as possible. Anyone else ever worry sometimes from having CW ingrained into them for years?

[The Return of Dado]

Everyone loses their resolve. That's where the line "When the going gets tough..." comes from.

The time when you are weakest is when you have to be your strongest, that's how character is developed.

[namelesswonder]

Only for the first few months, then I got unreasonably pissed off at other people's ideas of "healthy" and then I calmed down a bit. I still get pissed, but mostly I sigh and click the X to move away from that website. "My soy-milk smoothie is soooooooooper healthy!" Click.

But I frankly do not see people success on other lifestyles the way I see it now. Biased? Totally.

[Grumpycakes]

Well, in regards to your specific concerns about vegans, I personally haven't seen any long-time vegans over the age of 30 or so who look like they are "succeeding." The proof is in the pudding, as it were. I'm so far unconvinced.

Vegetarianism may work better for some people provided that they eat seafood and prepare their beans and legumes properly (most don't). I leave myself open to pescetarianism but it doesn't particularly rock my boat.

I have been doing the PB for long enough to realize that it, too, is not the end word in nutrition. Some people do great with added sugar and certain types of grains, provided that they are also eating the other nutrient-dense foods that we all love.

So in the end all I can resolve to do is do the best for me in the moment. That includes not being a jackass and actually eating some goddamned birthday cake every now and then.

[GeorgiaPeach]

So in the end all I can resolve to do is do the best for me in the moment. That includes not being a jackass and actually eating some goddamned birthday cake every now and then.

Birthday cake for all the atlanta drivers!

[CSilivestru]

I see where you're coming from because I have friends that tell me "look! Those guys eat grains and pizza and junk and they look awesome". And honeslty, they do look awesome (six pack, clear skin, vibrant, etc.).

But everyone has a back story and all you need to do is ask them. Would you like to know what I do for exercise? Basically nothing -- some stuff here and there while I'm cooking or if I haven't moved around during the day (I get restless). I also run around with my dog. I don't jog with my dog, I perform sprints with her in a soccer field!

What do THEY do to look awesome? They spend (and I'm not even joking) 2 - 3 hours A DAY in the gym. And they do that 6 times a week. They take several supplements including pre and post workout shakes as well as overnight shakes.

No matter what, the effort must come from somewhere -- no ones looks awesome without some kind of work. I believe that, since we eat in line with what we're programmed to eat, most of that work is done under the hood for us . I'll take that any day.

Oh and they get sick every couple of months -- they don't count it because it's "just a cold or something / it's going around / got it from my niece / went jogging in the rain..."

[Jen AlcesAlces]

I used to be vegetarian and remember how I felt... even worse as a vegan. It took years to become ill from that, and it took years to recover. So, no the people who tell me that eating "cleanly" vegan is awesome do not make me lose my resolve, especially ones who have done it for a short time. As for those who are long-term vegans in good health (have only met a couple who have not returned to animal products), I've fully realized that not everyone thrives on the same diet. Just do the best I can with what I know makes me feel good. And yes, I have some d@mn cake once in a while. And ice cream.

Also have to agree with the comment on excessively working out... many of the people I know who "look great" and are successful with CW and veg diets spend much of their free time working out. It's great if it's something they enjoy like hiking, biking, rock-climbing, etc. But for those who "have to" train hard for hours every day to keep their weight stable, not so great - those are the folks I know who get sick all the time and can't understand why.

[sbhikes]

There are so many people who look so much better than me. Most people, actually. It's been that way all my life. How much more of my life should I waste dwelling on that?

I mean, I can attract a man just fine. My whole body works, what's left of it anyway (can't have a baby but I don't want one.) I walked the entire up-and-down length of the United States. I can pretty much do anything I want. So what if there are so many women so much better looking than me? Will comparing myself to them forever and ever really make my life any better when I've got it so good already?

[Forever Young]

To answer your original question, no. But I've been eating real/organic food for several years now. I don't adhere to it 100%. I think that it would turn into a neurosis if you never ever swayed given the world we live in. But it's about what you do almost all of the time that matters. The reason for so many health problems out there is that most people eat the processed stuff almost all of the time. So for them to one day eat something real, isn't going to help them a bit. I think the same is true of the opposite. If I go out with friends and have pizza once every month or two its no big deal.

I do agree that eating CW one would have to workout much longer and more frequent which in itself is a negative and will have an impact on one's health down the road. I workout very briefly and intensely and not everyday by any means but I actually look like I train.

[The Return of Dado]

If you will tell me you don't lose your resolve, you're a liar.

Everyone loses resolve.

The difference is what these People will do- carry the potato sacks forward or sit on the potato sack.

F*** outta here.