I can believe she is located here in Seattle where the winter dreary must drive many to distraction.
I know that SAD has been definitively accepted and this extreme northern clime together with the
very gray weather really does some folks in. Quite a few of those lights on desks of people at work.
It is terrific that you found a reasonable remedy and one that is not dependent on artificial drugs.
I think that my ourdoor activities - the skiing keeps me going. I kind of feel that if it is
raining down here, there will be snow forming up there and that gets me through but sometimes the
weekends are just a gray and the weather up in the mountains is rain rather than snow. Cabin fever
hits a pitch.
A friend's wife got clinically depressed when she joined him in Alaska. She could not take the
perpetual dark
Prairie Roots said:I didn't click on the hyperlink, but the topic of the relationship between light and its effects on
mood and food cravings has been of interest to me for a while.Although I've had a couple of bouts of depression serious enough to warrant medication, I haven't
needed medication for a couple of years. Yet througout my life I've frequently experienced extended
periods of what I call "low grade depression," not serious enough to start the zoloft, but present
enough that my mood, my sleep, my appetites, my energy, and my concentration abilities are not
quite normal.During my informal research about what might be the solution, I came across a book called "When
Your Body Gets the Blues." The woman behind the theory of Body Blues is a professor at the
University of Washington in Seattle. I think she has a clinic there as well. Anyway, the symptoms
of Body Blues are: Low Energy Overeating Weight Gain Tension and Irritability Sleep Difficulties
Difficulty Concentrating Mild Anxiety Mild Depression
Quoted message said:
I can honestly say that's a dead-on description of me.Long story short: the recommended therapy for Body Blues is 1. walking outdoors at a brisk pace for
20 minutes daily; 2. getting more light during the day; 3. vitamins B-1, B-6, B-12, folic acid, D,
and selenium.Anyone interested in reading more about it, there's a Web site: bodyblues.combodyblues.comOpen ↗
Maybe it's the placebo effect, but I'm a different person when I follow the regimen, including the
vitamins. Especially the vitamins.I'm not recommending this to anyone else. I'm just stating what seems to be true for me.
So yes, I do believe there's a connection between light and food cravings.
Prairie Roots
Fred said:I did not go to that spam site but recalled that I got a Costco email yesterday that mentioned a
"mood" light. Some folks at work have them
- maybe it is not a bad idea. Where did that site lead?I make quite a few shrimp when I do that stir "fry". Probably always a fish steak/filet of
reasonable size - 5-6 oz.No, thanks for the suggestions.
Prairie Roots said:Well, it was just a thought. I do know that higher protein helps me curb my cravings for sweets.
It's something SuzyQ used to mention as well. So for some people it seems to be true.Of course, maybe you just need some afternoon sun! (referring to the spam posting earlier
today) <G>On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 18:19:47 -0800, Fred <[email hidden]> wrote:
>I probably have protein with each meal altho, breakfast may be slim.
>
>Breakfast is usually cereal with milk or soy milk, ahem, soy drink (can't call it milk since it
>did not originate from mad cows!) So there is some protein there??? Not much.
>
>Lunch is either chicken teriaki or pastrami sandwich (said sandwich has 3.5 oz meat and I get a
>second one of equal for later in the week
>- the entire sandwich is 7oz meat). Lots of chicken in that teriaki. Dinner has a protein source
> - fish, chicken, lamb. And frankly, I think my muscles are doing okay in hiking, etc, altho,
> maybe this past sunday's bike ride was a [censored]!!! (g)
>
>The other thing is I'm not hungry for the snacking - I'm snacking when UN-hungry. Or at least, I
>don't feel hungry. Boredom? A returned old habit? Lost the focus or will? Or need for more food
>- since I guess I really am MAINTAINING. So maybe you are right - maybe I should up the main
>meals and see if the snacking is reduced.
>
>On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 16:01:36 -0600, Prairie Roots <[email hidden]> wrote:
>
>>I've been wondering something about your concerns with (over)snacking and feelings of hunger. I
>>know you load up on carbs for energy on your weekend warrior days. But do you get enough
>>protein the rest of the week to replenish your muscles? Just a thought. I'm no expert and I'm
>>not trying to tell you what to do (as if!). But the little bit of Atkins literature I've read,
>>as well as the stuff I've read about the relationship between carb cravings and protein intake
>>makes me wonder if it might be worth taking some time to think about your protein. FWIW.
>>
>>Prairie Roots
>>
>>On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 06:21:39 -0800, Fred <[email hidden]> wrote:
>>
>>>No more mudslides - too bad (G)
>>>
>>>I'll move stuff up here. Activity points are definitely a oddball factor in WW. I think,
>>>though, that you are correct - they are intended as a positive benefit and help weightloss so
>>>that the point values may be somewhat skewed so that you gain benefit even if you eat the
>>>calories/points. But like you, even though I was very active in my hiking/etc, it is much
>>>easier now and I am not earning as many points but I seem to be hungrier. But I have 60 pounds
>>>less fuel to burn. I guess we should not second guess this stuff - we know that it works
>>>pretty well and they do constantly come up with new tweaks (probably both for commercial
>>>reasons and practical reasons.)
>>>
>>>Keep on doing what works and keep questioning how and why on some days to just keep the mind
>>>fresh (G)
>>>
>>>On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 01:46:06 -0600, Joyce <[email hidden]> wrote:
>>>
>>>>On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 06:50:10 -0800, Fred <[email hidden]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 01:40:11 -0600, Joyce <[email hidden]> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 07:09:51 -0800, Fred <[email hidden]> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>You may be right. Too little main course might lead to even more snacking. The body may
>>>>>>>>>just want to hold at this weight. And maybe I just need to cater to it. A WW leader who
>>>>>>>>>shall remain nameless has suggested that my weekend's probably need more food. After all
>>>>>>>>>I am not still burning off the self-storage points that use to gather around my waist.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I have a feeling you may be finding or accepting the same thing that I have ... we're
>>>>>>>>just where our bodies want or need to be. Up/down a few pounds, it all balances out - but
>>>>>>>>no dramatic drops that seem to stay in place permanently. I think Lesanne hit the nail on
>>>>>>>>the head in a prior post when she said that if we are still losing weight easily, then we
>>>>>>>>aren't *there* yet. I'm thinking, my friend, we are there ... whether we like it or not.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I think you are right - I'm doing a good job of just wobbling in place
>>>>>>>- like riding a bicycle - a bit left and bit right and mostly straight ahead. A bit up, a
>>>>>>> bit down and mostly right on MAINTENANCE.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Which is as it should be when you are where you belong.
>>>>>
>>>>>>Yup, I think it is finally registering with me that seesawing a bit is just going to be a
>>>>>>fact of life. Down again today, back to where I was last week. Then I killed off the
>>>>>>mudslides tonite - so probably back up tomorrow. <G> I
>>>>>
>>>>>Well, since I read down below, I think you needed the mudslide to clear up the activity
>>>>>points issue (g) Other than the fact that I will not wi officially if I'm too late on Weds,
>>>>>I think this might be another slightly up week - so says the scale this morning. I need a
>>>>>down week again! Oh, still under goal.
>>>>
>>>>Up a teeny bit this morning, which I expected - nothing major. And that bottle is now gone,
>>>>out, been removed from the premises ... so it will no longer bother me. Probably be another
>>>>year before I see one again. <G>
>>>>
>>>>>>>>>I may experiment a bit. I think the snacking was better last night - that's two nights
>>>>>>>>>after the weekend. And I recall it was similar last week. Or is it just that today is WI
>>>>>>>>>and my mind accepts LESS.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>For the most part my snacking has been pretty well under control, with exception to last
>>>>>>>>week. <G> Don't know what got into me or why. The last few days I haven't felt those same
>>>>>>>>hunger munchies that nothing would satisfy. Maybe I need to keep better track of these
>>>>>>>>episodes? I wonder if they have anything to do with hitting a lower than usual weight,
>>>>>>>>like the body sending signals to eat, eat, eat!
>>>>>
>>>>>>>Well, that's the ol' set point theory which, of course, we definitely accepted as the
>>>>>>>reason why we could not get the excess weight off BEFORE we got it off. But I am sure that
>>>>>>>the body does have its limits. Starvation mode or a modest form of it, I'm sure, is
>>>>>>>working to keep the body working correctly and nourished right. I do know (I wrote to
>>>>>>>Lesanne) that I am not noticeably hungry but just snacking. Are those the signals that I
>>>>>>>really do need those snacks? They are better snacks than years past.
>>>>>
>>>>>>Hmmmmm, not sure what to tell you on this one. I do snack, usually (but not always, I'm not
>>>>>>a saint) healthier options - but it definitely is nowhere near the amount that I was
>>>>>>snacking on last year. When I hit those constant snacking phases, I am definitely
>>>>>>noticeably hungry ... to myself and everyone else. My stomach is grumbling loudly,
>>>>>>sometimes a little lightheaded or just not feeling quite right. Then there are the times
>>>>>>when I am just bored and eating seems to be the thing to do. THAT'S what I need to get
>>>>>>control of ... as I sit here in front of my computer, definitely not hungry, yet there is a
>>>>>>bowl of meringues sitting right in front of me. I may go dump them back into the container.
>>>>>
>>>>>Yesterday it was Meringues, mango and on the bike ride, that breakfast cookie. too much
>>>>>stuff.
>>>>
>>>>Today *feels* like one of those days to me. Have you ever just felt like you've really
>>>>overdone things - yet when thinking it all out it really wasn't THAT bad? Well, that's where
>>>>I'm at today. Something I've eaten has left me feeling incredibly full and bloated ... no
>>>>idea what, nothing I can really put my finger on. The only good thing about feeling this way
>>>>is that it keeps me from snacking. I haven't had one snack all day long.
>>>>
>>>>>>Ok, here's something else I was thinking about today ... and I'm probably way off base, but
>>>>>>in my head it somewhat makes some sense. Regarding the amount of activity points earned,
>>>>>>and eaten. I understand that 100 calories expended = 1 activity point, and this made sense
>>>>>>to me as I was losing weight. Ok, so what if roughly 50 calories = 1 point , if we ate all
>>>>>>AP's we earned, we could still lose weight. I figured ww had us working in somewhat of a
>>>>>>deficit mode, which really does make sense. BUT ... since we are trying to maintain ... by
>>>>>>still working with those same numbers, are we somewhat doing ourselves in by not eating
>>>>>>enough and then ending up going on a rampage a day or so later? Did I convey my thoughts
>>>>>>well enough for anyone to understand? I guess this came into play today when I was thinking
>>>>>>about the Wendy's frosty I had splurged on last week. Roughly 13 points for a large one (I
>>>>>>really splurged!) ... 600 or close to it calories. Normally I think that it would take
>>>>>>about 4 or 5 days to earn enough activity points to work it off. Today for some reason my
>>>>>>brain kicked into calorie mode instead ... which told me that no, it really is only 2
>>>>>>workout sessions on my treadmill. So if I've been working my tail off everyday, and only
>>>>>>eating what ww says I've earned ... could that explain those hungry days? And explain why
>>>>>>my weight didn't skyrocket as I had anticipated it would when I did hit that feeding
>>>>>>frenzy?
>>>>>
>>>>>Interesting. I was never quite clear on converting points to calories and activity
>>>>>points/exercise is even more or maybe less clear but you folks with TOYS that calculate
>>>>>calories burned might have a better handle on things. So you think WW did not quite tell us
>>>>>the truth?
>>>>>(G) That could explain why I lost so well during the program - I was getting in the main
>>>>> 15-30 activity points on a weekend a some more during the week. And I was better at
>>>>> limiting the snacking back then
>>>>>- driven to succeed. Or maybe since I had my own FAT points to burn, I did not need or
>>>>> desire the extra points I am now consuming.
>>>>
>>>>I'm going on information passed along by others, as to the calorie vs. points conversions.
>>>>And I really have no idea if what I'm *thinking* makes any sense at all, or has any truth
>>>>behind it ... or if I'm just outthinking myself once again. My cynical mind has me thinking
>>>>that the calorie difference between points eaten and activity points is probably because most
>>>>people will figure those activity points high in the beginning ... have no idea as to what is
>>>>really considered high exertion. I know my perception was quite different when I was sitting
>>>>at 220 pounds, than it is now. Heck, just cruising the neighborhood leisurely was a chore to
>>>>me. <g> So by giving double credit (so to speak) even if figured high, you should still lose
>>>>some weight. I'm also thinking of ww telling people that 30 minutes of doing laundry is worth
>>>>2 activity points ... still can't quite figure that out since 30 minutes of laundry for me is
>>>>pretty much nothing other than a few trips up and down the stairs ... definitely less
>>>>exertion than 30 minutes on the treadmill. I do think that drive to succeed is also a BIG
>>>>factor. While I do still have that drive and still consider myself as trying to succeed, the
>>>>goal itself has definitely changed.
>>>>
>>>>>>I'm confused again. <G>
>>>>>
>>>>>Same here.
>>>>
>>>>Just another constant in my life. I'm used to it.
>>>>
>>>>JoycePrairie Roots
232/161/WW goal 145 joined WW Online 22-Feb-2003