Obesity and addiction

[Catrin]

...We judge people for eating the wrong things and then we judge people when opt for a healthier option. It's just one slice of pizza!

Wasn't there a study done recently that focused on this? Food is about more to the human mind than simply fuel, it comes wrapped in all different kinds of packages, some of which comes straight from our family/culture.

As a member of a quite diverse Greek Orthodox parish (many of us are not Greek), I am very careful what I eat before attending dinner at a Greek home (or immigrant household in general). It is very much about hospitality and to not partake of the food offered is an insult, I understand this and I am there for the relationships - not the food. Thankfully, there is a lot of healthy choices in Greek/Arabic and Eastern European traditional dishes - and I start out with quite small portions because I know I won't be allowed to leave the table without seconds...

As far as cycling and nutrition is concerned. My diet was actually pretty healthy for the last 5-6 years when I was still 50-70 pounds heavier than now. It was more about my totally sedentary lifestyle and the wrong percentages of fats/carbs/etc. I pay far more attention to what I eat now because in my weight-loss journey I've learned that if I do not then it becomes easier to justify old comfort foods. As someone else mentioned, once that weight is gone, that diligence has to remain to keep it off. Being older and without a thyroid or reproductive system just makes that even more important. I also am prone to low-blood sugar if I am not careful so, yeah, I will always need to be vigilant in both food choices and exercise.

It helps to not have anything unhealthy around to eat, and I rarely have the budget to eat out - which helps

Added: I love what cycling has done to my body (I've lost a LOT of weight since starting 2.5 years ago - most of it in that first year), and my moods. My depression has almost completely disappeared and I am much more positive about me and the world around me. In learning how to fuel for the bike, and reversing diabetes II at the same time, I learned a lot about nutritional choices. Now, if I can just avoid further over-use injuries...