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Staring it in the eye
Comments
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Sugar!
Something that I've been arguing with for a while. A lot of the time I convince myself I have it all under control, but not until I was reading a guide on sugar detoxing (ie/ cold turkey) whilst eating 5 bars of kiddies dairy milk bars did I finally accept I clearly have a problem with it...
Hi, my name is C.W and I'm a sugar junky.
There, that out of my system, it's time to move onto pro-active methods.
I was talking earlier about goal setting/time scales etc. So I set up a 10 week plan (I do enjoy planning) with highlighters and all that, which I mark off when I have a sugar-free day. I'm not avoiding white carbs or anything like that, I just rarely eat them anyway so it's not a concern. It's the obvious 'bad' sugars like milk chocolate, sweets, cake etc - the store bought kind particularly. If I learn to make tasty sugar and sweetener free treats, then that's a cheat day in my book
I am also not excluding fruit as I really don't see the point in that. I know they're high in sugar but I currently don't feel they're the problem. It's the excess of man-made, nutritionally void items that concern me. More specifically, the amount I eat and can't seem to self-manage in small quantities. No control at all there if I get a taste for it.
I rarely use condiments or pre-packed sauces so I'm not overly concerned about hidden sugar there. Likewise with cereal, I only really use oats or shredded wheat cereals, but I'll be extra vigilant to ones sneaking under the radar.
Sod's law as I make this decision, the mother stocks up on multipacks of mini cake slices and cookies... haha. She is aware and so are my colleagues that I've set this challenge to see how I get on.
Whatever the outcome, I doubt it'll kill me. Might drive me nuts, but won't kill me.
The reason I bring this up here is I've noticed that the mysterious expenses that crop up are often binge sessions of chocolate and crisps. So, in the interests of saving monies, I will be challenging myself to a sugar detox to save some cash as well as see how it affects my overall health. Maybe I'll gain money pounds as I lose body pounds... :T
Just need to make sure I have plenty of good fats and stuff on hand to fill the gapIf you don't believe you can ever do it, you never will.0 -
Sugar!
Something that I've been arguing with for a while. A lot of the time I convince myself I have it all under control, but not until I was reading a guide on sugar detoxing (ie/ cold turkey) whilst eating 5 bars of kiddies dairy milk bars did I finally accept I clearly have a problem with it...
:rotfl:
And white chocolate is the worst chocolate of all, because it's not chocolate at all...Hi, my name is C.W and I'm a sugar junky.
There, that out of my system, it's time to move onto pro-active methods.
I was talking earlier about goal setting/time scales etc. So I set up a 10 week plan (I do enjoy planning) with highlighters and all that, which I mark off when I have a sugar-free day. I'm not avoiding white carbs or anything like that,
What constitutes a "white carb"?I just rarely eat them anyway so it's not a concern. It's the obvious 'bad' sugars like milk chocolate, sweets, cake etc - the store bought kind particularly. If I learn to make tasty sugar and sweetener free treats, then that's a cheat day in my book
I am also not excluding fruit as I really don't see the point in that. I know they're high in sugar but I currently don't feel they're the problem.
Fruit are good. Fruit juice is bad...
I guess that's an adjunct to the "whole foods" thing.I rarely use condiments or pre-packed sauces so I'm not overly concerned about hidden sugar there. Likewise with cereal, I only really use oats or shredded wheat cereals, but I'll be extra vigilant to ones sneaking under the radar.
Try to avoid rice crispies. You don't want to know how they're made.Sod's law as I make this decision, the mother stocks up on multipacks of mini cake slices and cookies... haha. She is aware and so are my colleagues that I've set this challenge to see how I get on.
Whatever the outcome, I doubt it'll kill me. Might drive me nuts, but won't kill me.
It won't drive you nuts, but it may drive you to nuts...
The reason I bring this up here is I've noticed that the mysterious expenses that crop up are often binge sessions of chocolate and crisps. So, in the interests of saving monies, I will be challenging myself to a sugar detox to save some cash as well as see how it affects my overall health. Maybe I'll gain money pounds as I lose body pounds... :T
It'll also bring health benefits, some of which are enumerated in books like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pure-White-And-Deadly-killing/dp/0241965284
Obviously it's not a fan of the sugar stuff...Just need to make sure I have plenty of good fats and stuff on hand to fill the gap
You don't even need good fats, just not nutritionless "fast" sugars. GI is probably a good reference guide."Follow the money!" - Deepthroat (AKA William Mark Felt Sr - Associate Director of the FBI)
"We were born and raised in a summer haze." Adele 'Someone like you.'
"Blowing your mind, 'cause you know what you'll find, when you're looking for things in the sky." OMD 'Julia's Song'0 -
:rotfl:
And white chocolate is the worst chocolate of all, because it's not chocolate at all...
I've not had white chocolate in ages, so I don't think I'll miss that...What constitutes a "white carb"?
Essentially white flour and the like. "Simple carbs" as they put it. Don't tend to eat them anyway though, so I'm not really that bothered. That's what's so frustrating really, my diet is actually pretty darn good. It's the excessive consumption of junk on top of the good stuff that concerns me. I must consume at least 500kcal a day in excess just on chocolate alone. Though, in reality, it's probably far more than that.Fruit are good. Fruit juice is bad...
Which is why mine's always the whole fruit The good thing is also helps to fill up with the fibre and the whole process of actually eating something... if you juice everything, you must be hungry more often.Try to avoid rice crispies. You don't want to know how they're made.
I've not had those in years. I'll take your word for it though.It won't drive you nuts, but it may drive you to nuts...
Already there! I regularly eat a portion of chopped mixed nuts. I have some packed ready for my shift tomorrow as I go straight from work to my aerial class. There's also a jar of nut butter at work for emergenciesIt'll also bring health benefits, some of which are enumerated in books like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pure-White-And-Deadly-killing/dp/0241965284
Obviously it's not a fan of the sugar stuff...
Thanks for the link. I got that from the title! hahaYou don't even need good fats, just not nutritionless "fast" sugars. GI is probably a good reference guide.
I stumbled across one of those earlier... best keep a note of them.If you don't believe you can ever do it, you never will.0 -
Already there! I regularly eat a portion of chopped mixed nuts. I have some packed ready for my shift tomorrow as I go straight from work to my aerial class. There's also a jar of nut butter at work for emergencies
Check the ingredients. Peanut butter is fantastically high in calories. Take a jar if you're hiking, but day to day - not so much..."Follow the money!" - Deepthroat (AKA William Mark Felt Sr - Associate Director of the FBI)
"We were born and raised in a summer haze." Adele 'Someone like you.'
"Blowing your mind, 'cause you know what you'll find, when you're looking for things in the sky." OMD 'Julia's Song'0 -
Check the ingredients. Peanut butter is fantastically high in calories. Take a jar if you're hiking, but day to day - not so much...
As I say, it's for emergencies and I tend to just use a teaspoon on sliced apples. No sugar or salt.If you don't believe you can ever do it, you never will.0 -
The no-sugar thing's going well. I've had no sweets, chocolate or crisps which has resulted in a 5lb weight loss (unplanned bonus!). It's not been entirely sugar free in that I ate 2 pickled onions before realising they were sweet, and I found a pack of scones for 24p on my way to aerial class Monday night. Couldn't pass up on that! This seems like a reasonable amount of sugar.
In cutting out sugar, I have noticed that I tend to want more carbs. I've not noticed any issue with this at the moment, so I've indulged but opted for wholewheats and the like where they are available.
Coffee or cocoa has become my treat in the evenings instead of a mug of hot chocolate. My body doesn't seem to mind now it's getting used to it. I think the biggest problem is other people. They really think it's weird. I actually didn't even mind when someone brought in loads of cakes for a leaving party! It's mainly a case of preparation: making sure I have plenty of items I can eat, like dried fruits, pieces of fruit, nuts etc for nibbling on. I've even made 'power balls' which are peanut butter, honey, oats and sesame seeds. Yum! Very addictive so I won't be making them so often.
In terms of the job hunting, I've applied for lots of non-retail positions. I basically said to myself that I won't be applying for a like-for-like job, it'll be something closer to what I want to do or something that would be potentially a career move. As such, a lot of the applications sent probably were a long shot but there'd be no shot if I didn't try.
I was actually pulled into the office for a meeting with the company director and the accounts manager yesterday to tell me they appreciated I haven't been doing my job but they've appreciated the work I have done. Etc. Essentially then filling me with excuses and promises. What was a 10 minute meeting became an hour... I'm not very good at just nodding and accepting what's said.
As it stands, supposedly they're taking steps to change things and plan on moving me to a different office but that's not an immediate change because they still need new staff to start, be trained up, for the warehouse manager to get back off his holiday... etc.
I got a message from a guy who hired me for a position years ago. He now owns his own company and he did say he'd put the feelers out for me in case anyone needed me. He's since gotten back and asked if I'll come to see him to see if I'm a "fit for the business". It's over an hour away since I'm currently not driving but I'm curious and I really enjoyed working for him last time, as he's a really good boss.
So, despite the promises this company has made, I'm still going to go up and see with this old boss. It may come to nothing but you never know. I don't like leaving people in the sh*t but got to look after yourself, right? I think the new location for workplace is a bit of a nightmare in winter though... the bus service isn't very reliable and only once an hour. I may have to check the train times as two trains may be better than one bus.
In terms of budget, nothing has changed there. Just keep whittling down until I'm left with minimum spends. Hoping to be able to have cash spare but seems like that's never going to happen as there's hardly any money as it is.
The Ann Summers thing is most definitely a flop. Told that to my line manager too - that it takes up so much time and I'm not seeing any benefit for it. Not even managing to sell anything to cover the cost of the kit though.If you don't believe you can ever do it, you never will.0 -
The no-sugar thing's going well. I've had no sweets, chocolate or crisps which has resulted in a 5lb weight loss (unplanned bonus!).
:TIt's not been entirely sugar free in that I ate 2 pickled onions before realising they were sweet,
Don't worry about the pickled onions. The acid test would be "do they have enough sugar in them to get small children hyper?" It's not much of a danger with pickled onions...I've even made 'power balls' which are peanut butter, honey, oats and sesame seeds. Yum! Very addictive so I won't be making them so often.
They sound very nice, though the danger is that if you eat too many, *you* will turn into a power ball...In terms of the job hunting, I've applied for lots of non-retail positions. I basically said to myself that I won't be applying for a like-for-like job, it'll be something closer to what I want to do or something that would be potentially a career move. As such, a lot of the applications sent probably were a long shot but there'd be no shot if I didn't try.
That's exactly right.I was actually pulled into the office for a meeting with the company director and the accounts manager yesterday to tell me they appreciated I haven't been doing my job but they've appreciated the work I have done. Etc.
Sounds like they're starting to get the feeling you're not happy and are not happy enough to do something about it. This is the "pep talk" part...Essentially then filling me with excuses and promises.
Continue as you are. Certainly promises tend to evaporate when the pressure is off.What was a 10 minute meeting became an hour... I'm not very good at just nodding and accepting what's said.
So you ended up with "slow roasted director" - I don't think pubs are going to stock those in preference to "slow roasted peanuts" any time soon.As it stands, supposedly they're taking steps to change things and plan on moving me to a different office but that's not an immediate change because they still need new staff to start, be trained up, for the warehouse manager to get back off his holiday... etc.
And then there will be other reasons once that happens, and other reasons beyond that. If they want change, they're going to have to make change. This is only going to happen if they *want* change.I got a message from a guy who hired me for a position years ago. He now owns his own company and he did say he'd put the feelers out for me in case anyone needed me. He's since gotten back and asked if I'll come to see him to see if I'm a "fit for the business". It's over an hour away since I'm currently not driving but I'm curious and I really enjoyed working for him last time, as he's a really good boss.
So, despite the promises this company has made, I'm still going to go up and see with this old boss. It may come to nothing but you never know.
Exactly. If nothing else, you'll get gossip.I don't like leaving people in the sh*t but got to look after yourself, right?
You're leaving nobody in the shit. They are there for the same reason you are - they're getting paid to be there. If you go, they're not suddenly going to have their wages stopped. Albeit, some of them may have to start working for a living, and (dare I say it) will have to start thinking.
Oh, the humanity!I think the new location for workplace is a bit of a nightmare in winter though... the bus service isn't very reliable and only once an hour. I may have to check the train times as two trains may be better than one bus.
Use some kind of journey planning site. It may give you options you haven't thought of."Follow the money!" - Deepthroat (AKA William Mark Felt Sr - Associate Director of the FBI)
"We were born and raised in a summer haze." Adele 'Someone like you.'
"Blowing your mind, 'cause you know what you'll find, when you're looking for things in the sky." OMD 'Julia's Song'0 -
Don't worry about the pickled onions. The acid test would be "do they have enough sugar in them to get small children hyper?" It's not much of a danger with pickled onions...
Good plan! Probably not a fail-proof test though. I've never heard of kids getting hyper from scones or ice cream, but don't think they're recommended either.They sound very nice, though the danger is that if you eat too many, *you* will turn into a power ball...
Most definitely! Which is why I haven't made anymore than the two batches (one for the colleague, one for me). Fortunately I didn't do the full batches of 50 balls or so, just scooped a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter and added ingredients until it was of the right consistency to make balls.Sounds like they're starting to get the feeling you're not happy and are not happy enough to do something about it. This is the "pep talk" part...
Unfortunately for them, I'm more cynical than I used to be and aren't easily swayed by 'pep talks' after already experiencing the reality, and being the only one to take note of things like who's covering the shop or various jobs on various days. They appear to be the kind of management who don't consider anything until the last minute. I'm pretty sure managers are supposed to plan in advance, or at least employ people who plan for them. Not pretend everything's fine until it's not.Continue as you are. Certainly promises tend to evaporate when the pressure is off.
That was my thinking. They're interviewing for new staff but, in reality, no new staff are going to start in the next 2 weeks and even then they have to be trained up... So I'll be babysitting for a while before I can even think about doing my job. This is obviously affecting other departments as I'm not doing the job I was employed to do. Because I've been so vocal though, it's never considered my fault these days. A lot of people call the phone near me or bob down to visit to see if I'm "still sane", or just generally make sure I'm OK/express their own frustration. Pretty sweet really.So you ended up with "slow roasted director" - I don't think pubs are going to stock those in preference to "slow roasted peanuts" any time soon.
haha. Interesting image.I don't think he's used to someone talking over him (in a non-confrontational manner). Most usually just sit/stand and listen to him. I'm not disrespectful, so I hope it's not sounding like that. But I'm am prone to questioning things or making my views known as best as I'm able.And then there will be other reasons once that happens, and other reasons beyond that. If they want change, they're going to have to make change. This is only going to happen if they *want* change.
Exactly. Their plans sound like great ones but it sounds like an "ideal world" setting where they're not really making the right decisions or don't have the resources for it. The fact that they say the budget didn't cover certain hours over the summer and some people didn't get their overtime pay because of it... and now they're talking about taking on at least three new staff in run up to our quietest period but haven't even sorted out what wage they can offer the new starters... Not sure how that works.Exactly. If nothing else, you'll get gossip.
I like your thinking! I've booked the day off and it's been accepted by the boss-lady from upstairs since my line manager is off. I didn't fancy doing the whole ringing in sick thing so glad I can do it this way.You're leaving nobody in the shit. They are there for the same reason you are - they're getting paid to be there. If you go, they're not suddenly going to have their wages stopped. Albeit, some of them may have to start working for a living, and (dare I say it) will have to start thinking.
They sure will! I plan to give a notice period whenever I do leave and I'm the one working through the piles of stuff that's been 'forgotten' to make sure it's actually done. I imagine they should be in a very good position by the time I do leave, aside from not knowing what the new people are going to be like yet.Use some kind of journey planning site. It may give you options you haven't thought of.
That's what I've been on. I think it's in a pretty awkward place as far as transport links go, as the routes by train are a dead end as I'd just have to jump on the bus I can get nearer to my home after getting off the train. I think I can deal with the hour journey to and from work, I'd just have to budget an extra £5 a month for travel. The route's only 30 minutes in the car but I doubt I'll be paid enough to cover the extra expense of running a car...If you don't believe you can ever do it, you never will.0 -
FIXED INCOME: £880 (22 sept - 20 oct)
Monthly spend
Home £287.69
*£250 board
*£37.69 phone - Why am I paying this much when I have no !!!!!! to talk to??
Insurance £0.00
*My food bill: Provisionally £52.46 - need to review what quantities I need
*Cat food & litter: £21.94
*Vet: £none this month >>£100 or so for spaying in 3 months
Transport & Travel £48
*£48 (bus pass up to 20/10)
Debt Repayments £276.34
*PP £176.34 (Paid £4,135.92/£9,000)
*£100 to Mum (£400 outstanding)
ESSENTIALS TOTAL £686.43
Savings & Investments £50.00
*Emergency fund/savings ISA £50
Fun & Frolics £96
*Socialising budget £40
>Day in Tatton park with A.
>Dinner with J?
>Theatre with A?
>Day out with P?
*6-week fitness class £40 (due 13th October)
*Health & Beauty £5.00
*Clothes £0.00
*Big One Offs £0
*Odds & Sods £11.00
*weighted hoop for fitness at home £9
NON-ESSENTIALS TOTAL £155
OVERALL TOTAL £832.43 (Left of wages £38.57 for non-essentials)
Cat budget is £21.94
>48 pouches for £10 (56 required for the month) - There'll be 10 pouches left from last month by the time delivery arrives
>30L antibac litter £11.94 (20L purchased last month and just running out now)
Meal plan keeps changing. I really just want to allocate a max of £10 a week to buy fresh produce to spend in the local veg shop for soups, stew, curries and snacks. The rest of the food budget is flexible for the bulk purchases of grains or or maybe meat, if required.If you don't believe you can ever do it, you never will.0 -
FIXED INCOME: £880 (19 sept - 20 oct)
Monthly spend
Home £287.69
*£250 board paid
*£37.69 phone - Why am I paying this much when I have no !!!!!! to talk to??
Insurance £0.00
*My food bill: Provisionally £52.46 - need to review what quantities I need
*Cat food & litter: £21.94 paid
*Vet: £none this month >>£100 or so for spaying in 3 months
Transport & Travel £48
*£48 (bus pass up to 20/10) paid
Debt Repayments £276.34
*PP £176.34 (Paid £4,135.92/£9,000) paid
*£100 to Mum (£400 outstanding) paid
ESSENTIALS TOTAL £686.43
Savings & Investments £50.00
*Emergency fund/savings ISA £50
Fun & Frolics £96
*Socialising budget £40
>Day in Tatton park with A.
>Dinner with J?
>Theatre with A?
>Day out with P?
*6-week fitness class £40 (due 13th October)
*Health & Beauty £5.00
*Clothes £0.00
*Big One Offs £0
*Odds & Sods £11.00
*weighted hoop for fitness at home £9 paid £8.45
NON-ESSENTIALS TOTAL £155
OVERALL TOTAL £832.43 (Left of wages £38.57 for non-essentials)
Cat budget is £21.94
>48 pouches for £10 (56 required for the month) - There'll be 10 pouches left from last month by the time delivery arrives
>30L antibac litter £11.94 (20L purchased last month and just running out now)If you don't believe you can ever do it, you never will.0
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