UPF.... WTF - I knew it was addictive but didn't realise...

[PaminaMozart]

... how quickly things can fall apart!

I'm a self-confessed health nut. Love exercise, lots of walking, and my diet is normally supper healthy. Lots of vegetables, lean protein, a smattering of complex carbs, healthy fats and dairy/mostly yoghurt.

It has stood me in good stead. At 70 I am really fit and my health-MOT suggests a biological age of 53 or thereabouts.

BUT...... for the past 10 days I have had relatives staying with me who seem addicted to UPF, carbs and sugary 'treats'. They sleep till 10, so I've given my usual morning workouts a miss so as not to disturb them. No point cooking stuff they won't eat. Or we eat out at places with limited/no healthy options.

Slowly but surely I've fallen into a pattern of eating what they eat, drinking wine daily (as opposed to a glass once or twice a week), and taking the bus instead of walking.

And, even after such a short time I have gained weight, my belly is definitely more prominent, and my lovely muscles seem sadly diminished.

A salutary lesson. Use it or loose it. I wonder how long it'll take me to get back to where I was...?!!

If you've got addicted to UFPs and alcohol this quickly, please don't try anything else "addictive" - before you know it you'll be addicted to heroin or crack.

This cant be real? Why would you change habits just because you have guests? If you want a healthy breakfast/walk/exercise, do that whilst they are asleep? Or tell them you’re exercising and do what you normally do? Also, you dont have to eat exactly what they eat 24/7 and you can walk over getting the bus.

Do you not go on holiday - we all indulge on holiday and muscles dont go in 10 days, so I find that hard to believe.

The point of growing muscle is not to look good but to be strong and capable, especially as you age. Personally I’m interested in improving my bone density since loss of it can cause so many problems in old age. But if that doesn’t interest you, you’re welcome to not develop any muscle.

Totally agree - balanced diet, mixture of everything, nothing off limits.

It's a shame you fell into these habits so easily. Surely you hate the way it makes you feel? If you are craving the fat and sugar, by way of withdrawal you could make a lovely cake, cookies, pudding, maybe some home made bread. Then have that in moderation til it's gone and back to your usual healthy regime.
It takes longer to lose weight than put it on, that's for sure!

There’s everything wrong with UPF! 😂

Well that was all very dramatic

I know exactly what you meant Op
I avoid biscuits because if I eat one I will cane the whole packet, that twin doctor did a programme about UPF and found himself addicted to it.
Ignore the snark
It's because us oldies are actually metabolically younger than people younger than us because their diets,full of UPF are shit and they dont exercise.
Good on you!

I bet you've been a nicer person to be around this week. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Exactly, if you have a healthy relationship with food and exercise, you know its ok to indulge from time to time (slim size 8 here who has no food off limit, regularly exercises, walks etc). I tend to eat healthy (ish) in the week, enjoy what I want at the weekend.

If you have a night of pizza and wine (example) with your guests, why cant you wake up as normal, have a nice healthy breakfast and go for a long walk? If they wake up whilst your out, they can help themselves to breakfast anyway.

Its your decision to go completely out your routine.

Did anyone else read this as UPS? Addictive parcel sending.

Honestly how you have got through the year and not knowing this is an impressive amount of ignoring the news!

‘Lovely Muscles’ is just..urgh.

That is specific to you though. Most people are capable of having a few biscuits and putting the packet down. It is called self-control (im not being rude) but as grown adults, we need to know that eating 2 biscuits is not going to kill you. Scoffing an entire packet regularly obviously isnt healthy.

If I was OP, i’d work on learning its ok to have a few treats without going off the wagon.

No idea why this thread has brought out so many bitchy people. Yes it's crazy what a difference 10 days can make OP. I totally understood what you meant.

It's MN. You speak about healthy food and exercise, it touches a nerve with a lot of posters. Don't expect much sympathy on here

This.

Were they shooting up the sugar, Homer style?

The older you are the harder it is to regain muscle.
I would NEVER eat UPF food & I would NEVER fall into the habits that you have described OP.

It sounds stupid but I am scared to read it. I am in denial. Because I am thin, there is less social pressure to do something. But I have risk factors from my ethnicity and family history that I cannot ignore.

Ok I promise I'm not being bitchy but you probably have a very poor metabolism (but great energy or discipline)! Despite my username I'm skinny with a trash diet (however I am trying to be healthier, not for appearances but to not die from snack overdositis), but even for a normal person I don't know how anyone would just swell up in 10 days?

Can I ask what diet this was. I have chronic migraines and Botox for migraines isn’t helping.

To all those saying I could go for a long walk early in the morning, cook a healthy meal for myself in addition to the stuff they will eat, not drink booze, etc... Of course I could do all that but, after 10 days, and with another 10 days to go, my resolution and willpower have kind of evaporated.

As for not losing muscle in just 10 days - it has actually been a bit longer as I spent ages getting the house ready for my visitors. Probably the loss is minor and easily recoverable, but I'm sure I'll have to drop to lower weights for a while once I pick them up again.

Some posters have insinuated that 70 is quite old and I should just let go off my fitness drive and eat as much as UPF as I want. However, I don't FEEL old and I have no intention of 'letting myself go'! I can still ski like a woman half my age and I plan to continue doing so for many years 🤞

Eating healthily doesn't make me feel deprived. I don't normally crave UPF, but having started eating it I can see how habit forming it is. Looking forward to getting back to my veggies, salad and lean protein!!

For anyone interested in UPF and how bad they are, several posters have mentioned ULTRA PROCESSED PEOPLE. I'd also recommend THE SUGAR SOLUTION by Dr Mark Hyman.

Bon appetit!

OP, don't go, this is your thread. You probably have touched nerves because many of us haven't got it right with UPFs yet, and maybe never will?

I wanted to mention something. I bought a GLO salmon salad from Waitrose the other day, looked great, under 400 calories and it was really delicious. When I'd finished it I idly perused the ingredients thinking that I could make it myself and I saw GLUCOSE SYRUP on it, quite high up. I'm not sure if this is the same as CORN SYRUP but that is something that I've sworn against.

I've attached the nutrition if anybody's interested but this bloody stuff is insidious and it has no business in a salad, surely? Wasn't a massive salad - 244g.

Totally with you OP.

OP, think of it as a food holiday and get back to the grind once they've gone home (if they haven't already).