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...?!!

I think my muscles are lovely. I've worked hard to get them (with a good dollop of genes which help).

Completely agree OP.

I am either on or off the wagon because of the way it takes hold. Said to my DH only yesterday that I need to treat it like smoking, only complete abstinence is the way forward.

it terrifies me how so many people don’t see it and believe this moderation bullshit. No wonder the food companies are getting away with it.

I’m totally with you on this. The older you are the quicker you lose muscle tone and the longer it takes to get it back.
I don’t eat junk food because I don’t buy it and having Celiac’s disease discounts the vast majority of temptation when out. But, good grief the amount of crap my sister hauls into the house when she visits is unreal, and yeah it doesn’t take long to succumb to daily treats and an expanding waistline.

I read somewhere that scorning UPF’s was becoming a feminist issue.

Women back in the kitchen doing everything.

Well I agree, crap food is addictive if you go down that path. I have to consciously avoid it. I live healthy food so it's fine, but a "slip" can be hard to draw aline under

I wonder if there is anyone who managed an ‘everything in moderation’ approach to upf?

I like junk food. But I do have willpower. I have never smoked, drunk alcohol or taken drugs. I can eat one snickers and then not eat other junk for the rest of the day if that’s what I really want to do. I don’t think I addicted as such but maybe that’s me being in denial?

Just wondered if there is merit in eating less upf rather than giving it up completely. Surely there is?! 🙏

Some really nasty comments on here.

I'm completely with you op. I’m 66 and try to give UPFs a swerve for my long-term well-being. They’re insidious and I believe they’re doing an awful lot of damage to people’s health which may not become apparent for some years yet. The more I read the research, the more it concerns me. I definitely think there’s a link between the explosion of UPFs and the increase in long-term health issues we see generally now. I’m not a saint, I do cave in now and then, but I try to be mindful as I can feel the difference within myself.

Good luck in getting back into your routine when your visitors have gone.

For what it's worth OP, I totally get what you're saying regarding UPFs and how easily it is for healthy habits to drop off when your normal routine is disrupted. The good thing is that you have built up your lifestyle over many years so it will be easy enough for you to get back into it once normal routine resumes. It's a shame that as a society, we've lost sight of what our bodies are inherently designed to do and to be fuelled by. People who want to eat nutritious food which is as unprocessed as possible are being called 'orthorexic', rather than acknowledging that actually the system that we live in has completely normalised and often celebrates UPFs as an everyday dietary choice.
Well done for wanting to build and preserve muscle mass as much as you can. There's a lot of people thinking it's just for aesthetic reasons without understanding just how important it is for women to build muscle, whatever age they are.

When I used the term 'lovely' I was ever so slightly sending myself up 😆 but having them has made a tremendous difference to my strength and stamina - and my posture.

I work out most days with Caroline Girvan. Life changing and highly recommended.

So do you think it’s impossible to eat in moderation or that even moderate eating of upf is very bad? I am thinking about how to address this issue for me.

Muscles are lovely; even more so on women as we have to work harder for them and we don't tend to use 'help' to get them. I've been boxing (only with trainer) for 3 years and I prod my biceps every day (not in company), to remind myself to book in again.

Exercise- in my case - has been hard won. I hated it in school (bullying gym teachers/showers, etc.) and steered off it for most of my adult life but now I'm in my 50s and I wish I'd had the guts to start it up 30+ years ago.

IMO there is no safe level of consumption when it comes to UPFs.

But it’s not bullshit for lots of people.

I've heard very good things about her workouts. I don't enjoy working out alone at home. Fortunately I'm able to go to various clubs or swim sessions or get out on my bike or my feet alone or with others.
I spend my working day sitting on my arse alone in my garden office so my sport is also a very social thing for me.
People often remark that they can tell I haven't talked to anyone all day!

I know exactly what you mean, op, and I don’t think it sounds like you are blaming your guests- you’re just giving the context.

iME you can get it back quickly- you’ll be feeling normal again within a few days of healthy eating and exercise. Unhealthy living is a vicious circle- eating crap makes you want to eat crap- so the sooner you stop the better. Booze in particular.

Same! I also eat like you do and nowt wrong with being proud for giving yourself a healthy body !

Just ignore the haters op. At least you're in tune with your body and proud of it. I wish i was more like you !

Women are so horrible to each other, as if it weren't bad enough having men belittle us every sodding day because we aren't thin enough, pretty enough, tall enough, etc etc etc.

Love my muscles

I don’t know why everyone is so offended at your post, fucks sake. Most of them would probably rather buy ozempic than look at their diets.

UPF in general cause inflammation, so you probably haven’t put any weight on your just puffy. But I know what you mean. I have to keep socialising to a minimum for this exact reason. We are self catering in a villa this year to make eating easier too.

The reason so many people are overweight / obese is addiction. They make it like that on purpose.

Even if it was, anyone with good muscle definition at 70 can show off as much as they want. They deserve it!

Why are so many people triggered like that? A toned body takes a lot of work, no one is stopping all the bitter posters on this thread to do it. The jealousy is unreal.

Me too, when I'm in the gym I kiss my biceps in front of the mirror😎

Rats exposed to high salt sugar and fat foods will choose them over cocaine even when they are addicted to cocaine.

OP as I get older I find it scary how quickly I can lose fitness and tone, and how much harder it is to gain it back again. Trash food also affects me more now I'm older than I did when I was younger, and I find it harder to shrug off the lethargy it causes.
I value my muscles because I was diagnosed with osteopenia and I'm also developing arthritis. My best defence against both is to stay active. Keeping active is my way of staying independent into old age. Muscle tone is a happy byproduct.
What I eat and how I stay fit should be under my control. So I will avoid upf because I find it too addictive to eat in moderation.
The short sighted idiots who haven't twigged this won't be laughing when they develop type 2 diabetes or can't leave the house under their own steam. Of course there are no guarantees but at least we are doing what we can. I really don't see what's so hilarious about that.

UPF are poison. I never eat them. Not even in moderation. They make me feel sick and ill.
They are highly addictive. You will have to go cold turkey. At 70 you can't afford to eat this stuff. You won't shrug it off like you did when you were younger.