We all like to float in the stream of accepted dogma. No one likes to go against the stream for long. We at least like to find our own tribe and swim along with them. It's like this with politics, and philosophy, and especially religion. (That's why relationship with God is so much more challenging than just following religious rules.)
So it is with diets. We align ourselves with people who are following the same plan, touting the benefits of our own chosen method like zealots on the mission field.We like the neat rules, and spend a lot of time bending our minds to happily acquiesce to them. I spent a very long time frantically looking for something that was "right" in the world of diets. But maybe there is not one "right" way. Talk about a paradigm shift.
Maybe you just have to pick something you can live with and stop second guessing yourself. Do ya'll second guess yourselves? Am I doing that? Wait, maybe I shouldn't do that. GAH!
The bottom line is that, no matter what eating plan you land on, we all find that we have to give up old habits, and learn new ones. We have to soberly make choices in a new way, and give up being careless. Maybe the real problem is not that I couldn't find a plan I could live with...it was that I didn't want to give up being a careless eater.
That's what I miss. Carelessness. It is so relaxing to be careless. For example, when you are not following a plan, you can mindlessly nibble your daughter's chocolate pop tart pieces that she left on the counter. (Why does she do that? Was she standing at the counter eating and then suddenly found something more compelling going on? Why can't I find more compelling things to do than finishing a chocolate pop tart?)
Mindless eating. Oh the joys. But is it really a joy? If you are doing it mindlessly, how can you be enjoying it? I mindlessly clean toilets, but don't find that I am compelled to find more toilets to clean.
There are many things I do in a day that are rather mindless. And that's probably best considering the toilet cleaning analogy. But eating shouldn't be one of them. After all, if you like doing something, shouldn't you give it your attention?
So, now I have to P L A N. I have to write things down. I have to make choices between this or that, rather than just eating all of this and some of that, and a little more of this. But let's face it, when I was doing that it didn't make me feel good at all. Most of the time I was eating on autopilot, and would come up out of my food trance thinking, "Did I really just eat all that?"
Oh well. Even when doing something mindlessly, we are constantly making choices. Maybe I can eventually learn to mindlessly eat the right number of calories? NAH. I know that ain't gonna happen. So I have to choose to be mindful in the area of eating. And that's ok. 'Cause I like to eat, so why not pay attention to one of the pleasures of life?
That is why I am liking the simplicity of counting calories. There is only one number I need to concern myself with...the caloric content. It's not a perfect system, but if you are on a calorie budget, you do steer more toward healthy choices, since they are the ones lower in calories. And with lower calories you also automatically cut down on saturated fats, sugars, carbs...the whole enchilada. (Hm, enchiladas...maybe I can figure a low-cal version?)
I've gotta go put that chocolate pop tart in a baggie. And in the pantry. In a box. Out of sight.
So it is with diets. We align ourselves with people who are following the same plan, touting the benefits of our own chosen method like zealots on the mission field.We like the neat rules, and spend a lot of time bending our minds to happily acquiesce to them. I spent a very long time frantically looking for something that was "right" in the world of diets. But maybe there is not one "right" way. Talk about a paradigm shift.
Maybe you just have to pick something you can live with and stop second guessing yourself. Do ya'll second guess yourselves? Am I doing that? Wait, maybe I shouldn't do that. GAH!
The bottom line is that, no matter what eating plan you land on, we all find that we have to give up old habits, and learn new ones. We have to soberly make choices in a new way, and give up being careless. Maybe the real problem is not that I couldn't find a plan I could live with...it was that I didn't want to give up being a careless eater.
That's what I miss. Carelessness. It is so relaxing to be careless. For example, when you are not following a plan, you can mindlessly nibble your daughter's chocolate pop tart pieces that she left on the counter. (Why does she do that? Was she standing at the counter eating and then suddenly found something more compelling going on? Why can't I find more compelling things to do than finishing a chocolate pop tart?)
Mindless eating. Oh the joys. But is it really a joy? If you are doing it mindlessly, how can you be enjoying it? I mindlessly clean toilets, but don't find that I am compelled to find more toilets to clean.
There are many things I do in a day that are rather mindless. And that's probably best considering the toilet cleaning analogy. But eating shouldn't be one of them. After all, if you like doing something, shouldn't you give it your attention?
So, now I have to P L A N. I have to write things down. I have to make choices between this or that, rather than just eating all of this and some of that, and a little more of this. But let's face it, when I was doing that it didn't make me feel good at all. Most of the time I was eating on autopilot, and would come up out of my food trance thinking, "Did I really just eat all that?"
Oh well. Even when doing something mindlessly, we are constantly making choices. Maybe I can eventually learn to mindlessly eat the right number of calories? NAH. I know that ain't gonna happen. So I have to choose to be mindful in the area of eating. And that's ok. 'Cause I like to eat, so why not pay attention to one of the pleasures of life?
That is why I am liking the simplicity of counting calories. There is only one number I need to concern myself with...the caloric content. It's not a perfect system, but if you are on a calorie budget, you do steer more toward healthy choices, since they are the ones lower in calories. And with lower calories you also automatically cut down on saturated fats, sugars, carbs...the whole enchilada. (Hm, enchiladas...maybe I can figure a low-cal version?)
I've gotta go put that chocolate pop tart in a baggie. And in the pantry. In a box. Out of sight.
