Here’s what scares folks off from changing their diet.
I love sweets! I love cookies and cakes and I love food in general, and if I go on a diet, I’ll have to drink non-fat milk and eat artificial ersatz sweetened imitation cookie-flavored rice crackers. I’ll never be able to go into a Starbucks or a Baskin-Robbins or a McDonald’s ever again!
Which simply is only true if that’s the way you choose to “lose weight.” And it’s pretty much a guarantee that you won’t keep it off, or, if you do, you’ll be unhappy and bitter and one of those folks who scolds others about what they eat and therefore don’t get invited to parties.
First off, going back to my original theme, it’s all about awareness, not deprivation. How many calories are you taking in over what you need. The delta is going to be fat. You don’t like fat. Fat isn’t going to go away if you aren’t aware of what you are eating (and what you’re not exercising away). Knowledge is power. Awareness creates its own incentive to eat wisely.
Secondly, eating wisely is not becoming a monk who only nibbles on three grains of brown rice and washes it down with distilled water. Nor does it mean you have to sell your soul to the Diet Food Manufacturing Industry, or resign yourself to never eating ice cream again.
Eating wisely is about moderation. About enjoying what you eat, but knowing that you won’t enjoy twice as many brownies twice as much. In fact, I suspect the curve on enjoyment flattens out pretty damned quickly.
So, I was appalled over the weekend to see the calorie count on a venti toffee latte at Starbucks. Ye Gods. You could feed a small nation on one of those things.
I was resigned to never tasting it again.
Bosh. Yesterday, after picking up Katherine from pre-school and going into the comic book store, we did our usual visit to Starbucks. And instead of ordering a venti, I ordered a tall. Which, in normal English, is a small.
And y’know what? It was still good. I still enjoyed it. I don’t know that I enjoyed it any less than a venti. It was a bit of sweet, and milkfat, and caffeine, and tastiness. I didn’t feel deprived. I felt happy.
I’ll be damned.
And last night, Margie mentioned the brownies on the counter in the kitchen from Monday night. And when I went back downstairs … I ate one. And it was delicious. Fabulous. A wonderful, wonderful brownie.
And I only ate one. Not two, or three, or five, or half of what was left, standing there reading a book and shoveling it in.
I was aware. And I knew I really only wanted one.
And after the profligacy of both a toffee latte and a brownie, and a couple of other small treats I’d snacked on — I was still below my target for the day.
This thing may actually work.
And I promise I’ll stop nattering about this Real Soon Now.
Exercise is a Good Thing. Really. It’s even better than you might think: if you get enough of it, your body starts to produce endorphins. Endorphins are your body’s natural pain-killers, and they have similar effects to artificial painkillers. They Feel Good. I spend a lot of time riding a bicycle. If I told you how much, you’s probably say I’m nuts. The time I spend on the bike has three benefits: I can enjoy my meals without worrying as much about my weight, I get a mental heath break from my worries and concerns since it’s hard to think very much when you’re exercising hard, and finally I get those endorphins going, and I feel Fine. Before I got into bicycling, I would have said that anyone who bikes as much as I do now is nuts. Obviously I’ve changed my tune, and I don’t begrudge that time on the bike at all.
Of course I’m single and my job is flexible enough that I can go ride while it’s light out and then work after dinner at home. Nonetheless, I recommend cycling to everyone, even if you don’t do it as maniacally as I do. It’s easier on the joints and bones than running. It lets you see more territory and get your heartrate up more than walking. Being outdoors beats working out in a gym by a long shot in my book. Dig your bike out of the garage Dave, and give it a shot! You can even get a bike trailer and take your daughter with you!
>>Dave
Heh. If she’s not peddling, she doesn’t want to go.
No, I wouldn’t say that folks who bike are crazy, by any means. I just have too many other enjoyable things competing for my hours at the present time. But advice to bear in mind.
So when do we get a progress report on the scale? 🙂
Probably tomorrow some time.
See, the scale is in the guest bath (as that’s the only bathroom with an uncarpeted floor). On work mornings, I don’t want to wake up Kitten, so I’m waiting for the weekend.
If your daughter wants to pedal, once she’s old enough and strong enough to hold on tight, you can try a trail-a-bike. These gizmos look like the back half of a bike with a funny long bar sticking out where the front wheel should be, and you hook that bar to the seatpost of your bike. The seat has pedals (and sometimes even gears on the sophisticated models), and the rider can contribute as much or as little work as kiddie energy and interest dictate. Yet the adult is in control, and the kid can’t wander off. I suspect it’s also a good introduction to bicycling in general, helping teach what it means to pedal, and getting a feel for balancing. I don’t have any evidence for that assertion, but it seems reasonable to me!
>>Dave