Food Peace

I am getting stabilized, again. I had started going up and down with food, at first a little deviant here and there and then barely hanging on to some principles, and sometimes discarding them all together. I find it really hard to get back on track after eating sugars and flours and things I have already learned to avoid. It takes time to get the toxins out of my system and to "calm down" the cravings which can be constant depending on how and what I have been eating. I can best describe the feeling I have when I avoid the toxic foods as calm. Quiet. Peaceful. It's my food peace. It is a longer lasting feeling than the instant and fleeting sugar and carb highs that take so much effort to maintain. It is a physical peace. I have it this morning and I love it. And right now I can honestly say that I want my food peace more than I want any treat, snack, or snare that comes my way.

Job Description

Okay, I reviewed my qualifications and I hired myself for the job. Here is the job description:

Preparing a daily food plan.

Preparing meals in accordance with the plan.

Eating the meals.

Exercising in the morning (no set plan yet, just do something)

Exercising mid-day (again, does not have to be a huge deal, 15 minutes)

Read positive writings about health, recovery from overeating, fitness - at least once per day.

Have daily meditation. Morning is good, and a quickie in the afternoon.

Daily communication with a God of my choice.

Show enthusiasm and an overall positive attitude while working. Help others. Forgive yourself and move on when you make mistakes.

That ought to do it. Compensation is a new attitude and outlook on life.

My Resume

I am working on my resume because I am looking to change my job within the company I work for. I need to secure my employment for the next few years or so. But it made me think about something else. What’s my resume for weight loss and physical health? How would I measure up if I were applying for the job of losing and keeping off excess pounds to secure my future health?

Well it looks like this:

Education and training:

Nutritionist/Dietician – Worked with nutritionists in 1976, 1993, and 2005 regarding dietary needs and healthy portions. The earlier two were related to pregnancy, the latter was strictly for weight loss.

Physical Training – Active Bally’s member from 1990-2005 Eagle Fitness 2005 to present (Attendance slacked considerably during 2000-2005)

Books/research – The South Beach Diet; Outwit Your Weight; Natural Baby Food Cookbook (really good information on nutrition and digestion); Overeater’s Anonymous (several books); The Choice is Yours (and other TOPS books and literature); From the First Bite; Subscribed and read Fitness magazine from 1999-2003; various other magazines, books etc.

Experience

1990 – 1993 – Went from 162 to 135 after joining Bally’s and exercising daily, while reducing food intake. Crept back up to around 150 or so but still at a very healthy size.

1993 – Maintained a healthy pregnancy, swimming regularly and gaining a normal amount of weight. Had risk of gestational diabetes in latter trimester and went on the diabetic diet. Was successful in adhering to that program.

1995 – Decided to take off some extra pounds and lost 13 on the “soup diet” Something I no longer recommend to anyone.

1999 – Went from 172 to 156 using a program based on a balanced diet and low sugar foods (glycemic index)

2000 – 2002 Gained a big chunk of weight did nothing about it.

2002 Joined TOPS and lost 14 pounds.

2003 Gained back the pounds I lost at TOPS plus more.

2004 Tried South Beach diet - lost a few pounds here and there but gained them back

2005 – present – Steady but slow decline in weight of about 15-20 pounds since January of 2005. Some fluctuations but overall have not made significant gains in the wrong direction. Have made progress in identifying underlying issues that contribute to weight gain. Looking more to recovery programs for eating disorders and their materials than diets and diet clubs. More focus on behavior modification and underlying issues.

Not sure what all this means yet, but I decided I needed to do it.

The High Risk Hours

I have been able to identify the time of day that I most often get into trouble. It is the late afternoon/early evening between 3:30 and 8:00 p.m. Mornings are fine, I never overeat in the morning. Noon time is good, too. I am happy with a reasonable lunch. But there is something about the time from when I get home from work, and through the evening. That's when I fall off of plans, or overindulge and so on. I decided to really look at what goes on emotionally, etc. at that time of day. For one thing, there is the transition between being at work and being at home. There's a feeling of relief and perhaps the feeling of release and a temptation to "cut loose." Then, there is also some stress and sometimes some fatigue, both of which I often sooth with food. So there may be at least two types of eating here, eating to "celabrate" and eating for comfort. What I do believe is that if I can make changes to what I do at that time of day, I may get over a huge hurdle. So I am going to be working at changes that could make a difference. One thing I want to try is a quick walk with the dog when I get home, and a few exercises. Then have a small snack sitting at the table with my daughter. Then a meditation reading. Just a short one pager. It's a re-charging of myself for the remainder of the day. Or, a transitional ritual. In the morning when I wake up, I like to do some things to get the day started. I pray, I think about the day ahead and read something. Sometimes I do a few exercises. Not always, but it is a well established pattern I have had for years, so much so that if I don't do it, I at least acknowlege the need to do it, and miss it. Now, if I can get the late afternoon transition going as a regular habit, it could be a major breakthrough for me.

Detour

It's been almost two weeks since my last post. I have not much say, except to share this reading below, it is one of my favorites.

Autobiography in Five Chapters

1) I walk down the street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in.
I am lost . . . I am hopeless. It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.

2) I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again. I can't believe I’m in the same place. But it isn't my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.

3) I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in . . . it's a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.

4) I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.

5) I walk down another street.

Now, what chapter am I? I think I am at the end of Chapter 3. I hope I can at least walk around the hole next time, and then get to the point where I am going down another street.