Wk 6/Day 38- Alternate Measures of Success

Why do we think the numbers on the scale matter so much?  Can you guys tell what my number is by looking at me?  Somehow we seem to think we walk around broadcasting our "number" instead of presenting our whole selves, and thus we stress so much about that number.  

How would you be able to tell that I have lost some weight?  My pants don't fit because I don't have a bum anymore.  I am not sure I consider that success?!  Apparently my most important energy reserves are muffin top tummy (you know the role that sticks out over your jeans just like . . . well, a muffin top), because that remains intact! 

Desire for weight loss comes from 2 categories (I am totally generalizing on this- feel free to call me out, if I am absolutely wrong)

1. Internal reasons- to reduce disease risk or complications, have better stamina, more vitality for life 
2. External reasons- to reduce peer pressure, have better sense of self worth (I put this in the external category because without external influence I'm not sure our self worth would be determined by our weight), to wear that cute skirt bought years ago, to fit in a desired category assigned by makers of the BMI charts

Forgive my generalizations, here's the point I am trying to make.  Unless your only reason is to fit in the "good" category on the BMI charts, then the numbers on the scale report very little of your success.  

If your clothes are fitting better, if you're seeing improvements in your lipid panel or blood glucose level, if you have more stamina and love for life, if you are losing inches even without pounds- You are successful!  Don't let the numbers on the scale try to talk you out of that.  People can see your vitality, they can't see your number- let these alternate measures of success matter most to you!

Wk 6/Day 37- The Joy of a Full Swallow

I have been thinking a lot about the results of my mindfulness exercise with my family on Sunday.  My dad pointed out that his pleasure in eating comes, not from savoring something in tiny tastes, but in the joy of a full swallow.  Can you relate? 

I can!  For some reason waffles are something I enjoy swallowing in large bites.  I like the way it feels as it stretches my throat on the way down. 

Maybe you think we are strange, or maybe you totally get it.  However, during the mindfulness exercise with the apple pie (see yesterday's post) my dad dug his feet in a little.  He tried to savor the flavor and texture of a small bite, but said it just didn't do it for him.  He liked to take large bites and large swallows. 

I must say I spent too much energy trying to convince him to do it my way, because now I realize what I was missing.  I can provide suggestions where someone can pay more attention and find joy, but I can't alter what they find joyful!  

My dad had figured out what it was that gave him pleasure in eating.  It wasn't what I found most joyful, but the joy of a large swallow is what satisfied him in the end.  My attempts to change that, if followed, would probably leave him feeling unsatisfied with eating and totally defeat the purpose!  So instead I say "good on ya, Dad!  You have figured out what it is to find joy in your eating."

May we all take the path to discover where the joy is to be found in our eating, and then mindfully tune in to that which we find joyful, in order to find more satisfaction with the bounty of life!

Wk 6/Day 36- Children are Always Listening

Children are always listening!

Last night I was at my parent's house with family and the conversation turned to my theories on life and eating.  At one point I decided to lead my family in a mindful eating exercise (the one I posted a week or so ago).  We each sat down with some apple pie and looked at it, smelled it, tasted it, felt it with our tongues, savored it and swallowed it.  At the end of the first bite I asked them to stop for a second, take a deep breath, and make sure they were focused and ready to enjoy the next bite.

I was doing this for the sake of the adults.  I didn't think that my children were listening until my 3 year old exclaimed "I don't want to stop.  I'm already enjoying it!"  I have no doubt that he was!  He wouldn't let outside influence keep him from enjoying it.  He was savoring it, without any need to refocus his attention on what was in his mouth- He was "already enjoying it!" 

Then later as we were talking about the experience as adults, my 3 year old explains, in a very matter of fact tone (as if he is leading others through the exercise) "You chew your food.  You swallow.  And you don't put your elbow in your food or it will get sticky!"  

So if my exercise in mindfulness doesn't do it for you- Try his out!

Well, I made it through my perfect points week!  Hip hip hooray!  The place where I lose the most points is the eating after 8 PM rule.  However, last week I adjusted our eating times to more closely reflect what I determined was my inner eating schedule. 

Specifically, I prepared an intentional snack at about 3:30 PM when my oldest got home from school.  I determined this was perfect opportunity to sit around the table with a snack and ask him about his day.  Then, since we all were satisfied at 3:30, we definitely lasted until 6:30-7 PM for dinner.  When we had dinner at 7 instead of 5:30- no one went to bed hungry!  I think that is the solution for my family. 

Wk 5/Day 33- The Ultimate Goal

I was absolutely shocked that I just typed Wk 5/Day 33- Have I really been doing this for that long?

I will tell you these last 2 weeks have been much easier.  I think it just took a re-commitment, at the end of week 3, to the reasons I was doing this in the first place:

1. Prize money- maybe not a good reason, but definitely a motivator for this little penny pincher
2. Better family activity and eating habits  - More family walks and more fruits and veggies
3. For everyone that has been wonderful to support this experiment and has found validation and truth in reading my experiences with dieting. 

Don't worry I am not signing off!  But I will be very busy getting everything ready for my Eat 2 Liv program that pilots Oct 15th.

E-mail me here if you are interested in joining us: eat2liv@live.com

Now for my ultimate goal this week.  Several of the other participants in the Fit in 6 group mentioned their goal to have a perfect points week- 1060 points!  It had never crossed my mind to torture myself like that, but I decided that if I am going to experience this to it's fullest, I must also work on a perfect points week.

I didn't want to mention it before, for fear I would jinx myself.  But this week has been my path to perfection week.  So far, so good- 4 days down, 3 to go.  I choose to make this known now, so that as we go into the weekend, I'm accountable.

I only have 1 free indulgence left and I am saving it for General Conference sweet rolls Sunday morning.  Let's hope I can stop at just one!  (Actually I'll probably save another one for Monday morning when the points start over!- YUM!)

Wk 5/Day 32- Origins of the Eat 2 Liv Program

Several months ago, I started a journey seeking nutritional truth.  I was frustrated over being bombarded with external messages about good foods, bad foods, super foods, evil foods, that even as a Registered Dietitian, I didn't know what to believe.  Can you relate to the feeling?

I have never been one to argue on topics of nutrition.  When someone has a differing opinion I typically smile and nod.  I usually would only open my mouth if they specifically asked for my thoughts or if I felt like something they are doing could be harmful to themselves or others.  It's usually better that way, people like me better when I keep my mouth shut.  But part of it was, I usually didn't have a strong conviction of my side of what we were debating. 

Again the messages of claimed nutritional "fact" were so jumbled around in my brain, I didn't feel like I knew anything sometimes.  Quite frustrating when I am supposed to be the one others seek, for guidance on eating.

I spent a lot of time considering what I had learned in school, what I had experienced in the workplace, and what current research was telling me.  I spent a lot of time praying and pondering to distinguish truth from error, or even "almost truth" from truth.  

This diet has lead me down a new path of experience and has helped me solidify my feelings on the topic of dieting.  I have come to some conclusions on healthy eating, that are based not only on what makes sense, but on what feels right.  

It makes sense that our wonderfully complex bodies are engineered with clues (cues) on how to take care of them.  We don't have to guess when we should feed them- they tell us- HUNGER.  We don't have to guess how much is enough- our bodies tells us- FULLNESS.  In fact, we don't even have to chemically figure out how to compile our food into the correct nutritional profile- it grows, in a beautiful variety, from the earth we live on.

My ultimate conclusion is human nutrition is insanely complex, but healthy eating is not.  Re-learning to read and trust our inner cues may be difficult, but that is where our focus needs to be.  Not on "what" to eat, or even "how much" to eat, but "how" to eat so that we are empowered to make our own decisions on what and how much.  Maybe that sounds a little scary when you aren't sure you can trust yourself with food.  But as the end goal, doesn't that just feel right?

The Eat 2 Liv program is based on just that.  Learning "how to" eat, so that you have the knowledge and tools to decide what is right for you.

Check it out, if you haven't already- Click Here.   And let me know if you are interested in participating in the pilot program running Oct 15-Nov 25.  Limited spots are available.  The program is conducted online, so you can participate from anywhere.

Wk 5/Day 30- "I'm on a diet!"

You don't know how many times I have talked to a client about healthy options when eating out.  I am certain nearly every time, I have told them to "make your waitress work for you.  Drill her on what comes with each dish and what changes you can make to fit within your meal plan." 

I am only realizing now what I was asking them to do.  "Go into a restaurant, sit down with a group of friends or family and make a total ninny of yourself."

I consider myself fairly restaurant conscious and don't consider it a big deal to ask what low calorie salad dressings they have, but I start to feel like an idiot when that branches into questions like "is your mozzarella cheese, part skim?"  "Is your whole wheat dinner roll, really whole wheat?  Could you check for me?"

I feel like I have to end each question with the explanation "I'm on a diet".  Which I have a hard time keeping a straight face for, because this is not like me.  Then I feel like I have to further explain what it is I am doing as a dietitian on a diet and give them a business card that refers them to this blog.  (Though maybe I should do it for some marketing- Hmmm!)

I just want to say to anyone who has sat with me as a dietitian, I am sorry I made it sound like drilling your waitress wasn't a big deal.  Some of my waitresses have been wonderful and can confidently answer any question I throw at them.  Others have been a little overwhelmed, when they are struggling to answer the questions.  And others are just flat out annoyed, that I am questioning their menu. 

Not that we don't have a right to ask questions and receive answers, to make choices (we are paying them for their service), but I recognize now, that it's a bigger deal from the perspective of the dieter than I thought.  Thank goodness for the internet, where you can research some choices before you go. 

Wk 5/Day 29- Throwing Meal Time out the Window

In a book I have been reading it poses the question- Do you eat just because it's meal time or because you are actually ready for a meal?  I have been interested to figure out for myself when I would eat, if I only ate for hunger's sake.

After a week of observations, here's what I determined:

I'm ravenous when I wake up in the morning. So I typically eat something small at about 6:30 a.m. Then I'm ready for 2nd breakfast around 10 a.m. (Yes, I'm a hobbit).  This breakfast is a little more substantial.

Then after eating a fairly large meal at 10 a.m. I am not hungry again until about 3:00 P.M.  Which interesting enough, has always correlated with my "snacky time" regardless of when I last ate- I think 3:00 is just a time when my biologic clock wants food.  I think I really do need a mini meal there, instead of mindlessly wandering the kitchen for snacks.

Then after "lunch" at 3 p.m. I am not hungry for dinner until about 7 p.m.  I quite often sit down to dinner at 5:30 and eat, not because I'm hungry, but because dinner is on the table and I don't want to be hungry later.  But funny thing- eating at 5:30, means I'm not hungry before 8, but starving at about 9:30 p.m.  So I end up eating and missing my "no eating after 8 p.m." points.

Who says we have to eat at 8 a.m. 12 p.m.noon and 6 p.m?  I am going to rebel against convention a little bit and instead follow the dictates of my own biologic clock.  We shall see how it goes.

I understand that logically speaking we can't be a waitress to the rest of the family making them food whenever each one determines he/she is hungry.   But perhaps, if I pay more attention, I will find my children's inner clocks are more similar to mine, than to the rules of society that dictate our meal times. 

Try it out- set aside a day when you only eat for hunger's sake and just see if you learn anything new about your biologic clock, when all convention is set aside.