jules has given me food for thought with her deep gazings into the navel of idol worship of food over love of God. i thought "gee, i can understand that..." but didn't really give it a second thought.until today in the fitting room at macy's.
you see, i have put on a couple of a few pounds over the course of the last two years and they have added up to me being able to only wear one or two select outfits during any given weeks. quite frankly, the kids are undesirous of seeing me in "the uniform" just one more time, so i thought i'd be a good sport and go to the mall for some clothes shopping. i despise clothes shopping for myself, especially when it is for the reason of nothing fits because i've gained weight.
still. nothing fits.
i am beside myself because i cannot find clothing i like at prices i like better and worst of all, my favorite store habitat (read: hippie clothing) closed. so in front of the mirror, i said "oh, Lord...i cannot believe this." and you know what came up in my spirit? "perhaps you love food more than you love God."
you know what? He is breaking me in so many areas, why not one more? i cannot imagine that fruit and certain veggies are to be considered off-limits, but the breads and stuff that i find making its way into my mouth? yeah. i know.
could God really make something that delicious (think: fresh pears or pineapples) and then turn and say "no, you really can't have them because the sugar gets into your blood stream and you start to lose control." (my voice, not God's) moderation is key, but i can't seem to do anything in moderation. seriously. moderation is a problem for me.
any thoughts on this for the umpteenth time? balance your eating? atkins/low carbs vs. high carbs/low fats? what say you, good eating people?
15 comments:
If you have to eat pasta, eat whole grain. Choose lean meats and avoid the red stuff, if you can. Turkey is good and so is lean chicken. Stock up in tuna (fresh is preferred). Salmon is also really good for you - and really tastey!
I'm sure you know all the little things like cutting coke (the drinks not the drugs), sweets, and pretty much anything with beaucoups of fat/sugar.
The one thing I have always come back to though is counting calories. Counting calories also makes you more aware of other things going in. Being aware is the first step to being thin.
And a couple of quotes for you:
"It is the mark of a mean, vulgar and ignoble spirit to dwell on the thought of food before meal times or worse to dwell on it afterwards, to discuss it and wallow in the remembered pleasures of every mouthful. Those whose minds dwell before dinner on the spit, and after on the dishes, are fit only to be scullions. "
-St Francis de Sales
"Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation."
-St Augustine
I have found a lot of insight through reading the book "Body Clutter" .
Healthy fats, healthy carbs, healthy proteins, and if you have something that isn't "healthy" - make it a deliberate decision and enjoy the heck out of it - then get back with the program. To quote GK Chesterton "We thank God for beer and burgundy by not consuming too much of them".
What is working for me is found at http://www.radiantrecovery.com - it's a program that deals with sugar addiction at the biochemical level in your body.....and heals it at that level. It gets a person out of diet head mentality for good which is a huge relief. It is a 7 step program and even though I am only on step 2 I have stopped bingeing. I haven't white knuckled it or obsessed about it or any of those things. Doing the steps has simply taken away that need to shove food so fast into my mouth that I can hardly chew it before it goes down. Eventually my excess weight will come off but it's more about healing the underlying stuff instead of looking for a quick fix.
weight watchers is the best thing I've ever done. I have a million excuses for falling off the wagon as badly as i have. But it really works, especailly if you go to the meetings.
I've been following South Beach and walking. I have each of the cookbooks and have to say that the recipes are all good - esp. the ones from the quick & easy book. I need variety with some guidance - planning out my meals and throwing in new recipes helps me a great deal.
- Crabbybull
Mediterranean diet (in moderation, but it's the combination of foods that keeps you lean)...There are very few obese people in Italy. 2nd choice, weight watchers. My sister lost 60 pounds through that.
I treat myself just like the addict I am. I just dont' "go there." I have been sober from sugary foods for 7 years now. I try to avoid fried foods as well. I read a book called Chocolate is my Kryptonite and it redefined how I think of my eating addictions. Those foods made me feeeel better. As the author states, "One is too many, and a hundred is not enough." If I don't avoid them all together the food wins and I am not in control any longer. It's a slippery slope, but one that can be climbed with facing your addictions. Love to you Penni.
i moved this comment over for bobbie...
you know of my struggle with food martha. what i have found is that there are trigger foods that if i eat them all bets are off.
the two i have worked through at present are chocolate and commercial sugars. i find that by keeping them out of my diet i am a healthier and more whole person.
i know though that breads are what i have to deal with next. i don't do it alone though. support is crucial for me, and i am getting that now.
and in regards to the clothing - i find a thrift store soothes my justice/enviro care soul. no, they don't have everything i could ever want, but if you learn to finesse the stores you can find a wardrobe that fits and you can feel good about inside too.
i have found that having clothes that fit and make me feel pretty, even though the tags say a bigger number is actually far better for my self confidence than trying to squish myself into small clothes just for the size numbers sake.
i also pray before i go into a thrift store. i say 'okay god, i'm trying to be a good steward, buck really needs pants, so please have 12 slims in stock'. it's so strange, but i find it really works.
I've been sitting here perusing my new book, The Best Life Diet, by Bob Greene. He is Oprah's trainer/nutritionist guy.
So far I like what he has to say. (I am only in chap 1!) I guess the one thing I've never been able to get from head knowledge to heart is the fact that whatever changes are to be made, it is for LIFE. And the older we get, the more difficult it is - eating habits, exercise, etc.
I am most definitely a food addict - God has already shown me that it is sin. Plain and simple. But I continue to find myself in bondage to it, although He's working on me. :) We are ridding the house of the 'crap' foods and replacing it with many of the foods from the book.
Slowly but surely...one day at a time...
Last night I fell off the Crunchy-Carb-snack recovery wagon. I thought I had my addiction to Pretzels licked (mmm.... licked) but no. I bought a 500 gram bag of them, and ate the whole bag last night. Half a Kilogram of Pretzels. Over a Pound and a Half of Pretzels, translated into US units. Dear Lord!
I've gotta remember, I can't buy a big bag of pretzels at this point in life, or I will eat the whole thing in one go. I don't buy pop. I don't buy chips. I try to avoid all processed foods, especially snack foods completely. I'm trying to eat more Green stuff. Less % of daily intake from high-fat foods, without going insane, or into "diet" or fast/feast extremes.
There are a lot of people out there who claim to have The Answer. I don't think there's a simple answer but there are a lot of things that are Good. A return to simplicity, and really enjoying what God made are two of the things that I think are keys, both spiritually and physically.
Warren
Please read Intuitive Eating. See:http://www.intuitiveeating.org/
See also: http://www.intuitiveeating.org/
As you have discovered by now: diets don't work. If at first you don't succeed, try something different.
Ave
The Sonoma Diet. I have been eating that way for years having discovered it on my own. It is a deeply satifying way to lose weight and stay healthy. Then the book came out and all the propaganda and I saw that I missed my chance to be rich and famous. Oh well, at least I have my health and I am at peace with with food.
This is a "heavy" subject (please excuse the pun)...
I have struggled, over the yrs, to find a "plan" that will help me to "maintain" & find "balance" (not to do the yo-yo thing). Still searching, to be honest.
Being a female makes it a little more "complex"...then being at this "stage" (staring at the big "five-o") of that process complicates that complexity. And then, there's that "family history/genetics" thing...I come from mostly "big-boned people"... :(
That being said, it is my personal belief that REGULAR EXERCISE is the best way to handle it...that elusive "key" to weight maintenance and overall balance (affects the physical, as well as mental). Do I practice what I preach? No, but I haven't stopped trying either.
As for the meal plans/diet portion...my fiance' & I are currently (for the last 8 days) trying the South Beach Diet plan...but I can tell you that I DO NOT like how it is making me feel, physically. I feel sluggish, like my body is made of lead. It is drying me out (if that makes sense), and I find I need to drink A LOT more water (another "secret key" to health & fitness). We are considering weight-watchers next. I've tried "low-fat", liquid diets, grapefruit diets, and now "low-carb". I need (want?) to lose 20- - 25 lbs by this summer. If I could start a daily exercise regime, and eat healthy, balanced (in size AND content) meals, it's possible. Not necessarily "easy", but possible nonetheless.
But, it comes down to this: BALANCE. MODERATION. Not over-indulging. Not pigging out. Not seeking our solace, our "reward", our "deeper purpose" in a slice of chocolate cake. Eating to live, not living to eat.
Find an exercise program that you ENJOY, and then add different things to it, as time goes by. Try walking. Try free weights. Try Pilates. Try Yoga. Try kick-boxing. Try belly-dancing, if the urge strikes you. :) But LISTEN to your own body, and don't harm yourself in the attempt to obtain good health. I once had a psychiatrist tell me that if all of her patients would only become involved in a purposeful exercise program, that 90% of them would not need to continue seeing her.
Sorry I rambled on so...hope that something I mentioned here might be useful/helpful for you. I can empathize AND sympathize. But, just DON'T GIVE UP on yourself. Your body is the TEMPLE of the Holy Spirit. The desire to have it a healthy, wholesome place is a good thing to work towards.
I am pulling for you, dear lady!!
I understand addiction and compulsive eating. This is how I've been trying to manage.
Eat from all food groups: If you need help to do that, Weight Watchers is the best way to learn how to manage your eating for the rest of your life, with a few additions:
1. Don't be too dependent on fake sugars/fats.
2. Try to eat every 3 hours during the day so that you're not so hungry that you weaken -- and yes, this means planning, having a healthy snack in the car, whatever.
3. Change your Grace before meals. Say it in a different language, compose a new one, whatever, but remember: we can eat like animals, or we can eat in a way that includes our souls and sanctifies us. Bless God every time you put something in your mouth. If the prayer becomes rote, change it again. Be Conscious: are you eating mindlessly like an animal, or does your eating serve and glorify God?
4. Try to get 10 minutes a day of intentional exercise. If you manage the ten, maybe add another 5 or 10 or whatever if you feel like it. But your only obligation is for 10 minutes. That way it's not as intimidating, and you're not a failure if you don't feel like doing more than 10. Change it to 3 times a week if you like.
I try to think of it more as teaching myself a new permanent lifestyle than dieting or working out or whatever. The "young" me lived one way, the middle-aged me is going to live another way.
As I read your blog, I wanted to hug you.
I have always struggled with my weight growing up, and developed PCOS and Insulin-resistant-type diabetes. I went to the doctor and he put me on Metformin, and while I lost weight, I still struggled with body image, shopping, and keeping the weight down.
I read an article last summer about a doctor who had put a group of diabetics on a vegan diet and how many of them were able to go off their medication. Well, this sounded too good to be true; if I missed just ONE dose of Metformin, it took the rest of the day for me to wake up from "sleepy" mode.
And I have to say, it worked! I was amazed!!! While I already was a big eater of fruits and veggies, I had never cooked my own grains or eaten a lot of beans. Also, I ate a more "low-carb" diet after the diagnosis, so I gave up all meat, fish, eggs and dairy when I became a vegan. It was a polar opposite diet, but it worked. I'm almost off the medication.
I also bought a bike, because running was getting too hard on the body... ohh, the perils of growing older.
It was all a real mental-switch, and I was teased a LOT from the beginning, but it worked. I have more energy. I won't go back!!! (I also lost 20 lbs in 5 or 6 months)
I wish you well in your search, and I know the frustration of finding something you can stick with, and that actually is worth sticking to! I know the frustration of carbs/low carbs. And if you have any questions about veganism, I can try to answer them best I can.
I still wear leather, though... mmm, those cows know how to keep people warm!!!
Marcia
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