The Doctor uses rewards to make sure the weight loss program is followed. Never punish yourself for having a bad diet day. Overeating happens from time to time. The mistake is to be mad at yourself. Don’t get mad. Eagerly take the opportunity to learn. What happened that day? Did you truly plan out your meals well? Did you eat on time? Were you eating foods you really enjoy? I have found that missing any of those things will cause problems.
Rewards pull you forward. If you are looking forward to breakfast, you are willing to stop eating dinner, so you can enjoy breakfast properly.
My food intake and calorie count
Breakfast – 2 x pork carnitas on tortilla half with sour cream (200)
- 400 calories
Lunch – Persian kebab wrap from Moby Dick Restaurant (760)
- 760 calories
Dinner – hamburger on a half wrap (425)
- 425 calories
Snacking – sampler of barbecue food: beans, mac and cheese, collard greens, potato salad (300)
- 300 calories
Total for the day: 1885 calories (limit 1800)
Today's pants
My calorie count was a little over the limit today. I blame not enjoying lunch very much. It’s always a risk going out for a meal when I don’t know exactly what I would like at that restaurant. Anyway, as a result I was a bit out of control at dinner time, ate my burger too quickly, and then helped myself to a little of several dishes from Urban BBQ. There is some guessing involved in how much I ate. That is, I guessed. I should have measured. That’s why I have to be so careful!
Lunch was at a restaurant I don’t know well. One bite of my kebab told me I wasn’t going to enjoy it. It wasn’t bad, just not great, not rewarding. Maybe I should have gotten a doggie bag and eaten half the sandwich. Then, at home, I could have eaten the more enjoyable BBQ food without a worry. On this weight loss program, I have to be pretty demanding and selfish about food.
Interestingly, I was able to learn more watching the group eat today. The thinnest guy ate his meat but left most of the rice on his plate. Most of the guys who were heavier, cleaned their plates. (I ate all my kebab, which I didn’t even like. I am kicking myself now. It amounted to 760 calories wasted on a sandwich I didn’t enjoy! My old value of not wasting food, was in force. My new value is being in control of my weight. I will try to remember that.) Generally, the thinner people ate slower and weren’t afraid to leave food on their plates. The heavier people ate faster and ate everything. Subtle differences.
Pants. Today I wore size 46 pants. I haven’t done that for a while. I have said goodbye to size 52, 50, and now 48. At 263 pounds, I am fitting into size 46. 2XL shirts are fitting well. Eventually I will say goodbye to them, too. What will I be wearing at 250 pounds? I won’t know, at best, until the end of July.
Anyway, size 46 is a triumph. Does that count as a reward? I did buy new pants.
-The Doctor