Keeping a food journal is something I have committed to, every day, from now on. That’s because I am not pursuing weight loss. My goal is weight control. To control my weight, I have to know what I weigh and I have to know how to change my weight and how to keep it the same. That means (1) weigh yourself and (2) keep a journal of what you eat, so you can regulate how many calories you have eaten, every day. Some days are easier than others. Today was easy.
My food intake and calorie count
Breakfast – 0.75 pounds Chinese glazed pork tenderloin (360); pretzels and cheese (250)
- 610 calories
Lunch – bratwurst wrap (300); leftover jambalaya in a wrap (300) [hey, does that count as a jambalaya po’ boy?]
- 600 calories
Dinner – Costco pepperoni pizza slice (710)
- 710 calories
Total for the day: 1920 calories (limit 1800 + 500 bonus from swimming, total 2300)
Fancy meals are the best
Note the absence of any diet foods in my menu today. A lot of my food regime is just having small amounts of foods I really want to eat. When it works, I don’t overeat, and the system works against it. If I focus on getting hungry for the food, and anticipate eating it with eagerness, then it is just wonderful. The first portion tastes so good, that eating more is actually disappointing. Second, if I overeat I won’t get properly hungry for my next meal, so it just won’t be worthwhile.
Who could believe losing weight while eating – in the same day – glazed, grilled pork tenderloin, grilled sausage, pizza, and jambalaya? That’s just one day. Imagine a whole week of looking forward to every meal. When it works, the system is a wonder to experience. And I have gotten it to work for weeks and months at a time. It builds on its own success. I don’t even want to live like I did before. That gives me confidence that my weight control plan will last.
Losing weight, even sixty pounds, seems to have amazingly subtle effects on my physical movements. You’d think it would be quite drastic, but it’s not very:
- Walking up the steps doesn’t seem easier (slightly less out of breath)
- Swimming doesn’t seem much easier (a few seconds faster per lap, maybe fewer aches and pains or injuries)
- Standing up does seem a bit easier (more bouncy)
- Lifting heavy things doesn’t seem easier.
- The guy in the mirror is still 60 pounds overweight.
On the other hand, going clothes shopping is a bit easier now. I just bought four shirts at Costco in 2x size, and brought them home knowing they would fit. They did. That’s a size available in every store, for shirts. For pants, my waist is still 46ish, which is a bit larger than most stores carry (Costco tops out around 40 waist, so does TJ max). Maybe the physical side of things will improve more noticeably when I am losing this next 60 pounds. There’s one way to find out.
What else will change, as my body catches up to my mind? What would change for you?
-The Doctor