My daily task – from now until I decide to stop controlling my weight – is to keep a food journal, aka documenting and controlling my food intake. I also call it regulating my food intke. To measure it is to control it. My other job is to weigh myself. Right now, I am trying to lose weight. At some point in the future, my job will be to maintain my weight. Either way, I have to keep track of my weight and regulate my food intake. Without those two principles weight control isn’t possible. It is the price of getting thin and staying thin.
My food intake and calorie count
Breakfast – 6 Costco meatballs (276); hummus (70); whole wheat wrap (110)
- 460 calories
Lunch – Italian sausage sub (450); coleslaw (50)
- 500 calories
Dinner – corn chips (200); 8oz beef tenderloin (485)
- 685 calories
Snacking – Nestle Li’l Drums vanilla cone (110)
- 110 calories
Total for the day: 1755 calories (limit 1800)
Live out your values
When values conflict, which ones win? One of my most conscious values is weight control. That means when it is time to eat, I should go eat, no matter what else is going on. When that value is in conflict (something important is going on), it produces tension. I know I should be stubbornly insisting on my values that I have chosen. It is weak to let other things come first.
On the other hand, this specific situation was my fault. I could easily have make sure I had something to eat at the right time. I have jerky snacks, there are restaurants nearby. I didn’t do that. I can only blame myself, and make sure I have thought about what to do next time – be responsible for myself.
If the conflict is: eat now by myself, or eat later with the family, my answer is: eat when I am supposed to. I am in serious deficit and have a serious weight problem. I have chosen to put addressing that problem first in my life. I can always sit with my family while they eat, later. I suppose that is a good way to look at my experience – preparation for doing the right thing later. It does mean doing the wrong thing and getting mad at yourself, though.
Now I have eaten and I think my body is not going to be too upset or rebel against my weight control regime. I feel a little like I want to eat more (not hungry, I am not hungry), but it’s not too bad. I don’t always eat steak for dinner, even if dinner was at 7.15PM! That’s almost two hours late.
I should also think about how to live out these values under stress. Stress happens and you can learn to embrace the challenges, or go under and lose control for a while. It wouldn’t be the end of the world. I have successfully restarted my weight control program before. But I would rather advance in my self knowledge and be able to grow in responsibility and ability and resilience. It’s all about improving myself, even the weight control.
How will you improve yourself?
-The Doctor