Monday is the first day of the rest of your life. Haha, every day is the first day of the rest of your life. The author Terry Pratchett created a monk (called Wen the Eternally Surprised) who developed the theory that the only appropriate attitude towards the world was pleased surprise, which is mostly the same thing. Another of Pratchett’s characters had a sign saying, “When you’re up to your ass in alligators, today is the first day of the rest of your life,” which is a bit less relevant to this blog (unless you like eating alligators).
My food intake and calorie count
Breakfast – bread toast (140); ham (100); cheese (50);
- 290 calories
Lunch – 2x bratwurst (260); half a wheat wrap (55); onions (10);
- 585 calories
Dinner – 2x French toast (250); maple syrup (100)
- 600 calories
Snacking – tea with half and half (40); Cheetos (150); nectarines (100);
- 290 calories
Total for the day: 1760 calories (limit 1850)
The long game
Losing weight is a long game. To be fair, gaining weight is a long game too, but it takes a lot less paying attention…and discipline.
Paying attention is hard. By nature, the Doctor likes to set up systems that do most of the work automatically, to save his attention for other things. This does have advantages, but also drawbacks.
But so far Sunday and today, I have returned to my normal eating habits and not felt any deprivation or had to recover from illness or anything. It may take me a week, but I will get myself back to normal and get on with the business of lowering my body’s weight. I am focused on the number 230. It’s my next milestone goal. It may take a couple of weeks, but it will happen.
The discipline part comes from resetting my mind. I have to make sure I am thinking like a person who is in control of their body’s weight. It’s easy to fall back into your old habits. You know, the ones you had when you were gaining weight. The thoughts that you used to live by. They say things like, “have some more food, don’t worry about it” and “you’ll feel better if you feel nice and full.” You have to get around those thoughts and get some new ones. “Put it off until you’re actually hungry, it will taste better,” is one. Another is “let’s eat when we’re physically hungry, and not for other reasons.” That’s a good one.
Having told yourself this, it helps to put in some work. This is the discipline part. My subconscious is happy when I plan ahead, cook and have food in the house that I want to eat, and enjoy regular meals. That planning and cooking ahead is something I had trouble doing this weekend, but I managed it by planning a very simple menu. So far, it’s working.
Do the work and control your body’s weight.
-The Doctor