The goal of being on a weight control lifestyle is to be on a weight control lifestyle. Don’t think that I am doing all this to lose weight. That is not my goal. It is a side effect, a beneficial side effect. My goal is to change my way of thinking, so that I can live the life I want. I have picked new values, and the first one is: if I don’t do it, nobody will do it for me. I have to be responsible for my body. I choose to be in control of its weight. Mentally, my weight is 205. Physically, it is more like 225. My body is catching up to my mind. I may change my mind again later. It will do for now.
My food intake and calorie count
Breakfast – Half bagel (165); hummus (40); milk (80);
- 285 calories
Lunch – Italian sausage (240); bratwurst (260); 1/2 Lavash wrap (60);
- 560 calories
Dinner – chicken breast (150); baked potato pieces (150); Brussels sprouts (30);
- 330 calories
Snacking – chips (120);
- 120 calories
Total for the day: 1295 calories (limit 1700)
Physical hunger
Part of the changes I made to my thinking included new ideas on eating and hunger. I decided that the best system was to eat at the regular mealtimes, but make sure I was good and hungry first. I would do that with portion control and calorie planning. I would know before I ate, how many calories I would be having. It made food more enjoyable, really. Food is best when you are hungry. Amazingly, that feeling lasts (usually) for just a few bites. Then it’s diminishing returns. It gets less and less rewarding as you eat more. You are no longer so eager for phyiscal satiety.
I also went walking 3 miles today. Exercise seems to be good for me. That wasn’t part of the changes I made to my thinking for weight control. Even when I was gaining weight, I liked to swim and play outside. So I don’t think of exercise as being responsible for my body so much as something I like to do.
No, accepting control meant, at some level, looking at myself and wondering: if I was in charge of my body, did I want it to be so overweight? And if I didn’t, what would have to change? The idea that you can negotiate with yourself and reward yourself for thinking the right way was new to me, but that part went well. I found out how to reward myself for a good job controlling my food intake. But the important part was figuring out how to see portion control correctly. If you are using food to feed your emotional rather than physical needs, then withholding food is like punishment. You hate it! That’s why so many people have trouble losing weight and then gain it back again later, I am sure.
It is more correct and useful to say, I will eat when I am physically hungry and I will make sure I am hungry for every meal. My reward is to satisfy that hunger well. Then, I can address those emotional needs I have been feeding with physical food!
-The Doctor