Every day, my priority is to live out the weight control mechanism: (1) regulate your food intake, and (2) weigh yourself regularly. Regulating food intake means eating calorie-controlled portions of food, but that is only part of the meaning. It also means keeping a food journal, which means planning meals ahead of time. One way I am able to keep eating measured portions of food is to make sure the food is very appealing, and to make sure I get it when I would most appreciate it. In other words: I keep myself happy with rewards, or, you could say I bribe myself to control eating. Take your pick. But it seems to work.
My food intake and calorie count
Breakfast – 8oz baked nacho topping (beef, beans, cheese, salsa, 390);
- 390 calories
Lunch – 13oz homemade beef stew (530)
- 530 calories
Dinner – Aldi frozen pizza half with sausage (550)
- 550 calories
Snacking – tea with half and half (160); Kirkland euro chocolate cookies (270)
- 430 calories
Total for the day: 1900 calories (limit 1800 + 500 bonus from swimming, total 2300)
Recovery week
This week didn’t go well every day. I had a couple of bad diet days Tuesday and Wednesday. It was a situation started by carelessness and then compounded by my own stubbornness.
Remember that I keep myself on track with the weight control lifestyle by paying attention to my body’s needs and making sure I am happy with the food, and keep up my interest by building an appetite (but not getting too hungry). And I made a mistake: I went to bed late Monday, got up late Tuesday, didn’t take care of myself, rushed out the door, and had breakfast too, too late. Then I was feeling hungry and deprived all day. I didn’t take care of myself. I could have moved up lunch and dinner that day to be earlier, that would have helped. But no, I forced myself to have lunch and dinner at the regular time. An important part of me felt deprived, resentful, and unloved. So at 10PM that part took over and I ate an extra 700 calories.
Instead of learning my lesson, I then made things worse. I tried to wind back the clock. I skipped breakfast, which was ok since I wasn’t hungry, but then I prioritized making the calorie numbers right instead of paying attention to my needs. I didn’t eat when I was hungry or take care of myself. Then I got busy and didn’t have lunch until after 2PM. Nothing was going well by that point. And sure enough, I found myself eating another 700 calories that night too. I had really let myself down.
This is a negotiated deal, and I have made a promise to myself. I am supposed to take care of myself and make sure I don’t get too hungry and unhappy. That is my priority. In return, my body and the subconscious parts of my brain are content with eating less food. If I break the deal, if I pursue other priorities, if I don’t accept that I made a mistake…. then the deal is off.
Today, and Thursday, I accepted the mistakes from Tuesday and Wednesday. I made sure to eat the full number of calories due each day. I didn’t force my body to make up for the past. That means that this Saturday’s weighing won’t show much (or any) progress compared to last week. But that is ok. I have to let that go. Next week I have a chance to make it a good week. It really is all about living well.
Live well, and lose weight as a bonus.
-The Doctor
That happens to us all. And you are right, a new day is an opportunity to forget yesterday and start fresh. It is amazing… I feel so much pressure from everyone in America to be fresh – to be spontaneous – to desire change. In fact what I am finding is best for my body, sprit and health is routine, practice and stubborn refusal to deviate from my plan!