The daily reports are for my day-to-day experiences on this weight control diet system. I have never talked about my motivations for wanting to be in control of my weight, and someday maybe I will think about that. It just seems like an obvious good thing that I want. It’s much better than wanting to be on a diet, isn’t it? Dieting is temporary. When you are after control of your body, you have to come up with a way to do it that works for you, because it’s for the long term (hopefully forever). Good luck trying to force yourself to lose 120 pounds, with a system you don’t like! I tried and tried without success. Now I look for ways to reward myself for succeeding, one day at a time.
My food intake and calorie count
Breakfast – Bratwurst wrap (300)
- 300 calories
Lunch – 2 x bratwurst wraps (300)
- 600 calories
Dinner – 6 ounces cooked spaghetti (300); 5 Costco meatballs (230 for 5)
- 530 calories
Snacking – tea with half and half (80)
- 80 calories
Total for the day: 1510 calories (limit 1800)
Face the music, but then write the tune
I got on the scale this morning. I weighed exactly what I did last week (258 pounds). I was not surprised, since I had a couple of bad diet days. Now, why was did I weigh the same, even though my calorie count wasn’t that high during the week? My feeling is that by eating a lot more bulk, your body just weighs more (retains more water and has more food inside) until that bulk leaves your system. I don’t know that it’s true, but it’s my theory. It could also be that I was cheating my food journal. Or some other reason. But (almost) every dieter knows the feeling of feeling heavy and full after a bad diet day. You just don’t have that feeling on 1800 calories per day.
Anyway, I have faced the music – gotten on the scale and seen the truth. I didn’t get anywhere last week, for whatever reason. But I don’t give up. I have had too much success doing this. The new lifestyle is very attractive, but it looks like I can get distracted and go back to bad habits of the past (when I was gaining weight). I talked about the possible distractions over the last few days, but I am focusing on sleep as the main culprit. Lack of sleep is bad for dieting. I am always hungry when tired, to start with, especially if I am trying to stay awake.
Everything is ready for tomorrow. It’s 9.40PM and I will be ready for bed in about 20 minutes. Let’s see if a good night’s sleep and plenty of grilled bratwurst is the cure!
I say “now write the tune” because I was feeling like I was at the mercy of the bad week, like I wasn’t in charge. I have faced up to that. Now I will write the music and play it out for this week. I spent some time writing up a menu of the foods I will be enjoying, so that I have something to look forward to. I’ve made sure I have plenty of the foods I want in the house, so there won’t be any food insecurity. And I am going to make sure to go to bed on time, so I can focus on my new lifestyle of personal fulfillment and satisfaction. It’s much nicer than the old lifestyle, really. But if you are sleep deprived and not paying attention, you can lose sight of your new life.
Remember that every mistake is a chance to learn and improve yourself. Getting control of my body’s weight is all about improving myself and having a better life. That is my aim. What is yours?
-The Doctor