My friend Helen sent in this awesome message. First, I want to remind my dear, talented friend that I am not a doctor or dietitian/nutritionist, just a guy that has been there done that.
Helen Wrote:
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So, I have a couple of odd questions for you to think about and let me know what you do-
Do you taste your food
Do you chew it all the down or swallow more "whole"?
I'm realizing that I'm not chewing my food.
I'm also not eating "right" again. It's has become extremely important for me tell people when these things are going on in my life. I have found that when I tell people about the negative behavior, I become more mindful of that behavior and it's not so prevalent. Hope that makes sense. I'm a secret eater and I need to expose that behavior to the light.
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During my decent into super-morbidly obese, I rarely chewed well and ate things so fast I do not remember tasting the food. One of the things you learn quickly with a Lap Band is to chew food very well. Failure to chew into a paste like texture will result in a painful episode you will not soon forget. Although my Band is opened up wide, it is still in place and does not allow my esophagus/stomach area to expand beyond the opening of the band. Therefore, if I fail to chew well the occasional item will still get stuck and send me walking away in extreme pain and panic. It is a horrible experience. So, yes I do chew very well and very slowly now. Chewing slowly and finely allows you to taste the food and also allows yourself to experience fullness before eating the entire meal.
As for not eating right again. This for me is the mental battle of losing weight. In order for me to be successful at avoiding the bad foods and fast food, a couple of things needed to take place. The first thing was a defining moment. This is like a drug addict hitting rock bottom. My defining moment was the realization that my daughter was disappointed in me and questioning my parenting/guidance for a better life. This defining moment led me on a path of discovery and self-introspection. This path led to my "why" being developed. I desire that my children learn that designing your life and working hard to live by design, not by default is more enjoyable. In the blog entries, "Finish Strong", I mention these events. I explored the remarkable blog that Miles Levin wrote after being diagnosed with cancer. This diagnosis was Miles Levin's defining moment and his path led him to develop his "why" and his successful realization of having made an impact on others in his time here. My "why" and the positive materials I constantly devour is what keeps me driving past every fast food establishment, even when I am hungry.
Telling people helps you avoid negative, harmful behavior. This is a great comment you make and one that helps me as well. Look no farther than this blog. It can be very daunting to open yourself up and pour out your failures for the world to see. It can also be healing and give you an added accountability factor. One thing I never saw coming was the support that would come from this blog. It is extremely humbling and lifts me in bad times to get the occasional message of support. I received a message from a person that asked I keep it private because it had their name on it, but they found my blog and follow it regularly. They added, that they succeed and fail as I do in my blog and find that their success and failure at losing weight is tied to mine. Gulp, that is a little more pressure than I want, but it is also added incentive to do well.
Week Four Following Fat to Skinny (Fast and Easy):
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Total Weight Lost on Fat to Skinny Program: 26 Pounds
Average Weight Lost Per Week: 6.5 Pounds
Workouts This Week: None (Gym locked me out by accident)
Favorite Food This Week: Slow Roasted Beef Brisket with Steamed Broccoli
Daily Water Consumption: 96 ounces plus other beverages
Daily Carbohydrates Consumed: 6 or less
Total Daily Calories: 1150 Per Day Average
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It comes down to a simple question: what do you want out of life, and what are you willing to do to get it? ---Author Unknown
Listen closely: the only time it's too late to change yourself is when you're dead. Until then, you're simply making excuses or lying to yourself. ---Author Unknown
lots of things to think about - thanks for sharing. I'm off to San Antonio for a business conference - back on Friday. Lots of time on the plane to think.
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you and your family.
Helen