Losing Weight: Once More Into the Breach

Probably the greatest struggle in my adult life has been weight.

In a world where so many are hungry, I’m doubly embarrassed that this is my issue.

But, whether I like it or not, it is what I get to deal with…

I like the idea of blaming other people for my predicament, familial upbringing, elderly ladies at church foisting food on me, etc, etc. But, I know while there are a host of others involved in creating me, bottom line, there’s only one hand putting that fork up to my mouth.

I’m a compulsive personality, I tend to do what I do to excess. Some things such as alcohol can be dealt with by simply not using it. Food is rather more complex.

And, frankly, I love, love, love food.

I’m officially a yo yo, another embarrassing thing, as I was able at one point to lose something a tad over forty pounds – and have gained much of it back.

I’ve read at the literature of weight loss. And I have come to have a few opinions. One is that diets, per se, are not the way to go. Lifestyle changes seem to be the only chance we have of really maintaining a healthy weight. (I so want a pill. Sigh…)

It’s now been one week since I started attempting to lose weight using what I’d call a “consciousness guide.” By which I mean simply logging in what it is I’m eating. Just noticing. Just paying attention.

For me the tool to do this has been a free app, My Fitness Pal, which based upon my age, gender and weight also calculates what would be the maximum caloric intake per day to lose one pound per week. I want to lose thirty pounds. And, maybe ten more after that. To do this my job is to faithfully and as accurately as I can to record what it is that I’m eating.

(Okay, and exercise a bit. I put on a pedometer and have found I’m only slightly more active than a rock…)

(And, telling others. I’m a herd animal and hope confessing what’s up to a larger community will help…)

Well, one week in, I’ve actually been able to stay under the caloric maximum every day.

And, I’ve lost three pounds. (Jan says this is one reason women are not always fond of men…)

I can see how there will be days, especially if barbecue is featured, where that under the recommended calories may not be the case. But that’s okay. I’m really trying for the long haul.

It has also inspired me, again, so far, and only a week into it, to move toward Michael Pollan’s wise advice:

Eat Food
Not too much
Mostly plants

Me, I’m not at all inclined to any pure anything. So, while I can afford, at least at this moment in my life, to largely do the localvore thing, and do enjoy the often superior product raised seasonally in my area, I have no brief against the globalized food economy, so long as people are paid fairly and an eye is kept on ecological disruptions of various sorts.

And.

I am an omnivore. For this I make no apologies. It’s a human thing.

But for various reasons, some ethical, I do want to eat fewer dead animals, and of those, mostly non-mammals.

Recording what I actually eat has been helpful, again, so far, again one week into it, in helping me to notice.

Noticing.

Being grateful.

And acting from that place…

Again, my goal is a sustainable lifestyle.

Doesn’t seem like asking for too much…

And maybe, just maybe, for me at this time and place, maybe I’ve found it.

Of course time will tell…