Happy Halloween

Where did October go?

I've been so focused on my job, that I haven't had time for much else. Change has come into my life yet again. I need to learn to be flexible and accepting of the winds of change...

I need balance and a routine of caring for myself...I'm tired of trying to "get back on track" and tired of giving so much energy to those who don't care about me. I give all that energy and have none left for me...must figure out how to change this.

At any rate...hope everyone has had a great fall and is planning a Happy Halloween!

The End of Overeating

A few months ago Cathy and I were talking about the foods that we crave. She was saying that she craves savory carbs like mashed potatoes and pizza. I was saying that I crave sweet fats like cakes, brownies, donuts, and moist/chewy cookies (high fat, high sugar carbs).

I started reading a book this weekend that talks specifically about this subject. The End of Overeating by David Kessler is a study of the American diet. It's fascinating and validates what I've known about myself for years. I'm addicted to those kinds of foods. Not just the thought of those foods...not so much a psychological addiction...I'm talking about a physical addiction.

"When we put food rich in sugar, fat, and salt in our mouths, we stimulate neurons, which are the basic cells of the brain. Neurons are connected in circuits and communicate with one another to create feelings, store information, and control behavior. They respond to rewarding foods by firing electical signals and releasing brain chemicals that then travel to interconnected neurons. We say those neurons are 'encoded' for palatability"(p35).

Kessler makes the case that we are physically addicted to foods high in fat, sugar, and salt through palatability, rewarding foods, and interconnected neurons.

Finally! The Why!!! Is that helpful at all? Maybe. I guess I will see. As I read more of this book, I will share more of it. Sorry to cut this post short...per usual, I am multi-tasking...big/busy work week. :)

The Yoga of Eating

I've been reading this book for the last few weeks. Pretty interesting stuff...but basically, it's what you'd think. If yoga is about being present, being in the moment...then the yoga of eating is about being present when one is eating.

I read a line last night and thought that I would share it here because it is one of those truths that I want to remind myself of..."...even the most thorough change happens one choice at a time." What that is getting to, for me, is that the choices we make add up. So if we are constantly choosing to put off our weight loss efforts, then we will never lose the weight we want to lose. If we choose, most of the time, to put our health first, then we will achieve our weight loss goals.

Something else that struck me...the notion about eating when your attention is elsewhere and the idea that one is eating what one's attention is on. So, Eisenstein writes, "In a sense, if your attention is elsewhere when you eat, you are not eating the food at all. The Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh tells a story of a friend wolfing down tangerines while talking animatedly about something he was angry about, and points out that at that moment, he wasn't really eating the tangerines at all, he was eating the anger. So...
- If you watch TV while you eat, you are eating the TV program.
-If you read while you eat, you are eting the words.
-If you eat when angry, you are eating the anger.
-If you eat while absorbed by the scenery, you are eating the scenery.
-If you talk a lot while you eat, you are eating your conversation.

This is to say that eating is a special time, even a sacred time, in which a person is in an especially absorptive state. While eating, the body is keyed to take in energy from the world. One is eating the entire experience of the meal, not just the physical food. The ambiance and emotional environment contribute to this experience, to the extent that they influence one's own state of mind."

In my experience, that is so true. Maybe that's why one of my favorite things to do is to go out to a nice dinner with good company...because it's not just the food, but the experience...the atmosphere, the sounds, the scenery, the table, the plate of food, and the company.

So...a pause, perhaps, is in order when I eat...sitting at a dining room table instead of in front of the TV...sitting and having breakfast and/or lunch without working on my laptop at the same time...or even, just a pause before eating, a blessing and gratitude for the nourishment and, at least, a few mindful bites...

Action Helps

Yesterday, I worked all day and through the evening. Had a few things that had to be done and when I finally closed my laptop (around 9:30pm), I felt better about some things. I actually slept through the night.

It's a small thing but something for me to keep in mind. When I am feeling depressed and anxious, the best thing for me to do is to act.

There was a line from the movie Nemo that I loved..."Just keep swimming." To me it's always meant "hang in there"...but now it holds more meaning. Move. Act. Do something. Don't shut down.

Opening to Optimism...

"Anything is possible."

"My circumstances do not create me, I create my circumstances."

"The only thing I can control is my attitude towards life."

"I always have a choice."

"I choose to live in a positive way."

I know I need to cultivate optimism. When things look bleak, one sure fire way to turn things around is to focus on the positive.

I need a new attitude...

I am depressed. This is mainly due to my work situation. What was going so well for the past 6 months has just gone all wrong. I dread it now. I know I need to reshape my attitude really fast...I just don't know what to do. I wish the economy were in better shape right now. I'd love to find something else that is a better fit for me. I'm really so depressed and feel like everything that I have worked for over the past 6 months has been for nothing. I just feel awful.

I joined Curves today. Yeah, yeah, I know all about the CEO. I completely do not agree with his political or religious views. And, I get that by giving Curves my business, in a small way, I'm contributing to the success of this man. It's his karma...

Frankly, I don't care. I care more about me. I need to find a way to lose this extra weight. I have been struggling with this for too long. My body responds really well to exercise. I think I can get on a plan with this gym and stick with it until I lose this extra weight. It's a 30 minute workout, three times a week. That's 1500 calories a week. I plan to continue doing yoga three times a week. And, I plan to do cardio, in the mornings, 5 times a week. This should get me burning 3500 calories a week. If I can do that and restrict my calories to 1400 a day, then I should be losing about 2 pounds a week. Which means, I'd reach my goal in 5 months...beginning of March.

What do you think?