Discussion Board

Well I was going to wait until next month but to heck with the budget, I just ordered Doug Lisle's DVD.. and guess what, it was "on sale"!

I just have to say I agree with Bob. I eat sweet potatoes and russett potatoes all day long. I eat as many as I want and I even "stuff" myself and the weight is coming off. I never felt like I could fill my hunger until now. I used to could eat buckets and buckets of ice-cream or cake and feel like a bottomless pit. Like why would I never get full? I never could understand that. But now I eat as much as I want and I finally get full. Trust the process, it works

Lesson: I have slipped back into a lot of mindless eating, both of healthy & junk foods. I would like to come up with some kind of very simple ritual or mantra before and while I eat anything, just to help me remember to taste & enjoy it. Sounds right up your alley, Letha; any suggestions?

I'm not Letha, but this grace is beautiful and mindful of where our food comes from:

"back of the bread is the flour, and back of the flour is the mill. Back of the mill is the wheat and the sun and the rain and the Father's will"

the idea of pausing before beginning to eat is a lovely one. Sometimes, I say a prayer for the people who brought the food to my table: the farmer, the worker in the field, the grocer, even the truck driver.

What a wonderful grace, Heidi! And I really needed a change from our usual "abcdefg, thank you god for feeding me" (especially since my husband is currently a goddess-worshiper so I'm trying to be respectful of our differences!)

you could try my gramma's favorite

"Good bread, good meat, good God, let's eat"

and there's another part invoking the (un)holy trinity

that I can't bring myself to share!

You'll have to pm me the unholy trinity one. Could be fun! Not to worry, there's not much that fazes me religion-wise (hmmm, let's see... raised Catholic in fundamentalist Baptist country, became atheist as a teen, went to a Jewish college, crashed w/the Hare Krishna's when I lived in Europe, attended 7th Day Adventist & Presbyterian churches in my 20s-30s, now Episcopalian, but married to someone who's gone from being Episcopalian to something between pagan & goddess-worshiper.)

Happy Birthday... are you a fellow Scorpio? Mine is the 10th!

Definitely a scorpio all the way, nycg! Happy early bday to you!

Today has been calmer. I feel like I have a plan even though there's a niggling little voice that whispers "it'll never work for YOU." But intellectually I think Bob, Jim, Nettie, Letha, & the other really successful McDougallers who've so graciously shared their advice & stories are right... it's not me that's broken, it's the food. I need to stay stuffed full on good healthy food before I throw up my hands and say "I can't" conquer the sweets demon.

So to that effect, I prepared my body by crocking up about 15 sweet potatoes last night and bringing 6 to work with me today (along with grapes, bell peppers, & hummos). Am preparing my mind by getting used to eating sweet potatoes or other healthy snacks at the VERY FIRST sign of hunger, no matter how subtle it might be. Only needed 3 sweet potatoes today.

I knew I was going out for lunch today with some friends to celebrate so I didn't pack a lunch per se. Had a delicious vegan curry, made w/minimal fat per my request, followed by a piece of planned-for vegan cake. Supper was 1/2 a baked red potato covered w/baked beans, plus nuked broccoli. Had some hot cocoa as a treat. Gave away the 1lb bag of confectioner's sugar to the coffee shop this morning... it was presenting too much of a temptation.

Tomorrow I am taking off from work to clean house & relax some, too. Will seriously need to remember to eat, eat, eat! Also plan a piece of cake tomorrow evening at the little "party" were holding. Didn't really intend to do this, but my Mom REALLY wants to make me a vegan lowfat cake; I think she's trying hard to show support after all the negative things she said about my newfound eating habits last year. Am I lucky or what?!

wow! you're doing terrific! Your determination is very evident in your writing...way to go! you inspire me

Thanks Heidi, & your posts often keep me going when the going gets rough!

I forgot to include in the post a bit ago, that the sweet potatoes at work helped enormously. Twice during the workday I started to head for brownies in the candy machine when I thought "wait, I can have a nice warm sweet potato!" And I did. 3 in total, plus another at home, after supper when I got the munchies.

True, having cake today and tomorrow isn't going to help me overcome the desire for rich food, but I'm okay with it. These indulgences have been long-planned, and aren't being done out of desperation or cravings. If I tell myself I can "never" have cake again, I'll go Bratty and start eating it like there was tomorrow. But if I take this gentle approach of saying "I will stuff myself with good food at the very first sign of hunger," then there is a great chance that those all-too-familiar cravings won't hit as often, and when they do, they may be more manageable.

Wow, thank you Jim for that. It's powerful and something I really need to listen to. Thanks again.

TM
I am not going to scold you, but you do need to recognize some things. Getting to adherence is not easy, and it requires some real effort. If you don't want to get to adherence, then at least I am glad that you are not eating as much SAD as before.

But I think I know you better, and I don't think you are going to be satisfied remaining obese while eating better than before. And that is what you are planning for by including cake on the plate in any amount.

I do agree that it is not good to remind yourself that you can't ever have cake again. I don't think ever about all the foods I used to love but can't ever have again, or at least don't plan to ever have again. I think of the affirmative - how great tasting the food I eat tastes, how many new things I have yet to try, how good for me the food I eat is, how much better I look and feel.

I really see a difference between somebody who has reached adherence and has a piece of pumpkin pie and a slice of Turkey on Thanksgiving, and somebody who resolves to get to adherence and starts by cutting down the cake to a slice per day.

I think you may have a better insight when you get the Lisle dvd, but IMO, you are not ready yet to get somewhere good. Losing the cake is not a deprivation, its an act of freedom. Freedom from the habits that got you where you are and freedom of being a slave to addictive food. Sorry, but I believe that you are not going to succeed with this plan. Instead of the cake, have another sweet potato - or be happy with your current state of health. Use your talents as before to decide why you are willing to destroy what you want so bad for food that is known to sabotage what you want. Thinking that a little bit won't hurt is so absolutely wrong. Why not give Dr. M's plan a fair trial? The fact that you have "planned" the cake eating does not make it any less harmful. That is a total rationalization. You are going to feel great the first time you walk away from a piece of cake that you have previously planned. That will be the moment of change.

If you don't ditch the SAD, you don't lose the cravings. At least I am glad that the sweet potato idea has sort of worked. But think of where you want to be, where you are now, and whether a piece of cake fits in with your needs and plans. I know that it doesn't. You are pretty talented at stepping back and thinking things through. Why do you want to penalize yourself with that piece of cake just when are so close to being where you want to be?

Well, don't beat yourself up over it, whatever you do. But don't be surprised when this approach does not work out.

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday beautiful, funny, smart ladeeee! Happy Birthday to you!

Belated...
HBTY HBTY HBDT HBTY
f1jim

Hey, where y'at? Come back. I miss you. I hope you are doing well. If you fell in to the cake and got lost I'll make the supreme sacrifice and eat my way thru the cake to find you! I'm coming, hang on!