He dares to be a fool, and that is the first step in the direction of wisdom.
~James Huneker
I remind myself of this little quote every time I hear a crazy person ranting about my refusal to count calories, my insistence that I am not on a "diet," or my new habit of eating when I'm hungry and not restricting any foodss from my allowable list. And if that's too highbrow for these thugs, I'll put it another way: "You may be right. I may be crazy . . . but it just might be a lunatic you're lookin' for." Billy Joel said (sang) that.
Showing posts with label quote. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quote. Show all posts
24 November 2010
26 September 2010
quote of the day
To cease smoking is the easiest thing I ever did; I ought to know because I've done it a thousand times. - Mark Twain
Not true with dieting. Stopping that was tough. I'm so glad I did though! heck, I've lost 45 lbs since then!
Eating sensibly is working so well for me. I'm feeling reflective but don't have a lot new to blog about today, just chugging along, eating light and moving a bit every day. 45 lbs down, 34 since I started blogging. Back at 289 lbs I didn't even know who Geneen Roth was, nor had I heard the term "intuitive eating." Instead, I realized that I knew what I needed to do to get healthy, that I had known for a long time, and that I head to deal with the mental side of eating before I could getin anything accomplished in that direction. One of my greatest friends at that time mentioned the book she was reading (Women, Food, and God) which I avoided reading for weeks. Finally, I gave in and read it. It supported everything that I knew already AND helped me with some tools to sort out some of the mental stuff. It led me to lots and lots of excellent references. Soon after, my bil shared his blog with me and here I am.
Tomorrow is coming soon, and I'll be ready for it. Lots of phone calls to make and things to take care of, small road trip in the am but home sweet home most of the day. There will be sweating and there will be fruit consumed.
Not true with dieting. Stopping that was tough. I'm so glad I did though! heck, I've lost 45 lbs since then!
Eating sensibly is working so well for me. I'm feeling reflective but don't have a lot new to blog about today, just chugging along, eating light and moving a bit every day. 45 lbs down, 34 since I started blogging. Back at 289 lbs I didn't even know who Geneen Roth was, nor had I heard the term "intuitive eating." Instead, I realized that I knew what I needed to do to get healthy, that I had known for a long time, and that I head to deal with the mental side of eating before I could getin anything accomplished in that direction. One of my greatest friends at that time mentioned the book she was reading (Women, Food, and God) which I avoided reading for weeks. Finally, I gave in and read it. It supported everything that I knew already AND helped me with some tools to sort out some of the mental stuff. It led me to lots and lots of excellent references. Soon after, my bil shared his blog with me and here I am.
Tomorrow is coming soon, and I'll be ready for it. Lots of phone calls to make and things to take care of, small road trip in the am but home sweet home most of the day. There will be sweating and there will be fruit consumed.
24 September 2010
Illness vs. Wellness. What's the difference?
I just love it when things come together so brilliantly, so clearly, and so TRUE. Check out this TED video by Dr. Dean Ornish.
I love how he shows the obvious - that threats of death or even illness do not motivate people to adopt healthier lifestyles. It's the promise of living better, not living longer, that really causes humans to change. If you think about that, I bet it's true for most of us. You may want to live longer for your families, but not necessarily for yourself. Telling somebody that's obese that they have to lose weight or they will die is like dousing a fire with gasoline, fueling the flames. It's SCARY and makes them seek more comfort. More cigarettes, more food, more alchohol, more comfort item of choice which will undoubtedly shorten the lifespan further. None of us would be here blogging about weight loss if we could handle stress well.
There's no mystery: You can lose weight on any diet. He says the key is to change the type of food: Fat has 9 calories per gram, Protein & carbs have 4. Logically, you can eat more food while consuming less calories if you avoid fat. But for long term health, it's not just what you EXCLUDE from your diet, it's what you INCLUDE that will protect your health. You need to add complex carbs and healthy fats, eliminate simple carbs and bad fats.
Simple carbs don't fill you up because the fiber is removed. You can shovel in thousands of calories using them. They are absorbed quickly which causes a rapid rise in blood sugar, provoking an insulin response. Insulin accelerates the conversion of calories into fat. Once they are converted to fat, the calories are even more difficult to burn. Complex carbohydrates, however, contain a lot of fiber which fills you up before you can consume too many calories.
Just like there are good carbs, there are also good fats, like Omega 3's such as fish oils. THREE GRAMS A DAY OF FISH OILS CAN REDUCE YOUR RISK OF A HEART ATTACK BY OVER 50%!! These are protective effects. Also, they reduce risk of cancer notably! It's been said by dozens of physicians and experts dozens of times: Eating lower on the food chain is key - more fish and plants!
There are lots of ways to lose weight, but they aren't all good for you. You want to choose a way that enhances your health rather than harms it. We're talking long term good choices here. That's what I've been talking about all along. Most of us know this and understand that diets are not sustainable and lead to bingeing and feelings of failure to where you seek more comfort in unhealthy behaviors because they seem satisfying in the short term. We all know that and have said it and read it over and over and over again: it's the mental part of permanent weight loss that is the hardest to change, and the most lasting.
The more you change, the bigger the result. And it's NOT just diet and exercise. This is the moral of the story:
What he points out, it that people who are severely depressed and lonely are more likely to comfort themselves with food, smoking, drugs, et cetera. This makes them more likely to experience health issues and early death. Anything that promotes intimacy can be healing - friendships, family closeness, altruism, compassion, service, meditation or prayer, forgiveness, community, or support groups! Once you stop seeing the differences, you see that these are part of all religions. They are the things that free us from our own suffering and therefore from disease. They are things that don't cost us a dime, don't harm the environment, and make the world a better place.
When it comes down to the bottom line there is a very simple choice between illness and wellness that we can all make. Do we chose the "i" or do we chose the "we"? It doesn't get any plainer than that.
I love how he shows the obvious - that threats of death or even illness do not motivate people to adopt healthier lifestyles. It's the promise of living better, not living longer, that really causes humans to change. If you think about that, I bet it's true for most of us. You may want to live longer for your families, but not necessarily for yourself. Telling somebody that's obese that they have to lose weight or they will die is like dousing a fire with gasoline, fueling the flames. It's SCARY and makes them seek more comfort. More cigarettes, more food, more alchohol, more comfort item of choice which will undoubtedly shorten the lifespan further. None of us would be here blogging about weight loss if we could handle stress well.
There's no mystery: You can lose weight on any diet. He says the key is to change the type of food: Fat has 9 calories per gram, Protein & carbs have 4. Logically, you can eat more food while consuming less calories if you avoid fat. But for long term health, it's not just what you EXCLUDE from your diet, it's what you INCLUDE that will protect your health. You need to add complex carbs and healthy fats, eliminate simple carbs and bad fats.
Simple carbs don't fill you up because the fiber is removed. You can shovel in thousands of calories using them. They are absorbed quickly which causes a rapid rise in blood sugar, provoking an insulin response. Insulin accelerates the conversion of calories into fat. Once they are converted to fat, the calories are even more difficult to burn. Complex carbohydrates, however, contain a lot of fiber which fills you up before you can consume too many calories.
Just like there are good carbs, there are also good fats, like Omega 3's such as fish oils. THREE GRAMS A DAY OF FISH OILS CAN REDUCE YOUR RISK OF A HEART ATTACK BY OVER 50%!! These are protective effects. Also, they reduce risk of cancer notably! It's been said by dozens of physicians and experts dozens of times: Eating lower on the food chain is key - more fish and plants!
There are lots of ways to lose weight, but they aren't all good for you. You want to choose a way that enhances your health rather than harms it. We're talking long term good choices here. That's what I've been talking about all along. Most of us know this and understand that diets are not sustainable and lead to bingeing and feelings of failure to where you seek more comfort in unhealthy behaviors because they seem satisfying in the short term. We all know that and have said it and read it over and over and over again: it's the mental part of permanent weight loss that is the hardest to change, and the most lasting.
The more you change, the bigger the result. And it's NOT just diet and exercise. This is the moral of the story:
What he points out, it that people who are severely depressed and lonely are more likely to comfort themselves with food, smoking, drugs, et cetera. This makes them more likely to experience health issues and early death. Anything that promotes intimacy can be healing - friendships, family closeness, altruism, compassion, service, meditation or prayer, forgiveness, community, or support groups! Once you stop seeing the differences, you see that these are part of all religions. They are the things that free us from our own suffering and therefore from disease. They are things that don't cost us a dime, don't harm the environment, and make the world a better place.
When it comes down to the bottom line there is a very simple choice between illness and wellness that we can all make. Do we chose the "i" or do we chose the "we"? It doesn't get any plainer than that.
18 September 2010
Trying new things
Today is my mom's 82nd birthay.
She always used to remind me that she didn't weigh over 100 lbs until after I was born. This is quite remarkable since I was her fourth child. I learned how to be a picky eater from her. She told me I wouldn't like something or that it was gross, I wouldn't try it. I'm constantly working to change that. I've come a long way!
She came to live with us when kiddo was 4 and stayed for a coupla years. One of the first meals we had, she refused to try the asparagus. Kiddo told her "Grandma, trying new things is part of growing up!" It was one of my all time favorite quotes from her.
This, of course, is one of the lines I had fed the kid since day one. Trying new things is part of being mature. Even if you tried it before, and didn't like it, you might like it again another way or on another day. It is possible to learn to like things, especially if they are good for you!
Another great example of advice I give to others that I never followed until recently. I've tried all kinds of vegetables now, I've fallen in love with stir-fry, I've learned fun exercises, and I've found that there's a lot to like about something I've always despised - me.
What have you learned to like that you always thought was despicable?
She always used to remind me that she didn't weigh over 100 lbs until after I was born. This is quite remarkable since I was her fourth child. I learned how to be a picky eater from her. She told me I wouldn't like something or that it was gross, I wouldn't try it. I'm constantly working to change that. I've come a long way!
She came to live with us when kiddo was 4 and stayed for a coupla years. One of the first meals we had, she refused to try the asparagus. Kiddo told her "Grandma, trying new things is part of growing up!" It was one of my all time favorite quotes from her.
This, of course, is one of the lines I had fed the kid since day one. Trying new things is part of being mature. Even if you tried it before, and didn't like it, you might like it again another way or on another day. It is possible to learn to like things, especially if they are good for you!
Another great example of advice I give to others that I never followed until recently. I've tried all kinds of vegetables now, I've fallen in love with stir-fry, I've learned fun exercises, and I've found that there's a lot to like about something I've always despised - me.
What have you learned to like that you always thought was despicable?
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