So I guess this blog helps me to be accountable to myself.
Which is why I want to write about another new thing coming. Maybe. Some family friends (hey there, Hogans!) read the book Eat to Live and changed their entire eating habits based on this book. And now my sister just started reading it and following its recommendations, too. And they all say that the ideas in the book just make sense to them. They follow the Word of Wisdom, they seem up to date with scientific knowledge, and (perhaps most important) they seem genuinely healthy.
So I just got a copy from the library. And I just started reading it. (You'll notice that I purposely waited until after my birthday!) And Craig is going to read it with me. And once we've read the whole thing, we're going to decide if we want to give it a try.
Does anyone else think this sort of sounds like what we Mormons do to everyone with the Book of Mormon? We say, "Just read it! Just pray about it! Just try it!" I feel like that's what I'm doing with this book. (Although I probably won't pray about it.) The thing is, I have such mixed feelings about it all. Because part of me sort of hopes that when I close the book, I don't believe a word the guy has said. Because then I won't have to actually do it. If I try out this new way of eating and find that I feel better and can (FINALLY) lose this extra baby weight, then I'm in for a whole new lifestyle of eating. And that is a HUGE change! When you think about it, eating is one of the most important things we do every day. The only thing more drastic would be to change the way you breathe or sleep! And we all know that making big changes is scary. Petrifying, even.
So I don't particularly want to change how I eat. But-- ay, there's the rub-- clearly I need to make some changes, since nothing else I've done has even nudged these extra 30 lbs I've been carrying around.
Back to my Mormon analogy, I imagine this is how people feel when they're trying to decide whether or not to join the Church. They want that happiness and that relationship with God, but they don't particularly want to change their entire lives based on it. But just like the Church, I get the impression that this book asks for a lot of commitment. Heck, being healthy is a pretty big commitment these days. More and more, it seems to have become an all or nothing deal, and what could be scarier than that? I guess maybe all the health problems associated with not doing it (all of which run in my family, I'm afraid)...
So, like the title of this post says, I'm standing at the brink. And I'm kind of scared. But I'm a little bit excited, too.
6 comments:
I've been trying to change my eating habits too. I buy a small watermelon about once a week and make it my goal to eat the whole thing before it goes bad. Hmm, I'm feeling snacky, maybe some cupcakes? No! Watermelon! Just by being willing to make a small change, my body is already agreeing with me. I feel better eating smaller portions, and just now I was feeling snacky and I waited one minute before my body said, "Water, please!" You mean you don't want peanut M&M's? "Nope, just water." Stranger things have not happened than me rejecting peanut M&M's.
My point is, give it a week and you will love eating better. Give it a month and sugary treats will lose their appeal.
You really should pray about it. Pray about all things! It works.
Read the book. Seriously, it changed everything over here. Jeff, my dad and I were just chatting Tracy about it tonight, actually. And as much as I really am laughing at myself for typing it, I don't think it would hurt to pray about it either :) But I say that probably because 1) I had heard a lot of this type of nutrition information before, but a lot of details and stars needed to align first before I could actually give it a try. So I get that health changes aren't just about knowing about food. 2) Fuhrman is amazing, but also a bit of a purist (of course). And finding a healthy, smart, guilt-free balance of what you are an aren't eating is really important, I think.
Expect and email from me soon :) And you should call Luke. I'm sure he and Kat would love to chat with you about all this! (Yes, I am volunteering Luke's conversation abilities, but he did a lot more research than just the Fuhrman books, so Luke is a pretty great resource, I think.)
Anyway, I completely agree. Eating is one of THE most important things that we do every day. And I think that no matter what food-eating balance we adapt, it deserves to be deliberate and educated and decided by us.
I love you! And I'm already proud of you and Craig for reading this book. (Please like it.)
Is this the same diet that Tracy was on when you were visiting her in NY and she couldn't eat much of anything for 6 weeks (or at least that's the way it seemed when Craig was describing it to me)? I remember the diet that Oprah was on when she lost 60 pounds and dragged the fat in a wagon so the audience could have a visual of what 60 pounds looked like. I kind of believe that the secret to dieting is to eat less calories than you expend in a day. That from someone who has yo-yoed herself through life - I've probably gained and lost several people. Good luck. Does Craig really need to lose 30 pounds?
Donna
This sounds very interesting. It also sounds like that it is nothing new but a great motivation. I went on a less sugar/processed food lifestyle change in March and April and I could tell a big difference in all aspects of my life. I didn't loss weight but I felt so much better. I felt good about myself and the great control I had over what went into my mouth. I loved Jen E comments, listen to your body. I also liked your Mormon analogy, because I am sure it is very much the same.
Good luck with it all, it's always hard to try something new, be sure to let us know what you think! I know Tracy was really excited about it and said the 6 weeks weren't nearly as bad/hard as she thought they would be. :0)
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