Aha!

This morning, thanks to reading posts on the DietSurvivors group, I had a little revelation / insight / "aha"-moment! :o)

I am still -even subconsciously- labelling my snack foods (chocolate, Coke, etc) "junk foods". And, if they're "junk foods" then they're "bad" or "forbidden".... the connotation is there. Therefore, I rebel against the "laws" that say I "shouldn't eat those foods" and proceed to eat it, eat it, eat it!

If I could just see chocolate, Coke, & snack foods as FOOD -- no labels attached! -- then perhaps they'd lose their appeal / intensity? I'd like for them to be equal, in my mind, to, say, fruit! LOL (even writing that, my brain is screaming, "You can't label fruit & junk foods EQUAL! One is good for you, and the other isn't!!!") But, see, that's just it! If one is "good" for me, then that makes the other one "bad", and so I think I "shouldn't" eat it, which makes me want it all the more!

How do I shut off that diet mentality? I already eat the "bad" (junk) foods, mostly between 0-5, so what else can I do to make them equal with "good" food in my brain?!

More to ponder....

Making healthier choices?

Lately there's been some debate in my TW support group about whether or not you *need* to eat "healthy" foods more than junk food.

Half of the ladies agree that you can eat "whatever you want, so long as you stay within 0-5" (hunger/fullness). The other half say that it's good to stay in 0-5, but that you should also be choosing wisely with your food. They quote the Bible verse, "All things are permissible, but not everything is beneficial." (Romans??)

Now, I agree with BOTH sides! I have taken the freedom of TW (legalizing ALL foods -- nothing is "good" or "bad" or "forbidden") to the extreme, and have had ice cream for lunch (with raspberries), saying to myself & others, "I'm staying within 0-5, so ice cream is just FINE for lunch!" But, that might not be the wisest choice I could make. Sure, it tastes GREAT! And, it's awesome to have such freedom in my eating! BUT, overall, it's not going to be the greatest for my health, my endurance, etc. If I keep filling myself with "junk", I might still lose weight, but I won't feel the best that I *could*.

Today, for lunch, I chose to have Minestrone soup! And it tasted great! It tasted even better when I thought of how healthy it was for me! ;o)

And, afterward, I made myself a fruit smoothie! :o)

I have to share this recipe, too, 'cause it's something I just threw together, and it ended up tasting GREAT!

Orange-Cherry-Banana Smoothie

1 navel Orange
1 cup Sweet Cherries
1 frozen banana
5 heaping Tbsp. plain yogurt

* Blend all very well in a blender. Pour & enjoy!

This is delicious! And it gives me 2 fruit servings for the day! Best way I know to get more fruit incorporated into my diet!

(And the soup I had got in a ton of veggies for the day!)

So, I'm feeling pretty good today! I may have snacked too much (see my Food Log), but I also got in a lot of "good for me" stuff, too! (including a 1-mile walk, and water!)

Recommitting

Today is a good day! I've not been giving my all to TW in the last 7 months (or more) -- maybe about 75%. So, today I recommit to following Thin Within's "8 Keys to Conscious Eating" 100%!

I am also starting (today) a "less Pop" challenge with my sister, Laurel. We drink way too much pop, so we've agreed that, starting today, we'd allow ourselves to have only 3 cans/glasses of Pop (Coke, etc) a month. That way we're not completely restricting it, but we're seriously cutting down on the intake.

And, lastly, my TW support group is starting, today, to re-read the TW book together for the next 30 weeks (a chapter a week). We wanted to get more focused, so this is what was voted in. Each person will read that week's chapter, then post their thoughts on it, or any new insights they gained.

Here's to fresh starts! :o) Cheers!

TW Book: Index

Because the book didn't have one, I created an INDEX of "Thin Within" by Judy & Arthur Halliday. And, again to save from clogging up this Blog, I've posted it on another website...

"THIN WITHIN" Book: INDEX

Please Note: This index has not been authorized by the authors of "Thin Within". It is something I created because I kept getting frustrated when I couldn't find something I wanted in the book *quick enough*. So, any errors or omissions are my fault, and do not reflect on the authors. Thanks!

Eating (kinda) like a thin person!

Last night, I went over to my sister's place for a "sisters night." She made homemade Panzerotti's (sp?) and we rented two movies....

Well, when the panzerotti's were ready, I took one look at the one she'd put on my plate and went, "Oiy! That's huge!" I immediately cut it in half, and left the one half on the kitchen counter!

I didn't think about it, then, but this morning I realized that that's "Thin Person" behavior! And, I hardly even thought about it! I just did it! Whoohooooooo! Praise God, I think I'm finally getting it! :-D

I had just the 1/2 of panzerotti, plus 3 small pieces of garlic bread stick, and some Coke, and I think I was at about a 5 or 6. I brought the rest (other half) of the panzerotti home to have for lunch today! :o)

And, come to think of it, I've been eating "0-5" or "0-7" for the last 3 weeks without much effort, really! Praise God! Whoohoo! Yippeee!!!!

After a year of doing this, I think I'm finally understanding what it is to be a natural eater! :o) This way IS doable!

But, the kicker? I think that it's a matter of "giving up". I was "striving" and "trying" to get it right, and it wasn't working. But, recently I decided to give up worrying whether or not I'd lose weight *this week*, and started just relaxing in knowing that God will get the weight off when HE wants to get it off of me, and I decided to focus on working on the "emotional side" of this all. And, since I stopped worrying about the weight loss and the eating, it's gotten THAT much easier!

I'm not saying it's "easy".... it's still something I have to CHOOSE to do. But, it's not as difficult to make those choices as it was before. I don't rebel *as much*. I still have my moments / days where I'm rebellious ... like the other day, with Chinese food for dinner ... I ate 0-9!!!! But, I don't like the feeling I get afterward, so I won't consciously do that again ... at least not for a while! LOL

So, an encouragement to all those just starting TW (or any other non-dieting program)... This CAN be done, and God DOES reward you when you just give it to Him! :o)

Accountability: Food Log

Since I've found that posting my Food Log where others can read it helps me with accountability, I've created a new BLOG where I can post my Food Log daily.

Please feel to read it, subscribe to it (Bloglines), and comment on it! ;o)

Thin Within Accountability Blog

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PS... I didn't want to post my Food Logs here, on this blog, because I didn't want to clog it up here... I would rather keep this blog for just posting updates & journal entries about how I'm doing... And, not everyone (apparently) likes reading my food logs. ;o)

Update (07/06)

Well, thank the Lord, I can finally write that I'm doing MUCH better -- all thanks to God!

I am eating 0-5 (or even 4) at most of my meals, and I've had 2 bottles of water daily for the past 3 days!!!

People kept recommending those Crystal Light singles packs that you put into your water bottles ... so finally I gave in and bought some. Oh, yum! They're delicious ... especially the Raspberry Ice ones!!!

Anyhoo... Exercise has been lacking. Ever since the kids started summer holidays I've been making excuses for not exercising (they're here and watching TV, don't want to upset them, want to just relax after holidays....).

Since we're going camping for 3 days, starting tomorrow, I'll restart on exercising with Leslie & friends on Monday -- regardless of the fact that the kids are home on holidays. Can't go ALL summer without my Leslie!

;o)