“Don’t Waste Food”

I have a strong desire not to waste food. I’m pretty sure the roots come from my parents who were born during the Great Depression. Growing up, we didn’t waste food in my house. If we didn’t eat it the day it was prepared, we would have to eat it the next day.

I had five older brothers and sisters. When I was younger, I always had the feeling that I needed to eat as much as I could so that I could get as much as could before it was gone. Did I mention that I am addicted to food?

I was a restaurant manager for several years and wasted food equaled wasted money. I hated seeing food go to waste.

Then after I got married it was my own family and my money that was spent on food. A big portion of my budget went (and still goes) to food.

Because of this, I would eat others leftovers. I would eat it rather than throw it away – so that it wouldn’t go to waste! It did, however, go to my waist! Then as my weight problem continued to get worse, I would eat all of something one day (like a whole bag of chips or box of cookies) in order to avoid being tempted to eat it the next day. How sick is that!?
It has been a struggle for me this month to stop eating when I’m full, or to not eat everyone’s leftovers when they were full.

I have found a couple things that have helped: portion control and eating slower.
By only preparing what I should eat for each meal, I avoid leftovers. Plus portioning food also lets me feel like I’ve accomplished the task of cleaning my plate. My mother would be so proud.

Eating slower has some wonderful side effects. It helps me really enjoy my food, and helps me to be more satisfied after a meal. I have found that when I am full, food does not taste as good. By eating too quickly, I lose that delightful initial sensation that really good tasting food gives – much faster than necessary.

Here is an example. My family and I went out to dinner at Old Chicago to have pizza to celebrate my daughter’s birthday. I planned ahead and decided that instead of eating half a pizza I would only have two slices. When the pizza came, I took the two slices and set them on my plate. Then I used my fork to cut small pieces. I ate every bite slowly and deliberately. The sensation of the flavors was wonderful. By the time I had finished the second piece, I was entirely satisfied. Pizza is probably my favorite food in the world. That was the first time, in a long time, that I remember enjoying it that much.

Ho, Ho, Holy Crap!

This week I was kicking myself for starting a weight loss program during the holidays. I have eaten so much stuff that I know I shouldn't have eaten. However (and this is a big "however"), I have lost over 20 pounds in the three weeks I've been on the program (394 lbs as of 12-7). Sure I could have probably been better and lost more, but that is pretty good! Plus that gives me a head start over the droves of people that are going to resolve to lose weight in the new year.

This has also shed some light on how I would have normally eaten this time of year - Ho, Ho, Holy Crap! I can't believe how much garbage I used to consume. I really want this change to be permanent.

Before Pictures - 415 lbs

Every month I am on this plan, I will try and post my progress photos. To start the ball rolling, here is me as of Thanksgiving 2008 (415 lbs).

Week One

Week one of the new 5+1 weight loss program ...

Sunday: Not a problem. Really. I was motivated, and I wasn’t hungry. My meals and dinner tasted good. No worries.

Monday: Some of the new food didn’t taste so good, but overall it was okay. I am going to the bathroom every 30 minutes. I must have lost five pounds of water. There were Christmas cookies and candy for the staff meeting, but I wasn’t even tempted.

Tuesday: I had a headache all day. At my lunch meeting there were brownies (which happens to be my favorite dessert), but I still abstained. In the afternoon, I heard someone eating potato chips; I almost lost it. If I would have smelled them, I may have cracked. We had a pretty good dinner and I had my fifth meal as a snack. That ended a hard day on a high note.

Wednesday: Another hard day at work. Every Wednesday at 3:00, at my work, we have “healthy snack.” Well this time, for a reason that escapes me, it was catered with a taco bar (AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!). I sat in my cubicle eating one of my meals, wishing it was a taco. This is getting harder. On a high note, however, I have lost 11 pounds since my visit to the doctor.

Thursday: My wife’s work Christmas party. Dinner at a fancy restaurant. I did pretty well. I didn’t stick to the plan – exactly, but I ordered small portions of healthy food, and only nibbled at the stuff I should stay away from.

Friday: Today was HARD! I WANT DORITOS! Alas, I choked down my meat and veggies for dinner, and tamed the tiger by eating Frank’s Red Hot Sauce – with a spoon, for a snack. It put me way over on sodium for the day, but it didn’t add any calories. It kept the tiger at bay.

Saturday: I would say I totally blew it today, but compared to how I usually eat – I was actually pretty good. I had a couple slices of homemade pizza, a few cookies, and some crackers. Fortunately I have planned for a few slip-ups along the way (especially the first month). I plan on getting right back on the program in the morning.

Prolog:
It’s so funny how addicted I am to food (that’s “funny”: weird – not “funny”: Ha ha). I was so gung-ho at the beginning of the week, and by Friday I was ready to eat myself into a coma. I wasn’t hungry, but the cravings were so overwhelming.

The good news is that Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday weren’t that bad. I have stayed on plan and I felt pretty good about myself. I still get the cravings, but I remind myself that I am really not hungry – because I’m not. I just hope the weekends get easier.

Trigger:
I have found that if I am not watching television, it is much easier to stay on the plan than when I do watch it. I have eaten in front of the T.V. for so many years that the Pavlovian response kicks in when the power comes on. It’s going to take a lot of positive self-talk and support to overcome this. Maybe I will just watch less television, and find something more constructive to do (again, history is not on my side here).