THE FACEBOOK DIET: THE FIRST WEEKEND
Sunday, February 1, 2009 at 8:48pm
TACKLING A PARTY AND THE SUPERBOWL WITHOUT RUNNING A FOUL -
(this is the 2nd post to appear on Facebook as part of The Facebook Diet)
I have never been a 3 ounce portion of this, ¼ cup serving of that kinda guy.
Measuring is for richter scales, not sliced turkey or even the healthiest of healthy choices such as cucumbers. But the last few days have been a radical adjustment to my life.
Many of you have offered me such wonderful encouragement both on the board and privately. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I appreciate the support. It means a the world.
I have tried to go it alone for a long time, so I figure the difference could be peer pressure.
I know in my heart and mind that a person must want to change first. I do.
This time I am just putting it all out there and swallowing my pride instead of the food. By going public, I hope it will keep my cravings in check before downing that unnecessary In and Out Burger.
Years ago there was this TV dinner campaign that asked, “How Do You Handle the Hungry Man? ….The Man Handler!” The sound of a whip would crack and then bingo, BIG, heaping servings of bad comfort food would fill the screen, seductively steaming on a space age 70s era tin foil plate.
I honestly never cared much for tv dinners, because my mom was an amazing gourmet cook who would take classes with Julia Child and James Beard. Needless to say The Elzers ate well, but I was really the only one in the family that struggled with my weight. I guess from the youngest of ages that silly, stupid Manhandler jingle stuck in my head. Eat and when you do, go Big.
This whole Hungry Man mentality has dominated the essence of the way I have lived my life for 46 years. I know I need to completely dismantle it and destroy it. But for me, as much as I have successfully and unsuccessfully dieted before , I don’t really recall the kind of true portion control that I have used the past few days.
Diets of yore, I eyeballed the size of a chicken breast, or made a big heaping salad and called it a day. Right now, everything I put in my mouth is measured, weighed or counted. The change and approach to food is a complete adjustment. Virtually overnight, I have gone cold turkey (forgive the pun) :)
It’s not draconian, but it is drastic. I am taking natural supplements that help me feel full (cell press) and I am aided by a medically prescribed appetite suppressant that I really don't dig and may abandon sooner than later. But right now, it’s taking the edge off the cravings. Still, the whole shift in how I move around the kitchen or the store has been pretty wild the last two days. I am not delusional. You can’t re-shape 46 years of thinking in 48 hours.
When I went to the doctor on Friday, she asked me if I wanted to start on Monday. She was worried about the Super Bowl and asked what I was going to do on Sunday. We talked about a party/fundraiser that I was going to attend on Saturday and then I thought about the crazy bonanza of oh so good food that I normally will eat while watching the game and we briefly discussed the sizeable temptations that would stare me in the face this weekend.
I gave it about 2 second of thought.. Putting off a diet for another day has been my mind trick and motto forever and let’s be honest, there is always gonna be something – a party, a celebration, a premiere, a night out that is gonna serve as a land mine to blow me off track.
So the decision was made to just go for it. No delays.
Last night, Amy and I went to a local community fundraiser with an all you can eat Mexican buffet and a crazy good looking dessert bar. Attending an event where everyone is eating wasn't easy. I was sucking down bottle after bottle of water like a guy who just survived 4 days in the desert. I know this is the way it is gonna be for a while. Was I tempted? Absolutely. Did everything look insanely delicious? I think it probably looks better when you know you can’t have it.
We ate dinner before we got in the car (3 ounces of grilled scallops and 3 ounces of grilled chicken and a 1/2 cup of cooked veggies) and made it thru the first hurdle of the weekend.
Today, instead of going to one of a number of Super Bowl parties we were invited to join, we stayed at home and watched the game and avoided any encounters with chips or a guacamole bowl.
I wasn’t trying to be a recluse, but I also need to acknowledge my limits. Besides, Sit N’ Sleep was delivering the new special bed for my back today – the one that is supposed to be great and contour to the body instead of causing back stress. The guys showed up right in the middle of the second quarter, but the bed is AWESOME (I think). I am actually looking forward to going upstairs and getting into it!!!
Well, it’s 8:30 and I am on the downhill side of the first two days and I plan to continue taking it literally moment by moment. The first days are the most challenging but I have been fanatical in following the plan. My head is spinning when I realize how much food is intertwined in every aspect of my life.
I am not going to post on this journey every day. I promise. I am blogging as my own experiment in therapy and to reinforce my own resolve. When I feel I need to talk about an up or a down – whether it’s a confession or a conquest – or just to share a killer recipe, I will post a note here.
Onwards to Day 3 and head first into the next hurdle: trying to figure out how all of this is going to work at work.
Copyright, 2009, By Steve Elzer
Sunday, February 1, 2009 at 8:48pm
TACKLING A PARTY AND THE SUPERBOWL WITHOUT RUNNING A FOUL -
(this is the 2nd post to appear on Facebook as part of The Facebook Diet)
I have never been a 3 ounce portion of this, ¼ cup serving of that kinda guy.
Measuring is for richter scales, not sliced turkey or even the healthiest of healthy choices such as cucumbers. But the last few days have been a radical adjustment to my life.
Many of you have offered me such wonderful encouragement both on the board and privately. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I appreciate the support. It means a the world.
I have tried to go it alone for a long time, so I figure the difference could be peer pressure.
I know in my heart and mind that a person must want to change first. I do.
This time I am just putting it all out there and swallowing my pride instead of the food. By going public, I hope it will keep my cravings in check before downing that unnecessary In and Out Burger.
Years ago there was this TV dinner campaign that asked, “How Do You Handle the Hungry Man? ….The Man Handler!” The sound of a whip would crack and then bingo, BIG, heaping servings of bad comfort food would fill the screen, seductively steaming on a space age 70s era tin foil plate.
I honestly never cared much for tv dinners, because my mom was an amazing gourmet cook who would take classes with Julia Child and James Beard. Needless to say The Elzers ate well, but I was really the only one in the family that struggled with my weight. I guess from the youngest of ages that silly, stupid Manhandler jingle stuck in my head. Eat and when you do, go Big.
This whole Hungry Man mentality has dominated the essence of the way I have lived my life for 46 years. I know I need to completely dismantle it and destroy it. But for me, as much as I have successfully and unsuccessfully dieted before , I don’t really recall the kind of true portion control that I have used the past few days.
Diets of yore, I eyeballed the size of a chicken breast, or made a big heaping salad and called it a day. Right now, everything I put in my mouth is measured, weighed or counted. The change and approach to food is a complete adjustment. Virtually overnight, I have gone cold turkey (forgive the pun) :)
It’s not draconian, but it is drastic. I am taking natural supplements that help me feel full (cell press) and I am aided by a medically prescribed appetite suppressant that I really don't dig and may abandon sooner than later. But right now, it’s taking the edge off the cravings. Still, the whole shift in how I move around the kitchen or the store has been pretty wild the last two days. I am not delusional. You can’t re-shape 46 years of thinking in 48 hours.
When I went to the doctor on Friday, she asked me if I wanted to start on Monday. She was worried about the Super Bowl and asked what I was going to do on Sunday. We talked about a party/fundraiser that I was going to attend on Saturday and then I thought about the crazy bonanza of oh so good food that I normally will eat while watching the game and we briefly discussed the sizeable temptations that would stare me in the face this weekend.
I gave it about 2 second of thought.. Putting off a diet for another day has been my mind trick and motto forever and let’s be honest, there is always gonna be something – a party, a celebration, a premiere, a night out that is gonna serve as a land mine to blow me off track.
So the decision was made to just go for it. No delays.
Last night, Amy and I went to a local community fundraiser with an all you can eat Mexican buffet and a crazy good looking dessert bar. Attending an event where everyone is eating wasn't easy. I was sucking down bottle after bottle of water like a guy who just survived 4 days in the desert. I know this is the way it is gonna be for a while. Was I tempted? Absolutely. Did everything look insanely delicious? I think it probably looks better when you know you can’t have it.
We ate dinner before we got in the car (3 ounces of grilled scallops and 3 ounces of grilled chicken and a 1/2 cup of cooked veggies) and made it thru the first hurdle of the weekend.
Today, instead of going to one of a number of Super Bowl parties we were invited to join, we stayed at home and watched the game and avoided any encounters with chips or a guacamole bowl.
I wasn’t trying to be a recluse, but I also need to acknowledge my limits. Besides, Sit N’ Sleep was delivering the new special bed for my back today – the one that is supposed to be great and contour to the body instead of causing back stress. The guys showed up right in the middle of the second quarter, but the bed is AWESOME (I think). I am actually looking forward to going upstairs and getting into it!!!
Well, it’s 8:30 and I am on the downhill side of the first two days and I plan to continue taking it literally moment by moment. The first days are the most challenging but I have been fanatical in following the plan. My head is spinning when I realize how much food is intertwined in every aspect of my life.
I am not going to post on this journey every day. I promise. I am blogging as my own experiment in therapy and to reinforce my own resolve. When I feel I need to talk about an up or a down – whether it’s a confession or a conquest – or just to share a killer recipe, I will post a note here.
Onwards to Day 3 and head first into the next hurdle: trying to figure out how all of this is going to work at work.
Copyright, 2009, By Steve Elzer
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