July 29, 2004

I went shopping yesterday and it seemed like something changed but I could not put my finger on it. Aisle after aisle something seemed a little off. By the time I hit the center of the store I realized what it was. Every single aisle had some loud, splashy product embracing weight loss with low carb or zero carbs on its label. I remember when this happened during the fat free weight loss craze not so long ago. It is like going down memory lane for me. The only difference is I am older, wiser than and not as gullible as I had been in those desperate years. We can not have it all and still release weight. There must be some kind of balance.

It seems all the popular weight loss programs are falling into the low carb craze. I was thrilled when the South Beach Diet came out because it was almost mimicking what I had been doing myself and teaching others to do for years. It was a whole food approach which included “real” carbohydrates rather than processed carbohydrates to increase weight loss. Although it started with great intentions I think the South Beach Diet has grown bigger than intended and the big corporations such as Kraft are moving into the picture. I am betting soon we will see lots of “low carb” goodies wearing the South Beach cover and the “wholeness” will be lost by the way side. Adkins certainly grabbed on to the cash cow and is promoting low carb products every aisle you travel down!

The answer for me is as it always was. I stay as close to nature as I can and omit flour and sugar and life is wonderful. The cravings are gone and the energy is swelling. I think the creator of this earth gave us plenty of rich, wholesome foods to choose from that will fuel us with the proper nutrients to keep the body running smoothly without out of control eating. It is a much easier way to lose weight than the food addict realizes. It takes jumping into “real” foods and not looking back in order to lose weight. Walk the grocery store aisles with blinders on and stick to the outskirts and the center of the store where the “real” foods are. There is no mystery to weight loss. It is a change in the mindset guiding you to choose “real” food which sparks the freedom from binge eating which can lead to a quality, thin life.

July 12, 2004

Once again it is Monday. To the chronic dieter Monday is not just another day of the week. It is a new beginning. A chance to right the wrong. I white knuckle moment to eat clean and drop those pounds. Unfortunately, it does not seem to work as easily as the promise over the weekend. The promises to not eat those sugary, flour foods ever again come Monday. The food addict is not that different from the drug and alcohol addict making promises to be clean. There is no doubt in my mind that some foods can be just as addictive as heroin or vodka, or any other substances that are considered to be addictive. What is the answer?

As a food addict in recovery, I believe the answer is to eat protein, vegetables, fruit, dairy, and good fats. I think the toxic foods are flour and sugar and should be abstained. The first three to five days is very difficult and then it gets much easier. Some can slowly add back in flours that are not bleached nor processed. I personally find it best for me to simply abstain from all flours and all sugars. It keeps life simple for me to have a clear choice. I do not “Jones” for certain foods because I do not eat them. If I do the addiction kicks in loud and clear and I bargain with Monday. Don’t live for Monday. Make each day count as a clean day and your life will turn around and the sky will be blue and the landscaping will be green once again. It is the answer for me, as well as thousands of other food addicts.

July 1, 2004

It is one of my favorite times of the day where it is just about dusk. This evening is one of those magic evenings when a storm is brewing, the birds are chattering and the waterways take on a dark, bluish color. My youngest and I sat out on the dock to watch the sky and to our amusement the most incredible dolphin came dancing by, almost seemed for our entertainment. I watched its gracefulness as it glided in and out of the water. What a perfectly formed animal. I think there was a time we humans were perfectly formed as well. It was a time when we ate natural foods off the earth and quenched our thirst with pure, clear water. As we evolved we lost real foods to processed foods and everything became easily accessible. It is no wonder 65% of the population is overweight and 30% are obese. Have you ever seen an over-weight, out of shape dolphin? We could learn a lot from them.

June 26, 2004

I took a moment to relax and watch a flock of geese flying. What an interesting sight. They fly with such precision with one leader at the head. After a while the leader slips back and a new leader takes place. It sort of reminds me of the low carb craze. First, Dr. Adkins led the flock then slipped back and the Protein Power people slipped in only to be surpassed by the South Beach. Of course each does a great job leading the flock. A great idea is recycled and improved until the next one comes along.

June 19, 2004

Early this morning before the birds began chirping I drove my 15 year old to his swim practice. The sun was barely peaking out from the horizon along the ocean shore. Top down, hair blowing we were soaking it all in, until all of a sudden I got this tremendous whiff of something familiar. Doughnuts! I began to ponder over doughnuts. When I was little my mom would often come home with the baker’s dozen. I remember the anxious giddy feeling I would get anticipating a long john with its delicate cream in the center. I would eat half and feel nice and woozy. Since then, as I grew older and older it took more to get that feeling. At one point before I realized my food addiction I would eat the entire bakers dozen before I would get that same sensation. As we drove on this morning I smiled to myself realizing once an addict always and addict but at this juncture in my life I just think about it rather than indulge.