The Shift to Be
I just read a great book on weight loss and happiness
called “The Shift”.
After reading this book it became clear to me I was ready
for my own (and my family’s) own type of shift when it comes to food and
health.
There have been a few “subtle “hints lately leading me to
think this:
My husband and I even after 4.5 days of vacation are
still totally exhausted. We sleep all the time and nap anytime and everywhere.
We used to easily walk 6 miles or more a day on the beach and now we find it an
effort so far to walk at all! I am sure this will improve as of tomorrow or
sometime soon but I think we are too tired and something is causing this. Food?
We both keep asking each other if there is something wrong
with our washing machine because out bathing suits from the same trip last year
seem to have shrunk.
Bear came home before trip with a pillowcase full of
Halloween candy and a few days later we asked him if we could take a little
baggie of candy on our trip and he said he has eaten it all. Then he asked if
after his flu vaccine Didi could take him to the depanneur to have a treat.
This made me think my children are (all) total pigs.
So it is time to shift!!!!
Here are a few rules I will follow when I am home. When I
write them down it usually means I am committing to them. Especially when it is
a public forum. My kids (and husband) kinda hate when I have a whole lot of
time on my hands like this as I always come up with new “systems”J))) It is so much fun for me anyways!!!
So here is what I am going to do when I get home:
Write everything I eat in a notebook
Brush my teeth after every meal
Weight myself and stash it in an envelope and then weight
myself exactly a year later and compare (and every day in between but not write
it down)
Only have one diet cola a day (vs sometimes two on weekends)
Never take seconds of anything
Only eat one carbohydrate (like bread or pasta or potato)
per meal (this one will be friggin hard but better than eating none right??)
Consider a treat a treat. Not every mouthful or meal has
to be something to look forward too or a celebration. Most days can just be
ordinary (this one will be friggin hard too!)
Eat intuitively and don’t get tempted by tings that I
could not care less about (like salad dressings, drinks, juices etc.)
Eat much more s-l-o-w-l-y (just typing this out slowly
nearly killed me btw)
Only have desserts at home if we have baked them (since I
also have a bad habit of not cooking or baking this will help this for sure)
Dessert can only be eaten 2 hrs. After a meal and not at
night. And weekends only (as usual).
So there it is!!! Not too complicated right? If I have a large
piece of paper I could stick these rules on the bathroom mirror and
practically not even see myself!
But seriously they may sound complicated to you but for
me they totally resonate. For one of the first times I think I have the magic
formula for me! I can shift I think with minimal intrusion. I can do this!
And as for the kids and family:
Much less processed foods
No more chips (only baked ones)
Make it and eat it dessert rule
No dessert until 2 hrs after meal
It is very difficult living with three tweens and teens
who are like skinny minnies. They can eat ANYTHING and it would never show. I
mean 6 packs abs and everything all three . Good good genes lucky them. Frustrating and deceiving. If they were
a little chubbier we would have banned the bad stuff a long time ago.
It’s funny though because I make us sound like a Rosanne
Bars house but it is totally far from the truth. We all eat very healthfully.
Where we miss the train is on holidays and when guests come over and sometimes weekends
even. We go overboard. During the week it is super healthy and no desserts and
no treats and no fast food etc. We have lots of rules around healthful eating and
actually none of us are big eaters….or overeat.
But my hips and Hubby’s belly this vacation is telling me
it is time to shift. The fun is coming to and endL It’s time to grow up and have some restraint. The party is over. A new party is about to begin. Sure we
will derail here and there and cheat here and there, but it is time to change overall.
I am
actually excited. I guess this book was really really good for
me. Somehow the message was wrapped up in just the perfect way for my state of
mind.
PS-although the author’s shift although much simpler than
my own with only three rules…..is way too drastic for me. Plain boring. I would
rather be dead. In general I find diets a very very boring way of life. It bores me to pieces when woman order a salad with chicken.
PSS-Can this diet start after vacation? Trust me it won’t
before then. Living in a condo with this
amazing chef for two weeks won’t allow that. On the menu tonight is beef
teriyaki stir fry and garlic loaf and a Greek salad. Vanilla Oreos and milk to
wash it down. We have been here 4.5 days and have only eaten out once! He has cooked everything. Lucky me:))
We are Foodies. We love our food. It’s kind of a
religion. Thank god we aren’t too big or this really really would not work for
us.
PSSS-I am so lucky to have a husband who looks at me and
says I am beautiful all the time. He would way rather have a bit of a tighter bathing
suit on me (or him) then have me (or him) eating no pasta or bread. Guess we
really are soul mates! I told him my plan totally and he was very unimpressed.
