Sunday, November 11, 2012

Full Disclosure

I promised to be honest on this blog and I stand by that.  Today I did split a large Pepsi with my kids at the theater while we watched Wreck-It Ralph.  I also had some candy.  Maybe it is not a big deal but I do want to be completely honest whenever I do something like that.  In the beginning I said that my relationship with soda was over...and it is.

Before I started this blog I would have soda throughout the entire day.  It was almost all that I ever drank.  This was the first soda I had since 10/22 and to be honest it was nothing special.  In some ways, it tends to reinforce my willpower that I can live without it. 

Wreck-It Ralph was a good movie by the way.  If you are a gamer you will recognize all sorts of game related references but even if you are not it is an enjoyable movie.

I am back to business as usual now.  No more soda, no more candy, and no more Mexican restaurants for quite some time.  Please leave me your thoughts on this post.  Did I fail or is it alright to indulge once in while?

6 comments:

  1. Not a fail as long as you can get back to your normal. Keep up the good work!

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  2. I feel the occasional allowance of foods that are caloricly dense but not nutritionally dense, is both healthy and normal. In determining how often to indulge people have to be honest with themselves and evaluate what works for them and allows them to stick to their plan/goals/desires for their health--whether the less nutritionally dense foods can be stored in their home or whether they need to be foods they consume occasionally outside the home. Some people are able to eat a small single serving of candy each day while others have to restrict their consumption to much less frequently to avoid overindulging. Personally, I don't have alot of self control, so I cannot regularly store less healthy foods in my house...instead I follow the rule that I can have it if I make it from scratch OR I can have it once in awhile if I go out and buy a single serving size (rather than a whole bag). Yes the cost is higher to buy single servings, but that is also helpful in restricting my indulgence to normal and appropriate amounts. Making it from scratch limits me as well because I don't have time to do that very often. Sharing the items with your kids is a perfect example of allowing for sweets without going overboard on the amounts. That is a very healthy approach. There are no good or bad foods, just healthy and less healthy ones, and all foods can fit in moderation. Sweets are foods that we all crave but carry some consequences (one being depressing the immune system from 30 minutes to up to five hours after ingestion, resulting in a 50% drop in the white blood cell's ability to engulf harmful bacteria--that is a startling and significant fact to consider). Awareness of that fact, but allowing for occasional indulgence that is not excessive, produces a wiser and healthier person.
    http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/family-nutrition/sugar/harmful-effects-excess-sugar

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    1. Thanks for that information Jewels. It definitely makes one feel better about being able to enjoy an occasional sweet every now and then. The information on sugar and the immune system is eye opening however.

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  3. Sheldon, I have been dieting for 5 months and I have lost 15 pounds. However losing my ability to walk has had me reach a plateau.

    As I was dieting with Cathy we would allow ourselves one day a week that we could eat something outside of our diet. After a month with no soda I had a soda one night at Dillons while Watching Size play and the taste shocked me, it was tremendously sweet, It seemed like I had put a little bit of water in my half cup of sugar and drank it. I did drink it and got my taste back for it but it made it easier to not drink it again.

    I am very proud of you and will watch your progress. I know how difficult this challenge is. Keep the people that care about you near and turn to them for encouragement and support. Cathy and I turn to each other. She is tempted more than I am usually. I have to make sure the kids eat all the doughnuts before she gets home or throw away what is left, she can't keep herself from them sometimes.

    Our diet is pretty simple. Only eat carbs before noon, none after noon. Avoid processed foods and go natural when you can. Think smart, chicken, beef, fish, salads for dinner. Eat 5 times a day. Although I drink lemonade, I get the all natural low cal. I drink water and I drink sweetened decaf tea. We prefer no artificial sweeteners so we use organic sugar, it is lower on the glycemic index and I use about a 1/4 of what I used to before the diet.

    I didn't lose any weight the first month. I then lost 6 pounds in one week and over the next month I lost another 9. I was walking an average of 11,000 steps a day. Now that I am walking less than 2,000 a day I have not lost any weight. I can't wait to get the surgery done so I can walk again and I wish I had a pool to take the place of the walking.

    Keep up the good work.

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    1. Thanks Dean. I appreciate your support. I hope that all goes well with your upcoming surgery. I know that losing mobility would make losing weight a serious challenge. I will be praying for you buddy.

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