Day One Hundred and Thirty Eight!!!

What it means to eat as much as you would like!


I grew up with a specific food belief system. Once you have a belief system established, it is very hard to be open minded to accept that there might be other belief systems. My belief system came from my grandmother and that belief system is based on semi-starvation, decreasing fat intake, and eating like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch, and a popper for supper, with that horrible notation to eat in moderation, which basically means just eat less of everything. 


So here is my new paradigm, protein and fat actually doesn’t make me fat. Carbohydrates make me fat. What is so really sad about my previous belief system was that all foods were equal, it actually really didn’t matter if I was eating a Ding Dong, or if I was eating eggs, I had absolutely no understanding of what food consisted of, nor did my grandmother. She actually thought that by exercising she could off set the cream doughnuts that she had eaten earlier in the day. 


So, what I have experienced since I have changed my belief system is that, I am not as hungry as I used to be, snacking during the day is no longer necessary, I no longer have intrusive thoughts of food and because I don't have those intrusive thoughts any longer, I don't have the urge to satisfy them. I actually have a lot more energy, and I’m no longer having to rein in my appetite by thinking about it at all. Because I don't have to think about it, there’s actually no conscious self restraint, and because I am looking at the food based upon the content of carbohydrates, I no longer have the urge to binge. Apparently, family doctors say that they get the best results from their patients by telling them to eat whenever they are hungry and until they are satisfied, as well as scheduling snacks every few hours and even eating whether they are hungry or not, on this set schedule. But the truth is, eating when you are hungry and eating until you are full, only works if you are not eating carbohydrate rich foods.


To tell you the honest truth, I do try to eat when I am hungry, but when I am really busy at work I can put that off and I can satisfy that hunger by drinking water or diet pop for most of the day. Eating until satisfied is such a difficult statement for those that eat emotionally, because when you are actually “empty” emotional satisfaction is a bottomless pit. So, I don't go with the words “until you are satisfied” I go with “limited choice”. I bring a hard boiled egg, I acknowledge and accept this limitation and I in essence force myself to be satisfied through this emotional limitation. 


I once tried scheduling snacks every few hours, but the truth is; five almonds lead to ten almonds lead to fifteen almonds…. and personally I think that eating whether you are hungry or not is only good for people who are emotionally driven to not eat, and therefore are driven to the point of being underweight.