The Big Psyche Out

I almost hesitate to blog, because I always blog in the early stages of a new effort, and then everything falls to pieces and I stop updating, in part out of sheer despondency and in part out of the busy-ness that usually threw my life (and my plan du jour) out of balance in the first place. Still, I feel inspired.

I’m sitting here sipping a glass of red wine, and I’ve got some lovely whole wheat bread in the bread machine (yes, people do still use those, at least I do), set to start baking tonight while I’m asleep, so the boy and I wake to the scent of fresh-baked bread. You see, this is the life I long to live, so I might as well start now. I don’t want to be a slave to Burger King and Cold Stone Creamery, nor do I want to be a slave to Weight Watchers or Skinny Cow. I want to eat the good stuff, the healthy stuff, in moderation.

Ah, there is the key, the elusive key. Because moderation  must be a conscious choice, and most of the time I eat unconsciously. I slurp down my lunch at my desk as I stare at the computer and click around. At dinner, I’m too often watching TV or flipping through a catalog, or just shoving food in my mouth while I’m feeding the boy. Not a good practice and not a good example.

So I heard an interview, I think on NPR, with the author of  this book, which I guess is getting a lot of press nowadays. He’s a scientist at Cornell and has a few tips to basically "trick yourself" into eating less. Some of these are straight out of WW, like choose a smaller plate or bowl. But it got me thinking about how I set myself up for failure sometimes. I serve myself too much (hubby contributes to this when he serves me, so I should serve myself) — that’s the main thing. I also eat mindlessly in front of the TV or computer. And I have this whole "all-or-nothing" mentality I’ve discussed before.

How to conquer all of these habits? Well, this week I’ve been tracking everything I’ve been eating, but I’ve consciously tried not to limit myself. I can eat whatever I want, and I won’t say no just to stay below points. I just have to write it down. I’ve consciously tried to serve myself smaller portions. I’ve cooked at home every night (and made enough for leftovers). I’ve also indulged my love for food. I had butternut squash ravioli, for one thing. Yum. I’ve sipped on wine here and there in the evenings. I made some great beef stew with potatoes. And I’m baking this bread for in the morning. Somehow, it’s all OK.

I’m trying to take my cues from a few people I’ve been reading online, including Dietgirl and Meg, who seem to have developed a more long-term view of healthy eating. Like… it’s really not a diet (and I’m not just saying that). It’s a healthy lifestyle. Mmm… nice Pinot Noir. And with that, to bed I go.