The Panda Lesson

The kids and I went and saw Kung Fu Panda this afternoon. This is the first movie I have taken them to since Cars. As you can see, we don't get to the movies very often. They had gotten movie gift certificates for Christmas from their babysitter and we just haven't been able to find a time to go. I had wanted to see Horton Hears a Who, and then my son wanted to see Speed Racer and then it was Prince Caspian. Each time they were gone before we could get to the theater. So since we have been enduring record breaking heat here, we made it a point to get to the movies this afternoon.

The kids really enjoyed it. My son stayed interested the whole time and my daughter only got tired towards the end because it was nap time. The last time she was still to young and it was not much fun for me. I am glad they are both at the point where we can start going and enjoying the movies more often.

I enjoyed the movie very much. I really liked when the wise old turtle told Po, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, that is why it is called the present." This is probably not a new quote but I loved it. I also loved that the hero was an overweight Panda who didn't know what his strength was. When he discovered it, he became the hero.

There is a great lesson in this for me. I need to stop thinking about yesterday and worrying about tomorrow. I always beat myself up when I mess up on my diet and I doom myself by thinking that I can never change it. I start thinking that it will take me forever to get to my goal and I just give up. I need to start seeing today for the gift that it is and to stay focused only on the present. If I can do this, then I too will see my strength and can be in charge of my life and my weight. It has helped me this past week or so to look at my eating on the spiritual side as well. It has taken awhile, but I am starting to see God's hand helping me with my struggle for control over my food and weight issues.

No S!

Today I tried out the No S way of eating. I wanted to try this so that I can start working on my issue of food and the sin of gluttony. It is funny how when you try to start thinking a new way, all you do is think about the old way!

I was surprised about how many times I thought about food and what I was going to eat. It was almost like a panic that I would not eat enough food at lunch and I would not be able to make it to dinner. It was almost at a subconscious level that food was permeating my thinking. It makes me very sad when I think about it.

When it came time for dinner, all I kept thinking about was how I was going to make it through the evening. We usually have something "Sweet" after dinner. There is a lemon cake from Costco that we had been snacking on since Saturday and I will be so happy when it is gone! I am also going to bed as soon as my husband does so I am not tempted to eat.

Gluttony

On Saturday when I was reading some of my favorite blogs, I came across a great post by Et Tu? She has great thought provoking posts and this Saturday was no different. It was about a diet that had made her reflect on the sin of gluttony. It is a good read and I recommend it.

She was talking about the "No-S" Diet. This is a book written by Reinhard Engels. It says that you stay away from Snacking, Sweets and Seconds; except sometimes on Special days (weekdays that start with S or on National holidays, religious holidays or immediate family birthdays.)

Since I have read this, I have been thinking a lot about gluttony in my life. I know that I have a problem with food. I am overweight and I have been having a very difficult time dealing with it. I can do good for a short time but then revert back to my old ways. No matter how much I believe that I am tired of being overweight and I am ready to lose the weight, I quickly give up and give in to food. I do not eat to live, I live to eat.

When I went to find out exactly what the definition of gluttony was, it was like a slap in my face. I don't think that I have ever really considered the sin of gluttony, but I really need to.

According to St. Gregory, one of the doctors of the church, I have been committing the sin of gluttony for some time. Here are the five ways by which one can commit the sin of gluttony:

Eating before the time of meal in order to satisfy the palate.
Seeking delicacies and better quality of food to gratify the "vile sense of taste."
Seeking after sauces and seasonings for the enjoyment of the palate.
Exceeding the necessary amount of food.
Taking food with too much eagerness, although eating the proper amount.
The fifth way is worse than all others, said the saint, because it shows attachment to pleasure most clearly among others. He said then that one may succumb to the sin of gluttony by:
time (when)
quality
stimulants
quantity
eagerness

Wow, this made me have to stop and think. I definitely have a problem with exceeding the necessary amount of food, if I didn't I wouldn't need to lose a large amount of weight! I liked the way St. Thomas Aquinas reiterated the list of five ways to commit gluttony:
Praepropere - eating too soon
Laute - eating too expensively
Nimis - eating too much
Ardenter - eating too eagerly
Studiose - eating too daintily ( I probably don't have to worry about this one!)

I am going to have to really examine my life, my eating habits and praying about this problem. Now that I know this is a sin, I am responsible for it. I am going to have to think about how I can change things so that I can correct this. I think that this "No S" way of thinking could help in at least making me think and be conscious of what and when I am eating.

Please say a prayer for me as I struggle to work on this problem. It is something that I have struggled with for most of my life. I am going to really have to pray about this and ask God to help me. I probably need to go to confession too!

Dieting Updates

Well it has been a little more than a week since I officially started taking Alli. I started a week ago last Friday. I was a bit aprehensive about taking it because of what I have heard about it. Luckily I can say that I have not had any adverse treatment effects. I have been very cautious about how much fat I have been eating and I believe that this has helped. I think I am starting to get into a rhthym of things but I can see that I need to start branching out so that I do not get bored.

I have lost a total of 9 pounds. This is since January 28th, so that works out to about 4.5 pounds per week! I think this is pretty good. I will only have to keep going for 2 years to get to where I want to be. Well not quite two years, but close. I will have to keep praying and taking it one day at a time.

I think one of the best things that I have done is taking lunch and snacks to work. This has kept me from getting so hungry that I eat everything in sight. I have been doing the Healthy Choice lunches or something similiar. Apples, carrots, yogurt and pretzels have replaced Geta, McDonalds and the like. I feel better and would probably have more energy if I wasn't burning the candle at both ends because of work. At least I have not let the stress get to me like I used to.

I think that the Alli has helped me because I don't dare eat something that I shouldn't. I would be mortified if I had to rush to the bathroom while interviewing a client! I will keep taking it just for that reason if it continues to work for me. I just need to branch out and look for lowfat reciepes so that the whole family is eating the same thing.

The Time has Come

Well folks, the time has come. I am going to start taking the Alli pills tomorrow. I have been trying to reduce the fat in my diet for the last couple of weeks, except of course for last weekend. I counted that as my last hoorah. Actually the reason I have waited until tomorrow is because I didn't want it to interfere with that special dinner. I didn't want to have any "treatment effects" while traveling out of town.

I hope this will help me by forcing me to reduce the fat and eat healthier so that I don't have adverse "treatment effects." That is such a more pleasant way of saying it. Anyway, I hope to be posting updates and results that will be positive. I hope to add recipes that I find that work well with the plan and other tips that help me stick with it.

It is hard when you have struggled with your weight almost all of your life. I am finally tired of being fat and want to start living a healthier more active life. When you have two small children you need all the energy you can get. Being overweight just zaps that from you. I am wanting this to work so that this summer we will have more fun then ever; more bike rides, more walks, more parks and maybe even some swimming!

If any of my two readers out there have tips, suggestions, inspirations, recipes or anything that you think will help, chime right in. I will take all the help that I can get! Here's to seeing less of me in the future.