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Sunday, May 2, 2010

Diet and Book Vent

I got the Syndrome X book today. It makes some valid points, but it is seriously DULL reading. I skipped ahead to the recipe and diet part. The book advocates a basically Atkin's almost all protein little to no carb diet. I have a problem with this.

My problem, to start off with, is two-fold. The first is that any diet that is built on the extreme removal of one kind of food is a failure. Many people, me being one of them, can't live with that much restriction on them. It's not like I'm allergic to peanuts and I have to remove them all or I'll die. In many instances, there is a middle ground, it's just a matter of finding it. The 2nd is that when anyone goes off of one of these extreme diets, they gain all the weight back. Well that is a problem simply because it goes back to the first point. I might get a bit healthier while on the extreme diet, but as soon as I were to deviate from it, I'd start gaining weight again. What the hell??

I have been trying very hard to eat more protein. I've also been trying to reduce the amount of simple carbs I eat. Having more fresh produce with meals too. Eating even more home made foods. Eating less when I eat. Eating more frequently so that I don't overeat when I eat. Exercising a lot more. Not sitting in front of the computer all day. Actually going out of the house, even with all of the kids, and walking around and doing things. These are all very good habits to have I think.

The book doesn't like medical interventions as treatment. It wants me to take a lot of "nutritional" supplements, which may or may not really make a difference. The book's authors states that it worked for them. Call me a cynic, but I don't have any reason to actually believe that statement.

I was hoping this book would have more in the recipe dept and less on the extreme diet end. I was hoping for detailed lists of lower carb veggies AND fruits. Better cuts of meat choices. Allowable carb lists, like what grain for breads and pastas and the like. Unfortunately, this book does not meet those expectations and I'm upset that I wasted a credit from PaperBackSwap for it. I would have checked it out of the library but it was unavailable.

So now I'm feeling like I'm still not doing things righ. I'm not going to the extreme, and I refuse to go there. Does that mean that I'm going to be stuck as a fat person? Sometimes, I am surprised by my fat. I feel like a thin person on the inside. Then I look in the mirror and it's one of those "Oh yeah" kind of moments.

Am I expecting miracles? Well, no. I know better. I know the best way to lose weight and keep it off is gradually. I know the best way to make diet changes is to find the middle ground. I know that in order for the weight loss to happen and for the diet changes to make a real difference I need to exercise regularly. While I know all of these things, that doesn't change how I feel.

I want to feel beautiful and sexy for my husband. I don't. I ask myself all the time (and him too) how he can find a fat blob like me attractive. I hate the attitude I have for myself. I know it surrounds everything I do. I know it affects my thoughts about my daughters. I don't want them to have that. I don't want them to have unhealthy thoughts about themselves and their food and their relationships because of an insecurity that I gave to them.

I know that changes like this are hard. I've always said that if it's easy, then odds are it's really not worth it.

I think that is the end of my rant. Tomorrow will hold a recipe or some other kind of post. My goal for May is to post 4-5 times a week on this and my other blog. We'll see how that goes.