Day 10 - Mindfulness & Diet Control

According to the all singing, all dancing Wikipedia, the Buddhist concept of mindfulness is 'a mental state, characterized by calm awareness of one's body functions, feelings, content of consciousness, or consciousness itself'.

 In writing this blog I have realized that although I have put a great deal of thought into my cooking in the past, I have never been very mindful in terms of how much I have eaten, or how much junk I consume in addition to those carefully planned meals. There are so many taste temptations surrounding us, from the plate of cookies some kind soul brought to work, to the half eaten bag of chips one's child left on the couch. Not to mention the pot of deliciousness on the stove, when more is prepared than can be reasonably consumed at a meal.

I am really appreciating the value of the food log, recommended by dietitians, as not just a tool for the clinician to analyze a clients intake, but to help the dieter to THINK about what he or she eats, followed hopefully by the why.

In addition, I have been able to look back on this last week and really reflect on how I felt in the first few days, when my body was physically fighting the reduction in calories, and  how I was able to deal with that temporary discomfort. (Boy do we in the USA hate discomfort!)

This reminds me of another Buddhist teaching, the Four Noble Truths, which deal with suffering as an integral part of life and spiritual growth. I will not even begin to elaborate on this concept as I am all but ignorant in this realm, but do believe there is some value in examining this further. (Funny though that the Buddha is often depicted as being pretty obese!)

That's all I have for today, but am grateful for being able to share my little adventure in getting control over my weight.

Breakfast - Cashews/Craisins, coffee w skim milk

Mid morning frozen spinach ricotta stuffed shells 300 cal

Lunch  - rice w/ green beens, lg serving est 250 cal (hospital cafeteria)

5 PM snack on the run - 4 handfuls of cashews mixed with Craisins - Redundant but great combo.

9PM Dinner (finally) - Delicious bowtie pasta salad with ham, blue cheese, rosemary and pecans, made by my darling wife. 1 small bowl only (I could have eaten 5)