Your powerful brain is watching everything you do.
Pearl One
Years ago, I was driving with my parents and my two boys in our van and I guess I wasn’t driving fast enough because one driver peeled out from behind me and went screaming down the road.
At that, my five-year-old son scrunched up his little face in anger and said, “There goes a. . .
“This’ll be interesting,” I thought.
“PUNK!!”
There goes a punk. Not exactly a curse word, but okay. The Scarfer uses the word “punk” occasionally so that’s where my son first heard the word.
Kids absorb everything.
My Point
Like little kids, our brains are watching everything we do.
If you weigh your protein every single time before you cook it, she’s watching and thinking, “Oh, okay we’re the kind of person who measures everything.”
If we stop eating at 6 p.m. each evening, she’s like “Got it. We don’t eat after a small dinner.”
If we have too much food leftover, she learned long ago to think, “Our tummies are not trash cans.”
If you take a bite of cookie that’s just not worth the calories and spit the bite into a napkin she’ll think, “Wow, we are serious about losing weight. We even spit out food.”
As you trek the lose-weight-after-fifty mountain, plan to prove to her daily that you’re utterly serious about smart eating
How do you prove something to your brain?
Through repetition.
She just needs to see proof that something really matters, so give her as much proof as possible. ♥
Pearl Two
Hard question so I’ll go first. (We’ll do this backwards.)
My answer: yes, for the first three decades of my life food was definitely my primary entertainment and then I married someone who had the exact same hobby as me.
The question: is eating your hobby?
As we’ve well established, eating has been there for us when we’re having a huge emotion we don’t know how to deal with. Eating is there when we’re celebrating. Eating is there when we’re bored.
But do you also treat food like a good friend and a toy all packaged in one?
Here’s the thing, If you slowly take away one hobby – eating – something wonderful needs to replace it.
It would be cruel to take a toy from a toddler and not offer something equally as attractive in return.
For example, I love travel writing, but plenty would think, “but that’s work.” Right. But I enjoy it.
I don’t get hiking the Grand Canyon either, but plenty of people do it.
In your journal delve into what you love most in the world. Don’t expect immediate answers. Something might occur to you when you’re scrubbing the shower one afternoon.
Start by asking yourself these questions:
What part of my life is humming along beautifully and that I’ll keep in my life forever. . .
What is something that I love, but rarely do?
How do I navigate being bored, tired, drained, annoyed etc.?
And what method do I use to interrupt the, say, boredom?
I just really want. . .
I wish that. . .
Keep rolling the topic around and around in your mind.
(Small disclaimer: nobody lost weight and preserved the loss forever merely because they took up a new hobby. But having passions in life is just part of the bigger picture of losing-after-fifty.)
For me, my writing work took off around the same time that I lost the fifty-five pounds. I’d actually found something that I loved way more than food: writing and reading.
Thing is, it’s a big deal to give up all fast-food, not eat after 6 p.m., bring a cold-tote everywhere we go.
Taking away a favorite toy – food – is a cataclysmic change; be gentle with yourself and lose weight slowly.
And give yourself something amazing in return. ♥
Pearl Three
In Pearl Three we closely examine Atomic Habits.
In Atomic Habits James Clear tell us, “How to create a good habit.
- First law: (cue) make it obvious.
- Second law: (craving) make it attractive.
- Third law: (response) make it easy.
- The Fourth law (reward) make it satisfying.”
Clear says that of course there’s more nuance to developing a new habit, but this is a very good start. ♥
Pearl Four
I could say that the week got away from me, but the truth is while reading a book for our fourth pearl today, I got too embroiled in it. (After a thorough read, though, it’s not at the book-dessert level.)
I was considering one of these funny books.
The first two books look excellent if you want to lighten your mood. I don’t know about the third. I’ll read it and share it if here.
Comedy Comedy Comedy drama : a memoir by Bob Odenkirk. Bob is the guy who played “Saul” in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. I have a feeling it’ll be a great read.
Hello, Molly!: a memoir by Molly Shannon of SNL fame. I’m looking forward to reading this one.
Just being curious I googled “the best of the funny books”, and this popped up.
Titled, the Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (1937-1969), it falls into the “humorous fiction” genre.
After I read these three, I I’ll share my thoughts. And if anyone has read one these books, please share in the comments below!!
I need a weekend of laughter. ♥
Pearl Five
One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will be someone else’s survival guide.” ♥
Brene Brown
Have a fantastic weekend everyone!!
♥, Wendy
P.S. Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And always feel free to email me at Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll get Aunt Bea right to you!
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I am not an expert, a doctor, a surgeon, a nurse or a nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ♥
