This is the time of year in which many people take on New Year's resolutions and take on a diet to lose excess pounds gained during the holidays.
Even before the holidays, the dopamine rush that tasty foods bring to our bodies can lead us to eat more calories than we burn. We may slowly gain weight, with health consequences such as high blood pressure, low energy, or wear-and-tear on knee joints. Our appearance and comfort also diminishes when clothing gets too tight.
As Epicureans we choose pleasure that leads to happiness and good health. The following are Epicurean aphorisms from the Vatican Sayings (St. Andre translation) on which to ponder and may help encourage you on a path toward healthy eating.
54. Do not pretend to love and practice wisdom, but love and practice wisdom in reality; for we need not the appearance of health but true health.
59. The stomach is not insatiable, as most people say; instead the opinion that the stomach needs unlimited filling is false.
68. Nothing is enough to one for whom enough is very little.
69. The ingratitude of the soul makes a creature greedy for endless variation in its way of life.
71. Ask this question of every desire: what will happen to me if the object of desire is achieved, and what if not?
Practical Weight Loss Tips
There is a lot of advice on the internet which I have read over the past years, and here are a few thoughts off the top of my head:
1. Weight loss phase -- for one month or more, until you reduce your weight -- reduce the daily number of calories that you consume so that your body turns to fat storage for its energy needs. Women can reduce daily calories to 1,200 calories per day and men to 1,500 calories per day. This number can be adjusted as to individual body size. Also, each meal should be no more than 400 calories for women and no more than 500 calories for men. It is possible that if your metabolizm is very slow then you might need only 350 calories per meal for women, and 400 calories per meal for men. In order to know how many calories you are eating, you will need to measure out portion sizes with measuring cups -- 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup - 1 cup. You can then look online to find calorie amounts according to portion size -- for example 1 cup of cooked brown rice is 216 calories (according to one website I found). It is important to cut out processed foods and high calorie desserts during the weight loss phase. Eat fresh fruit as your "dessert". Have your last meal of the day no later than 6pm, and do not eat any more after that time. I personally do not recommend fasting, or keto diets because these do not help you learn good eating habits -- they cause fatigue, brain fog, and other discomforts and you will gain back all your weight once you return to a more normal eating pattern. You can speed up your weight loss by cutting out all sugar, all dairy, all wheat, and all processed foods -- instead eat brown rice, quinoa, yams, oatmeal, eggs, chicken, fish, pork, beef, and a mix of fresh and cooked vegetables, and choosing fresh fruits which are low in sugars (berries are lowest). Of course this means cooking your own meals, and there are ways to make cooking for yourself easier and less time consuming.
2. Prevention of weight gain - on-going healthy eating habits - maintain a regular habit of correct portion sizes, and eat healthy snacks such as apples or carrots. High calorie desserts should be reserved for special occasions and perhaps a once a week special day in a small portion -- otherwise eat fresh fruit as your "dessert". Avoid going out to eat as much as possible, because portion sizes are often too large and foods are high in fat and often flavored in such a way as to make it difficult to stop eating when you are full. See my other blog for heathly eating ideas: My Healthy Eating Lifestyle
3. Eating foods that support good health
-- increase the number of vegetables you eat every day
-- consider taking a multivitamin, especially when you are in the weight reduction phase
-- learn to cook healthy meals and try out new foods which will support your goal of healthy eating
4. Change your attitude toward your food -- this is important because we gain weight when we have turned off the normal mechanism of feeling our stomach's fullness. So we will need to relearn what that feels like to know when we have had enough food. Enjoy your food while you eat by adding a dash of salt and some spices, and eat slowly. Find other things in life with which to reward yourself or which can bring you the stimulation and excitement you were previously seeking through "food entertainment". Learn to eat only when you actually feel hungry and stop eating when you feel full. See your smart food choices as something which brings you better health and more energy. Resolve to stick with your good choices, even when you see others around you making poor food choices. Shop in stores which support good choices (like health food stores) or be sure to make a shopping list ahead of time to avoid making unhealthy impulse purchases.
--Good luck and happy eating!
Comments
Post a Comment