By Lynn Haraldson-Bering
I’ve taken a lot of chances in my life. I’m not afraid of risk or challenge. So why am I so afraid to let go of my calorie/Point mentality?
Barbara makes solid scientific points in her last blog regarding calories. I didn’t understand the carbohydrate—insulin connection before, but it certainly makes sense, especially to someone like me with low overall metabolism.
Since making my goal weight in March 2007, I’ve researched “how” to eat as a POW (Previously OverWeight) while no longer relying on the Weight Watchers Point system. (I especially like the books “SuperFoods Rx”by Steven Pratt and Kathy Matthews and “Eat to Live”by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.) Counting Points is a safety net for me, but it’s time for me to trust that I know how to eat, what to eat, and how to gauge how full or hungry I am by listening only to my body and not a measuring tool like a calorie or Points counter.
The problem is, I don’t trust myself. I keep thinking, “Look what happened when I was left to my own devices! I gained a whole lotta weight!” But I have to remember that I’m not the same SAD (Standard American Diet) person I was before. I’m a POW now. My attitude toward food is completely different than it was before I lost weight. And armed with knowledge, I should be able to eat without a safety net.
I’ll still journal my food intake. To me, that is imperative, particularly since I can’t remember what I just had for breakfast. (Did I have some dairy? Fruit? Protein?) As a “crack”er addict, I need to stay accountable to that craving, too. As a vegetarian, my carb intake is higher because I eat more beans and starchy vegetables than meat eaters, and it’s important that I write them down so I don’t eat too many starches in one day. At dinner last Friday night, I had to make a very tough decision: grilled corn or roasted potatoes? I went for the potatoes. But next time we grill, I’m all over the corn.
When I first wrote this blog, I was ready to do a no-Point day tomorrow (Friday), to release myself from counting, even though I was scared. When I shared my feelings with Barbara, she wrote something that not only gave me “permission” to feel what I was feeling, but changed my mind about a “no-Point” day. She said, “Seems to me you know a lot about what your body can tolerate. On the other hand, we all have to adopt the styles that work to get the job done. There's nothing wrong with that...and if Points is what works, then go with it, particularly if you feel too un-moored without them.”
I thought long and hard about that. I really do still feel “unmoored”, but that’s OK. I’m ready to work with a new food structure, but I don’t feel like I have to do it all I one shot right away. I will know when it’s right. Baby steps. I’m going to work with a kinda-Points, kinda-all Primarian diet for awhile. This feels right. It feels safe. Yes, I’m no stranger to taking chances. But when it comes to my weight, I’m not a gambler.
No one said maintenance was easy.