What Julia Child taught me about my WLS process...

I jus****ched Julia & Julia for the first time today. (I know, I know...)

A few weeks ago I heard a re-play of some old interviews of Julia Child on The Splendid Table. 

One thing that always struck me about Julia Child, and her recipes, were how persnickety they were. French cooking in general is that way. There are a good deal of steps...and you have to follow them...in order...or the whole thing just doesn't turn out right!

I personally love long and complex recipes. There is a calm in following the steps, a bit of adventure in wondering at every step if you performed it correctly and then the big pay-off: the result. That is, if it comes out right.

That got me to thinking about my blog and the recipes I publish. I learned very quickly that long recipes that require many steps don't perform well. Five ingredient recipes with three steps do much better. 

THAT got me to thinking about the mentality behind that. As a society, I think we've stopped caring so much about the process and put the priority on the result. I see that a lot within the WLS world at large and especially on this board (and even I am guilty of it!).

I say all the time this is a process. It has steps and stages. If you navigate them well, using the information you've been given, most of the time stuff turns out all right. But we WLSers are ESPECIALLY results-driven. We don't want to go through the process to get to the end result. We want gratification NOW.

It all makes me wonder. Just like I love to follow the steps of a good recipe, taking the time to do it right and embrace and enjoy the process, what if I'd applied that same thinking to my WLS process? What if I'd simply enjoyed the "free fall" on the scale (or at least enjoyed stepping on the scale and not having GAINED any weight). What if I allowed myself to enjoy getting fit, instead of pushing harder and harder to get to some arbitrarily decided result? What if I'd had fun with it? Cuz I did not. I tortured myself throughout most of my magic window.

Nowadays I have a lot more fun with my process. But I sorta feel cheated. By myself of course. Because this was an amazing thing that happened to me and I spent most of it complaining and worrying.

This isn't an admonition of anyone else. Just thinking aloud. I think this results-driven, individualistic nature of society bugs me. If we make it past December 2012 there may be a hippie commune in my future. Anyone care to join me? 

 Wow, Nik.  Just...wow.  

You've given me a lot to think about, not just about WLS, but about my job and life in general.

This isn't a direct response, but a bit of an off shoot.  My son, 13, mentioned wanting to be a baker.  I think this stems from him liking to eat cake, more than anything else, but I told him to go grab a cookbook and we would make whatever he wanted.  Well, we have just finished the glaze for his triple chocolate torte.  I loved watching him read the recipe and follow each step.  He was amazing.  I'm so glad I did this instead of getting a cake mix (he has made several this way).  He was so good about not even wanting to taste each of the layers...me, not so much. Oh well, I am still having a bite of his creation and then my boys will enjoy it!

Back to your post...Thank you.  I'm glad you posted it because I find myself so disappointed that the weight is coming off faster.   I am going to wake up tomorrow with a new attitude and start enjoying the process if being able to move easier, breathe easier and...well, everything easier. 

I really enjoy your posts, Nik. You spend a lot of time thinking out what you are going to say, are really articulate around what you want to point out, and you give everyone something to think about without be accusatory or preachy.

I watched my sister go through WLS 9 years ago. I don't think she enjoyed the ride, and I know she missed out on a lot of the important points along the way. I'm pretty self reflective about it all. My goal was to get rid of the awful acid reflux I had and its already gone!! YAY. Now I'm just relearning my body and food rules and enjoying the process. So thanks for the reminder, I don't want to get so caught up in the day to day stress of it all and miss all the job of the steps.

 

Love reading your articulate and thought-provoking posts, Nik! I totally agree with you...as my Ma used to say, "we are a society of teenagers". Wanting what we want now, focusing on the result versus the journey and lessons learned.

I was afraid of success, failure, you name it when I started on this life changing process 6 months ago. I know myself well enough to know I would forget the NSVs, the small changes, etc. So I started a OneNote notebook online...everything from the first time I could cross my legs to when the steering wheel stopped touching my stomach is noted with whatever emotion I felt at the time.

Once in awhile I take a gander through it and smile. I started a journal too (inspired by Oprah). All good stuff - really helps me on rough days, even with a teeny 6 months under my belt.

All the best everyone!

I sailed through this process - no overthinking, no circumventing, no nothing, really...

I moved half way round the world at 4 months post surgery and it was a nice surprise when my shipment arrived in Singapore (with my scale) and I found I was 20lbs below goal at around 6 months.

My surgeon didn't give me a big binder full of do's and don'ts - just the basic rules that I still live by and it actually was enough information ... OH was entertainment for me, not my therapist or even my peeps to be honest - I enjoyed R&R and other boards more than the RNY or Main board.

I have let my body decide where it wants to go from day 1, and only really had to start tweaking things about year 4 so I didn't have regain ... I am probably more mindful now than I ever was in the early days and I think that's because I hang on here now - I think the Board by its nature encourages us to question, compare and second guess more than is really necessary for most of us!

O and don't you just love that movie and Julia Child!? My mostest favoritest chef these days is Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa). I am crushing on her big time! Hee hee.

Here's to a great week and great recipes in our future.

Thanks for that. I think you're really right about just wanting the end and forgetting about the process. My catch phrase is "moving forward" maybe it's the wrong one. I'm always the girl who is in a rush to get everything done so we can move on and just focus on the next thing.

I'm in college right now and is all I can think about is oh well after I graduate, or once I'm a pharmacist all my problems will be over. I feel like is all I ever think about is the end! Or once I'm at my (very arbitrarily picked) goal weight. Or once I meet the man of my dreams. At what point will I just be ok well I'm waiting for everything to be over?

I really spend most my day about how I can make anything I'm working on work faster and then that is only to work on the next thing.

I really need to take a breather, chillax and just enjoy where I am right now, I only have one life to live, why not start enjoying every minute instead of just focusing on moving forward.

Absolutely  beautiful perspective!