Balance VS. Extreme
I was on another message board the other day and a lady posted something very interesting. The title of her post was "Giving Up Extremes". She had seen the show, Biggest Loser, where a trainer told one of the contestants that they needed balance, that the extremes needed to stop. I have thought about that quite a bit.... piecing it together with information that I have heard, read, and even seen in people's lives these past few years.
If we stop for a moment and really evaluate ourselves, can it be said that we live in the extreme? I think people who have food issues have problems with moderation. I've read that quite often as well... where a person can't stop at just eating one chip, one M&M (would ONE M&M just be called "M"? hmmm something to think about)... anyway, for my life, I can't say I live in balance.
I remember when I used to diet. I'd cut out ALL foods for the most part... so I went from one EXTREME (all food) to another EXTREME (no food). Then once I was not able to stay on that plan, I'd mess up. Then I would throw out the diet all together and think, "Well, I've gone this far, might as well go the entire way!" and start eating everything in sight again. I went from Extreme, to extreme, back to extreme...
To date, I have a wonderful resource for sugar free recipes.... which come from a very reputable bariatric website... THE BEST in my opinion... (Bariatric Eating). But, I am unable to make these in my home. Why? Because I live in the extreme. If I make a pan of sugar free gastric friendly brownies, I will not stop until I have eaten all of them, or mostly all (I let Tim have some, sometimes I give a few away). So, in the past 12 months I can count on one hand the times I have made recipes in my kitchen because I simply cannot handle doing so. Instead, I go to the opposite extreme: stay clear of them. However, I enjoy making these desserts, and if there are events such as the most recent OH picnic, or the family get together this past Sunday, I make the desserts where I can enjoy them, BUT CARRY THEM OFF to someone else's house! lol. I can bring my empty cake pan home, and yet still have enjoyed a tasty treat WITH everyone else. No guilt. No sickness.
There has to be a balance somewhere. That's what we all strive for. Balance. Sometimes, that seems to be a difficult 7 letter word to accomplish... to live somewhere in the middle and be successful. Some folks say "I will never eat (fill in the blank) again." while others tend to start eating (fill in the blank) as soon as the surgery stitches are sewn up and they are home from the hospital. It's like everything in life... there has to be a balance.
Do I have this all figured out? Sometimes I think I do. Other times, I KNOW I surely do not! The thing however, with living in the extreme is that while being on the conservative end, we can feel deprived, which can lead to indulgences that get us in trouble. But by living on the opposite end, we indulge which also can lead us into trouble... in our case, affecting weight loss.
These are just my thoughts out loud for the day.
If we stop for a moment and really evaluate ourselves, can it be said that we live in the extreme? I think people who have food issues have problems with moderation. I've read that quite often as well... where a person can't stop at just eating one chip, one M&M (would ONE M&M just be called "M"? hmmm something to think about)... anyway, for my life, I can't say I live in balance.
I remember when I used to diet. I'd cut out ALL foods for the most part... so I went from one EXTREME (all food) to another EXTREME (no food). Then once I was not able to stay on that plan, I'd mess up. Then I would throw out the diet all together and think, "Well, I've gone this far, might as well go the entire way!" and start eating everything in sight again. I went from Extreme, to extreme, back to extreme...
To date, I have a wonderful resource for sugar free recipes.... which come from a very reputable bariatric website... THE BEST in my opinion... (Bariatric Eating). But, I am unable to make these in my home. Why? Because I live in the extreme. If I make a pan of sugar free gastric friendly brownies, I will not stop until I have eaten all of them, or mostly all (I let Tim have some, sometimes I give a few away). So, in the past 12 months I can count on one hand the times I have made recipes in my kitchen because I simply cannot handle doing so. Instead, I go to the opposite extreme: stay clear of them. However, I enjoy making these desserts, and if there are events such as the most recent OH picnic, or the family get together this past Sunday, I make the desserts where I can enjoy them, BUT CARRY THEM OFF to someone else's house! lol. I can bring my empty cake pan home, and yet still have enjoyed a tasty treat WITH everyone else. No guilt. No sickness.
There has to be a balance somewhere. That's what we all strive for. Balance. Sometimes, that seems to be a difficult 7 letter word to accomplish... to live somewhere in the middle and be successful. Some folks say "I will never eat (fill in the blank) again." while others tend to start eating (fill in the blank) as soon as the surgery stitches are sewn up and they are home from the hospital. It's like everything in life... there has to be a balance.
Do I have this all figured out? Sometimes I think I do. Other times, I KNOW I surely do not! The thing however, with living in the extreme is that while being on the conservative end, we can feel deprived, which can lead to indulgences that get us in trouble. But by living on the opposite end, we indulge which also can lead us into trouble... in our case, affecting weight loss.
These are just my thoughts out loud for the day.
Wow! I am 100% that extreme person. Why? What on
earth makes certain people be so extreme. I'm like you
I can't make alot of stuff either because it is over. I
hope and pray everyone finds the balance we so
need to make our surgeries work for us.
I believe it is a daily battle that we can WIN!!!!
earth makes certain people be so extreme. I'm like you
I can't make alot of stuff either because it is over. I
hope and pray everyone finds the balance we so
need to make our surgeries work for us.
I believe it is a daily battle that we can WIN!!!!
Ronda S.
HW262//CW 122 140lbs lost !
5"6 Tall
I remember as a child, I had to help my sister clean up the table after supper. I loved mashed potatoes, and veggies. I would stand around the table and literally walk all around, eating everyone's leftovers from their plates! I ate all of their mashed potatoes, corn, peas, you name it... oh and roast! Fried chicken... I just loved food. I hated to see it go in the trash. I was a very extreme child. It wasn't until high school though when I started gaining weight due to hormone issues... it spiraled from there.
But now I am very extreme in my wls lifestyle. I always have to spend money on stocking the cabinets with protein, and that stuff ain't cheap! I know we've talked about it before, but it really causes a panic in me if I don't HAVE it in my house. I might hardly ever EAT any of it. Hey, I give more away than I eat! Recently I used the picnic and last month's lunch bunch to give some stuff away and thin out my stock. I dont feel as unstable or scared because I have to tell myself, I know where to get more IF/WHEN the need arises.. Heck! Vitamin Shoppe is less than a half mile! I could WALK there if I needed to! lol
I'm not sure if its the way we are wired....?
But now I am very extreme in my wls lifestyle. I always have to spend money on stocking the cabinets with protein, and that stuff ain't cheap! I know we've talked about it before, but it really causes a panic in me if I don't HAVE it in my house. I might hardly ever EAT any of it. Hey, I give more away than I eat! Recently I used the picnic and last month's lunch bunch to give some stuff away and thin out my stock. I dont feel as unstable or scared because I have to tell myself, I know where to get more IF/WHEN the need arises.. Heck! Vitamin Shoppe is less than a half mile! I could WALK there if I needed to! lol
I'm not sure if its the way we are wired....?
Most Active
Recent Topics
