Weight-loss/gain and Truth

MeditationMom

I have been trying to lose some winter weight. Spiritually, from a not so spiritual place of plain vanity, but there actually isn't enough vanity left to keep me motivated long enough anymore. Sitting in silence, meditating, writing - not very helpful sports either. My health is fine so there is not enough need there either, but it would benefit from shedding a few pounds, but as a by-product of something more interesting spiritually, like self-awareness around food, instead of weight-loss as a goal in itself.

So this is the idea: truth and awareness are the most powerful forces in the world. So is love and friendship. What would that mean regarding weight loss? And how could that work on Boards.ie?

If I had to post every day "what I ate today", "what I did for exercise", "how much I weigh" and the only rule would be to tell the truth, the absolute truth and nothing but the truth, ...oh boy...

What would make this thread interesting would in itself be interesting to find out. One rule would have to be that we don't criticise each other's food choices, but share our insights, frustrations and explore spiritual matters in regards to food and weight-loss. Are we stuck in gluttony, or greed, or over-indulgence, vanity, boredom, anxiety etc - I don't know how we can just observe all these inner motivations without guilt tripping ourselves, but hope there will be a way. We can help each other. If someone does well one day it might motivate the next person. If someone does badly gulping down a whole chocolate cake by themselves, they know they are not alone and get right back on track the next day. And so on and so on.

Already I am thinking of a "healthy day" to post. Fresh food, a nice walk, someone to tell I did my push-ups. What push-ups? I'll do better than I do now for sure. My new mantra in the kitchen or at the restaurant would be: "Hmm, do I really want to eat that? I'll have to post that tonight."

It can be surprisingly difficult to tell the truth in this area, even just to ourselves. That is why I want this to be a spiritual endeavour rather than a weight-loss program. Even though the weight-loss will make us all very happy, it should not be our priority. It should be about getting to know ourselves around all things food and eating, which is so fundamental in all of our lives. When I became a vegetarian 26 years ago I met with such opposition from family and friends, it was mind boggling, as if I had questioned their deepest held religious beliefs whenever I said no thank you to a burger or a steak. Food and our spirituality are definitely linked and it will be fun to explore.

This should also help people who need to gain weight or follow medical diets:


These are the guidelines I can think of so far:

Rule 1: tell the truth!

Rule 2: no criticism, but there will be exceptions, if, for example a nutritionist or doctor posts a warning like "two more days and your kidneys will shut down unless you stop drinking ocean water". This rule will evolve as criticism is a broad term.

Rule 3: respect and consideration towards anyone following a religious diet.

Rule 4, 5, 6: ..................tell the truth!

I guess I'll have to start

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

truth and awareness are the most powerful forces in the world.

what about gravity, electrical charges and nuclear forces?

MeditationMom

Date: April 19,

Starting Weight: 148 pounds.
Happiest at: 128 - 132 pounds.
Today's weight: 148 pounds

Breakfast:
bowl of oatmeal with soy-milk and cinnamon sugar, cappuccino with chocolate powder, English muffin with cherry jelly, five raspberries

Snack:
toast with butter, chocolate chip cookie

Lunch:
Fuji apple and handful of pecans, two big cups of Japanese roasted twig tea (Kukicha)

Snack: toast with butter

Dinner:
brown rice, chickpeas (garbanzo beans) with leaks and chard previously (yesterday) sauteed in sesame oil, steamed carrots, sprinkled with gomasio (ground, roasted sesame seeds with sea-salt)
Lots of Kukicha, chocolate chip cookie

Exercise: 40 minute walk

Good ideas for tomorrow or another day:
drink more water, do two hours of housecleaning and weeding for exercise.



Thoughts today:
It took me a long time to decide to post this thread. I had the idea this morning, wrote it in the afternoon, then decided to post it after my son's TaeKwonDo lesson, waiting to see if I really wanted to commit to this. Well, instead of sitting at the TaeKwonDo lesson as I usually do, I went for a 40 minute walk even though it was windy and freezing outside, just because I knew you'd all be happy for me. Silly but true. I saw so many beautiful things, too. I know I will be very happy if because of this thread someone is going to get more fresh air, good food, happiness.

Spiritual insights:
On my walk I thought about endless posts of: today I ate this, did this, then did this and replies of you shouldn't do this or that - and it felt way too much about the body and especially gave me a sense that it will all make us identify with our bodies so much. I was wondering how to get the "I" out of the way. The big, fat, self-important I, and came up with this format for now. You can just copy and past the set below and fill it in for each of your posts. All new ideas to add to this are welcome of course.
I also was intrigued that this idea had me walking today. Strange.

Date:
Happiest at:
Today's weight:
Breakfast:
Snack:
Lunch:
Snack:
Dinner:
Exercise:
Good ideas for tomorrow or another day:
Thoughts today:
Spiritual insights:

MeditationMom

by mordeth - what about gravity, electrical charges and nuclear forces?

Gravity - that's the whole problem! Maybe the most powerful. Don't bring me down - I am somewhat excited about this thread.

MeditationMom

... also to keep it interesting here and in case this thread goes nowhere - gravity - nobody really knows what it is. But we know it exists. Does this remind us of anything? Love maybe? Truth anyone? God? You sure know it when you encounter it.

I am going to have another cup of tea and watch House.

6th

Hi MeditationMom, I undertand that you want to harness the positive power of your spirituality to help you with your goal. However I think belief is the most powerful force in the world. People have always done amazing things in the name of things they believe in.

For alot of us are spirituality is something which affects our day to day lives, from the mundane things to the big decissions.

In this case I think you should be looking at the Fitness Forum. This isn't a case of me saying "you're posting in the wrong forum" - I just think that the ammount of positive attitude, motivations and support available is something that will help you acheive your goal.

The regulars over there are supportive to people of all levels of fitness and they even have a subforum of fitness logs.

siochain

Hi MeditationMom,

Congrats this is an excellent starting point by publicly stating you intentions. And like the 6th said it’s the belief that you can, will get you where you want to be.

Diet (as is food and not dieting) is very important to me in order to be healthy and feeling good. I know when I’m eating well mind, body and spirit feels really good. For example when I’m eating well and the body feels good I’ll go for that walk or do the extra session in the gym. And went I’m eating well and exercising my meditation sessions are much better and as a result more spiritually attuned. When we take a holistic view of mind, body and spirit, food is the basis for this pyramid and has knock on effect to all the layers above.

I wish you the very best on this journey…..

MeditationMom

Thanks for your encouragement and good wishes - I'll check out the fitness area on boards. Sounds like fun. May have to cut back a little on my spiritual ruminations there, though, or they'll send me right back.

Nevyn

I could move this thread to there for you and if your not happy ask the mods there to move it back, let me know what you think.

MeditationMom

Sure, let's try.

It's either the fitness forum or the Buddhist forum. This morning I was thinking what I really am after in this thread is "right weight" as in "right action". Be that weight gain or loss, or sticking to a medical diet that could get supported by spiritual/religious reflection and introspection.

Moderation, for example, would be a spiritual quality one could work on to make all things diet work better. Or patience and gratitude - and then report on one's insights and successes or failures here. All while also measuring changes on a physical level.

The biggest challenge will be not to trigger each other's guilt and faith buttons, but that is also an interesting challenge.

Let's go to the fitness forum and see whether anyone there may find this interesting.


Hi, Fitness Forum

MeditationMom

Hi, again, Fitness Forum

As you can see this came out of the religious/spiritual forum area. And I am a day behind in posting my "confession" of no exercise yesterday. Don't let me freak you out. I am not a preacher type. We argue about religious teachings over there the way we can here about high protein versus low protein diets.

Yesterday's Log:

Date: April 20
Starting weight: 148 (American pounds)
Happiest at: 128 - 132
Today's weight: 148

Breakfast:
Poached egg, two whole wheat toasts with butter, 1/2 kivi, 1/2 orange, two cups of coffee
Snack:
Boards.ie instead
Lunch: Fuji apple, handful of pecans
Snack:
chocolate chip cookie, tea
Dinner:
(same as yesterday - left overs) Dinner:
brown rice, chickpeas (garbanzo beans) with leaks and chard previously (yesterday) sauteed in sesame oil, steamed carrots, sprinkled with gomasio (ground, roasted sesame seeds with sea-salt)
Lots of Kukicha, chocolate chip cookie

Exercise:
just housecleaning
Good ideas for tomorrow or another day:roast the pecans and experiment with salt, honey, soy-sauce

Thoughts today:
Trying to figure out whether this thread belongs in fitness of Buddhism.

Spiritual insights:
Intrigued how posting on boards is influencing my choices. I had coffee instead of cappuccinos. I passed on a lot of little goodies that always end up in my kitchen from my kids - yummy toast and English muffin left overs, french fries, half eaten popcorn or MMs. I often snack on those, but passed them all up - at least eight to ten times yesterday simple because I would have had to post them. Maybe this whole catholic confession thing was all about that. Could work in other areas. If you catch yourself envying your neighbor for his car or gorgeous wife you quickly drop the thoughts about it because otherwise you'd have to admit it to the priest next week. I feel another thread for the Christan forum coming up


For pasting:

Date:
Starting weight:
Happiest at:
Today's weight:

Breakfast:
Snack:
Lunch:
Snack:
Dinner:
Exercise:

Good ideas for tomorrow or another day:

Thoughts today:

Spiritual insights: