As many who know me, or who read this blog know, I've been on a health journey for the past few years. Of course, compared to many I am very much a novice. As of this writing, for instance, I have no plans to give up artificial sweeteners, but I do limit and vary what I use. My favorite by far is not even an AS, but is a natural product called stevia. Unfortunately, it only is good for things like drinks...and is hideous in cooking. Fortunately, homemade low carb meatloaf does not require Splenda or stevia or anything else like that, and neither does a nice vat of vegetables. You get my drift.
I had this epiphany one time. I don't remember if it was in my pre-sugar free/caffeine free/low or smart carb days or my post-sf/cf/lc days. But this memory lurks:
I was in the drive through. I HAD to have a snack (this is a good indicator that it took place BEFORE I got my hypoglycemia under control). I looked in the rear view mirror and in the car behind me was a very chubby woman. Then I realized, I looked very much the same, and I wondered...and I pondered...and I changed. Last time we went through the mcd's drivethrough we got a round of pies for everyone. It was after Church, late and the kids were hungry. We do that about four times a year. So, not that big a deal. And what did I get while we were there? Nothing. That's right, and I also lived to tell about it. I actually survived with a growling stomach for the forty minutes it took us to get home.
So why couldn't the rest of the family also survive, you ask? Well, for one thing no one else is overweight but me, and for another, we wanted to put the kids right to bed as soon as we got home. You know the drill if you have kids. It was just one of those days.
I just finished reading the book: "Don't Eat this Book" by the guy who did the "Supersize Me" movie. Now I want to see the movie.
For some reason, even the water at Mcd's tastes like fat.
I had this epiphany one time. I don't remember if it was in my pre-sugar free/caffeine free/low or smart carb days or my post-sf/cf/lc days. But this memory lurks:
I was in the drive through. I HAD to have a snack (this is a good indicator that it took place BEFORE I got my hypoglycemia under control). I looked in the rear view mirror and in the car behind me was a very chubby woman. Then I realized, I looked very much the same, and I wondered...and I pondered...and I changed. Last time we went through the mcd's drivethrough we got a round of pies for everyone. It was after Church, late and the kids were hungry. We do that about four times a year. So, not that big a deal. And what did I get while we were there? Nothing. That's right, and I also lived to tell about it. I actually survived with a growling stomach for the forty minutes it took us to get home.
So why couldn't the rest of the family also survive, you ask? Well, for one thing no one else is overweight but me, and for another, we wanted to put the kids right to bed as soon as we got home. You know the drill if you have kids. It was just one of those days.
I just finished reading the book: "Don't Eat this Book" by the guy who did the "Supersize Me" movie. Now I want to see the movie.
For some reason, even the water at Mcd's tastes like fat.
Comments
my priest says that following the diet my doctor gave me IS my fast. I have struggled each and every fasting period, wanting to be some kind of super-christian, and do both/combine them/find a way to make it work...but it never does. I get sick sick sick.
But that's up to your priest. I recommend a vociferous doctor who is pro-low carb. I heard a priest say once that no one NEEDS meat and I silently wished he could live in my body for a few days. IMO, No one NEEDS potato chips, soda, candy, etc.
Fasting makes me gain weight, bloat up in the abdomen like I'm pregnant, feel general malaise, have hypoglycemia, panic attacks and increased fibro pain. If this is God's will then God is MEAN, and I don't believe it for one minute.
Oh, I also have allergies to nuts and peanuts and carry an epi-pen for that.
If not eating what everyone else is eating at common meal every Sunday, if skipping the food at birthyday parties, baby showers, superbowl parties etc. and always packing and bringing my own stuff and cooking separate meals for myself is not a fast and a discipline, nothing is.
IMO, and with the support of my priest, that's fasting. And I do it every day.
I gained a lot of weight (50lb - I think, not good at pounds) when I was very depressed and the combination of depression and lupus meant I was in the house all day eating and getting NO exercise. When I got back to 'normal' I found (and am still finding because my weight isn't normal yet) that if I eat and fast as if I was at a monastery AND walk absolutely everywhere the weight is coming off. I don't have any medical conditions so I only ask myself "would they eat this in the monastery?" and "how much of this would they eat in the monastery?" My experience of monastery food has been good of course and I hope I've lost the weight by Lent as I don't see myself doing well on 2 bowls of gruel and one of veggies :-)
When Authority is just plain dead *wrong*, making an actual, genuine, non-malicious mistake that will result in harm to the person who follows the Authority, what does one do?
Alana's advice is obviously right for this particular issue, but what is the general principle?