The Ultimate Bias

    I was relaxing this evening  I was wasting potential sleep time this evening, having discovered some interesting You Tube videos from a TV program called "What Would You Do?" This program apparently explores people's reactions when witnessing wrong-doing / discrimination. Often people will intervene, sometimes less.

    But what I noticed was that in an episode where teenagers (actors for the show) were truly vilifying the "unknown-to-them-victim" (also an actor) for being overweight, almost no one intervened. If you get insulted by strangers for being gay, or black, people are likely to react fairly quickly. But if you are overweight, people are less likely to stand up for you. Apparently the feeling that it is "their own fault" makes it more acceptable to insult and badger a larger-size person.

     Yes, the obese individual can make better choices.  But couldn't we all? And the bystanders have NO IDEA what "beyond-their-control" factors enter into the picture here. I even noted commenters on the video saying that fat people need to be told the truth, so that they will change. I have new for them:  Insulting someone who is overweight is NOT going to make them change. Instead, they need to be encouraged to take care of themselves by getting enough sleep, taking the time for themselves that is needed to cook properly and exercise, and to love themselves as they are. ONLY then is there a hope that they can succeed at losing.

Bottomless Pit Blues

   Well, Passover finished almost a week ago. I did great (weight-wise) in the days leading up to the holiday. During the week of the holiday I was less successful. Altogether I gained a few kilos, most of which I have already lost.

    The overeating during the holiday must have stretched my stomach: the first few days following the end of the holiday I was ravenous. However, I was committed to keeping to my eating plan 100%. The fact that I had planned for several SMALL meals each day helped: I was never THAT far from the next mini-snack.

    However, Friday was especially hard. Since we eat a certain amount of items for the Friday evening Shabbat meal, my intake on Fridays is more restricted than normal. And after eating a small breakfast, I simply felt like the two slices of toast that I had eaten had disappeared into a bottomless pit: I was still as hungry as I had been before eating.

    What to do?

    First, I decided to wait 10 minutes. Often it takes time for the stomach to send a message to the brain that food has been ingested. In addition I got VERY busy. Finally I just told myself the line that I always say when I am in this situation: "NOW you are losing that extra weight!"

Old Habits Die Hard

     The Pre-Passover (Pesach) period is a busy one. There is tons of cleaning/organizing/shopping to be done. And later, there will be cooking to be done as well. In addition I tend to get less sleep during this season (although I am TRYING to get more…..). All this makes sticking to my eating plan difficult. I USED to "survive" the period with "instant energy" (ie., chocolate…..).

     So every once in a while So several times a day that inner devil pipes up "How about some chocolate? Or maybe some chalvah*?"

     In general I have been able to brush away these whims fairly easily. [It helps that I bought myself a nice bracelet for the holiday which I am only allowing myself to use if I do not gain in this period. Bribes DO work……]  Occasionally I may allow myself an extra 100 calories, if I am working hard, but choosing something healthy like soup or a fruit rather than the sweet stuff.

     What amazes me is that this inner voice still sits insides me, expounding self-destruction oh so insidiously yet nonchalantly.

*A confection made of honey and tahini, can be healthy, but nevertheless fattening.

Cake and Erev Pesach

[Note: To any readers unfamiliar with what "erev Pesach" (before Passover) cleaning entails, read this post's introductiuon: ]

    Today I took an early morning stroll to the post office, to mail some scrumptious-smooth- "sin" (ie, special Swiss chocolate), as a gift to them for the upcoming Passover holiday. On the way I passed the bakery.

   The cakes on display called out to me how I should buy them for my husband for Shabbat (the Sabbath). I continued to the post office, but  meanwhile there ensued a conversation between me and my "Yetzer Hara" (evil inclination):

Me: If I buy it, I'll eat it.

YH: for Shabbat! Buy some on the way home!

Me: There is cake in the freezer for Shabbat.

YH: But your dear husband will like this cake even better!

Me: Too bad. And that is questionable anyway, Mr. YH.

YH: So buy it for him to eat next week when there will be a lack of normal food….

Me: He'll get enough. And I can always buy next week if I need. Besides, YH, you know that YOU want it for yourself, not for DH. Did you forget that you had an eating plan for today? And that there is a piece of cheesecake waiting for you for Saturday night? Exactly how much cake did you intend to consume?

YH:  Well, you could have a piece of cake instead of the salad and Pecans you were going to have.

Me: Your accounting is lacking…

YH: OK, and the tangerine as well.

Me: YEAH?!??? And feel like *(@*^$&% afterwards? Healthy food makes you feel energetic.

    At this point, YH gave up and slithered away to his cage somewhere in my brain.

But I held my nose as I passed the bakery on the way home……..

 Healthy weight loss and/or maintenance depends on small everyday victories like this. 

Final note:

    Just in case I don't post next week, I wish all of you an easy and FUN erev Pesach. [AS LONG AS YOU ARE CLEANING, PUT ON SOME MUSIC AND HAVE FUN.] And a kosher Pesach as well.