I'd like to share with you a bad habit of mine that I recently discovered by accident - and it's all your fault! You see, my computers crashed. Both of them. Within the same week. OK, that's not your fault. I blame the death of my computers on my teenagers. Both of them. But after they crashed I got the offer to participate in this Garrison Center blog! So it was off to the library for me. I love the libraries. Whenever I get some alone time I don't spend it shoe shopping or at the movies, I head to the nearest library! It is quiet and calming and there is so much to do -- the books, the classes, the wise and friendly librarians!
Ok, so I settle myself in to start writing and I find that something is just not right. The next time and the time after that were the same. I don't get it. The chairs fit, the monitors are nice and big, the keyboard sits at a perfect height for me and the computers themselves are very user friendly, so what's wrong (have you figured it out)?
Thinking that it may have something to do with my organizational skills (or lack thereof) I came home and began to reconfigure things to make my transition from home to library office a bit smoother.
First, I cleaned all the stuff off my desktop, including the old mail, my kids' progress reports, my bags of Triscuit Rye, cashews and whole wheat fig bars. Then I moved to getting rid of duplicate bills, old sticky notes, and the bag I keep for my apple and pear cores (we always toss these out for the deer). Finally I put the fruit bowl back out at the kitchen table where it belongs (you got it, yet?).
Suddenly (BINGO) I realized what had been bugging me about the library - you cannot snack there! Wow, I had gotten so used to feeding my face at my home computer that I hadn't a clue I was doing it until it was gone! When I looked back at the food journal I had began with all of you, I discovered this habit had become so ingrained I had never logged in the snacks I consumed at the computer. Granted, it's not chocolate cake or ice cream sundaes, but it is absolutely intake and I should have been aware of it.
I have you people to (blame) thank for giving me this heads up. Thank you.
So, what about YOU? Do you have a stash in your desk drawer, back pack or car console? When you latch on to the phone for those longer calls do you also grab a soda pop, popsicle, or licorice stick? During TV time how much popcorn do you really eat? Whether you are counting calories, carbs or fat grams, it all counts. Bummer. But hey, it's a part of the process of understanding yourself better. And understanding your individual needs and habits are a very important part of this journey.
TODAYS CHALLENGE
Get a pad of sticky notes and a pen. Now on a few of them write:
HUNGRY
OR
HABIT?
Then post these in places you feel you could use that moment of pause and reflection. Try putting them on your stashes or favorite foods; put one inside your briefcase, your wallet attached to your cash, maybe next to the fridge door handle or the lampshade near your favorite chair. Don't forget to come back and tell us your funny stories!
TODAY'S TIP
You may have heard this one before, but try it, it works!
Order or prepare most of your foods with the dressings, sauces and gravies on the side. Then dip the tines of your fork or the tip of your spoon into these often overloaded favorites, and then fork your lettuce or veggies or what have you -- and enjoy! Odds are you will find that you use much less than half of these delicious, but calorie laden, toppings and still enjoy your food!
To the Journey,
Toni A. Tripp
Tripptales Fable & Allegory
Oh, Very Young
My daughter, 13 and a solid jock, sits down at the table and in the time it takes the rest of us to enjoy our meal, she has wolfed down twice the amount we eat. Then she spends the balance of the meal rolling her eyes because we eat “SOOOOO slow!” An hour later, she is looking for dessert. Before bedtime you can find her in the pantry cruising for a snack. Yet she has a perfectly proportioned body. How does she do this? Well, unless she is sleeping (and sometimes even then) she never stops moving. She consistently burns more calories than she takes in.
Think back (for some of us, way back). Was there a time in your life, maybe when you yourself were in the throes of teenaged angst, when you could eat a large fry, two greasy burgers a regular Coke and still not gain an ounce? Maybe you were a real “Sweetheart” who could eat candy bars for breakfast and lunch and still fit into those peg leg jeans. Quite possibly, you were like my girl -- eating double, sometimes triple portions of pasta, and still climb trees higher and faster than anyone else in the school. Is that still possible? Are you eating as if it is?
I bet you can’t get the same results these days.
As a natural effect of maturity, our bodies tend to slow down and we can no longer use so many calories. If we are not careful, our bottoms and our bellies are getting wider and our hearts are having to work harder. Too hard.
In truth, I do worry about my daughter. I am afraid she is establishing bad eating habits that will cause her real trouble (and lots of grief) later in her life when her metabolism slows down to a more normal rate. When the time comes and she is no longer able to slam down these mega portions with out doing serious damage to her heart, arteries, kidneys (and don’t forget her waistline), she might find herself in the same situation that many of us are in right now.
How about you -- are you still a member of the “Clean Your Plate Club?” Do you still eat so fast that your stomach has no time to signal your brain, “Hey -- we're full down here!” The result being that you have gone from full to overfull before you had a clue? Maybe you fill yourself with delicious but empty calories, the kind that fill many processed snacks, instead of the things your body really needs like protein, veggies, whole grains, or fruit.
What do your notes and journals tell you about your eating habits -- are you starting to see any patterns yet? Hang in there with me. Keep learning about yourself. Embarrassing or not, this is a journey we CAN manage together! Do you have any questions the Garrison Center can help you with? Please, feel free to contribute to this or any other of our discussion groups at any time. You are welcome here.
To the Journey,
Toni A. Tripp
Tripptales Fable & Allegory
Think back (for some of us, way back). Was there a time in your life, maybe when you yourself were in the throes of teenaged angst, when you could eat a large fry, two greasy burgers a regular Coke and still not gain an ounce? Maybe you were a real “Sweetheart” who could eat candy bars for breakfast and lunch and still fit into those peg leg jeans. Quite possibly, you were like my girl -- eating double, sometimes triple portions of pasta, and still climb trees higher and faster than anyone else in the school. Is that still possible? Are you eating as if it is?
I bet you can’t get the same results these days.
As a natural effect of maturity, our bodies tend to slow down and we can no longer use so many calories. If we are not careful, our bottoms and our bellies are getting wider and our hearts are having to work harder. Too hard.
In truth, I do worry about my daughter. I am afraid she is establishing bad eating habits that will cause her real trouble (and lots of grief) later in her life when her metabolism slows down to a more normal rate. When the time comes and she is no longer able to slam down these mega portions with out doing serious damage to her heart, arteries, kidneys (and don’t forget her waistline), she might find herself in the same situation that many of us are in right now.
How about you -- are you still a member of the “Clean Your Plate Club?” Do you still eat so fast that your stomach has no time to signal your brain, “Hey -- we're full down here!” The result being that you have gone from full to overfull before you had a clue? Maybe you fill yourself with delicious but empty calories, the kind that fill many processed snacks, instead of the things your body really needs like protein, veggies, whole grains, or fruit.
What do your notes and journals tell you about your eating habits -- are you starting to see any patterns yet? Hang in there with me. Keep learning about yourself. Embarrassing or not, this is a journey we CAN manage together! Do you have any questions the Garrison Center can help you with? Please, feel free to contribute to this or any other of our discussion groups at any time. You are welcome here.
To the Journey,
Toni A. Tripp
Tripptales Fable & Allegory
Familiar Territories
Have you ever...
...begun to eat but first looked around to see if anyone was watching what you ate?
...eaten two, or even three meals in one day from a drive-through?
...heard these words from your doctor recently - “pre-diabetic,” “Obese,” “BMI,” “High blood pressure,” “Elevated triglycerides?
...been unable to recall what you’d eaten for the better part of your day because there was so much “on your plate?”
...gone more than a week eating everywhere but your dining table?
...eaten an entire box of snack crackers, a bag of candy bars or a carton of ice cream in one day?
I have.
At different times in my life I have experienced these and many other self-defeating eating habits.
However, all is NOT lost. The purpose of this blog is not to slap your hands and say “naughty-naughty.” Instead, I’d like to invite you to look at your current habits and forecast a bit into your future. Are you happy with your weight? Can you do all the things you want to do physically, or do you avoid certain activities because you'll be out of breath, or the seats are too small?
If you know, in the back of your mind, that you should make some changes, but you don't want to admit it, then-- it's time. At first, it may seem insurmountable, but if we break this voyage down into smaller, less intimidating road trips, I think we can get where we want to go.
For Today
One of the first steps to better health is an honest identification of your situation. Recognizing that you didn’t become overweight overnight, and not expecting any quick-fix promises to speed track your way into shape, is a crucial beginning. By paying attention to your eating habits, pooling direction and advice from trusted resources, and by making decisions and commitments based on your own personal needs, you can develop a base to begin your journey to better health.
Know that the Garrison Center is here to help you at every stage of this process. I encourage you to try one of Dr. Garrison's support groups or new patient seminars for great information and encouragement. I also hope you will participate in this blog.
This journey may not be an easy or comfortable course to maneuver (few worthy things are), but I hope to inject some humor, encouragement and maybe even a few “ah-ha!” moments along the way.
Anybody wish to join me?
To the Journey,
Toni A. Tripp
Tripptales Fable & Allegory
...begun to eat but first looked around to see if anyone was watching what you ate?
...eaten two, or even three meals in one day from a drive-through?
...heard these words from your doctor recently - “pre-diabetic,” “Obese,” “BMI,” “High blood pressure,” “Elevated triglycerides?
...been unable to recall what you’d eaten for the better part of your day because there was so much “on your plate?”
...gone more than a week eating everywhere but your dining table?
...eaten an entire box of snack crackers, a bag of candy bars or a carton of ice cream in one day?
I have.
At different times in my life I have experienced these and many other self-defeating eating habits.
However, all is NOT lost. The purpose of this blog is not to slap your hands and say “naughty-naughty.” Instead, I’d like to invite you to look at your current habits and forecast a bit into your future. Are you happy with your weight? Can you do all the things you want to do physically, or do you avoid certain activities because you'll be out of breath, or the seats are too small?
If you know, in the back of your mind, that you should make some changes, but you don't want to admit it, then-- it's time. At first, it may seem insurmountable, but if we break this voyage down into smaller, less intimidating road trips, I think we can get where we want to go.
For Today
One of the first steps to better health is an honest identification of your situation. Recognizing that you didn’t become overweight overnight, and not expecting any quick-fix promises to speed track your way into shape, is a crucial beginning. By paying attention to your eating habits, pooling direction and advice from trusted resources, and by making decisions and commitments based on your own personal needs, you can develop a base to begin your journey to better health.
Know that the Garrison Center is here to help you at every stage of this process. I encourage you to try one of Dr. Garrison's support groups or new patient seminars for great information and encouragement. I also hope you will participate in this blog.
This journey may not be an easy or comfortable course to maneuver (few worthy things are), but I hope to inject some humor, encouragement and maybe even a few “ah-ha!” moments along the way.
Anybody wish to join me?
To the Journey,
Toni A. Tripp
Tripptales Fable & Allegory
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