Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

The Greek Way

The Greek Way

I don’t think that hunger is the biggest reason why people overeat. I think the reason is habit and since our bodies change as we grow older so must our habits. When we don’t adjust accordingly, we get fat.

My blog buddy, Karen, made a good point in responding to yesterday’s blog. She said that as long as we see dieting as being deprived of something rather than as a tool to a better quality of life we are not going to be able to break the cycle of overeating.

I couldn’t agree more. Since the subject has been on my mind this week I have paid particular interest to my hunger and find I;m hungriest around noon after only two pieces of toast for breakfast. So at lunch I think about those two Quarter-Pounders, large fries, sweet tea and maybe a “small” chocolate shake. After I finish the first burger I am finding that my hunger is largely gone but I feel obliged not to waste the money I spent on the rest of the food ... (when my eyes were bigger than my stomach.) This practice I’m dialing back. The dogs like that other hamburger, even the fries, and need little encouragement to lap up the shake. I can always cut their rations a bit in the evening…. I am after all their “Master.”

There are some exceptions I make to the white bread and French fries rule but I try and stick pretty close to the “hunger and three meals a day” rule. It is beginning to pay dividends and I intend to start bragging when I drop below the 180 lb. mark. Already my stomach is not sticking out as much (Or is that my imagination?) and the socks are going on easier.

But I keep thinking back on what Karen said….Don’t look at dieting as being deprived of something but rather as moving you along on a journey that leads to a better quality of life. And don’t be in such a hurry to see the results…. Headlines such as “I lost forty (lbs) in two weeks eating junk food,” are misleading and strain the credibility of the average reader, however I read an article by a Doctor that made just this claim.

His whole premise was that you lose weight by burning more calories than you eat…. Nutritious food or junk food becomes a moot point when it comes to weight loss. He went on to prove that by moderation, even in eating exclusively junk food, a person can lose weight.

Moderation! Now that appears to be the key word. The Greeks at their temple at Delphi has two sayings inscribed over the Portal. “Know Thyself,” and “All things in Moderation.” Now the Greeks were pretty smart but they had the same problem that most of us do today. They knew the answer but were unwilling or able to put it into practice.

“Know Thyself” implies that in addition to knowing your limitations, that you’ll act upon the knowledge. “All things in Moderation,” implies that not only do you understand the dangers of overindulgence but that you also have a will to limit life’s pleasures. Then and today the Greeks were/are smart enough to talk the talk but have some problems with the discipline that goes along with it.

As Americans we demand our freedom to choose, but without self-discipline that very freedom dooms us failure.