Cover Your Eyes! This is Scandalous!
Don't cry. Don't tremble. It's OK. I know it's hard to see such a blatant, in-your-face visual attack of carbs! Hug yourself.
This is what I had for lunch today. Today I ate an early lunch because I have back to back conference calls until about 5pm-6pm, at which time I will do a (yes I hate them) late workout. Because I know I'll be working out later, say from 6-7:30pm, it makes sense for me to eat something NOW, so I have more than enough time to digest and do some cardio later. (You all know, I have discovered how important it is for me to have a totally empty tummy to be able to do cardio effectively.)
Why am I posting this picture? Because this lunch today is something that in the past 2 years, I would have been horrified to even THINK about eating. It's a chicken salad sandwich made with roasted chicken breast, Miracle Whip Light, fresh tomato and whole wheat bread.
Some of you may wonder, what's so bad about THAT? But many of you know what I am speaking to here. When you get into that crazy diet mindset, or are following a strict competition type diet, when all you really want is to get lean and healthy, you've probably been taught that the above lunch is nothing short of scandalous, it is blasphemy!
My former Insane/Obsessive-Diet-Complex mind would have feared this as a meal and the thought process would go something like this, "OMG I can't have that. It's on TWO pieces of bread! Body For Life says I can have carbs but only 1 piece, not TWO!" or, "OMG I can't have BREAD! That's processed food! It's too many carbs! I should just have the chicken salad ONLY." or, "OMG I can't have Miracle Whip Light! That's "fake stuff" and it has sweetener in it! I should only have REAL mayo or better yet- NO FAT MUSTARD. Wait, better yet, just plain chicken breast on a plate." or, "OMG I can't have this roasted chicken breast, I'm sure that some of the fat from the skin that was on that chicken seeped in to the breast so it has more fat grams that just a plain boiled chicken breast!" or, "OMG this bread doesn't have enough fiber in it!" or, "OMG I can't put tomato on that sandwich, tomato is a fruit and I don't eat fruit." or, "I can't have whole wheat bread, I can only have sprouted grain/spelt/rice flour bread!", or "This is not the correct proportion of Protein/Carbs/Fats - I need to add more protein, less carbs, more fats OR More protein, less carbs and less fat!"
Stop. The. Insanity.
If you try to follow all the "RULES" out there, you might get to 10% body fat. And my guess is you will be somewhat miserable inside, as I was. And I suggest that the vast majority of you trying to follow all these insane rules are NOT getting anywhere NEAR that low body fat AND YOU ARE MISERABLE.
Don't get me wrong. I'm eating what I want now. But without question~ I MUST, and we all must control the AMOUNT OF FOOD WE EAT. And we all must get active and stay active. Period.
I will NEVER GO BACK to Rule Madness. Take a peek at Skwigg's post today that also reflects some similar madness. Thank you Skwigg for starting me on the road to sane, real-life thinking about health and fitness. CLICK HERE. And thank you Skwigg for informing me about Brad Pilon and the Eat Stop Eat way of eating. AMEN. My life is forever changed.
Brad Pilon, ESE, Eat Stop Eat, Skwigg, Stop the Insanity
Reader Comments (10)
It looks so yummy! nom nom nom
Mmm I love bread :D Especially fresh from the bakery or homemade. I agree about those crazy rules. There's too much outside of food that happens in life. With all those rules who can pay attention to anything else?! That's definitely not a way to live. I'm glad that you let go of those rules and are allowing yourself to relax more. Besides, a body is an instrument that should be appreciated for what it can do, not just for what it looks like. I think when people are so restrictive they're not honoring themselves as much.
Have a wonderful day!
Good for you! So glad to see that you're feeling comfortable and breaking away from the maddening "rules." Ironically, like you said, by most standards -- even the healthier eaters' -- that seems like a decent meal. Your physique will likely be none the less superb for it.
LOL, I've never been a sandwich fan even before being all diet-obsessive...but I was looking at that wishing it was tuna and definitely real mayo, not Miracle Whip (no one will eat that at my house). I miss tuna like you wouldn't believe - but if I eat it, it is as if someone pumped intra-venous espresso into my veins and as that horror unwinds, I might even start to get hives. It's not even a "true" allergy - it's a reaction to too much histadone in cold-water fish. Anyhow...if that was tuna and had real mayo, then I'd be drooling. Chicken salad & miracle whip, not so much.
That seriously looks so good! I just started eating tomatoes last year and have really been missing out! Yes I am 40 and never eaten a raw tomato (hides head in shame). My favorite sandwich has been tomato, mayo s&p on whole wheat but I have to try the chicken salad out...
Kim!! A tomato newbie! Welcome to the world of YUM!! ;-) I'm going through a chicken salad addiction phase for sure!! mmmm
Glynis, that bites about tuna!! I've never heard of anyone having that sensitivity. Did your doctor test you?
MasteringPublicHealth- thank you!! ;-) Welcome!
Katharina, I agree totally!! I'd rather eat whatever I want and eat less instead of eating 5 things 6x a day and obsessing over one extra GREEN BEAN!! ;-)
Yeah, It's a histadone problem. It's actually called "histamine intolerance." I have a fantastic allergist/immunologist. They took 17 vials of blood to try to figure me out. :) Histadone is the precursor to histamine and my body reacts WILDLY. Old cheese can do it, too, as can red wine. Salmon, tuna & cod hit me HARD. You can actually go into anaphylaxsis from it and I've come pretty darn close. http://foodallergies.about.com/od/commonfoodallergies/p/histamineintol.htm
Anyhow, I'm back because I was thinking about the eating discussion. Perhaps you are comfortable now with more "intuitive" eating BECAUSE of being disciplined for so long. Everyone who I read who has discovered intuitive eating has long, long been on the road of either a bodybuilding-type diet or something very similar. I would venture to say that unless one has learned self-control by following strict diets, one will not do well with intuitive eating. I think the learned self-control is a big part of being success at NOT being so controlled. When you consider how foods are engineered these days to cause serious cravings and additions (See "The End of Overeating" by David Kessler, Phd), it is very hard for someone who hasn't learned to control their tastebuds and their raging appetite to stop and only eat when they are actually physically hungry. Harder still for them to stop when brain chemicals are screaming "bacon/cheese...salt/fat, perfect combo, give me more!"
So my point is that it takes a long road of self-denial and strict discipline to arrive at the place where you can "Eat Stop Eat" - have your slice of cake and not the whole thing.
Glynis,
Oddly enough, I think it was ESE that FINALLY enabled me to be able to control my eating....before that, Yea I could follow strict plans but I would always eat MORE or too much based on so much denial. It's a journey for all of us...one that I'll be on forever I assume and I'm fine with it.
Such a bummer about the allergy thing. OY.
Just coming across your blog & have to say that so far, I'm in love ;) lol Seriously though, I've been having the "screw the rules" conversations with friends a lot more lately. Weren't we all just better off before we thought certain foods were "bad" or "off limits?" Now everytime we look at something, it's a mindscrew about whether or not to eat it. So STUPID! I lost a great deal of my weight (losing over 100 pounds) without any rules other than eat only when you are hungry. Duh. LOL
Anyway, thanks girl for being so open & sharing your thoughts. I also see you are a Beachbody coach. I am new to Insanity & am LOVING it!!!!!!
Happy 4th of July!!!
ps..that sandwich looks DE-licious!
HEATHER!!! OMG congratulations on being a kickass chick and losing 100lbs the REAL WAY! No gimmicks! That rocks.
I've been a little out of it with my vlogging this week- being sick and all but I'll be back. Thanks so much for stopping in and sharing my "escape the insanity" mindset! WOOT! ;-)