There's an App for That

I'm gaining weight, and I've decided to try to stick to a 28-day video-based course from the app Eat Right Now. Part of the app is a community discussion, and an invitation to do a journal there. So here is my post from there:

Nan's 2nd Try Journal

I’m back for another run at this. I have completed ERN phase one, some time ago, and dipped back into it and have retained some of the practises. But right now, I weigh several pounds more than when first I started. I think it’s back to basics for me.

I feel this mindful way is the right way to manage my eating and my weight for the rest of my life, despite some evidence to the contrary on the scale. I continue to nuture a small but important-to-me mindfulness practice, using the 10% Happier app most days. When I finished the ERN phase one, I felt fairly well equipped to handle eating anything. I had maintained a large weightloss for more than five years, making me one of those rare success stories. I’ve seen most of the videos for ERN phase 2, and the science was not new to me and the advice on what to eat is pretty much where I am. One of my other big influences for eating is Darya Rose, author of the Foodist, with the Summer Tomato blog. http://www.summertomato.com/. Her philosophy is Life should be Awesome, and no food should be demonized. She encourages mindfulness, as well as cooking and eating almost entirely real food, as a way of life.

During my time away, eating was not a priority as I struggled with some new challenges in different parts of my life, including my hardest physical challenge - learning how to live with migraines. I’m not young, and arthritis is one of my aging body’s other challenges. But I’m fairly active, and love being active, so I’m happy with there that is. Mindfulness helps me deal with these physical challenges and chronic pain. I have recently increased stress at work, but find the challenges there invigorating, and energy is breeding energy - and again, my small daily meditation habit seems to be key to handling this.
So if my life is so awesome, how come I’m gaining weight?

This is not a mystery. I eat fresh real food for breakfast and lunch, (though perhaps in too big portions) but in mid-afternoon I have both hunger and cravings. If I make it through the first danger zone ok, and eat a nice supper, the late-evening cravings kick in, and are very tough, and often I crumble. In both danger zones, it’s sweets that get me.

I have some suspicions, and some experiments to run, about what is happening physically with these triggers. But I also want to focus on applying mindfulness to my eating, so I’ll actually receive the signals from my body as a result of my experiments.

I pushed the magic Reset button and today is Day 1 for me.