more Thursday:
I was just reading about a study on longevity via calorie restriction in rhesus monkeys. The monkeys on a 30% lower calorie diet definitely live longer than those in the control group. But:
"Canto [in the low calorie group] looks drawn, weary, ashen and miserable in his thinness, mouth slightly agape, features pinched, eyes blank ... Well-fed Owen, by contrast, is a happy camper with a wry smile, every inch the laid-back simian, plump, eyes twinkling, full mouth relaxed, skin glowing ... Canto looks like he's itching to be put out of his misery." (Roger Cohen, "The Meaning of Life:, New York Times, 19 July 2009)
The study was about living longer, but applies to weight loss too. I don't agree with any method that makes you utterly miserable while you are doing it.
On "The Doctors" TV show today a model, who had been told she could stand to lose a couple of inches around her waist, asked if the tape worm diet worked and was safe. They showed her a real (very long) tape worm and basically said any weight loss from having one in your intestine was because you feel so nauseous all the time you don't want to eat. I know models make their living from being thin, but really? A tape worm? Apparently it's a "thing" now, she didn't just make it up herself.
Another thing I've heard of is having a tube put down your nose into your stomach so you don't have to worry about eating at all. Just pour down the necessary formulations. Yummy.
Yes I want to lose 20kg, but I can't imagine being driven to these extremes. There must be some very unhappy people out there.
Some dieters prefer to eat fairly bland foods, not just because they are the healthy ones (in some opinions) but because it takes their focus off food. They find it is better for them to enjoy food as little as possible. It is completely the opposite for me. If I have a meal that is bland or disappointing, I am much more inclined to cruise around looking for something to satisfy my need for tasty food, no matter how full I am. If I have a delicious meal with a lot of flavour and zing then I am happy and feel content, and don't need to look for that hit of taste from more food. You don't need a lot of fat to achieve a good taste (a little bit does help), you can do a lot with spices. I am really starting to work out some things about myself, how I tick. Your mileage may vary.
Now there is a thought. I love fried chicken, but obviously it's not something I'm eating at the moment. I wonder if I could do an approximation of the taste with a lot of herbs and spices, a chicken breast, and a teaspoon of olive oil.
Hi, I think that people would tend to think of what I eat as "bland." However, when a person stops eating so many artificial flavors, a plain orange or a Pink Lady apple taste really awesome! And the delight button gets pressed. I like the taste of all of the food I eat, but it took quite a bit of time for my taste buds to adjust again to simple foods. I do spice my food. But the real reason why I eat very simple foods is because you get more food per calorie. I get to eat more quantity within my calorie limit. That doesn't seem like a monumental break-through, but really, for me it make it possible for me to get to a normal weight. And, no, it didn't make me turn shriveled up. In fact, many of the weightlifter guys I don't even know have come up to me to ask what I changed to make it happen. :D
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