FullaBella's Journal, 12 Sep 13

Thursday and nothing truly important going on here so read on at your own leisurely curiosity. I'm going to just kick back here on the Lido deck of the Faith Cruise II and share another subtle change that has helped me with eating: separating hunger from craving and attending to both sanely.

Sometimes I just have a craving for 'something' but in my 'feast or famine' past I'd felt if I had 'any' I may as well 'have it all.' I've finally learned differently this time but it wasn't instantaneous. Sometimes my hobbies take my mind off food but other times it's the simpler things like folding the laundry, taking a long hot shower, changing bed linens or taking Mushy out to potty that distract me long enough that the cravings go away.

If they don't, I remember that the most sensitive taste buds are in the tip of my tongue. I don't need the whole pint of ice cream or bag of cookies to satisfy that craving. A friend shared research with me a while back that revealed the brain can only take the word 'NO' for so long. After the Great Mayonnaise Binge of 2012 I learned the rebel in me gets even in a big way so nip that action in the bud before it goes too far.

I feel 'that' part of mindful eating was the component that finally made sense. In the past I'd 'put the fork down in between bites' but had not grasped the logic that a bite wasn't 'half the potato'. I'd fill my mouth so full I'd have to cover it to avoid food falling out and chew for ever. Duh me.

Now, I take very small bites and let them linger on my tongue. I was reflecting on the 'a moment on the lips, forever on the hips' cliche this morning and wondered if that was what led me to quickly scarfing food. Put me in a pie eating contest and I'd have won every time for speed and quantity.

'If no one sees me eat, it really didn't happen' finally converted to 'the longer I pay attention to and savor what I'm eating, the better the memory of eating it will stay with me.'

So enough of that. Other things going on here with me besides food. Years ago I was held hostage at a Beef Cattle Seminar by DH and did my best to feign interest as the presenters droned on and on about analyzing the cow poop to determine if they are getting the maximum of their protein for rapid weight gain. The one psychobabble part of it all that I really did enjoy was 'how not doing the same thing the same way every time really wakes up the mind'.

For example, fold your arms over your chest. If you're like me, your right arm is on top. Now try to refold your arms the other way. Takes thought, huh? That little action actually wakes up the brain enough to be open to other new things.

So this morning I purposely tried to write legible in my journal in the event I ever want to reread it another day. That one act turned my brain on and I had a most brilliant 'duh me' reaction.

Ever since I retired I've been frustrated that paying bills was a pain because that 'stuff' was all on my full size laptop and I only had my netbook at my shop desk. This morning I thought 'well, stupid, put the full laptop on the desk... ' And I did. That came simply from the spark by changing my handwriting.

Now I'm struggling to re-adapt to the full keyboard (finally got that aggravating touch pad under control) but it's also making me focus a bit on this very pricey laptop that usually sits abandoned 29 days at a time. This one has all the bells and whistles. Why did I do that to myself? See? And DH really insisted that I get a new printer this morning (I put a framed photo of his hummingbird in his bathroom last night) so I'm going to look for 'wireless'. Yep, I'm sliding into the 21st century in a big way.. woohoo!

Sending this out to the universe: Puhleese let the folks at the photography club be genuinely nice and interested in photography (unlike that snooty gossipy painting group thing). I found one and with the recent renewal of my shutterbug interest I'm planning on going to the group meeting Monday night.

That's it. That's all I got. Hope you're all having a great day and thank you for reading.

Bella