So, I'm trying to improve my health again. The difference is this time I'm doing it differently. Back in September, I listened to the audio book version of "Mindless Eating" by Brian Wansink Ph. D. The book presents research highlighting how we eat without thinking. It can be for many reasons. We're bored, happy, sad, tricked, or simply terrible at estimation, but it's clear we mindlessly overeat. While I don't use much of the principles presented in the book yet, I do plan on applying many of them, slowly.
That's the point of the book and Dr. Wansink's research: little things have huge consequences over time. Consuming just ten extra calories a day can lead to a pound of weight gain in a year. One hundred extra calories a day can lead to ten pounds gained in a year. But, and it's a fantastic but, we can use this to our advantage. Making one behavior can lead to ten pounds being lost in a year. It's something fairly simple. Quit drinking that can of pop every day. Eat less chips, less ice cream, or don't take a second helping are just a few options. Mine was a fairly drastic step. I quick drinking pop almost entirely in late-September. I consumed at least 1.5 liters a day, but 2 liters or more was not unusual. That's about 600 calories a day, give or take. Assuming those are excess calories, this behavior change can amount to roughly 60 pounds in a year.
I'm probably not actually cutting out 600 calories a day, but I am losing weight. I've lost about 7 or 8 pounds in six weeks. There are ways that I can improve, but this is a fantastic first step. I'll keep tracking my progress and muse about possible hypotheses. When this experiment began, I weighed a disheartening 328 pounds. This morning, I weighed 321.6. It's not much difference, but it's a start.
