My Inner Dog Gimmick

Phillip J. Eby, in his writings at dirtsimple.org, speaks of how the conscious mind is somewhat separated from the subconscious, and that the conscious mind is sometimes like a mainframe operator that monitors the programs running on the computer. He extends that metaphor when talking about the reprogramming of the subconscious, likening the conscious mind to a computer programmer.

Because I was very much interested in my eating habits, I was reminded of a dog my father had that was fed a steady diet of salami, ham, and gravy soaked biscuits. That little dog, a bichon frise, became as round as a medicine ball. It occured to me that that dog would eat everything offered to him, and also that my subconscious brain would eat everything my conscious brain offered it. My consciousness needed to be a better dog owner, or my inner dog would eat himself to death.

(By the way, when the dog finally came down with diabetes, and my father put him on a strict diet, he lost weight and prospered.)

So I thought of my subconscious as a dog (my inner dog), and my consciousness as the dog's owner and master. I took it a little farther and named my inner dog DiMaggio to give it a slightly stronger reference point. (My wife assumed the name was because of the joke about the talking dog — 'What's on the top of a house...' — but in fact it's a reference to a Bugs Bunny cartoon, and I just think DiMaggio is a great name for a dog.)

When tempted by good but fattening foods, I said to myself: "DiMaggio doesn't need to eat that. He's had enough." This worked especially well for me because more than once during the past three decades I voiced envy for the life of a dog who's diet is carefully controlled by their master. I thought that if I only had a certain amount of kibble to eat each day, I wouldn't have excess fat.

Flavor-Calorie Association

There has been some debate in the blogosphere about the true effects, and possibly negative side effects, of trying to trick our systems into thinking the hunger is sated in between meals. One aspect I did try was to bland out my food considerably. It's something of an old wives tale, but it does seem that when I eat sweets, I crave more of them. So it is with great reluctance that I take the first bite. I also stopped sweetening my coffee. That seemed to be a one-two punch that I would drink a sweet coffee, and then crave a cookie to go with it.

Acknowledge the Loss Up Front

I made a point of telling myself that I may not ever be able to enjoy sweets and fattening foods the way I used to. Ice cream was a big part of my life. When I started this program, I told myself I might never eat it again in the amounts and frequencies that I used to. I have eaten ice cream since then, but it's been limited.

By acknowledging the loss, I take an active role in the denial, and I don't build up the cravings like before.

Same thing with chocolate. At first it was a mandate that I wouldn't eat chocolate for a year, but then I upped the ante, telling myself I may not eat it again, ever, the way I used to. (I used to eat at least one sweet, chocolate thing every day — somehow I thought I deserved it.)

Exert Yourself Every Day

I've mentioned elsewhere about my execrcise habit. The habit has taken on a life of its own. But it's worth a reminder that you can always find a way to eat more than you can burn.

In early 2007, when I had given up chocolate but not yet started this program, I was on a business trip and stayed at a place with easy access to a fitness center. I challenged myself to do a cardiovascular workout every morning, and to lift weights in the evenings. I did; I worked out longer and harder than I had in years, and I assumed I would lose weight. But the hotel had a breakfast buffet, lunch was also all-you-can eat, and my hosts took me out for dinner every night to fancy restaurants with lots of beer and appetizers. I gained weight, and was shocked and appalled.

The gimmick to take away is that you have to exercise for exercise sake. Its benefits are well-documented: you'll feel better, sleep better, and live longer (on average) if you exercise regularly. So learn to love it and enjoy those benefits. Try to disconnect the amount of fuel you burn while exercising from the amount of fuel you eat so that you aren't tempted to overeat simply because you have already exercised.

Keep Fruits and Raw Vegetables On Hand

When I shop, I ensure that there are plenty of fruits and vegetables at our house. I cut up cauliflower and broccoli, and leave it in the fridge. I buy the bags of mini-carrots. I keep apples, grapefruit, and bananas at the ready.

When I'm desperate for a snack (yes, I still get desperate at times) I reach for one of those.

Track Your Weight Daily

Checking your weight is not the current, popular notion, but it works for me. I weigh in every morning at roughly the same time, with the same scale, in the same state (naked, but you probably don't need to know that).

I keep a log of that weight on the presumption that:

That which is measured improves.

--Unknown

I also track what exercise I did that day. This allows me, at a glance, to check my progress. (The graph feature of this website is especially good at this.)

What I discovered about my weight is that it fluctuates by one or two pounds every day. By tracking it daily, and graphing the results, I can see the overall trend and I can know that I'm eating right.

The continuous feedback allows me to adjust my diet quickly. If I waited a week to check, and with the normal daily fluctuations, in the past I would not feel the importance of changing my eating hbits.

I also measure the girth of my belly. That is the leading indicator and, truth be told, is more important to me than my weight. For men especially, the belly fat is where we tend to put it on and keep it; if that measure is not changing, I don't worry about my weight when it spikes up.

Ultimate Gimmick

The ultimate gimmick, and probably the pentultimate gimmick, is that there is no miracle cure or silver bullet. To gain mastery over ones own appetite, habits, and lifestyle, takes concerted concentration, dedication, and committment.

You will be continuously tempted to overeat. You will be challenged to control your urges. It may take everything you have to master it all. Acknowledging this up front, and coming to terms with the level of committment required, may make it easire for you in the long run.