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The Quintanas, Week 19: Back Away Slowly
Filed under: Healthy Families Challenge
Yes. And no. Credit: Michelle Quintana
Does anybody else remember being taught to "just say no!"?
No to drugs, no to strangers, no to ... fill in the blank.
Why were we never taught to say no to buffets?
Something that Su-Nui Escobar, our nutritionist, explained to us early on was that just because it was in front of us, we didn't have to eat it. She said we should eat until we were satisfied.
I'm not sure satisfaction was ever satisfactorily explained.
Quite frankly, I happen to find ethereal satisfaction from an unlimited supply of french fries.
As if that situation wasn't bad enough, there is that overwhelming sensation of guilt, when you go to an all-you-can-eat buffet, that convinces you that you must consume enough to justify the price of those unlimited options.
Or, in my case, unlimited french fries.
Such a wealth of edibles apparently not only has that effect on me, but on my children, too. Aaron, my oldest, did the best. He ate a taco salad, a steak and a small scoop of ice cream with gummy bears. Elizabeth, my second oldest, downed three steaks, a full plate of shrimp, pizza and two ice cream cones. Christian, my younger son, ate two steaks and a bowl of gummy bears, after claiming upon arrival that he was going to take it easy because his stomach hurt. Chloe, my youngest, well, let's just say that her feelings towards mashed potatoes and macaroni-and-cheese mirror my feelings for french fries.
David, my husband, will need time to forgive me for the bright idea of taking his mom to the buffet. David, up until today, had been angelic, only suffering in that he could not get to the gym as often as he liked -- which means working out three or four days a week, instead of five or six -- due to his awkward work schedule. He managed to down a steak, a plate packed with popcorn shrimp, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and a piece of sugar-free apple pie.
As for me, I ate mashed potatoes, french fries, nachos with cheese, taco-seasoned rice, corn, and an ice-cream sundae. Other than dessert, I had seconds of everything.
What can I learn from this? That I am an addict. Food -- especially the kind that shows up on giant restaurant buffets -- is my vice.
I came up with that all on my own, with no help from the experts, but I think they will see where I'm coming from. Apparently, I have an issue with turning down that which is appealing to my belly. Even when it's not really appealing!
That's right: The buffet was super expensive for the quality of the food. The fries were soggy, the steak was fatty and I could not find any fried okra anywhere! In other words, all that Healthy Families Challenge work sacrificed for lack of flavor and a huge dent in the budget.
And we behaved like beasts, anyway.
For those of you who think I'm making light of a serious situation, I don't agree. I truly do not know how to walk past food. If I had an issue with any other behavior, I would stay away from whatever encouraged that behavior. I cannot go to Starbucks during the Saturday morning sample hours, or to Costco when they do the demos! All I do is grab the food and stuff it in my mouth.
The first step to resolving a problem is to realize you have one. I, Michelle, do.
And the eating isn't my only problem: I have the hardest time getting to the gym, and I always claim that tomorrow is a new day. I excuse my erratic eating with my busy schedule. While I watch the other families speak of all of their accomplishments, and even as I watch my own family advance, I feel pangs of guilt.
This is my promise -- seriously -- as of today. I will hit that treadmill this week. Going to yoga twice a week is not enough. I will make sacrifices. And I will post my weight every week, beginning now. I am back to 142.5 pounds, and terrified of ever seeing the 50 pounds and nine (yes!) dress sizes bigger I once was about a year ago.
And I will most definitely stay away from the buffet.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
2-20-2011 @ 8:02PM
RebeccaE said...After years of trying every product and method you ever heard of to lose weight I read about something that was based on the HCG fat burning pregnancy hormone. A friend who lost a lot of weight using sent me a link ( hTtp://bit.ly/HCGDietKit ) to read about it. I was very skeptical because nothing I ever bought to help me lose weight worked. In any case, I took a shot and the results have been life changing. I never thought I would be anything but the "fat friend" but I lost my weight and have kept it off...
Reply
2-21-2011 @ 9:12AM
Kelly said...If you are trying to eat healthy and lose weight, why would you EVER go to any buffet, let alone an all you can eat buffet? And how quickly we are to label ourselves "addicts" to everything. That way it isn't our fault. Suck it up, take responsibility for yourself, show some self control, and stop making excuses for yourself.
Reply
2-21-2011 @ 3:02AM
Joe said...Because no matter how well I take care of my body and deny myself the occasional pleasure of a good greasy Chinese buffet, I'm still going to die. 70 and dead of a swift heart attack sounds better than 98, alone in a nursing home being beaten by orderlies.
2-20-2011 @ 9:04PM
Deborah said...Michelle is not kidding--there is such a thing as addiction to food. It is as serious as alcoholism, and just as deadly, when you consider that obesity contributes to so many different kinds of early death, from cancer, to heart attacks, to strokes. There are also groups, just like AA, that can help people who are addicted to food lose weight, keep it off, and have a better life. Check out the food addicts in recovery anonymous website for more info:
www.foodaddicts.org
Reply
2-20-2011 @ 9:07PM
thisisazy said...You aren't addicted to food; you're addicted to carbs. I can go to a buffet without overeating because A: it's actually MORE expensive to buy one meal at a family dining establishment than it is to purchase a plate at a buffet (consider extras for drinks and tips at sit-down places and average prices at around the same or more than the buffet costs) and B: I don't eat grains at all, so I never go into a carb-induced feeding frenzy. I don't eat sugar, either, and I avoid corn syrup at all costs. It's hard to do, but not impossible.
If you go off carbs for one week, I mean starchy, sugary carbs, not green veggies and low-sugar fruits, you will feel like you're going insane. After the second week, the cravings die. If you put ONE bit of bread or one spoonful of sugar, even yoghurt with sugar in it, they will come back with a vengeance, and you'll go nuts trying to fight them off.
At least, that's my experience.
Unfortunately it makes food basically boring, but I'd rather feel good and look good than feel constantly bloated and fatigued just so I can stuff down the grains and sugars that actually taste pretty nasty once you've been off them for a while.
Reply
2-20-2011 @ 10:49PM
JasonGoalie34 said...So your recommendation is to completely eliminate eating a class of macronutrients (which your body will adjust to replace anyway, as it is an absolutely necessary component of life), risk ketoacidosis and other low-carb related conditions, live without enjoying food, and run on the stipulation that if you have any carbohydrates, you'll be irrepressibly addicted.
That sounds not only medically dangerous, but also like a horrible horrible way to live. Clearly you know very little about the discipline of nutrition. Unfortuantely, you're like most Americans... but at least most Americans don't pretend to know what they're talking about like you do.
2-21-2011 @ 2:32AM
thisisazy said...@JasonGoalie34: Wow, so you think eating meat proteins, vegetables, legumes, yams and nuts is medically dangerous? Boring, yes. Medically dangerous? No. Especially considering those are the things one eats with Celiac disease. If you'd read what I wrote, which I'm guessing you only skimmed it before starting on your anti-Atkins (that is what you're railing against, right?) tirade, you'd have noticed that bit where I said "I mean starchy, sugary carbs, not green veggies and low-sugar fruits".
I'm sorry I didn't provide you with an exhaustive list of my limited diet. It's okay, though, considering you wouldn't have bothered reading it anyway. And as far as knowing the discipline of nutrition, I would be dead if I'd have followed the food pyramid. After losing half my body weight (I'm sure weighing 360lbs wasn't healthy), lowering my blood cholesterol and blood pressure, regulating my cortisol, oestrogen and progesterone levels, AND my blood sugar, I think I know more about my body than you do.
In conclusion, I stand by my previous statements: when you fly into a feeding frenzy at a buffet, or any time, and you devour mainly sugary, starchy food, you're likely addicted to the carbs, not food in general.
2-20-2011 @ 9:24PM
Januali said...Well first off we need to get AOL to get rid of the "snake oil sales" posts.
I have read most of the posts and some made me laugh and others just shake my head. I have several health problems, among them is overweight. After trying many different diets and in some cases I lost weight but it came back on me. I finally decided to come up with my own plan. My idea is all things in moderation and to only eat when I am hungry. I go to buffets often...I check out the food line and I pick what I want to eat and I only eat very small portions, I do not over load my plate and I only hit the line one time. I have lost close to 25 pounds in the past 8 months and best of all no sign that it is going to return. I have come to the conclusion that everyone needs to find their own plan and follow it. I did check with my Drs. before I started what I call "my way." and got approval. My BP is down, so is cholesterol and my glucose levels. I am feeling really well and enjoying the downsizing in my clothing. I also think that some set goals that are way too much for them and they are doomed to fail. I told myself that I only wanted to shed 5 pounds and when it went I started to work on the second 5 and so on. Best of all, I would suggest that you not say anything to your family and or friends as they are going to watch to see you fail. I started my play when my son was deployed to Iraq for 6 months and he has agreed to go along with me on it as he also needs to shed some weight. Good luck to all and I hope that you find the answer to your problem.
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2-20-2011 @ 10:21PM
Lisa said...Very sensible ideas, Januali, thank you so much. I've read a lot about weight loss and agree that what works for one person doesn't work for another, so it's up to each of us to figure out our own plan. I really like the idea of focusing on 5 pounds at a time, not the seemingly impossible 50 or 100. My best to you and good thoughts for your son's safe return.
2-20-2011 @ 11:33PM
Jackie said...Thanks for the 5 lb. "trick" Januali...I am going to try that..I think you are on to something there. I always do the "40 lbs. will take me months" thing in my head..but 5.....hmmm...! Thanks again...good luck to you and your precious son.
2-20-2011 @ 10:13PM
Madison said...Just curious...what are the credentials of the "nutritionist" you reference here? Why not seek the advice of a Registered Dietitian (RD)???
Reply
2-21-2011 @ 1:00AM
Carole said...Madison,
Su-Nui Escobar is a registered dietician.
Su-Nui Escobar, MS, RD/LD
Registered Dietitian
The link in the blog leads to her info.
2-21-2011 @ 12:27AM
arnold said...I have been doing hair for over fifty years and have watched so many people become old, sick, decrepit, and some even die due to the way these people are eating--they are "killing" themselves and their children the way they are eating! These people have lost all of their will-power, self-control, and patience: the tools to their sanity. When they say, "I know it is wrong for me but can't help myself," "I forgot how to eat like a normal person," they admit they have lost control of their mouths and in the long run wind up with a man made disease: cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes. You can't fool Mother Nature. I am seventy-three February 17, and still have the same energy as I had when I was forty--and the same weight! I have NEVER been to a doctor for my knees, hips, or any kind of stomach problems. WILL THIS EVER END? I DON'T THINK SO.
Reply
2-21-2011 @ 12:56AM
alex said...They really need to design a pill that can zap all the fat away. It'll be a boon to the restaurant industry. People can happily spend on all types of delicious food and take a pill that burn up all those calories. Basically emptying their stomachs to open up their wallets to another restaurant.
Reply
2-21-2011 @ 2:28AM
thisisazy said...@JasonGoalie34: Wow, so you think eating meat proteins, vegetables, legumes, yams and nuts is medically dangerous? Boring, yes. Medically dangerous? No. Especially considering those are the things one eats with Celiac disease. If you'd read what I wrote, which I'm guessing you only skimmed it before starting on your anti-Atkins (that is what you're railing against, right?) tirade, you'd have noticed that bit where I said "I mean starchy, sugary carbs, not green veggies and low-sugar fruits".
I'm sorry I didn't provide you with an exhaustive list of my limited diet. It's okay, though, considering you wouldn't have bothered reading it anyway. And as far as knowing the discipline of nutrition, I would be dead if I'd have followed the food pyramid. After losing half my body weight (I'm sure weighing 360lbs wasn't healthy), lowering my blood cholesterol and blood pressure, regulating my cortisol, oestrogen and progesterone levels, AND my blood sugar, I think I know more about my body than you do.
In conclusion, I stand by my previous statements: when you fly into a feeding frenzy at a buffet, or any time, and you devour mainly sugary, starchy food, you're likely addicted to the carbs, not food in general.
Reply
2-21-2011 @ 2:58AM
Joe said...What we call an "addiction" to food is actually our survival instinct kicking in. Our nomadic ancestors who had to hunt and gather for food would go days or even weeks without food at times, especially during the winter. When the hunters finally would get a kill, everyone would engorge themselves on the fattiest parts of the animal and eat until it hurt. Even as food became more readily available in the past century, we never lost the desire to fill up on fat and calories. The problem is, our next "kill" is six hours away, not six days.
Reply
2-21-2011 @ 9:17AM
Kelly said...Oh geez, and you must be one of those people that says guys (people) can't be monogamous because way back when it was about breeding and survival.
Reply