How I Eat A Chocolate KISS

Dark chocolate is my favorite, milk chocolate is also nice.

  1. With care and anticipation I remove the wrapper and straighten it out.
  2. I bite off the tip top and savor the first sensation of wonderful chocolate.
  3. I bite off the side of the base and enjoy.
  4. If I’m doing another task while snacking, I set the remaining piece on the saved wrapper.
  5. When I’m ready for more chocolate I take another tiny bite off the base of the candy.
  6. I usually get one more bite off the base.
  7. Last I eat the core of the candy. It still taste wonderful.

Most of the time I get the same enjoyment with five bites off one KISS instead of eating five KISSES in five bites. This means less sugar and less calories.

Sincerely, a serious chocolate lover, ED

100 Pounds Lighter : Part 2

I never regretted it took seven years to lose a hundred pounds. In the beginning I changed my concerns about weight loss to weight gain.

I decided I had the rest of my life to get it right. Which meant I needed to learn how to not gain weight. Maintaining my weight was my new goal.

When the pounds started to add up I would reflect on what changed. Was I on vacation? Did I eat more fast food? Whatever the reason, I no longer put myself down.

Instead of self blame I would try to get back on track. I kept telling myself, I have the rest of my life to get it right. After all, it is my life.

I refused to continue the slow suicide of gaining weight. Getting it right is always a learning experience and set backs are expected.

I never focused on losing weight. When I did lose pounds my goal was to not gain it back. To get it right meant to maintain what I weighed at that moment.

If I was surprised with any weight loss it was a bonus gift. A gift I did not want to return.

I never dreamed I would lose down to a healthy weight. It just happened. At least I see it that way. During those seven years, I might lose a half a pound and not lose any more for a month or two. That was okay, as long as I was not gaining.

Now I have to not lose and not gain. Even though I’ve been at a healthy weight for a few years, I still focus on, I have the rest of my life to get it right. It’s worked all these years, why stop now.

Sincerely, living a lighter life, ED

100 Pounds Lighter : Part 1

I was overweight my whole childhood and most of my adult years. Many times I managed to lose weight then quickly gained it back. Every year I weighed more than the year before.

It made me feel like I was committing slow suicide. I also feared I would continue to add on pounds for the rest of my life.

I needed a remedy that worked for me. I knew diets were useless. I had to approach my weight issue another way.

I narrowed my problem to the continuous weight gain. I decided to focus on maintaining what I weighed and learn how to not gain weight. Until I managed this portion of my life, losing weight was futile.

My doctor recommended I weigh every day to help me be aware of my weight. She warned me not to become obsessed with my weight, but use the scales to keep a record.

I bought scales and weighed daily. I recorded my weight in the corner pages of my journal.

My next step was to become aware of ways to stop the weight gain. I tried different things until maintaining my weight was in control.

Once I stopped gaining, I slowly started losing without really trying. It took me seven years to lose a hundred pounds. If I hadn’t tried to maintain my weight I would have probably gained a hundred pounds during those years.

Instead of a diet, I made tiny changes in my approach to food. I would wait till whatever change I made became an unconscious habit before I approached my next step.

This slow method was the best thing I did for myself. My body is no longer gaining weight. I continue to use my eating rules to stop me from returning back to my old self. Those tools are now habits I rarely think about.

I love living this happy healthy weight. Slowly losing the pounds was the best gift I ever gave myself.

Sincerely, living a lighter life, ED

Good Advice vs Bad Advice

It’s easy to receive advice. Somebody is always ready to tell me what I should do. Some is helpful. Some may be harmful.

I greatly dislike being interrupted and told what to do before I complete my story. But I learned to listen and choose later what was good or bad advice.

Most of the time a solution is already inside my mind. Yet the thoughts fail to come to my consciousness. Another person may give me lousy answers but say the right words to lead me to the correct path of thinking.

I compare this to night driving on a two lane highway. The oncoming vehicle’s headlights are annoying, yet provide a tiny bit of illumination onto the lane I’m driving on.

This extra light helps me see farther ahead than what my car’s headlights provide. Bad advice and approaching lights are unwanted, but can be helpful.

I listen, but rarely act on any given advice. I let the suggestions be the catalysts of finding the answers within myself. Only then will I make a choice on what to do.

Sincerely, under advisory, ED

Happiness vs Emptiness

True happiness comes from within ourselves. Happiness does not come from others. I can feel happy in the company of another person, but they do not control my learned emotions.

I have a slight seasonal depression that causes indifference. My feelings vanish for two to three months then I return to my happy self.

I never tried medications during these times, Instead I read everything I could find on my symptoms. The best advice I found was to pretend I was happy.

Since I didn’t care about anything, I logically decided to try it out. I interacted with people as though I was happy. I wrote happy entries in my journal. I faked it all the way through my empty emotional weeks.

The surprise was, I could forget about the nothingness inside me and felt happy. This didn’t work a hundred percent, but it made my life more pleasant.

I still use this tool. In fact, I presently have seasonal depression as I type these thoughts. My family thinks I don’t have an issue any more. I fake happiness so well I fool them, and at times, I fool myself.

I even feel happy at this moment. Since we control our emotions I wonder if this nothingness is controlled by me.

I don’t consciously think to have no feelings yet it hits me every winter. Now I can change it. I’m the only person who can make this change for me. In fact I feel happier now than when I started typing this post.

Sincerely, with a smile, ED

I

Introduction

Decades ago I joined a weight loss email group for insight and encouragement toward a healthier lifestyle and losing weight. It didn’t help like I hoped.

However, the responses from my emails became overwhelming. From all over the world I had people thanking me for my encouraging words and asking for advice.

For months I tried to respond to all the emails, but it was taking over my life. I had other activities to tend to, like my job, friends, family and hobbies. I finally said goodbye and dropped out of the group.

Now I’m retired and over a hundred pounds lighter. I’m healthier and much wiser than I was during my group email experience.

One lesson I learned was the power of the written word. It’s important to be stingy with what I want to write, and be responsible with what I write.

I discovered a single letter can trigger surprising outcomes I never dreamed of. That power is scary to me. I don’t mind positive results, but I fear I may trigger negative events if I’m not careful.

One of my goals in life is to make people I’m around feel better or happier than they were prior to our encounter. I never want to say goodbye to somebody who is sadder or unhappy because they talked to me.

I do not want to be the cause of any negativity. I hope my influence may help improve a small part of a person’s life, even if it’s only for a moment.

I’m not perfect, but I keep trying. I’m a natural trouble shooter. Fixing things is a part of who I am. I also want to fix people. If I can write something to help improve somebody’s life, it makes me happy.

That’s why I started this blog. I will try to make daily entries and reply to any responses I receive.

I do not have any degrees in psychology, sociology, on any people helping skills. I do have a soul and a caring heart. I also enjoy writing.

I decided to share my thoughts with the world in hopes a tiny part will touch a soul in need of growing and change for a better life.

Sincerely, sharing, ED