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"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." - Andy Warhol
Detroit gets cold, and the christmas of 2019 was no exception. Being half frozen I needed coffee that morning. I remember staring at the green and red candy cane filled menu at Starbucks thinking peppermint latte or pecan? At the same time a very pervasive thought rattled around in my head.
Lose Weight.
Ten pounds was my goal and so far I was down five. Only a few more left but today was cheat day. Normally I would just ask for a pecan latte, but this time was different. I asked the Barista an unusual question, "Can I get a regular cappucinno and just add a pump of the pecan sauce to it?". Her answer was like a meditation bell going off, she said "of course, we can do that". I paused for a second as the realization rang out through multiple scenes in my head. What else could I have controlled at all the other food establishments I had visited?
More importantly can I refuse to accept what is on the menu?
Requesting haute' orders is uncomfortable, but this was my health and in the long run my happiness. My wife might say it's hers as well.
Continuing the Fight
Fivebucks was the first but definitely not the last of restaurants to work slightly harder for me. While I started requesting only Tall sizes there, I also requesting kids meal sizes or lunch portions at other restaurants. Telling them to replace fries with fruit, splitting meals when the server said "we typically don't do that", and flat out returning steaks when they were not lean enough.
Now, not only do I apply this to restaurants, but for the off-chance that it does happen, at fast food places as well. Chic-fil-a has a much healthier menu than most and I'll still leave off the cheese and get the fruit bowl. Most importantly I never drink the infamous drug called "soda", which is no easy feat. That one took me years to quit. On the road instead of searching for McDonalds, I'm typing in grocery store and aiming for a cooked chicken breast, fruit, and maybe a small salad.
I completely realize that food swamps and food deserts exist. That's a totally diferent battle.
I'm talking about when it comes down to the choice you don't have to follow the given path.
This is especially important as the holidays come around and our stress increases driving us to make less healthy choices. Here are three simple tips to follow.
- Request smaller sizes like "tall" or "junior/kids" portions.
- Choose water with lemon or lime instead of soda.
- Decrease the concentration of the additives like sugar or oil.
The Real Cost
I'm not asking you to give up your favorite holiday drink. I'm asking to change it slightly so your insulin isn't spiking and the glucose isn't damaging your eyes. I'm not asking to cast your happy place meal into the abyss. I'm asking to make it slightly smaller so the acid reflux doesn't freight train your esophagus.
Ultimately the question is "Can you change just a little bit?"
Check this out. Even for those eating a "healthy" salad the dressing calories can be immense. Ask for the it on the side and you, instead of the chef, add as much as needed. These changes are not monumental but incremental, and your brain is less likely to fight back with a vengeance.
Remember the influence of your surrounding culture shapes your thoughts and blinds you to the actual payment of over-indulgence. According to the Starbucks website the difference between a grande latte and a tall is 40 calories, times two that's 80. So why do they offer it? Because, it's a marketing gimmick, having a middle choice Tall->Grande->Venti makes you want to buy the middle one. Falling prey to this scheme everyday adds an extra 400 calories a week.
Don't Play the Game.
What I Think About Now
Deprived, missing out, and wanting are some of the initial emotions I first felt. But you know what, now I consistently feel good. My sleep is better and my bank account, instead of my stomach, is fuller. The actions to choose what I want are ingrained and no longer trigger guilt or shame.
In fact my principles are in line with my actions and the underlying discordance no longer exists. Allowing me to focus on what really matters: my wife, my son, and helping others.
Coming up in the next newsletter I'll be talking about how to apply this with family members when being pressurred to do something against your core values.
I'll leave you with a question.
What small thing can you do to bring you closer to caloric intake goal?
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