Dolly Parton and the Psychology of Dieting

I never had to diet when I was young. Staying slim was easy since I was too busy to bother with food until necessary. Then, life changes altered both my diet and my metabolism, and I ended up on the diet merry-go-round.

It seems I must starve myself to lose a single pound, and that is a setup for failure, not to mention the damage to my blood sugar levels. I've tried many diets, but for one reason or another, did not find them sustainable.  

That’s when Dolly Parton stepped in with a better solution.

No, I don’t know her personally, but I remembered reading an interview with her several years back. The interviewer asked her how she lost weight and kept it off. Her reply was interesting, but at the time I didn’t need the advice and filed it away with other trivia — until now.

She said the only way she lost and maintained her weight was eating eight small meals a day. After trying everything else and failing, I decided to give it a try.

The next morning, I set up a schedule and using a calorie/carb counter, planned out my meals, staying within the recommendations of my doctor.

That first day, I discovered the eight-meal plan didn't allow enough calories in the morning to sustain my blood sugar levels, so I adjusted the meals to six and increased the portions accordingly. That worked better for me.

However, the biggest surprise came the first day. Knowing I only had to wait a few hours to have more, I was satisfied with the smaller portions, significantly cutting my calorie intake. I feel full, satisfied, and not deprived since I am not waiting to eat until I'm starving, or limiting my choices, only the amounts. The psychology of having more later, has made the difference. I think I'll stick to this one and actually see some weight loss.

Thank you, Dolly.

If I Knew Then What I Know Now...

Some have posed the question, “If you could go back to high school, would you?” 

For myself, no.  I don’t want to go back and live my life over. Once is enough. 

Another popular question, “If you could give advice to your younger self, what would it be?”

I would tell my younger self, “Don’t be anxious over things not in your control. Everything will work out one way or the other. If it is the other, you’ll survive.” 

Oh, but would she listen, even to that? I doubt it.

I have let go most of my worries only because I have walked through the fires and experienced God’s miracles. Had I not suffered and God had not rescued me, would my faith have grown? Would I be able to give my troubles to God and leave them there, along with the anxiety and fear? 

I still fall now and then into that dark abyss, but not as often or for as long. Most dismal circumstances can lead to immense good. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it. And I believe. 

No wonder Jesus said, “Blessed are they who have not seen, and have believed.” 

"So, my younger self, don’t fret. Don’t worry. Trust God and do the best you can with the knowledge and experience you have, and most of all, forgive. Forgive others and then forgive yourself. God has, and you should too."

Are You Listening?

Photo by Serge Bertasius Photography at FreeDigitalPhotos.net        

I don't always listen. Even in my more advanced age, I still act like a willful child and try my way first. Sometimes that’s a good idea, other times I pay a painful price for not heeding the advice of those more experienced.

One of those painful lessons happened recently. Writing pros suggest one of the best methods of self-editing and proofreading is to read the text aloud. I tried, but found the chore tedious, not to mention tough on the voice, and in my infinite wisdom decided to skip that part. Oh, I did submit the manuscript to my critique partner and to Beta Readers, but after implementing their suggestions and corrections, I took it upon myself to make some further changes. Not wrong, by any means, until I did the proofreading myself, without showing it to anyone else, or following the pros advice to read the new text aloud.

The result? I am now hanging my head in shame over simple mistakes that could have been avoided, if only I had listened to those who tried to advise me. I am going through each book and correcting the errors, but I cringe thinking about how many flawed copies are now floating around out there in cyberspace — forever — because of my laziness, not to mention stubbornness.