Enf of Overeating, 2nd thread

[horseshowmom]

What do y'all think about starting a fresh thread once a week? They get a bit long to weed through after a while, IMO.

Sandra ~ have fun, be safe...I'm jealous! My dad is from Calgary and there is no more beautiful place on earth than western Alberta! I want to move to Banff someday!!! I watch Legends of the Fall and Last of the Dogmen all the time just for the scenery. Although, it cracks me up that they put Canmore in Montana! My grandma was raised there...I know... it's not in the USA!

So, back to the book! I actually went and bought a copy to go along with my audio download. I love listening to it, but I feel like I need to *see* it too.

Then I went to the grocery store....sigh...I did do very well (for me) lots of beautiful fruit and veggies! But when I went to find some healthy snacks....oh dear! Even the *healthy* stuff is sooo processed! I actually didn't buy all that much, which is huge...normally I would've gotten frustrated with the label reading and just bought my old stand bys. This time, I just left most of it in the store.

I hope everyone else id doing well and learning lots!

Becky

I just read the thread title...apparently I can't spell...sorry!

 

[horseshowmom]

very interesting observation today. I went back to the grocery for some healthy snacks...like pretzels, Irish oatmeal , hummus, etc. It took me FOREVER to get through the lables even though I was just getting a few things.... i couldn't find a single salad dressing without sugar or corn syrup! I finally bought a vinagrette spritzer thinking at least it won't go on in globs. Another tough one...spaghetti sauce...who knew?!?! And for the main observation....that is the stuff that is expensive! I almost choked at my total. Compared to what I bought yesterday...almost all perimeter store shopping, but no meat or dairy. Today was inner circle, but with dairy. This is why people can't afford to eat healhty! At least me...I am so programmed to needing convenience foods...that buying anything pre packaged that was remotely healthy caused sticker shock. The produce yesterday...not so much. I was amazed! I have always screamed loudly that no one can afford to eat healthy, it's more expensive, but today I learned an important lesson...it really depends on what you are buying!
Sorry to be a thread hog, but I seem to learn it better when I write out my observations!

Becky

 

[Ffte]

Once a week sounds like a great plan. I did already start a 2nd thread earlier today. I did not notice you started this one last night.


I already edited the post I incorrectly posted in the Open Forum.

Here's my post from earlier today. Sorry again for throwing posts all over the place....


I have a 40th bday party and then a 50th bday party tonight. Tomorrow, I have a retirement party and then a social club meeting, so this is going to be a challenging weekend for me.

I'm still only about half way through the book and haven't read the solution ideas yet.
However, based on some of your posts here is what I'm planning on doing for now.

1) I will arrive full at the evening parties.

2) I plan to drink no more 2 beers per party. (MGD 64 or 1 of any other Lite beer depending on what's being served/available).

3) I plan to sit or stand far away from any snack tables, and I will NOT have any chips since that's my weak spot that triggers more eating. If I'm not hungry (or drinking too much ), I will be able to resist the first chip especially if I am far enough away from them.

Heather, Welcome. I am half way through the book and he hasn't really got to the solutions yet. He's just starting to introduce the ideas behind them. That being said if you go through the 1st Thread, which I think I will also add a link to in my first post, you will see some really great ideas to get you started. http://www.thecathenation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=267814

Becky, Yep those convenience foods will get you every time. Luckily the biggest issue with convenience foods for the DH and I are the things like chips, pretzels and so on. We don't typically use pre-packaged sauces and so on.
Please do post your experiences and don't worry about being a thread hog (heck I'm a mulitple thread starter ). We're in this together and have plenty to learn from each other.

 

[Ffte]

Okay so last night went really well and I'm pretty proud. I saw someone eating and caught myself thinking I should go get some food. I even felt my right leg starting to take a step. I quickly caught myself with an authoritive mental "Stop", planted my feet and took a moment to think if I was hungry. Nope, not at that point. A couple hours later I was hungry (it was 11:30 and we had eaten early - about 5:30) so I went and snacked on raw veggies (no dip).

Today will be tougher since I'll be at the retirement party during the diner hour and I will have no control over what is available to eat. I plan to take deep breaths before eating, take a plate of as healthy as I can find food. Walk away from the table, eat. Take deep breaths and stay away from the food table again. Wish me luck!

Becky, Now that you have a house full of healthier food are you doing better, or is it to soon to tell? Oh and look who the thread hog is now??

 

[horseshowmom]

Dawn, yeah!!! Good for you!!!

I am doing a little better. I took the time this morning to cut up all the melons and berries so I have super easy access to healthy snacks. I am also making chocolate chip cookies for the family though but they don't tempt me once they're cooked...the dough on the other hand is a danger zone! I know my guys are not going to give up treats cold turkey, but I thought, home made cookies are still a better choice than store bought, right? A traditional recipe today, but I am going to begin experimenting with adding wheat flour, etc.

I am really being challenged by trying to re-vamp my thought processes about food. I am realizing i am way more of an emotional binge eater than I ever imagined. And it goes waaayyy back. Yesterday while running I asked my running buddies if they could ever remember eating until they threw up (or wished they could) ...that point where you literally eat yourself sick. The one lady looked at me like I was nuts, the other one said, *one time, I ate too many green apples*. NOT what I was talking about. I can remember as far back as probably age 10 eating myself sick...which it occurs to me now, is about the age I started struggling with depression. Coincidence???...NOT!
Running is helping me begin to look at food as fuel, which I need to do. A run will not let you get away with poorly fueling your body for very long. I need to get back to the basics of food...why we eat...to live and stop living to eat. Y'all I am so not kidding when I say I should be morbidly obese. I must have an insanely high metabolism.
Kessler is blowing me away (and making me pi**ed) at how manipulated we are in the world of food. It makes me mad to have been somebody's dope or dupe!
So, lots of thinking, processing (but not food!) going on here. The applying is coming along in baby steps, but I'm moving the right direction.

Have a good one!

Becky

 

[Pam_90]

Big thanks to everyone that has written in this forum. I lost about 50# (gained due to the stress of moving 3 times and building a house) last fall and the past few months have started gaining it back. Up at least one size of pants.

It doesn't help that the new boyfriend brings over Ben and Jerry's ice cream, chips and cookies and if it is not ate when he is here, I immediately finish it off when he leaves. He loves my healthily vegetarian cooking and he says he wants to change his habits, but it is going to be slow.

My small success yesterday: I bought a large amount of yummy animal cookies from a bulk bin Friday and pigged out Friday and even Saturday before breakfast. I read this forum while having breakfast and starting using the strategy of immediately saying no when I think of having some, recently also started asking myself what do I really want or why do I want the cookies?

I have to come up with some alternate strategies to a couple times I used junk food. I worked for myself, from home, and when I have client project I don't want to do or need to work until late at night, junk food gets the project done. I still have a lot of physical tiring projects to finish for my new mountain home and when I stop, exhausted, sore and dirty, it is pig out junk food time. An apple, etc doesn’t have the same reward.

Any suggestions that have worked for you, when you need a big reward?

 

[CLango]

I just finished another good book called 'What To Eat' by Marion Nestle. This is a very different book from the Kessler book, but what I like about 'What To Eat' is that she, literally, goes through the grocery store aisle by aisle and explains the food items there, why they are where they are, and what they are (processed vs. unprocessed, etc). She even makes recommendations on what to buy and/or why to buy certain things (like organic vs. non-organic or free-trade coffee vs. not free-trade coffee). This wasn't a particularly page-turning/fascinating read (unlike Kessler's), but it was informative.

Pam, one of the things I've learned over the past eight months since starting down this road toward healthier eating is to only eat when I am hungry. I've learned there is a big difference between actual hunger and having an appetite. I describe hunger as sitting and reading a book, hearing my stomach growl, looking at the clock and realizing it's been four hours since lunch, and then asking myself what I feel like eating. Having an appetite is sitting and reading a book, having a character mention something about food, and saying to myself 'a bagel (or whatever) sounds good' without any sensation or sign of actual hunger.

More than anything, this has cut down on my snacking, my impulse eating, and (relevant to what you asked) my rewarding myself with food. I still reward myself with things, but not food. There are many things I enjoy in life, so I try to focus on those things when I want to reward myself. For instance, a hot cup of tea while sitting in bed watching my favorite movie is a reward I enjoy. Or, sometimes, cranking up the stereo and listening to my favorite CD is a good reward. It all depends on my mood, of course. But I would suggest you take a look at things you enjoy in your life that aren't food and start using those to reward yourself for your hard work.

Becky, I too had to go back to the basics of food and re-learn why we eat. I think that's how I got to the stage where I taught myself how to respond to hunger and not appetite. That being said, once you re-learn those habits, then it isn't impossible for food to become enjoyable again.....just in a completely different way. I completely love the food I eat right now. And the best thing about it....there is no associated guilt, there are no negative physical reactions, AND it makes me feel better than I've felt in years.

Regarding the processed food in the grocery store.....it is so frustrating to me. And it took me months to get off processed foods. But for about the past four months or so, I've been making my own pizza/spaghetti sauces, I've made my own sloppy joe sauce, I make my own bread now, I make my own granola bars. One of the meals my husband and I have enjoyed for years is meatball subs on football Sundays. I used to make them with store-bought white bread rolls, frozen meatballs, and jarred spaghetti sauce. Now, I make my own rolls (whole wheat), make my own meatballs, and my own sauce. It is so much more work, and I get tired of that some times. But, in the end, I also know that I've cut out a number of calories between the processed and homemade dinner, literally hundreds of grams of sodium, and everything I'm putting into my mouth is actually food and not chemicals. So I see the work as being worth it in the long run.

That being said, I still eat some processed food. I tried making my own salad dressings, but just couldn't find one that I liked that wasn't outrageously high in calories. So I've opted for store bought because I figure I'm not eating that much of it. But I'm trying to do what I can where I can and still keeping my life/eating habits in some balance.

Like I said in the last thread, I struggle. There are days when I don't want to do so much work just to eat. But, in the end, I can't argue with the results I've had (lost weight, feel better, etc), and when I think about that, I can't imagine why I would want to go back to the way I used to eat.

I don't get a chance to post much, but I love that this thread is here! I'm learning so much.

 

[Ffte]

Good Morning All,
The weekend is over and it's time to get back into the grind. I did good yesterday. I only had two beers total for the day (instead of the 4 limit I gave myself). I ate reasonably from the buffet table by only selecting the beef sandwiches and the grape salad and not taking a little bit of everything. They didn't have veggie tray. I did grab a 1-1/2 inch piece square of cake at the end of the party as I was leaving knowing I could stop, since, well, I was leaving.

I am going to take a leap of faith here and work on the following.

1) I am not going to measure and weigh my food or eat on a pre-planned schedule. This as something I did during the week, and then when I got to weekends I did not follow as well. I'm going to go for consistency now.

2) I will eat when I'm hungry and make sure I always have good choices available.

3) I will take a few deep breaths to relax before I eat and slow down.

4) I will begin paying attention to the foods that satisfy me in reasonable quantities and to those that do not and then stick with those that do.

5) I will watch for and squelch visual cues and the my automatic responses to them.

It wasn't until the 2nd party I attended this weekend that I realized I DO mindlessly respond to visual cues. I thought my main problem was waiting too long to eat and getting out of control. While that is still my biggest issue, I also need to control the "automatic" eating based on cues and not hunger.

Pam, Can you reward yourself with the promise of a long bath, or time to read a favorite book? Maybe just taking a 10 minute time out to recharge would do the trick. You could take some relaxing breaths or take really short walk or stretch. Sometimes stepping away from a project allows you to get back at it and reduce the overall time you would spend then if you just grabbed some junk food to keep going.

Clango, Sounds like you're doing well. Now that I have finished reading EOE I am going to finish reading Real Food. I may consider "What to Eat" to see how it compares to Real Food.

Becky, Being prepared to eat has always helped me. Cutting up fruit is a great idea. This will be a long road , but I'm sure we'll all get there. Writing down what we plan to do and sharing it with others will be a great motivator and help to keep us accountable at the same time.

 

[horseshowmom]

Excellent suggestions, thoughts,etc! Thanks for sharing everyone!

I am doing okay so far today. I am taking an opposite approach for now and planning out my meals. I'm also tracking calories, measuring portions,etc. I need the discipline at this point.
So my planned breakfast was fresh fruit and oatmeal! AND, that is what I ate! A ridiculous sounding victory I'm sure, but another baby step for me!

Workouts are done for now. Going to do a little housework and then dig into the books some more!

Becky

 

[Ffte]

Becky, Good job!! Baby steps are crucial. We all crawl before we walk and this journey will be different for all of us. I AM actually planning what I will eat for meals. I'm just not going to measure and require that I finish up what I have planned to eat. I'll start with a smaller portion, finish it and wait 15 to 20 minutes. If I'm hungry I can go back for more. I'm hoping this will work for me.

I have been measuring and planning during the week for long enough that I should know about what is good amount. I have been reducing my portions from about 15 to 25% for BF and lunch and I've been fine so far (only a couple days). and I have not been going back for more for those meals. I am also going back to larger meals at breakfast and lunch and smaller snacks between them instead of 5 balanced meals. I am keeping Dinner at about the same or more as before since I need to make sure I have enough energy in the AM for my workout.

 

[Pam_90]

Making meals from scratch is process that has become part of my life and I couldn’t go back to buying mixes or readymade. I like having control over what goes in my food, plus all the other usual reasons. I have been during so most of my adult life, so get use to the time I spent doing so.

I tried to make things in bulk when possible. Last night I made 2 gallons of granola, using only applesauce and stevia for sweetener. Also made 10 pint jars of Better Butter (a mixture of butter and Canola oil). Right now I have beans soaking, spaghetti squash (the last of last year’s) in the microwave, and soup stock cooking all for a large pot of soup I will make tonight that make quite a few meals. For the portions for one meal adding spices, tamari, etc can make it seem like different dish.

Buying beans and grains uncooked from the bulk bins saves me a lot of money. Even more savings if you can buy the whole 30# (or what ever weight it comes in) bag. I plan to stock up for winter, sharing with neighbor/friend buying cases from our coop. Beans & grains don’t have to take a long time to prepare. I can give hints if you would like. Also buying vegetables/fruits in season or the loss leader sale for the grocery store that week also saves $.

Thanks Clango, I never thought of rewarding myself for hard work other than by food. I can think all of sort of nonfood rewards I can give myself. Such as slow walk or just sitting in the beautiful mountain forest that I live in but have been too pushed on those projects that need to be finished before winter, to give myself permission to do other than hiking for exercise. Also thanks for reminding me there are different kinds of hunger and it doesn't always require food to satisfy.

Efte-I like your suggestion of eating less and waiting to see if you are hungry before eating more.

I am looking forward to reading the books suggested. I have them on order and requested from the library.

 

[Ffte]

Clango, I have used canned spagetti sauce about 3 times in my entire life. Each time I ended up doctoring it up anyway, so I just have always made my own. To me, making spagetti and sloppy joe sauce and so on takes so little extra time and tastes so much better. I have to admit making sauce at this time of year takes longer since we use so many more fresh veggies from the garden. Lucky for me the DH does the scalding and peeling of the fresh tomatoes. But the results are soooo worth it. Yummm! The bonus is you know exactly what you're eating.

I agree on the bulk issue. Of course since it's just the DH and I that doesn't take much. Last weekend we made about 4 quarts of Chili since 4 quarts does not take much more work then 1 (just more chopping).

I really should use dried beans instead of canned more often, but I don't always think that far ahead to do that. I think the only time I use dry beans is when I'm making soup. I have recently found the magic of dried mushrooms. The beauty of dried mushrooms is the broth they create as much as the mushrooms.

Oh I could go on and on, but to get back on topic I did really well yesterday. Tonight is my book club meeting and there will be a dessert served, so I'll keep that in mind when eating dinner (left over spaghetti and a garden fresh salad). Lucky for me sweets are not a trigger to overeat. At least not usually .

 

[horseshowmom]

Slipped today. Didn't take the time to eat. Had a 10 mile run this morning, then had to hit the shower, go get my haircut, and then over to WallyWorld. Gosh darn it! They had a McDonalds in there! I fell into,* I burned 1300 calories running, I can do it this time.* As I was eating I remembered the reward cycle being so hard to break and that I was just reinforcing my bad habit...kept eating, but ya know what...even as hungry as I was, it didn't taste very good at all! At least the proper thoughts crossed my mind, didn't get a reward because the taste wasn't good...next time I'll stop or not get it at all! babay steps!
Becky

 

[FiddleFit]

Good Tuesday evening, everyone. Just a quick post before I fall asleep with my nose on the keyboard....

The fitness retreat went super well; had a blast. Due to the circumstances, I couldn't be too picky about what I ate. So I relaxed and enjoyed it, and enjoyed my weekend. I'm trying to get back into the EOE mindset again. Reading all your posts really helps. THANK YOU for taking the time to share your experiences, (good or bad)!!!

Becky - I think it's fabulous that you had that McDonald's experience today! Congratulations on taking yet another step forward to a healthy body!

I gotta go to sleep now, but I hope to rejoin you again tomorrow.

'Night!zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Ffte]

Becky, I agree with Sandra, I think the MickyD's experience will be a good one in the long run. It gave you a memory of not enjoying the food you ate to pull out and use the next time you're hungry, in a hurry and pass a fast food place.


I woke up hungry and have less energy today. I felt fine yesterday and never went hungry. I don't know if it was the sweet desert later in the evening or if I just didn't eat enough. I'm fairly certain I am eating less then I was before (between 1600-1800 calories), but I dont know how many calories were in my desert and I have stopped counting calories so ???

I'm not still hungry so I don't think eating more is the answer but I am pretty tired.

 

[CLango]

Ffte, how long has it been since you've had a sweet dessert? Because I'm thinking your lack of energy could definitely be attributed to that.

I've been off desserts for a number of months though I still eat a few bites here and there and some dark chocolate. The other day, I was making Carrot Cake cupcakes for my husband to take to work, and I couldn't stop licking the icing off my fingers! So I didn't actually have a cupcake or anything, but I did eat quite a bit of icing.

Anyhow, I woke up the next morning feeling horrible. It took me over two hours to work up the energy to go workout, and I usually am wanting to do that within an hour of waking up. So, yeah, the sugar could have made you both hungry and tired if your body isn't used to it. I know I learned a big lesson through that experience....because that is the way I used to feel every morning! I had forgotten. It was quite the incentive to stick to a healthier eating plan.

I'm currently reading 'French Women Don't Get Fat'. While I can't say I love the book (for a number of reasons I don't have time to go into right now), I do like the philosophy behind the book which really is about balance--eating what you enjoy but in proper proportions and for the right reasons. For those struggling about whether 'healthy' is an all or nothing proposition, I would recommend the book for figuring out a good balance.

 

[FiddleFit]

Good evening!

So, let's hear it everyone! It's been about a week since a number of us started this thread, and I'd love to hear your progress. Where are you in your reading? Have you set any goals? Have you taken any steps towards that goal? Are you struggling?

Becky and Dawn - Thank you telling us about your process. Keep it up! You're motivating the rest of us!!

CLango - So, FWDGF might actually be worth a read, hey? I'll put that on my list! Thanks!

I'm doing okay, I think. My activity level has been so high lately that I can't say I'm too worried about my calorie intake. I've just been focusing on making it healthy calories. For that, I've been using the Mental Rehearsing technique and quickly saying "no" to the crap. It's been working pretty well. My extraneous nibbling has decreased. Tomorrow I'm going to read a few more techniques and see if anything might work for me. The Canadian Thanksgiving is coming up really soon, and I want to be in a good place to be able to enjoy the dinner.....and not set off a chain of eating that goes on for 2 weeks. So, I guess that's my current goal: be prepared for TG!

Cheers!
Sandra

 

[Ffte]

Clango, You may have been onto something. I was much better today. I was a wee bit hungry first thing, but I had a cherry tomato and I was good for my workout (a less intense workout mind you). I do not eat sweets much, and I had a small piece, but it was a eclair tort (pudding, graham crackers, chocolate and butter (so sugar on top of sugar on top of butter on top of sugar )

Sandra, I already posted my goals. Here is my progress on them. I have finished the book.

1) I am not going to measure and weigh my food, count calories, or eat on a pre-planned schedule. I'm going to go for consistency that extends into the weekends now. I have ditched the calorie counting. I'm honestly not sure if I'm eating less or more overall during the week. I know I eat less during the day and more in the evening (which is always when I am more hungry no matter what). My problem was with overeating on weekends and I know I ate less last weekend. Net result is I have lost about 2-1/2 pounds since last week. I guess the consistency is working for me.

2) I will eat when I'm hungry and make sure I always have good choices available. Overall, this is going well, but I have only been doing this during one weekend which is the root of my problem.


3) I will take a few deep breaths to relax before I eat and slow down.
I need to work on this. If I do forget to do it before, I am usually (not always) catching myself while I'm eating and stop to take breaths then. It does slow me down.

4) I will begin paying attention to the foods that satisfy me in reasonable quantities, to those that do not, and then stick with those that do.
I have just switched to whole milk (from skim ). I took a leap of faith based on the book Real Food. For me this seems to be a great satisfying food that I don't over indulge in and stays with me.

Last night I had pasta with my meal (one of the foods I can easily overeat if I'm not careful). I took a generous serving to start with in hopes I wouldn't go back for more. It did work (in the past I would start by taking a skimpy portion and then sometimes just go back for the same generous portion I started with last night.)

5) I will watch for and squelch visual cues and my automatic responses to them. I've only needed to catch myself once on this. So far

At this point I am going to concentrate on just the above goals. I know they will be challenging to stick with over the long haul.


This book has really opened my eyes to my eating habits and been great for me. Thanks for recommending it Sandra!!!!

 

[CLango]

Sandra, I think FWDGF is good if you are looking for ideas on how to balance lifestyle. But I would be lying if I didn't say that I find the book somewhat annoying. A little backgroud, but I lived in Europe for 13 years, 7 of those years within 40 miles of France. So I understand the European eating habits and actually quite enjoy those habits (and I like the French!).

But what I'm finding annoying about this book is it comes across a little to me like it was written in defense of French food and less as a practical guide to help people in America. We live in a very different culture and, yes, we can adapt some of the European customs, but (as an example) learning about how wonderful it is to pick mushrooms in the French countryside isn't going to help me much since I live in the middle of Los Angeles!

So I think if you are interested in the customs and culture of France, all of that could be an interesting read. But, for me, I'm looking for more practical guidance on how to navigate the American food culture in a practical way.

But, again, I do like the philosophy behind the book and agree with that philosophy very strongly. I think all things are good in moderation and balance, and that is, ultimately, what this book is about.

Regarding my goals, my goal was to continue on the path I started in January towards clean eating and to not give in to what I perceive as the constant influences around me to get off that path. So far....so good. I'm really learning to think things through when it comes to food. For instance, there has been some talk that my husband and I might be moving. And moving usually causes me to go crazy with food! I don't know if we are going to be moving or not, but I'm already thinking about what foods I can prepare ahead of time to help us get through the toughest stages of the move without having to rely on restaurants, etc. So my mindset is definitely changing. Now all I've got to do is put that into practice when and if we do end up moving on!

Ffte, you wrote:

I have just switched to whole milk (from skim ). I took a leap of faith based on the book Real Food.

Real Food is on my list of books to read, but can you explain this a little bit more? Is there a reason she recommended whole milk? I've seen so much contradictory info about low fat dairy (and whether low fat or non fat is actually better) that I don't know what to believe anymore. So I'm curious what caused you to make the change.

Okay, another recommendation. I'm listening to Morgan Spurlock's 'Don't Eat this Book' which is kind of about his experience making 'Supersize Me'. I've never seen 'Supersize Me', but I find the book to be a somewhat comical yet informative audiobook to listen to when I'm walking. For those who are familiar with him, I'm sure you already know that he is a bit....blunt. But, for the most part, I do agree with some of his opinions, even his stronger opinions. This book has some scary statistics about how much sugar and fat are in fast foods. It seems no matter how often I hear those statistics, I still can't believe them!

Between this book, the Kessler book and Fast Food Nation (another good book I recommend), I think I ate my last fast food meal a number of months ago. I can't imagine wanting to ever eat one again.

Laurel

 

[Pam_90]

Dawn--Thanks for your suggestion. It has worked the past 3 nights. When I came in after doing physical projects outside, didn't immediately hit the sofa with a snack but instead call back a friend, read emails, did errands. Anything but go near the sofa or the kitchen. 30 minutes later I can be in the kitchen and resist eating.

Just saying no to sugar/fat/salt nonfoods, has worked well. I went to funeral Tuesday to be supportive to a new boyfriend. I didn't know anyone else there and usually in this kind of situation I would have past the time by eating sweets. I had only a light lunch, so did have a couple crackers and cheese, a little fresh fruit and passed on the cookies, candy, brownies and lemonade. That night at dinner at a friend's house pizza (no other choices) was served, which I ate, but past on the chips and cookies. In the past, I would have had some of both to be polite.

I just finished reading parts of the book "The Secret to Skinny: How Salt Makes You Fat". Too much salt in the diet does a lot more damage than I would have guessed. I also was surprised how high of levels of salt are in processed foods. Some takeout meals have twice the recommend daily maximum. I already eat little processed food, but after reading this book will be more careful about the choices I make in regards to processed foods.

I picked up at the library Mark Bittman's Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating. Looks like it will be a worthwhile read. Has anyone else read it?

I also got in the mail today “The End of Overeating". I am looking forward to starting it this evening.