Saturday, April 6, 2013

Savor the FLAVOR

Calorie counting opened my eyes to a lot more than just the sheer volume of food I was consuming each day. It gave me a new appreciation for the little things in life that are so often overlooked in the rush of each day and the constant pressure to get things done.

A friend’s comment about a diet tracking app she was using stirred my interest at a time when my ever-increasing weight was becoming a concern.  Once downloaded on my phone it made the job of recording the calories in the food I ate easy and even somewhat fun, and by the time the novelty wore off, the weight loss I was experiencing convinced me to continue, so excited and encouraged was I with the initial success. Four months farther down the road I had reached my weight goal as well as the conclusion that I would be a calorie counter forever!

One thing I loved about this method of dieting was that I was still allowed to eat whatever I wanted, just not all on the same day! Based on personal data I entered initially, the program determined how many calories I should consume each day to lose weight at the pace I desired; the allotment of those calories was up to me. I loved the freedom of choice involved, and the feeling that I was the one in control.

The initial allotment was alarmingly small, however, and portion sizes were so greatly reduced from what I was used to that in order to make the mealtime last long enough to satisfy me emotionally, I ate what was before me in ridiculously small bites. And perhaps because I was eating so much less, I appreciated every morsel more; everything I ate seemed to be packed with flavor that I had never noticed before. Dining became more of a delight than ever before.

The process applies to the way we live life, as well. We are each given the same number of minutes per day, and how we spend them is up to us. We are in control. The problem is that we don’t know how many days we have; all we know is that we have less of them today than we did a day ago.  And so it’s good when something stops us from rushing through the moments that fill them and reminds us to slice them up into tiny bites of joy that we savor for as long as we can before swallowing and moving on to the next one. Like small bites of food, little moments of time and the tiniest indications of God’s presence all make a huge difference in the enjoyment I find in each day.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good…”
(Psalms 34:8 NIV)

8 comments:

  1. Excellent post, Elaine! You and I think so much alike! Will be stopping back often!

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  2. Lovely flavourful post Elaine! (here in South Africa we use the 'u' in flavour). I love the analogy of dieting to life and not rushing through it but savouring the moments and finding God's presence makes all the difference. Well done on your weight loss .. I like to think on this NOT as loss, but GAINING LIGHTNESS ... happy to pass that on to you and whoever you wish to share it with. The emphasis is different ...
    Susan
    http://www.gardenofedenblog.com

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  3. I like your analogy Elaine and wise words about savoring our moments. Our lives are filled with moments and if we waste them when essentially failed to treasure our life. Blessings to you.

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  4. I will savor this day. Thank you for your wonderful post.

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  5. Very well written. I need to slow down, enjoy the meal and the company.
    Connie
    A to Z buddy
    Peanut Butter and Whine

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  6. I'm finding it difficult to slow down. Either I'm moving ahead on things, or I'm sleeping. I haven't discovered the "middle ground" yet.

    Blessings and Bear hugs!
    Bears Noting

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  7. Wonderful post; love your insight! Keep up the great work on the Challenge!

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Thanks for visiting and sharing your thoughts! I appreciate your time. :)

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