The Average Advantage

If I ever write a book based on this blogspot and this diet, I will name it The Average Advantage. It is just so. Averaging my caloric intake day by day keeps me feeling positive about the diet, and I think we all know how important it is to continue feeling positive about what dieting does to us emotionally.

If I did not figure out the average every day, I would focus on the daily calorie totals. I might even be thinking of a caloric maximum goal for myself, such a 1500 calories. Then, on days when I would go over that total, (knowing myself) I would say such things as:  I failed; I really messed up this time; this diet isn’t going to work; I’m so weak; it’s no use; I’m giving up; I may as well eat all I want, because I’ll never stick to any diet; it’s better to enjoy all the food I love, since I’m going to die fat and sick anyway. However, when I go through my daily morning routine, I see that the average has not moved very much. In fact, as the total number of days of my diet increase, the average tends to stay within a few points. This is a “growing” fact; now that I’ve concluded day 79, I must have either 80 calories more or 80 calories less than the previous average in order for it to move up or down by just one calorie! And you can’t feel discouraged by that tiny amount.

To illustrate, on day 60 my average was 1548 calories (although the total calories on that day was 1477). On the next day, I went to a restaurant buffet and pigged out, bringing my daily total to 2101 calories. Ordinarily that would worry and discourage me. However, when I figured out my 61-day average, it was only 1557. That’s nothing to worry or discourage me! Furthermore, on day 62 I ate only 1456 calories, bringing my average down again, to 1555. That’s how the averaging works. On day 79, my average was 1544. I worked it down by having fewer than 1544 calories several times between days 61 and 79. It’s not difficult at all!

Another “average” thing is infrequency of weigh-ins. I’ve been averaging about 22 days between weigh-ins. In the past I’ve been discouraged when weighing myself almost daily. You know how diets are. Sometimes you’ll lose two pounds between frequent weigh-ins, and other times you lose not an ounce. Once in a while you’ll even gain weight. That can make you feel pretty bad. However, if you weigh in about every 22 days, you’ll find you’ve lost an amount that makes you feel pretty good. Then you can run an average on that weight loss, figuring it from the beginning of your diet. I’m still averaging about a one-pound weight loss every four days. This diet is very good for me emotionally as well as physically.

Next time I write an entry, I will give you another recipe. It’s all vegetables, filling, and very low in calories. In fact, it’s a vegan recipe I invented while my vegetarian son visited over the holiday weekend. I think you’ll enjoy it.

Tonight I ate two Girl Scout cookies and I don't feel bad about that. My calorie count for the day is still under my average!