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Over the last few years, I leaned many great lessons. Here's a biggie: Within
a fairly short period of time, I can get used to anything and it doesn't take
long for the new thing to become the normal thing.
Two weeks ago I had to attend a training session near my parent's home. I took
advantage of the opportunity to spend the night at their house. They took me
to dinner and we had a delightful meal and visit. When the food arrived at the
table, my father tried to use the salt shaker and nothing would come out. I
retrieved one from an empty table for him to use. That one worked and as I watched
him use it, I thought about how long it has been since I used a salt shaker.
It's been years. That reminded me that all it takes to become accustomed to
anything is a little time.
My dad will be 89 years old at the end of October. During our meal, he talked
about the new lawn mower he had bought and how he looked forward to using it.
If he wants to use the salt shaker, I say he should go for it. But, I've read
over and over that excessive salt's not good for most of us. When I first gave
up the the salt shaker, it was hard. Food seemed bland. That was more than seven
years ago. I gave up salt before I gave up alcohol and cigarettes. Now, when
I eat normal processed food, it's way too salty for me. I don't remember how
long it took for me to quit noticing the lack of salt, but I don't think it
was too long. Recent experience makes me think so.
When I first set out to lose weight, among other changes in behavior, I gave
up sugared stuff. But, I didn't give up sweet stuff. I read all the multicolored,
flashing, hysterical websites about the dangers of artificial sweeteners. I
also read the moderate voices in the mainstream. I've decided that for the most
part, artificial sweeteners in moderation are just fine. But, just in case I'm
wrong, I put it in the back of my mind that I'd start avoiding them as well
eventually. My first priority was to get my lipids, glucose level, and other
things in order. I had to lose weight. Artificial sweeteners reduced some of
the discomfort that my new lifestyle created in the beginning.
Now, I'm ready to cut back on my need for sweets just as I did with my need
for salt. I'm starting with cereal. I have several breakfast menus and two are
cereal based. I have 1/2 cup of Grape Nuts on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
and a banana. On Tuesday and Thursday, I have 1/2 cup of Cheerios and 1/2 cup
of Kashi Go Lean cereal and a banana. Until a month ago, I put a packet of one
of the artificial sweeteners on top of the cereal. (In a nod to the wacko websites,
I alternated sweeteners since the websites seem to suggest they cause different
problems. By spreading them out, I figure I'm cutting the odds of any one of
them killing me.) It turned out the Kashi provided enough sugar taste itself
to get close to meeting my needs. I quickly got used to that being the norm.
The Grape Nuts were a different story. I didn't like them without sweetener.
Instead of using artificial sweetener., I used 1/2 teaspoon of regular, gonna-kill-you-for
sure, sugar. One-half teaspoon, carefully measured, contains 7 calories. While
my sweet tooth wasn't really satisfied with that, it was enough to make it palatable.
Less than a month has passed and already that level of sweetness is just fine.
That's my new normal. The next step is to cut the sweet stuff altogether and
enjoy the Grape Nuts straight up. My experience suggests that's sure to happen
so long as I stick with the program.
There was a time when I thought life without alcohol and cigarettes was impossible.
I thought that to give up french bread lathered with butter would diminish my
life experience significantly. Now I have an unleavened, whole grain, cracker
with my soup and it's just fine. That's my new normal. My new normal is to live
without alcohol and cigarettes and it's great. I have tons of other examples.
Sometimes I forget how easy it is to develop a new normal. When I remember
and stick with the changes I'm making, my efforts to
get better are accelerated mightily.
But, a word of warning: The new normal works both ways.
If you decide to eat a cookie tonight, it'll quickly
become the new normal and . . . there you go again.
Be careful!
Ed Wyrick
Athens, Georgia
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