When I was a child I remember that my mom would say I’m too picky.  Inevitably, my mom would make something that I didn’t like simply because it didn’t follow my three rules of food.  It had to look, smell, and taste good.  At age 7, I was able to distinguish  between the foods that would be acceptable for my palette just by the first two rules.  Once in a while a food of some sort would make it to the third rule, and the surprised delight or wrinkled face, would be forever cataloged in my brain for that particular experience.

As I got older, my more mature palette decided that I should update my cataloged experiences and retry foods once dismissed and banished forever in my mind as a kid.  Through this experience I’ve found that some foods that I ate fairly often when I was a kid, like bananas for example, now repulse me and no longer make it past the second rule.  For me, the smell of bananas makes me nauseous, a finding that my wife and kids enjoy every opportunity they get to open a banana near me.  (That’s just evil.)

Being a parent of three girls, I now understand the frustration of cooking a meal and having your children not eat it.  I also see where those words “picky eaters” could and have, on more than one occasion, come flowing from my lips.  It is frustrating!  After both of these experiences however, I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t believe in the concept of picky eaters.  (I think I hear my kids rejoicing at this profound statement their dad just made…and it’s in print.  No turning back now.)

Parents, before completely shunning me, hear me out.  I say that I don’t believe in picky eaters because I believe that everyone is uniquely created.  Even identical twins have different personalities, likes and dislikes that are unique in one way or another.  With that being said, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that we all have unique palettes with taste buds that crave and enjoy different foods.  As a child, our palettes are formed and shaped by food experiences from the state and region we live in as well as our ethnicity.  People who grew up in a Hispanic culture will tend to enjoy hot foods with jalapeños, and those who grow up near the ocean tend to love fresh fish.  I grew up in the Midwest and love meat and potatoes.  It’s not to say that we are limited to just those food experiences, however some of our favorite foods are the ones that mom use to make.  (Thanks mom!)

Taste buds do change over time, however when you have a refined palette such as mine that craves pastas, cheesecakes, and other rich foods, retraining it can be a daunting task.  It has been over a month now that I’ve been trying to eat right and lose weight.  I would love to say that everything has gone smooth, however it’s been a tough road.  One of the hardest things to weight loss for me is the food.  Everyone knows in order to lose weight you need a balanced diet with exercise.  The key to weight loss long-term however, is a lifestyle change.  Diets are great in the sense that they do help you lose weight, however it’s not long-term.  The most successful people who have lost a significant amount of weight and have kept it off permanently, are those who have changed the way they eat and exercise for the rest of their lives.

For anyone beginning on the road to weight loss, this is the biggest hurdle.  You have to literally retrain your palette.  That means cataloging all the food experiences again.  I find that the older I get, the harder it is for me to scrap years of food research and start over.  This truly is a battle for me.  Ironically, more of the  healthier recipes that are available in cookbooks and in diet books are the very same foods that do not meet my three rule standard.  I will admit, some foods I just need to retry.  Others however, I have tried and still don’t like.  (I’m sorry banana!)

I don’t believe that there is one diet that works for everyone.  If you truly want to make a lifestyle change you have to take a hard look at the foods you consume on a daily basis and make a decision on what will be the best choice for you long-term.  It’s not to say that you can’t occasionally have a piece of cheesecake, but if that is a daily menu choice, then you may have to reconsider.

I’ve personally started this in my life.  I have begun eating less sugar and less wheat.  I love both way too much.  I’ve also started eating more fruits and vegetables.  That is a big deal for me.  I have a very limited fruit and veggie assortment that has passed the three rules.  I’ve even cut back on my caffeine consumption.  (Gasp!)  I still do enjoy my Starbucks and Caribou coffees, however I get them without the syrups.  It’s a small change but worth it over time.  I am losing weight.  I’ve lost 13 pounds so far.  I dream for the day that my clothes sizes don’t start with an XX in front of them and I believe that day will come eventually.  I also desire to be a runner.  I’m more of a walker right now, but that too will come over time.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life.  That is a great title, however starting over is tough. It’s difficult to magically change the way you have eaten for the last 40 years of your existence and expect it to go well.  Honestly, I knew it would be tough, but this is ridiculous.  I have thought about food more in the last few weeks then I have my entire life.  I’m not sure at what point that food went from sustenance to an all consuming freaky force of nature with no regard to my body or what I want.  It just demands of me to eat, and I follow orders.  (I hear the refrigerator calling me as I secretly write this.)  Ugh!

 

I’ve been reading this book called “gods at war” by Kyle Idleman and it’s been a brutal reality check of my current lifestyle.  Basically, anything else that I put in the place of God has become an idol.  That one sentence summed up the whole book.  (Who needs the other 100+ pages?  I’m kidding, it’s an excellent book.  It’s definitely worth the read.)  Anyways, I thought self would be the main idol in my life, and it is one of them, however, the biggest idol is food.  Can you believe it?  I do.  Every morning when I look in the mirror I see the results of my idol and it taunts me.  I’ve maxed out to my new all time high of 285 pounds!  As a kid I had always joked about the 300 pound man.  Now I am him.  Lord help me!

As of yesterday I had hit rock bottom.  I felt something that I had not felt in a very long time…desperation.  I had come to the conclusion that food is my drug of choice.  It consumes my body, my thoughts and my will.  I don’t know how or at what point in my life that this happened, however I do know that I have lost control.  As I frantically texted my wife, and basically freaking out, I came to a breaking point.  I found myself, a grown man, crying at my desk asking God for His help with this idol.  I told Him that I can’t do this myself and that if I am going to be successful, I will need Him.  Everything that I’ve tried on my own amounted to failure.  I said a few prayers, and then I went back to my day.  This morning however, I woke up with peace.  I thought about the idea of starting over.  I took my kids to school and came back home thinking about the concept.  I then found myself praying in my living room and listening to some worship songs, and I felt again that peace.  God was very evident.  His peace was very real, and I knew He was telling me that I can do this with Him.  I need to trust and rely on God, and allow Him to be my strength as I start over.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life.  Losing weight and dethroning the god of food is going to be a lifetime war, and this is the first battle.  The older I get the harder it is for me.  I don’t want to call myself an old dog, however there are days when I feel that way because of my weight, and these new tricks are tough life lessons.  I know that every day won’t be a success, but I am willing to change, and do the work that is necessary.

God, I pray give me the strength to change and the willingness to listen.  Help me not to give up when I know that is the easy way out.  Amen