The "Change of Heart" Diet

So, I had a 1400 calorie lunch today.  After a 350 calorie breakfast.  But I haven't snacked (yet), and am looking forward to a delicious pizza dinner tonight.

Amanda broke it down very simply for me: in order to lose two pounds a week, you have to create a 7000 calorie deficit from your normal weekly diet/routine.  She said she tries to simply eat 500 calories less than normal, and burn 500 calories more than normal, each day.  (I know I won't do that on Sunday, simply because I don't exercise on Sunday... but let's say I did, just for kicks.)

Man, oh man, was lunch delicious.  Have you ever had a Schlotzky's toasted sandwich?  There's a picture at the top of this post.  It's fantastic.  I got a medium deluxe (a larger sandwich with extra meat).  I got a bag of cracked pepper chips, and a 32oz. sprite.  1400 smackers, and I really enjoyed it.

So, why do I sound so smug about an obviously-bad choice?  It's because it's what I *wanted* to do.

And here, I believe, is where the rubber meets the road with respect to health.  Is it really a valid trade-off to be healthy, but always doing things that you *don't want to do*?  Where is there an accounting for mental health?  Happiness?  Being stress-free?  Being able to just "be", without constantly stressing over things?  Is it possible to be healthy AND be happy?

The constant assumption is that being healthy will make you happier.  But I know (and so does every other person on earth) that as long as I am constantly forcing myself to do things I don't want to do, I am not going to be happy.

So, the trick is this: how do I make myself *happy* while doing things that are *healthy*?  It's simple: turn myself into someone who would rather do the healthy thing.  Become someone who is *unhappy* doing the unhealthy thing.  Lasting change is impossible without this change of heart, because among our most basic needs and desires is to be happy.

There is an analogue in my religious life.  We call it "a change of heart", or "conversion".  If you are Mormon, you are aware of the story of Alma and Amulek, found in Alma 32 in the Book of Mormon.  In it, a group of laborers are complaining because they were hired to build a church (in the Americas around 75 BC), and when the church was finished, the rich church-goers refused to let the poor church-builders actually worship there.  They were excluded, and they didn't find it fair.  Alma, a traveling minister from another church, happened upon them and began to teach them that worship was a state of mind and heart, and it wasn't necessary to even have a building to worship in.  What mattered was the faith and humility they had.

Alma told them that what he was teaching them was true, and that if they didn't believe it, all they had to do was *try* it, and search their lives for signs that it was yielding "good fruit":  

 27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than ^adesire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

 28 Now, we will compare the word unto a ^aseed. Now, if ye give place, that a ^bseed may be planted in your ^cheart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your ^dunbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to ^eenlighten my ^funderstanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

 29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.

 30 But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow.

 31 And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own^alikeness.

 32 Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away.

 33 And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.

So... what I think I need is a "conversion experience", where I "give place, that a seed may be planted in [my] heart", and see if it's a good seed, by checking if it "enlarge[s] my soul" and "beginneth to enlighten my understanding" and "beginneth to be delicious to me".

And I can share with confidence that until I am able to connect my happiness with a lifestyle change, I won't be changing my lifestyle for very long.

But my encouragement to myself, and to you, is to give it an honest try, and judge the impact on your life.

That's what I will be doing, and what I will be blogging about.   (By the way, I find it ironic that Alma encourages us to "exercise a particle of faith".  Heh.)