Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Obesity breakdown

Obesity, (not including overweight) is a problem without a defined cause, but we all know it is some form of overeating, but why overeat, and how does one stop? What are the causes, and how do we get away?

Philosophy.
Knowledge of food and human body.
Knowledge and commitment to change.
And other factors.

What do I mean by philosophy?
There beliefs that we all hold.
Some of them are just wrong.
If we replace some, wrong or right,
with other beliefs,
the problem stops being a problem.

Sugar and grains are not food.
That single "arbitrary rule" get rid of choice
Without choice, there is no decision.
Life becomes simple.
Frugal, not, but simple.
No omega 6 oils,
that eliminates much more,
No processed foods,
no acellular carbohydrates.
Chopie I know,
but that is the way I think.

This is the filter between stimulus and response.
I do not eat that which is not food.  

Monday, August 26, 2013

Stimulus Junkie (Bad poe warning)

Am I a stimulus junkie?

How much stimulus
does a stimulus junkie make?
A stimulus junkie without his stimulus,
not a happy person doth make,
for brutal agitation is felt,
a desire for stimulus,
will be the driving force.

Now what if that desired stimulus
is the intake of food?
Would that not an overeater make?
Is it food the desired
or is it the stimulus that is desired?
If it is the stimulus,
then displace of the food
with a different stimulus,
a solution could make.

Is the secret why of the
vital engrossing creative interest,
the causes that drives
the solution to work?

Not a solution,
the swapping of obsessions,
but harm reduction,
the solution to polution;
choose the lesser weevil,
since no god, no sin, no evil,
all beyond my control,
only virtue and vice,
in my current belief.

But is a lesser damaging obsessions really better?
of obsession, no,
of damage, yes,
but what of the obsession, the root?
Is it not better to pluck the root out
so it is unable to grow back?
"but how", is the refrain from the back pew
and yet that would be the true solution.

To never practice an obsession,
would anything get done?
It is obsession that drives desire,
in directions that have no end in sight,
and yet so much has come
of the obsessions of the minds
it but one statement of them that can be made
of nature, obsessions come.

To live by nature, the stoics say,
then to practice obsessions is nature's way,
and to live by nature's hand is what we do.
Direction of obsessions may be all
that is, within our command.
A human characteristic, this obsession may be,
to practice or not may be within human command,
but of practice, in response to nature's demand
be stronger, of what, is within out command.

Nature is a cruel beast,
to driver us so to feast,
and yet without the intake of like
we would be unable to strike
fear or passion, to answers to natures demand
to produce, to grow, to expand, until we expire.

So what is next,
to what stimulus must I require,
to dance at the end of the wire,
just a puppet to to nature's desires.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Bad Poetry, What's Next

Bad Poetry did not fly
but I will give it another try.

What in common do these have?

Living Intentionally,
A full balanced life,
An Action Plan,
A Vital Absorbing Creative Interest,
A Philosophy of Life,
Finding the reason god placed us here,

But gods are not for the rational,
which I hope to become.
That is to say,
emotional controlled, I am.

So it is all about filling time
until time is no more,
when life has come to a inevitable end;
fill time with Stoic joy,
that is anything not pain.
Boredom need not apply.

Now to find the pursuits
to fill the available time,
without the expulsion of much energy
nor excess of funds
so engrossing that it displaces
the craving so strong;
for food, that has gone on far to long.

Taubes explained a physiological problem,
Lustic another, yet others remain.
Psychological strive with CBT to find
what a Stoicism or Buddhism provides.
And yet something is just not there,
the motivation, the drive,
the spark that ignites the energy, the passions.

Carnegie said do not criticize, condemn, or complain,
to this we should add compare
but instead give honest and sincere appreciation,
raise an eager want,
Become genuinely interested in other people,
so why not a issue, a problem, a situation,
but then when we find the solution,
all that remains is to do the solution,
but passion is in despair.

That is where the problem is,
I know the solution,
yet am unable to get myself to do it,
for the sake of passion,
or is it motivation,
or energy,
or fire in the belly.

How does one light a fire,
by rubbing two dry sticks,
but with gasoline it is quicker.
Nash said: candy dandy, but liquor is quicker.

What's next, in the line of passion,
obsession, motivation, desire.

Or am I just burned out
from the continuous stimulus.
going black.





Saturday, August 24, 2013

Bad Poetry

Full Catastrophe Living, Jon Kabit-zinn
introduced me to Pablo Neruba
and a concept of a thought
separated from the previous,
separated from the following,
isolated.

Now what to do with each isolated thought
but make bad poetry.

A phrase at a time, in the now
no future, no past
my mind likes this;
it matches my thinking,
it fits, I do not know why.

The stream of consciousness,
but not so fast,
but not from consciousness
for I know not what will be next.

From the unconscious it must come
to consciousness and thence to screen.
but why, but why, does it come,
in such a torrent, untamed?

What is my purpose?
What is my aim?
To transcribe bad poetry,
in my name.

Stop me, stop me, before I go completely insane.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Intentional Living

Intentional living is a term that I never connected with as a potential solution to the obesity problem. It is a concept worth exploring as a solution to not living well, which I beleive, is one of the roots of my obesity issues.  This employes mindfulness and a philosophy of life, a plan for life (good or otherwise), and is often associated with a community, or other green concept. A off the grid condominium would be a example. How would one do it? Power, waste management, possible garden, heat, etc would all be common property, and the units would be private. Perhaps a common area, common kitchen, and a common philosophy... to live naturally, as a community. Perhaps a community garden.

This would require dedication to a common goal of such life. It would require attitude control, and submitting to a common philosophy, including the value of community, and learning to live in a group, of my some plan. These are not common characteristics of the masses today. There would be a lot of learning to do, and a commitment to a philosophy or all engrossing vita concept. It is that intentional attitude that would foster the most dedication. It would be the belief or value that one could use to control one's life, including food. The common goal, just like Star Wars prime directive, would need to be considered first. Is this action good for the group, and good for myself? Does it fit with my primary intention in life? Is this part of intentional living? Intentional living must have a primary goal, which likely includes taking care of myself.

Monday, August 19, 2013

The Best of Plans, the Worst of Plans

http://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.ca/2013/08/diet-and-dieting.html got me thinking about what I was up to when I started this blog.

I just had a fellow insist that obesity is only the result of only psychological or physiological problems, and insisted that philosophical issues are irrelevant. To me most psychological problems are the result of wrong philosophy, (our standard of conversion of stimulus into response) and the psychology is just fine. Oh well, everyone has the right to be wrong. My belief system does not require that anyone beleive as I do, but it prevents me from blindly believing non-rational stuff.    

There are a group of diets, I will call them "the arbitrary rule diets" that provide some simple rule that if one could and did follow, weight loss might occur. We all know that we need to eat less, but the doing that is the problem. We are driven by desires, motivated against our conscious plan by the subconscious; psychology, or body; physiological; what else is there? Philosophy.

There are only three things in diet we can change, quality, quantity, and frequency. Some of these arbitrary rules diets pick on one item only and is sufficient to fix the problem. Frequency. In my circle, 301 is a popular one, 3 moderate meals per day, nothing between meals, one day at a time. When you fall off, just get back on. I have seen many days strung together by some, and others last part of a day.

No white is another, quality type. That is no sugar, grains, pasta, potatoes, starches of any kind, bananas, etc. There is often an except cauliflower clause attached, and that can work. It removes the high calorie stuff. One again, it can work, as long as temptation, greed or envy does not get the better of one.

Then there is the balance type, card deck of meat, a serving of sturdy vegetables and all the greens you can handle, usually three times a day, with perhaps 2 fruits at selected time, but these are quantity type.

There are meal replacement plans, such as cabbage soup. The soup itself is not bad, and a pot provides a day lighter meals, a semi-fast type of thing, something like Dunken, but that was protein only some days.

There are displacement type diet, where the calorie rich portions are displaced with lower calorie, low caloric density foods. Dr. Barbara J. Rolls did a Caloric Density diet called Volumetric, based on displacement.

Then there is a concept that we overeat due to deficiencies, and there may be something to that, if we are deficient in something, and we may be from time to time. Julia Ross, the Diet Cure. But how do you tell, and to what? Without a big health food budget and a source of chemicals, what do we do? I was craving something so I ate a cantaloupe for lunch, and the craving went away. Does that show I was shortage in cantaloupe (inositol)?

But WTF is balanced? What is a Serving, and without commitment, this will fail if there is a psychological, philosophical, or psychological problem. So what does it all mean? or is the solution another arbitrary rule, Paleo-ish.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Expectations

Tangent warning: Stoic-ish

Many of us have expectations of this or that in our lives. Expectations (desires) that life will be fair become delusions, and the root of dissatisfaction according to Buddha, and Epictetus. Only Epictetus tell us a simple way of dealing with these, let them go and do not form expectations, expect no outcome, and just be happy with what happens.

Zeno puts it thus: The path to personal happiness and inner peace is through extinguishing of all desires to have or to affect things beyond ones control and through living for the present without hope or fear of the future; beyond the power of opinion.

We could prefer a outcome, but beyond that, we create a desire, an expectation, which can become crushed. Disappointment, of if some person blocks the expectation for no reason, we can suffer anger. Just let it go, prefer an outcome, prepare for the worse, but accept what happens. Kiss a mortal, for they also will die, soon. Hug a statue if that makes you feel better. Chip you name into a big rock, and we have reached the standard legacy of our ancestors. Tell a friend your philosophy, and it may live on.

Some things are up to us and some are not. Our judgements, opinions, beliefs, values and volitions are up to us. If we are high rational beings, expectations or the lack of, our desires, and thoughts are up to us. Perhaps also our knowledge collection, or intents and attitudes, or speech, actions and livelihood; perhaps even our efforts, our mindfulness or attention and concentration. That which has not happened and is under the control of others is not our concern. That which is beyond anyone's control, must be endured, or avoided, but it is not our responsibility. Let it go. If it has happened, it is all just storey. May it rest in piece.      

Saturday, August 17, 2013

short version of addiction

Over simplification: http://authoritynutrition.com/how-food-addiction-works/ but a good start.

Food addiction or whatever we call it all occurs in the subconscious part of the brain and or physiological body. We have no direct access to this part of our brains.

There are other chemicals beyond dopamine, eg, serotonin, opioids, endorphins that cause similar issues in the brain. Shortage of leptin, inositol, many minerals and vitamins or excess ghrelin and insulin cause similar issue but body based.

The excesses can be consumed or produced by us, the body, or we just consume feedstock for the reaction, and we overproduce due to available feedstock.  Or we can have a receptor problem, we just cannot see the dopamine (or other chemical). Some of us deal with cravings all our lives, only to have some idiot say "cravings will go away if you do this (whatever shit they are selling)".

The solution is conscious control of our food intake, control of our environment to control the stimulus, and developing a suitable philosophy of life. Yah. Some thing are up to us and some thing are not. We need to have no comments or opinions of those thing not up to us. Clears up space, and time. Our judgements, beliefs, values, philosophy, opinions and physical location are up to us, generally. Our will, desires, aversions, and thoughts are under our influence also. All else is not up to us.

Systems people would describe a replenishing loop in a "out of control" feed back state, into a naturally depleting main system with no (poor and unwanted) overflow protection control. The cause of the replenishing loop (but perhaps "loupe" would also get the meaning across as a magnifier) is natural, required, but out of control. The rate of natural depletion of the main system is not adequate to keep up, but can be adjusted to some extent, but required effort. The control system is not normally accessible, and is not very adjustable normally, but sometimes self corrects without any clearly known reason. Bypass wasting can be used, but this does not fix the issue. The only known workable solution is manual metering of the feed stock. It is troublesome, but effective, and requires frequent adjustment. Nobody want to do the job also, for it is a disliked ugly job and someone is always bitching.  

Friday, August 16, 2013

Who Knows

As of now, I have more internet expert opinions as to the cause of this overeating / excessive appetite / obesity issue that I struggle with. This issue is best thought of as food cravings, but has been called all the following:

Hyperinsulinemia: Production of too much insulin, requires low carb meals.

Dopamine receptor issue: My body is not seeing the dopamine, for some reason, requires uniform low reward meals, no solution offered.

Opioid peptide consumption: drives hunger, no grains, - wheat, barley, no dairy, no drugs

Food addiction: some faith based controlled eating for the rest of my life, and the cravings got worse.

Compulsive Overeating: some faith based controlled eating approach, and the cravings got worse: and you must not be doing it right, but there are also mineral and vitamin deficiencies.

Addiction: SMART Recovery, more motivation, craving handling, emotional problem solving, balancing life, etc... useful information, but no understanding of the problem...

No will power: Lost of abusive, ignorant, people, CICO, ELMM, and advice that if I were able to follow would help, but does not address the cravings. That abuse made me an recluse or introvert, it is easier to just not go around some relatives and some other people.
And there you have what I have realized, nobody knows what the problem is.

Faith based system, combined with low carb, have got me this far, and a bit of study of philosophy has helped, as has a study of addiction treatments. It seems that eating is controlled largely by the preconscious (subconscious, unconscious, depending on who is writing) part of the mind, and that portion listens better to faith than reason. Lizard brain. If I believe "it", it can be followed, by the body. So how does one develop a faith? Well, seems that is not clear either.

It seems that intentionality is a big part of faith development, along with a strong desire, commitment, and self-discipline (but that is a intellectual brain function). It is all about fostering an attitude of doing right because it is right to do right. It is more about the right attitude and just doing it until all time is used up. What next?  

I as assuming that this is a rare-ish problem, as it is not talked about, or it is just not defined. I think it is human animal based, so the rational part of us is in for a lifetime battle, and I doubt if there is a real solution beyond ongoing struggle. Looking back, the struggle has been less when I was engrossed, obsessed, if you will, in some other hot pursuit. Perhaps that is the cure, but for how long could I keep a "totally engrossing interest or a vital absorbing creative interest, as the SMART people refer to it? And that would need to be 7 days/ week, all other essential time. That is just trading obsessions or addictions I think.

A mapping of the operation of the human animal appetite system might explain a bit of the problem, but we cannot communicate directly with this part of the brain, or can we, enter Jon Kabit-Zinn and other deep meditation people.    



Monday, August 12, 2013

Some do not understand eating disorders

Weight Maven is not living up to her name again. http://weightmaven.org/2013/08/12/paleo-is-not-a-panacea-6/
Food addiction and eating disorders are different critters.

Food addiction is hyper-reaction to something in the food or causes something to be released or absorbed that causes a abnormal reaction. It is chemical. It often involves dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, an opioid peptide or some hormone. The chemicals must be removed from the diet.

In behavioral addictions those same list of chemicals are stimulated due to some behavior, we like it and an addiction forms. It can be food related, eating, or other behavior, gambling or sex are common. One is exterior chemical, one is internal generated chemical. The behavior must be removed, and replaced. This is a impulse drive, immediate gratification problem, impulsive not compulsive.

Externals are easier to handle- remove the chemical, aka sugar, sugar substitute, wheat, dairy products, protein, food additives, flavor enhancers, etc.

But now there is a separate class of people, those who become obsessed with a new behavior, dieting, weighting, measuring, computing in and out, CICO, calorie or gram counters, which is uselessly sloppy. These are compulsives, that need separate handling.

There are another group that have some biological or physiological unknow caused craving. This group suffers long, and has only limited relief from the cravings.

Until we separate the cause, and fix the cause, the cycle continues.


Saturday, August 3, 2013

Desire Management

Desire management is a concept that has yet to ripen. Historically, desires were not able to be satisfied, and we likely had less. Before we can desire something, we need to know that it exists, or dream of it's existence. Desire arise naturally from that point. If we know something does not exist, the desire for it will not arise from the emotions or animal core part of our brain. It could arise in the intellect, and give rise to the development of such an product.

Modern human philosophy approaches life from the view of desires are to be satisfied if possible, as opposed to the historical view that desires are to be managed or dissipated. That is a big difference in philosophy that has crept into our live unnoticed. Processed food has been marketed to this, and we buy and eat, suffer from insulin rush issues, insulin production depletion issues, and nutrition displacement issues. This is the source of the obesity epidemic, but what do I know.

When we learn to manage our desires, and eat to provide nutrition for our damaged bodies, the problem should go away. But there is the rub, doing it. A bit of fruit helps, I am assuming it is inositol issue, in my case, and quite a bit of fat, a little protein, and all should be good. Well, maybe, in theory, but the real issue is just doing it.