“Unlock iPhone, click on app, log food … 150 calories in Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, 30 calories in the vanilla unsweetened almond milk, 100 calories for a piece of 100% whole grain Brownberry bread, 90 calories for a tablespoon of peanut butter, 85 calories for small apple, 0 calories for 10 celery sticks, 140 calories for small packet of ranch dressing. That means in order to stay under my daily calorie goal, I can eat 800 more calories today, so I can have those two slices of pizza. No problem.”
– Lindsay Moeller, age 21
– Lindsay Moeller, age 21
In her analysis of Michael Pollen’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma, my student Lindsay wisely opened her term paper with this description of her daily food log. Reading it exhausts me, accomplishing the effect she was going for.
While I didn’t use an app, I used to log what I ate each day in a notebook. It started as a way to determine which foods caused my Crohn’s symptoms, but later I added a section for my weight—since I weighed myself daily—and time spent on the elliptical machine. Not only did this take time to think about and record, but when I was disappointed in my results, the negative voice in my head shamed me—draining my energy.
The name of the app Lindsay used has the word “pal” in it, but to me it wasn’t a friendly encounter. While I know the rush of meeting daily goals, I suspect that thinking this way consumes time and energy that could be better spent on energizing tasks.
When I stopped going to the gym, stopped tracking my food intake, and stopped logging my “progress,” I lost weight, gained muscle and mindfully chose natural foods on a daily basis. I had more time and energy to prepare healthy meals. I no longer weigh myself daily. In fact, I threw away my scale and canceled my gym membership. Instead I practice yoga and meditate at home for 20 minutes daily, and attend gentle exercise classes twice a week with people who have become dear to me.
What’s your relationship with food and exercise? If it drains your energy, how can you mindfully shift gears toward a more nourishing relationship?
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