ProjectMoment

I had a revelation.

I was waiting in the entrance to one of our local mega-theatres (Sony Metreon) for a movie buddy who always manages to be incredibly close to late. A young man waddled past me. (I say waddle because his gait was the same as mine was at my top weight, and I for damn sure was a waddler.) He was maybe 15. And, maybe 280#. His skin was taught, and full, like someone on there way up the weight chain rather than down. I thought- He’s getting fatter right now.

Then it hit me.

No, he wasn’t. He was not posibly getting fatter at that exact moment. He was walking, breathing, repairing minor damage, and generally living. All things which burn calories. He was, in fact, getting thinner before my eyes. I was getting thinner at that moment as well. Miniscualy so, but still. The only time you are ever getting fatter is the moment in which food (solid or fluid) is actually going down your gob. Only at that precise moment are you actually increasing your mass. At all other times you are losing mass, however slowly.

So, what does this mean? Why was this thought so amazing that I had to write about it?

Simple.

In the war on fat we need only focus our efforts at the instant of feeding. We don’t need to be worried about it 24/7. Sure, we can accelerate things by making efforts when not eating, such as getting exercise, being active, shopping smart. But, the critical moment is at the time we belly up to the trough. That is when we can have the most impact.

Now, I am by no means advocating starvation. But, I feel a great sense of mental relief in realizing that I don’t have to be making a continuous effort. That I just need to be very mindful while feeding. This way I can focus my efforts which will automatically be sharper having not been dulled by being used during moments when they are ineffectual. Worrying about taking on more fat, and by extension losing fat already gained, is most effecacious at feeding time. By leaps and bounds.