's motd Friday May 29, 2010 - Starvation Diets

[Guest guest]

WITHOUT FOOD

Friday, 28 May 2010

Over the last 54 years of my life, I've been on lots of diets. That's right, I began when I was only eight years-old! And like I said, I've tried a lot of them! But, (and this will probably come as no big surprise), I never stayed on any of those diets from years past.

Hey, I'd always miss my old "food friends" while I was eating all of that tuna and those hard-boiled eggs. And when I finally got tired of one of the diets I was on, I'd go out and have myself one really big feast...or two!Oh, I used to love going down to Woolworth's on Canal Street in downtown New Orleans. I'd order their big Turkey Special Dinner with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, a dinner roll and cranberry sauce. (Burp!) But wait...I wasn't done! Then I'd have a triple-decker BLT with thick, crispy strips of bacon and mayonnaise spread on each slice of bread. (Mmmm!) And those BLTs at Woolworth's came with a big side order of French fries, too. Oh yeah, Woolworth's was also very well-known for its banana splits. So after my turkey dinner then my BLT banquet, I'd finish my food-fest with one of their famous banana splits! Okay, all done!

As I walked home from Woolworth's, I'd begin to feel almost sick. Oh, my stomach was so full of food that I could feel and even see it bulging! I'd get so angry with myself for eating the way I'd just eaten. Why did I do that? And do you know what I'd do once I got home? I'd actually get on the scale to weigh myself. (What was I thinking?) When I saw the numbers, I would just stand there and cry! A three-pound weight-gain was not something I wanted to see. But hey, what should I have expected, huh? I would get so upset with myself and then have the nerve to get upset with the food!

I began looking at food as something "bad." And the only way I felt I could lose weight now was by...starving. The day after I ate one of those big meals, I'd begin my starvation diet. Food to me now was "the enemy" and I didn't want it in my mouth and ending up in my stomach. I didn't eat breakfast. Instead, I'd drink a glass of water and have a bowl of iceberg lettuce. I'd skip lunch and drink more water. Dinner time also didn't float my boat. "Dinner" was just more glasses of water and another bowl of iceberg lettuce to make me feel full. The first day on one of my starvation diets was pretty hard. I was always ready to reach for a fork or spoon but would stop myself. With each day of starvation, I was really getting into it and going without food actually got easier for me. I could lose 10-12 pounds while starving for a week and I'd do it off-and-on. But one day, I decided to try starving myself for an even longer period of time. Not for just two weeks but for two-and-a-half months! And did I lose weight? Well, you bet I did...over 100 pounds!But along with that quick weight-loss, I became sickly, depressed and was actually losing my will to live. I felt just awful! All that because I wanted to lose weight...in a hurry! I'm writing this to you today because if you were ever thinking about starving your own body to lose weight, I want you to think again. If you lose weight too quickly, you'll lose your health right along with it. Punishing yourself for overeating is just not the thing to do. If you had a large meal and ate much more food than you know you should have, you need to forgive yourself. Then begin making plans for your future meals to be much healthier. That's really all you can do and it's the best thing for you to do.

I'm so glad that God gave me the strength to get over the whole starving thing. If I'd continued doing it, truth is, starving myself could have ended up costing me my life.Are you starving yourself right now in an effort to lose weight? Are you skipping a meal or two a day? Look, I know this is a very personal matter. But please don't be tempted to turn to starvation as a weight-loss tool. It's dangerous!If you are facing this problem, talk to someone close to you or maybe even your doctor. Starvation is a common practice among some overweight people desperate to lose weight. Please remember that your body simply cannot go...without food.Love,