Well, today it starts. And the first thing I did this morning was pick up the remote to check the weather on the TV. Ooops.
So, let’s talk ground rules.
TV is off limits. No series, no news, no movies. No TV shows streamed on the internet. No summaries of TV shows that I follow on the internet or in the newspaper. If I hear unsolicited information about a series that I follow inadvertently, I call that a no-fault error, but I will not deliberately ask for any updates – say “NO” if I ask you. The only exception will be made in the event of severe weather, and only in order to here live updates on a local station (i.e., tornados, ice storms, volcanoes). I can watch one DVD a week, but only on a weekend and only in the company of friends, and only full-length, theatrical release movies. All movie-theater movies are allowable, but should be kept to a minimum. The TV will be turned on once a week for DVR maintenance – no sound, no picture.
As far as food, most convenience foods are out. Packaged foods are allowable, but only if there are 4 or less ingredients on the label. White flour and sugar are allowed, if used in a homemade product, but should be avoided. Restaurant food is allowable as long as it follows most of the philosophy of the experiment – Taco Bueno is out, Kua’i rice bowls are in. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and meats should make up the majority of what I’m eating.
All until April 1st.
Now why am I doing this? The main goal is to see: 1) what my life is like without TV sucking up so much of my time; and 2) see if I feel any healthier by eliminating most of the additives and preservatives in my diet. And I’ve tried to set up the ground rules to follow that philosophy, but also not set myself up for failure. The fudge room I’ve built in (the one DVD a week, and white flour and sugar) are gray areas that I’ve given myself the benefit of the doubt on.
My anxiety level has gone down a lot in the last 24 hours. It’s put up or shut up time. Nothing to it but to do it. Lock and load. Yep. 6 weeks.
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4 comments:
Good luck!
Thanks! So far all I've really succeeded in doing is annoying myself. Withdrawals are making me cranky. Of course, most things make me cranky.
You are hard core!
I read a cancer blog yesterday that basically states that white flour and sugar help cancer tumors grow - it's what the tumor feeds on to live. So, giving up those items is very honorable. The blogger went on to say that once she got past those withdrawls, she doesn't even miss them. It's given me pause for sure so I'm starting to think about it a little more for myself (ignore the Coke on my desk!)
I never know whether to put those sugar and white flour = cancer claims in the same column as shots cause autism (I really wish Jenny McCarthy had been in my Logic and Semantics class the day they explained post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacies). Could be. Then again, maybe not. I do know that they are pretty much empty calories, where there are alternatives that have more nutrients, fiber, etc. I think cutting them out entirely is an unrealistic goal for me. But, and I hate to say it, it does come down to an "Eat this, Not That" choice. It's just as easy to use whole wheat, rye, spelt, and other flours or honey, agave or sorghum, that at least have some redeeming value for the majority of your cooking needs. But cookies made without real sugar, and cupcakes made with whole wheat, realistically, just kind of suck. But I shouldn't be eating those everyday anyway. Sigh.
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