I want to start a daily post regarding things that cross my mind as I meditate on my ongoing weight loss adventure. ( I actually prefer the word adventure to journey to describe the experience. “Journey” implies going to point A to B, and when you are trying to get to your ideal weight it might be point A to B all the way through to Zed). So I want to post a paragraph or so each day about what I am discovering on my way to the through the alphabet
Today’s thought “Thank you Mr. Cow.”
I have been vacillating between Vegan and Vegetarian since the end of July 2018. I can’t say that it has specifically been the cause of any weight reduction, nor can I say I really feel much different. But that was never the point. I quit eating meat mainly for ethical reasons. Meat production creates a huge carbon footprint and is cruel IMO. But what really made me stop was something a friend of mine’s child said one time when we were out eating. My friend is pretty religious and will always pray before a meal even when we are eating out. We were at a steak house, and my friend said a prayer and after he was finished his little boy who was about six or so looked down at the meat and said “Thank you, Mr. Cow” I had never really thought much about that. A living being with the ability to feel pain and maybe a limited way of feeling emotion had to die to provide me nourishment. It really made me rethink how I view food. And not just meat.
Mindful eating requires you to see the value of what you are consuming not just the calories. While I would consider myself more spiritual than religious, I do see the value in offering gratitude before eating a meal. It helps you respect what you eat and if the food was prepared by someone else, you appreciate the effort that person has made to provide you sustenance. I believe our thoughts are like prayers. Keeping a spirit of thankfulness also helps me from eating more than I need because I know the food didn’t just magically appear. There was an effort in getting that food to me, people had harvested and to worked to get it ready. Often times migrants who may not be making a livable wage. Giving thanks doesn’t remove any calories but it allows me to respect what I am eating and in turn respect myself.
