Saturday, December 27, 2014

Digging deeper

While prowling the internet at 
http://satisfyingretirement.blogspot.ca/2014/12/time-to-come-clean.html I can across

"Your life is comfortable, uneventful, with nothing new to look forward to.... no more challenge, no time clock, no reason to get out of bed in the morning.... plenty of time to take naps, watch movies. All these get old. My suggestion - go back to school, study something that you are totally uncomfortable with...then take a semester abroad.."

which simply describes my life, and that feeling of needing more. I have always claimed to not read fiction, but I have read diet books and numerous food information type books trying to beat my food/overeating issues. But I now know much of that is fiction. Oh well, I guess I do read fiction after all. Just not the fiction genre. That food/overeating area of my life still needs more work. I know I have a problem, and there is no useful medical help for the problem.

Life need purpose, as well as positive attitudes, engagement, relationships, meaning and achievement. It is apparent that life needs much more, it needs a philosophy of life, once we slow to the point that we have time to think. Before, it was the next thing that needed doing, each day. There was little slack time. Developing a philosophy of life is not a simple matter, but a worthy one. I have explored much philosophy, and it is what that is not clearly said in the books that needs explanation, not necessary right explanation, but explanation. Is that fiction, but not fiction genre?

The other think that hit me this morning while thinking about my hierarchy of values, is that while we must support our nature and human nature, human nature must come first. Our physically body makes demands which we can provide for or not, but "failure to provide" does not mean that the body's demands are going to go away. It just keeps on demanding.   Life can be extended by "failure to provide" excessive amounts of food, assuming that it is not a mineral or vitamin deficiency. The desire still remains. But what if this is a physical manifestation of something like Prader-willi, or just one of those genes rather than the whole group? That could explain the whole problem.

The medical community is great at solving big problems where they can generate revenue from. They are great at identifying and fixing problems where they know the solution. They are not so great at fixing problems where they cannot make money off of the solution. Diabetes could be greatly reduced by simply renaming it Carbohydrate Intolerance, the solution; do not eat carbohydrates.

But then what do I know?  

Friday, December 26, 2014

Food Excess Bah hum bugs

"It is our failure to to understand the essential nature of a emotion as it arises that get us into trouble. Once we understand the emotion, they tend to dissolve."

"It is not the situation that disturbs us but our thinking about the situation."

"There is a space between our observations and the conversion into a adequate impression."

Many emotions arise out of lack of fulfillment of one of our delusions of how life should be or the frustration of a delusion or frustration of an expectation. It is easier to see this in an example: If I have a expectations that I should be able to drive to my destination without traffic interference, I am likely to be pissed of that I cannot when everyone else is also trying to get some where. We just have to many people, too many cars, and need to get around just too much. So to overcome this, I must understand that traffic will be slow, zero flow, and getting worse. There is no solution other that not driving, or expect delays. This should end traffic frustration.

We likely have an idea that life should be pleasant; says who, my expectations. It is not likely so much of the time. Stress over a dis-eased mind, living in a seasonal smorgasbord, where food is plentiful, and suffering from a mild Prader-Willi like syndrome or mental state. I cannot describe it in any other way. The only thing that works well is to go away. This paper's description of eating issue on page 3 - 4, describe my eating behavior when I am not in control of it.

I think I could lose the remainder of this weight in a locked metabolic facility. But how could I keep it off after? try a 5-2 plan, locked up for 5 days, free for 2.

Prader-Willi is genetic: one either has it or does not, but there is a considerable range in the severity of it. It was blamed on excess ghrenlin, or on shortage of leptin, both of which may occur. Here is a description. I just cannot stop overeating in the presence of food. The only solution is to take myself away and do something. But enough about my problems. The solution is to do something, something that I do not dislike. That is the problem.

After all the reading and studding about food, diet, the attitudes of self that cause eating, food addiction, emotional maladaptive eating, eating disorders, temptation and environmental issues, physical causes of overeating including hyperinsulinemia, habit, cravings, desires, willful overeating, I am left to conclude that it is some physical overeating drive like some mild form of Prader-Willi. The treatment is to lock up the food, and that treatment works, but it leaves me unsatisfied. Such a fun way to live.


   

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Re-brainwashing

Re-Brainwashing

"We remain emotionally disturbed because we believe some unrealistic and illogical thoughts originally imbibed. To become undisturbed, it is necessary that we see what irrational self-indoctrinations were and energetically and consistently work at de-indoctrination" Paraphrased from A. Ellis.

So the acid test is what is wrong with my thinking? And then what is right thinking? But there is an alternative, that is to overlay my present thinking with a philosophy of life, or two, and then the see what does not fit, and fix those areas. The problem arises is that in the modern world, nothing fits. It is the modern world that is not natural, and is changing faster that we can adapt. Something must go. Yet, without modern technology, we could not have come to this point. Perhaps it is time to figure out what right thinking really looks like.

Zeno first guideline is that we should live in accordance with Nature, worldly nature and human nature. A few days ago, I talked about human nature here. So what is worldly nature.

Nature follows a set of natural laws, gravity, Newtons, chemical, physical, electrical/magnetic, etc. We know a few of those, and likely the effect of most of the natural forces. We do not understand the cause of much, gravity, electro-magnetic, and much more. Oh well. We understand even less of the biological laws, but we know there is a natural force that drives appetites for food, sex, survival, social interaction, and the like. So we do not know the forces; how can we know right thinking? We cannot know, only test to see if it works or not. If it does not work, it is likely wrong, if it does work it might be right. If widely separated groups seem to agree, the odds of it being right increase, unless they all copied from the long lost original source, but if they have been 'tested and approved' by all these others, perhaps they are true.

The language and emphasis vary, but the ideas are common. Consider the concept that mental suffering is caused by delusions, expectations, cravings, desires, attachments, clinging, wants, greed,
aversions, and the like. We want something that the universe cannot provide, or something in the future that the universe cannot provide. There is something to the concept, regardless of what that is. If we let go of these thing we want, which are beyond what the universe can provide, our mental issues are released. It does not matter which part of the desire chain we let go of, the conceived need, the solution, the desire, the yearning, any part of the desire chain, and it all goes. It may be easier to displace the desire chain by desiring something within our sphere of influence, judgement, desires, impulse, and to do something to displace the desire group.

Action is often used as a method of replacement of thinking, desiring, or the like. Mindfulness, paying attention to what is happening, second by second, in the now, in as much detail as required, can be a means of mindfulness. It is even better if we enjoy the activity and are good at it. Those two, being good at it and enjoying it are not attached. I recall a supervisor who enjoyed being a supervisor, but was not good at it; I also recall one who was good at supervision, but not at mentoring, nor did he enjoy it. It was hell for him.

So what does this have to do with re-brainwashing? We learn via picking up from others the first time through. We can relearn better ways via education, training, reading, and the like. We are responsible for our current beliefs. We can change them at will, more or less, but may decide to make them more correct. Now that become difficult when we live is a society where commonly held beliefs are wrong; the reality is there is no god, and yet so many are pushing the god concept. Today is Christmas, and the marketing around the god concept. It is difficult to resist all the bullshit of the mob. But I am not interested in what the mob thinks, and for the most part, the mob is not interested in what I think. If you are reading this, you are not part of the mob and I thank you. 


Wednesday, December 24, 2014

The second decision

To end chronic overeating, that is overeating at most every meal, not much but some, there is a second decision required.

What am I going to do instead of overeating?

It is a time management question,
an energy partitioning question,
a behavioral displacement question,
an maladaptive emotions relearning question,
a habit change question,
a desire modification question,
a food addiction question,
a life skills, philosophy, psychology, environmental, temptation, question.

The third question may look something like.... What will my life look like after I leave the table that much earlier and go to a place where food is not available or eating is not conducive?

But then with all that activity, will I get tired too soon?

Enough to think about today.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

The first decision

I was wandering around the happy fat sights, why, I do not know. http://healthateverysizeblog.org/ , https://danceswithfat.wordpress.com/  It occurs to me that at the start of any weight loss contemplation, one must make a decision, am I happy at this weight or do I want to adjust my weight?  It is that decision that plots the direction. If you are happy where you are, so be it, it is your life.  The prime directive applies.

The happy fat sights are all about living at and weight, and dealing with those "obese" issues. For those of us who have decided to try to understand this disease of obesity to beat it into shape, we soon see that it will be a long battle, and along the way we will see how far we have come. I have not yet beat this problem, but have explored many aspects of obesity, and have more to explore, but have let go of 50 kgs, and a bunch of attitudes. That sight reminded me of one more that I have let go, caring what other people think. It is none of my business.

It is difficult to put up with all the untrained thinking when we have explored Stoicism a bit. It is just untrained, as untrained drivers on the road are just like aggressive cattle. A few days of training and a better attitude would improve the traffic a lot. A week of classroom education on driving, dangers, stupid moves, and the like, would help, just like the driver training that we took in the sixties to lower our insurance. The biggest difference is in attitude, intention, knowledge, and the like mental exercises. Just because you got a license does not mean you know how to drive well.

But back to Stoicism. It teaches so much, and yet there is more to learn. It is not that I know that much, but there is so much bullshit in the weight loss industry. It is just hard to go along with the government when they are so wrong. http://www.diabetes-warrior.net/

Enough, back to work.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

division of the calorie

On somebody's post a few days ago, I do not remember where now, there was a statement of calories from fats, carbohydrates, and proteins have different distributions to energy, storage, and thermal effects. I have been ruminating on this for several days, and tried to look up that post, to no avail. It matters not. The digestion processes do create different distribution, but even this is not fine enough divisions.

Fructose is not handled as glucose, both are handled somewhat differently as liquid than as solid forms. There is a time to absorb effect also. There is a liver take up glucose issue, and once the liver is "overflowed" either through rate of glucose or amount, it dumps to the body, where glucose is rapidly taken up by muscle and fat cells, if the insulin is adequate.

The fats are handled differently, mono and pufa are absorbed, and passed through, along with FFA's that are produced in the digestion process. Triglycerides are split to glycerides and FFA's. Medium chains are split to ketones bodies. Also anything else may be split to ketones in the absence of glucose. Glycerides are split into glucose and/or glycogen.

Some proteins are split in peptides, some are absorbed whole, some are split in several peptides long chains before being absorbed. These peptides are circulated until picked up by something, liver, tissue cells, kidneys, and used, converted to ketones or carbohydrates for fuel.

Each process uses energy and produces heat. Protein being the highest heat producer, fat the next, and carbohydrate being the lowest heat producer. Carbohydrate, on the other hand, drives insulin which in turn drives storage. It is the highest storage portion, and once in storage, insulin must go low, aka... we must pass through mild hunger... to get glucose out of storage.

OK. So what?

This may be the simple explanation of  why hunger is not a major problem on low low carb. We have passed through hunger, insulin is low, carbs and FFA's are coming out of storage easily.

This may also point out that meat is the best stuff for satiation, for it provides protein, a bit of carbs, and a bit of fat. Forget power protein, it is to quick to digest. Cooked fish and dairy are also fast to absorb. The modern chicken melt in the mouth. Old breeds of chicken do not grow as fast; and seem to be slower digesting. An old Huderite chicken can keep me going for days.

But that is my story, and I will stick to it until I forget it or it gets displaced, since I can only keep one idea in my head at one time.  

Thursday, December 18, 2014

On Food Junkies

Vera Tarman and Phil Werdell's new book Food Junkies is worth a read for anyone having difficulty staying on a food program or diet. They "categorize of  the corresponding behaviors of these conditions as problems that occur within the normal eating, emotional eating, and food addiction spectrums."

This book is worth a second read and a good study for any one who is new to the struggle against food addiction. 

What it all comes down to is that "food addiction" and "emotional eating" must be beat before problems of "normal eating" can be addressed. OK. They ignore all the temptation (low impulse control),  chemical physical conditions (hyperinsulinema, excess ghrenlin, stress issues), unrelenting cravings, irrational desires, baiting, willful overeating, and the like.  Fair enough, the book does not claim to address the obesity/general overeating problem.

It points to the usual suspects, sugars, wheat, gluten, dairy proteins and unnamed fats. It talks about the usual hormone suspects, dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, insulin, leptin, D2 sensors. There is not much new here for the likes of me who has read most of there references. It is a wonderful summary for someone who has just realized that they could be a food addict. The take home is simple. "Quit eating any and all addictive foods." Ok, simple enough directions. Identification of the foods and doing it is not so simple.

Now the maladaptive behaviors of eating disorders next with the simple advise of fix the maladaptive issues with a proper solution/belief system or behavior. OK.


Sunday, December 14, 2014

US government

The US government must really hate the low carb movement. They got Mary C Vernon for tax evasion. Is that not the same charge they used on Al Copone?

Just saying.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Reminder to self

The enemy is high insulin.

Obesity is a dysregulation in fat storage. It is brought about at the end of a causal chain. Overeating is caused by a dysregulation in the endocrine system. High insulin locks FFA into the fat cells and that causes hunger. The cycle begins, and is kept going by any of the following:

Stress causes cortisol, from the pituitary glands, which cause hunger, and high insulin. 

Wheat, sugar, and starch also raise insulin, resulting in the same disruption, but from a separate cause.

Fructose in a larger quantity, as from honey in tea, grapes, or other sweet fruit causes a dopamine high which drives overeating, more fructose being the preferred. To feel this, one must be clean of sugar for a while first. It is adaptive, that is requires more for the same effect. This is a separate mechanism. This is a eat fruit when fruit is available genetic drive (winter is coming). Fructose always comes with glucose, which demands insulin release, and the endocrine system obliges.

Some food provide dopamine and opioid peptides directly. Wheat, processed meats and dairy products are typical examples. Butter, processed cheez and hard cheese are the worst.

Anyone with low impulse control is subject to these issues. We need sufficient impulse control to overcome the primal brain drives, or to know the causes and avoid the causal chain. Environment and temptation must be controlled until we learn impulse control. This too can be learned, and it chains to an unconscious desire, which we must suppress or displace rationally. It becomes frustrating to keep on displacing this genetic desire caused be ignorant of the problem food pushers and baiters (grannies, old aunts, food pushing friends).  


We need to learn impulse control, desire control and judgement control, AKA Stoic trifecta.


But what do I know?

Friday, December 5, 2014

Desire Quenching

During my searching on desire quenching I came across this web sight http://noahpinionblog.blogspot.ca/2012/08/desire-modification-ultimate-technology.html

Here are some experts:

First, let's imagine the ultimate form of desire modification (or "d-mod" as I will sometimes refer to it). In this ultimate form, each person would have a computer in his or her brain that could change his or her desires, habits, beliefs, personality, and emotions in any conceivable way. Here are some thoughts about what that would imply for the human species:

Such a technology would mean the instant end of economics as we know it. Utility theory assumes something called "local nonsatiation", which means that people always want more of something. With d-mod, local nonsatiation goes right out the window, since you can instantly dial yourself to a "bliss point" where you are just perfectly satisfied and don't want anything else. That's the end of scarcity.  

Instant nirvana. These "happies" (note the semi-pun) might just sit on sidewalks, letting their beards grow long, until they either died of starvation or were kept alive by altruistic passers-by.

But the extra life satisfaction that we'll get from d-mod, even so, will represent a bigger a boost to utility and happiness than any technology before or after. It will put the lie to the old (and wrong) idea that technology doesn't change human nature.

Nirvana is state of mind, where joy is high, and there is complete acceptance of the world, as it exists. There is not desires, aversions, expectations, delusions, only peace. But hold on here people, we can do this by the use of Stoic though patterns, at least in theory. We have no need of a computer program, we can program ourselves, if we so desire, but that is a desire that only we can satisfy for ourselves. It is within our own control. We have great ability to change" his or her desires, habits, beliefs, personality, and emotions in any conceivable way." 
Well  not in any conceivable way, but radically. Some things are up to us and some are not. Of our control is our judgements. Emotions are the result of poor judgements causing frustration, or discord among our beliefs. All this list is within our power to change, and think that makes it so. The question become what do we want to change into? And then, will we like our new personality better? What will other think of our new personality? 

What I am saying is that we now have that capacity, after learning a few Stoic tools, for the lack of a better word. I am not interested in what the mob is interested in and few of the mob is interested in what I am interested in. 

Bliss point is usually a mix point of perfect mix of flavors, sugar, fat and salt in a processed food that makes in hyper-palatable, and delightfully to the normal people, poisons to some of us obese and exobese. It is the ideal mix that has no satiation amount. Dialing ourselves to zero desire, full joy would be a alternative meaning for bliss point, but a suitable term. Oh well.

There is a danger that if such a program was possible, we would become addicted to it, and destroy ourselves through over use. We humans are capable of destroying ourselves through over consumption of most anything. 

But what do I know?  

Taubes Money Shot

Gary's new video money shot.https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qEuIlQONcHw

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Squashing Desire

How does one squash desire? Lets first summarize a bit of what we know about desire. Desire and motivation reside in the primitive part of the mind, below unconscious and conscious. These tend to rise after thoughts. We also know "that thinking make it so" when we are talking about the mind. So if I do not consider the possibility of "x, a concept", then there is no desire and no motivation toward that "x, a concept".

So how does this really work? In the Stoic concepts, the things not up to us are considered to be "indifferents". We do not care about them, we cannot effect them, it then makes no difference to us. OK. That may take some getting used to. Those indifferents can further be divided into preferred and dispreferred. Consider health, if we have it, it may be preferred, if we do not have it, health becomes just a indifferent, we do not have, and stop considering it something of value to us in the now. This is a breakdown of the acceptance process. Stop valuing, stop desiring.

So how does this apply to food. "I do not even considering eating anything after my portion", it stops becoming a possibility, the desire stops. Well, thinking makes it so, or at least in the world of the Stoic philosopher.

But what do I know?