Dec. 17th, 2009
As a musician who long ago lost interest in cigarettes and alcohol and drugs, I get asked alot - so what
DO you do? And I'm a believer in the notion that all of us have an addiction.
For the new year, 2010, this will be
a page about my personal battle with food addiction. I'm not talking green beans and baked chicken. I'm talking about carbs
mixed with fats. Bread and pie. cheeseburgers. lasagna, chips and salsa. If you feel the urge to tell me - "just
eat a little, it's all about moderation", thanks! but this page is not for you. If you, like me, look at a single
bite of pie or bread as a trigger that makes you go on a binge that might not stop for weeks - months - then check back.
We're going to look into this "secret" addiction and see if we can learn enough about it to kick it! I'm hoping
to have a comment page, a blog page, a place where we can share observations and conclusions. It's a group experiment we'll
do ourselves since the government is putting sugar in all our foods and then ridiculing us for our obesity. Guess what -
I just heard that despite the recession, "waistlines are expanding". Hmmmm. That should be a clue. For some of
us, no matter how little we eat - it it's not the right foods, we won't lose weight. I don't see McDonalds or Burger Kings
going out of business. It's addiction folks. You cannot tell an alcoholic, "just take one drink and leave the rest
in the bottle". Well it's no different for a food addict. Excuse me - Carb addict. Likely it's the same chemical chain
since alcohol is a sugar.
Meanwhile, while I get this set up, feel free to email me with suggestions or comments.
JB@julieannbanks.com
And meanwhile I'll count my blessings that I have a legal addiction. After a gig, in the darkness,
with the first of a bag of burgers in one hand the other shaking on the wheel - I won't go to jail if I'm pulled over.
But - that don't mean I'm not in trouble!
Oh, and I might as well get started with the details. Let's see,
a week ago I started at 186. I'm down to 178. It's always extremely fast at first. I'm eating over the course of a day:
a chicken breast, baked veggies plain - no sauce - just broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, a apple, a tad of Ken's balsamic
dressing over that, two eggs, and a half a grapefruit a day. And if i'm good, a bit of fruit before bed if I've just gotta
have it. Christmas and some family visiting are just around the corner and my plan is to be a little flexible until the new
year when, because I have almost no gigs, I will begin a very structured exercise routine. Wish me luck to hold on - somewhat
- I've just got to be strong enough to not start , "the binge". But THAT is where it gets very, very sticky........
If this doesnt apply to you then please send any friends or family that struggles with weight this way. I think there are
two distinct personalities in the overweight. Those who just aren't interested in exercise, love all the wrong foods, and
aren't sure how much to eat of what - but have the power to only eat a few pieces of pizza a day. And those, like me, who
are quite active, enjoy exercise but are filled with wonderment that anyone can have a pizza in the fridge longer than a day.
Send them all here and they can decide if this is the place for them.
December 21, 2009
D'oh. Gave in
late last night and at an entire box of Moose Mix that was supposed to be one of my brothers Christmas presents. Wasn't nearly
as good as I had imagined it. Never is! The Thought that it was upstairs popped into my head while I was watching the movie
"Milk" (hmmm, cookies and milk?) and I could not apply Mark Twain's suggestion that helped him quit smoking cigars
after writing each novel when he would allow himself to smoke cigars.
"Banish the thought itself". Instead
I found more pleasure in arguing the fine points of denial WITH The Thought until The Thought finally won. That's okay.
The work has just begun. I'm back on track today
.
January 27th, 2010
It's a new year! Happy New Year to
all! Well, it's actually not BRAND new anymore, I've let so much time pass without blogging here. I'm not sure if anyone
is seeking help or support here or not, but if you are and you've been checking back in - sorry about that! I've been very
very bad and i was embarrassed to admit to that here - even though that is exactly what this is for right? Well, here is
what happened. I failed miserably at keeping my eating under control over the holidays. I cooked for everyone, all the time,
and I enjoyed every bit of it and ate every bit of it - and then ate some more. I got back up to 192 in a matter of weeks.
After the holidays I did well and dropped back down to 177, but then had to go home to Shreveport and spend about a week.
During that time I got back up to 182 - BUT! I did very very well at staying on my diet and when I did eat out, I surprised
myself by being able to push the plate away. BIG step for a binge eater. Right back on the stricter diet when I got home
and now I'm down to 173. Holy moly. I haven't seen that weight in over a year. I've still got a long way to go to reach
my goal which is 150. And that's where the hard work will start! I have to learn how to eat like a normal person without
bingeing. If anyone has any advice or tips to share I'd love to hear it. Also I've been working out like a maniac, well,
not like a maniac - but all my muscles hurt all the time! Running on the treadmill has become my friend as long as I keep
my ipod full of my favorite tunes. It's like being at a club, I just dance away on the treadmill and the time flies. I know
for many people, trying to drop weight this fast would not be the ticket. I'd like to just learn to eat smaller meals of
sensible foods NOW and let the weight drop off in a years time. But I've lost so many gigs due to being overweight - I feel
I need to shed the lbs. first via diet - then start phase II. I moved back to Austin to play in the best bands that I could,
and I want to be the best I can be for those bands. I want to look as good as I can and I want to have as much energy as
I can and enjoy every minute this life allows me to perform! Music means more to me than food, I keep reminding myself that.
Pizza or play bass in a killer band? Umm BAND PLEASE! It's a no-brainer. So right or wrong that's how I'm going to do it.
I'm determined to get to 165 before I go to the Folk Alliance in Memphis the third week of February. My goal is 150. That
might be overweight to some - but that's a weight I'm comfy with. I don't choose to be any smaller than that and if someone
still thinks I'm too fat to hire - then I probably wouldn't want to hang out and play with them anyway!
I have heard
from only heard from one person about this blog, Bill Pittman a friend of mine in Shreveport LA. He may be the only person
that has read it, lol! He's battling heart problems he's had for some time. He's still a young man so it's something he
works hard at to keep under control. Here is what he had to say about carbs and such:
"I have read
and read and read over a very long period of time about beating heart disease due to my family history. Over 20 years. And
I lost the battle. But, hopefully, I can turn it around. I shudder to think at how the bastards lied to me (us) for decades
and still are. I shudder to think of how low-fat I ate for so long. And how high a carb intake I had. Running marathons, carb
loading, etc. If it was low-fat, bring it on. Damn near killed me. Makes me mad, actually, that homo sapiens can be so STOOPID.
Them. And me. But I woke up.
In this quest, I have come to a conclusion and I am 100% convinced it is true. And that
is that CARBS are the problem. Perhaps you are on that page, seems I read you said something about that. I think that in our
lifetime, we will see this proved up. It's a war, I tell ya. Follow the money.
Now, I can write for hours about this, I
have a lot to say, but I won't bore you with a dissertation. But I can recommend two books. Do you have these?
Protein
Power Lifeplan (Eades / Eades)
Good Calories Bad Calories (Taube)
If you do not have these, I will loan them to
you, don't buy them. The first one is the one that clinched it for me. Written by a husband/wife doc team, they know what
the heck they are talking about. After having treated thousands of patients for obesity. I will try to think to send you a
couple of recent emails from this doc guy. His wife writes occasionally, but not about the same subject.
The second
book is not nearly as easy to read (to me, some didn't find it that way). But wow, it is a masterpiece. Authors of both of
these books are highly intelligent people. Book #1 just has a better writer, he just writes beautifully. Book #2 is worth
getting through if you can. Again, a masterpiece."
Thanks for reading whoever you are! More soon! Wishing
us all the strength to follow our dreams wherever they may take us! Hang in there, no matter what beast you battle. You
can do this!
