Information Overload (TMI)

 The more I read, the more confused I become. I’m not talking about genres like fiction, mystery, biography and history. Step into the self-help aisle.

The other day a new book came in that had food cures for almost every ailment you could name. Except of course weight loss. There are a gazillion other books for that. We’ll get to that later on. Eat this and one ailment lessens but of course it cancels out another ailment getting better. It’s insane.

It’s hard to know who or what to believe these days. It’s downright confusing and can be crazy expensive. The contradictions are endless. I’ve been having a little bit of digestive problems lately. Not a big deal really. So I searched a bit to see what I could do to make it better. Don’t eat this. Eat that. Don’t drink this. Drink that. But if I want to LOSE the weight I CAN’T eat that. It’s a big mess.

I think things were much simpler before we had so much information available to us. It makes me nervous and a bit obsessive. Online, magazines, books. Everywhere you look there is information about how to have younger skin, how to wear clothes, what and where to eat. I don’t always go looking for it, but somehow it manages to be in my face ALL the time.

OK, yes, I’ll admit I AM a product junkie although over the last few years I’ve gotten my fix at Walgreens or CVS. And Sephora. A little.

And now to the weight loss. As you all know, I have been on a strict program since Jan. 2, 2012. It’s working for me and I’m looking forward to reaching my goal so I can add the foods I love back into my life. I’ve learned how to eat, what to avoid and all that. I was curious to learn what the new food pyramid looks like. I spent over an hour trying to find it online. Each one I looked at said something different. Too much information. All I wanted to know was how many starchy carbs, how much protein, fruit, vegetables. When I eventually have to go out on my own without a net, I need facts. Don’t tell me to calculate my BMI and then divide it 1000 times by my weight blah, blah, blah. Just give me concrete facts. One slice of pizza? Or is two ok? I used to be able to eat a whole pie (Italy not USA) and I probably still could, but there would be hell to pay in the morning.

I guess my best line of defense would be to stop reading and just listen to what my body tells me. A headache? Take a Tylenol, drink lots of water and skip the heavy metal concert. If I went by the books I’d be having a brain scan.

And now dear friends, I will go offline and watch a movie. Chick flick. Easy and painless.

Have a great week!