Everyday Systems

I am a mindfulness meditator and reading No S book I see so many parallels between working with the stuff that comes up on my mind on the cushion and the mental and behavioral habits that have kept me overweight for so many years. I know that mindfulness meditation has helped me maintain a 35 pound loss for over 20 years but to get down to a really healthy weight has been a losing battle over losing weight.

I found this website and was immediately intrigued by the plan. Bought the book and have been reading it nonstop. Actually surprised at how well written it is. I am hoping that I have found the other wing of the weight loss and maintenance bird--mindfulness meditation to train the mind to observe craving and No S to training the mind to live within the clear, unequivocal guidelines. I especially liked the part about putting a big wall around the rules. Same in meditation, no matter what my mind comes up with to get me to cut a sitting short I have a clear rule--no getting up until the bell rings unless you smell smoke.

I see the parallel, too. In sitting, anything- usually thoughts of the future or past- that gets in the way of observing the present moment is simply acknowledged and then you go back to the present sensations. Over and over. There is never any good reason to pay attention to the thoughts while sitting. Just like there is basically never (or extremely rarely) any GOOD reason to eat between moderate meals. All the reasons are irrelevant. You've been fed and you don't need food. You observe the desire for food, the irrelevant reasons, acknowledge, go back to what you were doing or to something else. Over and over, if necessary. I can tell you from experience that it will get easier faster to divorce from food than to divorce from unnecessary thought in general! But you do have to go through the stages.

I am a novice at meditation (currently taking a mindfulness course) so this is helpful to hear - I will definitely keep this in mind! In my course yesterday we did the raisin meditation and there was this part of me that was fretting a bit about having to put that raisin in my mouth...silly, I know...