40 days and 40 nights..... a different diet perspective!

I recently watched a movie on video which quite literally had me rolling on the floor with laughter (rotfwl). As you might have guessed from the title of this article, the video was called '40 days and 40 nights'. Very briefly the story is about a young man who has had a break up with his girlfriend, six months before. In an effort to 'get over her' he has been sleeping with almost every girl he meets. He doesn't even like some of the girls. He has no feelings for them and this is obviously not the solution to his 'broken heart'. One of the intriguing characters in the movie is the young man's brother - who is, believe it or not, a Catholic Priest (this is an important role, and you will understand better as the story unfolds). The young man visits his brother regularly, at the church in the confessional booth, and their dialogue is more argumentative than 'confessional', but very funny nonetheless. After one of his visits to his brother, the young man leaves, rather frustrated and angry because he still doesn't have a solution to 'getting over' his ex-girlfriend. He meets up with a much older priest in the gardens of the church, who says the the practice of 'lent' is coming up, and he is deciding what to give-up in preparation. Lent is basically, when you choose to give something up for the period of 40 days and 40 nights, in remembrance of the time that Jesus Christ spent in the desert, being tempted by the devil for 40 days and 40 nights. For most people who practice 'Lent' (and I did ask the Catholics I know just to confirm), they give up chocolate, or red meat, sugar, sometimes coffee, even smoking.

Our young man, in the ensuing events decides, that if having sex with every woman he meets - hasn't helped him get over his ex-girlfriend, then having no sex has got to work. So decides that he is going to give up sex for, you guessed it - 40 days and 40 nights!

If you are a woman, you would definitely be laughing right now, and if you are a man... then you just know it would be almost impossible. That's not a slur on either men or women, just a fact of life.... for most of us anyway.

So our young man, in preparation of this momentous event, clears his apartment of all things that might be in anyway, shape or form tempting. Videos, books, magazines, posters etc. and then takes up model making to keep himself occupied. Well, as you can imagine this turn of personality and change of behaviour has his brother, friends and work colleagues intrigued, and curious to find out what's going on. His brother - the priest decides he is mad, his friend well you can imagine.... thinks he has lost it and gone totally nuts, and his colleagues at work set up a secret/private bet.... that lands up on the Internet. The young man's secret is out!

I laughed so much my eyes were watering, and I'm not going to tell you all the interesting bits, but it might be worthwhile to rent the movie and watch it. The funniest parts come when as he gets into his 40 days and 40 nights of not having sex, he meets the woman of his dreams, but can't even kiss her after their first date. There is no touching, kissing, fondling, caressing or contact allowed of any kind. The young woman, who is most definitely interested, is obviously confused by this bizarre behaviour.

The longer he goes without sex, the more difficult it gets, and the more obsessed he becomes. Women on the bus, in the shop and on the street all appear topless, inviting and available. Even to the extent where they deliberately try to seduce him.

I won't tell you how the movie ends, in case you still want to rent the video, and for those of you who have seen the movie.... you know exactly what I am talking about.

Well, I watched the movie for a second time and enjoyed it just as much. The thing that popped into my mind, during the second viewing, was how like that we get when going on a diet. I remembered a time when years ago, I decided that I was going to go without pizza for at least two months. Even though pizza is my very favourite food the first couple of weeks, where OK and a lot easier then I expected (I eat pizza at least once a week, and three times if my family lets me, and budget allows). Week three started OK, and then I must have caught every Debonairs advert on the TV, the good looking delivery guys were no distraction at all. When I was out and about... Yip there was a pizza place on every corner. Not to be deterred, I stuck to my program..... I was going to ensure that my lust for pizza was only secondary to my willpower.

I only watched TV if the remote control was in my hand, ready to change channels in an instant. The newspaper arrived, and I swear on every other page there was a pizza special running... the newspaper went into the dustbin... very fast. Week four arrived and passed, with constant thoughts of pizza oozing with tomato paste, dripping with cheese, and real smells of garlic herbs and spices and wonderful aromas of my favourite toppings. This was a nightmare, in fact I started to dream about pizzas. Week five arrived, I felt depressed and hungry even though I was eating well. Dave (my hubby) and I were invited to a 40th birthday party, I read the invitation with dismay! The party was being held at my very favourite pizza restaurant. My friend having chosen the venue with me in mind. I was only into my fifth week, and didn't know how I was going to get to week six.

All I wanted was a damn pizza. And so in an effort to stay sane, I simply indulged myself. I ate as much pizza as I wanted, and for the next few weeks I ate more pizza then I usually do. After a few months, my crazing was satisfied and I returned to my normal pizza eating habits. The obsession was over, and I decided there and then I would never deprive myself again... of pizza anyway.

The problem is that when we go on a diet, we usually deprive ourselves of the things we love the most. Our minds become obsessed, focussed and concentrated on that 'love item' and so it's a constant thought, even in our dreams. Our taste buds crave, our nose smells, our eyes see, our ears hear, and our tummy's rumble with the desire to be satisfied.... with that particular food item. A sometimes slightly abnormal eating pattern - for things like pizza, now and again, becomes a total, all consuming craving, a temptation beyond control... and so we overindulge, and eat more.....

In an effort to moderate my pizza indulgence, I slowly weaned myself to less over a period of time. Instead of eating pizza three times a week, I only had it twice a week, and now I have pizza once every couple of weeks.

Rather wean yourself off an item over a period of time, it doesn't matter if its chocolates, cakes, fizzy drinks or chips, start by just going without once, and rather then depriving yourself, replace it with something else. If the craving hits, just give in..... but with moderation... rather than obsession and overindulgence.

January 2003 Copyrights apply - Mands