Why one meal a day?

[Zom]

Just had my only meal, btw ,)

(practising that too for the last 4 months ,) Feeling good and more healthy as well.

[manas]

[alan]

Nice to hear that you've lost weight, Retro. But did you lose fat, or muscle?
Muscle weighs a lot more than fat. And you don't want to lose muscle.
Best way to lose muscle is to sit around all day, and not eat.

[retrofuturist]

Greetings Alan,

Nice to hear that you've lost weight, Retro. But did you lose fat, or muscle?

Definitely fat, but muscle, I don't know... I've not benchmarked any of that, nor really am I overly concerned since I'm feeling fine and I do at least as much exercise (granted, still not much) as I did previously. Oh, and I've bowled a few 200+ games lately (and even bowled 9 games back-to-back last Sunday morning!) so I'm certainly not falling apart at the seams.

Metta,
Retro.

[Ben]

Ah, coffee...the noble bean, dispeller of torpor! The black drink that zaps light into tired neurons! Where would I be without it... ( --> )

Less agitated!

[manas]

.

[Zom]

I think that this is not too skilful to depend on some substances in meditation - like coffee or analgesics or whatever.

The right way to overcome sloth and torpor is to clean the mind with the help of Dhamma.
As I found out, when I'm slack in my practice, sloth and torpor overwhelms my mind. But if I keep on being mindful and meditate 1-2 hours a day - then I'm free of sloth and torpor all the time, every day, both in and out of meditation, and sometimes it is even difficult to fall asleep because of the aroused inner energy ,)

[manas]

I think that this is not too skilful to depend on some substances in meditation - like coffee or analgesics or whatever.

The right way to overcome sloth and torpor is to clean the mind with the help of Dhamma.
As I found out, when I'm slack in my practice, sloth and torpor overwhelms my mind. But if I keep on being mindful and meditate 1-2 hours a day - then I'm free of sloth and torpor all the time, every day, both in and out of meditation, and sometimes it is even difficult to fall asleep because of the aroused inner energy ,)

Hi Zom,
I'm well aware of the Buddha's instructions for the dispelling of sloth and torpor, and caffeine wasn't on the list as I recall. Yeah, I guess I'm just imperfect. It could also have to do with my often unusual and disruptive routines, however. (May I ask if you have kids to look after, for example?) Furthermore, you took what I said the wrong way, I'm not 'depending' on caffeine in the way you seem to think, although as I said in my capricious way, it does seem to have it's uses sometimes. But I really have to be more careful what I write here, as I guess on an online forum people will take things literally, and miss (my obviously failed attempt at) irony. Anyway, we should be here to encourage, rather then criticize each other, so - I'm glad to hear you are able to deal with this issue well, very good.

manas.

[Zom]

(May I ask if you have kids to look after, for example?)

Daughter, 6 y.o. .) She is cool

I'm glad to hear you are able to deal with this issue well, very good.

Me too used to drink strong tea at numerous 2-days retreats in our center (especially in the morning time). However, as I found out, this doesn't work too well. Dhamma methods proved to be better .)

[bodom]

(May I ask if you have kids to look after, for example?)

Daughter, 6 y.o. .) She is cool

Great pic Zom!

[retrofuturist]

[bodom]

Very good posture I might add. Better than mine!

[manas]

She is 6 years old, and can sit still and meditate? Sadhu, Zom! She actually looks very focussed in that picture.

[Zom]

There's one more funny pic ,)

However, no, she does not meditate at all - these couple of shots where taken when she was going to parody my own sittings )) But anyway, she is a wise, she does understand many important Dhammas and she even maganes to control her negative states, replacing them with positive ones - by her own.

There is one more, very interesting and I must say, astonishing picture. This she painted a year ago, when she was five. You will never guess what is that. Her explanation was the following: Here is a girl (only one girl, not two). This girl has a cat. When the mind of the girl is defiled - then she beats this cat with a broom while the cat is trying to get some food. However, if the mind is not defiled, she smiles and feeds the cat by herself. Four baloons mean the quantity of defilements in the mind. The first one has too much inside, so this is bad (marked by "X"). The second one has a bit less, but still doesn't fit (also marked by "X"). The third one has only a tiny piece of defilements - but even this is not enough (marked by "X"). While the last one, near the smiling girl, is OK, has no defilements and marked by "V").

[cooran]

Hello Zom,

The page that comes up for me in the link, appears to be a log-in page in a non-english language.

with metta
Chris

[Zom]

Fixed ,)

[manas]

Hi Zom,

that she associates the 'clear mind' (empty of defilements) with the positive mind-state of metta (smiling girl feeding the cat) - there's some insight there. I think she is a wise little being.

[fxam]

What portion size do you have when you practice one meal a day?
Do you eat until you feel very full (to 'cover' the hungriness at night), or just enough?
Do you chew throughoutly?

[acinteyyo]

What portion size do you have when you practice one meal a day?
Do you eat until you feel very full (to 'cover' the hungriness at night), or just enough?
Do you chew throughoutly?

I just eat enough. I stop eating just a bit before I feel full and drink a glas of water or two afterwards.
When you're not accustomed to eating once a day you may feel hungry first but your body will adjust to the new situation in a few days.

best wishes, acinteyyo

[fxam]

What portion size do you have when you practice one meal a day?
Do you eat until you feel very full (to 'cover' the hungriness at night), or just enough?
Do you chew throughoutly?

I just eat enough. I stop eating just a bit before I feel full and drink a glas of water or two afterwards.
When you're not accustomed to eating once a day you may feel hungry first but your body will adjust to the new situation in a few days.

best wishes, acinteyyo

Thanks, what do you drink between the only meal and the next meal, only plain water?