View Full Version : The Power of Half
AmeliaJane
5-27-12, 11:02am
I really admire the people who do well with going wholesale into changes like "no-spend months" and dietary/exercise changes, but I have never been very successful with that approach myself. This winter, I decided low carb eating might be a good way to handle hunger pains and maybe even lose some weight. Unfortunately, I picked an insanely busy time to try a new lifestyle that involved a ton of learning, shopping and cooking, and (as I thought at the time) didn't get very far with it and felt discouraged. I did try out quite a few new things that were suggested in various books and websites on the subject.
Well, I was writing my grocery list today, and realized that I have actually cut my carb consumption by half over the last five months, and raised my fruit/veggie consumption considerably as well, without a whole lot of emotional trauma. Without meaning to, I had headed off what the authors of "Switch," my favorite book on change, call "the elephant," or the emotional resistance to change. If you asked me to give up all the carbs in my diet, all I'd think about was what I was giving up, like artisan bread and homemade cookies. If you asked me to give up half, I'd pick the half I liked less (the grocery-store cookies in the break room, the so-so pasta salad on the buffet) without feeling deprived, and still get a lot of benefits from the change. And to be honest, at this point, I feel like I could cut out half again.
Then I started thinking about the other places the power of half works. A family member and his wife went from being a two-car family to a one-car family. It wouldn't be practical for them to be car free, but they're reducing their presence on the road (and car payments) by half. I wouldn't want to give up television entirely (love Mad Men) but I could easily cut out half the shows I watch that are more habit than something I specially look forward to. Now I find myself thinking pretty regularly about "could I use half"--I was having a sandwich the other day (I'd forgotten my packed lunch) and found myself taking the top slice of bread off.
It's not a particularly new concept--The Tightwad Gazette encouraged people to try half as much detergent, toothpaste, etc as they normally used to see if it worked, for instance, and diet advice regularly encourages people to eat only half the food on the plate at restaurants--but for some reason it's really resonating with me now.
Has anyone else experienced the power of half?
My adventure with "the power of half", started many years ago Re: sugar. Initially, I began reducing recipes (sugar content) by half, then further tweaked recipes from there. Went over super-well with the family!
As far as reducing other things by half, I'd be hard-pressed to follow-through with such, due to the fact I already ensure minimum usage is practiced, so no extra wiggle-room to spare.
Blackdog Lin
5-27-12, 12:11pm
I hear ya'. Lately I've been tweaking our menus to incorporate much less carbs than my usual cooking ways, and it's going very well, without our feeling like we have to be on a "formal" low-carb diet. And I swear (though I'm probably imagining it) that I have more energy lately - at least my "to do" list is looking much better lately than it usually does. :)
And all I'm doing is thinking through our usual menu choices. This week, wanted salmon burgers, and macaroni salad would be a great side. I thought it through, and had salmon patties (no buns) with a zucchini/tomato/onion/garlic saute'd conglomeration instead - we ate just as well and felt no deprivation. Chicken burritos, to use up some leftover grilled chicken in the freezer: thought it through, and we enjoyed chicken/cheese/celery/carrots/onion mishmash wrapped up in lettuce leaves instead. In fact, DH enjoyed these so much that I may be able to wean us completely off tortillas by using lettuce as wraps instead. We'll see. And Sunday brunch is omelettes using up some ham bits in the freezer, which would usually be served with a panful of potatoes and/or plenty of toast. Instead I only fried 2 small potatoes, so we'd each have a small helping, and having chilled canned pineapple to fill in the chinks.
You've formalized what I've been trying to do, AmeliaJane, in my small way. Thanks for posting the food for thought.....
Great post AmeliaJane! You have given me a lot to think about. I too am someone who can't jump into a 100% change, and when I try I always give up. I like the 50% concept and I'm going to try and utilize it in a couple of areas in my life.
I agree, great post and great food for thought. I feel like I've scaled back quite a bit already, but this post will be the catalyst for examining further ways I might use that power of half.
Thanks for bringing this up, AJ. I have planned many times to at least cut back half on the food issue, but hadn't given any thought as to the rest of life's little issues.
Has anyone else experienced the power of half?
Thank you for a WONDERFUL post, AmeliaJane. I have experienced the power of half and find it to be pretty darn amazing. I, too, am adjusting to a low-carbohydrate diet. I'm choosing to limit red meats, consuming only lean cuts of quality red meat only a few times per week and source most of my protein otherwise from skinless chicken, shrimp, scallops, fish, low-fat cheese and my daily egg white omelet w/ non-starchy veggies.
I find it so helpful to read things like your post, Blackdog Lin's post and those of others in this thread, as they reinforce that I am doing what is best for my body and that I can do it without feeling like I'm making huge sacrifices.
Great post AmeliaJane! You have given me a lot to think about. I too am someone who can't jump into a 100% change, and when I try I always give up. I like the 50% concept and I'm going to try and utilize it in a couple of areas in my life.
I am someone who is capable of jumping into a 100% change in some areas of my life, but not all. I checked out the book, The Power of Half by Kevin Salwen and Hannah Salwen on Wikipedia and hope to borrow a copy from my local library. While I have no plans to give away half my wealth like Bill & Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett, I think I can really benefit from my new awareness of the power of half and that I can do some really positive things for myself and others because of it.
It's a great option - I think we do way too much "either-or" thinking about what we do. Vegetarianism is a good example - endless wrangling over being either-or, very little discussion on just eating less meat. Even smoking - it's not the best choice, but cutting it by half is a big improvement over not changing at all.
I agree, creaker. I was an ovolactovegetarian for four and a half years, then ate a predominantly ovolactovegetarian diet with only very limited quantities of red meat, poultry, fish and seafood and emphasis on whole grains for the past 15+ years. Recently, I discovered that I am carb-sensitive. I need to make adjustments to my diet. I find The Power of Half concept to be an excellent way to embrace change and suspect that it will have a better long-term result than attempting change with an all-or-nothing approach.
SteveinMN
5-28-12, 12:34pm
Excellent post, AmeliaJean! I have to admit to not approaching changes like that by "halves", but it's a simple, workable approach ("Do I want to eat that bun or would I rather have a few french fries?").
One thing I've found useful is in occasionally taking stock of where I am while I'm making a change. When I decided to generate less garbage, I beat myself up some for buying non-recyclable packaging for some reason other than "that's the only way this product comes". But when I opened my cupboard one day and saw that buying in bulk and buying for recycling had transformed my shelves, I was encouraged to do even more. Imagine how much easier it would have been to just make sure that half of what I bought was necessary/recyclable, and then half of the remainder, and then half of that....
Originally posted by Creaker.
Even smoking - it's not the best choice, but cutting it by half is a big improvement over not changing at all.Yes, absolutely. I did this before tempting an all out quit. What a psychological boost, buying cigarettes at less-frequent intervals, knowing your effort is working.
I have been thinking about this post all day and it really has helped me with food, and around the house. Less couch potatoing. Fold at least one basket of clothes, etc. I have also been thinking about Wabi Sabi a lot and have relaxed and felt calmer all day. (this is from another forum discussion)
It's a great option - I think we do way too much "either-or" thinking about what we do. Vegetarianism is a good example - endless wrangling over being either-or, very little discussion on just eating less meat. Even smoking - it's not the best choice, but cutting it by half is a big improvement over not changing at all.
I agree, too. One of my favorite quotes is by the Buddhist Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh--a vegetarian of course--who says "Even eating LESS meat is a miracle."
I think labeling yourself and feeling you have to live up to the label is very limiting and counterproductive.
Neat thread!
I think so, too. It's a great concept, one that I forget about and like to be reminded of periodically.
My convent-raised grandmother used to intone "Things done by halves are never done right." I beg to differ. If I couldn't work in short bursts, nothing would ever get done. I define "short attention span."
AmeliaJane
5-28-12, 11:08pm
The funny thing is, I have been doing things like cutting the fat in recipes by half for ages, but I never thought to look at the bigger picture until recently. I don't like to be critical of the all-in approach, since many people do very well with it, but I realized that when we get into all-or-nothing thinking, we eliminate a whole lot of possibilities for success for those for whom "all" isn't the right choice either. I have a friend who is a clinical psychologist who was talking about the power of positive reinforcement for behavior change. Embracing "half" can be a way to set myself up to succeed and get excited about doing more instead of guilty for not meeting goals.
Sagewoman
5-29-12, 11:01pm
Great post. I'm thinking of how it can apply to other things, too. I often avoid doing things because I don't have time. Like weeding, for instance. But if I define an area and just do half, I might have time to do it. I'm into decluttering now. There are some things I don't want to get rid of. But if I got rid of half of a number of things, I'd just be keeping the stuff that's most important. Thanks for the idea.
Tussiemussies
5-29-12, 11:11pm
Since I've been on Weight Watchers for the last year my portion sizes are much,much less than what I used to eat. When we go out to eat on Saturdays I only eat half of my dinner and bring the other half home. DH and I are vagatarians so we've cut all meat and for me seafood, milk and cooked eggs out of our diets.
Keep up the great work AmeliaJane!!
'The Power of Half' strikes me as a really good idea! So often, self-improvement involves an all-or-nothing approach that fails. Thank you - I'm going to try this out with some big, sometimes overwhelming and frustrating goals.
Great post. I'm thinking of how it can apply to other things, too. I often avoid doing things because I don't have time. Like weeding, for instance. But if I define an area and just do half, I might have time to do it. I'm into decluttering now. There are some things I don't want to get rid of. But if I got rid of half of a number of things, I'd just be keeping the stuff that's most important. Thanks for the idea.
Sagewman, is that you? Welcome back, I always appreciated your posts.
Hi Aqua Blue! Yes, it's me. Thanks for the welcome back! I may not be around much, but will check in from time to time. It's great to see (read) everyone. As you can see, I'm still decluttering :|(
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