Thinner
I'm currently trying to lose the weight that I put on when I was pregnant.
Yes, I know that my daughter Emily will be nineteen in August, but I've been busy, okay? Anyway, it isn't easy, this losing weight thing.
I've never been vastly overweight: in general, my weight stays about the same at Too Many Stones Too Many Pounds: it doesn't go up or down much, though I've always been heavier than doctors expect, because of my broad European-Peasant back.
If I happened to be a couple of stones heavier, perhaps I'd be more determined about it. I've never gone down the Weight Watchers route, probably because of an arrogant and entirely false presumption that I can do this on my own.
Once, in 1984, after our first baby was born prematurely and died age three weeks, I was incredibly anaemic and just couldn't eat - I didn't eat for two months. Yes, really! I lost LOTS of weight: and, much to my annoyance, was still only down to a size 12 at the end of it. Though I think size 12 is honestly too thin for me - I shall spare you the horrors of a description of how I looked, though it's true that my skin was a tasteful shade of pale green.
At the beginning of last year I worked really hard to lose weight and get fit - - and then the Communist was taken into hospital and any spare time went on visiting him and I didn't have time or energy to exercise much and lived on a diet of hospital sandwiches.
So now I'm trying again.
The trouble is, if I am cheerful I eat. If I am miserable I comfort-eat: though, because I have Type 2 diabetes, I don't actually comfort-eat that much any more, because sense kicks in after two chocolate biscuits. (Dr Thomas Stuttaford, writing in The Times yesterday, felt obliged to point out that Type 2 diabetes takes an average of fifteen years off life expectancy. Thanks, mate, you made my weekend).
If I feel stressed, I just can't eat anything much. And this, you would think, would be helpful in losing weight, at least: but it doesn't seem to be. I think my body goes "Hey! Famine!" and starts conserving every calorie.
I do eat masses of fruit and quite a lot of vegetables: it's a rare day when I don't eat my five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. I like almost all fruit and veg, which helps.
But clearly I'm eating just that bit too much of everything else. And I know that - for me, at least - counting every calorie just won't work - I'd get bored of it in less than a week. So I'm trying to change my habits so I eat permanently just a bit less at every meal. It's not WHAT I eat, with me, it's HOW MUCH.
It's not easy, though. Food is so much tied in with emotions, for me, and I expect it is for almost everyone. Come on, say slim people, the answer is obvious. If you're fat, then eat less food.
Clearly, it's not that simple - our appetites are so tied in with our minds, not just our stomachs.
I'm only brave enough to write this as I've already lost a few pounds. We'll see how it goes.
Yes, I know that my daughter Emily will be nineteen in August, but I've been busy, okay? Anyway, it isn't easy, this losing weight thing.
I've never been vastly overweight: in general, my weight stays about the same at Too Many Stones Too Many Pounds: it doesn't go up or down much, though I've always been heavier than doctors expect, because of my broad European-Peasant back.
If I happened to be a couple of stones heavier, perhaps I'd be more determined about it. I've never gone down the Weight Watchers route, probably because of an arrogant and entirely false presumption that I can do this on my own.
Once, in 1984, after our first baby was born prematurely and died age three weeks, I was incredibly anaemic and just couldn't eat - I didn't eat for two months. Yes, really! I lost LOTS of weight: and, much to my annoyance, was still only down to a size 12 at the end of it. Though I think size 12 is honestly too thin for me - I shall spare you the horrors of a description of how I looked, though it's true that my skin was a tasteful shade of pale green.
At the beginning of last year I worked really hard to lose weight and get fit - - and then the Communist was taken into hospital and any spare time went on visiting him and I didn't have time or energy to exercise much and lived on a diet of hospital sandwiches.
So now I'm trying again.
The trouble is, if I am cheerful I eat. If I am miserable I comfort-eat: though, because I have Type 2 diabetes, I don't actually comfort-eat that much any more, because sense kicks in after two chocolate biscuits. (Dr Thomas Stuttaford, writing in The Times yesterday, felt obliged to point out that Type 2 diabetes takes an average of fifteen years off life expectancy. Thanks, mate, you made my weekend).
If I feel stressed, I just can't eat anything much. And this, you would think, would be helpful in losing weight, at least: but it doesn't seem to be. I think my body goes "Hey! Famine!" and starts conserving every calorie.
I do eat masses of fruit and quite a lot of vegetables: it's a rare day when I don't eat my five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. I like almost all fruit and veg, which helps.
But clearly I'm eating just that bit too much of everything else. And I know that - for me, at least - counting every calorie just won't work - I'd get bored of it in less than a week. So I'm trying to change my habits so I eat permanently just a bit less at every meal. It's not WHAT I eat, with me, it's HOW MUCH.
It's not easy, though. Food is so much tied in with emotions, for me, and I expect it is for almost everyone. Come on, say slim people, the answer is obvious. If you're fat, then eat less food.
Clearly, it's not that simple - our appetites are so tied in with our minds, not just our stomachs.
I'm only brave enough to write this as I've already lost a few pounds. We'll see how it goes.
posted by Daphne at 1:09 pm
4 Comments:
I find weight-loss talk really alarming, as it happens. But I suppose that as long as you DO eat when you're HUNGRY it's ok... denying yourself food at a meal but allowing yourself a snack if you are actually hungry half an hour later.
Dieting is proven to be bad for you. Fitness is proven to be good for you.
Welcome to my world! We'll have a heart to heart talk someday when I cross the pond again. I abhor veg and most fruit. I'm a happy eater, problem with that? I'm always happy!!! I went to Weight Watchers last time I was over there and was confused by their program book. You see, your foods all have different names than ours. Corgette? Aubergine? Swede? Oh my indeed, we don't have those. Imagine the distress of my WW leader over there when I told her I substitued a jammy dodger for a fruit! It made sense in my world! Long live Mr. Kipling!
Don't you just love generalisations ?
I'd love to see where dieting was proven to be bad for you. Maybe on the McDonald's Menu.
Of course it's such a general term that when asked if I (follow a) diet, I truthfully say no as I imagine the person asking the question is talking about specific named diets, like Atkins, South Beach, WW or Jenny Craig etc.
I (try to) eat healthily - small balanced meals, 5 fruits and veg and so on but I don't diet as such.
But that's just my choice and plenty of others need the routine and regimen of a recognised diet to follow along with the support of family, friends and others on the same diet.
No way is that bad for anyone.
Good luck with it, I know from personal experience that it's hard and results don't happen overnight. Worth it in the end though.
So many small things I might think of:
Try and have smaller portions
Drink more water (to fill up)
Do a bit more walking/exercise, etc
Try and eat the majority of your food in the day (i.e. breakfast or lunchtime) rather than evening when it can't be burnt off.
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