Losing weight is probably the most difficult thing a person can do, especially if the intention is t make it a permanent loss. I've lost weight on many occasions and on an equal number of occasions put it back on again. Talk about yo-yo dieting or what, in fact the name yo-yo should be replaced by dieter. I am a dieter in a broad sense of the word. Faced with a choice between a piece of toast and a bacon butty put in front of me, the bacon butty would be gobbled up in no time. This is why I am overweight now and bordering on obese. Which by the way may isn't really so fat when you are at that level at all. It's only a skinny person who can recognise an obese person, obese people just feel overweight not obese. So given I belong to the group of dieters who do up and down I am just as worthy of putting some tips on weight loss as the next person. And certainly more so than may of the self sanctimonious people who think they are professionals. Because if you haven't been there and walked a mile in my fat shoes then you're asking for a slap in the face, with my fat hand.
To lose weight successfully means recognising it is a life style change and it is something which will have to be watched every single day of your life. Because those get fat quick biscuits are always going to be on the supermarket shelf, therefore it is a matter of realising you can't pick them up. But the best thing you can do is avoid them like a vampire would avoid garlic, don't walk down the biscuit aisle ever. Further to take this attitude and internalise it you should understand your body doesn't need as much as you think it does to survive food wise. Except eating food can become a pleasure, except again when that pleasure is over indulged you get fat. Sometimes it is necessary to actually not eat at all or to be so frugal with what you eat you learn again what it is to taste and not to gobble. Food savoured in your mouth because you have earned the right to eat it is so much more delicious than because you have a large plate of it in front of you and it has to go down as quickly as possible in order to give you a full up belly feeling, and the contentment it has. Oddly I've found this full up belly feeling can come with a smaller portion. Without doubt mental attitude must come first and one way of reinforcing this attitude is to think of the reasons why your weight should be less than what it is now.
Obesity equates to illness, diabetes is the primary pain, then there is liver disease, then there is not so much the fact of illness but the inability to move about. To pick things up, find the right clothes or clothes which are big enough. Or there could be the future thought of repeated visits to a doctor or hospital because of a multitude of ailments associated with weight. How much more painful it is being heavy on your joints than it would be if you weighed less. Bodily wear and tear is a slow killer, so it is with being fat. A slow lingering death can be on the cards. If this is not good enough reason to lose weight then consider family, friends and people you love. To stay around longer just so you can be a help to them. My grand daughter Princess J is the most precious happy little girl in my world, I love her to bits and I would love to be around to see her get married and even be a great grand dad to her children. My close as can be daughter Rock Chick who is a wonderful girl bringing up a wonderful family with a wonderful partner. I can only be of help if I am around and able to support them. Just as Sparkling Eyes is the love of my life I need to look after myself for her as well. When I think of these reasons my mental attitude towards losing weight strengthens, even if I am still fat it's getting into the right frame of mind which will help me get somewhere.
So I've lost a couple of pounds in a couple of weeks, it might not be much but it is in the right direction, just think of how long it took to get as fat as you are now and the realisation is, it creeps up on you like an unrelenting but successful fat ninja. Here are my tips.
1. One pound in weight is about 3000 calories, understand losing weight is a slow and long term process don't take fortitude from losing more than two pounds in a week. In fact my personal belief is you should aim for one pound a week.
2. Exercise is necessary, even if you don't like it, it has to be done. But it does not have to be crazy stuff, there is nothing wrong with gentle exercise, walking is good. Yoga at home anything at all, even getting out in the garden for a couple of hours as long as it is physical and not sitting on your backside. Try to do something every single day not just at weekends. Don't strain yourself but do dedicate yourself to it.
3. Reduce the amount you eat. This is definitely easier said than done, but you will notice a difference and after the first couple of weeks get used to it. When going to work I used to make two sandwiches, this was four slices of bread with filling. Now I have only one sandwich. I endeavour to sit down and eat it slower than I would normally eat it. Over a month of home made sandwiches my lunchtime meals are now much easier to cope with.
4. Occasional treats. Allow yourself to have the odd treat at least once if not twice a week. For being on a strict diet is not fun, this weight loss regime is looking at the long run not short gains. If you have a bad day and eat or drink too much, then punish yourself by having a day of frugality. Eating as little as you possibly can. This does not have to be then next day but if you can fit it in within the same week it will keep you on track again.
5. Steer clear of those things which you know are going to be no good for you in the long run. However if you need a treat go ahead break the diet and give yourself a treat and then return back to your diet. It is OK to have temporary breaks you are not out to do this in a single day, you are looking at months and months into the future.
6. Take a note of your weight, do this either once a week or once every two weeks, write it down on a piece of paper. You will need to come back to this and know the weight is dropping off, but do not under any circumstances look for a quick weight loss fix, in the end these never work.
7. Be conscious of your size and weight in everything you do. Keep an eye on your figure in the mirror, when going to bed be conscious of how much your body sinks into the mattress. When walking up stairs feel the strain of carrying those extra pounds. Accept you are heavy and accept now you are doing something about it.
8. Stick to set meal times and don't snack. I always have a slice of toast for breakfast and then do not eat again for four to five hours.
9. Be gentle with yourself, you will get there, this is about perseverance, your life and the rest of your life, there will be slips, but like a boomerang return again to the diet. You can do it.
10. Understand food, look at sugars, calories, fats, learn to cook from fresh and take time cooking. Be aware of hidden substances in processed foods, as the philosophers say, both knowledge and education give freedom. The freedom to choose and freedom to not follow the crowd.
It has nearly taken me a year to lose a stone in weight, it is July and I anticipate by August to be just a little bit more lighter than I am now and about one stone plus a little on last year. My trousers and jeans are feeling less stretched than they used to and I'm healthier, I try to take the stairs whenever I can, and set aside time each day as part of my day to walk part of the journey to work. After all I want to live a longer life and this is a long term pursuit. I now do my best not to have sitting at home days where I do very little at all. It is tough and slow going, but progress is being made.
So the question is: To blubber or not to blubber?
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