Back on the wagon

[tinyjo]

I'm back doing Weight watchers again. I might try to post more thoughts about it (I don't know how many I have) but since I didn't really like having them in a separate journal in the end but doubt that many of you are interested, I've decided to just lj-cut them as a compromise. I've no plans to post trackers again, so here is the best place for it from my point of view.

At the meeting today, Val was talking about going back to the basics of the diet, before you even get to the points counting and thinking about how we're doing and where we might need to give ourselves a boost. So you have

1) Healthy eating: This is probably my best area. I eat a varied and balanced diet and because I cook most of my meals, get a fairly reasonable sugar/salt intake. I also don't snack much, although this has increased a bit recently. I've started eating processed food for lunch more recently (Slimfast pastas), which is not great. I could also stand to drink more water and less alcohol. On balance though, I think this is probably my strongest area.

2) Group support: I've just come back from taking a break from meetings but this wasn't because I thought I could diet without it, just that I needed to take a break from the diet all together. I've got my mini support group of my Mum (who is also dieting but is more easily discouraged than me) and Alex (who isn't dieting but keeps an eye on me and tries to get me to be good) and of course, I've got you lot. This is pretty close behind healthy eating as a good area.

3) Behaviour change: This is somewhere that some serious backsliding has taken place. I go through periods of doing very well of changing my habits on things like picking and social eating, but sooner or later, I slip back into my old ways. At the moment, I'm back into a lot of habits which aren't helping me out. I think this is my worst area.

4) Exercise: This is something which I used to be quite good about and then lost again. I enjoyed going to the gym, but ended up feeling like if I didn't go every lunchtime I wasn't getting my money's worth and going every lunchtime was annoying because it meant having no lunchtime. Also, I didn't really go to the classes - after the combat class finished there weren't any which really appealed. Perhaps I just need to accept that keeping fit is expensive. I've got vague plans to get my own equipment and put it in the shed but that's a long term thing after we get the house. I still cycle, so I'm not doing nothing but I need to come up with a sustainable plan for doing more. Probably 2nd worst.

My current plan is to focus on one area each week and pick a goal related to that to help me improve it. Starting where I need most work then, behaviour change, I'm going to try not to eat anyone else's food. This means no finishing up other peoples chips or stealing chips or bites from Alex's food. No eating the leftovers from client buffets in the kitchens at work. Also, no partaking in communal crisps (although should I find myself in a location where there are communal points free options, those are OK). We'll see how I get on...

Comments

admiration levels = high

[vinaigrettegirl.livejournal.com]

As a Slough-of-Despond-overweight person, I say: go, you. The only thing about your list of weak points which I don't really understand is about finishing other people's food. You need not answerthis question here, but what is that about?

I have read of mothers putting on weight by finishing the kiddo's food, and I did that about twice when Child was new because I was so exhausted and hungry that if I didn't stoke up right that minute I'd have fallen over, but it's never been a habit. In fact, it strikes me as a bit on the ick-factor side, for lots of TMI reasons.

Is it that you don't like seeing good food go to waste? This is where you need to keep small fowl or a few chickens, or find friends who do so, and put client buffet leftovers into the seething mash pot. The you can feel good about eating the eggs later.

Or get a wormery: good for all cooked non-meat items.

But good luck at it anyway. You inspire me.

[deslea.livejournal.com]

Running out the door here, but this rocks. Really. I love the way you've broken this down here. Good luck, etc...

incoherently harriedly yours, Deslea

Fancy an exercise buddy?

[t--m--i.livejournal.com]

How about a short run Monday evenings (or what/when ever, I am open to haggling)? I could do with a bit more of the old motion. In fact you would be doing *me* a favour.

I've certainly been there with the weight/health stuff and have records to prove it ;) You have my sympathy, it's like giving up smoking only worse.

[white_hart]

Good luck with it. I think you've come up with a pretty sound analysis, and I'd agree with you that changing habits is key. It took me a long time to realise that I really needed to do something about my weight, because I always ate incredibly healthily (lots of fruit and veg, cooking everything from scratch, taking my own lunch to work, not a lot of sweet things) and had been exercising regularly (2-3 times per week) for years. Unfortunately, I was probably eating about half as much again as I should have been - it may well have been healthy, but also led to weight problems. To lose weight, I didn't have to change what I ate, just how much - but that's something I've successfully internalised so that I haven't gone back to giant portions. Identifying your weak points is half the battle, I'm sure.

Re: Fancy an exercise buddy?

[tinyjo.livejournal.com]

That's actually not a bad idea. Where would we do it, do you think? Monday is actually a pretty good day for me, either after work, or later on.

[tinyjo.livejournal.com]

Thanks! A good half of it is from Val, but I'm hoping that doing a bit of extra work on the ideas behind it on my own will bear extra fruit.

Finishing other peoples food.

[tinyjo.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid for me, it's just that I'm greedy. If there's food there I find myself thinking "ooh, that looks nice" or "I wonder what that tastes like" even if it's someone's luke warm chips.

I find it very difficult to distract myself from food when it's right in front of me - I can often resist ordering chips at the bar and then when someone else does, I end up nicking some of theirs but not counting the calories (on the old "you paid for them, your calories" rule :) ).

The worst tends to be in the pub when there are lots of people ordering dinners and leaving bits and then buying crisps and nuts and leaving them out for everyone. At home, I'm not so bad, partly because I don't do enormous portions so there aren't any leftovers generally. I eat a lot faster than Alex though and it's quite common for me to nick one mouthful of his when I've finished mine (only one though).

In a lot of ways, I could be described as addicted to food. I love the sensation of smelling, tasting, eating food and when there's any there I find it very difficult to resist, no matter what it is.

I like the chicken idea, but suspect that Cassie would eat it :)

But good luck at it anyway. You inspire me.

Wow! Thanks - I've never really thought of myself as having an inspiring life, so I'm suprised but chuffed :)

[tinyjo.livejournal.com]

but that's something I've successfully internalised

This is what tends to be my stumbling block. Intellectually I know that I tend to eat too much, but emotionally/instictively I find it very hard to persuade myself that I really don't need to eat anything more this evening, thanks. I suppose it's possible that I'll always have to work on this conciously - as I said in another comment, in a lot of ways I have addictive behaviours towards food - but I'm hoping that I can internalize at least a little.

Re: Fancy an exercise buddy?

[t--m--i.livejournal.com]

Any time Monday really - got flexitime and transport, me.

[white_hart]

I've never been much of a snacker, probably because it was very much frowned on by my mother when I was growing up, so what I needed to internalise was just a matter of smaller portion sizes. If you like a full plate you can always fill it up with veg/salad.

The other thing I think is really important if you love food and are trying to lose weight is to make sure you have the best quality, tastiest food you possibly can; a small portion of something absolutely lovely is so much more filling than a massive bowl of slop (if I have a not-very-nice meal I usually end up still wanting another one on top of it, however full I am, because I feel cheated of the enjoyment of food).

Re: Finishing other peoples food.

[vinaigrettegirl.livejournal.com]

All self-knowledge is inspiring, and you are a frank person, which is great.

Re other people's food, just think: all that spit. I think I'll just leave it.

That only leaves Alex's food to hold off from, and you can just get up and futz around in the kitchen for a split-second whilst he has another bite, and before you know it that habit will go, too.

:-) But oh, I know about that food thing: I too, I too. Smell, taste, texture, visuals... but then, there are all those really nasty chemicals in bar foodie pretzelly things, which do taste bad, and all those roast chicken pictures in mags are actually tinted with bootpolish, and, and, and...

Heard once on a BR-as-was train, varying carriage to carriage: Stale sandwiches, STALE and curlin' at the edges.../LOVELY fresh sandwiches, just cut in the kitchen this morning..../STALE sandwiches. 'orrible old bits of bread and meatpaste.... (useful mantra for avoiding old client bug=ffet lunch sandwiches) :-)