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.