I’m watching my weight.
Three things happened to me at about the same time to make this happen.
First, Doyce wrote one of the best weight-control and fit-eating and sane-dieting posts I’ve ever read. No screeds about Donut Nazis, or how Atkins Was God, or Dammit I Like Fries, or about how Eating Grass and Rocks Will Make You Live Three Days Longer.
No, the bottom line: Pay attention to what you eat. And, well, eat reasonably. Don’t go back for seconds. Don’t gorge. But don’t starve yourself, either. Stuff like that. But most of all, be aware.
The post included this open letter:
Dear America-in-General:
What the hell are you doing?
Carb-counting bagels…
Low-carb ice cream…
Bunless burgers.
Christ on a Crutch.
Look, it’s really not that hard; order one burger, order a six-inch sub instead of a foot, replace white bread with whole wheat, consume less sugar, be aware that a regular side of fries has 100 more calories than the rest of the damn meal, combined – and stay away from fad diets. In fact, stay away from any diet and accept the fact that you need to eat well for the rest of your life instead of thinking a few weeks of ketosis starvation will make up for years of sleep-eating.
Just. Fucking. Wake-up.
And when you do buy Ben and Jerry’s, get the full-fat, high-carb variety and enjoy it. Better yet, share it with your friends. Enjoy yourself — just be… present in your own lives.
Remarkable. Inspirational, even.
(I am reminded, in Niven and Pournelle’s Inferno, how the Circle of Gluttons also included those who dieted to extreme. The sin is not over-eating per se, but the misuse of God’s bounty, and dwelling too much on food, to the exclusion of Better Things. You can do that by obsessing on diet as much as you can by neglecting it.)
Second, Margie started going to the gym. Which I think is just too swell for words. It’s not anything within my cosmos of activities to pursue at present, but I have nothing but respect and admiration for her for doing so.
Third … well, you’d think it would be something else profound. Lent, perhaps?
Well, no. I was working on the photo album, and ran across this gem. Vanity is often a better motivator than piety.
So, I’m watching things. I’m being aware. I’ve been using the little Palm program that Doyce uses, RMRDiet. I’m also playing with a program called BalanceLog, which is a scosh pricier, but has both a PC and a Palm version (that sync together).
The idea is not to micromanage, or unduly deny myself of food, glorious food. It’s not to be one of those annoying people who bug out their eyes when you order something that has fat, sugar, carbs, or taste in it. It is, as Doyce put it, to be aware. To know where I am, what I’m eating, how it compares. It’s to stop being willfully unaware of what I’m putting in my body, and how it affects my weight (and photogeneity).
I’ve actually put in a weight goal. A very, slow, modest one, but one which, if I make it, will make me a lot happier. I’m weighing in at 238 at the present — though that’s on the bathroom scale, and it implies I’ve lost 11 pounds since last November, which seems unlikely. On the other hand, it’s an index to start from.
We’ll see.
And, who knows — I might be looking at a New Year’s Resolution being actually fulfilled for once.
Yayyyyyyy!
If you can, throw in a minimum of 20 minutes of brisk walking at least three times a week, too. I know, I know, that’s another hour out of your too crowded week, but it’s completely worth it.
It burns extra calories which helps with the weight drop. Even more importantly, it also drops your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, too.
A new study also indicates improved cognitive abilities, probably because walking improves circulation and gets more blood to the brain.
Vanity? Did I hear vanity? Did I mention firming the tushie? Oh yes, walking–especially if you do it on hills (or, when you get more fit, steps) will propel you towards a bubble butt. Not that women ever look at men’s, uh,,derrières. No. Not ever.
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
Heh.
I hold a certain measure of comfort that I walk at lunch, though not as far and as much as I’d prefer to. Something to consider.
And thanks for the support. 🙂
Hey, if I can do it, so can you. 45 pounds and counting, as you know.
While I’m using Weight Watchers, what that really entails is a lifestyle change. Admit it, commit to it. Simply learning portion control goes a long, long way to making a difference.
I also cut crap like soda out of my diet. I was a 2-3 can of Pepsi sort of guy before this; now, I’m loving simple water.
I think what’s been most startling are the various calorie counts of various things I’d been eating.
Which, in some cases, I will continue to eat — but less often, or less of it, or at least be aware when I am, and adjust the rest of my day accordingly.
I rarely had more than 2 or 3 cans of soda at a pop (so to speak) — except when I was gaming, in which case it was a matter of keeping something cold and wet in front of me. Oh, and a couple at lunch each day. (See how easy it is to be unawares?) So now Pepsi One is my friend. One “regular” soda now and again? No prob. Chugging ’em down like water? Prob.
Yes, more water would do me good, too.
I gave up sugar (as in sweets etc, not fruit or in things like bread) for Lent again. One really good thing is that after Lent ends I’m much less likely to consume sugary things. And I’ve realize how often I eat sugar because I’m board. Not a good habit. You go, Dave!
Thanks.
Good luck with this all Dave! I’ve started trying to do something about my weight as well. I joined Curves a little over a month ago. I’ve been working out a minimum of 3 days a week, trying to really go 4 days. I had my first weigh and measure session since I started today. I’m down 3 lbs and 5.50 total inches. I guess that’s good….so they tell me at anyrate. I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m happy to be trying. I’ve also cut out the majority of soda from my diet. I’ve cut back to 2 cans a day, and I only drink diet now. Hopefully, I can stay on track.
Jeez … gamers without soda … what’s the world coming to …?
Heh. Kim jokes we have the healthiest-fed gamers in the world. Good thing our group doesn’t mind. 🙂
Well, we’ve been the most well-fed gamers for some time. It’s not all been chips and beer and soda, of course, but there’s always been a lot of it.
And I suspect there will continue to be.
On the other hand — and strike me dead for admitting it — I’m finding the Quaker Oats flavored rice cakes to be plenty salty snacks for my gaming pleasure. As long as I’m not paying attention to my sodium, they should be a decent supplement for nibbling.
We’ve long been well-fed — not just chip and soda, but snack foods (courtesy Margie) both rich and healthy. I suspect that will continue, but the proportion of snacking in-game I do that’s Quaker rice cakes will likely go up.
I too was impressed when Randy breought over the little rice cakes. I still remember wow bad they were (except if you could put jam/jelly on them) back when I was growing up. I enjoy them quite a bit over the usual chips and such.
I’m not sure I’d go that far, but it’s proof that if you slather on enough salty-cheesey powder, even cardboard tastes good. As long as I’m not watching my sodium (which, at present, I’m not — baby steps, after all, and I don’t have a BP problem currently), it’s a decent enough substitute.
I don’t expect I’ll be giving up chips altogether, but …
(Goldfish are good, too, and relatively not-bad for you.)