Been slack in updating this blog. Things still going well. I've had one blip - a couple of days of overeating last weekend which I couldnt really avoid. Otherwise everything is well. I'll make some new posts soon.
Last update : 29 Jan 223 lbs
Today's weigh in : 13 Feb 216 lbs
Under the 100 kg mark - yeehaa!! (I danced around the scale at the gym when that happened lol )
Saturday, 13 February 2010
Monday, 1 February 2010
Working and weight loss
I've recently been thinking about work. I'm not working at the moment, so part of each day is spent in the slog of applying for jobs and trying to make my CV stand out from the crowd. It's tough. And yet ... there's a part of me that fears actually finding a job and going back to work.
This part of me thinks about the previous jobs I've had. For 15 years I've worked in the I.T. industry, so most of the jobs have been office based, sitting in front of a computer screen. Any exercise I've done in that time I've had to do outside of work. So I've joined gyms on and off for those 15 years. And has it made any difference? No. I've been overweight for those last 15 years.
One of my problems at work has been snacking. I've snacked a lot at work over the years. Chocolate, crisps, cake - whatever's been to hand. I'll snack out of boredom (nothing much to do) or from stress (too much to do). Sometimes I'll snack just to give myself some "energy" when I'm faced with a big piece of work ahead.
I also think about lunchtimes. I havent worked in an office with a canteen for a while, so most of the time I will go out and get a sandwich at a local cafe. What is a sandwich? Two slices of carbohydrate. In between meat or fish - usually covered in a high-fat mayo. I have a sweet tooth, so I'd also need "something sweet" (say a piece of cake) to finish off my meal.
Contrast this to now. Now I can eat exactly what I like for lunch. Maybe that's a pork chop , a few small potatoes and lots of green veg. I can also avoid snacking. If I'm stressed (or bored) I can leave the job application to one side and do something more enjoyable for a while. If I need to I can go and lie down on the bed until I'm ready to go again.
The other thing is exercise. When I was working I'd rush off to the gym in the morning before work (I hate exercising in the evenings). I'd get there, hit the machines for half an hour, rush out and then have breakfast in the cafe at the gym. Usually this would be a large helping of toast and jam. I'd then get to work exhausted. Blood sugar would drop because of the breakfast and I'd end up snacking by the time it was 10:30 or 11.
Now I can go to the gym after I've digested my breakfast. I can work out for an hour or more, take my time in the shower and then go home after. Yes I feel tired but it's a good tired. If I need a siesta later in the day I can have it.
Now I know I know - I dont have a choice. I have to work to earn money. But I also know this. If someone said to me "Dont work for six months, and I promise that at the end of that time that I will make you thin", then I would give up work. It would be worth it. Regardless of whether it meant a few personal sacrifices on the way.
The fact is, I've been fat for almost the whole of my adult life. What's a few months in the grand scheme of things?
I also need to think about what type of work it is I do . Is an office job something I should be doing? Is it an environment that makes me overweight? Now I know in the current economic climate - where I cant afford to be too choosy - I may not be able to get anything else. However is continuing to be overweight a price I'm prepared to pay? No it isnt. So finding a different type of work may be something I have to do for myself.
This part of me thinks about the previous jobs I've had. For 15 years I've worked in the I.T. industry, so most of the jobs have been office based, sitting in front of a computer screen. Any exercise I've done in that time I've had to do outside of work. So I've joined gyms on and off for those 15 years. And has it made any difference? No. I've been overweight for those last 15 years.
One of my problems at work has been snacking. I've snacked a lot at work over the years. Chocolate, crisps, cake - whatever's been to hand. I'll snack out of boredom (nothing much to do) or from stress (too much to do). Sometimes I'll snack just to give myself some "energy" when I'm faced with a big piece of work ahead.
I also think about lunchtimes. I havent worked in an office with a canteen for a while, so most of the time I will go out and get a sandwich at a local cafe. What is a sandwich? Two slices of carbohydrate. In between meat or fish - usually covered in a high-fat mayo. I have a sweet tooth, so I'd also need "something sweet" (say a piece of cake) to finish off my meal.
Contrast this to now. Now I can eat exactly what I like for lunch. Maybe that's a pork chop , a few small potatoes and lots of green veg. I can also avoid snacking. If I'm stressed (or bored) I can leave the job application to one side and do something more enjoyable for a while. If I need to I can go and lie down on the bed until I'm ready to go again.
The other thing is exercise. When I was working I'd rush off to the gym in the morning before work (I hate exercising in the evenings). I'd get there, hit the machines for half an hour, rush out and then have breakfast in the cafe at the gym. Usually this would be a large helping of toast and jam. I'd then get to work exhausted. Blood sugar would drop because of the breakfast and I'd end up snacking by the time it was 10:30 or 11.
Now I can go to the gym after I've digested my breakfast. I can work out for an hour or more, take my time in the shower and then go home after. Yes I feel tired but it's a good tired. If I need a siesta later in the day I can have it.
Now I know I know - I dont have a choice. I have to work to earn money. But I also know this. If someone said to me "Dont work for six months, and I promise that at the end of that time that I will make you thin", then I would give up work. It would be worth it. Regardless of whether it meant a few personal sacrifices on the way.
The fact is, I've been fat for almost the whole of my adult life. What's a few months in the grand scheme of things?
I also need to think about what type of work it is I do . Is an office job something I should be doing? Is it an environment that makes me overweight? Now I know in the current economic climate - where I cant afford to be too choosy - I may not be able to get anything else. However is continuing to be overweight a price I'm prepared to pay? No it isnt. So finding a different type of work may be something I have to do for myself.
Friday, 29 January 2010
Weigh In
Weighed in today. I forgot to mention that two weeks ago I discovered that my home scales were 4-5 lb light. I thought at the start of the month I was 16st 5 : but in fact I was 16st 10! So my "plateau" weight was more like 16 1/2 - 17 stone.
I'm now using the gym scales instead and weighing in Friday mornings. They're in kilos but that's OK.
Starting weight : (Jan 4th) 106 kg (234)
Weight today : (Jan 29th) 101 kg (223)
Woohoo! I honestly dont think I could have done any better than that. So I'm very pleased with myself.
I'm now using the gym scales instead and weighing in Friday mornings. They're in kilos but that's OK.
Starting weight : (Jan 4th) 106 kg (234)
Weight today : (Jan 29th) 101 kg (223)
Woohoo! I honestly dont think I could have done any better than that. So I'm very pleased with myself.
Thursday, 28 January 2010
A clothes budget?
When I watch videos of people who are 300 lb or more I wonder what I am worrying about. At my worst (last summer) I have only weighed 240 lb - hardly anything by comparison. But I know I have spent most of my adult life unhappy with my weight. It's maybe not been the same physical problem for me but it's still been a huge mental problem.
I think back to my 20s when I was only 25 lb or so "overweight". What was I worrying about then? I wish I could take that person by the scruff of the neck and tell them to get on with their life. Not to keep thinking about how great life would be if "only" I could lose that little bit of extra weight.
One thing I've always found difficult being overweight has been buying clothes. Even at 225 lb it's really tough to find fitting clothes in the shops. I'm in that sort of "no man's land" between the plus sizes and the department store.
My waist at the moment is 45 inches. Usually on a rack of men's trousers that will give me just one or two pairs that I can try on. Most men's trousers go up to 38 inches or 40. The easiest thing I find is to buy the elasticated pairs of 42 inch chinos and wear those. The situation is worse in "trendy" men's shops. There sizes tend to go up to 36 or 38. That usually leaves me heading straight for the exit.
Tough also when you have the dreaded "moobs". Which I have. Even at my current 225 lbs I find I can't wear most T shirts. Department store sizes generally go up to 42 inch chests (XL). With a chest of 46 inches I'm straining the fabric and every T shirt looks wrong. As a result I have to wear either polo shirts or normal shirts. And even then "fashion" shirts look wrong on me.
I've been lucky that I've never had to use plus size shops or wear baggy sportswear. But it's not much comfort. I know that to feel "free" in a clothes shop I actually have to be at or near my goal weight. And I'm fed up with going into the shops and just feeling depressed at the options.
I look forward to that day I can walk into a clothes shop and buy anything in the store. I look forward to actually having a clothes "budget", instead of buying clothes only when and if I have to. And most of all I look forward to actually looking "smart" and well-dressed in casual clothes. It's going to be one helluva high.
I think back to my 20s when I was only 25 lb or so "overweight". What was I worrying about then? I wish I could take that person by the scruff of the neck and tell them to get on with their life. Not to keep thinking about how great life would be if "only" I could lose that little bit of extra weight.
One thing I've always found difficult being overweight has been buying clothes. Even at 225 lb it's really tough to find fitting clothes in the shops. I'm in that sort of "no man's land" between the plus sizes and the department store.
My waist at the moment is 45 inches. Usually on a rack of men's trousers that will give me just one or two pairs that I can try on. Most men's trousers go up to 38 inches or 40. The easiest thing I find is to buy the elasticated pairs of 42 inch chinos and wear those. The situation is worse in "trendy" men's shops. There sizes tend to go up to 36 or 38. That usually leaves me heading straight for the exit.
Tough also when you have the dreaded "moobs". Which I have. Even at my current 225 lbs I find I can't wear most T shirts. Department store sizes generally go up to 42 inch chests (XL). With a chest of 46 inches I'm straining the fabric and every T shirt looks wrong. As a result I have to wear either polo shirts or normal shirts. And even then "fashion" shirts look wrong on me.
I've been lucky that I've never had to use plus size shops or wear baggy sportswear. But it's not much comfort. I know that to feel "free" in a clothes shop I actually have to be at or near my goal weight. And I'm fed up with going into the shops and just feeling depressed at the options.
I look forward to that day I can walk into a clothes shop and buy anything in the store. I look forward to actually having a clothes "budget", instead of buying clothes only when and if I have to. And most of all I look forward to actually looking "smart" and well-dressed in casual clothes. It's going to be one helluva high.
Saturday, 23 January 2010
Guys blogging about weight loss
In the past I've been against blogging about weight loss. It seemed too personal. After all, the last thing you would want is someone you know in "real life" finding out about it. Or so it seemed. Almost like (I would imagine) being gay and coming out of the closet.
It also seemed - err - well not quite a masculine thing to do. And this feeling was reinforced by the fact I couldnt seem to find any other men who were doing it. I mean, I know that 95% of those losing weight in slimming clubs are women, but -really? - not one other man blogging? When I looked at online discussion forums, it was the same. In the end I gave up and decided to forget about blogging.
This was about a couple of years ago. Fortunately I then discovered some of the weight loss vloggers on YouTube. Particularly those in the Gut2Cut group. I became obsessive for a while about watching some of the guys in the group. It was almost the first time I had listened to any other guy talk about weight loss.
After a while though I got bored. Most of the videos seemed to focus on the details of the weight loss. How many calories they ate, how many times they went to the gym, how much weight they lost. I mean, yes, the numbers are sort of interesting. But what I really wanted to know was - how big a deal is this weight loss for them? And what impact had it had on their life? Particularly with the guys, this was the last thing you got to hear about. Instead, it felt like these people lived entirely in the present. Even after two years of watching Adam (alifelessboring), for instance, I have no idea what made the guy decide to shut himself in an apartment - and scarcely come out of it - for over a year.
So here I am back with the bloggers. And - thank God - there are now loads of guys blogging about weight loss. Many of them - of course - are still skating over their emotional reasons for being fat. But at least they're there. And I'm looking forward to getting to know some of them.
It also seemed - err - well not quite a masculine thing to do. And this feeling was reinforced by the fact I couldnt seem to find any other men who were doing it. I mean, I know that 95% of those losing weight in slimming clubs are women, but -really? - not one other man blogging? When I looked at online discussion forums, it was the same. In the end I gave up and decided to forget about blogging.
This was about a couple of years ago. Fortunately I then discovered some of the weight loss vloggers on YouTube. Particularly those in the Gut2Cut group. I became obsessive for a while about watching some of the guys in the group. It was almost the first time I had listened to any other guy talk about weight loss.
After a while though I got bored. Most of the videos seemed to focus on the details of the weight loss. How many calories they ate, how many times they went to the gym, how much weight they lost. I mean, yes, the numbers are sort of interesting. But what I really wanted to know was - how big a deal is this weight loss for them? And what impact had it had on their life? Particularly with the guys, this was the last thing you got to hear about. Instead, it felt like these people lived entirely in the present. Even after two years of watching Adam (alifelessboring), for instance, I have no idea what made the guy decide to shut himself in an apartment - and scarcely come out of it - for over a year.
So here I am back with the bloggers. And - thank God - there are now loads of guys blogging about weight loss. Many of them - of course - are still skating over their emotional reasons for being fat. But at least they're there. And I'm looking forward to getting to know some of them.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Starting point
This blog is here to record my weight loss journey. However along the way I expect it will become a bit more than that. After all, I'm not overweight just because I eat too much am I? lol. So I will probably talk about the rest of my life too. We'll see how it goes.
I probably should first talk about fundamentals. I'm a 45 year old man, reasonably active, and currently weigh just over 16st. I'd like to lose 3-3 1/2 stone and get under 13 stone. I'm 6 ft tall so that wouldnt be a bad weight to be.
My current goals (next 3 months) are :
1. To get my weight down from my current "plateau" weight range (16 - 16 1/2 stone) and get down to 15st. I know at that weight I'll definitely be able to see changes in my appearance.
2. To increase my stamina and engage with life more.
3. To go on holiday in April and not look like a fat walrus.
No 2 is probably the most important of these. But it's funny how No 1 - the numbers - seems more important.
(No 3 meanwhile is both the carrot and the stick lol )
Let's see how we go.
I probably should first talk about fundamentals. I'm a 45 year old man, reasonably active, and currently weigh just over 16st. I'd like to lose 3-3 1/2 stone and get under 13 stone. I'm 6 ft tall so that wouldnt be a bad weight to be.
My current goals (next 3 months) are :
1. To get my weight down from my current "plateau" weight range (16 - 16 1/2 stone) and get down to 15st. I know at that weight I'll definitely be able to see changes in my appearance.
2. To increase my stamina and engage with life more.
3. To go on holiday in April and not look like a fat walrus.
No 2 is probably the most important of these. But it's funny how No 1 - the numbers - seems more important.
(No 3 meanwhile is both the carrot and the stick lol )
Let's see how we go.
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