Wednesday 28 October 2009

What's your type?

Picture your perfect mate... And your dream holiday? We all know our type - right down to the finest details, don't we? Now imagine your ideal diet. A bit fuzzy, isn't it?

This thought came to me while thinking about my recent dieting failures...

There was that time I decided to do low-carb... Forget Atkins' heart attack or the fact that last time I went on it I ended up with kidney infections - I lost a whopping 8 stone on it! My love affair with meat ended quickly as I soon re-discovered the joys of 'meat breath'.

Or when I got in touch with my Independent Woman by joining the Maple Syrup diet brigade. Try that one my friends and you'll never quite look at Aunt Jemima the same way again.

And my self-designed free flow diet where I could eat all I wanted as long as I exercised for an hour a day. Great until you strain a muscle...

The final straw was the public humiliation, I mean weigh-in, at my local weight loss club...

These types of plans might work for some people but I can say with certainty that they don't work for me. When it comes to your health, forget the Princess Diana act. You need to be a bit selfish and realise that not all diets address your individual issues, personality or lifestyle.

And therein lies the problem for me...

I just can't conform. And I guess I'm slightly envious of those who can as it must make life less of a struggle. You know I wish I was able to just go with the flow or be a celeb-type (read anorexic) who couldn't give a damn about eating real food... But I do.

As for exercise, I know that - at least for the first few weeks - I need to get the eating under control before jumping the proverbial - and literal pool.

Basically - I need a plan that can be accurately described as a regime... Not a bread and water dictatorship, per se but certainly one featuring a bit of self-inflicted tough love.

Tuesday 27 October 2009

Recipe of the Week



Like anybody food posessed, I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen. But I don't think I'll ever be completely ready to hang up my apron. Which is a good thing as it was not cooking that made me fat... It was cooking the wrong foods (and eating too much of them).
By studying the weight watchers points lists - including the all important zero point foods - I hope to put together some great breakfasts, lunches and dinners which won't break even the tightest points balance.

From time to time I hope to post my successful recipes on here. They might not fall into haute cuisine but they will be low fat, low calorie and low point foods.

Monday 26 October 2009

The lessor of two evils


Since giving up smoking last December, my weight has crept up... In the way an elephant creeps, of course. Now don't get me wrong - I was by no means a skinny minny to start with!

Yes, kids... Although smokers are - on the whole - slimmer than non-smokers, we're not all Kate Moss. For me, poor fitness combined with regular, long journeys and visits with non-smokers resulted in me going through withdrawl (and weight gain) several times a year have resulted in gains. And, to be honest, this was what sent me trading in the cigs for lollipops once and for all. What's the point in gaining 15lbs two or three times a year just because I can't smoke for a week or two. Worse still I could barely address it through physical exercise.

So, where am I now? Well, thanks to discovering a crib sheet from my previous weight-related battles, I can answer that quite confidently. And it certainly makes for interesting reading.

Forgetting the records in between (a diet which succeeded and failed thanks to non-smoking episodes), this chart shows just how many inches have been added through gaining 27lbs over the last 22 months. And, it isn't too bad all things considered.

But what the numbers don't show is the true impact all of this weight. At my age, 37, the ups and downs accompanying this yo-yo dieting has had a terrible impact on my state of health:

  • High blood pressure
  • Oedema
  • Lack of energy
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Poor mood
  • Increased anxiety
  • Depression

And it all goes hand-in-hand. High blood pressure, caused by carrying too much weight and eating an unhealthy diet is leaving me with puffy, swollen ankles and fingers. The strain this is causing on my respiratory system is leaving me breathless and in a poor mood. After all, wouldn't you be anxious and depressed if your body felt tight and your joints felt painful all of the time?

Yeah, you best quickly put aside any notions of those of us carrying extra poundage as 'bubbly' and 'vivacious' (surely they mean voracious)... Being fat doesn't exactly make me jolly!

But I made a promise to myself that when I gave up smoking I wouldn't beat myself up about gaining a pound here or there for the first 6 months. And I haven't...until now. These last ten months have offered the ideal opportunity to understand myself, my cues and the role that my weight has played in my life.

So, what am I going to do about it? As much as I want to adopt diet crazes, fads and pills with religious zeal, I've been around that block a few too many times. And it's taught me that - boring as it sounds - keeping it off for good boils down to two things: healthy eating and regular exercise.

And it needs a lifelong commitment. Despite this, I know I'm goal oriented. I need a goal to strive for... I normally don't do things by half, but I reckon that I need to in this instance. I have set a goal weight of 135lbs or half my current weight.

Along the way I'm hoping to learn and share a trick or two about gaining health - not pounds, so hop on for the ride.