May the weight loss be with you

Carrie Fisher is the latest celeb to credit Jenny Craig for her weight loss. 

Despite my own bad experiences on the programme some 20 years ago, I have to say it looks and sounds like it's done her a world of good. In just 18 weeks she's slimmed her 5'1" frame from 180lbs to 150lbs... and that's just a start.

It's no wonder why. She revealed: "I used to feel like I had to apologize for the way I looked whenever I stepped out of the house...I spent so much energy coming up with reasons why I was overweight.

"Now, whenever someone compliments me, I smile and say, ‘well, thank you.' It's a great feeling to feel like myself again, and that I am truly worthy of those compliments.

"I no longer want to hide in the house," she adds.

I've had a taste of that freedom in the past and it's one that should be savoured, cherished and - most importantly - protected.

But, it's easy to take these feelings for granted and allow temptations to get in the way of weeks, months and years of hard work. 

It's still early days for me, but I think it's worth thinking about.  My first milestone, I'm sure, will bring with it the first wave of freedom - and it's only 19lbs away.

On the 344 pounds blog there are lots of great ideas to inspire and sustain weight loss (and maintenance!) momentum.  His is a truly inspiring story and he's done it without fads or gimmicks. I've only started looking through the entries, but I like the idea of regularly posting pre-weight loss pics and reminding yourself of the real benefits of losing weight.

Humiliation: The key to weight loss?

Put down the cereal bowl, ladies.  That two bowls a day is so last month. Tweet What You Eat is the net's latest diet craze. Forget maple syrup, low GI and baby food, this Twitter-based food and weight diary is the must-have this year for any discerning diet junkie.

Rather than restrict your food with insane rules, the diet programme is said to encourage healthy eating and exercise with the threat of humiliation - albeit self-humiliation.

For many of us our weight is a personal and often emotional issue. So, is humiliation the answer? And, if so, should it come from ourselves? Weight and health awareness is crucial, but I'm not sure that this is the perfect way forward.

A scan of sample diets on the site isn't great reading.... Dunkin Donuts... McDonalds... cookies and milk. And that's the bulk of some people's diets. The focus is on the calorie count, rather than the fat and sugar levels.  From this angle, it seems like a quick fix and a diet that definitely hasn't been designed by anyone with a long-term weight issue.

The idea of self-humiliation is enough to send me reaching for the Krispy Kremes. There's every likelihood that this could prolong the vicious cycle of gains and losses for participants. After all, low self esteem is often the best way to work up an appetite.

While I do post my weight on a regular(ish) basis on this blog, I'm doing so to illustrate my journey rather than just try to force myself to lose weight by putting it out in the public forum.  If posting your weight was enough to force you to lose weight, all of us weight loss bloggers would be writing our happily ever afters by now.

Want to get started? Check out this book...