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Something to Say ... About Weight

Most people have at sometime in their lives wanted to lose weight. Most women have been on a diet and at this time of year it seems that weight becomes even more highlighted as an issue not only by people themselves but also by the media. In fact I think that you can get a "TV diet fix" almost every weekday this week!

The BBC reported that a recent study by Cancer Research UK found that 26% of obese people did not want to lose weight.

More and more often now TV is showing weight/health related programs. The country has a large proportion of overweight people and more frighteningly overweight children.

As runners we're almost seen as freaks! Most people can't understand why we would want to get out in the fresh air and run just because we can. Why do that when the heating is on and there is yet another reality TV show on?

The bookshops are crammed with volumes on losing weight. Weight Watchers and similar classes are packed to the rafters with people wanting to lose weight. The shops have every possible "diet" foodstuff you could want.

We have information pouring out of our pores on how to lose weight.

As runners we know full well that it boils down to the basics of:
Weight loses will happen when you use more calories than you consume.

So why am I writing this?

Well personally I am overweight and wanted to lose that weight for as long as I have been running or more accurately since I had Gnome! I've read loads of books on loads of diets (and spent soooo much money!). I know the reasons why I don't lose weight - I eat too much because I eat too fast and I eat when not hungry! This is why what Paul McKenna says rings so true and sounds so sensible to me.

He believes that you need is to get in touch with your senses again and trust your body. His "rules" are
1 - Eat what you really want to eat
2 - Eat when you want to eat
3 - Stop when you are full
4 - Eat consciously

They make so much sense! I would love to be able to do this! To eat slower and therefore be more aware of what I am eating and therefore taste it more and realise when I am actually full rather than shovelling food in, not really "tasting" it and being stuffed before I actually realise I am full! But I can't trust myself!

I know some people think that what he says is rubbish! I watched his show on Sky one the other day and before I saw it I knew what would be in it as I have his book/CD. Yet I still think it was good. I think he is very brave to not only tackle the subject in this way (which is totally against the normal TV shows and books of "eat this and not that!") but also to get as many people involved as possible by getting people to register online. I've said before I would love to go to one of his seminars but I can't justify the cost of them + travel.

I watch S at work. He sits next to me. He's "skinny as a rack". He can go buy a burger, pastry or crisps or sweets and eat 1-2 mouthfuls then put it down, unfinished, forget about it or throw them away. He has control over his food. I don't - if I start to eat something I will finish it. If he gets wound up and annoyed at work he will literally shout or thump the keyboard or pace about! I eat! Maybe I should change my job to stop the "emotional eating" ... can you see the interview, "So why are you leaving then Pix??" "I need to loss weight!”

So yet again I am climbing on the weight loss roller coaster. Frustrated and annoyed with myself again. Wanting to loss the pounds, again, for my health and my running. Again I feel uninspired and expect to fall over at the 1st hurdle. I long to have the confidence to trust myself to eat only what I need and to stop when full, and I hope one day I will. In the mean time I run and stay about the same weight, if I could just master the food balance then I would lose weight.

Sorry for this little rant folks I just needed to say something.

Comments

fraggle said…
well done for letting it all out Pix :o)

keep up the good work
Dave said…
we all need to rant sometimes :)

I hate the media hype too - they just whip everything up.

on the weight lose side of things - I know where you're coming from. I don't like to see food wasted and thrown away, particularlly at the dinner table and even more so if I've paid for it out. I don't really have a weight problem because I will try my best to eat the right foods - piles of salad at lunchtime always fills me up, and I keep a general tab on how many cals I've eaten and burned thru exercise. I try not to buy my lunch out etc. as it's difficult to account for, but sometimes I need extras :)

Keep at it.

Everyone is different when it comes to eating. My son will only eat enough to take away the feeling he needs to eat, says he's starving but two mouthfuls later he's full ! where as my daughter can't stop eating pretty much what ever she's given but hardly ever feels starving and we have to be careful what she eats.

My wife put on some weight after our second child which wouldn't shift - I helped her work it off, she says I'm a bit obsed by food !

If you'd like any advice, general exchange of thoughts etc let me know.

:-)
Dan said…
Kim,

I am really bad at work - on a bad day I could go through 2-3 choc bars or bags of crisps. So I (a) take tons of fruit and nuts/raisins to work, so I always have sometbing healthy to hand, and (b) make sure I never have any change in my pocket! Not easy if you are trying to run errands at lunchtime I know.

This is only a minor thing, but my weight has snuck up in the past and this has helped. Oh yes, maybe I should do some running as well!
womble said…
Small, permanent changes that's my view on eating. Things you can stick to. Anyway, where's that e-mail you're going to be sending me........?

I've not looked into the Paul McKenna thing, but basically, if it works for you then GOOD.

Speak soon :o)

Oh, and to follow on from what Dan says in his comment about eating at work, if you take your food with you and only eat that then you're starting to be in control.

{{{Pix}}}
b-z said…
Sort out your head
The rest will follow
you KNOW why that weight aint coming off


love Ruth
RobW said…
Its called habit. There is no magic bullet. Its a case of small but achiveable changes. Make one good change once it becomes habit then make another and so on and so on.
beanz said…
mmm

As you know I am pretty much at the same place - we CAN do this together but must not expect too much too fast

xx
Hiya Pixie - I hear you sista!

At the moment I'm struggling with WW, last time I did it I was so full of zeal but this time it is difficult to find the motivation.

Trying to give up booze for a while, currently on day two of no alcohol but will I last the weekend?!

Also reading a fair bit about cognitive behaviour therapy which basically looks at what we think ourselves into doing (eating and drinking too much) and how to think ourselves away from this kind of activity.

Don't give up chuckxx

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