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| Nice to see a 7 rather than an 8 |
What comes as a surprise though is how the loss has been achieved despite some of the meals I've consumed over the last 7 days. In that time I've eaten chinese take out, gone through the perils of social eating, enjoyed half a McDougalls chicken & asparagus pie and last night had 4 cheesy enchiladas for my dinner. I can imagine that a few of my readers right now are feeling pig-sick reading this, if they themselves are trying to shed a few lbs and making slower progress. I'm not going to apologise for my success but I will try to offer an explanation.
Frankie & Benny's aside, all of the above have been a fairly regular part of my diet in recent months. This combined with prolific snacking, the occasional can of beer becoming more regular and a lack of exercise helped me to balloon to the 18st 6lbs that I was two weeks ago. The changes I have made in the last two weeks have put a stop to all snacks, I've not touched a drop of alcohol since New Year's Day, and though I've not yet ticked all of the boxes and kicked off my exercise regime, I have become more conscious of my daily activity, meaning I'm less stuck to my office chair.
The meals themselves have scaled down too. Prior to Christmas I'd have ordered a rice dish and a beef dish from the Chinese restaurant. On Friday night, I just went with the rice dish. I'm under no illusion that Special Fried Rice is somehow a healthy option, but by sticking to just that the portion size is cut in two. Remove an accompanying can of beer and my evening consumption is well down on where it would have been before.
Pie, chips and a slice of bread became pie and mixed veg. Enchiladas with wedges and coleslaw became enchiladas with a bit of fresh rocket. I'm reluctant to use the word 'balanced' to describe my diet, because the nutritional value in these meals would most likely be scorned upon by health professionals. But in reducing the amount of bad stuff I eat to accompany the main part of the meal, I'm consuming less, reducing calorie intake, and for me at this time it is working.
The other thing to bear in mind if you're looking at my 4lb loss with slightly envious eyes is our relative starting points. An 18 1/2 stone man who starts eating like a 14st man is likely to see more immediate impact than a 10st woman trying to eat like a 9st woman. There is more of me to begin with and so my body requires more energy to function. If I stop feeding my body more fuel than it requires, it will start tucking into my fat reserves, and I have a lot more of those to dispense with at the moment.
In statistical terms, 4lb represents 1.58% of someone weighing 253lbs. In contrast 4lb accounts for 2.85% of 140lbs. That is a huge difference.
I know it is easy for me to say this when I've already made progress, but if you are feeling discouraged by a slow start to your diet, don't. This should be a long term project and while it would be preferable to see immediate results, stick to your plan and the reward will come. Focus your energy into achieving your goals rather than comparing yourself to others. Apples and pears and all that.
Aware of the dangers of short-termism, I don't usually set myself a weekly target, but it would be a nice little milestone if I can lose 3lbs over the next week. That would recategorise me on the BMI scale, taking me out of obesity and into the overweight label. I'll report back next Wednesday on my progress in achieving this goal.
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