The benefits of not kidding yourself!!

acresfield

Hi all,
My name is Ian and I am overweight. (Phew.. isn't that what you are supposed to say at the start of these things.) Admitting you have a problem yadda yadda!!

Its true though.. I have kidded myself for the past few years that the inches creeping onto my waist and the increasing numbers on the scale were a function of just getting a bit older and thats that. Nothing I could do! (i.e. not my fault).

I had a very active job until 5 years ago (armed forces) and could pretty much eat whatever I wanted. Now that I am in an office environment all day, the same cannot be said. The opportunities being presented by having a constant selection of other peoples birthday cakes and sweets has proved a bit of a temptation I admit. However, I can now see that that was not really the problem for me. Fooling myself into believing that the odd little cake was not doing me any harm was my problem.. because I was actually eating 3 or 4 little cakes. 1 = no harm.. but 3 or 4 and not taking them into account = harm. Since using MFP, and scanning in the barcode for one of the little cakes and realising that a 1 inch cube of millionaires shortbread is 130 calories (?!?!?!) and not about 50 or so as I naively assumed.. I can still choose to ignore it but knowing the numbers makes it a bit harder.

So here it is.. my recipe for personal success

1. know what you are eating.
2. accept what you are eating in the full knowledge of what you are eating (see point 1).
3. If you know it and accept it, do something about it (i.e. eat less of it or dig out the training shoes)

I have been following the advice on here about eating my maintenance calories (including any burned off at the gym) and then deducting the 500 or so to lose a lb per week and it seems to be working. Inches are down, lbs dropping slowly but going in the right direction and I feel much better for having that bit of knowledge.

with 20lbs to loseI am not going to go all mental and try and lose more than a lb per week, I expect that life is not that simple but my journey begins here.

On my birthday this year, the office will be presented with a selection of nuts and berries.

Ian

sianabel

Good for you Ian! I feel exactly the same and your concise summary of points 1,2, and 3 made me smile.
Thanks for motivating me too!

bazfitness

Good luck Ian. Sounds like you're in a similar state as myself. Gradually we've let things slide but at least we're both decided to do something about it.

Glad also you're being sensible about it and not tying to lose weight too rapidly. Sounds like you got your ideas spot on!

BettyBlueEyes

Kidding yourself is the road to my downfall, have been doing it over the past few weeks and you're completely right, it needs to stop now. The hardest part is accepting that it has to be a permanent change. I quit smoking just over a year ago and like nicotine, food (sugar) is addictive, but unlike the cigs, we can't cut it out of life so the inner cake monster just keeps on knocking at the door. I like the 3 points thing, thanks.

LittleMissRainey

If this was Facebook, I would 'Like' this post!
Brilliant. I agree completely with the point system. I hope we can both be successful

acresfield

Thanks for the kind words folks.
I am pretty sure that I will need encouragement at some stage.. I'm pathetically weak willed

after all.. a 1 inch cube of millionaires shortbread only contains about 50 calories right?

Feel free to add me as a friend

acresfield

bump..
Just because I think I would quite like some more friends actually

wonk1968

Hi & welcome

Im a returning member of MLP after falling off the wagon of healthyness, i have been piling on the pounds over the last few
months & have decided at 20 stone (the biggest ive been since about 2003) i need to get back on that wagon, good luck.

Cheers
Wonk