Dave's Diary

D

DaveM

New member
Hi Everyone!

I just found this forum this evening and it looks good - and having read through the weight loss plights of others it's reassuring to find that I am certainly not alone in some of the things I have been experiencing.

I am a 37 year old geezer, 6'1" and currently 18st 13lbs (265lbs). I am of large build as i've been doing weights for sixteen years now.

But I have been struggling with my weight all my life. It all goes back to comfort eating as a small boy. Anyway, it's been a yo-yo for years and years. In 2000 I got down to 13st 12lbs (194lbs). In 2004 I got down to 15st 2lbs (212lbs). In between I have been up to my current weight a few times.

I am quite concerned for my health now though. I have serious back pain when I walk. I am also concerned about my general health. Of course vanity comes into it as well. I can't stand to look in the mirror and there have been no family pictures of me for years and years, I am filled with horror at the thought of a photo of me looking so terrible :( It's no good is it?

Like some on this forum I am a slave to the "diet starts tomorrow" madness. For the last two years I have been "starting tomorrow" - going to the shop and buying heaps of chocolate and ice cream as it's my "last day". Sheer madness.

I have tried various approaches such as food diary calorie counting. I have failed several times using this method. This time I am replicating what I did in 2000.

The general day will be as follows:

Breakfast:
Fruit

Lunch:
Sandwich/Potato and cottage cheese/Beans on toast/Soup and bread/Mackerel on pitta/Toast and low fat cheese/Tuna on potato/Porridge/Cereal

Dinner: Pasta & fish/Fish and chips/Chicken and sauce with rice/Low fat cheese and pasta

Dessert: Yogurt

Late Meal:
Soup & bread, sandwich, etc

Snacks: Unlimited fruit/vegetables

I know it seems very high in carbs with tonnes of bread but on this plan I lost a LOT of weight very quickly in 2000. It's low fat and I am cutting out the sugar. I don't eat red meat. I drink very little and not very often - I cannot handle the hangovers these days - too much pain!

I plan to do cardio exercise 2-3 times a week for 30 mins or so. Bike to start with and when appropriate running (too heavy at moment & prone to shin problems). I'll also do weights 2-4 times a week.

Well that's the plan. The idea is to lose 32lbs by the end of this year (2lbs a week). I want to be down to 13st 11lbs (193lbs) for next autumn (losing 1lb per week).

Once I am on a roll it's really not that hard - once I have that work behind me it's hard for me to ruin it all. Getting started is the problem - this has been starting for years. But I started on Monday so this is the end of Day 2, all is well so far. When I do it this time I really need to get help on how to keep the weight off, the yo-yo has been going on too long.

Well thanks for reading this far!!! I look forward to the next year or so and I will keep this thread going and read the plight of others!

Cheers,
Dave
 
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Hi Dave!

Sounds like an incredible plan! I read what you said about family pix, and it completely resonated with me. I too have been avoiding pictures for a few years, and my wife and I have gone to some INCREDIBLE places, that I have no pictures of just because of embarassment. it's a total shame. I hope you get started the way you want!... alright, keep on keeping on!

-Mellon
 
Hi Mellon,

Thanks very much for the words of encouragement!

I like the incentive you described in your diary, that of digging out old clothes to aim to fit in again. I have just found my leather belt from when I was 16~17 and I can't even get it to touch around my waist never mind wear it. But I will hang it next to my desk and some day...

Keep it up!

Dave
 
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Heya Dave!

Your plan sounds really good actually, I think you'll do well. Like you, I am a big "tomorrow" person, not just in dieting but in every aspect of my life, so I totally sympathize with you. Hopefully if you mark your progress for all of us here, it will inspire you to keep going.

Hope to see you around...good luck!
 
Thanks Maverick. Hopefully something more tangible than a vague idea I am to lose weight will help.

I am sure some of us have done the disgusting visualisation thing with food. You know the thing where you relax, close your eyes and visualise a food you want to stop craving for example chocolate. Then you visualise and imagine the smell of something really disgusting and smelly. Then you mix up the food and the disgusting thing, visualise and smell them together. After a few times you actually feel sick when you think of chocolate or whatever it is because you can't dissociate it from the disgusting substance and smell you associated it with.

I did this for chocolate during a previous weight loss effort and I was unable to walk down the chocolate isle in the supermarket or i'd feel physically sick! Thing is with this - the visualisation has to be done every so often or it will weaken.

SO I think I will use that today. I wonder how many foods it works with? My downfall is ice cream and chocolate. Strange that - up til I was about 35 it was always curries, pizzas etc that I loved. Now it's just sweet things. I never ever used to eat sweet stuff. I hope that's not a sign of diabetes. Anyway I am going to visualise chocolate and ice cream all over a neglected public toilet floor :puke:

It's gross but it has to be done!

Dave
 
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Hey Dave :)

I've never, ever heard of the visualizing thing you're talking about, but it sounds like a fantastic idea. I'm going to try this mental excersize with a few of my favorite foods, thanks for sharing the tip!

Great plan and the best of luck in sticking to it! Keep us updated.
 
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Hi Dave, I like the visualizing strategy. Ice cream and carbs (doughnuts, cakes, etc) are a huge weakness for me. I'll def give this a shot! Thanks for the tidbit :)

Jesais
 
Thanks! I read the technique in some book recently. I will try to elaborate a bit.

Get yourself as comfortable as possible, preferably lying down and spend a few minutes getting really relaxed.

Think about the food you want eliminate. Let's say for this example it's bread. Imagine a huge loaf of bread, six feet tall and ten feet long. Smell the fresh bread smell. Imagine passing through the bread in your imagination, going right inside it. Pass through it again, using all your senses - smell it, and feel it in your mouth, see the soft golden texture and so on.

Now think of something that really repulses you. Think of this, see it close up, smell it, imagine the texture and then feel the revolting smell hit the back of your throat and make you gag.

When you feel suitably sick, bring up the bread again and pass it through the disgusting substance, dirty floor, or whatever it was. See the bread mixed up with the filth and the smell of the putrid substance. Let yourself smell the smells mingled, the now filthy and even poisonous bread is now in front of you and picture being forced to eat it.

Do this for a few days in a row and there's a good chance when you think of or see the food you will feel repulsed.

All the best!
 
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OMG Dave thanks for that, I am soooo going to try this with Green Hunky Dorys, thats my downfall big time. Mind you I haven't had a packet in 6 weeks, so thats not too bad. But yeah, I never heard of this visualisation and I am so gonna give it a go with a few foods, thanks for the tip.

Welcome to the forum by the way.:sifone: I think for me the hardest part is starting and once your on a roll, and you see the few pounds coming off every couple of weeks, it makes you feel good. I know what you mean about the diabetes scare. When I went to my Doctor for my very first visit to talk to her about losing weight, she did my bloods, blood pressure all that kinda stuff. My bloods for diabetes was 7.1 which is borderline diabetes and it scared the sxxxt outta me. Also, my blood pressure was 190 over 120 which is very very bad apparently. On my last visit my diabetes thingy was down to 3.7 (which she said was absolutely brilliant) and also my blood pressure was down to 155 over 80 (which she said was brilliant as she was going to put me on tablets for it). I still have a long way to go, but I tel you something, it was the fright I needed to get myself in order. Even if we only lose 1lb a week, its going the right way and really who wants to be on a diet I certaintly don't. I just want a lifestyle change, and I am hoping this is what is going to happen, that I will just change my eating and exercising habits for life. No more yo yo diets, they just don't work.

Best of luck Dave xx Maddie:hug2:
 
Hi Maddie,

Thanks for these insights. I am glad your health is improving - hopefully you have eliminated the high diabetes score for good.

I know my health is going to suffer badly if I keep yo-yoing all the time. My major problem is my back. I have always loved running around and being almost bent over in pain when I walk is just awful. Some guy stopped and asked me if I was ok last week :( I am not ready to be debilitated. In my mind I am still a young healthy man, so this is really scaring me.

Like you said - it's relatively easy to lose weight. But I just keep putting it on again - it's all my own fault and it's so annoying! I just LOVE food, I can't hide from it. It's something I will have to work out. I try to make this lifestyle change with food but I get back into the indulgence zone where I stuff my face thinking I will discipline myself again "tomorrow". When I slip up - which happens to everyone eventually - I need to just get back on course again straight away instead of turning it into a year long food bender!!

Cheers,
Dave
 
One week gone and 2lbs lost. I was surprised as I have had fluid retention this week - first time I have had it and had to have tests. All is ok though.

Dave
 
Putting weight back on is so easy sometimes you don't even realize you're doing it. It's been my problem too. right now I'm trying to concentrate on exercising as much as I can even when I'm not strictly dieting because I hope this will help with keeping off the weight I lose.

Good luck with your journey and well done on the 2lbs!
 
Thanks Laele!

I found in the past that an exercise diary or even a simple chart on excel helps to motivate. Monitoring past exercise sessions and seeing them accumulate can inspire me to keep it up. All the best!

Dave
 
Keep up the good work Dave. I have found it pretty cool to read back on my old diary posts and see the progress so stick with it.

Mikey
 
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