Oh, Those Naysayers…

So, I’m out to dinner last night with my sister and her family (at Moe’s) and I’m eating my low-carb plate of chopped chicken, cheese and lettuce and my sister asks how the diet is going.

When I tell her it’s going well and I seem to be losing pretty quickly, she immediately starts telling me that everyone she’s ever known who’s lost weight on low-carb has gained it all back and how she guesses it’s ok for a short term goal but it won’t last.

Well, here’s the thing: anyone who loses weight will gain their weight back if they start eating the way they used to and stop exercising! Duh.

I asked her who she knew who’d ever gone on a diet and kept the weight off without changing their habits permanently. There is no diet (that I know of) that will immunize you from the effects of cinnamon rolls and loaded baked potatoes. No matter how you get the weight off, you do have to change the habits that loaded your body with fat in the first place.

Personally, I find losing to be the hardest part. Regaining is a relatively slow process that creeps up on you before you know it, but getting to my goal weight should motivate me for at least a year or more to maintain.

I can’t do low carb for the rest of my life, but I do think I can hit a reasonable weight and transition to a balanced diet that includes some of those treacherous carbs.

What Does 41 Pounds of Fat Look Like?

Yeah, I’m grossed out too. This photo is going on my fridge.

More math: I’ve discovered (using a body fat calculator) that my lean mass (bones, tissue, muscle, fluid) is 115 pounds. We need some fat to protect our organs and such so 15 pounds would be about 12% fat. That puts my ideal healthy weight at 130 pounds.

Subtract my current weight of 171 and you get a horrifying 41 pounds of useless fat that I’m carrying around. 41 pounds of blubbery fat that I have to dress, sit on, and haul around everywhere I go. THAT’S DISGUSTING!!

So… What Happened?

Since the contest hasn’t officially started yet, let’s do a little introspecting… exactly how did I end up on SeosFightFat?  How did I get here from the size 4’s I was wearing at the 2003 SJ SES?  (Ah, those were the days…)

I’d like to spin you a story full of drama and intrigue with a little tragedy mixed in for effect but the sad, sad truth is… is… boredom.  Contentment.  Coma-inducing lethargy.

I’ve had my periods of high drama, no doubt.  But the downward slide (and upwards crawl of the scale) is more of a product of disinterest than personal turmoil.  As it is for most people, I imagine!  The more comfortable you are, the less you care where that extra slice of cheesecake ends up.

Yeah, ok, I feel a pang when I realize there’s a whole closet of clothes and nothing fits but hey, my trusty elastic waist flannel pants never let me down.  Not once.  And I think the waiters at the mexican restaurant think those plaid pants are hot with my ever-so-fashionable navy hoodie.

I’ve tried dieting a few times over the years but it was doomed to fail.  Dieting may depend on what you eat but if your head’s not into the challenge, it just doesn’t matter.  But this time… I think I’m back in the game.

I’ve actually been dieting for a few weeks, ever since I was confirmed to speak at London SES  and realized I’m going to see some dear friends I haven’t seen in a couple years, I’ve been slightly panicked.  It was the wakeup call I needed!

I’ve lost 5 pounds already and I didn’t stop dieting for the contest in order to boost my numbers. The best prize will be  a slimmer, healthier me!

The Battle of the Bulge

If you’ve ever read the nutrition information on a package of cookies, calculated the total number of calories if you were to eat the whole bag then said to yourself, “That’s not sooooo bad,” before you threw the empty wrapper in the trash, we’re going to get along just fine.

The problem with food is that it’s there… in my fridge… about 5 feet from my desk. The other problem is that in order to not feel like a shut-in, I like to go “out” for lunch and reconnect with the world… over an inexpensive and expansive mexican lunch. This pattern + 6 years of working from home has not been kind to my physique!

So, what am I doing? I’m going to use the Gold’s membership I’ve been paying for for the past year. I’m counting calories. The best thing of all is that I just started working a “real” job again.

I know, some of you are shuddering at the thought, but I have to say it’s the best thing I’ve done in a long time. I love the job and let’s face it; I need the routine and regimen. I’ve already lost a few pounds since I started last month (from bringing my food for the day instead of going out) and I plan to start using most of my lunch time to walk.

The trick is walking the opposite way from the Starbucks…