Weight - Preparation…...

I mentioned in my last post the general condition of passengers on our cruise.  What was clear that despite all the information provided regarding the negative effect of excess weight on the body many people still over indulge.  I don't mean by a little, I mean by a lot. Don't get me wrong the temptation to have extra is very tempting and being on holiday we all succumb ….but not to the extent that portions are so big that the plate cannot accommodate. There is always a choice of opting for a formal meal or one where you can self serve.  The latter is the downfall for those who have so little control.  We have never seen so many carbohydrates on one plate and without any veg….Potatoes cooked in their various forms, bread, croissants, bananas, smoothies, fried foods……………..

Last week I accompanied my husband to the Outpatients in our local hospital. Our appointment was for 3.30pm and we had to wait one and a half hours to be seen. During this time I watched as the 4 nurses attending patients went about their business.  Three out of the 4 were very overweight. One kept pausing as she appeared to have problems catching her breath. Other health professionals came and went and again provided poor role models in their large frames.  So what hope is there for the obesity epidemic which is gripping the country? 

Taxing certain popular food items will not overcome this problem….not when so many seem to consume very ordinary yet calorific food in large quantities. 

Sadly people will only diet and make an effort to get weight under control if they want to!

So why would you want to?

Health scare, lack of mobility, diabetes, joint problems, heart problems, blood pressure, can't fit into your clothes, embarrassment, role model for our children, vanity?

Maybe to kick start those who have a serious weight problem and help to motivate them we should stop being PC and when doctors think someone is fat say so and outline the consequences.  Stop saying women are curvy when they are fat and are stacking up problems for themselves.  you don't help people by diminishing their problem with kind words.

Family and friends over the years have pooled our own experiences and have all been on one diet or another and have provided support for each other from time to time providing encouragement and praising success in reaching our targets in being fit and healthy.

So with this backdrop here are some suggestions in the first step towards your ideal weight.

1. Visit your doctor for a health assessment 
2. Be honest with yourself by weighing yourself and recording  - use a digital scale and not one where you can cheat by standing on one leg
3. Identify your ideal weight, useful site ….http://www.calculator.net/ideal-weight-calculator.html?ctype=standard&cage=63+&csex=f&cheightfeet=5&cheightinch=8&cheightmeter=180&x=106&y=11
4. Break down weight loss into 7lbs weight loss targets to provide manageable objectives which provide incentive
5. Take key measurements  - neck, chest, waist, hips, thighs and record - try using a website such as   www.myfitnesspal.com to record your measurements and to monitor progress

5. Join a slimming club - people lose more weight by having a support network such as this
6. Subscribe to a slimming magazine try Rosemary Conley who also has her own channel and she is a more mature woman who understands some of our senior problems and limitations
7. Avidly watch TV programmes on weight which will help to motivate you….such as

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/supersize-vs-superskinny

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/secret-eaters

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obese%3A_A_Year_to_Save_My_Life
this is often repeated on Sky

http://www.tv.com/shows/fat-families/

ok enough for now please share with friends and family - welcome comments, suggestions, experiences
no-one said it was easy ……..

Post Holiday!

Well just about done the washing and sort of getting back to a stable state! Amazing how you tend to see your house with fresh eyes when you return from holiday.  It has also made us see how shabby the paint work looks which has prompted a decorating plan!

Takes a holiday to make you appreciate home….no matter how enjoyable a holiday may be.

So whats next……….

We are still reflecting on our observations of the holiday which involved the hot topic of conversation on board………. food!  Discussions were dominated by exchanging anecdotes on the excesses of individuals and the bizarre combination of foods which may be assembled on one plate.

This is mildly amusing but on a more serious note  - the behaviour of some people is very worrying -  I would say that about 2/3 of passengers fell into the category of  being overweight, grossly overweight or obese.

Many reflected on the government trying to reduce the levels of obesity by taxing fizzy drinks and fast foods.  This would not make any difference to the people we have seen.

For the next few posts I would like to reflect on what we all know to be the case….that keeping fit, healthy and maintaining a healthy weight will pay dividends later. There were many cases on board, who by their own admissions, revealed that their health problems and immobility were down to their lifestyles.  My view is it is never too late!

I am sure you have your own opinions on the weighty issue so please feel free to comment and share your experiences and your solutions and actions.  Please pass on details of blog to friends and relatives who have an interest in diets and lifestyle and who would like to make a contribution.

Next post will be on preparation - just like our decorating…you have to thin k things through and prepare the ground…...

weight loss update

I have reached my 7 lbs target……..  phew!!!  Celebration!!!!!!

weighty update!

lost 5 lbs ….2 to go!

Not so easy with so many pre Christmas events and am trying to be so good!!

How are you getting on managing the flab?

Day of Reckoning!

OK - well after the festivities surrounding my birthday (3 days) I have now a day of reckoning!!!  I have gained 7 pounds!  rich food , bigger portions, champagne….exhausted.  Got to do something about it….new readers start here….. emergency if I don't do something about it it - it will be like compound interest …….

So today the dreaded diet begins…. calorie counting, portion control and lots of exercise!

We all know that as Christmas approaches there is no way we can resist the goodies so we must take stock and plan so that we don't feel like a landed whale at the end of December.

I am not going to tell you exactly how much I weigh as my husband reads this but I will share my progress with my weight loss on a weekly basis….in this way you will become my conscience!

so so annoying!!

Indulgence!

The summer months means relaxation and a period of self indulgence.  BBQ nights and socialisation often equates with extra glasses of wine and an obsession with moorish nibbles.  I confess I have been found guilty of these excesses.

Reality dawns when climbing on the scales you find 7 lbs have crept up on you without your permission!!.

I watched a programme were a man in the US had a great deal of weight to lose....his solution was to liquidise green veg which became his sole existence over a 60 day period.  His resolve and determination was inspirational but sadly unachievable for us mere mortals.

Somehow the principles of his programme struck a chord and over the last 10 days I decided to follow my own modified diet along these lines - although my intake did include other more satisfying elements.

Breakfast - one slice of Hovis seed toasted bread with a skim of butter and 2 cups of tea

Lunch     - 2  bowls of home made green veg soup/ cup of tea

dinner     -  piece of fish and large portion of salad comprising of chopped cucmber, mini plum tomatoes, rocket, lettuce, watercress, chillies

No alcohol!!

Also 4/5 days per week of 1 hour exercise

over 10 days I lost 8 lbs!!!

Now this was my personal choice and my experiment and I am in no way recommending this and you must consult a doctor when embarking upon an extreme diet to ensure you are not compromising your own health and have an understanding of your limitations. It does prove that calorie control/healthy food and physical exercise do provide a positive result providing that you stick to the plan your doctor or dietician provides for you. It is hard work but the satisfaction you savour from fitting into the dress you have always wanted to wear but couldn't get the zip passed first base is so so gratifying!!

So 8 lbs lighter I can now go as a guest to an important wedding without the bumps and rolls I detest and which detract from the impact of a wonderful dress on a not too bad figure!

Lean, mean, the retirement dream?

There appears to be a well held mantra that sometime after you hit 40, and certainly for each decade that comes subsequently staying in shape becomes increasingly close to impossible.  I've certainly heard people say it, and often with much conviction and almost always when discussing their current weight and fitness.  As I am now in my retirement years, and no doubt been guilty of perpetrating this well known 'fact', a niggling voice has got me asking questions.  How true is it really?  

Whilst there certainly appears from various studies that the body doesn't continue to work with the heady mix of hormones and lean tissue that it might have done in our youth, it does appear that we may be largely discounting the effect that our lifestyles change as we get older, and the effect that has on our bodies, and also our minds.  As we progress into our 30s it is fair to say our pace of life often slows a little.  The days of staying up until the early hours in nightclubs, etc become ones of social dinners with friends, drinks, and starting families.  Balancing work, friends, children, drinks (spilling is just wasteful), and ticking items on the bucket list tend to leave precious little personal time.  Regular exercise, and healthy eating are often put on a backburner, if not flammbe'd altogether.  After spending years being relatively inactive, do people suddenly become active again?  Some, but its probably fair to say that these are the exception.

Personally when I cast my mind back this starts to ring far more true than I'd like.  Certainly when I was younger I was very slender, and in fact did some modelling.  As far as I recall it, and at the risk of alienating readership it wasn't actually that hard for me to keep in that shape at the time.  However as I've got older, it feels more like a hard fought battle against the waistline creep.  I'm in reasonably good shape now, but it does fluctuate far more than I'd like and there is always room for improvement.  Its also fair to say I've tried more than a handful of diets from the restrictive to the outright ridiculous, and other than some temporary benefits, none have offered the 'answer'.  Perhaps it is indeed just that - there isn't a single answer but rather a realisation of what the current status quo is. Not enough activity.

In some respects this sounds bordering on the obvious, and I guess it should be.  So if the issue isn't one of agreeing that staying active is important, what is stopping us from reaching our fat-loss goals?  People often have misgivings about using a gym but it still remains one of the most effective places to do productive exercise.  We're awake for upwards of 100hours a week, so spending a few hours of that on quality exercise seems worth it if we to are both to look good in our retirement, and more importantly stay healthy.  So on this topic I'd like to end these few thoughts on striving to be as svelte as possible in my 60s by mentioning a gentleman by the name of Dr Berardi at Precision Nutrition.   Here are a couple of links to his entirely free 5 day fat-loss videos that are thankfully short and refreshingly to the point.  The little goatee I believe is optional ;)

===>Women's version:
===>http://www.precisionnutrition.com/fat-loss-for-women

===>Men's version:
===>http://www.precisionnutrition.com/fat-loss-for-men