Category: Less is More

Categories
L3 lesamy Less is More

L3 Week 5 – Crap! A Stone and a Blister

Warning: the title this week is strangely literal.

Which doesn’t mean that I got a blister because of a stone in my shoe. But I did get a blister – just a day or two after I was thinking, “around about this stage is when I start getting blisters from the walking.”

But no, that wasn’t what the stone was about. The stone is the milestone I just passed – my first stone of weight lost.

And the crap – well when I started out for my walk tonight a bird pooped on my head. Direct hit, full-on splat! I wiped most of it off with a tissue, carried on my walk and showered when I got back. Which actually was nice – warm water on aching muscles.

Anyhow – here’s the numbers kids:

Lost: 4lbs
Lost so far: 16lbs
Average Weekly Loss: 3.2lbs
Weight: 288.2lbs (20st 8lbs)


Categories
diet L3 lesamy Less is More

L3 Week 4 – Steady As She Goes!

You know what? 3rd time around it’s harder to think up witty titles and/or interesting things to write – but I’m opting for something inane/functional now rather than leave it til later in the week.

I will say that I am slightly disappointed that my loss this week has dropped to the more reasonable longer term rate that it has. Why?

a) because it’s happened relatively quickly and I have NOT strayed AT ALL from the path lo these last three weeks!

b) because a loss equivalent to last week would have put me at my first stone lost.

Still I can’t say I’m really that bothered. A loss is a loss and it’s not a trivial one.

Lost: 1.4lbs
Lost so far: 12lbs
Average Weekly Loss: 3lbs
Weight: 292.2lbs (20st 12lbs)


Categories
diet L3 lesamy Less is More

L3 Week 3 – Loose Trews

Well my trousers are feeling looser so I must be doing ok.
(no I don’t know why I’ve apparently gone Scottish)

Lost: 3.4lbs
Lost so far: 10.6lbs
Average Weekly Loss: 3.5lbs
Weight: 293.6lbs (20st 13lbs)


Categories
lesamy Less is More

L3 Week 0 – The New Normal

*sigh*

Seriously.

*really big sigh*

OK. I’m back at the point where I want to start trying to lose weight again. And having just eschewed flubbage another cute term for the project isn’t necessarily consistent, but who ever said I was that? Still “L3” is nicely cryptic and terse.

Plus I couldn’t think of anything better.

I’m writing this mainly to register my weight at this new starting point. Which is 304.2lbs. (At least I think so – my scales seem to fluctuate more than they used to – but then maybe I’m nearer the edge of their tolerance)

Anyway I about a stone lighter than I was two and a half years ago when I first tried this. In other words I’m nearly back to what I was. And I feel uncomfortable and I get out of breath easily. So sooner or later I felt I had to re-start the diet/exercise.

So it’s become the new normal, the new default position. At least for what I should be doing. Once I didn’t really think about it and ate what I wanted. Now, even if I do that, I’m doing it as someone who feels I really should be dieting. I’ve become the kind of person I used to feel sorry for – someone either denying themselves or feeling guilty for not denying themselves.

But I feel I don’t have a choice – as I said it’s uncomfortable being this overweight.

Categories
Less is More

Less Is More Week 17 – Bony’s Back!

Lost: 1.8lbs
Lost so far: 35.9lbs
Average Weekly Loss: 2.1lbs
Weight: 258.8lbs (18st 7lb)

Given that last week’s official loss was 0, and given that I was down to 259.2 the following day – just under a pound a week and less than half a pound since Tuesday isn’t that great. But… well it’s still a loss. I’ve got no more social events planned for the next week so I should be able to do a full week on the diet with no exceptions.

Oh and the bony ass is back (as is the loose watch-strap – different watch, same problem).


Having just updated the ticker I’ve realised I’m now over half-way to my one year target – which at week 17 is not too bad!

Categories
Less is More

I Won That Bet!

One of the other things I keep telling myself is that I can ‘absorb’ a single night/day’s excess and still lose weight but there’s a timing element – Friday can be too close to Monday to make it back – I bet I’m down by tomorrow night.

Unofficial weigh-in tonight – 259.2lbs

In other words I lost nearly a pound and a half last week – with a slightly flexible definition of ‘week’.

So the knife-edge is blunted by the hands of time – or something. 🙂

Categories
Less is More

Less is More Week 16 – Grumpy on the Knife-Edge

Lost: 0lbs
Lost so far: 34.1lbs
Average Weekly Loss: 2.1lbs
Weight: 260.6lbs (18st 8lb)

I’ve spent most of the last 2-3days feeling very grumpy because pre-official weighing suggested that I would put on weight. Given that I’ve stayed as I was I’m mildly relieved and less grumpy – but I’d already thought up the title and liked it.

The reason behind these numbers isn’t a complete surprise to me. Friday night I had a pizza and a bottle of wine, after having been to the pub Friday lunch-time. Also on Saturday whilst I stuck to my calorie limit I didn’t do my walk – which is equivalent to another 800calories.

So if I had splurged in this way I shouldn’t be surprised and grumpy right? Well yes, except that in the past I have gotten away with more and still lost weight. But it’s not even that, it’s the fact that it feels like I can’t even have one day off without it having an impact. Imagine I’ve hit my target, imagine that I’m trying to maintain that weight – then this week’s result is telling me that I can at most afford to let my resistance slip for a few hours or the odd meal. That I must keep up the exercise and diet at a similar level.

Actually if I was at that level I would probably allow myself to go a pound or three up before I started to worry. Although what it does remind me is what a knife-edge I’m on. The first few pounds will go back on as quickly and easily as the first few fall off.

Ultimately I kept going – forcing myself out for a walk on Sunday and keeping to the diet – because what’s the alternative? Even if I decide I don’t want to lose weight do I want to go back to growing ever larger and finding clothes hard to find? to getting out of breath walking up the stairs? No. And the effort in maintaining this weight is an awful lot like the effort needed to lose just a pound or so a week.

In any case, that’s what I’m currently telling myself. I hope it’s working.

This week I have a regular social event on Thursday which involves a take-away and beer. I shall indulge but with one eye slightly on the quantity. I shall also be aware that I shall need to get back on the diet straight away and that that ought to be enough time to allow for a small loss by next Monday. (One of the other things I keep telling myself is that I can ‘absorb’ a single night/day’s excess and still lose weight but there’s a timing element – Friday can be too close to Monday to make it back – I bet I’m down by tomorrow night.)

Anyway with that I’ll sign off. Not so grumpy as I could be.


Categories
Less is More

Less is More Week 15 – Just the Stats

Lost: 2.8lbs
Lost so far: 34.1lbs
Average Weekly Loss: 2.3lbs
Weight: 260.6lbs (18st 8lb)

Can’t think of much to write tonight but I don’t want to leave it so just the stats. Fortunately they’re good 🙂


Categories
Less is More

Less is More Week 14 (and 13) – in Which I Walk the Streets

Gained (week 13): 3lbs
Lost (week 14): 3.4lbs
Lost so far: 31.3lbs
Average Weekly Loss: 2.2lbs
Weight: 263.4lbs (18st 11lb)

So I had a bad week-end a week ago. And it’s the usual story – taken me another week to lose it back. I really need to stop doing that. It not only slows me down (not so bad actually) but it makes the motivation tougher – I have to work so hard, just to get back to where I was.

But you’ve heard that all before.

Tonight I walked the streets. Normally my exercise consists of walking laps (and other configurations) around the park. But it’s getting darker and I left work fairly late, so I walked the streets instead. I prefer to do this at this time of year because it’s better-lit and I don’t look like a crazy person – I could just be someone on my way home – unless you follow me and notice that I walk so far, turn around and then walk home.

This is only slightly spoiled by the fact that this is the route I used a lot early this year – Jan, Feb time – i.e. the tail end of Lesamy i.e. when I was losing one week only to re-gain the next – and so on. Thing is, my original “streets” walk is a little impractical, well long, given that I work further away from home (but not far enough that that itself is my walk).

Maybe I need a new route. Or I could use the stepper. Urgh! the stepper!! no.

We’ll see.


Categories
Less is More

Less is More Week 12 – Comparisons

Lost: 2.6lbs
Lost so far: 30.9lbs
Average Weekly Loss: 2.6lbs
Weight: 263.8lbs (18st 11lb)

One of the things about having done this before is that I’m constantly comparing my progress with various points in the past. Like I’m about 3months in, how does that compare with 3months in to Lesamy? Or how does it compare with May 2009 when I was at my lowest? Or when, roughly, did I get back to this weight when I let things slide again? Or when was I about this weight earlier this year when I was trying again, but not really succeeding?

The trouble with all this comparison is that a) it’s probably not that helpful and b) I can never remember what I weighed at all those key moments. Oh I’ve got my old spreadsheets but I usually think about this stuff when I’m out walking, so I’m relying on memory. My memory.

Perhaps the best thing is just not to bother comparing. And just as soon as I figure out how to do that…