Thursday, October 13th, 2011
For once, I think the goverment is making the right noises and the so-called experts are being idiots. The health secretary has been banging on about his strategy for obesity again. The chief Medical Officer, Prof. Sally Davies, has said:
“It is about what we eat, how we cook it and about portion size.”
She is absolutely right. We don’t NEED calorie counts! We need smaller plates. We need to stop supermarkets trying to sell us more than we should eat. Why else, even at this time of austerity are supermarket profits rising? As anyone who reeds this blog knows, I am fat – I am dangerously obese and I am working hard at becoming not obese at all. In the end, I am achieving this by the simple expedient of eating less than I use. I have not added it up, I have not read clever books and I do not sit around trying to read the tiny print on labels. I just eat little enough so that I am hungry. And guess what? I have lost 45 kg. It is not easy, and I get stuck sometimes and it seems to go wrong and all the rest – but it is not complicated either.
However, Prof. Philip James of the International Association for the Study of Obesity said her idea was “Stupid and Pathetic.” Apparently, “It is not simply a question of personal responsibility. There is an environmental problem in terms of the food system we have.”
He and others are far more worried about advertising of junk food and wants to see more regulation coming down on the retailers. Well, I have no problem with that, but it wont stop people getting fat. You can eat a McDs without getting fat – as long as it is your main meal. Not the healthiest thing out, but you will be okay. People get fat because they EAT TOO MUCH. They have too big a portion of dinner at home, they buy chickens that are bigger than they need, they buy huge bags of crisps and keep sweets permanently in a draw at home rather than making them a treat. Then they eat junk food on top.
I am fat, not because of junk food – I hate the stuff! I am fat because I have big plates and I fill them up.
How complicated do you want to make this?
Saturday, August 6th, 2011
Just a quick update post here. In January this year I was 140kg (give or take a little.) For the old fashioned of us that is about 22 stone and gave me a body mass index of 45.56 – not good.
Since mid February I have been dieting, doing a sort of make it up as I go along low carb thing (basically, remove most of the carb, but dont replace it with too much other stuff!)
My weight as of the 1st of August is 120kg (just under 19 stone) and my BMI is 39.05.
In under six months I have lost 20kg. Yipeee!
I am very comfortable with the way I am eating now – so much so that the once or twice I have suddenly had a helping of potatoes I have ended up feeling bloated and horrible.
I have not increased my exercise much (though a few hikes in Dartmoor at the end of July was a good idea), but I hope to as my weight loss reduces the pressure on my painful knees – an affliction since childhood, but hardly the end of the world.
At this rate, by Christmas I should be around 100kg (15.5 stone) which will be a BMI of 33 (Still obese by the way)
And by Next summer I should be 80kg (12.5 stone) which will be a BMI of 26. I will still be technically overweight, but only just, and with any luck I will be getting a lot fitter too.
Should I have considered an operation instead of a diet?
The important thing will be that in 18 months I would have lost about 90% of my excess body weight starting at a point where many private hospitals say I am a perfect candidate for Gastric Bypass surgery (at a cost).
However, in their advertising blurb, the hospitals are boasting that 75% of people who have the surgery lose up to 80% of their excess weight.
I AM DOING BETTER THAN THAT!!
On the hospital websites they point out, quite correctly, that a Gastric Bypass is not an end in its self. I am quoting here from The Hospital Group website:
“The Need for Long-Term Follow Up
An important thing to remember is that surgery is not a cure for obesity. It is not a magic bullet and will not guarantee results without complete dedication by yourself and by your physician.
If you are going to be successful you will have to continue to work on the behaviours which are important for anyone attempting to lose weight, including physical activity, reducing portion sizes, avoiding energy-dense foods etc.
For this reason, you should ensure the hospital of your choice has available a structured, long-term behavioural and lifestyle programme, with nutritional advice, which you should follow immediately after surgery.”
So, a person has to do exactly what I am doing in order to gain a long term benefit from the surgery (and spending all that money!)
Which begs the question – why bother with the surgery in the first place? Especially if for 25% of people it does not even work!
I am not saying that surgery should never be used, but I do wonder if its growing popularity is really such a good thing.
Monday, July 11th, 2011
I have to be fairly straight up here – although I am heavily overweight, I have not got some of the side effects like Type 2 Diabetes as this poor man has which makes my situation different.
I was 22 stone at the beginning of this year, which is pretty horrendous and rather embarrassing. I am only 5’9 and most of the weight seems to be on my stomach so getting clothes to fit is maddening. There are health problems too – I have always suffered from painful knees (even as a light, fit teenager) and my additional weight has made it much worse. I have a similar issue with my back. In addition a few years ago I discovered I had gall stones. I was on the list for having my gallbladder removed, but after a couple of cancellations I gave up wait6ing and reduced my fat intake so I could manage the problem. I was a very heavy smoker for 30 years and when I gave up seven years ago I put on a lot of weight. The result is that I have not appreciated the improvement in my breathing that others boast. I also sleep badly. It is very difficult to get comfortable and I am aware of the pressure my large stomach is causing to my insides.
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