Like so
many people this time of year, I have set myself a goal of bringing
my weight under control. But unlike most people who make such a
resolution, my weight is not a problem. It barrelled its way through
the problem stage years ago. I have a weight crisis. I'm a 33
year-old man. 178 cm tall (5'11”) I weighed myself this morning and
I came in at 178.8 kg. That is not a typo.
One-hundred-and-seventy-eight-point-eight kilograms. Or 394 pounds.
Now that
kind of weight takes years to gain. I had a sedentary childhood. We
weren't well off, financially speaking. Meals when I was growing up
were bland and high in carbs, and dinner was typically very early in
the evening – around five o'clock – as soon as my father arrived
home from work. So I would generally get hungry again around bedtime
and I would sate that hunger. There was also a corner shop a short
walk from my home, conveniently placed between there and school. I
was weak and frequently gave into temptation, spending pocket money
on lollies, ice cream, caramel corn and so on. Even then, though, I
knew it was a problem. I never suffered much in the way of physical
bullying, but the name calling was enough to tell me I was different.
That
essentially set up the habits that have served me so poorly to date.
I can't control myself when I have something sweet and tasty in the
house. If I have some chocolate biscuits, I have to eat them all,
cursing my personal failings as soon as I finish the last crumb. So
like a smoker going cold turkey or an alcoholic giving up the booze,
I must remove the temptation and change my relationship with food –
or at least, certain kinds of food. For while addicts can eliminate
drugs from their lives, food is a bit more complex.
So that
really is my goal for 2013. Eat healthier and lose significant
weight. It's more a life goal than an annual goal and I'm not ashamed
to admit that I'll seize on whatever help I can along the way. I've
started taking Xenical with my meals – it blocks the absorption of
about a third of the fat consumed. I've taken it before and I didn't
like the side effects, which are quite bad if you consume a lot of
fat. This time it is more a psychological spur to avoid high fat food
choices and prepare something a bit healthier.
One
advantage of being so overweight is that my basal metabolic rate –
the amount of calories my body burns just ticking over – is quite
high. So cutting out the crap should on its own bring some positive
results. We'll see. I am starting to pick healthier options.
Today,
for example, I had this for lunch:
A salad,
ham and mustard wrap. Followed by a banana, a light vanilla yogurt
and accompanied by diet lemonade.
And this
for dinner:
Stir-fry
diced skinless chicken breast, with stir-fry vegetables with Watties
“Bit on the Side” stir-fry sauce, followed by a banana and with
diet lemonade to drink.
I hope I
have the strength to keep this up. I hope I have the determination to
carry on. I hope if I stumble, I'll pick myself back up again. Let's
see if this is the beginning of a new stage in my life.
