Boring Weight Related Stuff

[daveon]

M has been on at me about weight related stuff.  We've both put on weight we can ill afford to while moving here.  It's hard not to :(  I've also started travelling again which isn't good.

As part of her employment package with the Beast she and her spouse (me) get access to MS funded weight and fitness programmes.  We took a look at the last week.  Basically the format of the 2 is the same, they do a physical and provide a 12,16 or 20 week programme of diet, counselling and personal training.

We'll probably start the flashest of the two (Lifestyles 20/20) in November.  Not because I particuarly like the programme.  I know it works, I've seen the results around campus - if you've seen recent Steve Balmer footage compared to 5 years ago, you'll see the results there.  I do have a problem with it that it is slightly cultish and that most of the stories by the uber-fit salesman did not apply.  I do not eat at Claim Jumper thank you, I do over eat on better food than that, and I do drink too much.  They also didn't really have an answer to my question about business travel.

However, all that said, the program works.  Why?  Because for 12-20 weeks (depending on how much you have to lose) you have three 75 minute personal trainer sessions a week and they ask you to log another 2 hours of exercise elsewhere.  They give you access to a dietician including a specialist on eating out, and they have group support sessions for staying on program.  I know I lose weight rapidly when I exercise, the problem is actually sticking to a regime long enough for it to become second nature. 

I don't want to hit 40 weighing over 120kgs thank you.  So, I've a tour of Europe to come and then back to the gym.

 
EDIT:  That isn't to say I haven't been being careful.  I've been exercising more and trying to watch what I eat.  According to the doctor on Friday my BP was 116/68 - which was without my Altace.  So I think I can say that my BP is back to normal.  I can also wear one size down in trousers, but frankly, I'm not going anywhere like enough.

Comments

[daveon.livejournal.com]

Well, yes I am. I'll counter with that I'm around 6'4". What was bugging me most was starting to find my nice comfy 42" waist trousers were too tight, which I've addressed. But it is time to do something about it all really and fitting healthy living into the life I've been leading has been a challenge and while I have no aversion to exercise I can't kid myself that I'm good at forcing myself to do it, especially if M has the will power of a 4 year old too.

I've been my "ideal" weight when I was 21 and had Glandualar Fever. People, including the family doctor, thought I had aids. It wasn't pretty on my build. When I lost most of my body fat 10 years ago, through not drinking much and gym 4-5 times a week, I went down to around 100kgs which was pretty ideal for me. I was a 38" waist and had a pretty flat stomach and that would be my target for the next year. What balls'd that up was starting business travel - which has pretty much counted for 3-4 kgs a year for 7+ years.

To be honest, I'm still not sure how I'm going to come up with coping mechanisms for business trips. Client dinners, evenings out in bars etc... it's hard to avoid temptation and boredom is a real killer on these things. I suspect I'll have to find tricks to force in more exercise and come up with some mechanisms for limiting the drink and food.

The MS system frankly annoyed me, but it's sensible stuff and as you said elsewhere support is part of the key. There is a "pod person" element to those who emerge the other side of the program. I suspect part of their success is providing an ongoing support and maintenance system where you can still see the Doctor's every 6 months for checks and you can have access to your personal trainer, dietician etc...

The thing that actually annoys me about a lot of the guff they were spouting at the indoctrination session was actually how little applied to me. I have been fit, I historically have exercised a lot and I'm not exactly a basket case now. While I do over eat, I am picky about food, a lot more so now than when I was younger, but I do have some serious weak spots, wine and beer being 2 of them. I do walk around a lot, I use the stairs over the lift, and I do figit. All good things for burning extra calories. However, a really good steak (8oz will do frankly) with a Blue Cheese sauce and daphinoise potatoes with a few glasses of a decent red wine really appeals more than the herb crusted salmon with roasted mediterranean veges and a bottle of water.

Listening to the indoctrination program they really were focused on developers who spend 24/7 in a chair in front of their computer drinking full fat coke and eating crisps by the large packet.

Learning how to enjoy less of the things I adore is the hardest thing.

Getting back into the place where I enjoyed 4-5 hours of sold CV work a week won't.