In which I make a predictable post about losing weight

[chess]

I am fat. Now, nobody is to say 'you're not fat' or 'I'm fatter than you', because although it is true that I am not clinically obese and many people are fatter than me, I am carrying rather more than a few pounds over. I am, in fact, ten stone, which is a good half stone more than I should ever be, and it shows. I don't fit any of my jeans. I need to lose weight.

Apparently I shall lose all my excess pounds if I go for an hour's walk every day. I plan to try this, although I have no idea how it will work in term time (I'm presuming for then this means an hour more than the hour I do anyway going in and out of town, and term tends to be short on spare hours). I was vaguely planning to do an hour's swimming a week, as an 'on top of the walking I do anyway' thing, but the plans were quite vague as I'm not particularly conveniently situated for any swimming pools, driving to them seems to be missing the point a little, and I have to find the Motor Proctor on a full moon Tuesday with a following wind (half an hour from 2-2:30 one day a week, or 6-6:30 a couple of others which gives me that little missing-Hall problem) before I have permission to car around Cam anyhow. And I am confidently informed that I don't swim fast enough to lose any weight by it, even though this is because I Have No Muscles and hence am actually putting in a fair amount of effort to not move very far.

Does anyone have any Top Tips For Losing Weight? I haven't consciously decided I need to lose weight before; it's just sort of happened when it needed to. But I have been A Big Lazy Blob over the summer, having gone into it needing to shed a few pounds, and now it's getting kind of serious.

Comments

[ruhe.livejournal.com]

Ditto. Water, carrots and celery, mineral water, and stuff like that are GREAT. I have some calorie counting resources if you want to pick health low-cal resources too.

However, I actually suggest walking _faster_ (even if that means less actual time walking) in addition to what you're doing. Invest in a good pair of walking or running shoes and get moving! If there are places within a mile or two that you normally take a bus to, start walking or biking there. You'll get there, just don't get discouraged if you don't see weight loss right away. You'll add muscle mass before you really start losing weight.

I've lost 20-25 pounds (I guess that's about a stone and a half?) over the last year...I feel lots better about myself. I want to lose about 10 more, but need to think more about it at this stage.

[jarel.livejournal.com]

But but but ... celery is EVIL!

[ruhe.livejournal.com]

Maybe, but there are negative calories. :) Its best with peanut butter with raisins on top. Mmm, ants-on-a-log! Heathy, huh?

[jarel.livejournal.com]

*shudders*

[dreema.livejournal.com]

agreed

It's only negative calories cos you use up energy shuddering at the thought of eating it, and then throwing it as far away as possible...

[chess]

Walking faster would basically be running; I know one or two people who walk faster than me, but most people have trouble keeping up when I'm at full steam. I could do with being more organised and hence always walking places rather than taking the bus, though (everywhere in Cambridge is within walking distance, assuming you have half an hour free to get there).

[ruhe.livejournal.com]

Good deal then. Have you ever tried keeping track of what you eat?

[chess]

I did at the start of my first term, and worked out that I was actually eating way too few calories. I started putting on weight in Easter term because I changed the kind of bread I ate without noticing that the new bread was about five times as many calories as the old bread, and kept comfort-eating 'cos I was stressed. Then I continued over the summer because I've been eating meals with people / bored / eating out - I always eat more when I'm distracted from the food I'm eating, or when I need to keep eating to stop getting restless when I'm out somewhere.

So if I go back to eating how I was at the start of the year, or thereabouts, I should be okay for that.

[ruhe.livejournal.com]

Got it. It sounds like you already know what to do - and I definitely do similiar. Good luck!