Writing Makes You Fat

Well, it's making me fat, at least. In the past 7 years I've been writing pretty much non-stop. The sedentary nature of the job plus staying up in the early AM to make deadlines means I snack too much and exercise too little. I don't have the motivation to eat better and work out more that I used to, and now am 20 lbs overweight. Since what I'm doing (nothing) isn't working, I'm trying something else. Just got a script for phenteramine filled. Doc says it's not a long term solution (I know, I know), but I'm hoping it will jump-start things; if I can lose a fast 10 lbs, I'll be motivated to lose the other 10. We'll see...

Ann has her Joy thread, this will be LC's Losing Weight thread. lol. I am going to keep a public record of my progress, maybe that will help keep me on track.

Snack on almonds and dark chocolate

I'm going to my physician's weight loss club....I agree. I sit all the time, especially now I write for the newspaper. I'm either on the puter or on the phone or driving. I wish you the best - so easy to gain and so hard to lose. I have bad habits I didn't have before - maybe you will be an inspiration.

Our weight loss club uses myfitnesspal.com on their computer and cell phones to help them. It didn't work for me but you might like it. One fellow lost 72 pounds since September. He looks grrrreat.

Nuts and chocolate are part of my problem, Alice.

DK- I don't want to record anything in websites or cellphones. I haven't got the patience. I just want to get my mojo back for exercising and eating correct portions of everything (which includes nuts and dark chocolate).

The doc told me to try half a pill at first, see if it works. I did, and am bouncing off the walls. But I'm not hungry.

Russell Crowe tweets his workouts. He has said that the tweets are more for him than his followers. Making a commitment to go public can be more of an incentive to stick with a plan than making a private one to oneself.

Seems to have worked for him - from when he started, early May 2011


to late January 2013


He admits to losing 65 lbs over that time

So keep posting (and I promise to stop with the RC comments, at least on your thread.)

LOL, post all the inspirational pics of Russell Crowe you want. I find that some celeb pictures do help me keep on track. I've always admired Demi Moore and have a few pics of her around. I'm surprised Crowe gained 65 lbs in the first place, was it for a movie role? I never followed him; I do remember years ago being mildly surprised when Meg Ryan left Dennis Quaid for him, and then laughing when Crowe dumped her barely a few months later.

The half pill seems to have worked today (doc suggested I cut the pills in half first, and if they don't work, take the full pill). Didn't snack as much. Maybe this really will work.

2/20/2013
LC...
What's the name of the drug the Dr. prescribed ?
I need to drop 20 lbs , I've gone from 165 lbs to 185 lbs !
I need to go down to 160 lbs..... At 5.8 it states I should
weigh 155 lbs.......Cheers.Joe...

Joe - it's phenteramine. Generic; I don't know the brand name. From what you've posted of your health history, I doubt you'd be a candidate. It's a form of speed and can cause heart palpitations. It makes you super-wired. Yesterday I could have cleaned my whole house and my neighbor's, too, lol.

Shocked to see I'm down 3 lbs already today.

Quote :

I'm surprised Crowe gained 65 lbs in the first place, was it for a movie role?

Other way around, apparently. It happened when he took a year off to play Mr. Mom to his boys while wife went on tour to restart her singing career. Lots of ironies. When he went back to work and got back in shape, she decided she wanted a separation because he was never around. Seems she wanted him home and fat.

FYI - daughter Lynn and her mother-in-law have started following the Primal Blueprint diet & fitness system, which means that on Thursdays at least, so do I. I tried it a year or so ago; it doesn't work for me because I have to eat a few complex carbs or I gain even more, but some people swear by it.

It's one of the paleo diets:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-to-the-primal-eating-plan/#axzz2LGwd9DJp

Might work for you; might not, but it's another place to check out, if nothing else.

I did the phentermine thing after Susan was born. I wasn't nursing so it wasn't a problem. I stayed on them for a month, and lost all of the baby weight plus a little. I was afraid to use them any longer. I guess because I never felt hyper - I just felt normal for a change. I was afraid that made me ripe for addiction if I kept on, but after that month I also started doing yoga while the girls were asleep. If Lynn had not outgrown naps a couple of years later, I might still be in good shape. lol

Anyway, from my experience, the pills can help for a short-term jump start.

Tonight's dinner was pork loin roast, whole baked sweet potatoes w/butter (from grass fed dairy cows) and a kitchen sink salad - mixed greens, broccoli florets, cucumber slices, red onions, dried cranberries, and avocado slices. Dressed it with a balsamic vinegar & olive oil spray.

The word, “Diet” could be an oxymoron - “I’ll die if I don’t eat.”

I am fortunate that I have never gone on an official diet. There are diet programs galore and much money is made on selling them. If/how they work still depends on the person’s discipline.
Our standard meals are good and provide us with the nutrients we need. I’ve learned to stop when I feel satisfied with my intake. I have even learned to ignore the remark, “Now I don’t want anything left over.” That usually means I don’t want leftovers or I don’t want to throw it out. If I eat more than I need, it is already wasted.
Then there are the times when I have a desire for sweets. Having a coffee with a piece of pie or cake is hard to resist. When I look at it I ask myself, “If I eat this, what must I do to burn it off?” If I am prepared to walk an extra kilometer or do some other form of work/exercise, then I will partake. For me, it is a balance. In the days when people did much physical work, they seldom had weight problems. I can eat whatever I want and not gain weight by offsetting it with exercise. I don’t go to a gym to workout. I have enough outside work that keeps me active. In another month, the garden will require attention. Another thing I do is to use the stairs instead of an elevator where possible. Walking instead of driving, where possible. Parking at the end of the parking lot instead of trying to find a spot near the front door. That also serves to prevent nicks/scratches to car doors.

In my view, the key to eating what you want without worries of weight gain is a program of burning it off. Sitting by the PC and getting mentally tired is a plight for many. We feel too tired to do anything else and just want to eat and sleep. Try to remember that energy creates energy. When tired, taking a short walk or doing some form of exercise will get the heart pumping. Mental activity is also improved that can provide new insight to the story we are writing. Taking frequent breaks are good. Use those breaks for some physical activity.

The above are just some thoughts that work for me.

You must change your eating and exercise habits forever.
The diet pills are not a good idea.
They are hard on you--Beware!

Sometimes, especially early on, temporary measures are a good thing. They can help prevent a greater concern down the line.

One of the very few times I wonder if it would be better to be a male is when it comes to physiology and body weight issues. Men's bodies do not have to deal with the hormonal disruption that can result from circumstances like estrogen imbalances.

Yes, a jump start is all I'm asking for with this. I know it's not a long-term solution. And I do a lot of the things Abe mentioned, e.g., taking the stairs instead of the elevator. It's just that I've basically lost my motivation to record my meals and do cardio workouts, which is what always kept my weight in check. I'm constantly at the computer trying to make publication deadlines or doing work stuff, and my metabolism is doing a vanishing act. The pressure of getting the writing done makes it easy to justify skipping workouts.

If I can lose 10 lbs or so, I'm hoping it will bring back my ability to say no to snacking and yes to more exercise.

Holding steady with those 3 lbs I lost ...going to the gym later today.

Thunbs up from me also.

Down 4 lbs. These pills are as close to time travel as I'll ever get. Meaning that they've temporarily returned my metabolism to what it was about seven years ago; I can feel it in my energy level. My appetite has been greatly suppressed, making it easy not to snack so much. Sad that it will go away when I stop taking them (channeling Flowers for Algernon. LOL).

Congratulations LC. Too bad the appetite suppression can't continue without the pills.

Down 5 lbs total so far! Yes!

Abe -I know the appetite suppression can't continue w/o the pills, but I AM eating much less ...not snacking all night, and I go swimming most nights at the gym now. How long is a habit supposed to take -2 weeks?

LC, I can feel your excitement. I think you will succeed.

Great work! Swimming is an all-over workout without the stress. Good choice.

Thanks, LC. I went back to the gym and am riding the stationary bike 30 minutes each day. Too much sitting! Keep us inspired.

Thanks, all!

Keeping a public thread here does help, I refrain from snacking because I know it will show on the scale, and I don't want to report that here. lol Accountability really matters.

I joined a great gym a few months ago. I haven't made it up to the exercise floor yet; I just love sitting in the hot tub, then doing laps in the cold pool, then sitting in the hot tub again. There are also a lot of fit, attractive people there, and that helps motivate me.

Bags of peanut M&Ms at night were a problem. Hopefully with the results I'm seeing it will be easier to continue to say no to them.

DK, you mentioned Physicians Weight Loss before. What is that, is it like Weight Watchers?

LC,

Good job!