I hadn’t really brought it up because, well, I didn’t think it was that interesting, but Bob Greenberger mentioned over on his blog that I’ve been losing weight, so I figured I might as well address it.
Funny: The notion that I should lose weight because I could get diabetes, or have a heart attack, or go blind or maybe, y’know, die…these were all too ephemeral to worry about. But when I blew out my knee bowling some months back, the doctor told me it was only going to get worse unless I relieved the stress by dropping weight. That spurred me into action.
Curiously, once I made up my mind to do it, the rest came easily. Here’s the problem with diets: They don’t work because they have, by definition, an end. You simply can’t think that you’re going to eat a certain way for a proscribed time and then go back to “normal.” The weight will return. That’s why radical changes (cut out all carbs, drop all fats, etc.) don’t get the job done. You have to decide that you’re going to live your life differently. Not radically differently; just differently.
What am I doing to lose weight? Hold on, it’s pretty wacky: I’m eating less and exercising more. That’s it. That’s all. Portion control, going to the gym three times a week, bowling on the days I’m not at the gym plus three evening leagues. The only truly radical change I’ve made to my food intake is that I cut soda out completely which, after a few weeks, I didn’t even miss. Oh, and twice a day I take Flaxseed oil–all natural and superb in aiding digestion. And I’m getting eight hours sleep a night rather than working until all hours and getting four hours sleep. Since April I’ve dropped 54 pounds and intend to be practically unrecognizable by next San Diego.
Oh, the other thing I do, that’s contrary to what most dieticians tell you: I weigh myself every day. Every morning. Not once a week. That’s because I know how an overeater’s mind works. Let’s say you weigh in on Mondays. So it’s Wednesday and you’re craving doughnuts or ice cream. You figure, “Well, I’ve got four days until I check my weight again, I can lose it,” and you indulge yourself, and that carries over into Thursday and sometimes even Friday before you then starve yourself over the weekend. When you check your weight every day, there’s no hiding. At first it forces you to say on course; after a while it just becomes second nature.
I think, by and large, to lose weight, one doesn’t need all these various fad diets. One just needs resolve…and a determination to maintain one’s bowling average (currently 208).
PAD
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Congrats Peter, not just on the losing weight, but by doing it in a healthy way and having a healthy mindset about it.
The women in my family (mother and sister, mostly) have always gone on those “cut carbs/sugars” completely type of diets, and the obsessive nature of it drives me insane.
My sister HAS lost alot of weight doing it, but she is terrified to eat a piece of bread. The other day she ate about 4 ounces of tomato soup and called my mother crying that she broke her diet. That is such a horrible way to live.
Ive never been very overweight, but my family owned a pizza place a few years back which I was managing, And the soda (as you mentioned) and cheese caused me to gain about 30 lbs. (Not to mention what the cheese did to my cholesterol) When I stopped working there, I drank more water and juice (actually thats all I drink now), and i dropped 25 lbs in about 2 months…and have been at that weight ever since.
Good for you, PAD!
I’ve been losing weight too. With my mom’s grand advice, I used her old Weight Watchers stuff to manage my diet. The great thing about the Weight Watchers is that you can eat whatever you want as long as you acknowledge how many points it is (I’m allowed about 26-33 points a day right now). For example, I can have my Frankenberry in the morning, but I’ve got to remember to mark one serving as 3 points. Heck, I know someone who lost a bunch of weight on Weight Watchers and she had a boston creme doughnut every morning. The thing is, she counted the 6 points every day too. I’ve also cut back on the soda just because it’s easier to drink spring water or flavored water which are always 0 points rather than calculating the soda. It’s weird doing the whole points thing though, because it makes it feel like some weird game. Like a weight loss based D&D without all the dice.
At least I won’t get that disappointed head shake thing from my doctor at my next physical.
“Could be the scale’s a piece of crap.”
I’ve considered that, but since, according to the same scale, my roommate’s fat % stays rock-steady (at exactly where it’s supposed to be, dámņ him), I don’t think that’s the problem.
Good for you, PAD. You’ve reached the first hump. The first few months of your exercise routine. That’s a plateau you have to get to if you’re serious about losing weight. And, now that you’re into a routine, it should be pure gravy from here on out.
HOWEVER, the next big step will be a few months down the line from when you started your exercise routine. By that point, you’ve been working out for what seems like forever. Routine generally breeds contempt. So after doing it for a few months, going to the gym will unexpectedly get really hard again because you’re thinking “Ah, screw it, I’ve been doing it for months by this point.” Once again, do not listen to the voice inside your head telling you to quit. Just do it, do it, and do it again. Over and over. It kind sucks, but the end result is well worth it.
Good luck, and keep reaching for that mountain.
Good job. I agree with you on weighing yourself everyday. It’s fun to see progress and it makes it evident when you mess up. Good luck.
Hi Peter, glad to hear that you’re approaching weight loss in a sensible way : you’re absolutely right to say that diets don’t work, for the simple reason that al they do is put a time limit on your eating habits, the unspoken hint is “do this, lose this, then go back to the chocolate and fry-ups”. It’s a short term fix. I put on 2 stones after damaging a knee in an accident (Ok, I fell down a trench whilst very drunk), and added 28 pounds of alcohol, self pity and lack of exercise to my body. I expected a long tortuous battle to shed the excess and return to my previous sylph-like self. I had a look at various diet plans recommended by the hospital and din’t fancy any of them. They were all short-term plans with some dubious methods. I decided to make my own weight-loss strategy which was very simple : eat less, eat better, exercise more. A suggestion I’d make to anyone trying to lose weight is to keep a page of lined paper, weigh yourself once a week and write down the date and your weight. After a few weeks, looking at this sheet of paper will be a huge boost to your confidence and morale. The point I’ve been building up to is this : losing weight isn’t something that can be done overnight, but, viewed in the long term, it’s not as hard as you’ll expect. I was suprised how much I enjoyed long walks and cycling to build up my knee muscles to support the damaged joint, to the extent that I now (back to my fighting weight of 161lb) go jogging most mornings for the pleasure of it and have even done a couple of sponsored 8km runs.
Good luck Peter, and anyone else doing anyhting similar. Remember not to get too disheartened if you don’t see instant results, just keep at it and you WILL notice a difference.
Best wishes everyone,
david
Congratulations, PAD. You’re sure to be in fighting form to deal with any of Caroline’s future suitors a decade or so down the line (bowling balls are also helpful for that, I hear).
SER
Hey, I look forward to admiring your fit self at Shoreleave! And maybe, just maybe, I’ll have something to show off too. After a month of death-by-deep-fried-carbohydrates here, I’ve gone back to Weight Watchers. Keep up the good work! I’m sending pharonic good vibes your way.
Peter, great to see someone else following a similar approach to losing weight. I started going to the Gym twice a week, and I haven’t looked back since. Not to mention the endorphin rush I get after going to the gym is a great incentive.
Good for you, Peter. I sympathize and congratulate you. I tried reducing carbs last year and lost about 20 pounds and felt great, but they slowly came back. I’m now trying the more reasonable diet/exercise approach.
-I went from drinking regular cola to decaf, and now I sleep WAY better, and then I dropped colas altogether, drinking only diet lemon-lime sodas, which have no fat, calories, carbs, or sugar. This probably reduced my sugar intake A LOT. And who knows, maybe I’ll give up soda too, and switch to water. I used to hate diet soda, and could never conceive of switching, but then I did, and got used to it. Now I’m used to just diet lemon lime. I find it hard to conceive of just drinking water, but maybe when the soda in my fridge runs out, I’ll just drink water. And save several bucks a week too.
-I usually have two pieces of fruit and maybe a piece of dry wheat toast for breakfast. (I tried some of those Egg Beaters whites-only eggs, but they taste like crap.) When I have time, I go out and buy two or three days worth of diced melon and pineapple for a buck fifty a container.
-For lunch and dinner, I try to have veggie burgers, veggie chicken patty sandwiches, etc. I try to eat meat only for one meal a day if I can. When I go to Subway, I almost always get a veggie patty sandwich on whole wheat with no cheese, loaded with veggies, and a bit of lite mayo. And maybe I’ll drop the mayo too. I eat prepackaged lite Caesar salads, and load ‘em up with veggies and tricolor pasta, and no cheese. And maybe I’ll drop the croutons and lite dressing that comes with the package in favor of the no fat, no carb dressing I used to buy at the stores. And when I’m out, I try to take every opportunity to eat veggies, like with the veggie burrito I got before coming home today.
The biggest change I’ve noticed is that I no longer crave food as I used to, or anticipate eating as I used to. It’s for this reason that I believe that the chemicals in the brain react in a way similar to addiction (a point made by a doctor in Supersize Me). Mark Evanier also made this observation about his weight loss on his blog.
The hardest part is finding time to go to the gym or exercise consistently. This is especially hard on days when I just feel plain tried, or work days like today, when walked forty minutes to work, and was on my feet for several hours straight. So I try to incorporate walking where I can. If I’m not in the city on Wednesday, for example, I walk 54 blocks to the comic book store (and usually take the bus back). 🙂
Congratulations Peter. Keep up the good work.
I look forward to the next con I see you at and I say, “Who’s this skinny @#$%! sitting in PAD’s chair?!”
Say, Peter, can you post some pics of the new you? Maybe one that would be more up-to-date for your Wikipedia article? 🙂
Congrats, PAD, and nicely done!
At the beginning of the year, I tried something vaguely similar. I’m not anywhere near obese, but I do have a gut coming in that’s been annoying me. But I dropped french fries. For a month, I ate none. I lost ten pounds. Since then, I limit my french fry intake to just once a week and I’ve kept the weight off. It works — it’s just about lifestyle change and not faddish dieting.
I weigh myself every day, too, because it shows me when I’ve overeaten and need to pull back on the portions a little. Just a pound here or there is enough of a reminder to get more exercise and not have that second snack.
Of course, I have to juggle that with the diabetes. In cases of low blood sugar, I try to make better decisions on what I eat to boost my sugar levels. A piece of bread or two is far healthier than, “Ooh! Blood sugar is low! I can have M&Ms now!”
It’s all the little things.
Oh, and I converted the 7-9-10 split in bowling this week. WHOO-HOO!
Good on you PAD! You’re doing all the right things. Absolutely concur on daily weighing.
Over the last ten years I slowly picked up 30 pounds I didn’t need. Now — via diet & exercise along the model you’re using — I’ve dumped 20 of them, and am zeroing in on the last ten. (My preferred “diet” is the Rotation Diet: too sensible ever to be faddish. The base motto is “Eat Less Fat and WALK.” Moderate exercise, proper hydration, and a cal-controlled diet regimen that lasts three weeks per rotation and makes elemental changes in how you deal with food — more fruit & veg, etc. The book is finally back in print after twenty years. Worthwhile for common-sense discussions of the chemistry and psychology of successful weight loss.)
Only note to add: see if you can pare a little more sodium out of the diet than by merely giving up the soda (one of the very smartest things you did). It’s surprising how much water even an extra gram of salt per day will make you retain.
And meanwhile, increased muscle mass burns calories faster. 🙂 Have fun!
Congratulations Peter.
Keep up the good work. I don’t think weight control is simply determination, but it helps. A healthy lifestyle is a reward into itself. Best wishes.
I’ve been a terrible Oprah style yo-yo dieter. MOst yearsw I cut cabs for a few months and lose about 2-3 stone then put it all back on comfort eating. My knee is shot from an old football (soccer) injury so that doesn’t help and the gym bores me to distraction.
But with my first child on its way in less than 8 weeks my health, fitness and weight are high on the agenda – so probably time I followed your example sir.
Oh and I finally got your Writing for Comics book this week, loving it so far!
Oh, wow! Peter, you’re right! Congratulations!! I’m really proud of you! This is just another reason why you’re one of my heros!
We must be on the same wave length. (scary stuff that.) I fractured my ankle 3 years ago, had to have a plate because the Dr. said it was “drifting”. Kinda-sorta started working on my weight after that, but it wasn’t until a year ago July I buckled down. Exercise, portion control (Weight watchers point system is great for this) and yes, I too weigh myself every day.
So far, since July 2005, I’m down 50 lbs. I’ve never lost weight like that in my life! Great feeling isn’t it?