Popping back in to report how things have been gong for me.
I started off in January 23, at 107kg with an objective to hit 92 by my daughter's wedding in June. I hit that, but then managed to get struck down with HSP and 6 Kg disappeared in a week and worried the buggeration out of me. I backed away from dieting for a few months, came back to it around October time, now down to 83Kg. I'd be happy there but I feel 79 gives me an easy trigger point for maintenance at around 80, more of that later.
I thought I'd set down what works for me, in case it is of use to others. It's a mish mash of various practices, in no particular order:
- Positive visualisation. Thinking of myself as a thin person, but with maybe a little too much weight at the moment. This also informs choices and helps my "Won't Power" definitely more relevant than willpower for me - when about to put something in my mouth I can tell myself, that's not what the person I am does. I know that working from home, getting a tan from the fridge light was a real problem.
- The "I can make you thin" book from Paul McKenna. I didn't buy into the whole thing, but I found some of his suggestions very helpful - eating slower, _really_ enjoying your food even if you are breaking your diet, and breaking the link between falling off the wagon and failing the process
- Weighing. Daily with an app to record and graph (I used to use paper). I like trends and can deal with fluctuations
- Eating. I don't calorie count, but I try to make the right choices and - outside of meals if I need to wat I shove an apple in my gob.
The final piece (for me) fell into place a few weeks ago. I had plateaued at around 88Kg, which was OK-ish, but odd. I then came across Tim Spector (actually, on Desert Island DIscs) and I was fascinated by what he was saying, and I found I had "The Diet Myth" on my spotify audiobooks. That was a game changer, he had done proper science around eating and what he had to say was interesting and not predictable. (It appears that some of his more recent books may be more theory and opinion focussed, although I've not read them)
Apparently 60% of body shape is genetic, but 40% relates to other factors (his findings come from science with identical twins). Then, while it is a truism that calories in>calories out = getting fat and the reverse, the diets we hold as fundamental to our world view are universally misplaced. Given the individuality of our makeup, genetic combined with our habits and internal biology as a result, approaching weight loss from the diet side is misplaced. All calories are not equal. Given that the whole diet industry is built on the foundation of the calories printed on the side of a packet, that's a big deal.
Instead he advocated arriving at weight loss through the biome - what's happening in our individual guts. Addressing it's health and making it more efficient.
So, I did that. I changed my food to include more fermented products (yoghurt, kefir, kimchi), added more pulses, EV olive oil, dark chocolate, increased the variety and number of foods. And, despite an apparently higher calorie intake, my weight started to drop again, actually with less effort. Those food choices may not work for everyone, but it is working for me.
I now want to find out how I mainain at this point.
