The reason I’ve never dieted for an extended period of time, is that it has always ultimately been non-rewarding. There are too many reasons for this to enumerate in this tiny space, but the biggest has to do with metabolism. I have a ruthlessly efficient metabolism, one that responds to the slightest deprivation by going into “famine mode” and socking away as much fat as possible.
If you are one of those people that thinks that I simply have no will power, let me ask you something: Have you ever known anyone that could eat literally whatever they wanted, as much as they wanted, and still never put on weight? Then why is it so hard to believe there are people that can pack on the pounds even when eating “normally”?
So, when I try to diet, I typically have an initially good response. After a few weeks, when I’m tired of limiting portions and not eating anything tasty, I might slip a bit. Unfortunately when I DO slip, my keenly frugal metabolism ensures that every single extra gram I eat gets stored. The resulting rapid weight gain is sufficiently discouraging that I usually quit dieting altogether.
Fun fact: Every single time I’ve tried dieting, I ended up heavier afterward than when I started.
I started tracking my weight again in mid-July. As I’ve mentioned before, in late August I was officially diagnosed as a Type II diabetic. Ever since that diagnosis, I’ve been testing my blood glucose and eliminating sugar from my diet. More than that, I’ve quit using butter entirely, in favor of olive oil. I eat more vegetables and fruits now, and while I try to limit my carbohydrates consistent with what my doctor advises, I’ve also shifted to carbs with lower glycemic indices. I eat much less red meat now, and try to eat meat-free as often as possible.
I can show you my progress on the following chart. Horizontal lines mark 5-pound increments. More than that, I’m not saying.
This is a very familiar pattern for me. My clothes start getting loose and my energy level comes up, and I start to feel really good about myself. Then I start to eat just a little more than I should, and before I know it half the gains I’ve made have been erased. To put it as mildly as possible, it’s frustrating.
However, this time I don’t have the luxury of giving up. This is a lifestyle change, and not a voluntary one. I’d like to see my kids graduate college, after all. Besides, the changes in our diet have been good for the wife and kids, as well.
I just have to get back on that horse, and eat those greens. And I certainly think that publishing my progress like this should provide an incentive to get more serious about what and how I’m eating again. Gotta love peer pressure.
I know nuh-THINK!
1 user commented in " At Least I’m Consistent "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI’ll start with the caveat that I’m one of the aforementioned “eat whatever” people, though I am moderately conscious about what I eat, I tend to self-regulate pretty efficiently. I can only try to empathize with the challenges you must face.
I think it’s pretty obvious in your data, and I’ve seen this personally, that the rms “noise” in an individual’s weight can easily be 3-5 lbs. That large buffet spike is a great example, the slope on each side is pretty large. I think you have to learn to understand/ignore some of that high-frequency noise and separate it from the low-frequency trend. The worst thing would seem to be seeing the rising edge of a spike and calling it quits; that spike in your data could easily have become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Of course, I think you’re also right that you need to try to avoid falling into the trap of “I can have this extra helping because I’ve been good.” It’s very easy to rationalize behavior and bias your actions more than you think, without realizing it.
I hope your family and friends are on board and supportive. I suspect (and the literature I’ve heard about suggests) that having the right network of people around you can make all the difference. Best of luck!
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