It turns out that self-improvement comes at a heavy cost.
I’ve been trying to lose a bit of weight over the past few months. Although I maintain that I’m willing to carry a few extra pounds in the interest of good living, I think I’ve probably been ‘good living’ enough for three people throughout my thirties (and actually, if I’m honest, it’s the bad food and drink that causes all the problems).
I’m not following a particular special diet, but I have been laying off the carbs where possible. So that’s the bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, noodles and beer. It hasn’t been as hard as I would have imagined. No real cravings, and I’ve been fairly relaxed about the odd exception here and there. We had a brunch with friends on Sunday — and bagels and pancakes featured quite heavily.
All the same, it seems to be working well so far. I’ve dropped nearly 20kgs since November (around 40 pounds) and, perhaps more significantly, I’ve gone down from a 40-inch waist to the point where I’m hoping to buy my first pair of size 34 jeans in over a decade next week.
I’ve also been doing a spot of exercise. Nothing scary or fanatical. I distrust physical activity as a general principal (particularly team sports) but I have been doing the odd pushup here and there, and that crosstrainer machine I bought a year or so back has actually seen a bit of action in recent weeks.
So yeah – go me.
But there’s a heavy cost. Yesterday afternoon at some point – I can’t quite pinpoint when or where – my wedding ring simply slipped off and disappeared. Gone. Probably forever. As you can imagine, I’m really pretty upset about that.
So – my top tips for dieting advice? Lay off the carbs, move around a bit… and hang on to your valuables.
Based upon the pictures I’ve seen of you then and now, if you lost 40 pounds, you must be rather tall.
Myself, I’m 6 foot and 1 1/2 inches, and I weighed 330 pounds at my peak. I’m pretty sure I’m less than that now (no scale handy, unfortunately), but losing weight has been a real ordeal for me. My health is suffering because of all of this extra fat. I have, however, managed to cut back on how much I eat, and balance my diet out with more fruit and veg. Weight loss is slow, but I do feel a little better these days.
I’m only 6ft tall – which is nothing special these days – but I think I must have a high molecular density or something.
One thing is certain: the weight was definitely there and now it’s not. I was a fair way over 100kg and now I’m comfortably under 90kg. That’s as specific as I can be. I do own scales now, but I’ve only used them twice, and not so far in March.
But I’ve pretty much lost a toddler. 40 packets of butter. And I haven’t yet hit what is thought to be my ‘ideal’ weight. But surely that’s an ideal weight for someone with hollow bones.
I’m not going to recommend my diet to anyone. It’s not my area of expertise. I can tell you what jazz records to listen to while not eating pies, but much more than that – I wouldn’t take my advice. The low-carb thing seems to be helpful to me, but your milage may vary.
At any rate, my real concern is the fact that I still can’t find my wedding ring — and it’s frustrating, infuriating, and very, very sad.
I knew a small half-Japanese lady once who was about as tiny as you can imagine, and yet managed to weigh in at 145. I’ll bet she was a real asset during a game of Red Rover.
I really do hope you find your wedding ring. Do you normally wear it while showering or bathing? If so, that would be the first place I would look. I’m sure you’ve already thought of that, but it never hurts to toss around ideas, I guess.