Best advice: Stand naked in front of a full length mirror, then jump up and down repeatedly; Get photos taken in your underwear and use them as wallpaper on your PC; Eat less and exercise more it's quite a simple equation once you 'get' it!
Weight... it's a sneaky little minx, weight! It's not up-front and honest. It doesn't announce itself with fanfares. It creeps up on you. From behind. Literally!
It fools you. It's very clever, weight. It doesn't arrive all at once. It deposits itself, bit by bit, into your metabolic bank account and before you know it, you're a fat-cell millionaire. My weight crept up on me for years. I'd notice, every once in a while, that my clothes were just that bit tighter. But it was 'just a bit tighter', nothing drastic, so I didn't worry. I could lose it. If I wanted to. But lots of 'just a bit tighters' all added up to 'just a bit Sumo wrestler' and before I knew it I was on the threshold of twenty-five stone in weight. I blame it on being incredibly happily married. Contentment has a lot to answer for!
And still, even at that weight, I managed to convince myself that it wasn't that bad. I used every platitude and cliché in the excuse book. I'm tall, 6 foot 3; I'm big-boned, family trait; Health issues? What health issues? The crunch arrived out of the blue, as it always does. Not from a Doctor or from an insurance company, nor from a loyal friend. The crunch came from a six year old girl, out shopping with her mother in Safeway. She smiled sweetly, waved at me and at the top of her voice, yelled across the chilled aisle:
"Hello Tinky Winky."
I was mortified but I'm so glad I was brought up well knowing that it's not polite behaviour to hit little children. This was the moment, though. No getting away from that comment.
Tinky Winky? Was I bright purple? No.
Do I carry a handbag? Unless its a very special occasion. No.
Did I have an antennae sticking out from the top of my head? No.
What other common denominators were there? Let's see. I was Fat. Big, round, wobbling and fat. Thanks kid, love you too!
But in fact, she did me an enormous favour. Admittedly, not in the most painless of ways but she was at least honest, in some form and she forced me to think hard and face up to a few facts. I don't know who she is but she'll be about eleven or twelve by now and if you're reading this and it sounds vaguely familiar, thank you. I owe you a huge favour.
I went home, thoroughly depressed though and what's the first thing we do when we're depressed? We eat!! Cheese sandwiches by the lorry-load and crisps by the tonne. Mmm, that makes sense! It had to stop. I had to do something and the only way I could do it was to decide. There and then, make the decision and promise to stick to it.
Ever heard of the Cabbage Soup Diet? That's what I did, that's how I started. It's vile but it works and, for the record, the rumours about excessive flatulence just aren't true! I stayed on that for about three months. I know you're not supposed to but I did. It was working, the weight was coming off, quite rapidly. I'm now more of a convert to the Atkins technique although I have adapted it not to include all the fat, butter, mayonnaise and cream I just try to avoid the four main processed-carbohydrate groups.
I also did the unthinkable, the unimaginable, the horrific. I joined a gym. Yes, I admit it. I, Damian George, who would rather have been force-fed pig-swill than do sports in school, joined a gym and up until recently, have been going at least three times a week. I can't honestly admit to enjoying it but the results really do warrant the effort. Don't tell anyone but I sometimes take the stairs in work now instead of the lift!
It's taken me over five years but I'm now down to about fifteen and a half stone and easily getting into 36 waist trousers. It might not sound impressive to some people but having a waist that size was my goal and I've achieved it. I now have a plethora of clothes in my wardrobe that fit me. I now have a choice of what to wear every morning although that fact might surprise those individuals who look me up and down every day! The biggest treat of all is going into clothes shops and picking up items of my choice which say Medium on them, rather than having to take what I can find from the limited XXXL range.
And vanity aside for a moment, I do actually feel better. I know it's a cliché but not having to lug around all those extra sacks of potatoes the whole time really does make a significant difference. Everything becomes easier, less effort and that can only be good. If I can just give up the fags now as well, I'll have a whole new career as a fitness instructor before you know it.
I'm not saying its easy to lose weight because its not but its not easy being fat either. It's a constant battle on all sorts of levels that most people will never understand. It's nothing to do with metabolism, being lazy, gluttonous or apathetic. That's just a convenient category overweight people get put into. The second-rate box. Except that it's us who put ourselves there in the first place.
Being fat, in my case, was about how I felt about me. It was about trying to hide myself away from the world behind layers of blubber. All those cheese sandwiches and crisps? They were my barriers, the bars of my self-imposed cage. You know about the cage, don't you? The one you're in now, the one with the open door, the one you could leave at any moment you wanted to? The same cage you choose to stay in, however painful because it's safer and more familiar than having to face up to anything new, different and possibly challenging just beyond that open door?
For me, losing weight went hand in hand with, I don't want to say 'Learning to Love Myself' because that's just naff talk. It's to do with learning about you, accepting who you really are, warts and all and granting that self-permission to accomplish everything you possibly can and finally do yourself justice. And with a lot of effort, it can be done. However tough it seems.
WeightIts a fickle little minx, weight! Its not loyal and caring. It doesnt stick around when you challenge it head on. It creeps away from you. Leaving you less of a person than you were.
Literally!
Damian George.
Find out more about Damian in his diary -
My Condition
your comments
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Magdalen Bray from Crewe
Witty and inspiring. Thank you for this brilliant piece. I laughed aloud and had to read it to everyone in the room.Well done in both ways.
Tue May 27 13:49:24 2008
Una
Well done Damien. You are fantastic to concentrate and work towards your goal. All well worth it and I know it is not easy...nothing in life that is enjoyable or worthwhile comes easy. Always remember 'No pain no gain' and keep up the good work.
Thu Jan 31 12:42:49 2008
Lorna Larsen
You're right. I'm 21 stone. Hate being fat. I hate that I've done this to myself. I smile and laugh and people love to be around me and all I really want to do is scream at them all - scream at them to see the pain I've been in. A happy person does not allow themselves to become so fat it's a case of Homer Simpson's "Cancel my 1 o'clock" but I read your words - having the courage to step outside the bars and to live, not just exist. Of course I know all this, but for some reason it made me burst into tears. So, here's to me. I'm going to try and keep trying and one last thing...thank you - you made me laugh and cry, typical man!
Fri Dec 14 11:00:29 2007
Jane, Nairobi, Kenya
Funny and encouraging too. I had a baby five months ago and I need to lose two stone and I joined a gym but have lacked the will power to go. But after reading this I'm determined and encouraged! Well done and keep it up Damian.
Thu Dec 13 09:54:51 2007
Ann Jones Newport
Yes I agree with your sentiments I broke my ankle in January and feel so unfit. Swimming is a great excercise because it does not put any strain on your joints and is cardi vascular.
Mon May 14 16:21:25 2007
Dee from Accy
Great writing and sooo true that weight doesn't play fair! I was lucky we have what's known as a GP referral to the local council run gym and once you've been assessed it only cost me £1.50 a session which included gym and swimming. Now I was once told by a very eminent cancer specialist that at the weight I was at the time (15.7 at 5'6" is obese)swimming was the only exercise to do - so I did every day and over a period of 6 months, watching what I drank (alcohol especially)and eat I lost 4 stone. So it can be done. And I'm still doing it 'cos it's not losing it that's the hardest (although it is hard work on occasions) it's the keeping it off and not sliding back into back habits!
Sun Jan 8 16:24:02 2006
Robert - Llanelli
I am disabled after an industrial accident as such I live on benefits, which many know are now very low, I can not pay most fee's for joining clubs or even the demand for monthly direct debit most clubs require. No matter what most people think disability on top of poor fitness is a worry to anyone, unless something is done to help those with disabilities then all the talk is nothing more than just talk.
Fri Mar 4 15:33:57 2005
Nina Wright - Cardigan
Of all the advice given to overweight people, nobody ever mentions toning tables which are one of the easiest, least stressful and enjoyable way for people of all ages and all levels of fitness to lose weight and inches. They improve your circulation, help with joint pains and mobility and generally feel good!
Tue Jul 13 16:21:54 2004
Anon - Cardiff
I've been over weight for most of my adult life, well if I'm honest all of it. I have finally got to the stage of I've had enough. You're account is encouraging and inspiring.
Thank you for being honest and open about what can be a fairly taboo subject!
Mon May 17 16:16:33 2004
Vicky from Cardiff
I'll say well done and you have done very well for yourself Damian. I have gone down from 12 stone to 10 and half stone in a year. This requires hard work, dedication and self descipline. I like the gym but I never get the time to do this, so I set up my own jogging routine which paid off. I'd like to advise that if you can stick to your own excisise regime this might be beter for you.
Cheers and good luck
Thu Apr 15 12:08:43 2004
Chris Phillips from Sychdyn
Hats off to you, Damian. The bit that cheered me up is where you say that you don't actually enjoy going to the gym, but that the effort's worth it. I've been going to the gym once a week when I can, and it's awful, monotonous and hurts. What really gets my goat is when people, usually very fit people, say daft things like "Don't you feel brilliant afterwards?" Nonsense. I feel dreadful afterwards, and even worse during. The only thing that keeps me going is that it's good for me, and might help me live a little longer. So don't go asking me to enjoy it as well!
Tue Apr 6 12:37:51 2004
Shirley - Burry Port
You have done amazingly well.
I want to be like you. Able to throw open the wardrobe doors and say, "What would I like to wear today" as opposed to "What will hide my tummy and midriff and boobs"!
We all know what we are supposed to do, (and I'll bet you've never heard this before), I honestly feel that I really have tried in the past. I managed to get down from 13st to 12st 2lbs, but never got lower than that. I went regularly to swimming and badminton, but it just never got any lower, I became disheartened and then GAVE UP!!!
I have to get back on track, I'm back to 13st AGAIN!!
Thank you for your humourous, honest account. It could almost be my story. The gym terrifies me and I smoke, but I have to do something. When I consider how much weight I am carrying on the outside, I cringe when I consider how much I'm carrying on the inside!!
Take care and the best of luck & goodwill for your future.
Tue Mar 30 17:56:36 2004
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