Running With Jack

To eliminate guilt out of process, I hid the scale. I see you weigh yourself every day. I'd suggest not to. I used to do it too. It drove me into frustartion frenzy! Yes, now I know I am up, and I didn't need a scale to tell me that - my pants did. But right now I am totally ok with it, I understand that I dropped my training dramatically and it's to be expected. As for dieting - I am pretty horrible with that too. But I stopped going nuts about it. I know I am eating healthier and more mindful than 80% of the people, but I have genetics, and as soon as my fitness level goes down, my fat goes up. So I am commited to bring it to normal (and not to illusional wishful) level slowly. I decided on not eating after 7 pm and not consuming white carbs. Since last week I am down 1 kg. I am in no rush. When I get back to regular training runs, I'll be fine.
Jack, don't get demoralized. Be healthy and run well. The rest is just a number.

You can do it, Jack! : ) Perhaps don't think of it as a diet, but just a healthier way of eating. And also allow yourself some little treats along the way.

I am a pretty healthy eater...that said...once I start on sugar, I have trouble giving it up. Binge, binge, binge. I can't stop. So then I have to give it up completely again...and I do pretty well for a while. It's a battle!

good luck with your diet. don't forget - the drinks can be a big add to weight gain. not sure what you drink, but i remeber when i lived in germany no one would drink diet!!!!! juices and orange sodas were big too.

Fighting back is a good plan! I have trouble with it all too - it's so easy to slip in a few extra calories during the day, so easy to do, so hard to notice. Good luck!

Jack ... you can lose the weight. If I can do it (I'm addicted to beer, ice cream, any salty snack, and much more) you can.

The trick I used was to look at loosing weight as a process control problem and to create a visual systems to monitor how well I was controlling the process (yes, I am an engineer by training). I set up a simple graphic that assumed I could loose weight and asymptotically approach my target weight.

W(t) = Wi - [Wd* e(-k/t)}]

where:

Wi = Initial Weight, Wd=delta weight required to loose, k = rate constant, t = Time). The rate constant (a number > 1) is really a shaping coefficient to control the initial rate.

Anyway. I plotted out the weight lose graphic and set up the k constant at 2 pounds / week initially ( I was really heavy > 210 lbs .. so loosing 2 pounds of fat per week initially was child’s play … you might want to set yours up to be 1 pound per week if you only have 10 pounds to loose) and then I marched myself down the curve. I posted the chart in my office and weighed in daily (the kooks that tell you not to weigh yourself daily know nothing about process control). There’s nothing like your peers following your anal retentive habits to keep you honest. I lost 35 pounds by monitoring progress against my plan. I adjusted my caloric intact and exercise to keep on the curve. I was travel to France every 6 weeks during this time, so I had plenty of opportunity to fall off the wagon. Worked like a charm.

Good luck

Jack,
Figure out what your addicted to, which foods make you lose control and avoid them like the plague!

As Sarah said, don't use the word diet. It shouldnt exist....it's a healthier lifestyle you're working on. Diet is such a negative word!

As I too am changing my lifestyle I've needed to bring in different ways of handling it, so right now I'm being helped by inspirational tapes. So far it's working--I run to them when my control is at my weakest!

The diet changes our life, our behaviour and our mood. Good luck JAck, I am sure you will win this Monster. A stupid question: doesn't the run work to lose weight?