"Life as Art" principals to lose weight

1. It has to be enjoyable, and this can only be achieved by a combination of reasonable dietary goals with a definite and sustained weight loss. There will be pain, but it has to be managable and outweighed (!!) by the sucess of the programme.
2. It should be done in relationship. Trying to lose weight on your own seems always doomed to failure. So I have to relate with Jenny, but also consider joining an organisation such as Weight Watchers.
3. It must be based on sound scientific principles. In the past I tried the Atkins diet, by I sense that now it must be a good calorie controlled diet which is varied enough to be sustained long term.
4. Excercise is vital, but with my physical problems this may be difficult. However I have noted that I am beginning to shuffle and so probably need to re-learn how to walk. Also a recent BMJ article on backache indicated that the Alexander Technique produced good results. So I must plan excercise and help with posture and walking.
5. Keeping a diary or record of progress will be important. This will not be a problem for me. I was recently reading my diary of 1957 and even then, 50 years ago, I made the entry "I must try to lose weight". But this time as it will be a "LIfe as Art" project - I believe I am more likely to succeed.

01 Sept 08: I am feeling positive about losing weight, partly because I am making good plans and involving Jenny completely. I am already trying to exert my "positive psychology" to make myself feel better.
16 Sept 08: I have gone right back this week as I have been at a conference in Austria where the food is very fattening and in large quantities. Now I shall have to start all over again.
22 Sept 08: I have slowly lost a little this last week, but not yet broken through the 18 stone barrier. I am getting into better habits by cutting out any snacks, but still need to cut back more. This is the hard part!
29th Sept 08: At last I have broken the 18 stone barrier, but it still feels as if I haven't yet really lost any weight. However I do not feel as if I am dieting, and still have a few cakes and an odd biscuit.
6th Oct 08: Definitely slowly losing weight now - and I already feel a lot better, able to walk more freely and not getting so tired. I keep having big celebratory meals which are a challange as eating is such a comfort. However I am coping with cutting down and feel that I can sustain this diet.
13th Oct 08: Now in a steady state, down to 17st 9lbs this week which is just about on target. I really do feel better in myself and am not finding the regime too hard. Now we go away on holiday for two weeks, so it may be difficult to lose weight, however it is a walking holiday on the Scillies, so I should get plenty of excercise. My plan is that when I re-weigh myself 3 weeks from today I want to be at 17st 5lbs, so at a stone under the starting point.
2nd Nov 08: Two weeks on holiday certainly provided plenty of walking, but I then eat too well and so lost no weight.
11th Nov 08: Dreaded plateau time - no real weight loss for 3 weeks. This is when I usually give up, so without feeling a failure, or punishing myself, I have to gently but firmly take hold of my appetite again and enjoy seeing the pounds come off.
19th Dec 08: Has a month really past? And as I expect you can guess the plateau is still here, and Christmas just around the corner. So drastic action is called for. First I will buy some more scales! The ones I use are very old, and I think inaccurate, so I am hoping to lose a few pounds just by having a more accurate scale! The main challange is Christmas. Can I enjoy the festivity and still lose weight? I doubt it, but I will try to not eat between meals and take lots of excercide each day.
13th Feb 2009: Yes, it had to happen! As you might guess, the long gap indicates that there has been no progress. The plateau has lasted for more than two months, but at last it is broken. For the last two weeks we have been in Uganda living on "posho and beans". So with no alcohol or meat I was able to re-start the programme and have gone down to 17st 5lbs. I actually enjoyed eating simply, and hope that we can continue with a smaller intake.
12th Aug 2009: Another long gap probably tells you all you need to know. Failure again! How can failure be beautiful? Do I now give up, or try again? Perseverence is a rare virtue and probably what many of us find most difficult in life. Try again. Try something new. Don't give up. OK so we start again.

01 Sept 08: Decided to visit my GP and get his OK for my 6 month "health project". I was surprised to hear that today he has decided to start a "Middle aged male - weight loss support programme"! So I already have the right group to join to be in relationship.
22 Sept 08: Still waiting for things to start.
29th Sept 08: Still waiting !! However I don't feel that the time is being wasted as I am slowly getting into the right frame of mind to lose weight. I am enjoying it, and if I can sustain a small weight loss most weeks (say 3 to 4 lbs), then I think I will reach my target.
6th Oct 08: Still nothing on the relationship front, but Jenny is a help, so at the moment things are OK.
2nd Nov 08: I saw my doctor again - he apologised that we haven't yet started on the sessions.
11th Nov 08: He apologised again!
19th Dec 08: Still nothing. This could be a cause of slow weight loss - re-think in the new year.
13th Feb 09: At last it has happenened. My GP has started his male weight watching group with 11 patients (including himself). Today was the first meeting, and it does add an extra stimulus to weight loss.
12th Aug 09: I had to stop attending the classes as work took me away for some months - so weight has gone back on. I think we will start again after the summer holidays.

01 Sept 08: I have decided to do a straight forward calorie control diet. I need books, calorie counter and advise from a dietician to plan this properly. Get books from library, dietician advice through GP (see 2 above).
29th Sept 08: I remember a friend of mine saying the best way to diet is to eat "good" food. So lately we have really enjoyed good portions of our own allottment grown vegetables, which taste fabulous.
6th Oct 08: I am still doing the diet in an informal way. I'm not counting anything but just making a conscious effort to not snack between meals, and keep the portions down.
13th Oct 08: I am still just cutting down on portions and cutting out in-between meal snacks. Nothing scientific about it - just common sense!
2nd Nov 08: The diet went for a holiday for two weeks, now I have to start again.
19th Dec 08: I am trying not to diet and yet eat less. I haven't put weight back on, but it has slowed to a halt. Perhaps over Christmas I will cut right down on carbohydrates and see what happens.
13th Feb 09: In our first MWWG (Men's weight watcher's group) we set down our targets. My immediate goals are - (1) Get down to 15 st. (2) Get my BMI to below 35. (3) To get my waist measurement to 40 inches. (4) To lose my "apron".
12th Aug 09: Perhaps I need to be a little more Scientific. Jenny thinks I need a medical check up, and perhaps she is right (again!). Excercise is now almost impossible and so lethargy sets in.

01 Sept 08: First day at the gym - just swimming so far. This week I will go to the gym three times, and begin excercises as well as swimming.
08 Sept 08: I went swimming three times, but have not started the gym yet. Now this week is at a conference in Austria. The hotel has a pool, so I plan to swim every day.
22 Sept 08: Keeping up the swimming and doing more walking, but have still not started the gym. This is when it gets a bit depressing.
29th Sept 08: Making definite progress. Started at the gym, swimming 4 times this week, digging and walking with my new poles. I actually feel much better in myself and can already excercise more.
6th Oct 08: Keeping up with both gym and swimming. Walking more with less pain.
13th Oct 08: Both Jenny and I had our first session with Michelle Cole training us in the Alexander Technique. I will say more about this later as we have only had the introductory session, but it holds out a hope for me to improve posture and walking and so reduce muscle and joint aches and pains.
2nd Nov 08: Two weeks holiday on the Scilly Isles means walking every day. I was not particularly good at walking, but did stick to it.
11th Nov 08: Still having lessons from Michelle in the Alexander Technique. This involves learning to lie, sit and stand ! It does seem to be having some success, but the muscle aches are still there on walking, so I presume the side effects of the Statins are not affected by good posture.
19th Dec 08: Progress is slow, but I am trying to swim. Over Christmas I must make the promise to myself to excercise every day.
22nd Feb 09: Unfortunately I have gone into Atrial Fibrillation again, so excercise is going to be difficult for a while, but I should be able to keep swimming.
12th Aug 09: I was defibrillated out of AF but have really been right ever since. Much less excercise and losing heart a bit.

16 Sept 08: Exercise:  A good day in that I swam twice today and also walked for over an hour. The Royer Sporthotel is pretty good for me. The pool is free and just downstairs. A short walk into town brings you to the cable car which goes up to nearly 2000 metres. It is beautiful walking country through the mountains, with incredible views, and lots of seats by the side of the path on the way. I have bought a pair of walking poles and am amazed at what a difference they make. They take nearly a quarter of the weight off the legs, so although I had some aching in the arms, I was able to walk for over a mile and a half with no knee pain and no muscle aches in the legs and back. I feel that this is a significant advance and gives me hope that I can walk much more (at least in the country, I think I would look a bit daft in the middle of London with walking poles!) But then I had to spoil it. I thought I would walk over lunchtime and so fast that meal. Good intentions - but at the end of my walk was Uncle Willie's Hut where the beer and sausage and chips proved too great a temptation. I must be addicted to food! The next stage of my adventure must be to fast and seriously cut down calories to re-set my "hunger meter" which keeps wanting me to "fill up".
22 Sept 08: Only lost a pound or two this week. I must break through to 17 stone something in the next day or so.
29 Sept 08: Today down to 17st 12 lbs. At last beginning to lose a little weight. This is just on a regime of trying to increase my excercise and eat sensibly.
6th Oct 08: Still losing slowly.
13th Oct 08: Down to 17st 9lbs, so just about on target.
2nd Nov 08: DISASTER - after two weeks holiday my weight has gone up by a pound. I suppose I did eat pretty well, but I was taking a lot of excercise by walking every day. Ah, well!! Now we have to start again.
11th Nov 08: Only just lost one pound - so now this is the plateau which I always reach after a few successful weeks and then give up. This time I need to keep going.
19th Dec 08: Five weeks at more or less the same weight - and Christmas around the corner. But I intend to keep going.
13th Feb 09: The plateau continued to the end of January, and then two weeks in Uganda at last helped the breakthrough and I am down to 17st 5lbs. I shall have to go onto a second chart, and make an early goal of coming in below 17 stone.
21st Feb 09: Now down to 17st 2 lbs and feel good. However I now use three different weighing scales, and they all give different weights. My old bathroom scales have been used up to now. I have bought a new electronic set and they make me 2 lbs heavier - which is correct? Then at the surgery weight watchers group my GP uses a posh "proper" scale in Kg. So I am confused, but thought I would keep the same scales for the time being, especially as they give the lowest weight !!
12th Aug 09: Back to 18 stones, I will start again with another chart - see my second chart which restarts in Sept 09.

Will there ever be an end point?

Thin or dead - which will come first?