Monday Diet Check-In

Like Second Life I need to avoid repetition so thought I'd do a weekly Monday post on my progress. Let's start at the beginning...

Back in 2014 I went to the doctor with some symptoms that made them worry I might have a tumour. Now I'm mature enough to know that NO doctor of merit would ever say such a thing on a first consultation to anyone but I believed them. Whilst awaiting my consultation appointment and then the consultation results I was put on  a strict diet. Water only to drink. Salads featured a lot. I lost a tonne of weight and felt amazing (until I found out it was all for nothing and my symptoms had by then gone). At the same time I was trying to pay off my overdraft and succeeding. It was the last time I had both my weight and finances under control.

First there were fun reasons for both to get out of control again. I met Jim. We went on holidays. We enjoyed ourselves in London. My job came with the benefit of a boss who LOVED taking us all out for food and drinks at the nicest bars and restaurants. I was in heaven and I fell off the wagon.

Then came my second proper London job. It wasn't stressful. It was DISTRESSING. I went on the paleo diet whilst there and that really worked, I got back down to a good fitness level, had loads of compliments but the, and I can't say this bluntly enough, trauma I got from what happened in that role knocked me out. I comfort ate like never before. My relationship with chocolate became closer than my relationship with anyone ever.

And even after moving away, getting a job where I'm respected and relatively happy and living a good life with Jim I've never recovered from the events of 2009-2010 (there was stalking involved and not by me for once). I've let my weight get so out of control that it just isn't acceptable. I've toyed with dieting on and off but never stuck it out. I've never been more uncomfortable. I'm ALWAYS uncomfortable.

Now Jim and I's lives are entering a new stage. Marriage beckons in September. Our financial situation has begun to stabilise. And it is time for me to become the man I used to be and move on (9 long years later) from the stress that I no longer have.

So that's what I'm doing. I'm changing my life. Taking control. Not in a dramatic "This will all be fixed in one go way". Slowly. Building habits. Making choices and seeing how they pan out and changing them if I need too.

I started last Tuesday. My aim is not to weigh myself too often but to judge my successes based on how I feel. The diet isn't a faddy one but simply working with a calorie deficit and working on a macronutrient balance (yes there was maths, I loved it). I'm currently attempting to read everything I can from those difficult to find SANE voices in the fitness world (which appears to mostly be run by insane conspiracy theorists) .

So how has it gone?

1. I've not been hungry, despite an average daily calorie intake of 1408 (that's probably too low but hey, I'm tweaking this as I go!)
2. Today, stuffing my face with delicious, juicy chicken breast I was in heaven remembering how much I enjoyed the paleo diet (I'm not on paleo this time but, like an atheist who celebrates Christmas, I'm inspired by it)
3. My trousers this morning felt... looser. I might be imagining it but I also felt far more comfortable in my shirt too. I may be deluding myself but then again whenever I diet my first couple of weeks weightloss is generally epic.

So that's it. Las Vegas Wedding Diet is ON. I want to ENJOY myself so badly and with that goal in mind I think I can smash this.

This coming week... I'll be introducing exercise to my days. We'll see how it goes...