Tuesday, August 5, 2014

New Tactic

I'm doing really terrible in my never-ending fight against being a fat guy.  Starting this week, I'm bearing down and trying harder again.  I've totally  let myself go this summer, and I'm about as fat as I have ever been.

I've been trying something to try to help me avoid those cravings that are so hard to say no to.  This Geico commercial totally sums up my new tactic.


No, I was not paid by Geico to link to their commercial.  I'm just one of those people who really appreciates a great, well done commercial, and this one is fantastic.

Anyway, my new tactic is not to have the popular girls from the middle school follow me around and put me down.  Instead, I'm trying to harness that awful attitude.

For example, yesterday, several people were gathered around a table at work, sampling potato chips.  Apparently Lays has a bunch of new chips, and they sent a bag of each to the newsroom.  I think there were four flavors, and everyone was trying each of them, and deciding which of them were their favorites.

I like potato chips a lot, but they're not good for losing weight, as everyone knows.  So, how did I deal with this?  In my mind, I called up my inner popular middle school girl, and said in an ultra-disdainful voice, "I don't eat potato chips.  Ew.  Those are for fat people."

I wish I could portray the tone of voice to you by way of the written word.  Just think of those girls from the commercial.  It sounds kind of like that.

My hope is that, by repeating these phrases in my head with utmost disdain, I'll eventually really think that those things are gross, and no longer be tempted by them.  Of course the other thing to think about with this is making sure that I don't turn into one those bitchy middle school popular girls.  We'll see how it goes.

6 comments:

JoshN said...

Big!
Big fan and fellow fat guy here. 5'10", and until recently 327 lbs. A little over 3 months ago, i was introduced to a site/app called "MyFitnessPal". This app is based on one principal: Losing weight is simple math Calories in> Calories out. You give it your height and weight, and it tells you how many calories you need to lose weight. This is a scientific number, everyone has a number of calories their bodies burn just by living and breathing every day, and if you eat a deficit you will lose weight. Here is one you can use http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html
I have been logging everything in with this app for 105 days straight now and have lost 54 pounds- it makes it so easy, i can even scan all the UPC codes and they have the calorie and serving size for everything! And when you exercise, you put that in and it gives you that many more calories a day to use (Which is great since i like to eat!) Anyway, i haven't given up eating anything at all. I just log everything and it takes care of it. Being 5'10" and 275, I can eat 2800 calories a day just sitting on my ass and maintain my weight. If i want to lose 1 pound a week, i just need to cut out 3500 calories (thats how many in one pound of fat), which means i eat 2300 calories a day. i strive for 1800, but my goal is 2200 right now because i had a surgery and am unable to exercise.
Good luck to you!

Bryan said...

Hey Big! I agree. A lot of it is frame of mind and habit. Is there a certain. Spot in the day where you drink a beer, a soda, or a super sweetened/creamed coffee? Cut that for a week and you'll probably feel the difference. Habitual intakes (done more for habit than any immediate reward) really add up. In my best shape, I was in a phase of going to the gym and considering all stack foods inedible. Cookies/chips/candy. I didn't miss them.

Big Anklevich said...

Bryan, you're right. I'd gotten in the habit of stopping in at the dollar store, and picking up a Mountain Dew Code Red every morning on my way to work. I love Mountain Dew Code Red, and they had the 20 oz bottles for a dollar! That's at least 60 cents cheaper than anywhere else, and 80 cents cheaper than most places. How could I say no, right?

I've stopped that habit, but now, every time I go by the dollar store, I feel like stopping and getting one. The habit tries to persist, even though I'm telling myself no.

Big Anklevich said...

Yeah, Josh. I've had MyFitnessPal on my phone for a long time. It hasn't helped, because I can't seem to make myself log everything. I've managed once or twice to actually log everything that I ate in one day, but usually I wind up falling apart before lunch is through. Not sure what it is that keeps me from succeeding with that, but I just can't seem to manage. I suppose I ought to try again, because I've heard that people who log what they eat are really successful in weight loss.

JoshN said...

Cool. I was inspired this spring as i was in a nutrition class and one of the facts we looked at was that people who successfully lose weight log their foods every day, and weigh themselves 2 times a week. I also really love how if you get on a daily logging streak you get a little ticker that flashes "5 days logging!" i'm on 106 days logging and it's an incentive to me. If you want a "friend" on there you can add me. I also think the boards on there are really really inspiring to see all the people who have lost weight successfully.

Bria Burton said...

Idea to avoid transforming into one of those middle school girls: think of the bad for you food as a layer (verses it being for fat people) that you don't want to add because the more layers, the harder and longer to get them off. Just a thought