I was an obese child, oh yes, I was. Memories of my childhood include:
- Having moobs (or should it be bboobs, because moobs = man boobs and I had boy boobs?)
- My inner thighs rubbing against each other when I walked, resulting in my polyester school shorts making a "shrsh shrsh" sound as said rubbing caused friction and not an insignificant amount of static.
- Being singled out as one of two children in the entire primary school during our annual health check to go to the Ministry of Health for dietary advice.
- Doing star jumps at said Ministry of Health as some nurse demonstrated the technique.
- Being forced to join The Fat Club (yes, that was the official name) at secondary school (aged 13) and do a weigh-in-cum-skipping session after school every Wednesday.
- Buying diet pills from ads in the National Enquirer.
- Buying every sort of diet pill in the health shop (this was pre-internet).
- Buying and wearing a corset that promised to hold everything in and "sweat out the fat".
I was a skinny child till I turned 5 or 6. whereupon my serious asthma problems abated. And the appetite that was suppressed due to illness returned with a vengeance. I remember having breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, pre-dinner (where I would sneak out and get a bowl of noodles) and then dinner at home. Sometimes even supper if one of my relatives dropped in. No meal ever went away unloved.
I think mother was terrfied with the Ministry of Health business; and even more so when her friend said I could die of a heart attack in adulthood. Overnight, the entire family's diet changed. Out went fried anything, and instead it was this soup and steamed that. My mindset changed as well - being a teenager (and a gay one at that!) with all its attendant insecurities and vanities made me determined to do something.
It was as if a switch had been flipped and finding the motivation from god-knows-where, I started running every evening and swimming 2 or 3 times a week. And without even realising it, the weight gradually dropped off. I recall the day my friend said to me how I looked kind of weird because my waist was so small and my thighs so chunky (from the running). I looked, really looked, into the mirror and oh, my giddy aunt, I realised he was right.
However the battle is constant and my natural tendency is to put on weight. I am forever vigilant and whilst I am not obssessive about calories (and thankfully, I don't have a sweet tooth), I keep a close eye on food intake.
Now in my adulthood, I know I can scrub up well to impress. However sometimes there is a jarring discord between the image in my mind's eye and reality. Logically I know I look ok, but on a fat day, I see a really fat kid with squishy thighs.
About 3 years ago, I joined a gym for the first time and with all guns blazing, I worked out 5 times a week - an hour of weights followed by 30 minutes of cardio. And for the first time in my life, I had a six pack. I didn't even realise this till I saw them in a photo. I would also get comments on how big my arms were but all I could see in the mirror were twigs. Maybe it's a mild form of body dysmorphia.
After about a year of working out, I opened my eyes on a Wednesday morning and thought, "I can't do this anymore." I didn't work out for about a year after that. Crashed and burnt.
The lessons I learnt during that period was that whilst diet was important, for me, exercise was the key to attaining and maintaining optimum condition. I didn't have to worry too much about what I ate because it got burnt up; I looked bettter, I felt better. But more importantly, I realised that exercise in moderation was the only way to bring balance. Burning out and losing motivation really lay me low for some considerable time.
Now, I cycle to work every day. This is my cardio workout and there is no excuse not to do it (having said that I've yet to see how I cope in the Winter!). My mantra when going up the one punishing hill on the way home is, "INCINERATE THAT FAT!" as I pedal furiously.
I also have 2 Bowflex dumbbells. These are brilliant and whilst at almost £300, it's not the cheapest equipment, I no longer shell out £40ish a month on gym membership. So I consider them a great investment. With a click you can adjust the weight from 2kg to 21 kg. No fuss, no muss.
I got mine from Amazon: Bowflex SelectTech Dumbbells
Now, I think I'm achieving that balance between a healthy body and the urge to eat an entire bucket of KFC (whoever proposed "bucket" as an acceptable name for a food receptacle is bordering on the threshold of insanity and genius). I'm easier on myself and kinder to that fat boy that lurks inside.
I think mother was terrfied with the Ministry of Health business; and even more so when her friend said I could die of a heart attack in adulthood. Overnight, the entire family's diet changed. Out went fried anything, and instead it was this soup and steamed that. My mindset changed as well - being a teenager (and a gay one at that!) with all its attendant insecurities and vanities made me determined to do something.
It was as if a switch had been flipped and finding the motivation from god-knows-where, I started running every evening and swimming 2 or 3 times a week. And without even realising it, the weight gradually dropped off. I recall the day my friend said to me how I looked kind of weird because my waist was so small and my thighs so chunky (from the running). I looked, really looked, into the mirror and oh, my giddy aunt, I realised he was right.
However the battle is constant and my natural tendency is to put on weight. I am forever vigilant and whilst I am not obssessive about calories (and thankfully, I don't have a sweet tooth), I keep a close eye on food intake.
Now in my adulthood, I know I can scrub up well to impress. However sometimes there is a jarring discord between the image in my mind's eye and reality. Logically I know I look ok, but on a fat day, I see a really fat kid with squishy thighs.
About 3 years ago, I joined a gym for the first time and with all guns blazing, I worked out 5 times a week - an hour of weights followed by 30 minutes of cardio. And for the first time in my life, I had a six pack. I didn't even realise this till I saw them in a photo. I would also get comments on how big my arms were but all I could see in the mirror were twigs. Maybe it's a mild form of body dysmorphia.
After about a year of working out, I opened my eyes on a Wednesday morning and thought, "I can't do this anymore." I didn't work out for about a year after that. Crashed and burnt.
The lessons I learnt during that period was that whilst diet was important, for me, exercise was the key to attaining and maintaining optimum condition. I didn't have to worry too much about what I ate because it got burnt up; I looked bettter, I felt better. But more importantly, I realised that exercise in moderation was the only way to bring balance. Burning out and losing motivation really lay me low for some considerable time.
Now, I cycle to work every day. This is my cardio workout and there is no excuse not to do it (having said that I've yet to see how I cope in the Winter!). My mantra when going up the one punishing hill on the way home is, "INCINERATE THAT FAT!" as I pedal furiously.
I also have 2 Bowflex dumbbells. These are brilliant and whilst at almost £300, it's not the cheapest equipment, I no longer shell out £40ish a month on gym membership. So I consider them a great investment. With a click you can adjust the weight from 2kg to 21 kg. No fuss, no muss.
I got mine from Amazon: Bowflex SelectTech Dumbbells
Now, I think I'm achieving that balance between a healthy body and the urge to eat an entire bucket of KFC (whoever proposed "bucket" as an acceptable name for a food receptacle is bordering on the threshold of insanity and genius). I'm easier on myself and kinder to that fat boy that lurks inside.
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I feel this fat problem is a bigger issue. Even my mom is fat and wants to reduce her weight but, I really feel for her. Though she tried so many methods, still she is the same. Hope you can help her out if you got some tips.
ReplyDeleteEverything About Blogging
Unfortunately for all the hype and hoopla about lunchtime liposuction and the next wonder fat burning pill, the equation still remains the same. Burn more calories than you consume = fat loss.
ReplyDeleteI think the trick is to enjoy the process. Now that I'm cycling to work, I don't even view it as exercise. It's my commute to work. But I'm not only doing a great cardio workout, I'm also saving a ton on public transport.
Diet is key. We know about what not to eat; but consider the hidden calories - the dressing in the salad; the sauce in the pasta; the sugar in the coffee. They all add up really quickly.
I hope to write more about what works for me.
Dazza