Im Gonna Pick A Fight - Who Wants To Join Me ?

gb155

I’m Picking A fight…..Want To Join Me ?

At just 1pound below 40stone I was angry, I was angry at the world, the comments, the looks, the laughter people directed towards me hurt, it made me angry with the whole world, this in turn led to me eat, feeling sorry for myself, depressed, I hid away from the world, leaving my house only to either go to work or for food, I wasn’t living a life, I was barley existing.

Eventually I decided to fight, to fight obesity was going to be a long road, but it was one that I intended to channel all my anger into. I woke up after that first ride and I wanted to do it all over again, I wanted to fight obesity toe to toe in a street fight.

I’m now 2 years down the line and Obesity, in relation to me obesity has a bloody nose, but together we can achieve so much more.

If we fight together, toe to toe we can defeat obesity, we can raise awareness, launch foundations and we CAN win this fight.

I have so many ideas on what we can do, now all I need is some backing to help, please forward the following page onto anyone who you think can help with the backing, I have the ideas, the drive and the fight!

http://theamazing39stonecyclist.wordpre ... g-a-fight/

Gaz

dhope

What are the ideas? Not doubting the intentions or the drive but you should provide a few specifics.

On a pedantic note, it's 'lose', not 'loose' in your signature.

jonnyboy77

Idea #1 - Diet & Exercise

... and by diet I mean what people eat day to day, not some twist on the 3 week programme of eating cracker bread and canned tuna! Cut back on junk food and eat sensible portions

.. and by exercise I don't mean joining the local gym for £40/month only to attend once in a blue moon! But regular exercise of walking/cycling, sports etc. Switch the TV off and go for a walk on a Sunday afternoon, join a local football team, and so on.

- Jon

daviesee

Stick to the basics, which you have already discovered.

Eat less, move more.

rjsterry

Surely the key is whatever it was that kicked you over from the "feel depressed due to obesity => don't go out much/get much exercise/self-medicate with comfort food => get more obese => repeat" into doing something about it, and more importantly sticking with it. Presumably there was some time lag between changing your behaviour, and starting to see noticeable results, during which time, you still had to overcome the comments looks and laughter, when you went out for a ride.

If you can try to define in as succinct a way as possible what the initial spark was that prompted the change of behaviour, and how you 'held your nerve' until things really got moving, then you'll have something specific that you can show to someone, grab their attention and perhaps build into a campaign. I think Aguila has already pointed people towards your blog as an example of what can be achieved, so maybe PM him and discuss how yo can focus your obvious achievements and enthusiasm into something that you can 'sell' to someone.

danowat

In my experiance, people can't / won't be TOLD, it takes something rather profound for people to change their lifestyle, which for me was a suspected heart attack at 30, which lead to me shedding 10 stone of excess weight.

The problem is, this profound occurance tends to be quite unique and personal.

You can't "push" a healthly lifestyle, infact I believe in doing so has quite the opposite effect, all you can do is outline the benifits and let people make their own minds up.

suzyb

And I'm angry at everyone assuming is as easy as eat less, move more :evil:

dhope

suzyb wrote:

And I'm angry at everyone assuming is as easy as eat less, move more :evil:

For most people it is a case of eat less, move more. Don't think people said it was easy though.

Edit: Or eat better, move better.

jonnyboy77

dhope wrote:

suzyb wrote:

And I'm angry at everyone assuming is as easy as eat less, move more :evil:

For most people it is a case of eat less, move more. Don't think people said it was easy though.

eat less might be over simplifying it, but eat sensible and get some exercise pretty much covers it ... I don't see how that concept isn't simple ... acting on it is something entirely more challenging not to mention sustaining it

- Jon

rjsterry

jonnyboy77 wrote:

dhope wrote:

suzyb wrote:

And I'm angry at everyone assuming is as easy as eat less, move more :evil:

For most people it is a case of eat less, move more. Don't think people said it was easy though.

eat less might be over simplifying it, but eat sensible and get some exercise pretty much covers it ... I don't see how that concept isn't simple ... acting on it is something entirely more challenging not to mention sustaining it

- Jon

That's what I was getting at, although in a more verbose way.

suzyb

It isn't simple imho because no one has a clue what is sensible. Or maybe that's just the people I know.

jonnyboy77

suzyb wrote:

It isn't simple imho because no one has a clue what is sensible. Or maybe that's just the people I know.

fair point .. I think the issue is that sensible for person A is not necessarily the same as sensible for person B

I know when I've been sensible and when I've not

- Jon

daviesee

suzyb wrote:

And I'm angry at everyone assuming is as easy as eat less, move more :evil:

It is simple advice though maybe not so simple to see through.

Most people know what they should cut out of their diet but tend to "forget".
I could get lower than my current 13 1/2 stone quite easilly by cutting out alcohol, cheese and the odd packet of crisps or chocolate but as I am not racing, where would the fun it that be?

PS:- To the OP on your weight loss, chapeau!

bartimaeus

The best article I have ever read on the 'food' side of this equation is one in the New York Times headed "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants".. Then find a type of exercise that motivates you!

Easier said than done, though... so let's hear what more the OP has to say as he is speaking from experience. Good on you, mate.

dhope

suzyb wrote:

It isn't simple imho because no one has a clue what is sensible. Or maybe that's just the people I know.

I'm sure most people know what's sensible and if not then the internet is a wonderful place to find decent information quickly. If someone doesn't know what they should eat then they can find good (not necessarily great, but most of the time good enough) advice online. If someone isn't sure whether they should be eating before or after exercise, or cutting out a particular food type then they can ask too. What's sensible is having the sense to ask rather than blame ignorance.

Disclaimer: I'm more guilty than most about being too lazy to ask or get things done, but I know it's because I don't find/do things out rather than because I can't.

Aguila

Gaz,

I've sent this on to the person who runs our local obesity service, hopefully she might have a few ideas of people you could contact.

suzyb

The problem with the internet though is it can be hard to tell what is decent information and what is just someone talking out their @rse.

And who do they ask.

I know I sound like a moaning minny but these are exactly the excuses people will use as an excuse to stop them. They either need to be spoon fed the information to make it as easy as possible or have incredible willpower. Otherwise they'll just give up because it's too hard.

(sorry Gaz not sure this is why you posted this thread)

dhope

suzyb wrote:

The problem with the internet though is it can be hard to tell what is decent information and what is just someone talking out their @rse.

And who do they ask.

I know I sound like a moaning minny but these are exactly the excuses people will use as an excuse to stop them. They either need to be spoon fed the information to make it as easy as possible or have incredible willpower. Otherwise they'll just give up because it's too hard.

(sorry Gaz not sure this is why you posted this thread)

Yeah, but that can be applied to most things...

Should eat better
Exercise more
Learn to build my own bike next time
Would quite like to go climbing more
Could try harder at work
Should probably make an effort to paint the hallway
And the floor needs doing
Would love to speak another language
Spend less, save more

can find excuses for all of it and if you're not fussed enough then it wont happen

I signed up for a term of German lessons a few years ago because I'm embarrassed at not being able to speak another language. Went to a couple of lessons and then gave up because it was a bit harder than I remembered at school. Last time I went to Berlin I got annoyed at myself for it.

One day I'll pull my thumb out and do it properly but until then it's just that I'm too lazy.

jonnyboy77

You've got to want to do something, no amount of effort by other people is going change language skills or weight/fitness without that desire and matching commitment.

I'm over weight - my doctor told me I'm no longer obese though, which was nice! I dropped from 15st 5lbs to 14st 3lbs over the past couple of months just by getting of my arse every day and riding the bike to work and back, very little else changed in that time, I still eat the wrong things and in the wrong quantities, I still like to drink beer etc.

finding the happy medium will get you so far, beyond that you're starting to pick a fight with your own happiness and in some ways you're fighting with genetics, we are programmed to be a certain way ultimately (maybe not everyone will agree).

I think its great that Gaz did what he did, and I think its even better that he wants to help others, since I'm sure there are plenty of folk out there that have stopped believing they can help themselves or are too embarrassed to seek help. I'd love to help too - I don't know how, maybe just by saying 'look riding a bike is one of the easiest ways to exercise' and then organising to go on bike rides with people that want to get involved. I don't know if that would help, but I'd do it.

I also don't think one approach will connect with all people, so maybe pick a target audience find a suitable approach and get them together to help each other - motivation is most likely the first major hurdle (I know that's why I don't join gyms any more).

Put down the coke, chocolate and crisps, get off the sofa, walk to the local bike shop, buy a bike that fits you, get on it and ride home ... but don't stop there, ride 1 mile every day for a week, 2 miles every day for a week, and so it goes on.

Its not a catchy tag line, but its a start? Combine that with locally organised bike rides aimed at beginners or people who are not ready for full on bike riding, do laps of Richmond park at 8mph 1, then 2 then 3 ... all examples of getting people out of the house, on a bike and the beginning of a new lifestyle?

- Jon

jonnyboy77

dhope wrote:

suzyb wrote:

The problem with the internet though is it can be hard to tell what is decent information and what is just someone talking out their @rse.

And who do they ask.

I know I sound like a moaning minny but these are exactly the excuses people will use as an excuse to stop them. They either need to be spoon fed the information to make it as easy as possible or have incredible willpower. Otherwise they'll just give up because it's too hard.

(sorry Gaz not sure this is why you posted this thread)

Yeah, but that can be applied to most things...

Should eat better
Exercise more
Learn to build my own bike next time
Would quite like to go climbing more
Could try harder at work
Should probably make an effort to paint the hallway
And the floor needs doing
Would love to speak another language
Spend less, save more

can find excuses for all of it and if you're not fussed enough then it wont happen

I signed up for a term of German lessons a few years ago because I'm embarrassed at not being able to speak another language. Went to a couple of lessons and then gave up because it was a bit harder than I remembered at school. Last time I went to Berlin I got annoyed at myself for it.

One day I'll pull my thumb out and do it properly but until then it's just that I'm too lazy.

Languages are like bikes, they only help you if you use them regularly! I too have let my German lapse to an almost useless level ... but I don't need it, so I won't use it and so it gets worse!

- Jon

notsoblue

The only thing that keeps my weight under control is my enjoyment of cycling. Granted it might be much harder for someone who is very large to start regular exercise given the physical and emotional barriers they may have, but personally I'd have thought the best way to lose weight is through exercise that you enjoy rather than feeling that you *must* put yourself through a physical ordeal because you're fat and must get thinner.

biondino

suzyb wrote:

The problem with the internet though is it can be hard to tell what is decent information and what is just someone talking out their @rse.

And who do they ask.

I know I sound like a moaning minny

You do a bit, Suzy. I'm not sure I see the base of your problem - while the worth of various diets, innovations and the relative merits of different foods may be hard to figure out, or discover the truth about, it is very very easy to pick up the basics, which will set you on the right path if not the absolute 100% optimal one.

i.e. eat less, mainly plants, and exercise more. It IS that simple for the vast majority of people (and I apologise if there are specific things about you that put you in the minority). Ignorance may be an excuse or a reason but ultimately all it means is that person doesn't actually want to commit. And that's their problem.

suzyb

biondino wrote:

i.e. eat less, mainly plants, and exercise more. It IS that simple for the vast majority of people (and I apologise if there are specific things about you that put you in the minority). Ignorance may be an excuse or a reason but ultimately all it means is that person doesn't actually want to commit. And that's their problem.

There is (although even the mainly plants seems to work for me). Which is why I go into moaning minny mode occasionally. It gets frustrating constantly being told all you need to do is eat less and exercise more and sometimes I go off on people about it.

Sorry

Porgy

suzyb wrote:

biondino wrote:

i.e. eat less, mainly plants, and exercise more. It IS that simple for the vast majority of people (and I apologise if there are specific things about you that put you in the minority). Ignorance may be an excuse or a reason but ultimately all it means is that person doesn't actually want to commit. And that's their problem.

There is (although even the mainly plants seems to work for me). Which is why I go into moaning minny mode occasionally. It gets frustrating constantly being told all you need to do is eat less and exercise more and sometimes I go off on people about it.

Sorry

you shouldn't apologise - it drives me round the bend too - i get remarks at work from people who stuff themselves with crisps and chocolate all day and have a full meal in the canteen, while mainly training it to work and happen to be thin. I have a modest lunch at my desk and cycle 30 miles a day - still overweight. But I can cycle 120 miles in one go and I suspect they can't - so I'm fitter too.

So I do not accept criticism from overly simplistic fools.

Dieting can complicate matters as it sets up food related psychological problems and usually leads to diets failing in the long term as mine always have. Exercise has been shown to make little or no impact on being over-weight. I believe there was a good article on this in th New Scientist last week.

Stevo_666

The basic of more exercise and better eating do work for most people - to a greater or lesser degree. The other big variable which is much harder to affect is our metabolic rate, which I think is mainly genetic/inherited.

Hence some people will say how hard it is, other will say it's quite easy.

Porgy

Stevo 666 wrote:

The basic of more exercise and better eating do work for most people - to a greater or lesser degree. The other big variable which is much harder to affect is our metabolic rate, which I think is mainly genetic/inherited.

Hence some people will say how hard it is, other will say it's quite easy.

Well it used to be dead easy for me to lose weight - if I wanted to be skinny for my summer holdiays I'd just start dieting around January - and run to get my stomach back to reasonably flat - I de-Shatnerised

But now in my 40s its almost impossible to shift doing all the things I used to do - in fact sometimes it goes up.

So I've given up - and actually I don;t really care - but could do without the comments from some people. I'm fitter than I've ever been which is the important bit. And I'm happy - which is the other important bit.

gb155

Aguila wrote:

Gaz,

I've sent this on to the person who runs our local obesity service, hopefully she might have a few ideas of people you could contact.

EXCELLENT, Thanks, I Appreciate That

gb155

Ok, First off, sorry for not replying to every sngle message.

We all know someone is is overwight, obese etc who claims they dont eat, workout and still put weight on, hell I work with one such person, they claim to eat 600cals a day and go through punishing 2-4 hour workouts every night, well all know its not true as this person has a BMI that makes them morbidly obese. That is NOT the type of people I want to target with this , its been proven that education (or brainwashing) at an early age helps, so thats target number 1, change peoples mindsets before they become "Too old to change my ways"

Target 2 is people like me, I always said I was too fat to workout, too far to diet because it wouldnt even make a dint into my size, but as soon as I saw people at over 30 stone workout and keep the weight off that they lost I knew it could be done, I aways wanted to lose weight but was so huge thought I was a lost cause and thats the other side I want to look at. People who want to but cant see the light.

The basic principal of eat less, move more works, I am living proof, I can have treats, but it means a 2-3 pound weight loss a week, without treats and putting in 120 miles + per week I can look at a 3-6 pound loss per week. Sometimes people just need to see it can be done , so I want to start something to eduicate (or brainwash lol) youth and to help those in dire need, who want help, there will always be them that dont want to change and nothing I say or do will ever change that, unless they decided enough is enough.

All I need is contacts, backers, PR, NHS, PCT people etc etc, I have found the drive I need to push this into the next level.

Just post that link in my first post everywhere you can think of on the internet/locally, once it gets seen by people that can and want to help, i'll do everything needed to ensure it works !

sarajoy

The way I see it, everyone /knows/ when they've been naughty, in terms of eating (for instance I've just had a Rice Krispie Square I didn't need but REALLY enjoyed).

But, a little bit of naughtiness has to happen occasionally to keep us sane. You just have to learn to keep it occasional instead of frequent.

Also, exercise often leads to a person (I am extremely guilty of this) believing they deserve the treats! Which certainly won't help weight loss as it only takes a couple of bags of crisps or less to negate half an hour's run, say. Or a few more chips. Or a tasty dessert - "I worked hard for this!"

At least you'll get fitter, I suppose. Healthier inside

I suffered with the insulin-insensitivity that came with polycystic ovarian syndrome - I took metformin for a while to help break the upward spiral and get my weight down (13 st 2 lbs was a lot for little 5'3" me) - and I now have to work pretty hard to maintain my weight, never mind lose any more - but I prefer that to being on the drug. Nevertheless I would still like to see the underside of 10 stone again some day!

It sucked before I was diagnosed and my metabolism simply wasn't normal. I packed weight on and on and on in a way no one else seemed able to despite having a fairly healthy diet and being active. I'm now super-active compared to those days and finally kicked the nasty guilty feeling I had surrounding ALL food. So some people do have bodily issues which impairs their metabolism and makes life doubly hard.

danowat

double post

danowat

Pyhsiologically, losing weight is as simple as less calories in, more calories out, however, anyone whos had a weight problem knows that the physical side of it isn't just the issue, its the mental side of it that needs addressing, along with lots of education.

@GB155, I know what you are trying to do is noble, I felt / feel the same way as you, although my 10 stone weight loss (24 stone to 14) isn't on a par with your.

However, I believe it is ultimately futile, simply because there is a WHOLE lot more to it that just showing people "it can be done", people already know that.

You are battling against years and years of a change in society, a change that has lead to more sedatary lifestyles, and laziness in food preperation.

There is a HUGE deal of education that needs to be done to try and stem the increase of obesity, and having a smug (which is what people who've lost a lot of weight, just like ex smokers can come across) ex fattie telling them they can do it, just isn't going to cut it.

What you've done is admirable, I know, I've been there, but you aren't going to change the world.

Change has to come from within.