Hi Guys, it’s CJ here. He at him-dot-com is having the day off today. Apparently he needs some quiet time to recover from the harrowing experience of being driven to Sydney airport last week by yours truly. Hmph! I think I need some recovery time myself from Mr Backseat Driver. I was tempted to ‘accidentally’ drop him off in the middle of Runway Two. Sheeesh.
Many of you have asked about my weight-loss journey so I thought I’d give you an update. It’s not pretty. As the (lucky to be alive) Big Guy says: on with the show …
Who Shrunk My Jeans?
As some of you may know, last year I lost 14 kilos (30 pounds) of fat and put on 5 kilos (11 pounds) of muscle. Yep, it felt pretty darn good. I wrote a post about my journey which you can read here. In the last few months, however, I’ve noticed my clothes becoming a little, well, snug. A little bit uncomfortable. A little bit, um, smaller. Oh, all right. So maybe I have become a tiny bit bigger. Dang.
This morning, I tentatively approached the bathroom scales like someone braving piranha-infested waters. Those horrible flashing red numbers said 74 kilos (163 pounds). I should be sixty-nine kilos (152 pounds). Shit. This explains why nowadays when I wear my white jeans, I look like a giant chef’s hat. Double shit.
And, before you ask, no, it definitely isn’t muscle. Muscle isn’t squishy and soft (I don’t need to be an exercise scientist to know that).
Okay, So I’m a Pig (It’s a Big Club)
After conducting some very extensive research and using my finely-tuned investigative skills, I have determined the cause of my weight gain:
I have been eating too much. Shocking, I know.
Evidently, eating more food than my body needs causes me to store the surplus calories as fat. Who knew?
And why have I been eating too much food? Have I been abducted by kidnappers with a quirky sense of humour who have been force-feeding me like a French goose? Am I in training for the next series of Survivor? Do I have delusions about becoming Australia’s next plus-sized model? Nope.
The fact is that my right hand (with occasional help from my left) has been lifting (lots of) food and putting it into my mouth because food tastes great. Revolutionary, huh? Aren’t you glad I’m here to share these amazing discoveries with you?
Sugar, Fat, Salt and Flavour – What’s Not To Love?
We all have our favourite indulgence. It could be chocolate, chips (or crisps), peanut butter, cheese, ice-cream, biscuits (cookies), softdrink, cake or pizza. Or maybe the whole lot. In the one sitting. Because they taste delicious and give us instant pleasure.
I remember years ago having drinks and nibbles with some friends. One of them (a great guy and a fitness fanatic) commented very matter-of-factly, ‘You love your tucker (food), don’t you?’ He wasn’t being hurtful, just honest. And he was right. I do love my tucker. Probably more than the average person.
I’ve come to the realisation that (for me), acknowledging that I love my food (maybe a little too much) is an important step in managing my eating and, consequently, my weight.
I don’t overeat because I’m unhappy, bored or genetically predisposed to stuffing my face. It’s not because I had an unhappy childhood or because my parents wouldn’t let me go to the Duran Duran concert in 1984 (thus ruining my chances of marrying Simon Le Bon).
I’m not a victim; I’m a perpetrator. I love my food and sometimes I eat too much of it. Simple.
Falling Off the Wagon
If I had to give a reason (not an excuse) for taking my foot off the eating-sensibly pedal, it would be my surgery at the beginning of February. Don’t worry, there’s nothing (physically) wrong with me; it was elective surgery. Oh, all right, it was cosmetic surgery. Okay, it was a breast augmentation to re-discover my pre-baby breasts. Geez, you know how to interrogate, don’t you? I know it all sounds a little vain but just trust me when I say it was necessary. I won’t expand on that because we’re a family site and some of you may be eating. Nuff said.
Sorry fellas.
Whilst the implants themselves account for half a kilo of the weight gain (or so), it was the fact that I wasn’t allowed to exercise afterwards that really knocked me off my perch. I hadn’t realised what an important part of my life exercise had become. I had also underestimated the relationship between exercise and my desire to eat well.
Although exercise in itself doesn’t burn that many calories (although many people erroneously believe that walking slowly on a treadmill for fifteen minutes will offset an enormous piece of chocolate cake), I have found that it is the psychological impact of exercise which has the most benefit (for me). Because when I have completed a run or a hard gym workout, I don’t feel like putting rubbish into my body. I can’t explain it and it may not be the same for everyone but I just feel like eating more sensibly and healthily when I am exercising regularly.
Unfortunately, once my exercise routine was interrupted, I reverted to my old (fat-making) ways frighteningly quickly.
Stinking Thinking
I had believed that my unhealthy thought patterns in relation to food had been banished forever. As you know, our thinking affects our eating and the health of our bodies (to a large extent) is a natural consequence of the food we consume. It’s not rocket science.
Clearly, I hadn’t changed my cerebral default setting as permanently as I had hoped. Because it didn’t take much for my old ways of thinking (and, therefore, my old patterns of eating – and therefore my big arse) to re-emerge.
Here are my top three arse-expanding ways of thinking. One (or all) of them may sound familiar to you:
The Last Supper – frantically eating everything that’s not nailed down because very soon (quite possibly next Monday) I’m going to become really serious about getting back into shape.
Going the Whole Hog- Oh dear, I’ve just eaten something naughty so today’s healthy-eating resolution is ruined. Oh well, I might as well go the whole hog and eat as much as possible for the rest of the day. Because, of course, I’ll be better tomorrow.
Pressing the Mute Button – my body is screaming at me to stop eating but I’ll just over-ride those signals thanks very much because this tastes so good. And, no, the solution to being full is not to unbutton your pants, despite popular belief.
Getting Back on the Horse
The good news is that I know how to get back into shape. I know that I have to tune into my body’s signals again. To eat when I’m (genuinely) hungry and eat enough nutritious food to satisfy my body’s physical needs rather than my piggishness (a word). I am also now allowed to exercise again. Thank goodness.
Our bodies contain all the wisdom we need to reach the weight (or the fat percentage) that is optimal for us. We just need to pay attention.
We don’t need to go on a ridiculous super-restrictive diet – we know that extreme doesn’t work. We don’t need to seek out a perfect stranger to tell us what is the appropriate amount of food for our body. We don’t even have to count calories or points – although that can work for some. We have the most sophisticated, accurate, dynamic, situation-responsive food-intake adviser within us. And it works. Yep, when we don’t over-ride it with our faulty thinking and piggy desires (guilty) it works.
Learning My Lesson
Part of me is grateful that I’ve had this kick up the larger-than-desirable arse. Because it has reminded me of what works (for me) and what doesn’t. I have learned the importance of routine, the (psychological) relationship between exercise and healthy eating and the destructive power of faulty thinking. I will now be more aware of these dangers in the future and will, hopefully, be able to circumvent them.
Are there any other fat-causing events, circumstances, situations or influences that you think I should be aware (i.e. afraid) of? What strategies have you used in the past to get yourself back on track (and stay there) when it comes to your weight-loss and/or fitness goals?
As always, I’m looking forward to hearing your stories.
CJ xox (aka Fatty Boombah)
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Hello CJ!
Well oh well, for a start we sound in a similar predicament weight wise. I know the kilos pile on me if I let them, – but I can also lose weight/fat at a reasonable rate when I’m determined/on track consistently for a decent period of time.
I know I was 68.6kg or 151.2lb on Sat 3 April. That was my lightest 2010 read. Last year I got down to 68.4kg before ‘losing it’. 2006 was the most recent time I’d been under the elusive 68 I intend to get and stay under
I’ve never been ultra strict when on track. But the yo-yo behaviour is my biggie to stop. It used to swing to 89.something kgs before my ‘cut off/clamp down’ point in which it did several times. I only saw 90.something kgs once ever and was horrified. Last year I managed to get my ‘cut off’ point under 85, (84.8 I think) before the ‘clamp down’, – small progress.
I started out 2010 at 78.8kg I think so haven’t seen an 80′s number this year, don’t intend to either, (or ideally not even a 70′s number again). But with basically being on track for the year seeing 68.6 recently was awesome, again I felt fantastic, in control but not obsessive and all!
Easter came, social gatherings came, the taste for chocolate and all leftover treats came, erratic work hours, – many starts before 4am but weird shifts and interupted sleep, just normal stuff really, I got into the swing of eating too much, not enough time in bed, realise I’ve put an inch on my waist in the last week and had to loosen my belt by a notch today and notice I feel more ‘flabby’. Not as invincible again as what I was trying to tell myself I was, just back ‘outta the zone’ so to put it! And the thought of getting ‘on track/stopping the overeating’ feels harder but I don’t wanna put it off any longer either!
So………..I’ve decided my biggest goal now is to get straight back on track……….not eat/just drink water till properly hungry. Then just eat moderate fruit serves and salad or steamed veg for the remainder of that day to de-bloat, then as much sleep as poss, then back to normal balanced on track type eating and training and activity. The biggest thing………me to KEEP OFF SCALES for 4 weeks then hopefully they are back near 68kg with the waist measurement down again……….along with improving fitness. I could get on the scale tomorrow, but won’t like to see a few added kilos so choose this time not to confirm it as I’d feel too pissed off at myself, – not useful!
I guess it’s unrealistic to expect no slip ups, just make sure they don’t last longer than a day and are not very often so we don’t get into this ‘outta zone’ predicament!
Breasts, wow! I’m just relying on a bra to try to make mine look better!
All the best
Pip
Ha ha…. “I’m not a victim, I’m a perpetrator”. I love that!
Morning CJ,
Great to hear your very human story. That wagon is a very shaky contraption and it throws me off around Christmas, Easter and Birthday’s.
Yes, I am one of those pigs than can put on 3-4 kg’s over those times by eating my body weight in hot cross buns and chocolate. mmmm fun while it lasts, consequences of low energy, weight gain not fun.
Having a specific exercise goal (e.g. Gold Coast half marathon) usually helps me stay on track with my exercise, which means I stay relatively on track with my eating and drinking.
Isn’t it amazing how 5kg’s can change the whole shape of your ass. Sucks.
This happened to me after a knee injury and I couldn’t do much of anything for 4 months. But then, my doctor’s note became an excuse and it stretched on for a while more because for the first time in my life, I discovered that just sitting around can be pretty relaxing.
Time to stop making excuses and move on! Good for you, CJ!
Hey CJ,
Exercise gives your body the same pleasure response that you get from all that lovely high fat / high sugar / high salt food – might explain why it keeps you off the bad stuff. I’m currently reading a book called ‘The End of Overeating’ by David Kessler (where I learned this about exercise) and he explains how the food industry alters food to make it more addictive (higher fat and sugar etc). He also talks about ‘hypereating’ which is quite an interesting concept and includes a few of your ‘arse-expanding ways of thinking’. Anyway, it’s made me view food quite differently…. might help with your current mind set.
I’m going through the exact same thing atm – I had breast augmentation 2 weeks ago and I’ve just moved house – myself (yep, and without a man to help me!). Not only that I’ve had expenses galore so the “feeling outa control” thing has reared it’s ugly head and hence the unwanted pounds have started making their way to the lower half of my body – yuk!. I recently lost 7% in body fat and buggered if I’m going to let that all accumulate again! I’ve still got another 3-4 weeks of recovery so time to tighten things up and not let my jeans shrink on me!
Great post
Hi CJ,
I exercise so that I can be healthy and not have breasts (man boobs).
I was a little disappointed with your post as it seems to promote the unhealthy aspects of weight loss that many women get into.
You want bigger breasts and a smaller bottom. Why? Is it because you think you should. I saw your photo on the website. You look awesome.
My sister had Bulemia when she was younger as she was dieting to fit into a pair of jeans and look good for the boys. She became very sick. It was only after I changed her eating patterns, got her exercising to be fit, that she lost weight for the correct reasons.
I choose to maintain a healthyy weight because when I run it hurts my hips and back to carry more weight. My BMI is just over 25 and that means that I am overweight. So what. I am healthy. In the last 3 months I have done 2 sprint distance triathlons, 1 half ironman and a fun run at 14.38km’s. All at a good fast pace. And I am fat?
Please be happy with who you are, not what you thin you should be.
I was slim (with little effort) right through my 20′s and 30′s and even lost my 12kg pregnancy weight within 6 months of each birth, purely by healthy eating and a little walking.
But, starting 6 years ago put on 25kg over 3 years and I blame this soley on the “Last Supper” mentality.
I was healthy and fit and happy, but decided I should be ‘in better shape’. I decided I wanted to look like women in fitness magazines, and that’s when I STARTED to put on the weight.
It’s slowly coming off now but hard to shake that last supper mentality.
Great article CJ.
Cheers
Frankie
Thanks for sharing your story, Pip. Funny how we are all human, isn’t it? All the best for your efforts to improve your fitness. You go, girl!
CJ xox
That Michael was not me CJ. Good on you for what you did. I do agree with his last point be happy with self, but that also should be balanced, I believe, with good health and aiming for whatever body shape.
You know this is directed at no one but how come we cannot be fat, thin, muscled, healthy, sick – it seems your body shape is a concern of society and no one is happy with you no matter what you look like. Humans *:(
Thanks, Robyn. I was thinking about having a t-shirt made but it might just be misinterpreted!
CJ xox
Oh, Nat, you always crack me up. Half-marathon, huh? You know that’s, like, twenty-one kilometres, don’t you? And you’re not allowed to drive. Geez. I am in awe. Let us know how you go.
CJ xox
So very true, Athena. Thanks for the encouragement.
CJ xox
Thanks for the recommendation, Samantha. I’ll definitely try to get my hands on that book.
CJ xox
Fabulous post CJ! I am the same regarding lack of exercise causing over eating. For me it is very simple – execrcise and chocolate both give me serotonin boosts!
Wow, Maria! Losing 7% body fat is very significant. Make sure that you look after your health especially in the next few weeks.
CJ xox
Love your blog – I enjoyed it so much I didn’t want it to end. Well done CJ.
I also have a constant battle as a 55 year old woman. Work colleagues would be shocked by this statement as they believe I am in good shape for my age, but as having been a competitive sportsperson for a big chunk of my life, I was used to my body being a certain shape and size. When I originally decided to retire from competitive competition the body or rather “head” craved the same amounts of food so it wasn’t long before the body began to store fat. I did manage to lose it and maintain my weight at an average level through walking and healthy eating (never been thin – just average) but upon hitting MEN-o-Pause things changed for the worse. I am now a lifetime member of WW and from time to time I have to commence “paying” to attend meetings because I have gone over my goal weight plus some. I now attend meetings to give me inspiration but follow my own eating regime based loosely on the WW theme. The key to this though is certainly the walking. If I get slack and don’t walk for a couple of weeks the waist measurement increases. We do all know what is required but unfortunately our lifestyles sometimes interfere with us achieving these goals. I will not give up on my endeavours but if my knees pack it in I am frightened of what the future will bring.
Thanks for your very kind comment, Michael. One of my goals for this year is to run the Mothers’ Day classic. It’s only four kilometres so your achievements (triathlons, ironman, funrun) just blow my mind. Thanks for the inspiration.
CJ xox
Hi Frankie. The ‘Last Supper’ mentality is a stinker, isn’t it? Although, it sounds like you’re getting your thinking in the right place now. All the best.
CJ xox
I need help with this one big time. I went through a rather big & traumatic event almost 18 months ago and -apart from a brief time where I exercised manically- it has left me totally out of whack with my exercise routine. I used to run almost every day, even did a half marathon easy and now just looking at my runners makes me feel ill and anxious. How do you get back into it? I’ve tried just doing it but it only lasts one or two runs. Im now FORCING myself to walk a couple of km’s once or twice a week but its not really a happening thing. Its like something is broken in my head and I really miss my exercise (so does my rapidly expanding butt!) but I just can’t do it. Is there a magic ‘breakthrough’ technique?? I’ve read books, talking to someone etc to try to kick start it but my head is flatly refusing. This has made me realise how much physical fitness is tied in with our state of mind! Need help.
Hi CJ,
I’m hearing you girl. I love food too … a little too much!!!
Thankyou for putting into words something I think relates to me too. When I exercise, I also don’t feel like eating junk.
I never realised until I read that.
It’s a very good reason to never, ever give up exercise!!
I used to be plagued by The Last Supper mentality too – but I have found since having a training goal that was not associated with my body shape, weight, fat % etc I no longer use it.
But, when I eat Mexican food, I do put my body on Mute … how can you not? It’s all sooooo good!!!!
It’s a real case of different strokes for different folks … I could never use a particular weight, BF% or look to motivate me. I guess I just didn’t believe it, because my weight (for the most part) remains very constant.
For me, performance-based goals work best. Now (as I get older) I am more concerned with what my body can do and less about what it looks like.
That’s not to say I wouldn’t like a nice arse!!!
Can they do arse augmentations???
Great post Chick! Oh, and welcome to “The Twins”!!!
(Have you named them yet?)
Em
( ) x
Hi CJ
I would suggest getting a lymphatic massage to remove toxins and fluid that have built up from the op. It’s also good to remove the hardness also surrounding the tissue. Also another positive is letting someone else touch you is quite healing in itself. You may have to wait alittle longer – if still sore to touch.
Hi Hellen
I went to a life coach for 3 months and it was great. What I learned is there are 3 things – we all want to be loved, we all want to feel wanted and needed. We need to ask for what we want. What do you want? Trust that you have the power in your mind to get what you want! Trust that no matter what happenings, you can deal with it! The opposite of fear and control is TRUST!!
Ange
Hi (Brisbane) Michael. Yep, it would be lovely if we could all just accept the way we look and become fit for the sake of our health and well-being. Maybe when Craig Harper is the boss of the world …
CJ xox
Hi Fiona. Great strategy. I wonder what would happen if you ate chocolate whilst exercising? Would you implode from a serotonin overdose? Can I watch?
CJ xox
Great advice, Marci. Good on you for managing your menopause wisely rather than using it as an excuse to be unhealthy. You’re a great rolemodel.
CJ xox
Oh Hellen. You have been through such an awful and traumatic experience. I’m not sure what advice to give you in terms of rediscovering your exercise mojo – I’m just plain old lazy myself. Perhaps an email to the Big Guy might help give you some answers.
Hugs
CJ xox
Hey CJ gotta tell you I just love the fact that you’ve put on weight!! And you know that’s not because I’m bitchy, it’s just that I love knowing that smart, gorgeous people like yourself, whom I think have got it all together, are also human, just like the rest of us. It’s so great knowing that you’ve fallen off the wagon, and that you have the knowledge and the tools to get yourself back in shape.
Could so relate to your top 3 arse expanding ways of thinking, they are just so true, and to take it a little further, there’s also the one if you just gorge yourself on as much chocolate (or what ever your weakness is) then you’re going to make yourself feel so sick, despise yourself for being so pathetic, and remember that feeling, so that next time you feel the need to self indulge, you’ll skip the eating part and just remember how it made you feel, and be cured! (Can’t quite figure out why I’m not cured – but there’s something in the back of my mind about repeating the same behavior, yet expecting a different result????)
Good luck to you. Really enjoyed hearing your story and look forward to more up dates.
Hi CJ – brave of you to discuss your surgery, and I hope, er, they turn out just how you want ‘em! I am going in for rhinoplasty (nose job) to finally fix a (very minor) old childhood injury to my schnoz, even though I’m the only one who thinks I need it – no exercise after that for a while, but I am booked in for a week’s hike post-recovery….may as well be in the bush while the swelling goes down! Mental note: while lying in bed 24/7 for a few days, my calorie intake should go WAY down compared to normal. Thanks for the reminder and have fun tuning in to your body again.
Love your work, Em. (They’re called Britney and Kylie – you can figure out why.)
CJ xox
Thanks, Ange. A lymphatic massage is a great idea. I hadn’t thought of that.
CJ xox
Hi Wendy. Your comment made me laugh out loud. I’m glad someone has benefitted from my expanding behind!
CJ xox
Thanks CJ for your kind comment. This seems a common thing anyway!
Samantha, – I’ve seen a video on Dr David Kessler, – yep, I agree! I think all these addictives may be added to food. And I think marketing may be lured to promote it, – lets not be suckers!
I was reading an article in the newspaper at lunch today. It said that breaking undesirable habits alone rarely works long term. INSTEAD it suggested breaking an undesirable habit FOR……………… a desirable one!
Triathlete Michael, – well done, I aspire to do more of those! I’ve gotta quietly set and stick to some more goals there
As for BMI, – even Craig with big biceps has admitted his BMI is classified as overweight. I do think the BMI guide is actually unrealistic for sporty and/or athletic guys with some noticable muscle tone and that it’s unfair for them to be included in with the 60-70% of Australian adults reported to be ‘overweight’.
Frankie, I’m with you. That ‘last supper’ mentality sucks to shake!!!
Pip
[...] Who Shrunk My Jeans [...]
[...] Who Shrunk My Jeans [...]
Hi Krista. All the best for your surgery. I’m sure you’ll be so pleased with the results. Enjoy your hike – that’s a very smart move.
CJ xox
Craig boss of the world. Noooooooooooo!
You said is there anything to be aware of: well, it’s ironic that one does all this work to be fit and lean and we (not you or anyone on this blog being general here) are shamed into thinking we are fat etc and a failure. So we lose weight. Get into shape. Get good self-esteem. What happens? They ain’t happy with that either LOL they say ‘oh you must have some disease you are thinner than the last time I saw you’. Humans
grrrrr.
Solution – hit the delete button.
Pip agree the BMI is causing anxiety, it’s silly.
hahah this is genius!
I was linked to your site it’s fantastic.
I don’t eat too much because I hate myself…I just love food…everything about it…cooking it…smelling it…admiring it…eating it…sharing it! I wish to be a food critic but unfortunately my body doesn’t…when I don’t eat right I feel the effects within 24 hours because I have gotten into such a routine to be healthy. I lost 45kg over the past two and a half years and there is no way I’m heading back up the scale. My weight, unlike age, is not something that once it goes up can’t go down. In fact I still would like to lose another 10 kilos and I’ll be perfectly in my weight range.
I had a period where I realised how easily I fell back into old, what I like to term, “fat behaviour.” E.g. treating every meal as an ‘all-you-can-eat’ buffet…where there is food in abundance…delicious food…you have a bit of everything…sometimes twice or three times…eating without thinking or processing, and ignoring any signal to stop because your taste buds are having too much damned fun (and to be honest so are you…guilt only sets in later, but that’s not important when a fresh piece of cheesecake is partying in your mouth…)
It’s so weird when you think you’ve combatted all that behaviour, but 4 days out of routine and BAM! you’re back to the mental attitude of your former (45kilo heavier) self. Not to be self-destructive (ok sometimes maybe self defeatist behaviour…..but most of the time because food tastes so yummy and trust me, I’m not a self-victimising person. That’s just not me….I by no stretch of the imagination had a deprived childhood) …But now that I have come so far I cannot imagine going back to the way things used to be. I’ve worked too hard and come too far and sometimes that is the best motivation to get you back on track.
Just like normal people I have days where once I have stuffed up I figure what the hell, enjoy the rest of the day, but the majority of the time I get straight back on track, because eating more unhealthy never makes anyone feel better…you think guilt was bad after the first binge? It only gets worse by the 5th…when did guilt ever disappear with a Mars Bar? It didn’t right?
One thing I am still working on however, is the listening to my signals…I eat regularly because I know I have to, but I never know when I am actually ‘hungry’ so to speak. This is something I am definitely going to work on
But honestly thanks so much for this website it brings me great pleasure to read your blogs! Must have to try some of the books
[...] Who Shrunk My Jeans [...]
[...] And Who Shrunk My Jeans [...]