Two weeks into the New Year and I need to reconsider my decision NOT to make dieting one of my New Year’s Resolutions but exercise more. My resolve to exercise “more” was going really well until I developed tennis elbow, which means I am unable to swim and I also twisted my knee so I am unable to walk very far, yet alone power walk. Stomach crunchies forget those, I hurt my neck on day two. So all things considered I am just an old crock and will need to revert back to plan B, or should that be plan D for Diet? There are not any slimming support groups locally and most of my friends are either thin or have less enthusiasm for dieting than I. If I don’t take action soon I will have to rename this blog “Porker in Portugal”
PS the picture was sent to me by a sympathetic fat friend and the kitty was kind of cute.
Are there any fellow bloggers out there looking for a slimming buddy, have found a successful diet or are willing to shout encouraging words from the sidelines to prevent me from becoming miserable?
Please share your success and failures…
Piglet in Portugal 
Hi, thanks for your support on my blog today.
I hate diet also, but i have to do in order to keep me health
AND I LOVE FOOD SO MUCH!
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Hi Edson and welcome! I read your post about dieting etc and could really relate to what you were saying!
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That’s it !! I’m sure it will work, there is nothing worst than wanted to eat everything you can’t because of a diet. 🙂
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Sorry, I do love too much food too to do a diet !! 🙂 My personal diet is just to eat quite everything in a good balance !! 🙂
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Hi My English Thoughts
I have been thinking about the whole dieting issue while I was in France. I think you are right “eat quite everything in a good balance” plus I need to reduce my portion sizes 🙂
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Sorry about italics, I was trying to make FREQUENT in my comment italic, not the whole of the end…
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I still cycle, but less frequently, and I go to the gym, although not nearly as often as I’d like, which is why I bought the ab rocker for home use, but which I mostly ignore rather than use! The thing about exercise that I find is, that it feels really hard at first but after about three regular sessions, it suddenly gets miraculously easier. And if I only go once a week, it’s not frequent enough to really feel the benefit and I’m always stuck at the level of finding it hard. When I go more often, then I can see a marked improvement in stamina, strength and energy. But finding the time to do that is really, really hard.
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I think Hugo has got it pegged actually and it sounds like you’re doing all the right things already – it does take time though. And it doesn’t help not being able to exercise properly. I used to cycle 50 miles a week until I had a bike accident, and since then I haven’t really got back into it, which doesn’t help the age-acquired pounds. For ab crunches, I would really recommend getting one of these http://bit.ly/i4ynXy . It’s too easy to hurt your neck and this protects it. Keep your chin up – literally and metaphorically!
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Hi Hasenschneck
I just lacked motivation. Still all the moral support I ‘ve been receiving here has been great! Don’t think I dare report back in 2 months and say I’ve lost nothing…
Thanks for the link I will check it out. What exercise are you doing since your biking accident?
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I love this kitty picture, the words, and your post. I probably wouldn’t make a good diet buddy, but I’m a good cheerleader. I keep my weight under control because I made a decision several years ago after a gall bladder attack not to have the gall bladder removed (which was the medical advice I received). Instead, I went to an accupuncturist, who has been my encourager. My gall bladder complains if I eat too much or eat the wrong things. It is extremely frustrating at times. I also changed my diet radically, so I’m not a fun dinner date as I don’t eat dairy (except a little goat cheese) and no wheat. Truth is, though, in some ways I am healthier for all of that.
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Hi MWD cheerleader! your words have already helped as I am in dieting denial. Better I do something now than wait until it becomes a medical neccesity. I need to just stop whining, bite the bullet and get on with it. Just through some of the replies to this post and reading other blogs I have realsised there are so many unfortunate people out there whose health relies on a whole change of diet.
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Afraid I can’t be too much of a diet buddy Piglet. But if you come stand beside me I guarantee you’ll look thin! The first year I borrowed Santa’s suit it fit fine. But they forgot to put in the foam “fat suit” piece. When I added that the next year I broke the belt. Honest. 🙂
– Papa Joe
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Hey PapaJoe I could always be one of Santa’s Elves and I could mend your broken belt 🙂
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Do you think there’s enough material available? It’s a pretty big order. 🙂
– Thanks for the offer Piglet. You’d make a wonderful elf. Got that mischievious look in your eyes. 😉
– Papa Joe
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😉 Good point re material Papa Joe! Diet is def a must before I audition for an Elf 🙂
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I wasn’t wondering about enough material for you Piglet. Next to me everyone’s skinny. And in my eyes, you’re perfect.
But if you can find enough material to fix my Santa belt, now that IS a tall order! (Or should I say, “wide order”? 😉 )
– Papa Joe
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He He… I thought you were saying there would not be enough material for me! Not to worry I have a tough hide, laugh at myself and not easily wounded 🙂
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Trust me Piglet, you’re beautiful and always will be to me. Thanks for understanding.
– Papa Joe
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I feel your pain PiP. I don’t mind excercise and enjoy working up a sweat on a regular basis! This used to suffice to keep me reasonably slim regardless of my food intake but after passing 40 it all went to hell! Now I can exercise like mad but it still keeps piling up. I need to watch what I eat but damn, it’s hard! Food is good, and I like good food. And not two ounces of artfully prepared veggies – I mean real food, stick to your ribs, tasty, satisfying food!
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Trouble is Hortophile…gravity takes its toll and everything meets around the middle!! I just resemble a blob. I am typically a mrs blobby! 😦
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Hi there
I’m a regular reader of your blog and a PE teacher. I believe you’ve already heard before about what i’m going to say. But the key to sucess when dieting is moderation. If you starve yourself believe me you’ll be able to stick to a diet for no longer than 1-2 weeks, unless you develop some sort of eating disorder. To lose weight, the total amount of daily ingested calories has to be lesser than your daily caloric needs. So, all you need is to cut down around 200-300 Kcal of what you eat daily to start losing weight, it will be even faster if you add up some exercise. Perhaps losing 200-300 kcal doesn’t seem much daily, but believe me that it will make difference by the end of the month.
Just do some small dietary changes and i’m pretty sure you’re going to be able to follow those changes for a long time.
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Hi Hugo,
Your right. I need to find the right balance. I think this is why I have failed with so many diets. If I could just cut down gradually on my sugar intake and my portion size I would probably well on the way. I was reading one blog and the guy charted his progress. I am going to do this over the next 6 months and see how I get on.
Thanks for your input it’s really appreciated!
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I can encourage, but I need to eat healthier and exercise more this year too. And I hate the word diet. Ugh.
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Hello Piglet….I found the Patrick Holford diet(low GI) really works. A bit hard for the first two or three days but once your sugar level is right you don’t crave chocolate etc and the weight just drops off….it is more of a change of lifestyle than a diet.
I find that the moment I say I am on a diet I am ravenous.
I can’t do the exercise bit….my brain just says “what the hell”.
I walk my dog on the beach every day but not strenously…I stop and take photos and just breath in the great sea air….I might not work up a sweat but I reckon it is better than nothing. I don’t so pain!
Good luck love.
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You are right “dieting is more of a change of lifestyle” I also love taking my camera for a walk along the beaches and its great to breath in the sea air. Trouble is I could look out to sea for hours. I have the Rosemary Connely GI diet book, I will have to dig it out!
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Don’t you just loathe thinking we’re more athletic than we are? So sorry to read about tennis elbow, twisted knee, and sore neck. I would guess that dieting gets tough in Portugal–don’t pastries and food abound in that lovely area? Best wishes from chilly Alaska!
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Trouble is I still FEEL young inside…check out Zumba on Youtube and you will see what I mean! 🙂 It’s only when I look in the mirror I wonder whose is that stranger looking back at me 😦
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If you love food PiP, you will definitely hate what I am doing, but as I doubt that you need to lose as much weight as I do. I have just started Medifast. And I have to say, so far it is working. I’ve been on it for 6 days and have lost 5 pounds. I don’t intend to stay on it for more than a few months, but I had been so discouraged with not losing weight that I needed a jump start for motivation. Just losing those 5 pounds has made it easier to go up and down the stairs. My knees don’t hurt any more when I do. So I do feel better when I exercise. But, some of the food doesn’t taste good to me at all, and over all it’s kinda bland. Besides the weight loss, I haven’t craved sugar at all. And, it is making me more determined to start healthier eating habits so I never have to go through this again!
The main thing they do is to have you eat 5 small meals a day (their product) and 1 larger “lean and green” meal. Their products are around 100 calories each, so of course I’m losing quickly! But you could make you own healthy small meals. The Medifast is just easy because the meals are instant. Just grab something and go. Right now, that’s just the easiest route for me to take.
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Hi Seashell,
Well done! 5 pounds that’s great! It will be interesting to see how you get on with this type of diet. I have decided this week to try and cut out all cakes and biscuits, bread where possible as it bloats you, and start to reduce portion size.You are right about jump starting motivation. I think I am going to change my scales to pounds. Weiging myself in kilos it just seems as thought I am not losing weight. 2.2 pounds sounds so much better than 1 kg
Your are welcome to email me if you ever get low
kind regards
PiP
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Goodness, you need to be careful. I hope all your aches and hurts heal quickly. I wish you much success in your endeavors. 🙂
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Yep, the older we get the more prone we seem to injuries when we overdo the exercise. Thanks for the best wishes
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Hi PiP (it’s me DebsPink from “who says Coeliacs can’t eat cake?” but I’ve changed my name!)
I know how you feel. All my life I’ve been small (my friends say thin), and I’ve been able to eat pretty much what I like (within reason), however since becoming coeliac, I’ve put on so much weight, hardly any of my clothes (except the stretchy ones) fit anymore. But of course, because I’m on a glut-free diet and that’s pretty hard, all I think about is food – all day, every day.
I was planning to exercise too, I bought weights, a mat and a book, then I broke my ankle! So it’s all on hold at the moment. I wish you well in your endeavours. Keep us posted.
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Hi Debs, it must be so hard for you and theres me whining on about dieting and I am fat because I am a pig! I hope you are successful in bringing your weight back under control. Be interesting if I post an update in another 2 months as to how we are both doing. How is the ankle healing? I am going back to try again with some of my floor exercises to try and tone by stomach pouch 🙂
All the best PiP
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Cat Philosophy =^..^= by Frizztext
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Very cool cat!
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our cat is fatter than any mouse in our garden.
but nevertheless she is fitter.
every evening she brings home another victim.
so, though a mouse is slim / thin – she can’t win.
be fat and you will win.
(said by my cat).
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I’m not built for speed, so if I was a cat I would go hungry!
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I can’t help you there! But I would gladly take some if it was possible. 🙂
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It’s good to share classyrose I would gladly give a few inches 🙂
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Now don’t ask me why I know this, but following a Mediterranean diet is supposed to be good not just to eat healthy but to help control or lose weight.
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