Quote:
Originally Posted by WT Sharpe
That's a lot of weight, Marc. Has anyone suggested you might be overdoing it? I'm not saying you are, but I lost a lot of weight in the mid-80s, and people started asking me if I had cancer.
Wish I'd kept some of that weight off, but I really did go to the other extreme.
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Of course they do. The number of people willing to tell you you're "too thin" (even when I was still technically "overweight") I could number by the pounds lost. Where I started though, I was technically "obese" (not by much, and not too obviously so, but enough that a doctor would concur). So, there was a lot to lose.
Interesting about the cancer thing...one thing Mother was "concerned about" when my brother lost a lot of weight about 10 years ago was that he was sick, or, more specifically, had AIDS (because he had not long come "out", and naturally if you do that any illness you have is AIDS). Some family members have questioned whether I'm "too thin" on the premise that they're concerned for my health. They're not (trust me, they're trying to convince themselves), and I point out that when there were far more and greater risks when I was obese, their "concern" didn't raise a peep from them (except for the occasional mockery, of course).
Some authoritative guides suggest that it's not generally healthy losing more than, I think, a kilogram a week
without exercise. We have been rather strongly exercising, even if we don't call it that, riding about 25-35km every couple of days most weeks. We often walk 8-10km or so every other day. Sometimes we have slow weeks, and the rain or visitors can drastically interfere, but we try to keep to this habit as much as possible.
We also have scales that measure "body fat". They're not entirely accurate, but their inaccuracies are a known quantity, based on consumer tests against accurate hospital measure. So, I know my weight is okay...that my goal is a good, reasonable goal that is still a good 8kg away from underweight, and 10kg away from overweight.
And there's also visual identity. While I do have things about me that might be associated with body dismorphic disorder, OCD, and such, I am conscious of those compulsions and do occasionally meet and deal with aspects of them during the dieting process. I can start to understand the compulsion to not eat, and being driven by scales and perception of appearance. I see it, but I know I see it, and I watch myself. So I know that another 3kg will be about right, and remove some lingering areas of excess weight on certain parts of my body (bits people don't see when they look at me and say "too thin"), but that more will be engaging obsession.
Quote:
Originally Posted by badgoodDeb
I need to do exactly what you've managed. Even the numbers are pretty much dead on. Maybe I can tell myself "if Marc can do it, you jolly well can too" and see if that works. 
deb |
Why, thank you. Wait, what?
Quote:
Originally Posted by WT Sharpe
So that's the way it works. Maybe that's my problem. I've been telling myself, "If I were Marc, I could do it."
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If you were me, then who would I be? GET OUT OF MY HEAD, TOM! AND YOU TOO, INVISIBLE GIBBON!
Cheers,
Marc