Benefits of losing weight (I hope…)

Apologies for yet another weight-related post so soon after the one last month but things have changed a little since then. In that post, I wrote about not beating yourself up if you’re finding it difficult to lose weight, or if it takes time to achieve (as it is with me). However, since then, a couple of things have happened which have really spurred me into action and I hope it’s worthwhile sharing this detail.

Around 3 weeks ago, I got together with Becci (the truly talented one in Lux Bay acoustic duo…) to practice. We used the opportunity to shoot a few short video clips to share on social media over the coming weeks / months. Using both our mobile phones, I viewed the footage when I got home and genuinely could have cried. I was horrified and embarrassed by what I saw and how I looked. I vowed to myself there and then to finally do something about it. Not a short fad, but a sustained focus, for at least the remainder of this calendar year, to shed serious amounts of excess fat and get to a position where I’ll be truly happy with myself. That was Tuesday 8th March. Since Wednesday 9th, I haven’t touched a single biscuit, piece of chocolate or cake. Since last week, I’ve added crisps to that ‘banned foods’ list – certainly until the end of May to begin with, but hopefully much longer. I also haven’t snacked at all following our main evening meal each day, which tends to be quite early for us (around 17.00-17.30). Regular readers will know this is a big change for me as late-evening snacking has always been my Achilles’ heel. The first few days were hellish though I’m used to it now and more determined than ever to continue.

Now I’m more comfortable with cutting out these treats, I’ve also produced a slip of paper which is taped to the inside of my phone case. It looks like this:

Benefits of losing weight

  • More energy
  • Wear the many clothes that don’t fit
  • Fewer back pains
  • Fewer self-esteem issues
  • More comfortable in face-to-face situations
  • More confidence, leading to:
    • More comfortable when gigging
    • More comfortable at work and when presenting
    • Hopefully more TV quiz shows
  • Generally, A MUCH BETTER LIFE

I’m fully aware there may be some reading this who think it is absolute nonsense and I’ve lost my marbles but let me briefly touch upon each point before I explain why I expect this to work well for me.

As I’ve previously written, I believe my dislike for my personal appearance is linked to my lack of confidence and certainly my low self-esteem, which is why I strongly believe that losing weight will improve this. Relating to all the points above:

More energy:

Pretty self-explanatory. If I’m lugging about 2 or 3 stone less body fat than I am now, I figure I will have more energy. Given that I’m pretty much perpetually tired these days, this will be a huge bonus.

Wear the many clothes that don’t fit:

For all the clothes in my wardrobe that I can get into, there are as many again, if not more, that I can’t. Some of these I really like. Many have either been bought in sales or are sizes I normally wear though they’re a little snugger fitting. If I shed the fat I want to, I will have a whole new wardrobe to enjoy.

Fewer back pains:

I’ve had intermittent lower-back pains for over 20-years now and one pattern I’ve noticed over recent years is that it gets worse when I put on a bit of weight. Hopefully then, it’s a simple equation: less excess body fat = less back pain.

Fewer self-esteem issues:

Again, hopefully self-explanatory. As detailed above (and in numerous previous posts), I’m certain this is linked to not liking how I look. If losing weight / body-fat isn’t the answer, I don’t know what is…

More comfortable in face-to-face situations:

Again, linked to those core issues. A prime example of this is that I’ve always had an issue with looking people directly in the eye when talking to them. I try to as I know how important this is, though it’s a struggle as I’m always conscious of people staring straight back at me, therefore I’m hoping weight-loss will help.

More confidence, leading to being more comfortable when gigging:

I gig because I love playing guitar and seeing people enjoy what we do as Lux Bay, though I’m never fully comfortable with doing it. Yet again (and perhaps I should insert a broken record image here, as I’m starting to sound like one), it relates to not being happy with how I look and thinking people are judging me on that all the time. Yet another issue I’m hoping weight-loss will solve.

More confidence, leading to being more comfortable at work, especially when presenting:

I’m going to start succinctly summarising these now as I’m conscious I’m starting to sound like a whiny ‘woe-is-me’ attention seeker. Same reasons as above. Hopefully the same outcome when I lose the weight I want to as this is a big issue for me.

More confidence, leading to hopefully more TV quiz shows:

You may be thinking this is a bizarre entry? The truth is, I’ve always loved a good quiz, especially one with a lot of popular culture content, and I appeared on a TV quiz show back in 1994. I waited a long time until I applied for a few more recently though the current trend is to include a short video message as part of the application. No surprises that I hate this part and I’ve no doubt it shows when the casting crews take a look. So, hopefully, losing weight will help me in that regard. I hope so as it’s something I really want to do again – it’s good fun and, let’s be honest, who wouldn’t love an opportunity to win a prize or two or a good bit of cash!

Generally, A MUCH BETTER LIFE:

The catch-all. For all of the reasons mentioned above, and many more, I have to do this. There’s nothing to lose (other than missing out on a few sweet treats and some generally unhealthy food) and plenty to gain. The past 3 weeks have been really good – I now need to extend that to the next 3 months, then the rest of the year, and ultimately a full lifestyle change. It suddenly doesn’t feel that hard to do – I’m more confident and comfortable with it than I have been in a long time and I’m hopeful that those few Lux Bay video clips were the catalyst for a significant change for me. I do need those constant reminders of why I’m doing it though, hence sticking that slip of paper to the inside of my phone case. It’s working for me so far so I’ll stick with it. If you’re in a similar situation, perhaps something like this may work for you? Or at least try listing the benefits of anything you’re doing which seems difficult right now – hopefully they’ll far outweigh the negatives.

As always, thanks for reading, stay safe and be kind to yourself and others. But especially yourself.

Best wishes.

Mick

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