Fat Man Waddling

Me outside Reb's Cafe in Benson, Arizona, last fall.

I finally realized I am fat. For a long time I 'knew' I was fat. Every year the numbers on the scale creep up: 200, 205, 220, 250, 265, but I never really considered myself fat. I'd look in the mirror and I'd think that I've gained a little weight, or maybe I'm getting a little chunky, but me, fat? No way.
    That all changed when I went to see my brother in Arizona last fall. Not quite sure what caused my outlook to change. I supposed watching my brother struggle with his hip joint might have had something to do with it, but there was no inciteful moment, it's just when I got back I realized what those numbers on the scale meant. They meant I was fat.
    I have lost of few pounds since then but it's going to be a year at least before I have anything to celebrate. I have lost a few pounds several times before, but I always climbed back on the chow wagon after a few weeks.
    Part of the problem is that I enjoy eating. It's a visceral experience, kind of like sex, or drinking, or having fun. Just the taste and texture of a spoonful of chocolate ice cream is enough to send me into rapture, and the first thing I want after one spoonful is another, at least until I get a belly full.
    Restricting my food intake is key. Exercise helps keep me healthy, but I'm not going to exercise all this fat away, I get tired too quickly. And it doesn't take much in the way of food to replace the calories consumed.
    I started keeping a detailed food journal when I got back from Arizona. I was eating 2,700 calories a day. After about a month of that I was able to cut down to 2,000 calories a day. I think I did it by I eliminating snacks. And I wasn't adding up my calories every day, I would wait until Sunday and then add up the entire week.
    To start with I was eating 19,000 calories a week and I was able to cut down to 14,000. You can see from these numbers that 10 calories here or there doesn't amount to a hill of beans. Even if it's 10 calories 10 times a day, 7 days a week, it only amounts to 700 calories. 100 calories 3 times a day comes to 2100 calories a week, which might be enough to make a difference on someone who is half my size, it's not going to make much difference to me. I needed to cut 250 calories 3 times a day. Somehow I did it. We shall see if I can maintain.

Previous posts on the subject.