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The
Rant
April 1, 2004
So I've begun. I summoned up the courage recently to step on the bathroom scale. ( Actually, I keep the 'bathroom' scale in the bedroom because the bathroom is far too humid for the sensitive electronics of the thing. ) It's one of those that gives you a body fat reading as well, based on whatever it senses from the skin on my tender feet. Don't ask me why I bought it because the mere thought of discovering my body fat percentage gives me the dry heaves. Anyway, I did manage to force myself to look ( ever so briefly ) at the illuminated and pulsating red numbers declaring my weight. It reminded me of the time in grade nine when I stared in disbelief at my failing mark on a Latin exam...damn language...Damn fat! The fancy piece of plastic and tin was mocking me, throwing hurtful numbers in my face with insensitivity and abandon. It read...212.5 pounds. I think it's the most I've ever weighed. It had been at least a year since I'd weighed myself. At that time I was about 192. I have gained over twenty pounds. Hence, my resolve to do something about it...something, that is, other than curse, scream, and turn blue every time I try to sqeeze my 40 inch girth into size 36 pants. I could be a poster boy for 'tight pants syndrome'. Yes folks, you have no idea...I say, NO IDEA how much I have suffered!
Last month, as you may know, the doctor told me to lose fifteen pounds. She thinks it will bring my cholesterol (the bad LDL stuff) down. My brain is telling me this is something I need to do, so I have begun a weight reduction scheme. My inspiration comes from a somewhat unlikely source. A while ago I met Reg Anstey, the president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour. Reg, for as long as I can remember ( through his television appearances ), has been decidedly overweight. He tipped the scale last year at way over three hundred pounds. Not any more. He has lost about 110 pounds and is now within striking distance of his goal weight of two hundred pounds. This is an amazing accomplishment for someone who has lived a sedentary lifestyle behind a desk for most of his career. A lifestyle, by the way, that unavoidably involves several restaurant lunches in the run of a week.
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| Reg Anstey before diet |
I wanted to know how he had made this transformation. The answer was Weight Watchers. He claims to have tried every diet known to man, without any long-term success. Sometimes he would lose weight, only to put it all back on. For example, he tried the famous Atkins, low carbohydrate diet but packed it in eventually because his body was craving carbs so badly. ( I had exactly the same experience. After a while you just want to stuff your face with every french fry, potato chip, bagel, and baguette you can get your hands on. And, besides, constantly eating so much protein becomes boring. ) So, when he felt he had exhausted all other options he thought of Weight Watchers. As he told me. "I had tried everything else, so I figured I had nothing to lose. I might as well try this".
Reg is blessed, genetically, in regard to a health problem that shadows many of us. He has always had, and most likely always will have, an extremely low level of LDL ( bad cholesterol ) in his system. There is absolutely no heart disease in his family. ( How lucky can you get? ) However, as we know, there are other ills that evolve from being too fat. So, that's why Reg decided to try reducing again, to ward off potential disease, and to just feel better.
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| Reg Anstey after diet |
As he tells it, the Weight Watchers' diet is not that difficult to endure. He always enjoyed a Tim's extra large with double cream for breakfast and still does. He always enjoyed eating a large volume of food and still does, including a regular favorite...Jigg's dinner. The difference comes in the choices he makes. Essentially it's a diet that bans large portions of high fat and calorie-laden foods, like steak, ground beef, cheese, and nuts. Unrestricted access to certain foods is allowed. For example, you can eat turnip, tomato, broccoli, cauliflower, and several other vegetables until you burst. Each food is given a certain number of points. The higher the points, the higher the calorie count. The 'eat-'til-you-burst' foods count for zero. So, if you're given 29 points per day to play with it's up to you how you use them, as long as you do not exceed 29 points. If you want a Jigg's dinner just make the salt meat portion smaller and trim off all the fat. It's a good idea to cut back on the potato as well. However, you can "fill yer boots" with cabbage and turnip. MmmmmMmmmm. I'm getting hungry. Hold on a minute...oh yeah, I've used up my 26 points today.
Yes, I'm on the Weight Watchers too. It's only been a couple of weeks but it seems to be okay. Well, actually, I'm not officially on it. I kind of borrowed a points book from a member and I'm following the program based on what friends are telling me to do. God knows I have lots of support, especially at work. I think half the CBC are going to Weight Watchers. I was in our canteen recently and asked if anyone knew how many Weight Watchers' points the 'soup du jour'
contained. In an instant I was nearly deafened by a chorus of voices shouting numbers at me. It reminded me of that scene in the Alan J. Pakula movie, Starting Over, where Burt Reynolds goes into the fetal position in a department store with an anxiety attack, and as a crowd gathers 'round somebody asks, "Does anyone have a valium?" Suddenly, a dozen arms reach forward holding pill bottles. We really are all fighting similar demons aren't we. I'll let you know how I make out with this one.
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