I'm a physically active chap; daily cycling, weekly weight-training, walk a lot. I've done step aerobics; boxing and so on. My diet is the problem but I find when I think 'diet' my unconscious mounts a rebellion. There's a kind of 'eh, that looks like a lot of hard work - let's eat in preparation for the mountain-climb ahead'.
I don't have sudden weight-leaps; it comes on gradually over a couple of years. Although I've got a very low resting heart rate (supposedly a sign of fitness) my blood pressure is too high and there's a threat of diabetes.
Several months ago I started a food diary and a diet plan with the nurse at my doctor's clinic - but it's still not working for me. I drift away from the plan after about 3 weeks and lose focus.
About a year ago someone gave me an old Slimmers' World book and I tried their eating plan (food optimisation). I started losing weight on it but after 3 weeks the 'deadly drift' appeared. I started adding pesto sauces to my pasta (by the way on Green Days you can eat as much pasta and jacket potatoes as you want) and the weight loss came to a halt and so did my interest in the plan.
Applying the Systems Approach model to my weight loss issue I can do the following analysis:
Environment - I've not yet actually changed my environment much; apart from seeing the nurse once a month (and the pattern I've seen is that at 3 weeks I hit an impasse anyway) I haven't really done much with my environment.
Inputs - there are three types of inputs to all systems: information; physical materials and people inputs - I've got information available through the book; physical materials in the form of foods and cooking and measuring equipment, but no people input. My information is limited though and the problem is when you don't have people input you miss out on finding out what you don't have readily to hand - real live people can give you information you wouldn't find any other way.
Processes - I've been trying out a few ideas such as halving some foods and doubling others on the advice of my nurse - but what I really need is a 'live' way of thinking when I approach my food. I've started the transition to thinking about my food differently but it hasn't set in as a habit yet.
Outputs and Outcomes - apart from 'losing weight without feeling light headed and miserable' I haven't really got much of a plan. Outcomes (the affects) - well the main concern for me is health. I don't want to get ill due to my own lack of action.
Feedback - haven't got much of that going on apart from the food diary and the weigh-ins I have with the nurse once a month (I do my own weigh-ins as well but I think the weighing machine at home lies to me).
So I decided a few weeks ago if I was ever going to re-train my unconscious I was going to have to push myself into a more intense environment - I needed a dieting community.
Last night I signed up at a local Slimmers' World Club (every Tuesday at 5.45) - 40 ladies of various types and 3 fellas. Got my pack of little booklets and the Green Day/Red Day materials. The sign-up was £9.50 (special deal) and we sat in a big circle and went round the room looking at everyone's progress (apart from mine, of course -for me turning up was progress). Folks who hadn't lost weight weren't chastised and no-one was made to feel guilty but everyone was very honest.
There was talk about what people were doing with their stockpiles of after-christmas-chocolates and one lady said she was willing to throw away the box of erotic jellies she'd been given as a gift (don't ask).
A round of applause went round the room as individual losses of 2-3 pounds were read out. One of the slimmest ladies had lost five and a half stones in the last 8 months on the plan. They were all very happy about the way the plan was working for them and I could tell my unconscious was liking the good news. Altogether the evening took about an hour and a half.
This morning I reported back to a work colleague in the office who's been a Slimming World officianado for over a year and she's agreed to be my day-to-day coach/mentor. We've come to an agreement to buy Muller Light Yoghurts and Alpen Light Bars in bulk (apparently they're the rage at the moment). She's made it clear I'm allowed to sin up to 15 times a day. My unconscious likes that idea.
Now I've got my books, my weekly goal setting and and some very strong feedback systems, but most importantly my daily mentor/coach and a weekly 'environmental immersion experience' in place. Give it three months and I think I'll be on my way to making my nurse really happy.
Although I find it a bit strange that I'm 'paying to lose' I know what I'm really paying for is the time and trouble other people are going to in creating a long-term experiential environment that will force my unconscious to sit up and take notice. It should break the dreaded 3-week drift cycle for me.
Whenever we want to improve a particular area of our lives the most effective thing we can do is identify and immerse ourselves in new appropriate environments. Being willing to temporarily experience the natural 'overload and overwhelm' affects created by immersing in the unfamiliar forces new systems into being.
I'll let you know how it goes.
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