HEALTH Neill O’Neill’s weight-loss diary – Week 6

Stress is the enemy of the scales


Weight loss
Neill O'Neill

My weight-loss diary – Week 6

STRESS can cause fluid retention it seems! When I was told that last week I wondered how I’m not the size of a camel, because if I was retaining fluid relative to dealing with the stress of all that is happening around me, I’d have exploded and flooded the Motivation Clinic by now.
Six weeks done, and two more pounds lost, bringing me a total of 23 pounds gone. I’m not happy with this latest weigh in, but not surprised either. I spent the week racing around trying to get an impossible number of things done, I missed meals, I didn’t exercise enough and I didn’t drink sufficient amounts of water. That was more like the old me. I barely had time to breathe, and then I came crashing back down to reality when I got up on the scales, because the scales don’t lie. I had lost three pounds but was retaining fluid, which mitigated the overall result.
I learnt very early on during Motivation, that if you don’t follow the programme resolutely you won’t continue to lose weight, and by allowing myself to fall into my old manic habits, thus parking Motivation at times, I have seen my weight loss slow up significantly.
To be honest the most annoying thing is that I didn’t do anything or consume anything I shouldn’t have. If my weight loss is going to slow up like that, then I’d prefer if it was because I was feasting on cream doughnuts, takeaways and beer, not because I was trying to troubleshoot a million problems, many not my own, that I could probably have ignored a while longer. It’s a bit like having a hangover without the enjoyment of the night out. I feel cheated!
Speaking of nights out and hangovers, I decided when I took on the Motivation challenge that I was going to live healthily to coincide with it, to cleanse myself of toxins so to speak. I said previously that I have not let any liquid or junk food pass my lips since September, but that is due to change over the weekend, when I’ll be getting back on the horse and venturing out to socialise on a stag night in Galway and another occasion in Westport.
Consuming alcohol is not conducive to succeeding on a weight-loss programme, and though best avoided, it is not forbidden on Motivation. However, I have no doubt that a massive part of my losing 23 pounds in six weeks is down to not cashing in any of my stockpile of shares in Smirnoff, so this week I hope to work harder at the other aspects of the programme and on my exercise, to compensate for being out. It will be interesting and I am very eager to see the results of this indulgence at my next weigh-in. I just hope I can keep off the takeaways, sweets and soft drinks during and after my nights out!
I’m nearly there with Motivation. I’ve lost weight and feel great, there’s no denying that, and my consultant Imelda wanted me to stay on for ten weeks. However, my December and Motivation are literally like chalk and cheese. In fact my December, will be the antithesis of Motivation, so we’re splitting the difference and I’m doing eight weeks.
Two weeks to go then and I’m inching (inwards) towards my goal of losing two stone. Hopefully the upcoming acid test of a weekend on the tiles won’t derail those plans. Tune in next week to find out!