How I actually Manage to Control My Weight

It’s only a little bit to do with diet and exercise

Dave Gutteridge
From the Gutt

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Looking down at a person’s feet on a scale.

Enough people have asked me how I manage my weight for me to come to understand that most of them expect a certain kind of answer. There’s an assumption that what I did was learn a specific set of rules, and then executed on them.

Something like, have a certain amount of calories, have a certain amount of protein, exercise the right amount, and so on. Then, armed with that knowledge, it’s just a matter of doing it. No one thinks it’s easy, it takes “willpower” and time and effort. But still, it’s just executing on a plan.

That’s just not how it is, though. Knowing roughly how many calories are in certain foods, and what are helpful exercises, and that kind of practical information is a part of the picture. But I’d argue it’s maybe only ten or twenty percent of the real challenge. Success in weight management is far more about behaviours and emotions and psychology.

What I’ve listed here are some of the circumstances I’ve identified and dealt with. Every person will have different considerations, but my hope is that providing examples of the kind of thing that helped me with weight control, you’ll be better able to reflect on your situation.

Emotions Always Win

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Dave Gutteridge
From the Gutt

I don't post often because I think about what I write. Topics include ethics, relationships, and philosophy.