It’s funny how writing these pieces makes you look back. The more I think about it, the more I was a bit like President Bush. You read all these stories about how he surrounds himself with people who only tell him what he wants to hear. The newspapers call it the Bush “bubble”. Apparently, when he goes out to meet the people, he only meets the handpicked ones that agree with him, and so on. Well, I was just the same.

Find the motivation

My family had stopped talking about dieting. They call it, “your dark look syndrome”. Apparently, every time anyone mentioned losing weight on the TV, I kind of frowned in a way that made them think of Hannibal Lector. You know how he acts. He’s eating but has just found a piece of gristle stuck between his teeth. He pushes the plate away, still hungry, and looks round for a better plate of meat.Actually, “plates of meat” is Cockney rhyming slang for “feet” but I never ever felt like eating anyone — particularly their feet. Just think of all those bones. Only joking.

My friends say the same thing about the dark looks. Everyone around me learned to stop mentioning dieting. They say it was the best way to stay friends. They’d all tried those subtle and unsubtle hints and “advice” as my waist line expanded and saw that my bubble was Bush-like. He can drive past endless lines of banner-waving protesters and see only supporters. I was the same.

Which leads me to a very simple point. Until you admit to yourself that you have a problem, you can’t start to solve it.

You can play round the edges of the idea of doing something. But looking in from the outside means your heart isn’t in it. And, without commitment and motivation, you’re never going to make a change. You only see and hear what you want to see and hear. If you do see and hear the support of all your family and friends who really do want the best for you, then lean on them.

Now that’s my real pun for the day. “Lean” on them. You will find the motivation to get leaner and thinner if everyone rallies round you and helps you “make it happen” (do you watch Project Runway with all those skinny models — Madrid would not approve).

So, I’ve had eighteen months or so of gentle progress. I’ve been taking the phentermine and Acomplia in a rotation cycle. Actually, when I looked at that 2007 report on Meridia (I mentioned it in an earlier article) and saw it gives another green light, I’ve been thinking about trying it. I’ll let you know what I decide.

So, I’ve been taking phentermine and Acomplia with a change in my diet and more exercise, and it’s been working. I’m feeling a lot better in myself and about myself. My family and friends have all relaxed again. They say I’m a better person to be around. And my world feels like a big cosy bubble of warmth and happiness. Just like President Bush, of course.

Tagged with: Motivation