Diets are in the air

Everyone seems to be dieting or thinking about it at present. A Lard off my Mind is written by the always-excellent Katy, Anna, Wendy (actually, I haven't read Wendy's main blog yet) and NWM, and even Dandelion, whom we both know and love, has mentioned the subject. Wendz is watching her weight too, although she's on a semi-blog-break so I don't know how that's coming on. I hope to meet her on Monday, BTW.

The ever-slender Ro, like Dandelion, doesn't quite see the difficulty in deciding to lose weight and actually doing it, nor the possibility of a few stone creeping up on you without you really noticing it. I see their point, I do really, but it's only too apparent that it's extremely common. Most people, I suggest, would like to lose a bit of weight, or have firmer bodies or smaller bums. And most of us don't really address the fact, or not until something happens to make us, that skipping a couple of pies and running to the postbox a couple of times may make us feel that we're doing something, but actually once we've got a solid spare tyre then it is pretty hard to shift it without more exercise and less food.

Yes, sure, we know we're putting on a pound or two, but it's easy to ignore. It's even harder to do something about it when we're eating because we feel stressed or unhappy - or, conversely, happy and sociable and in the habit of converging with friends down at the pub or cooking a delicious meal for our darling, who seems to be able to eat a whole dish of chocolate mousse without putting on an ounce, but who kindly leaves a portion which goes straight to our hips.

I've a friend who is very overweight. She's in her early thirties; I've known her for about ten years and she has put on weight in that time - but she was fat when I met her. I should think she weighs nearly twice what I do. Now, where does she start? It'll affect her health in the long run, she hasn't got a boyfriend - I wonder if she's ever had one - she's a lovely person and very good at her job, but I know she's been looking for a new one without success for some time. I can't help feeling that someone of her size will be at a disadvantage at an interview.

Some people diet, then relax and put the weight back on. Actually, if you are very overweight and manage to diet successfully, I think you really have to identify your weak points and eliminate the triggers. We think that we can go back to just having a little chocolate or the occasional pie. But if you can't eat one small bar of chocolate without spending the next week craving another, it's better to say you don't eat chocolate and not touch it ever again. It's like cigarettes or being alcoholic. Much easier to have none than just a little, if you are addicted (I use this in a non-clinical sense) to it.