Being tall generally means you fall into the category of ‘being a big bloke’ and being a big bloke generally elicits rashly formulated notions from folk:
‘You must sleep with your feet in a growbag!’ (please, my sides are splitting).
‘I bet you can handle yourself.’
‘We must have you in the rugby team’ (second row of course).
‘I bet you like a pint or ten’.
‘Come on, have another helping… you’ll waste away otherwise.’
I’ll admit that I’ve fallen foul of the latter two over the years. I used to be 17 ½ stone and being tall meant I could ‘carry’ that weight to an extent. I didn’t feel obese, as such, and folk generally didn’t think I was.
I was exercising, too, so I felt that I needed the fuel to move my bulk. I’d keep on having second portions at my parents or in-laws because I felt I needed it. Bit of vicious circle, then.
Fast forward a few years and one back op later, and it became clear that I really didn’t need all that food. Although I’ve lost quite a bit of weight since those (halcyon?) ‘Freddie Flintoff days’, it’s only now that I am really doing something about it.
My approach is founded in common sense: only eat what you need. However, discipline is key and that’s where my mobile phone has played a role in the form of the app MyFitnessPal (on Apple and Android). Continue reading