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I'm 58, morbidly obese and trying to lose weight.
Over the years as my weight slowly increased I cut back on this, then that. I gave up fast food, sugery drinks etc. ages ago! Then pasta, then...........name it. So all those inspirational weight loss stories where they lost weight by changing their diet to healthy doesn't do me much good. I ate and eat very healthy. Except chips, dorito's etc.
I am a chipaholic. Seriously. Everyday for over 30 years. I compare chips to smoking which I gave up 15 years ago. Very similar hand to mouth movement. So I used to do both, then quit one, now trying to quit the other. On the 29th I will not had a chip, dorito or cheeto in 2 months. I really really want a coin. I think I'm going to make myself one
Someone gave me the tip of knitting while watching tv. I think it helps a little. Don't know how to knit anything in particular and I don't really care. Having it in my hands and the light concentration it takes keeps the thoughts of food at bay some (not entirely but it helps).
So my real challenge is I love to read. But when I read I want to eat. Chips. Or whatever, I'll get up and make a sandwich or toast or.... (Or smoke, I still miss smoking)
Since my hands are taken up with the book I don't know what I can do.
I don't particularly want to listen to books, I find that the reader's voice is usually distracting if not outright irritating.
Since I've been really trying to diet for the past two months I haven't been reading. Maybe there isn't anything to be done.
Any ideas? Specifically for reading but more ideas for TV would be helpful too.
First, congratulations on your 2 months off chips! That is significant. And I know exactly what you mean about the hand/mouth thing. It's a very hard habit to get over. I think you're spot on with the idea of knitting to give your hands something to do. I've considered the same thing.
I would give listening to audio books another try. You can get them for free from the library--I download them directly to my iPhone from the library's app! Yes, absolutely I have had a few books ruined because the narrator is horrible. If you look up a specific book on Audible.com, you can listen to a 5 minute sample of the book, but also read the reviews of the book. If the narrator is bad, customer reviews will say so. There have been other books I've read that were BETTER because of narration. Especially books by people like Ellen Degeneres and Tina Fey, who narrated their own books. But some narrators have been fantastic. I was like you, didn't like audio at all. But when freeway construction doubled my commute time, I started listening to audio books in the car, and once I got used to it, I now prefer it. I like that it's hands free so I can "read a book" while gardening or cleaning the house.
As for TV do you have a DVR? When I sit down to watch, it's almost exclusively something I've recorded. If you have good internet at home, you can also get Netflix or Amazon Fire TV which will give you a very wide range of things to watch on demand.
What if you buy an exercise bike and ride while you are reading? If you weigh too much for most exercise bikes or you don't want to store one, you can get a set of pedals that you use while you're sitting in a chair.
About knitting and TV, you should try crochet instead...less counting which means you can focus on your show. It's really easy to learn granny squares, and you could make a bunch and then turn them into a blanket or a scarf.
Have you weighed yourself since it's been two months since you kicked the chip habit? If you haven't lost any weight in those months, it might be helpful to start tracking your food and see what your calorie intake looks like.
you have to eat whats right. You have to let go of the junk food and fast foods. Have veggies and fruits with every meal. Don't eat overly processed foods or stuff with white flour. Have whole wheat bread, pasta and rice. Dont drink soft drinks, instead drink plenty of water.
My other tactic is to read in bed. I get totally ready for sleep, including brushing my teeth and all that. It removes some of the temptation to eat and I'm comfortable and far enough away from the kitchen that getting food simply seems like more trouble than it's worth. Of course, I know I don't need the food, too, and that helps.
Two months without chips really is an accomplishment you should be proud of! I love chips, too, so I know how tempting they are. I'd eat chips over just about anything.
I've never found any activity that is compatible with reading so I second the books on tape idea. I'll probably always prefer print books but listening is nice too. Crocheting is a good suggestion and I also enjoy weaving on a simple cardboard loom (and it uses up the yarn scraps from knitting and crocheting).
I wonder if when you do read print books holding something tactile that you can fiddle with, like a bead necklace, would help?
This is a little different, but have you incorporated activity/exercise into your regime?
I've also struggled with weight my whole life (age 55), but the thing that has helped me is daily exercise, and I mean just a daily walk or bike ride or SOMETHING. I now do 30 minutes of aerobic activity five days a week (which took a year to work up to), and when I come back from my outings, I feel so much better head to toe.
This single thing has helped a lot with the nervous eating.
PS. I started exercising due to back pain, but the health benefits have been significant.
Since the question was : How can I add reading back into my life? How about reading 15 or 30 minutes in bed before 'lights out'? I've been doing this for years. It is really the only time I reliably get to read. I've probably read a few hundred books.
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