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Hi everyone!
Hope this finds everyone well.
I'm a male flight attendant, I live in Europe and I work for one of the world's largest airlines. I travel all over the world and since I started working for the airline a few years ago have constantly had to increase my uniform size. Whether I'm in Japan, China, South America, India, Thailand, the US ... the pounds just pile on. I'm just about to hit 40, which also doesn't help.
A few years ago I tried Atkins and it worked. I looked healthier than ever and weighed less than I have for a long time. Somehow, though, I thought that it was a fluke. So, I stopped because I thought my arteries would clog up (despite the evidence against this happening) and gallstones would be the bane of my life. But I've been struggling with my weight since then. Last year I gave up smoking...and I put on another 16 pounds. This, despite the fact that I eat vegetables and fruit all day long. I mean, they have no calories and I'm still overweight.
Diet-wise I've tried everything. I've even been through the harrowing and embarrassing 'only-man' syndrome at weightwatchers groups. Nothing works. At one point (no, at a few points actually), I've thought, and decided, not to diet. Maybe that's the trick. And lo and behold, I gained even more.
So, last week I was with my crew in Los Angeles. (I love being in the States because portion sizes are huge (love that!) and you can comfort yourself in the loneliness of your hotel room with whatever food you want, 24 hours a day. Heaven.) I woke up one morning and decided to eat the remainder of my cold and old (yuck, sorry, but they were good) low-fat potato wedges from Albertson's ($2,49 per lb - a bargain compared to Europe) and go down to breakfast where the crew was enjoying the 'all-you-can-eat' buffet for $15.00. An American dream, which we all savour when we're there. I decided not to go for it because I'm trying to lose weight. Low fat. The hard way. I mention this because I sat opposite a colleague of mine who, in her forties, is probably the skinniest flight attendant I've ever seen. Probably the skinniest woman I've ever seen. And, for the entire hour that I sat with her, talking, discussing, laughing etc. didn't stop eating. At one point I asked her if she was bulimic. She laughed one of those deep belly laughs which seemed to come from the bottom of her soul. She said, and I quote "I don't know what it is, I eat and I eat and I cannot put on weight...I think it might have to do with the fact that I don't like carbohydrates...like potatoes, rice and bread." Bingo. (I hasten to add that the low carb phenomenon has not really gone down well with Europeans, which explains why she thought she had to describe to me what carbohydrates are...!)
But, isn't it amazing? It hit me like a brick wall. I thought "well maybe this low carb phenomenon is right after all." I know another woman who never eats carbs because she can't stand them and she is also so skinny. She, though, would never even come up with the idea that she is eating a low-carb diet. It's just the way it is for her.
So, five years later I'm starting again. I've blown the dust off the book cover already and am going for it...again!
Wish me luck. I'll be back with sizes later.
jayceeehh
p.s. have no pictures at the moment, but will upload some soon.
Hope this finds everyone well.
I'm a male flight attendant, I live in Europe and I work for one of the world's largest airlines. I travel all over the world and since I started working for the airline a few years ago have constantly had to increase my uniform size. Whether I'm in Japan, China, South America, India, Thailand, the US ... the pounds just pile on. I'm just about to hit 40, which also doesn't help.
A few years ago I tried Atkins and it worked. I looked healthier than ever and weighed less than I have for a long time. Somehow, though, I thought that it was a fluke. So, I stopped because I thought my arteries would clog up (despite the evidence against this happening) and gallstones would be the bane of my life. But I've been struggling with my weight since then. Last year I gave up smoking...and I put on another 16 pounds. This, despite the fact that I eat vegetables and fruit all day long. I mean, they have no calories and I'm still overweight.
Diet-wise I've tried everything. I've even been through the harrowing and embarrassing 'only-man' syndrome at weightwatchers groups. Nothing works. At one point (no, at a few points actually), I've thought, and decided, not to diet. Maybe that's the trick. And lo and behold, I gained even more.
So, last week I was with my crew in Los Angeles. (I love being in the States because portion sizes are huge (love that!) and you can comfort yourself in the loneliness of your hotel room with whatever food you want, 24 hours a day. Heaven.) I woke up one morning and decided to eat the remainder of my cold and old (yuck, sorry, but they were good) low-fat potato wedges from Albertson's ($2,49 per lb - a bargain compared to Europe) and go down to breakfast where the crew was enjoying the 'all-you-can-eat' buffet for $15.00. An American dream, which we all savour when we're there. I decided not to go for it because I'm trying to lose weight. Low fat. The hard way. I mention this because I sat opposite a colleague of mine who, in her forties, is probably the skinniest flight attendant I've ever seen. Probably the skinniest woman I've ever seen. And, for the entire hour that I sat with her, talking, discussing, laughing etc. didn't stop eating. At one point I asked her if she was bulimic. She laughed one of those deep belly laughs which seemed to come from the bottom of her soul. She said, and I quote "I don't know what it is, I eat and I eat and I cannot put on weight...I think it might have to do with the fact that I don't like carbohydrates...like potatoes, rice and bread." Bingo. (I hasten to add that the low carb phenomenon has not really gone down well with Europeans, which explains why she thought she had to describe to me what carbohydrates are...!)
But, isn't it amazing? It hit me like a brick wall. I thought "well maybe this low carb phenomenon is right after all." I know another woman who never eats carbs because she can't stand them and she is also so skinny. She, though, would never even come up with the idea that she is eating a low-carb diet. It's just the way it is for her.
So, five years later I'm starting again. I've blown the dust off the book cover already and am going for it...again!
Wish me luck. I'll be back with sizes later.
jayceeehh
p.s. have no pictures at the moment, but will upload some soon.
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