Week 14 – Full appraisal

I have been at this diet now for several months and have seen some great success. I have noticed though, that over the last few weeks my weight loss hasn’t been as good as I would have hoped for. That being said I have had a few weeks which aren’t conducive to losing weight so I’m not overly concerned – I just feel it is now time to take stock and see where I am at so that I can give myself a new start – a reboot if you like – to push on and continue my journey with greater success.

Firstly my weigh in.

INITIAL WEIGH IN  17ST 0

LAST WEEK              16st 0.0lbs

TODAY………………..15st 12.5lbs

So a loss of 1.5lbs – incredible considering the week I have had. I was expecting a big gain!!!

I said last week my plan was to do 2 fast days, Tuesday and Thursday.

Tuesday went ok – We had carpet fitters round so I spent a lot of the day moving furniture and didn’t manage to hit the gym. It was a hot day so drank lots of water through the day and we had a BBQ for dinner – chicken kebabs, minted Lamb and salad.

Wednesday the carpet fitters came back to finish the job – so again lots of moving furniture and no gym. Ate well throughout the day with another BBQ for dinner.

Thursday was meant to be my 2nd fast day. I didn’t have breakfast and went to the gym for an insanity class. Really pushed myself knowing it was my only class of the week. Now, I have discussed how my wife is currently heavily pregnant. She was off work last week and our daughter was at nursery. I realised that this was going to be one of the last chances we would have to go out for lunch together with no kids in trail – just the two of us. She was a little surprised I wanted to break my fast day, however, I felt it important to treat her considering I was going away for the weekend. We went to a local Japanese restaurant (Momo – Staines) and had (amazing) dumplings and sushi. I also had dinner so a failed fast day but for the right reasons.

Friday Saturday and Sunday saw me away for my golf weekend. Myself and 9 mates left at 9am for the 3 1/2 hour drive to Ashbury Manor in Devon. This is a huge golf complex with 5 golf courses, accommodation blocks, full board and a bar – throw in a pool and other leisure facilities it can be a great weekend. You have to use golf buggies so not the usual 7-10 mile walk however the buggies need to remain on the buggy path so you are walking lots if you don’t hit you ball near said path!!! It is also very hilly and you may hit your shot and walk to the green instead of walking back to the buggy leaving your playing partner to drive – 3 rounds of golf probably meant 3-5 miles of walking per round so not too bad. The meals there are generally plentiful. Mostly it is help yourself and breakfast can be a full english (bacon eggs sausages etc. Or there are choices of cereal and fruit. Lunch is buffet style with salads, chips, ham, pate, loaded potato skins, spring rolls etc. Dinner is 3 course. The starter is buffet style similar to lunch, The main a few choices off the menu with pudding – cake, ice cream or cheese.

One thing I noticed is that i am making much better choices. For breakfast, instead of piling my plate high I just had scrambled egg on toast. Lunches I ate lots – always hungry after golf. For dinner I had the vegetarian option both nights. Several years ago I read “The Prison Diaries” trilogy by Jeffery Archer. This was his diary written at a time when in Jail – in there he said he became a VIP – a “vegetarian in prison”. The main meals are cooked en-masse so are generally poor in nature whereas if you require a specific dietary requirement the meals are cooked specially – thus greater care is given. I took this philosophy to my dinners during this weekend and was greatly rewarded – my mates had some horrible dry chicken on the first night whereas I had a fabulous vegetarian lasagna – so good that on the 2nd night I wasn’t the only one opting for the vegetarian option. Apparently a great philosophy of eating in many situations where food is cooked for a large number of people so conferences or long haul flights the same idea works.

On top of all this I drank a lot – my drink of choice in these settings is Guinness and had more than a few pints – followed by wine – followed by a few whiskeys – so my good choices on food counteracted by the booze!!!

Now for the golf – skip this part of it doesn’t interest you…. scroll to golf free zone

I play to an 18 handicap – I can hit the ball a long way but am not overly consistent. We played in teams of 5 match play. I played singles on days one and two and foursomes on day 3. The first days singles stableford score also went towards the individual trophy so we had to complete 18 holes regardless of how the match play score ended. This was good as I won 6&5 and eventually scored 34 points and won the individual trophy by a country mile.

On day two I played one of my best mates Will. I never beat him – he is very consistent and was playing off 16 so I only got two shots – not enough by my reckoning as he usually beats me by 5-10 shots. This time he didn’t and I won 5&4. I think it was a mixture of him not playing well and me playing better than usual – nice though that when it matters I came out on top – but I’ve promised not to mention it too much!!!

On day 3 I played foursomes with a 28 handicap player against two other high handicappers, I didn’t play as well today and the match came to the 18th. A 210 yard par 3 – they put their ball in the rough 100 yards right of the green whereas I put mine 5 ft short of the green straight at the pin. We won the game 1 up. So three games and three points helped my team to win the team trophy as well – I think it is likely my handicap may be cut for next year!!!.

golf free zone!!!!

After our 3 1/2 hour drive home I had Jacket potato and tuna for dinner.

Monday wasn’t meant to be a fast day but I woke up and decided I should give it a go, especially considering I failed my fast day on Thursday – it was a tiring weekend and I thought a fast day immediately would be too much but I managed to make it all day and just had our special salad for dinner. Our special salad consisted of roasted butternut, carrot and pumpkin (we often also add parsnips, beetroot, onion, garlic etc or any combination of them all) Basically cube everything up, drizzle in olive oil, balsamic or, on this occasion, a homemade Moroccan spice and roast in the oven. Once cooked pile high on a bed of rocket and add toasted pine nuts and raisins – delicious. In the past we would add feta cheese, however Brendas intolerance to dairy and my better choices now mean this isn’t added!

I didn’t gym on Monday – The weekend really took it out of me and felt the gym would be a step too far.

The week in total

2 fast days, 1 gym session, lots of furniture moving and a boys weekend. Really didn’t expect to lose weight, let alone 1.5lbs so really pleased and able to move forward with some purpose.

My full appraisal will start with body measurements.

DATE	19 Jan 2015	10 Feb 2015	24 Feb 2015	27 Mar 2015	22 Apr 2015
WEIGHT (KG)	108	104	102.5	101.3	100.9
WEIGHT (STONE)	17st 0.25 lbs	16st5.0lbs	16st 2.0lbs	16st 0.75	15st 12.5
NECK (inches)	16.25	16.00	15.8	15.8	15.8
CHEST (inches)	44	43.5	43	42.5	42.5
STERNUM (inches)	41	38.75	37.5	37	37
HIPS (inches)	44	43	42	41	41
WAIST (inches)	40	39.5	39.25	38.75	38.75

So no major changes – which is fine considering what the last 3 weeks have involved.

My full appraisal now will look at all the pics – I have taken new pics today so can see any changes.

Slight losses so good here.

Again – I think some minor changes in this latest pic – more so round the jaw line!!!

I’m not sure about this latest pic – but a decent marker going forward!!!

So that is where I am at – a few weeks of excess due birthdays and a boys weekend. Just under 9 weeks until the baby arrives and nothing else (planned) that should get in the way of me fasting and gyming as I want to!!!

Richard

Week 13 – Starve a fever, feed a cold.

What a horrible/brilliant week. I alluded to the fact last week that I had man flu. So let me explain how the week has gone.

Tuesday Morning I went to my usual body combat class. Whilst I pushed myself through it well enough I had a bizarre feeling of a hangover, even though I hadn’t drank alcohol for a good few days. I felt kind of vacant and realised I was coming down with something. I went to work and got through the shift but felt steadily worse throughout the day.

Wednesday I was booked into Body Attack but cancelled as when I woke up I felt worse still. I was due at work at 13:30 and, even though I slept for about 9 hours the night before, I went back to bed after dropping Our Daughter off at nursery for a few hours. I was also due to be fasting but I know when I am feeling like this then I need to eat. It was most certainly a cold… but a very sever one. So bad that I realised after a few hours at work, I just wasn’t concentrating to the extent required to do my job safely so left early sick….. something which I hate to do but just needed to get back to my bed.

Thursday was a complete write off. Now in bed with medication I slept for most of the day, and during my awake hours ate. So eating and not moving = not ideal for weight loss!!!

Friday I was recovering slightly, however now I had to face up to the fact we had a busy weekend. So I continued to fuel my body with food and did little exercise. One of my wife colleagues was leaving work and she arranged for him and a few others to come to ours for a BBQ that evening. One of those things planned well in advance and would have been a doddle if it wasn’t for recovering from illness. I cooked for about 15 people including steak, lamb and slow roasted pulled pork.

Saturday allowed for a lie in and, as it was my birthday the following day, we went out as a family to Marlow. A town on the Thames with some lovely shops, parks and restaurants. My wife took me to a restaurant called chequers were we had one of the best Steaks I have eaten in this country, a piece of rib eye cooked to perfection.

Sunday was my birthday so I fasted and didn’t drink anything all day. Of course that is a lie. Breakfast in bed, left over Bbq from friday for lunch, Met up with lots of friends at the pub for multiple pints of Guinness followed by a Nandos dinner. All topped off with me sat on the sofa with a few beers watching the Masters golf until midnight. A great day!!!!!.

Monday was my daughters birthday… 4 years old. We took her to a theme park which involved lots walking, a healthy packed lunch, and dinner at Zizzis in Hampton – 1 x pizza Rustica. My wife had a go at me as I ordered full fat coke… and she was right – it is these choices that need to be changed so still work to do.

In truth, I still haven’t fully recovered from my illness. Ideally I would have rested all weekend as much as possible but with two birthdays and a leaving do this just was not going to happen – Monday night I was lying in bed and felt worse than I had done since I got the bug, I was hot, tired, sweaty and felt rubbish. I fell asleep at just gone 8pm and slept through till 7am. That seems to have done the trick – I don’t think the bug has entirely gone but I think/hope the worse of it has passed.

My plan for this coming week was always going to be just 2 fast days. I am on a golfing weekend away with friends on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and as I knew we were at the theme park Monday this meant 2 of my usual fast days just weren’t going to happen. So I have decided that this week will be 2 fast days on Tuesday and Thursday.

So to the weigh in. Lets recap… Illness, a leaving do, 1 x gym session, 0 x fast days, 2 x birthdays…. hmmmmmm

INITIAL WEIGH IN  17ST 0

LAST WEEK              15st 11.50

TODAY………………..16st 0.0lbs

So a gain – not an unexpected one though so no major worries. take away the illness, even with everything else that went on, I would have fasted and gone to the gym so I will take this one on the chin and move on.

Richard

Week 12 – better late than never

Week 12 and I’m late writing my blog – a good reason though – I have gotten MAN FLU. Now as everyone know this is worse that normal flu and I feel I have been close to deaths door. Of course I haven’t, but I’m a bloke so can’t cope with these things as well as women do, and have been generally useless for a few days…. hence the late and short blog.

Last week went well with no major ups or downs.

I do have to make a correction to last weeks blog. Once my wife had read it she said I made it sound as though our meals outside of the fast days were unhealthy and bad. This is not the case at all – the meals at home are generally very healthy – steamed veg, limited carbs, nothing fried, skin off the chicken – that sort of thing. My choices when at work are also generally ok but I find it easier to have a sandwich or wrap and snacking at work is a big downfall…. I did try the canteens salad the other day – grilled piri piri chicken, roasted butternut and peppers – very tasty – maybe the way forward.

To the weigh in

INITIAL WEIGH IN  17ST 0

LAST WEEK              15st 11.50

TODAY………………..15st 11.50

No change…. I will write a longer blog next week when I feel better – probably with a weight gain due to me siting in bed doing nowt for several days!!!

Richard

Week 11 – Milestones

Straight into this weeks weigh in before my generalised ramblings….

INITIAL WEIGH IN  17ST 0

LAST WEEK              16ST 0.75

TODAY………………..15st 11.50

So back on track in style. 3.25 lbs lost in the week – my best weekly weight loss since week 2!!! And best of all I am now below 16 stone for the first time in a long time and hit the milestone of over 1 stone lost.

So why has this week shown such great results…. TRUTH IS I HAVE NO BLOODY IDEA!!!!!

Looking back over the previous weeks I have actually lost about 5 pounds in as many weeks. Just as I would expect to on this diet – I had several weeks where the scales didn’t budge but persevered and now the scales have finally caught up.

So how has the week been….

Tuesday saw me on a morning shift so no gym and ate well. Im finding, as Tuesday morning is my weigh in, I’m allowing myself to eat whatever I want throughout the day – even still I only had poached eggs on toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and a home made burgers in ciabatta for dinner.. I did however enjoy various snacks throughout the day.

My fast days were all successful as far as food is concerned, firstly Wednesday I was working so missed my usual gym session. Did not eat at work as standard on my fast days/morning shifts and ate sausage and sweet potato mash for dinner.

Thursday was an afternoon at work so I managed to get to my Insanity class in the morning. There was a big accident on the motorway and work text me during the class saying give extra time – something that’s a bit difficult when the class finishes 30 mins before I usually leave. Because of this I did not make my usual lunch or prepared dinner so got a sandwich from the petrol station for Lunch and, as the meals in the canteen were surprisingly unappetising, had another sandwich for dinner.

Friday was an afternoon at work and a fast day. I was an earlier start than normal so managed to finish at 7pm – I knew I would be finishing early so my wife made dinner – pasta with a tomato sauce – my portion was small as pasta contains higher calories.

Saturday I was off work and we had a day for my daughter. Swimming and ballet classes in the morning followed by a walk into town where we went to watch Cinderella at the cinema (it was quite good!!!). We had the obligatory popcorn and after we went out for dinner to a restaurant called Spur. I had Burger, chips and onion rings.

Sunday I was back on mornings so breakfast at work and lunch at home. Chicken Pie with steamed veg….. oh and some wine.

Monday, another morning shift so no gym classes again but fasted successfully and we had fajitas for dinner with the usual lettuce leaves instead of wraps.

Basically on my eating days I ate foods certainly not associated to being on a diet – I didn’t manage to get to the gym as much as I would normally – just one session this week. But my fast days went very well … and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Does this mean I will quit the gym? Of course not – Whilst my weigh ins are done weekly the process is going to see results over a longer period of time – I may see a slowing down in the weight loss this week due to last weeks relative inactivity so will keep going with both the diet and the exercise.

On a side note….

I am now the same weight as I was when I first met my wife in 2009. I will post a picture of us at my 30th birthday 6 weeks after we met alongside last weeks torso pic – I feel I actually look thinner back then but I was two weeks away from running a marathon so carried the weight very differently. I feel better now than I did then even though I was probably fitter than I am now – well not probably… certainly – I don’t think I could run 10km (6.2 miles)… let alone 26.2… but I have promised myself… for the good of my knees, not to run till nearer 15 stone than 16!

After the marathon in the initial stages of our relationship two things happened – I reduced my running intensity, only going out a few times a week – eventually dropping to not going out, and I ate more – I was enjoying getting to know Brenda and put on what I coined “happy fat”. Over the course of the next 6 years I have been up and down with my weight, losing some for our wedding, losing some after the birth of our child, losing some at other times of greater commitment – but the same thing has always happened – THE WEIGHT RETURNED. As I said in week 1 of my blog I need something to work towards… or at least I always thought I needed something to work towards as that is the only times I have succeeded in the past….

And this brings me on to my second milestone….

Finally…… Finally…. I have come to realise that losing weight isn’t about working towards something…. It is a damn sight more complicated than that – It is about committing to something, changing the way you are and what you have become, changing your whole way of life because you want to – not because you need to. Im not saying that needing to lose weight won’t make it happen, just that once the “need” is out the way there is nothing to stop you slipping back into old habits and as the saying goes Old habits Die Hard.

Weight loss is about eating less calories than you expend. Simple really but as I have said before it is much harder to do than say. By living the way I have over the 11 weeks I am successfully doing that – before it has always ultimately failed because it wasn’t a way of life – this is a process I am committed to for the long haul and am thoroughly excited about the future milestones.

Thanks for reading

Richard