Oh dear...

I don't know whether anyone still reads this blog and I don't plan to share the link like I normally do. I just need to get the words down to help me make the changes I need to make in order to avoid serious health issues in the future.

This morning I put on the only pair of jeans that has been comfortable in recent weeks. They are no longer comfortable and no longer fit properly.

I am going to a wedding in 3 weeks time and because of my weight gain this year I will need to buy a new suit. Lots of places sell nice suits, but none of them fit me. To get one in the right size from M&S I need to order it in. When I do get that suit it will be the largest I have ever owned. For now...

If I don't get better at watching what I eat and don't start getting regular exercise then the only way is up weightwise. That means that I would be more likely to have heart problems and more likely to develop diabetes.

I need to do something and need to do it now.

So far so good...

At the start of this year I decided to try something different to get a boost for my weight loss. By largely following a very low calorie diet, with meal replacement packs, I have lost over a stone this year. That puts me lighter than at any time last year and the lightest I have been at this time of year ever since I started this journey. I am now back to a more normal diet and am hoping to still lose some more weight - I want to get to my original target this year, so have another 2 st 7lb to lose. As well as the weight loss, the stint on the packs seems to have reduced my appetite, which can only be a good thing!

Running log 30.12.2013

A similar but shorter route than yesterday,  but it was running all the way. The hill that got the better of me yesterday felt a lot easier today. I was determined I wasn't going to walk up it this time and thanks to my breathing feeling a lot  better today I managed to beat it. That's very satisfying psychologically since I won't be running this route for a couple of months now. I think the hill is a bit tougher than some of those I will face at home.
I have a route in mind for next time I am here - it will be challenging,  but it's something to aim for and will show me how far I have come.

Distance: 1.44km time:11m 18s

Running log 29.12.13

Today was my first run in two weeks,  and it showed.  As well as the loss of fitness in having not run for a while,  the other major cobtributing factor was the difference in weight - I reckon I am around 1 stone heavier than when I last ran.

The first hill was more difficult than it should have been - I was very short of breath so had go walk for a bit.

On the plus side,  I covered nearly 2K in total and got myself out first thing in the morning. I have also discovered the mapmyrun app, so I expect that will come in handy in the future to record my runs and also find new routes.

Distance:1.91k  time:16m10s

Running log - 15.12.2013

Today was the big day. I joined 350 santas in raising money for St Gemma's Hospice. After scoping out the course I was fairly confident of getting a decent time - by conserving some energy for the long hill near the end. That was until they announced at the start that the route was only 1/2 a mile, so there would be two laps - I'd have to deal with that hill twice! The actual running was tough - it was a fairly hilly course, and wearing the santa outfit made it harder. The atmosphere and experience was fantastic though. It must've been something special to see 350 santas warming up in unison before the race. I did 1 mile in 13m30s - 3 or 4 minutes slower than I'd hoped, but all things considered I was happy. Thanks to all of my supporters - thanks to them I raised over £150 for the charity. That will go along with everything raised by the other runners, which in total should cover the costs to care for 2 people referred to the hospice.

Running log 10.12.13

Really pleased with my run today. I got a lift to weigh in and ran home. There were a couple of long, shallow hills which were tricky, but I kept going and even managed to push myself for the final steep hill to my front door. I made the mistake of sitting down and chilling straight after the run - when I got up I could hardly walk! I've since managed to stretch my legs so hopefully I'll not suffer too much tomorrow. I tried my santa outfit on over my running gear and managed to get the trousers all the way on. Unfortunately they didn't last long when I tried moving in them, so I'm going to have to find some bigger ones before the run on Sunday! On the subject of which, I've now seen the route, so I'm going to walk it in the next couple of days to check out what I'm in for. If you're feeling generous or inspired then please think about sponsoring me - it's a really good cause! http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AndySantaDash Distance: 1.5 miles, time: 15.56

Back on track...

Most of this week has been on plan - I even minimised the syns when planning the menu for the murder mystery party on Saturday. The effort really paid off. I lost 3.5lb this week - I am very chuffed with that and it's given me a push to stick with it and try to lose a much as possible before the end of the year. It's taster night/Christmas party next week and I'm really looking forward to that - hopefully it'll give me more inspiration as we approach Christmas.

Running log 7.12.2013

Two days without a run due to tightness in my left calf, so today was a chance to blow the cobwebs away, or so I thought. I got quarter of a mile and just didn't have it in me to go further. I'm really frustrated - I got off to a good start, but for some reason my mind just couldn't get me to keep going. The worst part of all is that it was as I was going up the biggest hill on my route - I really hope it doesn't become some sort of psychological barrier to me. Distance travelled - 1/4 of a mile in 2.30. I need to make sure I keep getting out on the road though - I picked up my Santa outfit for next weekends Santa dash last night (if you want to sponsor me then see here: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AndySantaDash) but it's a little too small for me (I might need to make some alterations to it and will definitely have to wear my running gear under it to avoid the embarrassment (and cold!) if it falls apart during the run. Not sure how I'm going to cope breathing through the beard though!!

Fitter, faster, fatter...

So in a week where I've finally made myself get out running regularly, and after being inspired to try out some new SW recipes I managed to put on 1.5lb to take me just 1.5lb short of the weight I was at the start of the year. It's a bit frustrating, but I know why I put the weight on - sticking to v low syns for meals was a good start, but I snacked on synful foods and overdid it on my HEs - having porridge, scan bran (cake) and hi-fi bars in the same day wasn't really going to help was it? Just a few more weeks left until the end of this year and I will do my best to lose as much weight as possible. The running will help - the good feeling of getting fitter and faster will pass on through the food I want. By making the conscious choice about running then hopefully I will make the same choices about food.

Running log 4.12.2013

Fifth run in five days and it felt pretty good. I felt strong going up the long incline and powered through the hill towards the end. A mile in 9.31 - 20 seconds faster than Monday's run and nearly a minute faster than Saturday's. Feeling really chuffed - maybe the enforced rest last night helped!

Running log 3.12.2013

On a positive note this was my fourth run in four days. The bit negative is that I had to abandon it after quarter of a mile.
My calf decided to start acting up, so rather than risk injury I felt the best course of action was to count today as a bit of a rest day.
When combined with this evening's weigh in (more of that in another post once I have been shopping) them I am frustrated to say the least.

Running log 2.12.2013

Another run under my belt today. My first under the new routine without my running partner to spur me on and set the pace. It was pretty late (9pm) when I went out but I'm really glad I did - hopefully it will spur me on to get out even when I do get back from work a bit late. My aim is to get into the habit of running so that it becomes easier to just get out and do it. 3 days in a row now - a run every day in December :-) Distance: 1 mile. Time: 9.51 - 10 seconds faster than yesterday!

Running log 1.12.2013

The same route as yesterday, except for a downhill finish. It was tougher, which I put down to having a full stomach from eating too much too close to the run. As it turns out, it was more to do with the quicker pace. 1 mile in 10.01 - 27 seconds faster than yesterday, which I'm very happy with. I hope to get out as much as possible in December - I'd like to end the year on a high and kick off the new one in fitness style.

Running log - 30.11.2013

Ran a mile in 10.28. V pleased with it - it was a lot more uphill than previous runs and at a quicker pace. At no point did I feel like giving in though - entirely because for the first time in years I was running with someone else. Thanks go to him for motivating me to go out and setting a challenging pace. I'm hoping to get out for more runs with him so hopefully that will help my fitness and boost my weight loss - like most things, if you're not the only one doing it then it's easier to keep pushing on and succeed.

Something's gotta give...

Another 1lb on this week. It feels like ages since I've actually lost any weight. Looking back through past weigh ins, I'm now just 2lb lighter than I was at the start of this year. I start each week with good intentions, and follow them through for a time, but then fall off the wagon. When a week looks clear it ends up being filled fairly quickly and the time for shopping for low syn ingredients to food optimise to the max seems to disappear first. Thus far I have resisted resorting to a very low calorie diet, but it could well be the only way I will shift the weight I need to.

Running log - 24.11.13

The weekend included another run - the furthest I've managed to go so far. I had hoped to go further, but I'm happy to have added a bit of distance and got past that magical 1 mile mark. Distance run: 1.11 miles Time taken: 13m 09s (for the run)

Recipe: cheese rolls

A sheet of frozen filo pastry, defrosted and cut into 6 squares 6 35g chunks of cheese Fry light Preheat the oven to 200C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper sprayed with fry light. Add a chunk of cheese to the edge of each of the filo squares, roll the filo pastry round the cheese then nip in the edges and spray with fry light. Put on baking tray, spray with fry light and cook for 10-15 minutes until crispy and golden. Enjoy - 1 syn each if using the cheese as HE.

Recipe: Sausage rolls

A sheet of frozen filo pastry, defrosted and cut into 6 squares 6 syn free or low syn chipolatas Fry light Preheat the oven to 200C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper sprayed with fry light. Fry or grill the chipolatas until cooked and leave to cool slightly. Add a chipolata to the edge of each of the filo squares, roll the filo pastry round the chipolata, nip in the edges and spray with fry light. Put on baking tray, spray with fry light and cook for 10-15 minutes until crispy and golden. Enjoy - 1 syn each.

Anything they can do...

I had started writing a blog last week but I forgot to save the draft in order to edit it later. I also forgot to blog about my run at the weekend,  so you are getting three blog posts for the price of one this week!

At group last week, as I waited to get weighed I anticipated a gain. I knew I had been off plan for a large part of the week, although I did have a couple of days of really food optimising and keeping within my syns. A gain would've taken me back over a stone mark so I was giving some serious thought to how I planned to continue my slimming journey.  As it happened,  I lost 2lb which took me back to 1st 6.5lb lost in total. The loss, coupled with a fab taster night and fantastic group gave me a bit of inspiration and I was determined to come in with another loss this week.

A wine tasting and overdoing my syns on a few too many days threw this week off a bit so I ended up with a half pound gain. I am not overly disappointed with that, but did feel that overall I had had a better week than last week so had hoped for a similar result on the scales. I think that's part of my trouble though - I get luvky one week so think I can get away with it the next.

I bought the latest SW mag and bave had a read of it tonight. Seeing how much the blokes in there lost in such a relatively short time (one of them lost 12st in 10 months) has given me a bit of a kick up the behind.  There is no reason why I shouldn't be able to stick to plan - I can usually choose what I eat and i know when I am out an unable to choose entirely SW friendly foods.  I need to start making better decisions and start planning more. On that subject,  I have plans for a prawn, courgette,  chilli and lime pasta (which I have made before and which is fantastic! ) and a keema curry. I am also planning to practice a chicken recipe or two in preparation for a murder mystery dinner party I will be cooking for in a few weeks time. Watch this space for another experiment of mine - more details once I have given it a go!

One big positive this week was another run, on Sunday morning. I ran a little bit further than last time, in a time of 9m 31s, but it felt really difficult.  Whereas the previous run I felt full of energy, this one felt pretty lethargic. It took a lot of effort to keep going, so I had to push myself. 1km doesn't really sound that far, but it's another km under my belt and every little helps.

Not again...

3lb on this week. I was due a big gain after not making the right choices for quite a while. Life has been up and down recently, and is expected to be so for a while yet, but I need to take control back. I'm back to a weight that I have hovered around in the past and I really don't want to be there for long. It's taster night next week, so hopefully I can get inspired again. If I don't then I risk losing control.