5 weeks into 2013 and I've somehow managed to lose 5lb, with only one week showing a gain.
So far so good you say? Maybe, but it hasn't felt like that until today. There have been times when I've been ready to throw in the towel, stop worrying about trying to stick to the plan and just eat whatever I want.
Over the last year my weight has tended to yo-yo around the same level and it's got me down in the past, but it's time to draw a line. 2013 has started well in terms of weight loss - at the same rate of loss then I'd lose another 3 stone by the end of the year and therefore achieve my interim target.
I've discovered the wonders of our slow cooker and used it for a few meals this week. Preparing or planning meals in advance seems to be a big factor in achieving a loss, so I'm hoping to do more of that in future.
Another thing that helped was having such a supportive group - when I felt like giving up they played a part in persuading me not to and made me feel so welcome when I went to weigh in.
The other person who takes a lot of the credit is my amazing wife - without her I could often fall into a pit of despair and self loathing. She is my strength when I am down; my support when I cannot stand; my hope when I have none; and I love her more than words could ever say.
As an aside, I've not added to this blog since November, but still had over 300 hits in January (the second highest hit rate since I kicked the blog off just over a year ago. Thanks to all those who read this blog - I hope it helps you some way on your journeys.
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Reality check...
I've decided this will be my last blog for a while...
I've lost 4.5lb over the last 2 weeks, so hopefully my weightloss is back on track - I'm still hopeful of losing a few more lbs before the end of the year so I can start next year from a good place.
I had a health assessment yesterday and, as expected, I'm overweight and unfit. Some of the numbers (body fat, cholesterol, hip to waist ratio and VO2) were pretty scary when compared to those for a healthy person, and apparently if I want to maintain my current weight I'd need to eat over 3000 calories per day!
One of the things that the assessment brought home to me was that I seriously need to improve my fitness levels. With that in mind, I am planning to get more exercise (so today I've had 3 walks and done some DIY, which adds to the walks and tree planting I've done over the weekend). I'm putting this blog on ice as part of my effort to do more active things (e.g. housework, getting on top of batch cooking, swimming and walking) on an evening. Hopefully that will get me fitter so the next time I have an assessment it'll not be such bad news!
It's been fun writing this blog, and at times it's also been challenging and emotional. Without the support of my wife, my group and readers of this blog I wouldn't have managed to keep going on my SW journey, so thanks to you all (especially my wife!).
I've lost 4.5lb over the last 2 weeks, so hopefully my weightloss is back on track - I'm still hopeful of losing a few more lbs before the end of the year so I can start next year from a good place.
I had a health assessment yesterday and, as expected, I'm overweight and unfit. Some of the numbers (body fat, cholesterol, hip to waist ratio and VO2) were pretty scary when compared to those for a healthy person, and apparently if I want to maintain my current weight I'd need to eat over 3000 calories per day!
One of the things that the assessment brought home to me was that I seriously need to improve my fitness levels. With that in mind, I am planning to get more exercise (so today I've had 3 walks and done some DIY, which adds to the walks and tree planting I've done over the weekend). I'm putting this blog on ice as part of my effort to do more active things (e.g. housework, getting on top of batch cooking, swimming and walking) on an evening. Hopefully that will get me fitter so the next time I have an assessment it'll not be such bad news!
It's been fun writing this blog, and at times it's also been challenging and emotional. Without the support of my wife, my group and readers of this blog I wouldn't have managed to keep going on my SW journey, so thanks to you all (especially my wife!).
Saturday, 17 November 2012
Hello blogging my old friend...
It's been quite a while since my last post. I'm sorry I've been away for so long - life has been pretty manic so I've not had much time or inclination to blog.
Since I last posted I've gone off the rails a bit - possibly as a result of life being as it has been - some pretty stressful times at work combined with being v busy at home combined to mean eating what was convenient rather than anything SW friendly.
We've also been celebrating my wife's birthday for a week or so, with plenty of synful food as a bit (or should that be a lot!) of a treat.
I think I'm back on track again now, and still have a mini target of finishing the year at the lowest I have been this year - it just becomes a bit harder now!
I know it's a wihle until Christmas, but I am planning to figure out our menu for Christmas day in the next week or so. With a bit of luck and preparation I can maximise my food optimising when we are cooking over the Christmas period so we don't have to worry quite as much when we're not. I just have to try to resist the Heston Blumenthal Christmas pudding that keeps calling my name in Waitrose!
I've only got one or two 5 day weeks before Christmas, so am hoping that I can make use of some of the time I have off to prepare some meals in batches - that way it's easier to stick to plan and see the weight drop off. I'll keep you posted!
Since I last posted I've gone off the rails a bit - possibly as a result of life being as it has been - some pretty stressful times at work combined with being v busy at home combined to mean eating what was convenient rather than anything SW friendly.
We've also been celebrating my wife's birthday for a week or so, with plenty of synful food as a bit (or should that be a lot!) of a treat.
I think I'm back on track again now, and still have a mini target of finishing the year at the lowest I have been this year - it just becomes a bit harder now!
I know it's a wihle until Christmas, but I am planning to figure out our menu for Christmas day in the next week or so. With a bit of luck and preparation I can maximise my food optimising when we are cooking over the Christmas period so we don't have to worry quite as much when we're not. I just have to try to resist the Heston Blumenthal Christmas pudding that keeps calling my name in Waitrose!
I've only got one or two 5 day weeks before Christmas, so am hoping that I can make use of some of the time I have off to prepare some meals in batches - that way it's easier to stick to plan and see the weight drop off. I'll keep you posted!
Thursday, 18 October 2012
We're in this together...
This week I put on 1lb. It wasn't supposed to happen since we were at home for the weekend so had control over what we ate. It happened because we were decorating so neither of us could be bothered to cook or clear enough space in the kitchen to do so, so ended up having a couple of takeaways.
Other things that happened during the week meant resorting to synful comfort foods, so in all a 1lb gain probably isn't that bad.
I would dearly love to weigh less at the end of the year than I have done all year, so to kick start that I have set a target of 4lb loss this week. In past weeks I've gone for 1lb loss just to get something, but have decided that the only way to do it this week is to target a big loss and really go for it. How am I going to do that? Well, firstly my wife and I will be doing "the scan bran challenge" (if you've not heard of this, it's using scan bran [5 a day]) as your HE), we went for a "big shop" yesterday and bought loads of yummy free and superfree foods, and we're both in "the zone". We got back from a fantastic group on Tuesday and were going to have 1 last takeaway before kicking on with the week since we fancied some chips. Instead I made some SW chips, which we had with Joe's pepper steak, roasted butternut wedges and curried veg. It was gorgeous and more satisfying than a takeaway since it was syn free!
Last night we had salmon, noodles and stir fry veg. I usually use prawn, crabstick or chicken when I cook a stir fry, but the salmon was fab - will be making that again. Inspired by a conversation on my SW group's facebook page I made sweet chilli rice pudding (pic and recipe to follow). My wife couldn't stand it, but I really enjoyed it so will be doing that again!
More decorating this weekend, so more body magic. At the minute I'm hoping for good things this week. I'm in a good place SW wise, so fingers crossed!!
Other things that happened during the week meant resorting to synful comfort foods, so in all a 1lb gain probably isn't that bad.
I would dearly love to weigh less at the end of the year than I have done all year, so to kick start that I have set a target of 4lb loss this week. In past weeks I've gone for 1lb loss just to get something, but have decided that the only way to do it this week is to target a big loss and really go for it. How am I going to do that? Well, firstly my wife and I will be doing "the scan bran challenge" (if you've not heard of this, it's using scan bran [5 a day]) as your HE), we went for a "big shop" yesterday and bought loads of yummy free and superfree foods, and we're both in "the zone". We got back from a fantastic group on Tuesday and were going to have 1 last takeaway before kicking on with the week since we fancied some chips. Instead I made some SW chips, which we had with Joe's pepper steak, roasted butternut wedges and curried veg. It was gorgeous and more satisfying than a takeaway since it was syn free!
Last night we had salmon, noodles and stir fry veg. I usually use prawn, crabstick or chicken when I cook a stir fry, but the salmon was fab - will be making that again. Inspired by a conversation on my SW group's facebook page I made sweet chilli rice pudding (pic and recipe to follow). My wife couldn't stand it, but I really enjoyed it so will be doing that again!
More decorating this weekend, so more body magic. At the minute I'm hoping for good things this week. I'm in a good place SW wise, so fingers crossed!!
Wednesday, 10 October 2012
Thank you for being a friend...
I managed to lose 1lb this week. On reflection I'm pretty happy with that.
Friday started off as a really bad day - I got myself into a foul mood for various reasons and indulged in a breakfast baguette. I was ready to descend into synning the rest of the day away until the members of my SW group all offered words of support which helped me get back on track.
Group was fab last night too - so supportive and friendly with plenty of laughs. It was a marked contrast to a meeting I was at today, when people were distinctly indifferent to offering any kind of support to some things that would benefit the community. It's times like that when I realise how lucky I am to have the support of my SW group. You are all awesome!!
I overdid my syns a bit today - I had a training session at work with lunch provided and since I was hungry and hadn't brought anything in I had to indulge in the sandwiches. Tea was completely syn free and delicious - beans, Joe's sausages and bubble and squeak.
I've decided that I would like to lose on averag 1/2lb a week between now and Christmas. If I achieve that then I will be back at the weight I was last Christmas, and the lowest I have been this year. Wish me luck!!
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
We are not alone...
I read this article about childhood obesity on the BBC website today. Reading the stories of some of the people who contributed reminds me of some of the experiences I had in my younger (and not so younger) years:
- I seem to be one of the few people who enjoyed school dinners and quite often had seconds, especially of pudding!
- I received a lot of verbal relating to my size whilst I was at school, and that led to me being extremely miserable. I enjoyed my education, by hated some of the people I had to share it with.
- Once I got to university I discovered alcohol as a way to help me interact socially (believe it or not I've always been quite shy) and indulged frequently in fast food (the Pizza Hut buffet challenge was at least a termly outing).
- I left home to move down south for work and continued where I left off from uni in terms of my alcohol intake. I resorted to food as a comfort when I felt low or homesick, or simply had nothing else to do.
- I moved to a flat in Leeds and on 2 separate occasions was verbally abused in the street. On each occasion I was by myself whilst the offenders were with a gang of friends so had strength in numbers. I took comfort in the fact that I coudl lose weight, whereas they would always be morons.
- I had no reason to lose weight until I met my wife. Once we got together I had a reason to live and began enjoying my life again. I lost 1 stone in the year before I joined SW by changing my eating habits (in particular making sure I had breakfast every day and having a jacket potato for lunch).
- We joined SW to lose some weight for our wedding and I managed to shed 2.5stone.
- I slipped back a bit up to the end of the year, then started this blog and have fluctuated around the same weight for most of this year.
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
Gotta get through this...
I put on 1lb this week, due to takeaways and cake.
I have a pretty impressive knack of ordering the lowest syn stuff (e.g. boiled rice and foo yung), but then eating everything else that's put in front of me. The even more frustrating thing is that I can make low or zero syn versions of a lot of the stuff I have from takeaway, but because of the convenience we order in.
Perhaps by planning in advance I might be able to avoid some of this, but having done so before it never works out that way.
For the next 3 or 4 weekends I'm not going anywhere, so maybe that'll help get control over food - planning to do a "big shop" tomorrow night, so might dig out my favourite recipes.
My wife lost 2lb this week - I'm so proud of her! She keeps telling me I need to do more (or at least some!) exercise, but I never seem to find the time - it's getting dark when I get home from work and I don't have time in the morning. I figured I could invest in some exercise equipment and remembered enjoying using cross trainers, but on looking at them online I've found that I need to lose at least a stone before I get below the maximum weight to use them. :-(
I have a pretty impressive knack of ordering the lowest syn stuff (e.g. boiled rice and foo yung), but then eating everything else that's put in front of me. The even more frustrating thing is that I can make low or zero syn versions of a lot of the stuff I have from takeaway, but because of the convenience we order in.
Perhaps by planning in advance I might be able to avoid some of this, but having done so before it never works out that way.
For the next 3 or 4 weekends I'm not going anywhere, so maybe that'll help get control over food - planning to do a "big shop" tomorrow night, so might dig out my favourite recipes.
My wife lost 2lb this week - I'm so proud of her! She keeps telling me I need to do more (or at least some!) exercise, but I never seem to find the time - it's getting dark when I get home from work and I don't have time in the morning. I figured I could invest in some exercise equipment and remembered enjoying using cross trainers, but on looking at them online I've found that I need to lose at least a stone before I get below the maximum weight to use them. :-(
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