100lbs lost! – Week 17 & 18 Weigh in – Day 127

 

Well my dear friends, I did it. I’ve hit my final major target on schedule and have lost 100lbs exactly! As you know I had my Week 17 & 18 weigh in last night a day early and I’m pleased to report I lost 9lbs in the two weeks over the Christmas period. So, big target reached. It’s that time again. STAT ATTACK!

 

Starting stats on 27 August 2008

• Weight – 305lbs/21 stone 11lbs
• BMI – 41.4 – Morbidly Obese
• Body Fat – 38%

 

Current stats on 30^th December 2008

• Weight – 205lbs/14 stone 9lbs
• BMI – 27.8 – Overweight
• Body Fat – 24%

 

Sheesh. When I look at it like that in black and white is almost unbelievable. That’s 100 bags of sugar! I can’t believe I used to carry that around with me! Oh another piece of good news is that my morning true weight gives me a BMI of 27.4, closer to healthy than obese! As you know I don’t normally dwell on targets achieved but this is essentially my last big goal. This right now is where I want to end up after the management phase. With that said though, I do have some more mini goals to hit. I’m going to carry on abstaining for another 2 weeks and go into the Route to Management programme on week 21. Anything I lose between now and then is a bonus and essentially a buffer. In other words, weight I can afford to put back on. I think it’s important to get to below where you want to end up just to give a slight comfort zone. Getting a healthy balance right is going to be very hard and I’m sure I won’t succeed at it without a bit of practice. With that said, here are the final 4 of my 20 (yes, 20) goals.

 

• BMI 27.5 – 2lbs to go
• 200lbs dead – 5lbs to go
• 35% of original body weight – 6lbs to go
• 8 stone lost – 12lbs to go

 

To be honest 8 stone lost is only there cos it’s a milestone. I think I will achieve all of the others in the next two weeks but the last may need to wait until week 1 of management. Then after that I’ll be putting back on. I feel pretty confident I’ll be able to say I lost 8 stone on Lighterlife at some point though but I’m not putting any pressure on myself to do it. I decided to do another 2 weeks again last night so my next official weigh in is on Wednesday the 14^th January and will be the last of the abstinence phase. That’s when the hard part will start. Eating again! Eeeek! I’m kind of excited about it. One thing I’m glad I’ve made a conscious effort to do over the course of abstinence is to maintain a relationship with food. I’ve still been doing food shopping, cooking, entertaining etc so I don’t have a love/hate relationship with it. I’m really looking forward to trying new things and cooking from scratch. It really is a fresh start.

 

Anyway, back to the celebration. 100lbs is 18 weeks is so much more than I expected. I mean, I always hoped to lose this amount of weight before the end of the year but I certainly had my doubts about it. As I do love my stats I thought’s you be interested to know that 100lbs in 126 days is an average weight loss of…….

 

• 0.7lbs a day
• 5.5lbs a week
• 25lbs a month

 

My BMI has dropped by 13.6 and my body fat has dropped by 14%. I’ve drunk over 570 litres of water, Tea and coffee and consumed a staggering 504 food packs at a cost of over £1000. If I focus on the cost for a mo, each pound has cost me a shocking £11.80 and each stone has cost £170! I know those numbers are scary but I’m sitting here telling you that’s it’s been worth every penny and I’d do it all again.

 

I had a good chat with my LLC last night as I was the only one there at the time and she seemed really impressed with how I’d done. Especially over Christmas. I can only imagine that quite a few people that show their face at this time of year have gained. Anyway, she asked me if I minded her using my before and after pics (she’s taking some more when I finish abstinence) in her ad in the local paper! And encouraged me to send in ‘my story’ for consideration to be included in the Lighterlife magazine. Lol, get me. Another thing she asked me to do is what I was most pleased about. She wants me to come in and talk about goals to her new starters in January. Setting goals has really worked for me so if I can spend some time just going through what I did with some new starters I think I’d really enjoy it.

 

I’m sort of rushing this post out as it’s new years eve and I need to do some stuff. I’ll be posting much more over the next couple of weeks covering topics like things that are much easier now, highs and lows, the new exercise regime and some of my top tips when starting the programme.

 

Tune in soon!

 

G

 

P.S. I know my measurements are missing. They’re every 4 weeks so I’ll have some new ones on the 14^th.

 

What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger – Day 124

 

Where do I start? Christmas is over and I survived……just! I’m very happy to report that I remained completely abstinent over the Christmas period. I have to say though that it was hard going. I actually had two moments where I decided to chuck the towel in and eat/drink for the day but I came back from the brink! It didn’t help that I’ve had a bit of a slow week weight loss wise. I really could have done with one of those rare bumper losses to see me through. Anyway, let’s get comfortable and I’ll tell you a Christmas story……

 

As you know I was off work on Christmas Eve so we spent most of the day preparing for our guests. This mainly involved housework. After the place was cleaned top to bottom we sat down with the kids to make our mince pies. They were a Jamie Oliver special involving all sorts, Chestnuts, Cranberries, two different types of pastry etc. They came out really well and by all accounts tasted great. I quite like cooking actually. It’s something I really want to get into when I’m eating again. I guess a big advantage of cooking from scratch means you know everything that’s gone into it. The evening came around pretty quick and we had the in laws over, brother in law and his wife and sister in law and her husband (and two kids). The place was like a zoo! We exchanged presents and had a take away. Indian cuisine was the weapon of choice and I milled around the kitchen cleaning up while they were chowing down. I actually think it’s the first time a take away like that has been in my house since I started. I was quite lucky as it goes cos I’ve had a blocked up nose all over Christmas so I couldn’t smell anything anyway. I was also right about being the host. I spent most of the time getting people drinks, washing up or clearing wrapping paper so I didn’t really get the chance to miss the food and booze. It was actually quite nice by the end of the night when they couldn’t move and felt really uncomfortable cos I felt fine! So, Christmas Eve ended with us putting the kid’s presents out (along with a Mince pie for Santa and Carrot for the reindeer) and going to bed. Day one of the 4 day Christmas challenge completed without a hitch.

 

So, Christmas day. The kids opened their presents in about 5 minutes and the house looked like a bomb site before we knew it. My 3 year old was most impressed that the mince pie was gone and the carrot had a bite out of it (Thanks Granddad) and Christmas was off to a good start. This is where it started going downhill. Although we weren’t seeing anyone on Christmas day, it didn’t quite pan out like that. I put my Turkey in the oven (we were having it cold on Boxing Day) and then proceeded to get bored. This is the point where I started trying to justify myself eating. I was going back and forth for hours. I knew some Turkey wouldn’t hurt as it’s protein. It wouldn’t take me out of ketosis etc. To top it all off, the turkey came out bloody fantastic. How typical. It wasn’t in the least bit dry and looked really inviting. I actually pulled a bit off and was about to eat it. That’s how close I got to lapsing. I resisted and started to think about what I was doing. I was actually bored, not hungry. I’ve mentioned before how boredom is a major trigger for me. I guess it had something to do with all the excitement of the morning being out of the way (whoever designed the packaging for kids’ toys should be fired) coupled with the fact that we didn’t have anything planned for the rest of the day just made me want to eat. It was a wake up call in the end and I’m very pleased I recognised the reasons for me wanting to eat before I started ploughing into the Roses tin. This realisation improved my resolve no end. It was no longer about depravation. It was about the principle! Stuff the Turkey (lol), Ketosis, lapsing etc. This was about the challenge! The mother of all food related challenges!!! So we did end up visiting some family in the evening and, as I was driving, there was no danger of a celebratory drink etc. I haven’t gone into that much detail of the thought process etc but what I will say is that after all the challenges I’ve faced on this diet, Christmas day was by far the hardest of them all. I had a feeling it would be but I didn’t think it would be as hard as it was. I got through it though and felt like I achieved something along the way. 2 days down, 2 to go!

 

Boxing Day was actually the one I was dreading the most from and eating/drinking point of view. We had a load of family over all day for Cold meats, mash, pickles and a buffet style dinner in the evening. With this one I was just like Christmas Eve but on turbo speed! I put the blinkers on in the morning and just powered through. There was soooooo much temptation everywhere but I just busied myself with various tasks just to get though it. Turns out there was plenty to do. Ironically, keeping myself busy in the kitchen keeps my mind of eating. How weird is that! There was also another load of present giving and it seems taking things out of boxes and sorting out the rubbish is almost of a full time job over Christmas! The evening didn’t last anywhere near as long as I thought it would. It seems everyone had over done it a bit during the previous two days so they were all sitting on the sofas looking ready for bed at about 7pm! It was handy in that it finished early but not so handy cos I now have a load of food/drink in the house that we don’t need! Day 3 was done and I was on the home stretch!

 

Saturday wasn’t necessarily a day I was worried about. My sister came to visit with her husband and they were quite shocked when they saw me. Thing is, it wasn’t that long ago that they came to visit. About a month I think. Anyway, she said that although I looked like I’d lost a lot of weight last time, this time I look really different. Hmmmm, maybe it was the new T Shirt I got for Christmas. She bought me a T-shirt too actually so I now have 5 in my collection that fit! On the food front I was just trying to get rid of stuff so it was turkey sandwiches all round and left over buffet. Day 4 of the challenge was complete. I’d survived it! I was very pleased that I got through it but disappointed that I’d underestimated the challenge. That’s something I need to keep in mind when I’m back on the food!

 

So with all that said my Christmas on the whole was a pretty sober and disappointing affair. I just wanted to get through it to be honest. I hate to say that I was wishing it away but that’s the reality. I’ve always said that if there’s a time to over indulge then Christmas is it. It’s not that I’ve been a complete scrooge or anything but I’ve haven’t really got into it this year. As a result I have one definite aim for the future. To make Christmas 2009 the best Christmas my family has ever had!

 

That’s me done boring you about Christmas. So how have I done on the weight front? As you remember I decided to do a two week stint as I didn’t want to go to a pop in on the day before Christmas Eve so I don’t really know what the weight situation is on the lighterlife scales. What I can tell you however is that on the morning of my last weigh in (on the 17^th of December) I was 15 stone 1lb and this morning, I was 14 stone 8lbs. That’s a loss of 7lbs and I still have two days to go before my official weigh in day (Wednesday). Unfortunately, as it’s new years eve on Wednesday, weigh in is tomorrow. This is annoying me as I tend to have a late charge on a Wednesday. By my counting I’m only 3lbs off my big 100lbs lost target and I wanted to hit it this week. Still, as I always say, you just never know until you get on those scales. 14 stone 9lbs on the lighter life scales tomorrow and I’ve hit the big one but to be honest, I’ll be happy with hitting 7 stone lost (98lbs). Should do it with a bit of luck. Oh my BMI is now currently 27.7 in the morning. Almost closer to healthy than obese! Looking past that goal for a moment I now have just 2 weeks of abstinence left as I plan to go into the route to management phase on the 15^th of January (week 21). I just want to lose as much poundage as I can in those two weeks. I should be into the thirteen’s then. I will probably only be there for about a week (once my glycogen stores have filled up) but that’s not the point lol!

 

As most of you know my next big goal is to get fit. Well, as you’re all aware by now, I never dwell once I’ve completed a challenge/target I was on the treadmill bright and early on Boxing Day morning! It felt quite good and I burned over 400 calories! I think I over did it a bit to be honest as I did feel a bit light headed after but it didn’t stop me doing the same the following day! I had a day off Yesterday but plan to get back on it tonight. I’m in two minds to be honest. I wasn’t planning on starting any sort of structured exercise routine until I was on food again but, as I could now get to the treadmill (as all the presents have gone) I was curious to see how it felt. The last time I used it I was over 21 stone. Now I’m not saying it was easy but it was a lot easier than back then. I think I might enjoy this you know. Swimming is something I’m going to look into as well. I do ache a bit today though….. Anyway, the main reason I didn’t really want to excurses is that I didn’t want to build up muscle and slow my weight loss down. I still might leave it for these two weeks to be honest. I’ve been losing around 5lbs a week pretty consistently for the last month or so and another 10lbs in these last two weeks of abstinence would be fantastic.  

 

Ok I’m back. You don’t know this but I’ve been gone for about 3 hours. I hit the sales yesterday/today and bought some stuff. I can’t generally be doing with sales. I don’t like to rummage. I’d rather pay full price and not feel like I’m in a rugby scrum thank you very much. Anyway, yesterday I went in River Island and bought a rather fetching man bag. I’ve decided I need a bag cos the amount of stuff I carry in my suit is ridiculous. As I’m planning on new suits that actually fit my body, I don’t want to knacker them out by filling the pockets up with crap that can now go in my man bag. I also want to get into reading again on the train. I generally watch video on my iphone but I miss a good book. Anyway, I digress. I bought a pair of jeans in River Island! I still can’t believe I bought an item of clothing from RI. Wait for it. The best part is coming. They’re a size 34 waist! I only tried them on for a laugh just to see if they would fit. I personally thought they were too tight but a quick check with the missus and I was at the till. We all know jeans stretch as you wear them anyway. I also bought a couple of tops and some combats out of Next (in the sale. Bargains, all of em) and they were a 34 too! I have some ‘Muffin Top’ issues but it’s skin not fat. I’m sure they’ll subside with time. The missus says you can’t really see it anyway. So today I went out to M&S to check out the suits. I always buy my suits from there as they’re quite good value and you can mix and match the sizes with Jackets and trousers. It was mobbed cos there was a sale on but I finally managed to find one in the right sizes. I decided to try on the 34 inch trousers and I got them on but they hurt! I mean actual pain on my hip bones! So I went for the 36. I haven’t tried them on but suits to stretch out with wear. I also went for a 42” chest Jacket. The one I’m currently wearing is a 46 and miles too big. So this is all a far cry from the 50” jacket and 46” trousers that were too tight before I started lighterlife. I’m sure the new suit as a whole is a little bit snug but I’m hoping to be at least another 10lbs lighter in a couple of weeks. By that time it should be fine. I also bought another belt as both of mine are too big. The suit was in the sale. I paid £130 quid for it. Not bad considering it was originally over £200. I still need to get another one and some more work shirts but I’ll take each day as it comes. I also popped into Next on the way back and picked up a cardi in the sale. Only a tenner. Everyone’s a winner!

 

Jeeez, this is one long post but there’s a lot to cover! Hmmmm, what else……. Oh I’ve now mastered the art of the crisp type thing out of my soups. It’s nice to have a bit of crunch. I’m also quite into coffee now too. That reminds me; I put ice into my snake over the weekend before I blended it. It certainly adds another dimension. Even if it did give me an ice headache…….

 

Weigh in tomorrow. Check back soon for results!

 

G

 

P.S. I almost forgot. My cooking obsession continues. Made a Turkey and Leek pie yesterday out of the leftovers. Another Jamie Oliver special lol.

 

P.P.S Thanks to everyone who is commenting. Some great tips and compliments!

A picture says a thousand words – Day 117

It’s only 2 days……it’s only 2 days……..it’s only 2 days……….

Hullo! We I survived not going on the work Christmas do. They all had stinking hangovers on Friday so I felt sufficiently superior. It’s the whole company do tomorrow night which I’m not going to either. I can’t say I’m particularly heart broken about that. It’s a black tie affair and really not my thing. I’m glad to be out of it.

 

I’m pleased to report that I am indeed 14 stone something in the morning now. 14 stone 13lbs to be precise. Just 8lbs to go before I reach the 100lbs target. I seem to be having a slow week this week which isn’t ideal considering it’s Christmas. I could do with a bit of a boost but I’ll reserve judgement until weigh in day (Wednesday). I won’t be getting weighed this week anyway as it’s Christmas Eve so with a bit of luck I’ll have a late charge and reach the target by New Year. This past weekend was a bit of a struggle but the weekends generally are these days, especially at this time of year. I don’t think it helps that I struggle with my water intake during the weekend. I do make my quota but it’s not a steady as I’d like. I guess it’s not hunger but thirst I spose. Whatever, it doesn’t help.

 

So, you all know what I do when I struggle? That’s right, I hit the wardrobe! I’m sort of pleased to say that I have even less stuff that fits me now lol.  With that said though, every cloud has a silver lining. The ‘goal outfit’ shirt fits me quite nice so at least I have something to wear on New Years Eve. I May need to pick up a new pair of jeans though as mine are a bit big now. I’ve also changed my combats. I took the old pair back that I mentioned in another post cos they were a bit short. I thought it was a result as they’d gone in the sale. £10 cheaper but, you guessed it; they didn’t have a long leg! So I changed it for another pair and it’s nice to have something that finally fits well. I wore them down to my Nan’s this weekend in Brighton. I haven’t seen her since I started the programme and she seemed suitably impressed. You know how old people are though. She was too busy telling me about all the trouble she’s had etc lol.

 

Anyway, as this week was week 16 I decided to get the missus to take some pics. The last set was on week 8. Anyway, without further a do, the moment you’ve all been waiting for (lol). I think first I should explain the t-shirt although any long time reader will already know the story. I’m a big American football fan so I decided to buy a New York Giants t-shirt from eBay. Well, although it’s supposed to be a XXL, the bloody thing was like a wetsuit! I would never wear something this tight in public but, as it was the smallest item on clothing I owned, I thought it would make a funny before pic. So, before pics were taken on the 26^th of august at over 21 and a half stone. The afters were this past weekend (week 16) at 14 stone 13 lbs. 

 

   

 

 

I remember saying to my wife that even though I was on lighterlife, I didn’t think I would ever be able to wear that t-shirt in public. Well I’m pleased to say that this week, I did! To be honest, those before pics freak me out. I never thought I was that big. The pics of me without a top on are even more shocking but I can assure you’ll they’ll never see the light of day. The above pics should be all the motivation I need to get through Christmas on the plan and keep the weight off for good.

I’ve had quite a few people say that it’s time to stop. I find this quite amusing as all these people are slimmer than I am now! I don’t quite understand why they say it. Anyway, something else I get asked a lot is if I feel better or if I notice it. I never really put much thought it in as I still feel like a big person in a funny sort of way. Even now I forget sometimes and am a bit surprised when I catch myself in the mirror. So I’ve been thinking about it more over the weekend. I do feel so much better.  I was helping the missus wrap the kids crimbo presents over the weekend and just very simple things like getting on the floor an wrapping presents are so much easier. I run up stairs now and don’t even think about it whereas before I would be pooped out by the time I got to the top. Driving the car is easier, playing with the kids, travelling on public transport. The list is endless. Everything is just easier.

 

My wife and I are getting on a lot better too (in all departments!) It’s not that we were having serious problems or anything but it was getting worse and I think my weight was the catalyst. She says I’m generally happier and more chatty now. She also said to me yesterday that she can’t believe how much she fancy’s me now! I gotta be honest, after all the compliments I’ve received over the last few months, that’s the one I wanted to hear the most. As much as people say that this is your journey and you need to do it for yourself, it’s not true it my case. Well it is, but I was in second place. My Wife and kids are the real reason I started this in the first place. I haven’t told her and probably never will but the difference Lighterlife has made to my life is enormous. I know there have been some negative press articles about the plan in recent weeks but just look at the above pics and read this paragraph! Yes, it is extreme and yes, I’m sure it’s not the healthiest way to lose significant weight but I would definitely do it all again. This plan works! With all that said, there is always the possibility that I could put a load of weight back on, but the point is that’s in MY hands. If I put weight on, it will be MY fault. I’ve been handed a chance by lighterlife to change my lifestyle for the better. Only I can make that happen. They help as much as the can (with the management phase and reintroduction of food) but it’s my responsibility at the end of the day.

 

God, listen to me. I’m talking like I’ve finished! I still have 3 and a half weeks of abstinence to go then the real hard work starts. The reintroduction of food! Anyway, focus on the here and now. It’s two days until Christmas and the biggest food challenge of my life so far. There’s no way I’m cracking now. Never surrender!

 

G

The nightmare before Christmas – Week 16 weigh in – Day 113

 

I’m glad to say that normal service has resumed. I lost 5lbs in week 16! That takes me to a total of 91lbs or 6 and a half stone exactly. I’ve very pleased with that especially as my target loss was 6 stone by next week! Anywho, I’m also now into single digits ‘to go’. I need to lose another 9lbs to reach the 100lbs lost target. I’d like to hit it by New Year if I can. As I said before, I decided to do a two week stint last night so my next weigh in is Tuesday the 30^th December (week 18) as the Wednesday is New Years Eve. I’m glad I made that decision cos I didn’t have any counselling last night either. You may remember last week that I didn’t stick around as it was just me and one other bloke? Well, when I got there last night, that same bloke was leaving with his packs and I was the only one there! My LLC was in the other room with the women’s group (also numbering about 2) so I got weighed with the locum and collected my packs before legging it. I’m not bothered about not having the sessions but where on earth is the rest of the group?! I can’t believe they’ve all just upped and jacked it in. Maybe they’re popping in at different times. It’s a busy time of year after all. Well, at the end of the day, what they do is up to them. It’s not going to affect my weight loss.

 

As this week was week 16, that means blood pressure and measurements. I’m planning on this being my last BP check as it takes me up to week 20 weigh in which is when I’m going to start the management phase (you don’t need to have your BP checked on Management). There’s a small chemists near where I have my meetings that will do it for free but I always feel bad as there’s never anyone in there. I normally buy something before I leave (even if I don’t need it lol) but as he was finishing my BP check, another customer walked in. I think he was so excited to have more than one person in the shop at the same time he basically threw me out lol. Anyway, BP was fine and I’m very glad I don’t have to go through it again. It’s so hard to find a little place like that which will do it no questions asked that there has always been this worry that they will just refuse to do it one day. Although I should reach my target in the next two weeks, I’m going to carry on abstaining for the two weeks after that. Should give me a bit of contingency. In theory, I could be around 20lbs lighter in 4 weeks time but I’m not adding it as an official goal. 100lbs is the end game and anything on top of that is a bonus. Oh, where was I? Oh yeah. Measurements. My chest measurement pretty much stayed the same. I’m not surprised by this as I’ve always suffered with moobs. I guess that’s an area I’m really going to need to focus on when the toning starts. I dropped another inch of the hips but the waist is really confusing. I must admit, my trousers/jeans do feel a bit looser over the last couple of weeks but according to last night, I’d lost another 4 inches. I think maybe the prior measurement was wrong. Anyway, this one is definitely right as we checked it 3 times. So that’s a total of 28 inches all over. 8 from my chest, 8 from my hips and a fantastic 12 inches from my waist. That’s a whole foot! Amazing.

 

Oh and just to round this all out, my morning weight stands at 15 stone 1lb. Just two pounds to go and I’ll tick over to the fourteens. I can’t weight for that. Whilst I may tick over into the thirteen’s at some point in this crazy adventure, 14 something is where I want to end up successfully maintaining. Less than 14st 7lbs to be precise.

 

I guess the elephant in the room I’ve avoided up until now in this post is Christmas. It’s coming up fast isn’t it? Well some long time readers may remember many moons ago before I started the plan that I was going to eat two meals over the Christmas period. I’m obviously not going to now but one of them was Christmas dinner and the other one was my work Christmas lunch/afternoon/evening wipeout. Well, that do starts today at 1 o’clock and I’m pleased to report I’m not going! It gets even better; my boss felt bad so is letting me have Christmas Eve off! Got to be happy with that. I’m sorry to be missing out cos it’s a really good do (at least it was last year) but it just makes sense to stay away. It’s not the sort of thing you go to and not eat or drink. So, I get to have Christmas Eve off with the kids but that’s going to be a challenge in itself. That’s the day when we make Mince pies/cakes/sausage rolls etc in preparation for the entertaining we’re doing. As I’ve said all along though, I like to be around food. I don’t want to end up with that love/hate relationship with it so I think it’s good to expose myself to it. I also still watch a hell of a lot of cooking programmes. I’ve bought the turkey and will be cooking the missus a dinner at Christmas whether she wants me to or not. I also have to do the big Christmas shop this week so we have plenty in for the hoards of the wife’s family that will be descending on our house on both Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.

 

With all that said, I must admit that I’m struggling with lighterlife at the moment. It’s not a show stopper kind of struggle or anything but it is getting worse. I think it’s just a combination of what I’ve achieved so far, Christmas, and being so close to my goal. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still going to abstain over the Christmas period but I think I may have under estimated it. Although food isn’t the be all and end all what I do like about Christmas is that kind of guiltless feeling. It’s two days of the year where you just throw caution the wind and eat and drink whatever the hell you like. I must admit that’s something I don’t intend on changing. I will change my lifestyle, I will maintain my weight, I will get fit but, by god I’m gonna go for it on Christmas  day and boxing day 2009. If I can be sitting here this time next year at the weight I’m happy with I can truly enjoy a guiltless Christmas for the first time. I’m looking forward to it already! I know this is rewarding with food and that’s a big no no blah blah blah but I don’t care. I plan to eat, drink and be merry next year. For 2 days only!

 

Anyway, that’s a whole year away. FOCUS ON THE HERE AND NOW! It’s only 2 days, It’s only 2 days, it’s only 2 days, it’s only 2 days…………

 

G

 

P.S. Christmas wrapping tonight. I’ve been trying to get out of it but the missus isn’t having any of it!

Deck the Halls – Day 110

 

Seriously, WTF is going on with clothes sizes in this country? Not long before I started LL at nearly 22 stone, I had a couple of shirts from Burton’s that still fitted me in size xxl. I went in there at the weekend and tried on a jumper and it fitted but was a little tighter than I’d like. Yep, you guessed it. Size xxl. Now I appreciate that every shop is different and you can’t compare a shirt to a jumper but it’s the same freaking shop! How on earth can you lose 6 stone and still be the same size?!?! Phew. I’m glad I got that off my chest. Anyway, the reality of course is that I’m not the same size at all. It’s just the inconsistency that drives me crazy. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as I’ve been hearing this from the wife whilst waiting outside countless changing rooms for years. Only now do I really understand what she was going on about. I didn’t buy said jumper in the end. Partly on principle and party cos my moobs were a shocker. I’m quite paranoid about them now. Although I’ve lost a lot of weight, it’s certainly all gone south. The more I lose the worse my loose skin problem becomes. I’m not stressing about it too much as it’s gonna take some time to shrink and, let’s face it, it’s not like I’ve been taking part in a strenuous workout/toning regime over the last 4 months. I’m looking forward to working on that as I think it’s making me bigger than I am if that makes sense? What I did buy however is a pair of black combat in a size 36 inch waist no less. They were a bit snug but I’m still losing and it’s the sort of material that will stretch out with wear. I was in two minds about them then the missus said the magic word. She said they were very slimming. The sentence was barely out of her mouth and I was at the counter. I’m taking em back though. In the euphoria of getting into a size 36 and the missus saying they were slimming I completely forgot to check out the length. They’re a tad short. I bought a regular length but I think I need a long. They do a good job of holding me in though but I can still ‘untuck’ the belly skin and it’s pretty shocking. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not THAT bad but bad enough to consider getting the ab toner out…..

 

Oh this was happening on Saturday by the way. I’m feeling pretty knackered today as we’ve had a busy weekend. Getting the Christmas decs out of the loft was a er….. interesting experience but I do fit up there quite a bit easier now. The advantage comes at a price. I’m actually somewhat of a weed now lol. I was always the one people used to phone to help move/lift stuff but I struggle now. It’s weird cos I go into this kind of thing with confidence then end up putting my back out! You may remember me moaning about carrying my son around on my shoulders a few weeks ago. Well, I still do it when shopping to keep him out of mischief but it’s even harder now. When I think that I’ve lost over two and a half times what he weighs now (he’s nearly 4) it blows my mind. Didn’t do my back much good though. The weekend rounded off yesterday with me getting out of a trip to my in laws cos my youngest was ill. A couple of hours with the Playstation (LittleBigPlanet is fantastic! Even the missus played for a bit and she HATES games.) while the baby was having a nap was just what the doctor ordered.

 

On the diet front the scales are going down albeit a bit slower this week. I guess that’s to be expected. I had 5 weeks losing 5lbs or more in a row so it’s bound to slow down a bit. You know what I always say though. You never know until you get on those scales. Anyway, morning ‘true weight’ is now 15 stone 3lbs (BMI 28.9). The reason I snuck my BMI in there is cos at my current weight, I wouldn’t be able to do Lighterlife as a new starter! You have to have a BMI of 29 or over and 3 stone to lose!  

 

I mentioned in my last post about doing two weeks this week. I think that’s what I’m gonna do. As next Wednesday is Christmas Eve, my LLC is moving our weigh in to the Tuesday. I don’t think I’m gonna bother. I’m going to pay for 2 weeks worth of packs on Wednesday and power through crimbo. That means my next weigh in (after this week) will be Tuesday the 30^th December (also a day early). That’s when I’m hoping to hit my major target of 100lbs lost. I’m seriously considering carrying on abstaining for 2 weeks into January now though. As this week is week 16, I’m due a blood pressure and measurement check. As I’m not due again until week 20, I might carry on until then. I won’t need to have the week 20 BP check done if I’m going into Management on week 21 as it’s no longer necessary to have it done once you’re eating again. If I stop on the 31^st it’s almost like wasting 2 weeks of hassle free abstinance. With a bit of luck though, I will reach my target on the 30^th so anything I lose in those extra two weeks is bonus weight and a bit more contingency for life post Lighterlife.

 

On the food pack front I’ve found a new breakfast. Peanut bar dunked in hot black coffee is verging on orgasmic! I’m also getting quite good at making ‘crisps’. I’m still having most of my soups as soups but the ‘crisps’ do add something different. Chicken or Thai Chilli make the best ones. Baking parchment is the key to success though. I’m going to need stuff like this for over Christmas as I’ve just found out that most of the wife’s family are now coming over on Christmas Eve as well as Boxing Day. To be honest though, I don’t mind. I find that when you’re hosting you’re far too busy to enjoy yourself anyway. I keep telling myself it’s just 3 days. I CAN survive it. There’s no point kidding myself that they’re just the same as any other 3 days cos they aren’t. I’ve been used to 28 years of letting go for those 3 days and this year I’ve got to be super disciplined. I’m not worried about lapsing. It’s just not going to happen but I don’t want to be too miserable either. I’m sure I’ll be fine. As with every year, it’ll be over before I know it.  Then I have to deal with New Year lol!

 

I finally got the hair cut from the wife that I’d been badly in need of for about 2 weeks (she’s always busy this time of year) and she did say that my hair felt thinner. I was expecting it to be honest as some hair loss is quite a well documented side effect of the Lighterlife programme. It doesn’t help that there’s a spotlight in the ceiling above my bathroom mirror so it makes it look worse than it is. I’m sure it’ll be fine though. If worse comes to the worst, I’ll have a number 2 all over. I think I may be slim enough to pull it off now rather than looking like a bowling ball!

 

I must say, I’m really looking forward to this weekend. If past experience is anything to go by, at some point on Saturday or Sunday the scales will begin with the 14 and I’ll only have single digits to go before I reach target. That should be just the boost I need to get through the festive period intact.

 

G

6 of one, half a dozen of the other – Week 15 weigh in – Day 106

 

Well, Wednesday the 10^th of December is going to go down as a day to remember. I had my week 15 weigh in last night and lost another 3.5lbs. Whilst that’s the lowest weekly loss since I started the lighterlife plan (probably due to being weighed earlier in the day last week) it still pushed me over the top of two very big targets. I’ve now lost over 6 stone and have a BMI of less than 30. So I’m now officially ‘overweight’. Regular readers will remember that I hit BMI 30 in the morning a week or so ago but it’s nice to hit the target at lighterlife too. So, big targets mean……. Stat attack!

 

Starting stats on the 27^th august 2008

 

·         Weight 305lbs (21 stone 11lbs)

·         BMI 41.4

·         Body Fat 38%

 

Current stats on 10^th December 2008 (week 15)

 

• Weight 219lbs (15 stone 9lbs)
• BMI 29.7
• Body fat 23%

 

That’s a staggering 6 stone 2lbs loss and almost 12 BMI points! Just to round this all out, my morning ‘true weight’ stands at 15 stone 5 lbs (BMI 29.2). On the body fat front, I’m not entirely sure my starting one is right as I’m doing it from memory. I was very surprised at 23% though. Anyway, for my age and height, anything under 20% is considered healthy. 4% to go!

 

To lose 6 stone has always been my big pre Christmas target and I’ve smashed it with 2 weeks to go! The ultimate goal of 100lbs lost is now well and truly in sight. I have exactly 1 stone (14lbs) to go. I’d love to hit it at New Year in 3 weeks time. More than doable I think. With that said though, my stats will be slightly off over crimbo. My lighterlife counsellor has decided to move our meeting to the Tuesdays before Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. A full day early. To be honest, I’m considering doing 2 weeks from next week to get me through Christmas and not go to another weigh in until Tuesday the 30^th December or go the day before Christmas Eve and power through New Year. Hmmmm, I’ll have a think about it. Anyway, back to targets. No time to dwell. More targets on the horizon! Another 5.5lbs will mean I’ve lost 30% of my original body weight and another 6.5 after that is a 7 stone loss. Full steam ahead! Oh and not to mention that if I love over 5lbs my scales in the morning will begin with a 14!!

 

Had a bit of a result with the group last night. There was just me and one other there when I got there. I don’t know where everyone was and when I asked my LLC she said ‘You tell me’. I told her that I wasn’t bothered about staying. She normally wants to push on anyway of there aren’t that many of us but, as it was only two, she left it up to us. Talk about a no brainer! So I was out an hour earlier than normal. As next week is week 16, I have another blood pressure check due. It may even be my last one as I will start management before the next one is due on the 14^th Jan (week 20). I should also be having some more measurements done next week. I don’t know to what extent I’ve changed size over the last 4 weeks to be honest. I mean, I’ve lost over a stone since week 12 but there’s an awful lost of toning that needs doing! I’ll also get the missus to take some more pics in week 16 as the last lot were week 8. Who knows, I may even post em. A nice Christmas present for you…. NOT!

 

TFI Friday tomorrow. The week seems to have dragged big time for some reason. With that said though, can you believe that 2 weeks today is Christmas day?! Where the hell has 2008 gone? I can’t believe it! We have a hectic weekend as always with last minute Christmas stuff to get. I’ve also got to put the decs up as we’re visiting my Nan in Brighton next Sunday. We only really have Sundays to do this stuff as the wife works on Saturdays. We’re going to a birthday party on Saturday night where I’ll be seeing quite a few people that I haven’t seen since I started. I know this is going to make me sound like a woman but I have nothing to wear! This is my current wardrobe. 1 work suit, 4 work shirts, 3 t-shirts and a pair of jeans. How pathetic is that! I can’t wear one of my old tent shirts cos then I won’t look any different! Stress! I also need to do my Christmas food shop as it goes. Got to get the turkey in for the family on Christmas day and leftovers on Boxing Day. I’m kinda glad we’re hosting on Boxing Day to be honest. I’ll be running around making sure everyone has what they need all day. I also expect to spend most of Christmas day putting together kids toys and sticking stickers on em! Like I’ve said before though, it’s only 2 days. I’m sure I can do it. I take that back, I will do it. There is honestly no doubt in my mind. Will I struggle more than usual? Probably but it won’t make me crack. I’ve come too far! I’m far too set in my ways lol.

 

G

 

P.S. I almost forgot, thanks to everyone who has commented on the blog. I really appreciate them. Special mention to Kurt who commented in my last post and called me an inspiration! Thanks Kurt, I really appreciate that. Anyway, he’s started up his own lighterlife blog here. Check it out!

You never get a second chance at a first impression – Day 103

 

//Deep breath. God I feel better now. Had a big presentation to do this morning. Not many people (about 15) but they were the 15 most senior people in the company. I’ve been stressing about it big time but it’s over and done with now. Seems to have gone ok and I’ve got some positive feedback so far. This situation has further confirmed that worry/stress is my key trigger. I really struggled on the plan yesterday mainly cos I was worrying about today. I’m gonna need to figure out a way to address this in the future. I think I’ll use the treadmill upstairs to get my buzz instead of a mars bar! I’m pleased to report though that I didn’t crack and what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger!

 

I think I’m going to hit the 6 stone lost this week but I’m preparing myself for my lowest loss so far due to being weighed earlier in the day last week. That’s ok though. As long as I lose at least another 2lbs this week, I’ll hit the 6 stone. Long time readers will remember me saying that I’m not a fan of ‘cooking’ the lighterlife food packs as it’s not really abstaining from food. With that said though, I’m so bored of the stuff that I decided to have a go at the ‘crisps’ this weekend. I know I’m not practising what I preached but I think my last post summed up how I’m feeling when it comes to abstinence. I think I’ve got as much out of it as I can so now I need some variety. Anyway, had a go at the Thai Chilli crisps and I broke a plate lol! Obviously went into the microwave too long. The crisp looked like a disaster so I made a soup up with the rest of the pack. That was a shame cos the crisp actually cooled and came out quite well. It’s not earth shattering or anything but it did provide a bit of much needed variety. I’ve also put a spoonful of coffee into my cold chocolate shakes and that’s not bad either. It’s no Starbucks Frappuchino but what do you expect?

 

As this weekend was a struggle, I went back to the wardrobe. This is a regular occurrence for me as it makes me feel much better when I put on some of my old clothes. I look stupid though but there you go. The outfit I thought I’d never fit into now fits ok. If anything, the jeans are a bit big. Also, the skin tight T-shirt I bought off eBay last year (that is supposed to be a xxl) is almost to the point where I could actually wear it in public. That’s good news as I have about 3 t-shirts that fit me and I have strict instructions not to buy anymore before Christmas. I also bought a new work shirt to check out the size and I comfortably fit a 16.5 neck (I used to be an 18). To be honest, a 16 would be better around the neck but I need the extra chest room due to man boob issues lol.

 

Other developments. I have the new car and very nice it is too. I dropped my iphone on the driveway and cracked the hell out if the glass screen. I have an appointment at the Apple store tonight to get it fixed. I’m not a happy bunny about that at all. Our Christmas shopping is finished and I have NO holiday left at work! Oh well. I was always pulling Christmas duty anyway as I had it off last year (so to speak lol) and I guess it’s only another 3 weeks and get a new lot of holiday. I need to be more disciplined with it next year though but I say that every year!

 

So now this presentation is out of the way I can focus on other things and actually start looking forward to Christmas. The kids are at good ages for it now so it should be good times all round. 17lbs to go before I can eat!

 

G

100 days of Lighterlife – Week 14 weigh in – Day 100

 

Although my week 14 weigh in was on Wednesday I decided to delay the post an extra day as today is my one hundredth day on Lighterlife! One HUNDRED days! Jeez, when I say it like that it seems ages. I guess its gone quick but there have certainly been some dragging weeks. Anyway, on to the good stuff. I didn’t attend my counselling session this week as both the kids have been ill and I needed to be at home. As a result, I got weighed a little earlier with less water in me. I lost an excellent 5.5lbs in week 14. That’s a total of 82.5lbs or 5 stone 12.5lbs in 14 weeks and just a couple of pounds away from a 6 stone loss! Just 17.5lbs to go before I hit my target of 100lbs lost (7stone 2)! As I was weighed earlier than normal I’m expecting a slightly lower loss next week. That’s ok though. At least I know why.

 

I was also correct in that my previous post was indeed my last as an obese person. Although my lighterlife weight gives me a BMI of 30.2 my morning weight of 15 stone 9lbs gives me a BMI on 29.7. Woohoo! I’m in the twenties! It all seems a bit weird. I really remember sitting here reading other people’s blogs and looking at their progress and finding it very difficult to even dream of getting there. Before I know it, I’m one of those people. Any regular readers will remember that my ambitious goal of losing 6 stone before Christmas should be smashed next week! A full 2 weeks early! I’m basically looking at another 4 weeks of abstinence before I start the management programme. With that said though, when I get through Christmas without deviating from the plan, I may just carry on for a couple of weeks into January. My current strategy is to build in plenty of contingency. The more the better to be honest. I’d like to end up after all this is finished as 14 stone something. Being 13 something going into management should make that end goal easier as I believe you still lose a few pounds and the first 2-3 weeks of the management programme.

 

I’ve found that my attitude has changed over the last week or two whereas before I was quite apprehensive about going back into the world of food, I’m actually quite excited about it now. Whilst I do feel I’ve got something out of the counselling provided by lighterlife, I think I’ve got as much as I’m going to. Don’t get me wrong, I like getting together with the other chaps and the group sessions do motivate me but the only reason I’m still abstaining from food is to lose a bit more weight. I think I’m on top of my ‘issues’. With that said though, I stand by the Christmas challenge. If I can get through that, I can get through anything. Christmas also has the potential to derail me big time. I guess it would be like an alcoholic giving up drink then going to a wine tasting evening (or something like that lol). It’s just not worth the risk. Next Christmas I’ll have the better part of a years worth of successful maintaining behind me so I’ll be able to afford a bit of extravagance for a day or two.

 

So, on the target front it all seems to be coming together quite nicely. With 4 weigh ins left in 2008 I have 17.5lbs to go which requires and average loss of 4.4lbs. Fingers crossed I should hit it. Mini goals are progressing quite nicely too. 6 stone is the obvious next one which I should hit next week along with a lighterlife BMI of less than 30 and, if I have a good week, I may weigh less than 100KG too (I already do in the morning). So, if I do hit all those next week, I just have 3 targets left. 30% of my original body weight (91.5lbs), 7 stone lost (98lbs) and the big one (100lbs lost).  I should be due some more measurements in a couple of weeks too and I’m going to take some week 16 pics. I have week 0 and 8 pics so it seems to make sense to take some in week 16. Don’t worry, I will post them one day!

 

So, onwards and upwards. I finally feel like I’m on the home stretch. Then I get to eat a bit of skinless chicken breast lol.

 

G

 

The end of an era – Day 96

 

If you can believe it, I’m ill……..again! So much for dodging the bullet with the tonsillitis. I well and truly have it now. Anyway, had a days holiday off work on Friday as the missus needed to help her Nan move house and she needed someone to have the kids. Went to the car dealers first thing and made a pretty good deal on a new car. All the paperwork is going through the motions as we speak so I should be picking it up on Friday. It’s a silver Ford Focus and like a luxury limo when compared to what we’re used to. Really looking forward to getting it but I’m already paranoid about scratching/denting it etc. I guess it’s always like that with a brand new car. I’m sure the novelty will wear off pretty quickly. It’s quite funny really as one of the reasons for us buying our current car was my size. When we had the second baby, it became a tight squeeze so we had to change it. Needless to say I don’t require quite as much room as I did before so we can afford to have a slightly smaller car now. Keeping the new machine in tip top shape is going to be the hard part. I’ve already stated the whole, no food, drink, sweets etc in the new car thing but the reality is that I only drive it weekends. What the missus does in it with the kids god only knows…..

 

Well, on to lighterlife. The weekend went ok. Pretty usual to be honest. I’m glad to see that the scales are moving and have been for most of the week. This is quite a departure from last week where it felt like all my loss happened on the day of weigh in. Anyway, you’ve read before that I use my LighterLife weight as a method of tracking lbs lost but my morning weight is what I consider my ‘true weight’. I can be quite confident in my morning weight too as I know my scales are pretty much in line with the LL ones. Anyway, I’m into the fifteens! I weighed in at 15 stone 12lbs this morning. It’s always a great feeling when you just tick over to the scales starting with a different number. It also makes me feel like I’m on the home straight. Even though I have around 20lbs to go, I know that first number is only going to change one more time. 14 stone 9lbs is my target (at LL) and 14 stone 5 at home. That’s 7 stone 2 lost or 100lbs exactly. Anyway, back to my current weight. There is currently a bigger milestone at stake. I’m posting today cos I feel I’m about to become a new person. At 15st 12lbs my BMI stands at 30.1 or ‘Obese’. One more pound and my BMI will just tick over to 30. That’s in the ‘overweight’ category! I remember posting a while ago that being ‘overweight’ was a big target for me and that it sounds like a strange thing to aim for but I’m finally here. I know it’s only a number but you have no idea how much I’ve been longing to shed this ‘obese’ label. I am promising myself that when I do shed that tag; I’ll NEVER be obese again. I’ll probably never hit the ‘healthy’ BMI of 25 but, depending on what you read, the healthy range can go as high as 28. That’s certainly doable cos a 100lb loss gives me a BMI of 27.3 and if I can stay there, I’ll be well and truly be happy. I think breaking that psychological barrier from obese to overweight is going to feel quite strange. I think I’ll actually start to feel like one of the crowd. I don’t know how commonplace a BMI of 25 or under is but I’m willing to bet there are more people out there with a BMI between 25 and 30.

 

I was just saying to the wife last night that my head still hasn’t caught up with my body. I’m clearly a lot smaller as all sorts of people are noticing now and seeming quite surprised when I say I’ve got a little way to go yet. I guess I’ve always had that niggling feeling of being obese in the back of my mind. When people have commented on how much I’ve lost I would still say something along the lines of ‘yeah but I’m still classed as obese’ etc. I don’t think ‘yeah but I’m still classed as overweight’ is going to have the same impact lol. I guess the response I’d get would be along the lines of ‘Who isn’t!?’. I do wonder if there’s anything I can do to address this situation as I still feel big. I think it’s just time to be honest. 3 months is such a short amount of time to lose so much weight that it’s bound to take my mind a while to catch up. I know big people reading this will understand but I still find myself looking at seats etc and wondering if I’ll fit. I had to go into the wife’s Nan’s loft the other day and spend 5 minutes wondering if the ladder would take my weight. There are countless things like that that you just do as a big person on complete autopilot. Like the other day, my dad is a big bloke and I was in an oversize shop getting him some clobber for Christmas and I was talking to the wife and saying some stuff about big people. Things like us preferring stuff in Black and wanting stuff to be lose etc. It was only when I was getting a funny look from the bloke behind the counter that I realised what I was doing. I was being quite insulting. Even though I was talking about myself! What am I supposed to do? Be like Monica out of friends, go up to the guy and tell him I used to be fat? One of the things that big people retain the right to do is the take the piss out of themselves and others on weight related issues. I don’t think I can get away with that for much longer and it’s a really strange feeling. Hiding behind humour when it comes to weight issues is how I’ve survived over the last ten years. It seems that now I’m more likely to get a punch in the nose! This makes me wonder if I’ll always be a big person at heart. When I think of the future I hate to think that a really big person might look at me or hear something I’m saying and think that I just don’t understand or never will. Does that make sense? I think I maybe need to get some T shirts made or something……

 

So with a bit of luck this will be my last post as an obese person. God, when I say it like that it almost brings a tear to my eye.

 

G

 

P.S. You know me though. Full speed to the fourteens!