A new beginning

Hmmm where to start? A lot has happened in the world since my last post............Credit crunch, Recession, a Black President of the U.S.A, England qualifying for a major tournamont at the first time of asking (Wales failing again!) Michael Jackson and Jade Goody both gone! Peter Andre and Jordan split up....Who could see that coming??

So what of me? Well some may say I failed...........possibly! Did I lose the weight I hoped to...No! Did I lose weight?... Yes and more importantly have I managed to keep it off?...The answer most of it. As I sit here typing I weigh 16 stone 5lbs so a stone lighter than January 2008 not bad at all I think?

Now why am I suddenly back here typing my thoughts you may be asking.....but probably not as I'm probably talking to myself!!! Again! The answer is somebody has instigated it, who?...Is it a friend? a colleague? A random blogger.....No idea! An anonymous comment on here has reignited my enthusiasm. Never one to dodge a challenge and seeing this innocuous comment as a gauntlet thrown down I have decided to start again.

What to do? Decisions decisions...Those of you in the corporate world will have come across many acronyms from time to time, well heres one you will all know very well; S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, achievable, Realist, Timed) with this in mind I think 1 stone weight loss by xmas day is both realistic and challenging. So there it is 14lbs to lose in about 14 weeks should be fun.......

Watch this space.

Oh and to the anonymous commenter....Thank you!

Spring is in the air

Now I'll fess up straight away, I've not been entirely motivated this last month in fact I've been as disciplined as ken dodd with his tax returns.....I know showing my age, but if you "got it" then your getting old too!

Thing is .......No I won't make any excuses suffice to say I've been tempted once or twice.

But now the clocks have gone forward with those gloomy dark nights behind us I feel a new lease of life, oh and the tempereture actually got to 14 degrees at one stage today, I nearly put the beach boys on while driving along in the car.

Anyway the question is How much do I weigh? The answer 16 stone 11 surprisingly, meaning I've lost a grand total of 7lbs so far after 8 weeks. So thats another 28lbs to lose in 44 weeks with a windsurfing/mountain biking salad eating summer ahead. Happy Days.

Yoyo dieter........Who me?

Day 7

Well one week in and I've lost 2lbs happy days and that after my little over indulgence over the weekend. Now 2lbs is probably not a great deal to lose in 1 week but take into account that if I continue to lose weight at that rate its 1 erm........(calculator) ah yes 108lbs ( I knew really!) That would leave me looking thinner than Victoria Beckam at a sumo wrestler convention.

Now I should clarify a couple of points here and now, Firstly I know I am not fat so loved ones please dont worry I dont look in the mirror and see an elephant looking back, I have no slimming disease (many others possibly but the doc says the cream will sort me out!) This Blog is more about the challenge, as I said earlier I want to change the way I think and act towards health and food while losing 35lbs over the next 12 months. The second there are a few out there in the normal world who would label me a yoyo dieter.....you know who you are! This may well be true ( although I'm going to need one heck of a piece of string to carry this Yoyo) again the point of the blog is to help keep me focused and on the straight and narrow while having some fun along the way.

1 week 2lbs excellent only 33lbs more to go.....now wheres the number for the takeaway gone!

Marathon not a sprint!

Just as well as I'm not built to sprint anymore than Gordon Brown is fit to govern this country!

Day 5

365 days is a long time, it certainly seems it only 5 days in sat here with a pint of water and an apple in front of me! Is'nt he doing well you may be thinking!............Not so I'm afraid I over indulged over the weekend well Saturday evening to be exact.

It was one of our closest friends 40th Bithdays and to celebrate we all went to a rather plush restaraunt in a Oswestry and had a fantastic night, well I did! Now I can honestly say I went with the best intentions in the world, armed with my newly found armoured will power and adamant I would not fall into my usual habits. The battle plan was well thought through with the key tactics being I would choose suitable dishes from the menu as a compromise....good idea right? Wrong the plan failed quicker than a liberal democrat election campaign. I started with the chicken pate followed by the lamb shank! I know, I know but hey whats a welshman to eat the night we beat the English on their own turf at Rugby. Worse was yet to follow.......Eton mess for dessert! all in all more food than a burger eating american state such as Florida! and I'm not telling anyone about the 8 bottles of wine we polished off between 6 of us! ssssh it'll be our secret, anyway Mike if your reading this the puddled look on your face and the man hug at the end would suggest you had far more of it than me! Happy Birthday matey.

So there it is my first setback, nobody said it was going to be easy otherwise wheres the fun in the challenge right!

Oh and thanks to those of you sending me words of encouragement it helps to know someones reading this! After all theres nothing worse than talking to yourself is there?

First Thoughts

Day 3

Sooo many nice things!

(Still 17st 4)


Why is it when you can't have something you want it all the more?

The problem I have is temptation! When your job relies on you spending most of your time in stores packed to the rafters with convenience foods, Impulse snacks, Alcohol etc... you know you your going to need discipline.

Imagine if you will........Your feeling a bit peckish and you walk into the store, The first thing that hits you is the smell of freshly cooked bread or pies the next thing you see is rows of brightly coloured confectionary all seemingly calling your name! At this point I am normally offered a coffee....great a distraction....wrong the offer of a coffee comes with the offer of sampling the latest hit in the store and you know its not going to be a banana! more likely a chocolate muffin or triple choc cookie!

I work in a hostile environmet for those of us unfortunate enough to have to watch our waistlines, an environment designed to bombard your senses from the moment you enter the store, to test your resolve with brightly coloured keenly priced impulse bargains ready to jump off the shelves and onto your waistline.

Over the next 12 months if I am to be successfull and achieve my goals this is just one of the barriers I will have to overcome. If only chocolate and cheese were slimming foods! So please if your ever granted 3 wishes forget world piece and switch the calories between veg and chocolate........oh happy thoughts!

Oh and If your reading this Camilla a bag full of free chocolate isnt helping! Though family and friends are enjoying.

Every journey starts with a first step

Day 1 Realisation:

Have I just woke up this morning and become overweight?.....Of course not. Have I woken up this morning and just realised I am overweight?......No, The truth is I have realised for quite some time I am overweight and chosen to laugh it off, ignore it, deny it and on times accepted it. I have for short periods of time even attempted to address the issue but given up all too easily and failed. Not this time though today I have taken the first step to not just losing 35lbs but to change my life!

Over the next 364 days (1 down already!) I am going to change the way I behave, not just the way I eat but the way I excercise, the way I act and most importantly the way I think.

Why 365 days?...........Well why not? ok if I'm honest I stole it! After weighing myself today I realised things are getting out of hand and I needed to do something, but what? The intenrnet seemed as good a place as any to start so after a few searches I have found http://www.fatmanslim.com/ with Dr Ian Chapman, a free 365 day programe to help you achieve your goals and it appears to be free...Brilliant.

So there it is day 1 first step lets see where the journey ends.