This is the End?

News of my intention to allow this blog to lapse met with something of a negative reaction from my loyal readership. It doesn't have a wide circulation but clearly my friends and acquaintances on Facebook who have suffered a bombardment of links to this site over the past 12 months have not yet had enough and want YearOfTheDiet to continue.

Taking note of the feedback, and quoting The Jam, 'the public gets what the public wants', though I'll add I have no intention for Going Underground or to be Down In The Tube Station at Midnight Therefore, for the foreseeable future at least, I'll keep blogging. I can't promise to be as prolific as I have been over the last year (117 posts and counting, nearly 1 every 3 days) but if there is a market, no matter how small, for a bloke to write about his weight and conversion to running, it might as well be me who meets that demand.

It is probably a good job too. Since writing the last article on Wednesday, I've effectively drifted into eating mode without yet getting to Christmas week. It is one thing putting on the pounds when enjoying the festivities (and I certainly plan to do so) but it is quite another when you are just eating for the sake of it. That is a bad habit which I can't afford to allow to creep back in if I want to maintain my sleeker self. A good run tomorrow morning should help with that, though given the rain this week and the overnight frost, I have a feeling Black Park could be a little sludgy come Saturday.

Less of this please Graham

So there you have it folks. This site is not done yet and neither am I. Just when I thought I was out........

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Wednesday Weigh-In - 11 December

The blog has gone quiet over the past week, somewhat reflecting how in the last 7 days the diet has not really been top priority. During the second half of last week, my little one was poorly, full of seasonal bugs which made for a gruelling few days on limited patchy sleep. In such circumstances, I like anybody else struggle to maintain discipline when my body tells me it is aching for rest. As such, the shackles were removed and I fuelled up on chocolate, crisps and whatever else took my fancy. Sometimes a bit of badness is justified and this was definitely such an occasion.

Of course, when the clouds started to lift, I could have reined things in a bit, but didn't. On Saturday I effectively had two main meals after enjoying a hot lunch with friends before being treated to a roast dinner by my wife later in the evening. On Sunday the buffet available at my mother's house during a family gathering was far too tempting not to indulge in, going back for extra helpings. Yesterday I had my work Christmas lunch, a three course affair topped off with a frankly ridiculous but rather yummy Mince Pie Sundae. 

And so with all that combined, it came as no surprise that for the first time in months, the scales on a Wednesday morning displayed a weight gain. Just a solitary lb mind.

Upwards Motion

Does this mark the turning of weightloss fortunes and suggest a malaise setting in? I'd like to think not. I expected worse if truth be told so consider a marginal increase to be a bit of a result. But just in case a small part of me mentally believes everything is done and dusted, well I have news to the contrary. 

Just signed up to run the Maxifuel Dorney Lake Half Marathon, running to raise sponsorship for @SHINEUKCharity http://t.co/opygXDeChz
— Graham Kaye-Taylor (@bigfatrebel) December 11, 2013

Yep, another running challenge beckons. The Saturday morning 5k is a jog in the park nowadays. The 10k in September was so 2013. Next year I'm raising the bar and will run my first half marathon. You can read about the inevitable charity fundraising over on my Just Giving page or by clicking the button that I've added to the right hand side of the blog.

2013 has been Year Of The Diet. 2014 will begin by getting myself ready for 22 March. Wish me luck.

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Weigh-In 20 November

Junior has left me feeling rather weary after a series of night times that have been very patchy on sleep. With that in mind I'll keep this entry short, but sweet. Two pounds lost since last Wednesday, meaning I'm now the lightest I've ever been as an adult, and can probably go back several years into my childhood too.

Like this!

Back in the days before I started blogging, I used to track my weight on a spreadsheet. On 18 November 2009 and for one week only, I got down to 14st 4lbs. Well, fast forward virtually 4 years to the day and I've gone one better. If you can forgive a break from the convention of the Wednesday article, I'm also including a snap of the scales when set to display pounds. For the first time, this starts with a 1, rather than a 2 or even a 3 as I've been accustomed to in the past. Very much like this.

Like this more!

Wild celebrations followed the weigh-in this morning, in the form of a trip to CostCutter where I treated myself to a Nature Valley Crunch oat thing and a bottle of Ribena Light. I certainly know how to rock the diet boat these days.

Hopefully I'll be rewarded with a bit more sleep tonight from Junior. If not, he may find himself being subjected to The Ashes.

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That snail is fast!

During half term, I took my eldest to the cinema to watch the film Turbo. Without trying to give the whole of the pretty feeble plot away, there is a snail who dreams about motor racing. Following a small accident involving nitrous oxide, 'Turbo' finds himself moving at a faster pace than your average garden snail. Without trying to stretch the point too much, I can see a little bit of correlation between me and this kiddie flick. Admittedly, I've not consumed chemicals to give me special powers, or been taking under the wing of a Latino taco vendor. But as the months have gone by I've become a stronger faster runner and at the weekend I notched off another personal milestone.

Before I started doing the ParkRun thing on Saturday mornings, I did a bit of reading on 5k races. An article from Runners World grabbed my attention suggesting that 'breaking the 25 minute barrier marks you out as a committed runner' . While I know from reading various forums that this comment was rather sneered at by some in the running community (yes, looking at you skeletons in vests who find this exercise business so much easier than us mere mortals) it provided me a target to aim for.

Since July I had attempted 15 timed 5k races, with my quickest at 25:28 and my slowest at 30:06. Last Saturday, at the 16th time of asking I improved on my PB by 29 seconds and just managed to sneak inside sub-25, crossing the line in 24.59. This doesn't mark me down as anything special, indeed I was one of 123 runners at my event who completed the course within 25 minutes. But I can't imagine too many of them were morbidly obese just a few years ago and incapable of running a few metres without sweating and wheezing uncontrollably.

How much faster can I go? I imagine things will become a little more tricky from here onwards. I'd like to think that maybe there is a sub-24 minute run in me but time will tell. Maybe if I have a little bit of what Turbo is drinking. That said, the times aren't important in the overall scheme of things. It is good to have something to aim for, but the important thing is I'm maintaining regular exercise which is helping me to become fitter and healthier. The fact I'm enjoying it and look forward to damp cold Saturday mornings is a welcome bonus.

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Wednesday Weigh-In 16 October

Last week's three lb loss was always going to be tough to follow up, not least as I didn't have a sneaky blood donation to help me along the way. Having got under 15st my goal for the week was to keep it that way, rather than necessarily push on with the diet. Consolidation is important from time to time, as pushing too much can be detrimental, either by weakening yourself or by causing a relapse.

With the weather turning, I went shopping for a winter coat on Monday.  Despite having got down to this size before I had never bought myself a smaller coat for the colder seasons, so this was a nice treat. With my little one in a nursery taster session, I had time to browse rather than do my usual trick of look online beforehand and then spend a couple of minutes in a physical shop to make the transaction.

After 4 or 5 shops where I left somewhat disappointed by what was on offer, I found what I wanted. A navy blue woolly duffel coat, complete with hood. I loved it and loved it even more when I found that I fitted nicely into an M size. I've road tested it a couple of times already on the school walk this week and it keeps me lovely and warm. Give me a silly hat and some marmalade sandwiches and I look like Paddington Bear! Having bought this, I now have a responsibility to ensure that I still fit into it until Spring comes around.  There is a bit of give, but aside from Christmas week, I don't plan on expanding.

Back on message, the scales this morning read as follows

So, despite not really chasing weightloss this week, I have still managed to wave goodbye to another 2lbs. To celebrate this morning I could have taken advantage of child free time by visiting a café for something delicious, or head to Burger King which I've been craving recently.  Instead, and despite the pretty miserable conditions, I've been for a run. 

My result on Saturday morning wasn't all that I had wanted it to be, so a bit of midweek training was the order of the day. I'm giving serious consideration to running a half marathon in the spring, so probably need to get used to the wet and the cold, as if I do sign up there is only winter training ahead. I've read that one of my friends and readers of this blog has signed up for the London Marathon (go Tina!) but I don't feel that distance is realistic for me just yet. But the Silverstone Half, following in the footsteps of my brother-in-law who did this earlier in the year sounds appealing. Watch this space.

Wednesday Weigh-In 9 October

Time for a bit of a confession. In the days following my 10k, I contemplated ending this blog. After achieving my weightloss goal and getting through the challenge of the run, I was left feeling somewhat deflated and questioned why I would want to continue writing about my efforts to lose weight when I've done all that I set out to achieve at the start of the year. This is fairly typical Taylor mentality. I remember my grandad used to stop taking his medication because he was feeling better, ignoring the fact that the tablets were what was helping him to do so. When he stopped taking those pills, the wheels would fall off. While I don't consider this blog to be the major factor behind my success, it has been a contributory factor, knowing that good or bad I would be sharing my story with those who wanted to know. And so those negative thoughts have been cast aside and I'm pushing on until at least the end of the year.

A few things happened this week that got me to snap out of my mini slump. My leaner shape has meant that I've had to shift towards the smallest clothes in my wardrobe. It isn't a terribly manly thing to admit, but I've moved down a size for my underwear. I've been dusting of my M-sized t-shirts which means I've been proudly wearing my green Duffs shirt that I had on display in my Visualise Your Weightloss article back in January. I had to buy a belt as my 'skinny jeans' were no longer staying up by themselves. I used to have to wear a belt to compress my stomach to fit into trousers. Now I'm using one to stop my trousers falling down in public. Got to love that!

I also really enjoyed meeting up with a dear old school friend during the week, who I don't make enough of an effort to see or speak to. It was fantastic to see her and her little girl who is growing up fast. As and added bonus, her mother was there too who has not seen me in a while and used the term 'hunk' to describe me. How things have changed from yesteryear.

With a bit of motivation restored, I headed for my Saturday morning run in a determined frame of mind. Having ticked off the 10k, I wanted to see improvement in my 5k performance, and had high expectations of obliterating my PB. As it turned out, I knocked 28 seconds off (finishing in 25:28) and yet despite this was left somewhat disappointed. It says quite a lot that I can do that and feel negative, but the simple fact is I know there is more to come and in the coming weeks will strive for further improvement. I'm never going to be a pacesetter, but while I'm still on an upward curve I can't wait for Saturday morning to come and get better and better.

As an added wow moment, I saw another person I went to school with at the ParkRun. I didn't say hello as it must have been 15 years since I last saw him, and he was with company. He was someone I'd know during primary school and throughout secondary, and was somebody I'd have described back in those days as one of the more sporty lads. When the results came through I didn't just look for my time but also his. I was surprised not to see his name above mine when I first scanned the results page, so I looked again. I couldn't find him still and then it dawned on me that perhaps I finished ahead of him. So I looked down the results, and kept going. Eventually I found him. Over 10 minutes behind me. Now I don't know what has happened to him in the intervening period since school; maybe there has been a sports injury that affects his performance, maybe he's just got older and filled out while I've gone the other way. All I know is that this rather crudely hammered home to me that I'm doing bloody well right now, both with my weight and this running lark. Long may it continue. (For the curious St B's and HF crowd, click here and find the runner who finished in position 323)

So where does this leave me this week on the weight front? Well, it has been a productive. 3lbs shed, meaning I'm dipping under 15st for the first time since the end of 2009. I'll hold my hands up an admit I donated blood yesterday, which could be considered as cheating the day before a weigh-in, but that in itself would not account for the 3lb loss.

Happy scales, with neighbouring cat tail

So that is another target hit. Sub 15st. Next up in 14st 7lbs, and hopefully a sub-25 5k run.

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Wednesday Weigh-In - 11 September

One week into this daddy day care gig and I think it is time to take stock of how things are going. Heading into my additional paternity leave there was several things that caused me concern which could have had a negative impact upon the diet. Firstly, losing my regular access to a gym. Secondly, losing a daily routine. Thirdly, boredom leading to the fridge.

On all three counts I have to say so far so good. I do miss the buzz of hitting the treadmill in my lunch break but I can't really say that I've been lacking in exercise. Like a geek I measured out the route to my son's school using the RunKeeper app, and it told me that it is 1.04km. Multiply that by 4 for two return journeys per day and multiply the sum by 5, and that means in a typical school week I will now be covering 21km on foot. With a pushchair no less. It is a different sort of workout to what I'd get through 20-25 minutes three times a week at the gym, but certainly not to be sniffed at. Throw in my regular 5k doing the Saturday morning parkrun, and an additional run I managed on Sunday to help with my 10k training, and you could easily argue I'm more active now than when in work.

Going from a regular routine of breakfast-work-gym/lunch-work-home to a blank page could have been challenging. As it has turned out, the lack of routine has just meant creating a new one. Getting both boys ready for the trip to school. Identifying windows to give baby his meals and tend to his medical needs. Picking up after school and getting the boys fed and ready for bed.

With all of that there has been little time for boredom. A spot of gardening, doing laundry and a bit of hoovering help pass the time during days when I've not organised anything else. I've had coffee mornings with a former housemate and former colleague. Pottering to the local shop and library. The only day where I've noticeably consumed more than usual was on Saturday when as usual I was famished after doing the 5k and plundered the Walkers multibag.

So with my initial fears allayed, how are things going on the diet front? Well, with boredom alleviated, and gym trips subbed for schoolrun on foot, I certainly wasn't expecting to gain weight over the last 7 days. The scales for the last two Wednesday mornings have told me I am 15st 10lbs. This morning they told me this.

So very close

The weightloss continues. I'm so close to my target of 15st 7lbs I can almost taste it. 40lbs down, 1lb to go. Another good week and hopefully I'm hitting that mark. So much of my motivation for losing weight this year has revolved around my boys. It would be a nice way to reach my goal with a little helping hand from the daily school walks with them both.

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Wednesday Weigh-In - 4 September

My eldest began his first day at school a short while ago this morning and for the next two months I am a stay home dad with my youngest. No more Monday morning blues until the clocks go back. No more commuting in school traffic. It all sounds great and I'm grateful for the opportunity to spend quality time with the little one, but there are implications for my diet. No more lunchtime trips to the gym. Restricted opportunities to go running. Sitting dangerously close to the kitchen throughout the day.

Losing the regularity of working life will present a challenge. I'm going to have to install routine to my days to ensure I don't find myself bored and reverting to old habits. Sure I've got a beautiful nearly 7 month old to keep me occupied, but he isn't going to physically keep my hands out of the biscuit tin.

Coming off a long weekend at a Haven with the family, I anticipated putting on a little bit of what I lost last week. Nightly drinks in the showbar, sandwiches rather than salads, and no running since last Wednesday pointed towards weight gain. That didn't happen though.

No score draw

I've somehow managed to stay the same as last week, which is an unexpected bonus, giving me hope that this two month hiatus from the world of work need not see a reversal of weightloss fortune. I'm going to miss my regular trips to the gym, but will make do with walking to and from school twice a day, plus whatever exercise I can fit in during the day with the little one in tow. It looks like a nice hot sunny day, so may try to get some gardening done to burn a few calories.

So a new era is under way. With only 3lbs to go before I hit my target, it'll be interesting to see how long it takes to reach the goal under these different conditions.

Reasons to be cheerful

It is a Bank Holiday weekend, and while the weather for the most part has been pretty miserable, I've found plenty of reasons to be cheerful.

Yesterday morning I got back into the running groove and brought up a new personal best for the 5k, clocking 26:20, beating my course record by 31 seconds and taking 15 seconds from my overall PB that I ran in Bradford two weeks ago. Armed with a new set of clip-on headphones, this was the first time I've run with music in my ears and it helped with the trudge around the damp Black Park. Also for the first time I adorned a running vest which wasn't incredibly flattering. I think I'll have to find myself some biceps from somewhere if I'm going to wear it more often.

Headphones good, vest displaying untoned flabby arms bad

Later in the morning I attended my eldest son's graduation ceremony. He's not some child genius, but his nursery like many others run a nice little event to mark the end of his time there before the transition to school. With my boy dressed smartly for the occasion I had to peer into my wardrobe to find something decent to wear (the vest was a definite non-starter!) To my great surprise, I found myself comfortably getting into my jeans and so smugly wore those along with a M-sized short sleeve shirt. Happy days! The graduation was very sweet and all the kids looked fab in their gowns. Regrettably I missed most of it as the little one was a bit on the grumpy side, but there was a nice little family picnic afterwards, admittedly sheltered from the rain.

One man and his boy - can't quite believe he starts school in a few days time

Saturday evening I had a rare night away from the boys and went to visit my best man and his baby daughter. I purposefully drove to avoid making it a boozy trip and ate beforehand despite the knowledge that my pal would be ordering himself a curry. I was pretty proud of myself at declining leftovers, despite the veggie samosa looking so good. When I got home I didn't have a drink either, so rare brownie points for me on a Saturday night.

Today has been a pretty quiet affair, with my lovely wife letting me catch up on lost sleep by sending me back to bed mid-morning. It is always good to recharge the batteries once in a while and I very much appreciate the opportunity. When I woke up, news filtered through on the phone that my friend James had done really rather well in his Triathlon, completing the course in under three hours. A few weeks back he was trying to encourage me to do one with him, though as I pointed out, I'm still learning the ropes with running, and felt trying to cope with three disciplines would be a bit much. Still, I'm full of admiration for him, not least as he opted to raise money for the Shine Charity who were such a great help to my family. So may I very publicly say well done mate, and thanks to everybody who sponsored you.

Looking at the clock, in five weeks time, all being well I will have completed my first 10k race. It is coming around quickly now so will have to up my game in my preparation. I know my colleagues are doing the same and collectively we're looking forward to it, albeit with a touch of apprehension. Please support us if you can as we bid to raise money for the Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre http://www.justgiving.com/teampcc

And if I needed further reason to be cheerful, there is no work on Monday because of the bank holiday. In fact, with time creeping forward to the end of August, I won't be facing Monday Morning Blues again until November, as I'm due to start my period of Additional Paternity Leave. It will be a shame to lose the gym as a result, but I'm very much looking forward to spending quality time with my little one and getting his big brother settled into the school routine.

Whatever you're up to for the rest of the long weekend, enjoy!

Time to tighten the belt?

English: A worn, black leather belt with buckle. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I've learned over the years that there are two sorts of milestones in dieting. There are the ones that you aim for i.e. specific weight, and then there are the ones that just happen when you're not paying attention and pleasantly surprise you. One of the latter happened to me this morning.

As I was walking into the office, I could hear a clinking noise with every step taken. It wasn't keys in my pocket or loose changing jangling. It was my belt which was making the noise, because it was too loose. I went to tighten it to the next hole and found there wasn't one, and so I removed the belt altogether. It wasn't doing anything functional and apparently it is not needed to hold up my trousers.

So, I've either had a mysterious X files case where my belt has grown longer, or my waist has shrunk in recent times. I'm thinking that the truth is out there and so won't be calling in Mulder and Scully. I've certainly never aimed to buy a smaller belt but it looks like it is something that I'll be doing in the near future, and that feels pretty good.

Signed up and raring to go

It was back on 11 January that I first mooted the idea of running a 10k. However, despite liking the idea in principle, it remained just that and was put to the back of my mind. I had more important things to focus on with the birth of my son, his surgery and recuperation. Then there was the small matter of getting back into the routine of having a baby in your life. Understandably, the running was shelved.

Quite what made me decide to hit the gym and embrace the treadmill when I was at a conference in May I really don't know. Part of it was bloody-mindedness I suppose, having joked over drinks the night before that I'd be up early to exercise. I'm so glad that I did haul myself out of bed though as it provided a springboard for what came next.

I've typically gone to the gym three times a week, primarily to run. It wasn't easy to begin with. Indeed I found it quite a frustrating experience as my asthma combined with poor level of fitness would not let me do what I wanted. Through much perseverance, my stamina improved and got me to a point where I wanted to test the water with an organised run.

My first ParkRun came in early July. A 5k weekly free event, I puffed and wheezed my way round the course in just over 30 minutes. In subsequent Saturdays, I have improved week upon week, notching up a sub-27 minute finish last time out. I look forward to Saturday mornings, and often find myself visualising the course, trying to work out where I can cut out a few seconds next time out.

So having moved forward on the exercise front in recent months, what am I to do next? Well, the logical thing is to go back to that subgoal for this year and participate in a 10k. And that is exactly what I am going to do. Yesterday I registered for the Moor Park 10k event on 29 September, and together with colleagues who are fellow rookies at running, we are looking to complete the course and in doing so fundraise for a worthy charity. All donations are welcome 

In the next 8 and a half weeks, I'm going to have to up my game. I've never come close to running 10k, so I will have to find time to run beyond what I'm doing already, and get my legs and lungs ready for the race. If I can continue to lose a lb a week as I have done recently, I'll be getting close to my target weightloss around the time of the race. Wouldn't it be great to hit that mark and then cross the finish line? One can hope! The important thing is to get myself physically ready for the run and if by doing so I can close in on my goal in the process, that would be a nice bonus on the side.

Some hard miles ahead then. 8 weeks doesn't seem nearly long enough to get ready, but then in less than 8 weeks I went from completely unfit to finishing a 5k. I can do this, and look forward to the challenge.

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