Year of the Diet

Wednesday, 16 October 2013

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, 9 October 2013

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.

Wednesday, 2 October 2013

Wednesday Weigh-In - 2 October

No much to report this week on the diet front. The scales have stayed where they were last week, keeping me at 15st 2lbs. That may come as a surprise given my lengthy jog at the weekend, but it makes perfect sense to me. Anything I lost in the course of that hour will have been offset by eating more in the days leading up to the race to build up energy supplies, and through enjoying a few cold cans on Sunday night to toast my success.

No Score Draw

With the race over and target weightloss for the year already surpassed, there could be an urge to slack off. I will admit my motivation is not as high as it was, but as far I'm concerned there is still work to do. I'd love to get below 15st in the next couple of weeks so have set myself that little target. If I reach that, I'll have to take things from there.