Wednesday Weigh-In 18 December

Without getting all flowery and emotional, this entry effectively represents the end of a yearlong journey. Today is the penultimate Wednesday of 2013 and with the last one Christmas morning, I can pretty confidently say this is the final Wednesday Weigh In. I mean I could mount the scales on 25 December and blog away rather than spend that time with my wife and boys, but then I might as well start looking for a bedsit and consult a family solicitor. It's not going to happen folks, so this will be final weigh in for 2013.

And like all good seasonal stories, we're going to end on a high note. Following last week's minor blip, 7 days of being reasonably on the dieting ball has resulted in a loss. I stood on the scales this morning at my lightest yet; a full 21 lbs below the target I set myself for the year and a grand total of 62 lbs lighter than when this project started back on 2nd January. Or if we want to look further back in time, 10 stone less than I was at the end of 2006.

What 14st looks like

What 24st looked like

I've little doubt that in the coming fortnight I will indulge and find the scales a little bit less respectable in the New Year, but I think I've done enough in 2013 to merit a little time off during the festive season. I have one eye on the half marathon in March so will continue to run the Saturday morning 5k this week and next, and even ventured out for a relaxed 6k jog on Monday evening with a view to upping my training in the new year. But in between times, I expect to eat, drink and be merry like everybody else.

The only cloud on the horizon that I can see concerns the future of this blog. With the 'YearOfTheDiet' drawing to a close, and my aim for 2014 to maintain body weight rather than actively diet, it would render this site rather redundant. Publishing my weightloss progress in a public arena worked as a great motivator to ensure I was successful, but if weightloss is no longer on my agenda, my witterings on here will become less prolific. And lets be honest, most of my readership don't want to witness me go on about running all the bloody time.

So is this the end? Probably not quite. The blog will remain open and dare I say it if things go overboard next week I may need to open myself up to public scrutiny on Wednesday mornings once more. Knowing me I doubt I'll be able to restrain myself from penning the occasional article, so this is more Vera Lynn than Good Riddance But thanks for following my progress over the last year, for the feedback I've received along the way and if you want to make 2014 the year when you want to lose a few lbs, you can count on my support.

Related articles

• Wednesday Weigh-In - 4 December
• Wednesday Weigh-In 13 November
• Wednesday Weigh-In - 27 November
• Wednesday Weigh-In 23 October