On the comeback trail

After yesterday's fairly downbeat entry, I'm pleased to report I'm closer to my usual self today. I didn't get a brilliant sleep last night, with the little man making himself known at 4am, but I managed to chalk off a few solid hours before hand and that made a world of difference. I won't say that I was completely chipper throughout the day, but nonetheless a very different personality to the moody beast that filled my shoes on Monday.

The cameo run last night helped restore some resemblance of sanity. It was a defiant slap in the face to the doom clouds I'd allowed myself to be swallowed up by in recent days. The turnaround will have come too late to see any benefit on the scales tomorrow (expecting another gain) but whereas I've been eating without a care for the consequences, the last 36 hours has seen restraint.

I've not run tonight. I could have done in some desperate attempt to get back to even on last week's weigh-in but to be honest that seemed futile and a waste of a training run. Instead I plan to go for what will be my longest circuit to date tomorrow evening, subject to the weather.

Fundraising has been going well, with the total inching towards £300. I struck on the idea to sell Cadbury's Creme Eggs after seeing they were on offer at Tesco (12 for £2, bargain). I bought two boxes for the office and invited my colleagues to have them at 50p a pop with all proceeds going to the run. The idea caught on and I subsequently sent three boxes to my friends at RateMyPlacement - whether I go home with the award at their bash next month or not, they are an incredibly good bunch, and I'm grateful for their support.

I don't fear the scales tomorrow. What will be will be. When they show me as heavier than last week, it will be fully merited. However, I now feel in a better place, ready to embrace the tried and tested diet rituals, train hard for the half marathon and get on with every day business that has seemed such a struggle of late.

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Wednesday Weigh-In - 25 September

One week on from passing my 15st 7lb target, and it would have been very easy to relax after months of dieting. I could have treated myself to something tastily unhealthy. I could have made a serious dent to the booze supply my gorgeous wife stockpiled last week when there was a pricing glitch at Tesco. But I didn't. I declined the offer of takeout on Friday night, not wanting to impair my running on Saturday morning. I chose not to buy something quick, easy and overpriced at Waterloo station on Monday and waited until I got home to have some lunch. You don't just need discipline during a diet.

Instead I've kept things going, the result of which is another 2lbs lost, following on from the 4lb loss last week. I'm now weighing in at 15st 2lb, the lightest I've been for 4 years.

Those numbers keep going down

I head into my debut 10k in better shape than I expected when I first signed up to it. I recorded another PB for the 5k last Saturday and look forward to the challenge that Moor Park brings this weekend. My colleagues and I are rather overwhelmed by the generosity our friends, family and workmates have shown in supporting us in raising money for the Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre. We're now well past £500 and may yet raise a bit more. Thank you to readers of the blog who have donated. If you've not yet done so but would like to, head over to www.justgiving.com/teampcc

Whatever happens on Sunday, I'm proud of my acheivement. I knew the weightloss would happen as I've made a diet work before, but the running was new territory. I'm still learning and won't always get it right, but Sunday does not present me with any fear or apprehension. I've been building towards this over the last few months and have the chance to do something I've never done before. Bring it on.

In Autumn 2006 I weighed 24st and looked like this

This weekend I'm 9st lighter and running a 10k

Proof if you need it that you can make changes in your life for the better.

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Seeing is believing

This evening when I sat down to eat dinner, my jeans started sliding down. My wife enquired if I was showing off because my waist has got smaller, which I laughed off. That hadn't been my intention - I'd simply forgotten to transfer a belt from my work trousers. However, thinking back now on that comment, I'm raising a bit of a smile. A few weeks ago I would have struggled to wear these jeans at all. Tonight, I need a belt to stop me flashing a builders bum around the house.

My 4 month old then celebrated with me by sharing a little bit of milky vomit on my jeans, which was most generous of him.

It does make me wonder though. I know that running is great for weightloss, but how will a prolonged period of running over the next few months (assuming I maintain current enthusiasm) affect my body shape? I'm not expecting miracles - having scaled down to 14 1/2 stone in the past I know that my tummy resembled a saggy Tesco carrier bag rather than a well chiselled six pack, courtesy of retaining the body skin of a 24st bloke. However, in the course of dieting back then, I rarely hit the treadmill, preferring instead to use a cross-trainer or exercise bike for cardio work, mixed with fixed weight resistance training.

Starting from a smaller waistline this time around, coupled with several years of not being as big as I once was, maybe the results of my anticipated weightloss will produce something more aesthetically pleasing than just happy bathroom scales. Time will tell I guess, and seeing will be believing. In the meantime, I won't complain if my jeans occasionally slide down - beats the hell out of busting your trousers down the seam!

My trousers last December - split at a petrol station

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