Off to a fast start

When taking the decision to lose weight, a lot of people want a quick fix. I'm not necessarily one of those people as I've been battling the bulge over a number of years so know that a long term commitment is required rather than instant gratification. That said, I was delighted by the outcomes of 5 days of sensible eating. For those who missed it, my first Wednesday Weigh-In of 2015 showed a 10lb loss in less than a week.

On any other week of the year, that sort of drop would cause all manner of alarm bells to go off, but immediately following Christmas and New Year it is acceptable. All those extra calories consumed from eating junk and excess drinking had to be eliminated, and a little bit of a detox to start 2015 has paid off. Where others may fall off the dieting wagon is when the next week is not quite so successful. And it won't be. If you lose 10lbs a week, every week, you probably need to see a doctor rather than count your calories.

I achieved my loss through keeping things simple. Porridge for breakfast. Soup for lunch. Whatever I fancied for dinner in a good sized portion. No snacks. No alcohol. Bread off the menu. Throw in a 5k run and that was my recipe for success.

Imagine 10 of these. Gone. From your weight. Happy days

Last night I found myself eating a little more for dinner than I have on previous nights, and helped myself to pudding too. The scales this morning remained friendly. All things in moderation, then back to my porridge/soup combination so far today. I know this works for me, and I have the willpower (when motivated) to stick to the plan. Until I can raise my fitness levels and bring more exercise to my routine, food control is my chief method for weight loss.

I won't have lost another 10lbs by my next weigh in. But if I keep good habits and don't steer too from the path that I have found successful, I won't be gaining. I've made a terrific start to wrestling back control of my waistline. The challenge starts here to back that up in subsequent weeks and months.

Soup Glorious Soup

Finding something to eat at lunchtime is always a bit tricky when dieting. When you're hard at work but skimping on the calories, you want to have a meal that satisfies your hunger, will get you through until dinner and not do too much damage to your waistline. A pretty difficult combo.

During the summertime I opt for a light salad but while the weather is cold, grey and miserable, such as today, my preferred option is soup. Firstly, when served hot it takes a while to eat which is always a bonus. Second, you get that warm comforting feeling in your tummy from a hot meal, without the bloating of a big dinner. And finally, it is fairly cheap and easy to do, whether you make your own or buy ready made.

Today I was lazy and went for the latter. My reward was a tin of Newgate Vegetable Soup, bought for not very much from Lidl. It claims on the packaging to be wholesome and tasty. I'm not completely convinced by either of those, but given it has been the best part of 4 hours since I ate and I've not felt hungry since, I can at least say it was effective.

Does not come supplied with Blue-Roll ears in supermarkets

If you are thinking that soup for lunch sounds like a good idea, here are a few pointers to help you along the way.

1. Soup only. Don't be tempted to have a bread roll with it. Yes it would be nice, but lets be honest, if you're dieting bread is not your friend.
2. Check the packaging before you buy. You'll be surprised at how many calories can be packed into a little tin of soup. Avoid the ones that have the word Cream in the title, and also be wary of some of the chunky varieties. My vegetable soup came in at a grand total of 164 calories, which translates as less than two slices of bread for a sandwich. More calorific options may prove counter productive.
3. Never think that a cup a soup will do the job. Water and granules is not lunch. You wouldn't consider instant coffee a meal would you? From a tin or carton will do, unless you've blitzed up your own.

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What motivates a man to diet

Three days into the diet, and I've forgotten just how tiring it can be when your body has an endless supply of fuel cut off. I've moved beyond the stomach burn sensation and instead found myself lethargic. It has been tempting to reach for some sugary badness, but I've resisted so far. I'm writing this at 2.30 and dinner time seems a long way off.

As things stand, I don't have a specific target to work towards in 2015. I'm not booked in for any long runs, though I'm quite tempted by the idea of the North London Half. A course that runs right through Wembley Stadium certainly appeals, but it comes around a little too soon for me to get into any sort of shape. Having done the Royal Parks Half back in October without a great deal of training, I'm reluctant to make the same mistake again.

I guess my main motivation remains as it was when this blog started out a couple of years ago. I wanted to be fit and healthy for the sake of my boys, and that hasn't really changed. I'm not going to be much use to them if I continue with the gorging I've done in recent months. There are too many reminders in my life right now which demonstrate the fragility of our existence, and it would be a waste of my time on Earth if I continue to eat myself to an early grave.

Later this week, I plan to attend the funeral of a guy who I've been going to football matches with for over a decade, He passed before Christmas at the tender age of 34. I wrote this tribute which was published in the Slough Town programme for the match against Burnham that was due to be played yesterday but was called off due to a waterlogged pitch. I've been to more than my fair share of funerals over the years, but rarely have I had to go one for one of my peers. It certainly puts things into perspective and makes me realise how lucky I am to be alive and have a family of my own.

This month marks the 25th anniversary of my father's death. As someone who lost their dad as a child, I owe it to my boys to ensure they have a daddy who is fit, healthy and around for the long term. And so gaining control of my eating, cutting down on drinking and returning to fitness is my immediate priority. As such, there will be plenty more photos like this appearing in the coming months to chart my progress.

I was too big for my running vests and shirts - I won't be forever

Elvis has left the building

Over the festive period, I found myself watching a documentary on Elvis Presley. Towards the end of his life, he piled on the lbs through overeating, becoming a bloated caricature of the man he once was. I don't need to wear Blue Suede Shoes, or check into Heartbreak Hotel to tell me that in the past couple of months I have overdone things. Unlike the King of Rock 'n' Roll, I will be taken corrective measures to stop my decline, starting today.

The diet is back. I opted for porridge this morning. It has clearly been a while since I've had some as I forgot to empty my Oats So Simple sachet into the bowel before I measured my milk, which led to some confusion. I then managed to spill porridge on my jeans twice. Not a great start to the day but at least the food side of things was in order.

This morning I've not eaten anything else. The burn has been there. It has been a long time since I've felt it and am quite surprised at how quickly my body has told me to fuel up. This probably explains why.

As recently as October I was comfortably under 15st. The scales this morning gave me this reading

Even factoring in Christmas, that is an irresponsible weight gain. I've added approximately a stone and a half in two months. And it shows. I've had to dig larger jeans and t-shirts out of my wardrobe. My belt is barely going round my waist. I'm looking and feeling chunkier. And I hate it. I knew I was getting bigger too, but was in a bit of a tailspin and unable to do anything about it. If I'm not in the correct frame of mind, I am my own worst enemy and have been locked into self-destruct mode. I don't know why a change of calendar year makes a difference but it does for me. A chance to wipe the slate clean and regain control.

I'm having soup for my lunch, but will pass on having any bread or rolls with it. Then a long afternoon beckons waiting to eat this evening. Perhaps doing this on a non-work day was not such a good idea. Time will tell.

Wednesday Weigh-In - 5 March

Another quiet week for the blog, though this time due to circumstance rather than grand design. The little man was poorly at the end of last week and the earlier part of the weekend meaning I spent a lot of time with him and not a lot with the laptop. Rightly so.

Having had a big loss last week, spending time with an unwell munchkin did not bode particularly well for the waistline. The day and a half I took off work to care for him gave me a green light to feast and I didn't really hold back. Fortunately I gave myself some additional wriggle room last Wednesday night by running for just under 10 miles, my longest training session yet, which helped clear the way for medicinal toast and crisps. With a couple of shorter runs thrown in on Sunday morning and Tuesday night, and more controlled eating since the weekend, I struck a reasonable balance.

The net result of the last 7 days is a 1lb loss taking me down to 13st 12lbs.

I'll sound like a broken record, but this again is the lightest I've been. I see the irony in that being the case as my chair at work starting to disintegrate under my weight this week. It used to support me when I was 10 stone heavier, but the fabric started to pull apart on Monday and I could feel myself sinking into it. When I was a bigger man I used to break things with regularity, particularly toilet seats and wooden furniture (I was the nemesis of Ikea futons). It brought a wry smile to think that in my current size, my chair should start to give up the ghost.

I've got my industry awards to look forward to on Friday. To leave with the award for my category would be nice, though I'm already salivating at the thought of the Bento Box buffet and a couple of celebratory/commiseration drinks. Follow #NUEAwards on Friday from 2pm if you want to see how I get on.

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Wednesday Weigh-In 26 February

The wobbles are over. To be honest they were over when I wrote last week's weigh in article as I'd already dispensed with the gremlins and recovered what all dieters need, namely control. I've been somewhat quiet on the blogging front over the last 7 days, at least with regards to dieting. Usually when I go for periods without writing it is because I'm in an unhappy place and don't want to face the music. This week it has been more a question of quietly going about my business, with a steely determination to claw back some of the gains of the past three weeks.

As it has turned out, I've wiped the slate clean. And then a bit more. I've gone sub 14 stone for the first time since I don't know when. Probably 20 years or more. Maybe even a little further back.

Yikes!

While I have been very focused on the job at hand and disciplined with food since the last weigh-in, I've not exactly been living off rabbit food. Last Thursday I bought my son a McDonald's for a lunchtime treat and had one myself. Twice I've enjoyed Truly Irresistible Sticky Toffee Pudding with plenty of custard, thanks to Co-operative and their deliciously tempting half price deal. I've kept away from bread during workdays but indulged in cheese on toast on both Saturday and Sunday. There was even a little bit of grazing on Sunday, but I've become quite comfortable with the idea of having one day a week where I'm picking at things to eat, so long as the remaining 6 I'm not.

This week's loss then has been achieved through control. I've laughed in the face of the biscuits and chocolates being offered to me at work by colleagues. I've kept away from snacks all week, with the exception of Sunday. McDonald's was eaten in sensible proportion, having a medium size wrap of the day meal. Years ago I'd have plumped for a super size meal with at least 1 additional item from the saver menu on top. The toffee pudding was a bit of a vice I admit, but then one night it was factored in as a reward for a 5k run in the morning, and replaced booze which I've quietly taken off the menu.

With all of my focus on my weight, I have dropped the ball somewhat on the exercise front. Beyond my parkrun on Saturday morning, the only time I've pulled on the running gear was last Wednesday night when I didn't go particularly far. Interrupted nights courtesy of the little man combined with a bit less energy from ditching the junk has meant I've not really been up for exercise. I'm acutely aware that the half marathon is less than 4 weeks away now so will have to put in some lengthy training runs between now and then, which means I'll need to fuel up. It was worth sacrificing a few miles in the last 7 days to help restore my sanity. Let's hope it sticks around for a while longer.

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Wednesday Weigh-In - 19 February

There was no need for atmospheric music building to a crescendo this morning. I knew the outcome of Wednesday Weigh In long before I jumped onto the scales. For the third straight week there is a gain and whereas there have been no alarm bells ringing out in previous weeks, my attention is now firmly been gripped. A tipping point was reached a couple of days ago, and now I’m consciously moving back into diet mode. There is no point in talking about maintenance if all I’m doing is piling on the pounds.

Not a giant leap for mankind, but an unwelcome upward trajectory

I stopped the rot on Monday night, putting an end to the feasting that has become daily ritual of late. While it was too late to reverse the effects of the preceding days, it felt good to call it quits. It is a very strange feeling knowing that you are hurting yourself with food, but when I’m on a downward spiral, I find it very difficult to stop. Although never formally identified, I tick most of the characteristics of a binge eater. Compulsive overeating is more than just seeking comfort from a box of chocolates or a tub of ice cream. I certainly never got to 24 stone through indulging in just an occasional treat. It is a constant need to eat, whether hungry or not, despite knowing that I don’t need to.

When I find myself rummaging through cupboards grabbing handfuls of breakfast cereal, I know there is a problem. Recognising it as an issue is the first step to addressing the situation. I’ve become adept at dieting through adopting a tight disciplinary approach to what I consume, thus suppressing compulsion. My attitude towards weight maintenance has probably hindered me. I was supposed to be keeping things steady at 14 stone rather than looking for further weightloss. Psychologically I think this was a green light for my defences to drop and with broken sleep thrown into the mix, I cooked up a nice big portion of dieting sabotage.

The good news is I feel I’ve emerged from the slump. Yesterday I didn’t deviate from my three meals, barring a couple of mouthfuls of my eldest son’s leftovers. I rejected biscuit and chocolate overtures from colleagues. I kept my grubby mitts away from the cupboards apart from when there was legitimate reason to do so. I feel like I’ve re-established control and pushing this dieting juggernaut back on track. Even the little man obliged last night giving me a whole night in my own bed for the first time in quite a while.

The last three weeks have seen me gain 4 pounds. I’m making demands of myself to have a loss next week. With good eating habits restored and intentions for some lengthy training runs in the coming days, that is a realistic target.

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Wednesday Weigh-In - 12 February

Last week I was positively laissez-faire about gaining 1 pound. This week I'm incredibly relieved that I replicated the feat rather than multiplied the damage. It appears that my idea of maintaining a healthy weight consists of stuffing my face like a lunatic for several days and then putting myself through 48 hours of detox ahead of a weigh-in. Not exactly a healthy way of doing things and certainly not a methodology I'm keen to repeat in future.

My Achilles Heel over the past week has been biscuits at work. Buy a pack with the intention to have an occasional treat, and before you know it the packet is empty. Repeat the next day. And the next. Over the weekend I didn't do myself any favours either, drinking more on Saturday night than I really needed to, and for no reason. Sunday I went to my mother's house and predictably ate to excess (Love your mother loathe her cooking) and while I did follow this up with an 8 mile run later that evening, it didn't take a genius to work out that I would be up against it for the weigh-in this morning.

So another pound gained. Alarm bells are not ringing yet as I've been fully aware of what I've been doing. I also know what needs to be done to reverse the trend. Cut out the extras and remain disciplined. Sounds so easy and yet the temptation is always there.

No great surprise

If I needed motivation to get back to it, the fact that I have just over three weeks until I attend an industry awards event should help restore food sanity. While I've always maintained this dieting lark is about being healthy, I'm allowed one day a year when vanity takes hold! I'm up for an award titled 'Outstanding Contribution to Work Experience' and having been a finalist in the same category the last two years without taking home the gong, I'd like to think that it will be a case of third time lucky. I've bought a new suit to reflect my smaller physique, and know I'll be in front of photographers and camera crews. You don't get many opportunities to feel like a rock star working in Higher Education, so when the chance comes along you want to make the most of it.

Two years ago I was 'Highly Commended', receiving a bottle of champers from Olympian Steve Backley which was nice. Last year I had much more important things on my mind than winning, as the Awards fell just a few days after my son was born and was still in special care following his surgery. This year, well we'll just have to see. Win or not, I want to look my best, just for one day.

Highly Commended - Close but no cigar!

So hopefully I've got my recent gorging out of the system now. A few weeks of being relatively good will mean I can head to the NUE Awards on 7 March looking good, feeling great and hopefully will have something to celebrate by the end of it.

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364 Days Later

I’m not quite sure where to begin with this article. Do I chasten myself for buying packs of biscuits at work last week and scoffing the lot? Shall I talk about experiencing 4 seasons in 5k on Saturday morning, when a mix of glorious sunshine, rain, hail and gusty winds made conditions testing for ParkRun? The 6 cans of cider on Saturday night? Going to my mother’s house on Sunday where I consumed fruitcake, chocolate cake, trifle, a huge dinner and biscuits, before setting off for an 8 mile run in the evening? Or how about managing to remove the skin from my heel this morning courtesy of an incident with a wheelie bin?

To be honest, while all of the above could fill a number of blog articles, the only thing I’m really interested in writing about today is reflective of where I was 12 months ago. On this day last year, my wife and I pootled off to hospital unsure of when we’d be home again. Full of nervous energy in anticipation of meeting our little boy and seeing how his surgery would go. The next morning we met him and our journey began. Tomorrow we celebrate his first birthday. In that context, all of my trivial diet/running ramblings are rightly put in their place.

Wednesday Weigh-In - 5 February

The headline news this week is I've had my first gain of 2014. However, in the immortal words of Corporal Jones, 'Don't Panic'. The scales put me 1 pound heavier this week compared to last Wednesday, but I've no reason for concern. It may sound a bit defensive but what is a pound anyway? I'm using scales which round up or down to the nearest pound. It is a marginal gain at worst.

Up, but not down

I'll admit I've not been particularly diet focused, but then as I said last week I'm now in maintenance mode and so a little movement up or down from 14 stone is not unrealistic. There were a couple of cans on Saturday night ending dryathlon. There were fewer runs than the previous week. Yesterday was my wife's birthday and so I enjoyed a large slab of chocolate cake, rather than go for a 4 mile run the night before a weigh-in like the previous Tuesday. I'm certainly not blaming the gain on a nice treat!

On a more positive note, I feel slimmer. A belt that I bought back in October because my existing ones were too big is now in danger of being replaced having moved onto the last hole at the tight end. I'm also going to have to think about getting my wedding ring resized as my fingers are smaller than they used to be and it has been noticeably looser of late.

I'm feeling good on the running front. I've mapped out some longer routes for me to try out as I push my training forwards in the next few weeks. Yesterday I received a bunch of donations on my sponsorship page and I've recruited some colleagues to bake some wonderfully sugary badness for a Macmillan style coffee morning next month, with proceeds going towards the run. I'm looking forward to a bit of indulgence when that comes around.

Over the next 7 days it would be good to see that 1 on the picture above drop back to a 0. I'm giving blood later today so if I was so inclined could check the scales tonight for reassuring comfort. But I'm very happy with where I'm at right now. I'm not blase enough to say the weight can take care of itself, but so long as I don't do anything silly, my exercise will keep things in check.

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Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

My blogs on a Sunday night tend to be quite negative affairs. I've usually eaten too much and am feeling a little sorry for myself when I come to write them, and could quite easily have penned an article that maintained form had I got around to writing this earlier. However, unlike previous Sundays, today had a happier ending to report.

Yes I've consumed a hell of a lot more than I would during the week. There has been cheese. There have been bags of crisps. Toast came back into my life and then there was the smaller matter of the roast dinner I cooked for the family this afternoon. I should have felt bloated. I should have beached of the couch tonight. Instead I checked on the weather, felt that my evening meal was far enough down the digestive tract for exercising without nausea, and then pulled on the running gear.

The net result? Well, whereas yesterday I really struggled with the 5k, tonight I ran 10k in 52 and a half minutes. http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/471158571

This will either set me up well for a couple of well disciplined days ahead of the weigh in on Wednesday, or make me feel like hell. The jury is out on which way it will go but I'm expecting to be a little sore in the morning.

Despite my relative struggle on Saturday morning, it has been good to get running again after the self-imposed break for illness. Since Thursday I've clocked up just under 21km, effectively a half marathon. Sometime between now and 22 March, I've got to pull the three workouts into one and not spread it across different days.

A good way to end the week. Hopefully the next one will be more productive still.

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Wednesday Weigh-In - 15 January

It appears that I didn't need to leap back in time to make amends for my weekend consumption. I just needed to get off my backside and go for a lengthy run. Last week the scales had me at 14st 4lb. This morning I'm weighing slightly less. Maybe it is time for me to become less hysterical after some bad days and focus instead on the majority of the week when I am a lot more disciplined.

Apparently I should feast on chocolate more often

Of course it could be considered cheating to go for a near 10k run the night before a weigh-in, but then my focus at the moment is more about fitness to ensure I'm ready for the half marathon in March. There will be a lot more midweek runs like this in the next couple of months so it stands to reason that I’ll need to upscale my fuel to ensure I've got the energy to do so. I guess I just need to find that balance of enjoying a little often, rather gorging a lot on occasion.

I expected to feel pretty dreadful today but my body has reacted well to last night’s exertions. A few simple stretches and a good night’s sleep seem to have done wonders. I’ll probably pay for it later on today but it is reassuring to know that not only can I go for longer runs, but that it isn't physically to my detriment.

This morning when I was getting ready for work, I could help but raise a smile when Spotify gave me ‘The Distance’ as the first song on a playlist. Either there is some very clever analytics work going on, or this was a complete coincidence.

With a colleague retiring today, I'm expecting to see quite a lot of cake in front of me. I'll enjoy some of that and will do so guilt free.

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Now is not the time to be Dappy

Have you ever thought what life would be like if you were to swap places with a TV character? You could find yourself running The Queen Vic, avoiding Dappy’s advances on Celebrity Big Brother or be twirled around the ballroom in the arms of Brendan Cole.

If I had the chance to switch into a role right now, I’d pick Sam Beckett. I’d want to go back in time, to put right what once went wrong. If Ziggy was dialling up percentages for me right now, I’d be told it would take a Quantum Leap for me to lose weight this week.

So what has gone wrong? I’m not quite sure I could put a trigger on it. All I know is I’ve resembled a pig throughout the weekend, and couldn’t keep my snout from the trough. I avoided alcohol as has been my plan for the whole of January, but I think a can or two would have been preferable compared to the amount of garbage I’ve consumed. Crisps. Toast. Chocolate Brazilnuts. The best part of half a tin of roses. It hasn’t been my finest hour.

And yet the weekend had started so positively. Despite the ground conditions remaining less than favourable, I chalked up another PB forthe 5k. A mere 2 seconds off, but considering the previous effort nearly killed me and I was feeling pretty fresh afterwards this time around suggests I’ve further room for improvement. But that was the high point of the weekend. The rest of it was all about eating junk.

Now is not the time to be dappy. There is plenty of work to be done this week. The plan is to get things back on track, get out for a few evening runs and grin and bear what the scales display on Wednesday morning. I’m not going to waste my time kicking myself for a slack weekend, as I can’t jump back into the past. When things don’t go according to plan, it is more important to focus on what you can change, rather than dwell on mistakes. Lots of spinach today then.

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