Hmmmmm
Well we're a month on from my last post and its like I've been standing still no progress on the weight loss for over four weeks but we're back into the swing of things now and I'm at pretty much the same weight I was a month ago. Its not like I haven't been enjoying myself though, we spent a week up in Scotland and have been to a music festival this weekend just gone (Lovebox) and I've had a few drinks, eaten some bad things and generally had a good time.
The root of this falling off the wagon was definately the trip to Scotland and it wasn't as if I hadn't foreseen the problems its happened to me before, if I break my routine for even a few days and eat off program than I have real issues getting back on track, this time its happened again.
So this morning I jumped on the cross trainer and toiled away for 20 minutes and I'll be eating sensibly and not just popping to Boots where the only sandwich I like is the chicken bacon and mayo one, and if I'm having that I might as well have a packet of crisps too :/
The target for the next two weeks is to get down below 280lbs, <280lbs is a milestone as it means that I'll be back under 20st. 20st sounds like a lot doesn't it? Thats because it IS a lot! Bare in mind thought that I 'm now in 44"(down from 46") trousers and I don't wear them under my gut I wear them properly, given my weight I don't think this is too bad and a lot of people say I carry my weight well and find it hard to believe when they find out how much I actually weigh. I'm hoping this means that under a thick layer I'm still harbouring a good amount of muscle which will prove useful when it comes to getting back to weight training :)
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Monday, 7 July 2008
Back and set back
Well I'm back from the wilderness and I've had a couple of weeks off diet and not done myself any favors but I did have a great time in Scotland. Weight has gone up to 291lbs but at the end of the day you have to enjoy yourself sometimes.
I was back on the cross trainer this morning and will be every day from now on, gym attendance must also start in the next week or I'll just be throwing money away on it.
Mangaed to shoot on Saturday before going to The Mighty Boosh festival which was great fun, saw the Charlatans again and some other great bands, the Boosh were great and I think the festival could become a regular event :)
I was back on the cross trainer this morning and will be every day from now on, gym attendance must also start in the next week or I'll just be throwing money away on it.
Mangaed to shoot on Saturday before going to The Mighty Boosh festival which was great fun, saw the Charlatans again and some other great bands, the Boosh were great and I think the festival could become a regular event :)
Monday, 23 June 2008
Normal service will be interupted
Sorry for the lack of updates over the last few days its been a busy weekend.
First news is that I shot my new bow for the first time on Saturday morning and it ROCKS, once I had it shot in it definately improved my scores and enabled me to concentrate on my technique, the limbs are certainly heavier and its only possible for me to pull through by using my back muscles rather than my arms, which is the way it should be so thats great. The sight is good and the riser was nice and comfortable. Tony spent some time with me watching my technique and a couple of times just walked off nodding rather than correcting me so I presume I'm doing something right :D. Didn't lose any of my nice new arrows and they aren't too hard to find in the grass which is good.
I did have a few biscuits and some wine and sidesteped my cardio on Saturday and Sunday. Paid the price when I weighed myself this morning and I've put on a couple of lbs but it'll be mostly water weight so it'll come off as quickly as it went on :)
Off to Scotland tomorrow so posting will be slim to none for a week or so, will update when I get back, probably a bit fatter but having had fun.
First news is that I shot my new bow for the first time on Saturday morning and it ROCKS, once I had it shot in it definately improved my scores and enabled me to concentrate on my technique, the limbs are certainly heavier and its only possible for me to pull through by using my back muscles rather than my arms, which is the way it should be so thats great. The sight is good and the riser was nice and comfortable. Tony spent some time with me watching my technique and a couple of times just walked off nodding rather than correcting me so I presume I'm doing something right :D. Didn't lose any of my nice new arrows and they aren't too hard to find in the grass which is good.
I did have a few biscuits and some wine and sidesteped my cardio on Saturday and Sunday. Paid the price when I weighed myself this morning and I've put on a couple of lbs but it'll be mostly water weight so it'll come off as quickly as it went on :)
Off to Scotland tomorrow so posting will be slim to none for a week or so, will update when I get back, probably a bit fatter but having had fun.
Thursday, 19 June 2008
Proper Bow Kes!
Well yesterday went swimmingly made it to Essex in time to spend a couple of hours at the archery shop and selected limbs, riser, sight and a few other bits and bobs and a lovely rucksack to keep it all in and take it too and from the club. I'm very pleased, the riser is a bit out of date but in the grand scheme of things it doesn't make much difference and next year I'll probably upgrade. The limbs are hugely more powerful than the ones I've been using and much longer at 68" the guy worked out I'll be holding 33lbs on my fingers at my draw length which is quite a lot. I'm really looking forward to the weekend and hoping the weather holds out, I may have to put some serious consideration in to joining a club with indoor facilities, there is one in Maidstone but they didn't reply to my requests for information when I was first starting out so I'm not sure if I'm really interested.
Went down to see the cricket afterwards and met up with some friends, really enjoyed the match even though we lost albeit by a small margin.
Weight loss from yesterday was 1.5lbs not sure how this happened really as I had a pint of beer at the match but it maybe down to variation in calorific intake, sometimes if you shock your system with something new it can have a effect. Current weight is 287 which is 20st 7lbs almost a stone less than my starting weight which in less than two weeks is pretty good going I think, probably a little too fast if anything but I'm reasonably comfortable with it. Last time I did the weight loss thing I did Atkins at this stage and I was loosing slightly faster but didn't feel anywhere near as good in myself so this is working better for me and I feel fitter. I've been doing the HIIT every morning and hitting 9/10s everyday although the resistance I'm using has had to come up a few times to give really hit the highs.
No diabetes symptoms at all and the recurring infections that I was getting seem to have sorted themselves. I was noticing an issue with the skin on my face when my blood sugar was high, I seemed to be getting a rash across my nose and cheeks but this has all but stopped now. Elbow is healing well but is still uncomfortable to put down on the desk so I have a cushion underneath it all the time, hopefully it will be OK in the next couple of weeks.
Scotland next week, I'm really looking forward to it but am slightly concerned about maintaining the diet and exercise, I plan to do a lot of walking during the day and trying to eat sensibly during the day and have a few nice meals in the evenings.
Went down to see the cricket afterwards and met up with some friends, really enjoyed the match even though we lost albeit by a small margin.
Weight loss from yesterday was 1.5lbs not sure how this happened really as I had a pint of beer at the match but it maybe down to variation in calorific intake, sometimes if you shock your system with something new it can have a effect. Current weight is 287 which is 20st 7lbs almost a stone less than my starting weight which in less than two weeks is pretty good going I think, probably a little too fast if anything but I'm reasonably comfortable with it. Last time I did the weight loss thing I did Atkins at this stage and I was loosing slightly faster but didn't feel anywhere near as good in myself so this is working better for me and I feel fitter. I've been doing the HIIT every morning and hitting 9/10s everyday although the resistance I'm using has had to come up a few times to give really hit the highs.
No diabetes symptoms at all and the recurring infections that I was getting seem to have sorted themselves. I was noticing an issue with the skin on my face when my blood sugar was high, I seemed to be getting a rash across my nose and cheeks but this has all but stopped now. Elbow is healing well but is still uncomfortable to put down on the desk so I have a cushion underneath it all the time, hopefully it will be OK in the next couple of weeks.
Scotland next week, I'm really looking forward to it but am slightly concerned about maintaining the diet and exercise, I plan to do a lot of walking during the day and trying to eat sensibly during the day and have a few nice meals in the evenings.
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
Its just not cricket!
Well actually it is. I've managed to secure a half day today to go up to Essex to see the 20twenty cricket, they are planing Kent which should be fun, I have a few Kent players in my Fantasy Cricket side so I'll be cheering them on :D
On the way up (well actually its a bit out of my way) but sort of on the way up I'll be dropping in to Perris Archery to try out a few bows and accessories. This will mean I should be able to shoot at 60yrds which is the level I need to be at to enter the lowest ability competitions, some day I'll be shooting at 100yds but for the time being I need a bow I can draw comfortably and shoot 60yds minimum.
Lost .5lbs yesterday and have overtaken the handicap the new scales put on me, haha!
On the way up (well actually its a bit out of my way) but sort of on the way up I'll be dropping in to Perris Archery to try out a few bows and accessories. This will mean I should be able to shoot at 60yrds which is the level I need to be at to enter the lowest ability competitions, some day I'll be shooting at 100yds but for the time being I need a bow I can draw comfortably and shoot 60yds minimum.
Lost .5lbs yesterday and have overtaken the handicap the new scales put on me, haha!
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
Tuesday Update
Not a lot to report today. The new scales I bought yesterday are good although they are reporting a lb heavier than the old Tanita ones which is a bit irritating and means that although I lost a lb yesterday (according to the old ones) I'm still at 289lbs :/ Not to worry, in the grand scheme of things its only a lb and it confirms that both scales are probably reasonably accurate overall :)
My eating is going well, its all clean and high in complex carbs, I haven't cheated once and don't feel the need to. I have more energy, although you wouldn't have noticed if you saw me on the cross trainer this morning! I'm pleased about the chat with the nurse yesterday it sounds like everything is going in the direction which is cool.
Last nights youth work was cut short because the other worker was ill but I was able to get over to the archery club to speak to my coach about buying my own bow, I'm really keen to do this as I am enjoying the archery and want to keep with it, it gets me outside stops me from retreating to the cellar to watch movies all day and also gives me a physical outlet which isn't just about losing weight and getting fit, its a bit more relaxing, mind you if you are shooting 100yds you do do a lot of walking to and from the target and pull a lot of arrows out of the boss :D
I've added a link to this blog from my facebook account so there maybe a bit more traffic, don't be afraid to ask questions if you have them or leave comments, this isn't just about me.
My eating is going well, its all clean and high in complex carbs, I haven't cheated once and don't feel the need to. I have more energy, although you wouldn't have noticed if you saw me on the cross trainer this morning! I'm pleased about the chat with the nurse yesterday it sounds like everything is going in the direction which is cool.
Last nights youth work was cut short because the other worker was ill but I was able to get over to the archery club to speak to my coach about buying my own bow, I'm really keen to do this as I am enjoying the archery and want to keep with it, it gets me outside stops me from retreating to the cellar to watch movies all day and also gives me a physical outlet which isn't just about losing weight and getting fit, its a bit more relaxing, mind you if you are shooting 100yds you do do a lot of walking to and from the target and pull a lot of arrows out of the boss :D
I've added a link to this blog from my facebook account so there maybe a bit more traffic, don't be afraid to ask questions if you have them or leave comments, this isn't just about me.
Monday, 16 June 2008
OMG I have the best new toy!
I've just bought a Mibody bathroom scale and body composition monitor. Basically a set of bathroom scales that check your body fat content as well as a few other things but the real killer blow is that they come with a USB stick which you can use to transfer your results to a computer and plot your progress!
The thing will hold 30 odd results so there is no need to download to the USB stick every time. These products are not particularly accurate for the body fat side of things although they can provide a useful comparison on previous results to show progress but that aside the ability to transfer results to the PC is inspired and make keeping track of weight loss a doddle :)
I'll be using these every day so hopefully they are calibrated quite closely to our old Tanita scales and I wont suddenly gain a stone!
The thing will hold 30 odd results so there is no need to download to the USB stick every time. These products are not particularly accurate for the body fat side of things although they can provide a useful comparison on previous results to show progress but that aside the ability to transfer results to the PC is inspired and make keeping track of weight loss a doddle :)
I'll be using these every day so hopefully they are calibrated quite closely to our old Tanita scales and I wont suddenly gain a stone!
Situation Satisfactory
Went to see the diabetes nurse at the surgery today for my check up and she seemed pretty stunned with my progress, maybe it was the fact that when she ask me how I was doing I said 'great'. I think that a lot of the people she sees are probably struggling with their weight or their blood sugar levels and I'm not. All my indicators are going in the right direction, my blood pressure is fine, my blood sugar was 6 in a whole blood test which is spot on, my feet are in good nick and have good circulation so that's great.
She seem pretty surprised when I told her I'd lost 10lbs since I'd last seen the doc and weighed me, first using her scales which said I'd lost 2st, I wish! and then with the same ones the doc used last time which said 5kg which is pretty much 10lbs as I thought :) I told her what I was doing with changing my eating and exercise and she's happy with that and told me to continue.
The nice thing is that I'll get weighed every time I go, which initially will be once a once, now for some people that would be an issue but for me it is a huge motivational tool, I thrive on recognition from impartial sources and having a weigh in will really help me to keep on track.
Nurse says that she can't see me having to go on tablets or injections for a good few years if I can keep the weight coming off and as I won't be using those then I shouldn't need to be having regular self administered blood tests either, basically I can lead a normal life for the time being, the time will come when I do need tablets but I am determined to enjoy myself in the meantime and that means I need to stay fit and lean and have the occasional indulgence rather then pig things which I don't really enjoy. For instance right now I'm having a toasted tuna pitta and without a word of a lie I'm enjoying it as much as I would a Chunkies Coronation Chicken sandwich with mango pickle, because a) its nice, b) I know I can have another one in a couple of hours and c) I know that eating this way will help me to reach my target. I'm hoping that having small meals will reduce the physical size of my stomach as well as the size of my actual internal stomach and so in the future I will feel fuller earlier and find I gorge less when I am having a free day.
Lost another lb yesterday, down to 289lbs now or 20st 9lbs, still sounds like a lot and that's because it is a lot! I told the nurse that I was aiming for around 15st and she said that sounds reasonable given my build, I'll be packing on some muscle weight soon so I would expect 15lbs to be pretty lean despite being a BMI of 27 and hence overweight, BMI is never very accurate for people who lift weights and as it was calculated in the 1950s its well out of date for modern build and diet. I might hit 210lbs by the year but its likely to take a bit longer as the last few lbs come off slowly from my experience. Its enough time for 2 BfL challenges though and we should see some good results by Christmas. My first BfL will start when I get back from Scotland at the end of June, I'm really looking forward to lifting weights again. I have July and August to try and get to a stage where I don't feel like too much of a blimp in my swimming shorts as we are going to Centre Parcs and I'd like to use the pool and spa. Nice thing is that Centre Parcs has gym facilities so even if I eat off programme I can still keep the exercise up :)
She seem pretty surprised when I told her I'd lost 10lbs since I'd last seen the doc and weighed me, first using her scales which said I'd lost 2st, I wish! and then with the same ones the doc used last time which said 5kg which is pretty much 10lbs as I thought :) I told her what I was doing with changing my eating and exercise and she's happy with that and told me to continue.
The nice thing is that I'll get weighed every time I go, which initially will be once a once, now for some people that would be an issue but for me it is a huge motivational tool, I thrive on recognition from impartial sources and having a weigh in will really help me to keep on track.
Nurse says that she can't see me having to go on tablets or injections for a good few years if I can keep the weight coming off and as I won't be using those then I shouldn't need to be having regular self administered blood tests either, basically I can lead a normal life for the time being, the time will come when I do need tablets but I am determined to enjoy myself in the meantime and that means I need to stay fit and lean and have the occasional indulgence rather then pig things which I don't really enjoy. For instance right now I'm having a toasted tuna pitta and without a word of a lie I'm enjoying it as much as I would a Chunkies Coronation Chicken sandwich with mango pickle, because a) its nice, b) I know I can have another one in a couple of hours and c) I know that eating this way will help me to reach my target. I'm hoping that having small meals will reduce the physical size of my stomach as well as the size of my actual internal stomach and so in the future I will feel fuller earlier and find I gorge less when I am having a free day.
Lost another lb yesterday, down to 289lbs now or 20st 9lbs, still sounds like a lot and that's because it is a lot! I told the nurse that I was aiming for around 15st and she said that sounds reasonable given my build, I'll be packing on some muscle weight soon so I would expect 15lbs to be pretty lean despite being a BMI of 27 and hence overweight, BMI is never very accurate for people who lift weights and as it was calculated in the 1950s its well out of date for modern build and diet. I might hit 210lbs by the year but its likely to take a bit longer as the last few lbs come off slowly from my experience. Its enough time for 2 BfL challenges though and we should see some good results by Christmas. My first BfL will start when I get back from Scotland at the end of June, I'm really looking forward to lifting weights again. I have July and August to try and get to a stage where I don't feel like too much of a blimp in my swimming shorts as we are going to Centre Parcs and I'd like to use the pool and spa. Nice thing is that Centre Parcs has gym facilities so even if I eat off programme I can still keep the exercise up :)
Sunday, 15 June 2008
Dear Diary
Yesterday was a good day, workout went well and pretty much straight after I went to archery for the morning. My archery is improving, I definitely feel my stamina is up and I went up to shooting the 50yds target, this is as far as I'm going to get with the club bow as it doesn't have the draw weight to allow me to shoot further, I'm already shooting very high and allowing the arrows to fall to the target rather than shooting them flat. I'm seriously considering getting my own riser and limbs and have talked to H about it, she thinks it might make a good birthday present :)
I eat well although I had two pittas for lunch because I'd missed my mid morning meal and was feeling hungry also snacked on some grapes and a kiwi fruit. Dinner was a chicken breast in Nando's marinade with brown rice and sweetcorn, most enjoyable.
I hit 290 this morning which I reckon is about the same as two average women, but it is a pound lighter than yesterday which is a good thing, we are going in the right direction!
Felt a bit down last night before going to bed, H thinks its my body adjusting to the new diet and that seems reasonable, I should be pretty happy.
Tried on some 44" jeans I have never worn because they were too tight when I ordered them and they are still too snug by a fair whack. These will be my first target jeans, after I can get into these we will start targeting high street clothes, it will be great to be able to walk into a shop and buy something rather than having to order from High and Mighty over the Internet, even if I do have to start out with Marks and Spencer fat range :D
I eat well although I had two pittas for lunch because I'd missed my mid morning meal and was feeling hungry also snacked on some grapes and a kiwi fruit. Dinner was a chicken breast in Nando's marinade with brown rice and sweetcorn, most enjoyable.
I hit 290 this morning which I reckon is about the same as two average women, but it is a pound lighter than yesterday which is a good thing, we are going in the right direction!
Felt a bit down last night before going to bed, H thinks its my body adjusting to the new diet and that seems reasonable, I should be pretty happy.
Tried on some 44" jeans I have never worn because they were too tight when I ordered them and they are still too snug by a fair whack. These will be my first target jeans, after I can get into these we will start targeting high street clothes, it will be great to be able to walk into a shop and buy something rather than having to order from High and Mighty over the Internet, even if I do have to start out with Marks and Spencer fat range :D
Fueling the Machine
Food Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, Fat MB loves food, I seldom crave foods, I'm an instant gratification kind of a guy, if I want a chocolate bar I'll buy it even before I start to crave it, in fact I'll probably buy two and eat them both. As I said before I'm greedy, I eat fast, I eat what I want to eat not what I know is good for me and I indulge myself.
Here is a typical menu for a week day
No Breakfast
Snack - Flapjack from health food shop (because its healthy, yeah right)
Lunch - Sandwich (chicken in some sort of flavored mayo or smoked salmon and cream cheese or sausage and bacon or chicken and bacon), packet of crisps, diet coke (isn't it funny how many fat people drink diet coke?), cookie or piece of carrot cake or chocolate brownie
Dinner - Something reasonably healthy but fat too much of it, I'll often be finished before H is even halfway through hers.
During the week I'll probably drink on average half to three quarters of a bottle of wine a night at weekends I'll drink cider or wine whilst watching sport on the TV. Weekends we'll have a lunch from the supermarket of fresh meats lots of white bread, cheese and then a meal in the evening.
Couple this with a sedentary lifestyle and you have a recipe for disaster, I've been growing steadily until we have reached crisis point.
So how have things changed? Well as I mentioned earlier my attitude has changed a lot already, I don't feel like every meal is an indulgence, I eat to fuel the machine and for the machine to run smoothly it needs good quality clean fuel, so that's what it is getting.
Typical week day
Morning workout on an empty stomach to get rid of that glucose that has been released overnight and start burning some fat.
1 hour after workout - breakfast - 50-70g bowl of Bran Flakes with semi skimmed milk - if its a weekday I'll workout, shower, get ready, walk to work and eat there.
Mid to late morning - small brown pitta with ~50g of chicken, turkey or ham (trying to avoid ham due to high salt content but I like it)
early to mid afternoon - another pitta as before
late afternoon - same again
evening - small portion of brown rice/pitta/pasta with chicken/ steak (not too often)/ fish or some other non processed meat, trying to stick with white meat and seafood predominantly.
I'm trying to work veggies in too, usually string beans, peas, carrots sweetcorn with the evening meal and lettuce with my pittas, also some fruit as a snack. I'm very bad at these but I am working on it.
H gets in late from work but I feel it is important that we eat together so the evening meal is a compromise and is often eaten later than is ideal but I don't want to change that.
And thats how we fuel the machine.
Here is a typical menu for a week day
No Breakfast
Snack - Flapjack from health food shop (because its healthy, yeah right)
Lunch - Sandwich (chicken in some sort of flavored mayo or smoked salmon and cream cheese or sausage and bacon or chicken and bacon), packet of crisps, diet coke (isn't it funny how many fat people drink diet coke?), cookie or piece of carrot cake or chocolate brownie
Dinner - Something reasonably healthy but fat too much of it, I'll often be finished before H is even halfway through hers.
During the week I'll probably drink on average half to three quarters of a bottle of wine a night at weekends I'll drink cider or wine whilst watching sport on the TV. Weekends we'll have a lunch from the supermarket of fresh meats lots of white bread, cheese and then a meal in the evening.
Couple this with a sedentary lifestyle and you have a recipe for disaster, I've been growing steadily until we have reached crisis point.
So how have things changed? Well as I mentioned earlier my attitude has changed a lot already, I don't feel like every meal is an indulgence, I eat to fuel the machine and for the machine to run smoothly it needs good quality clean fuel, so that's what it is getting.
Typical week day
Morning workout on an empty stomach to get rid of that glucose that has been released overnight and start burning some fat.
1 hour after workout - breakfast - 50-70g bowl of Bran Flakes with semi skimmed milk - if its a weekday I'll workout, shower, get ready, walk to work and eat there.
Mid to late morning - small brown pitta with ~50g of chicken, turkey or ham (trying to avoid ham due to high salt content but I like it)
early to mid afternoon - another pitta as before
late afternoon - same again
evening - small portion of brown rice/pitta/pasta with chicken/ steak (not too often)/ fish or some other non processed meat, trying to stick with white meat and seafood predominantly.
I'm trying to work veggies in too, usually string beans, peas, carrots sweetcorn with the evening meal and lettuce with my pittas, also some fruit as a snack. I'm very bad at these but I am working on it.
H gets in late from work but I feel it is important that we eat together so the evening meal is a compromise and is often eaten later than is ideal but I don't want to change that.
And thats how we fuel the machine.
Saturday, 14 June 2008
I Probably Should be Proud of Myself!
To achieve what I have achieved takes; time, dedication, monetary investment, self confidence in the face of disapproval, endurance of pain both physical and mental and continuous increased levels of physical work every second of the day.
Yes I really should be proud, so why aren't I?
Because what I am talking about is 'being Obese', to be obese requires all the things I have listed above, as an obese person, oh lets not beat about the bush, as a MORBIDLY OBESE person I've dedicated a whole lot of effort to getting this way, I've spent a lot of time eating, its cost me a hell of a lot of money, I've had to endure the disapproval of others whilst I've been troughing off at the buffet or eating all the peanuts at a dinner party, I've put up with not being able to buy clothes off the peg, parts of my body hurt, I have heartburn everyday and I carry around so much extra weight I put extra strain on all of my bodily organs and skeleton.
So how the hell do we let ourselves get like this? I really don't have an answer, I can only think that in some people instinct drives us to eat in the face of adversity. The human race has evolved pretty quickly from cave dwellers who couldn't find much to eat to penthouse dwellers who get buy a 6 bun hamburger from Burger King and eat a weeks calories in 10 minutes. I suspect that some thing deep within us still thinks we have to cram as much food into our gobs as we can before a lion comes and eats us!
I've found a new technique for deciding what food to eat today whilst I was thinking in the shower (you really didn't need to know that part). I think about the food split into its component parts, I thought about pizza and get an image of a big container of fat made up of all the grease squeezed out of the pizza and believe me I'm not craving pizza any more. I think I will use this in the future :)
lost 1/2lbs yesterday, I suspect the steak I ate last night is still halfway through my system and weighing me down a bit, a few days of seafood and white meat will follow, steak is all very well but it takes a long time to digest.
HIIT this morning went well and my recovery time after the session continues to improve.
Yes I really should be proud, so why aren't I?
Because what I am talking about is 'being Obese', to be obese requires all the things I have listed above, as an obese person, oh lets not beat about the bush, as a MORBIDLY OBESE person I've dedicated a whole lot of effort to getting this way, I've spent a lot of time eating, its cost me a hell of a lot of money, I've had to endure the disapproval of others whilst I've been troughing off at the buffet or eating all the peanuts at a dinner party, I've put up with not being able to buy clothes off the peg, parts of my body hurt, I have heartburn everyday and I carry around so much extra weight I put extra strain on all of my bodily organs and skeleton.
So how the hell do we let ourselves get like this? I really don't have an answer, I can only think that in some people instinct drives us to eat in the face of adversity. The human race has evolved pretty quickly from cave dwellers who couldn't find much to eat to penthouse dwellers who get buy a 6 bun hamburger from Burger King and eat a weeks calories in 10 minutes. I suspect that some thing deep within us still thinks we have to cram as much food into our gobs as we can before a lion comes and eats us!
I've found a new technique for deciding what food to eat today whilst I was thinking in the shower (you really didn't need to know that part). I think about the food split into its component parts, I thought about pizza and get an image of a big container of fat made up of all the grease squeezed out of the pizza and believe me I'm not craving pizza any more. I think I will use this in the future :)
lost 1/2lbs yesterday, I suspect the steak I ate last night is still halfway through my system and weighing me down a bit, a few days of seafood and white meat will follow, steak is all very well but it takes a long time to digest.
HIIT this morning went well and my recovery time after the session continues to improve.
Friday, 13 June 2008
Friday the 13th
Hmmmmmm, nothing has gone wrong yet although I do have a full diary of clients to see today so there is plenty of scope.
This morning's HIIT went well and I felt less knackered straight afterwards than I have over the last few days despite the fact I hit a 9.5 on my final push, i.e. I could probably have pushed a tiny bit harder.
I lost 1lbs yesterday bringing me down to 291.5 or 20st 11.5lbs an 8.5lbs loss which all things considered is a pretty good effort after about a week, as I said before I tend to lose quite quickly to start off but there's a long way to go and from experience things will start to slow up quickly when I get below 19st.
My elbow is quite a lot better today less pink and less swollen, I'm hoping another 3-4 days of antibiotics and it will be gone completely, I'll be glad to be rid of them but the have done me a favor, in addition to sorting out the arm they have broken my cycle of drinking, right now I have no real desire to go back to it either. Something seems to have happened to my mindset, where as before when I was trying to lose weight I would crave bad things, now I know that I have to do this for my health I don't really have cravings, in fact I don't think I'll be drinking when I go out in the future and certainly won't be drinking in the evenings or seeking the odd chocolate bar in the afternoon at work. I wouldn't advise developing diabetes as a diet aid but if you can put some emphasis on your health when you decide to change you lifestyle then this will almost certainly help.
I'm bit worried about what to do about exercise next week, the plan was to start at the gym but that would mean I would do only a week of lifting before going to Scotland for a week. I know that the hotels we will be in in Scotland (at least for the first few days) are unlikely to have gyms and the only thing which is likely to be accessible is cardio work, so I am thinking that maybe sticking to cardio next week would be better and trying to walk hard everyday whilst I am away would be a better idea and then starting to lift on my return. Although BfL lifting is simple it does need some tuning to get the weights right so I'm keener on leaving it until I get back. Scotland is going to be a test for me, I want to eat well but I also want to appreciate good food. Staying off the alcohol will at least give me the concession of eating well without the empty cals.
This morning's HIIT went well and I felt less knackered straight afterwards than I have over the last few days despite the fact I hit a 9.5 on my final push, i.e. I could probably have pushed a tiny bit harder.
I lost 1lbs yesterday bringing me down to 291.5 or 20st 11.5lbs an 8.5lbs loss which all things considered is a pretty good effort after about a week, as I said before I tend to lose quite quickly to start off but there's a long way to go and from experience things will start to slow up quickly when I get below 19st.
My elbow is quite a lot better today less pink and less swollen, I'm hoping another 3-4 days of antibiotics and it will be gone completely, I'll be glad to be rid of them but the have done me a favor, in addition to sorting out the arm they have broken my cycle of drinking, right now I have no real desire to go back to it either. Something seems to have happened to my mindset, where as before when I was trying to lose weight I would crave bad things, now I know that I have to do this for my health I don't really have cravings, in fact I don't think I'll be drinking when I go out in the future and certainly won't be drinking in the evenings or seeking the odd chocolate bar in the afternoon at work. I wouldn't advise developing diabetes as a diet aid but if you can put some emphasis on your health when you decide to change you lifestyle then this will almost certainly help.
I'm bit worried about what to do about exercise next week, the plan was to start at the gym but that would mean I would do only a week of lifting before going to Scotland for a week. I know that the hotels we will be in in Scotland (at least for the first few days) are unlikely to have gyms and the only thing which is likely to be accessible is cardio work, so I am thinking that maybe sticking to cardio next week would be better and trying to walk hard everyday whilst I am away would be a better idea and then starting to lift on my return. Although BfL lifting is simple it does need some tuning to get the weights right so I'm keener on leaving it until I get back. Scotland is going to be a test for me, I want to eat well but I also want to appreciate good food. Staying off the alcohol will at least give me the concession of eating well without the empty cals.
Thursday, 12 June 2008
HIIT It!
I've already spoken a bit about HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) but its hard to explain, however there are a lot of resources on the net. Its almost easier to see it rather than explain it in words, I think this graph of the Body for Life HIIT routine gives you a better idea 
As you can see its a short routine, just 20 minutes including warm up and cool down, the interesting thing about it is the left hand scale, the intensity level, as I mentioned before the person exercising governs their intensity level, it is not a resistance setting on a machine or a speed it can be both those things or neither, its is purely a way of putting a number to how hard you are working. for me a 5 is an effort akin to walking briskly, this gives me a chance to warm up, a 6 increases my heart rate and I know I'm working, a 7 is a little harder work, an 8 and I am starting to breath heavily, a 9 is pushing hard, a 10 is all out and a pace I know I won't be able to sustain for more than a minute.
During the BfL HIIT you only hit a 10 once, right at the end of your routine and a 5 is only used for 2 minutes of warm up and a minute of cool down at either end of the routine.
For someone who is always busy or hates to exercise for long periods HIIT is a great tool, in a short period of time you can burn fat and improve your hearts recovery rate. There are studies which say that you burn calories for much longer after HIIT then after a longer steadier workout.
My weapon of choice for HIIT is a cross trainer because we have one at home, it means I can workout just after I get up and I get a better workout and burn more cals than I can on an exercise bike. I did start on a exercise bike though, the nice thing is, you can do HIIT with any form of exercise, in a couple of weeks I'll be away for a few days but I will be able to use HIIT with jogging in the absence of any other equipment, other people use swimming, if you can get you heart rate up with it you can use it to do HIIT.
I use HIIT in the morning on an empty stomach and don't eat for up to an hour afterwards, this should maximise fat burning potential. One piece of advice though, if you do this on an empty stomach then make sure you stay well hydrated.
Some other resources
http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/cardiotraining.asp
http://www.hiitsource.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training
HIIT isn't for everyone, it is intense and can induce exercise induced nausea, so be careful with it.
As you can see its a short routine, just 20 minutes including warm up and cool down, the interesting thing about it is the left hand scale, the intensity level, as I mentioned before the person exercising governs their intensity level, it is not a resistance setting on a machine or a speed it can be both those things or neither, its is purely a way of putting a number to how hard you are working. for me a 5 is an effort akin to walking briskly, this gives me a chance to warm up, a 6 increases my heart rate and I know I'm working, a 7 is a little harder work, an 8 and I am starting to breath heavily, a 9 is pushing hard, a 10 is all out and a pace I know I won't be able to sustain for more than a minute.
During the BfL HIIT you only hit a 10 once, right at the end of your routine and a 5 is only used for 2 minutes of warm up and a minute of cool down at either end of the routine.
For someone who is always busy or hates to exercise for long periods HIIT is a great tool, in a short period of time you can burn fat and improve your hearts recovery rate. There are studies which say that you burn calories for much longer after HIIT then after a longer steadier workout.
My weapon of choice for HIIT is a cross trainer because we have one at home, it means I can workout just after I get up and I get a better workout and burn more cals than I can on an exercise bike. I did start on a exercise bike though, the nice thing is, you can do HIIT with any form of exercise, in a couple of weeks I'll be away for a few days but I will be able to use HIIT with jogging in the absence of any other equipment, other people use swimming, if you can get you heart rate up with it you can use it to do HIIT.
I use HIIT in the morning on an empty stomach and don't eat for up to an hour afterwards, this should maximise fat burning potential. One piece of advice though, if you do this on an empty stomach then make sure you stay well hydrated.
Some other resources
http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/cardiotraining.asp
http://www.hiitsource.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training
HIIT isn't for everyone, it is intense and can induce exercise induced nausea, so be careful with it.
Another Day
I'm still in pain from this bloody infected elbow, its uncomfortable to put it down so typing is awkward and I have to have it proped up on books. Head office are being a pain in the arse about sick certificates from the doctor and I'll have to phone and ask them to bridge the gap between the first 7 days when I can self certify and the final 7 when the doctor signed me off, it would have been better if the woman had explained why I needed to do this rather than tell me 'I just have to!', most unhelpful.
Did my 20 minutes HIIT this morning and boy is it a killer, because it is self monitored based on effort you can't cheat it, a lot of people would stick with a routine and use machine settings until they were reviewed, with HIIT the effort adjusts the fitter you get, so I'll be this knackered even when I'm as fit as a flea, good in some ways, hell in others.
I've had wholewheat flakes with dried fruit this morning, I prefer Fruit and Fibre but I was only able to go to M&S on the way in, also bought some cold chicken (real not mechanically recovered stuff) and some water. I'll have it split over 3 small meals whilst at work;12, 2 and 5 in a small brown pitta each time which will give me my carbs and protein. The cereal isn't ideal but there is protein in the milk (skimmed), I need to work some fruit and veg into my diet too, this is something I really fall down on.
Weight loss today was marginal, I think because I had ham in my pittas yesterday, its quite high in salt and fat, I'll be sticking with chicken, turkey, tuna most of the time from now on as these are pretty good from that point of view as long as the tuna is in spring water and not brine or oil.
I'm starting not to crave crisps which is good because I had been missing them, sweets and chocolate are another matter but I really want to show a weight loss when I go and see the diabetes nurse next week so I'm stearing clear :)
Did my 20 minutes HIIT this morning and boy is it a killer, because it is self monitored based on effort you can't cheat it, a lot of people would stick with a routine and use machine settings until they were reviewed, with HIIT the effort adjusts the fitter you get, so I'll be this knackered even when I'm as fit as a flea, good in some ways, hell in others.
I've had wholewheat flakes with dried fruit this morning, I prefer Fruit and Fibre but I was only able to go to M&S on the way in, also bought some cold chicken (real not mechanically recovered stuff) and some water. I'll have it split over 3 small meals whilst at work;12, 2 and 5 in a small brown pitta each time which will give me my carbs and protein. The cereal isn't ideal but there is protein in the milk (skimmed), I need to work some fruit and veg into my diet too, this is something I really fall down on.
Weight loss today was marginal, I think because I had ham in my pittas yesterday, its quite high in salt and fat, I'll be sticking with chicken, turkey, tuna most of the time from now on as these are pretty good from that point of view as long as the tuna is in spring water and not brine or oil.
I'm starting not to crave crisps which is good because I had been missing them, sweets and chocolate are another matter but I really want to show a weight loss when I go and see the diabetes nurse next week so I'm stearing clear :)
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Soooooooooooo Tired
I don't think I realised how tired and sick these antibiotics are making me feel until I came back to work :(
The good news is that the weight seems to be coming off already, I did 20 minutes HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) this morning and have done for the last three morning and I've been eating little and often, trying for 5-6 small meals a day and it seems to be paying dividends.
The thing is for us of a larger persuasion (fat) the first few days on a new regime (notice I didn't use the word diet) can be very encouraging, the weight usually comes off quite quickly, often this is water weight, when you eat a lot of simple carbs the body holds on to water as well, but over all the signs are encouraging, when I did Atkins many moons ago I was unhappy if I wasn't dropping 2lbs a day! I'm happy for it to be slower this time and I'll be starting at the gym lifting weights next week as long as I don't feel too I'll. :)
The good news is that the weight seems to be coming off already, I did 20 minutes HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) this morning and have done for the last three morning and I've been eating little and often, trying for 5-6 small meals a day and it seems to be paying dividends.
The thing is for us of a larger persuasion (fat) the first few days on a new regime (notice I didn't use the word diet) can be very encouraging, the weight usually comes off quite quickly, often this is water weight, when you eat a lot of simple carbs the body holds on to water as well, but over all the signs are encouraging, when I did Atkins many moons ago I was unhappy if I wasn't dropping 2lbs a day! I'm happy for it to be slower this time and I'll be starting at the gym lifting weights next week as long as I don't feel too I'll. :)
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
What the Hell I'm Diabetic?
I suppose I'm lucky in some ways, before I was diagnosed as diabetic I had a reasonable suspicion that I probably was, in fact I asked to be tested rather than found out randomly as part of another test process or got sick. This is probably good news, many people don't realise they have diabetes for a long time and quite a lot of damage can be done in the meantime; high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, kidney problems, nerve damage, foot problem, yeast infections, enlarged heart and at the worst death are all potential pitfalls of diabetes.
We come in two flavours, Type 1, those who have no control over their diabetes i.e. it wasn't anything they did which caused it, this usually happens at an early age and most people with Type 1 will become insulin dependent. Type 2 too is the 'naughty' diabetes, Type 2s are genetically predisposed as Type 1s are but their issues are usually brought on by abusing their body, too much body fat and too little exercise.
I'm Type 2, I don't have excuses, I did this to myself, yes I was predisposed to it, my grandfather was Type 2 but carrying too much weight is the crux of the matter.
There re other sorts by the way but T1 and T2 are the main ones.
How did I know?
Grumpy, tired, recurring infections, thirsty, drinking a lot of water, these were the indicators for me and led me to be suspicious.
How did I get diagnosed?
Its a simple blood test at the doctors; either a fasting (12 hours no food) blood test for blood sugar or an HbA1C test which looks for longer term indicators.
Whats the prognosis?
If I can get some of this damn weight off the doctor and the diabetes nurse think I'll be able to get own to normal levels without medication or having to inject insulin or maybe even have to check my BG (blood glucose) regularly. If that's the case I'll be in a good position and lead a normal life :)
Worst comes to the worse I'll be on insulin for the rest of my life, although it does have its perks, tablet or insulin diabetics get free prescriptions for life, free eyesight checks and foot checks and are better monitored by their doctors and nurses to prevent complications :) So its not all bad, I could and most probably will lead a normal relatively healthy lifespan.
We come in two flavours, Type 1, those who have no control over their diabetes i.e. it wasn't anything they did which caused it, this usually happens at an early age and most people with Type 1 will become insulin dependent. Type 2 too is the 'naughty' diabetes, Type 2s are genetically predisposed as Type 1s are but their issues are usually brought on by abusing their body, too much body fat and too little exercise.
I'm Type 2, I don't have excuses, I did this to myself, yes I was predisposed to it, my grandfather was Type 2 but carrying too much weight is the crux of the matter.
There re other sorts by the way but T1 and T2 are the main ones.
How did I know?
Grumpy, tired, recurring infections, thirsty, drinking a lot of water, these were the indicators for me and led me to be suspicious.
How did I get diagnosed?
Its a simple blood test at the doctors; either a fasting (12 hours no food) blood test for blood sugar or an HbA1C test which looks for longer term indicators.
Whats the prognosis?
If I can get some of this damn weight off the doctor and the diabetes nurse think I'll be able to get own to normal levels without medication or having to inject insulin or maybe even have to check my BG (blood glucose) regularly. If that's the case I'll be in a good position and lead a normal life :)
Worst comes to the worse I'll be on insulin for the rest of my life, although it does have its perks, tablet or insulin diabetics get free prescriptions for life, free eyesight checks and foot checks and are better monitored by their doctors and nurses to prevent complications :) So its not all bad, I could and most probably will lead a normal relatively healthy lifespan.
Back at work and back to exercise
Well I'm back at work for the first time in two weeks and although I feel better I'm still sore and can't put my elbow down and the antibiotics are making me feel pretty unwell. Work have dropped it on me that there is an open evening today from 5-8 which means, I'll have to be here till late, what joy!
I've been exercising for the last two days, 20 minutes on the cross trainer doing high intensity interval training, I find this is a good way to lose weight whilst not taking to long. The only problem is that it is absolutely knackering, the idea is to do four cycles within the 20 minutes gradually moving up in intensity from a self monitored '6' effort to a '9' and then a final push to a '10' effort. This means really pushing myself. The nice thing is this is a) short and b) easy to remember, the nasty thing is as you get fitter your perception adjusts and you are still working your self bloody hard!
Getting back into regular exercise is a prelude to doing my first Body for Life challenge. BfL is a 12 week program of weight training, cardio and healthily eating, I'll be in the gym and/ or on the cross trainer 6 days a week during that time doing the 20 minute cardio 4 days a week and lifting 3 days a week, 2 days upper body and 1 day lower and then switching the 2 days lower, 1 day upper the following week. I now BfL works because its what I did before but it takes a huge amount of effort and dedication and if I miss days I get quite despondent :(
So back at work, back in the gym and getting back to fitness, a good start I feel.
I've been exercising for the last two days, 20 minutes on the cross trainer doing high intensity interval training, I find this is a good way to lose weight whilst not taking to long. The only problem is that it is absolutely knackering, the idea is to do four cycles within the 20 minutes gradually moving up in intensity from a self monitored '6' effort to a '9' and then a final push to a '10' effort. This means really pushing myself. The nice thing is this is a) short and b) easy to remember, the nasty thing is as you get fitter your perception adjusts and you are still working your self bloody hard!
Getting back into regular exercise is a prelude to doing my first Body for Life challenge. BfL is a 12 week program of weight training, cardio and healthily eating, I'll be in the gym and/ or on the cross trainer 6 days a week during that time doing the 20 minute cardio 4 days a week and lifting 3 days a week, 2 days upper body and 1 day lower and then switching the 2 days lower, 1 day upper the following week. I now BfL works because its what I did before but it takes a huge amount of effort and dedication and if I miss days I get quite despondent :(
So back at work, back in the gym and getting back to fitness, a good start I feel.
Thursday, 5 June 2008
How did it all come to this?
Can anyone define a moment when they became fat?
I don't think I could give a definite moment when I went from normal to overweight or from overweight to obese, but it was around 10-12 years ago when my metabolism gave in to my greed and I started to get big. I do remember an incident which first brought it home to me that I had a problem.
Getting on the tube one day in a crowd of people I brushed past someone who called me a fat ****, I have to admit it took a moment to sink in. At that point I probably had a 38" waist, I knew that I was big but I didn't think of myself as fat but that if there is a defining moment was my defining moment.
Oddly that didn't deter me from my downward spiral and having settled in to a routine of having a few pints of cider after work and more take out food than I should have done I keep up the lifestyle which was to be my downfall.
I don't think I could give a definite moment when I went from normal to overweight or from overweight to obese, but it was around 10-12 years ago when my metabolism gave in to my greed and I started to get big. I do remember an incident which first brought it home to me that I had a problem.
Getting on the tube one day in a crowd of people I brushed past someone who called me a fat ****, I have to admit it took a moment to sink in. At that point I probably had a 38" waist, I knew that I was big but I didn't think of myself as fat but that if there is a defining moment was my defining moment.
Oddly that didn't deter me from my downward spiral and having settled in to a routine of having a few pints of cider after work and more take out food than I should have done I keep up the lifestyle which was to be my downfall.
Breaking my Duck
Well this is the inaugural post of BlogMeThinner my attempt to keep track of my progress on both my weight loss and improving my fitness.
For me this process is more than an exercise in self-esteem it is also fundamental for my personal health. Last week for the first time in my life I found myself in hospital for more than a few minutes. I spent four days on I/V antibiotics for an infection in my arm which flared up to a point where my whole arm was inflamed and I had a high temperature. Just a little unlucky one might think but this problem probably would not have occurred if my blood sugar hadn't been high, as a direct result of abusing my body through over eating and over drinking I have made myself diabetic thus increasing the severity of what should be simple infections which a normal person would shrug off and increasing my chances of heart, kidney, nerve and other problems and this is potentially just the first of many such problems.
So what is the answer?
Well the answer is to lose weight and get fit, this will increase my chances of staying healthy and reduce my chances of becoming insulin dependent in the future.
Where am I coming from?
Well right now my weight stands at around 300lbs, my waist is approx 46-48" depending on who I buy my clothes from, I'm 6'3" which means I can carry that weight without looking like a total blimp but I don't feel fit, in fact I feel pretty bad a lot of the time, I have very little energy and my self esteem is low. These aren't easy things to admit to myself and even less to others but in doing so I hope to have a permanent, truthful record of where I currently stand.
What is the ultimate goal?
I be fit and healthy and to have my blood sugar under control to a point where I can occasionally indulge without feeling guilty. To have a body I feel proud of and feel comfortable around a pool or on a beach. I know this is going to take a while but knowing I have to do it for my health is giving me more impetus than I have had before, so its got to be achievable.
For me this process is more than an exercise in self-esteem it is also fundamental for my personal health. Last week for the first time in my life I found myself in hospital for more than a few minutes. I spent four days on I/V antibiotics for an infection in my arm which flared up to a point where my whole arm was inflamed and I had a high temperature. Just a little unlucky one might think but this problem probably would not have occurred if my blood sugar hadn't been high, as a direct result of abusing my body through over eating and over drinking I have made myself diabetic thus increasing the severity of what should be simple infections which a normal person would shrug off and increasing my chances of heart, kidney, nerve and other problems and this is potentially just the first of many such problems.
So what is the answer?
Well the answer is to lose weight and get fit, this will increase my chances of staying healthy and reduce my chances of becoming insulin dependent in the future.
Where am I coming from?
Well right now my weight stands at around 300lbs, my waist is approx 46-48" depending on who I buy my clothes from, I'm 6'3" which means I can carry that weight without looking like a total blimp but I don't feel fit, in fact I feel pretty bad a lot of the time, I have very little energy and my self esteem is low. These aren't easy things to admit to myself and even less to others but in doing so I hope to have a permanent, truthful record of where I currently stand.
What is the ultimate goal?
I be fit and healthy and to have my blood sugar under control to a point where I can occasionally indulge without feeling guilty. To have a body I feel proud of and feel comfortable around a pool or on a beach. I know this is going to take a while but knowing I have to do it for my health is giving me more impetus than I have had before, so its got to be achievable.
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