Post 27 - end of Week 7

Another 2 lbs lost this week and although it represents the smallest loss in a week since I started it is still moving in the right direction.

I am now 15st 12lbs (222lbs or 100.7kg) and that relates to a total loss to date of 32 lbs (14.5kg) in 7 weeks .

I had hoped to get to my target weight of 15st by April when I started this program which would have meant losing 1st per month but I am ahead of that schedule and feel confident that I will achieve it.

Post 26

Not too much news this week.

All going well with the diet and MonaVie program and feeling that the gym work is continuing to have an effect on my general health.

I rode my first motorcycle trial of the year on saturday and after a 5 mile walk with the dog in the morning and a rather muddy event in the afternoon i still felt like I had energy to spare (I even stayed after the event to do a little more riding - which makes a change for me as I am normally too tired and just want to get on my way home).

I have had a bit of a treat over the weekend with an evening in the pub with family and friends on friday (managed to keep to Vodka and slim line tonic) and on sunday I treated myself to a baked Camembert with bread.

All the same, that was supported by good exercise and nice healthy meals like steak and salad and lamb and vegetable stew.

I have managed to achieve a significant goal in that I have a couple of shirts that I bought a few years ago that I haven't been able to wear because they were so tight it felt like I was wearing a straight jacket. I tried them on yesterday and to my amazement they fit comfortably and I am looking forward to lunch with friends this weekend when I can wear one of them!

I hope that tomorrow will bring a reduction in weight that will mean that I am 15 stone something for the first time in some years - roll on tomorrow morning!

Post 25 - End of Week 6

I thought that this week had gone well as I was feeling the difference in my clothes (especially the ease that my trousers could be fastened) but I am really pleased that I have broken the 2 stone lost milestone!

This morning's weigh in revealed a loss of 5 lbs this week and a weight of 16st (224lbs or 101.6kg)

That is a total loss of 30lbs in 6 weeks.

Understandably I am really pleased and to celebrate on Valentines day ................ I went to the gym early this morning ;0)

Post 24

Last week was a positive one, I managed to get to the gym each day and I changed my approach a little to ensure that I was focussing on fat burning rather than weights so each day was focussed on light cardio activity split between rowing, cycling, cross training and running - yes running on the treadmill.

After more then a year of intermittent pain in my knee I have felt more and more confident on the knee over the last few weeks and have increased to duration and intensity of the effort that I have put through it.

This culminated at the weekend with a planned 6.5 mile route during which I ran for about 5 miles and only walked (at a good pace) for the significantly steep up and down hill sections as these are the areas where I put the most weight through the joint and I want to build up to that gently.

I have found 4 loops from home that I will use for different types of running that are 3, 3.5, 5 and 6.5 miles in distance and offer varying levels of difficulty from flat to quite hilly so I can determine what I want to do based on how I am feeling and what I want to achieve (also how much time I have available too).

Food feels like it is no longer an issue. The MonaVie RVL regime is just the norm now and everyone keeps asking whether I am hungry - the simple answer is no! I feel full and satisfied and reaching for an apple or a low fat snack bar is just as easy as the chocolate that it has replaced.

My evening meals don't take much thinking about as they are pretty much the same as before with the exception of a reduction in carbs (potatoes and bread mainly are now off the menu but everything in moderation and I know I can have a small portion if I want).

My craving has been for cheese so I have allowed myself a small amount - this helps me stay on the wagon to be honest as I think if I don't allow myself something I want it will be worse than the impact of having it in small amounts.

Drinking alcohol was never going to be an issue as I'm not much of a drinker but cutting coffee out has given me the biggest boost. I don't crave it now and having a bottle of water on my desk is just as easy and keeps my hydrated where coffee really didn't.

I don't know if I have lost much this week (weigh in tomorrow). 3 lbs will take me to the 2 stone lost milestone, but what I do know is that all of my clothes now fit comfortably and most of by belts have moved up a notch or two so the physical results are starting to show as much as the scales suggest.

lets see what tomorrow brings!

Post 23 - End of Week 5

Weigh in day today and I am at 16st 5lbs, which means another 3lbs this week and a total loss for 5 weeks of 25lbs.

So current weight is 16st 5lbs (229lbs or 103.8kg)

Back to the gym this morning and felt OK - managed to run for a full 30 mins on the treadmill at a reasonable pace so I am feeling more and more confident in my knee and hope to start road running properly as soon as the nights start to get lighter which I have found in the past to be my most effective way of increasing my fitness and weight loss so I am still feeling positive and committed to staying on the road to thinness!

Post 22

No exercise for the last 3 days has left me feeling a bit sluggish.

It is surprising how quickly you get into a new habit of doing things and feel like you are missing out when you stop.

To be honest, since Friday I have felt pretty ill and have been trying to ward off a cold that is threatening to take hold. Mainly I have had a cough, sore throat and felt like all my nerve endings in my body are sensitive.

So the weekend was spend keeping warm and taking cold and flu treatment.

Feeling better today (Monday) so will start back at the gym again tomorrow.

I have managed to keep to the MonaVie program whilst I have been under the weather but honestly I haven't had much appetite so that has not been too difficult anyway (except I would probably go for comfort eating normally in these instances) .

Post 21

Going well this week, even though I am starting to feel like I have a bit of a cold coming through a niggly cough that seems to get worse at night. I am hoping that I can simply work through it and it won't stick around too long.

I have managed to get to the gym every morning this week and focus has been on cardio with an increase in speed and intensity plus a little heavier weights, however I am not seeing any movement on the scales (in fact I think it has gone the opposite way a little).

I spoke to the personal trainer at the gym about this today and he suggested that as I have been increasing the cardio and weight activity, this might be building core strength and working my lungs which builds the overall fitness level but for fat burning I need to work on a less intense activity that works at more like 60% of max heart rate rather than 80%+ where I have been working at and lighter weights with more reps might help produce the desired results.

I will therefore try and go for slower, longer sessions next week and see what the difference is.

I have noticed that by increasing the work rate in the gym I have felt my energy levels drop off a little in the afternoon too, so I have been eating some granola and fruit bars mid afternoon and that seems to have helped.

I took the tape measure to my body last night to see what had changed and found some positive results;

Body Part Start Now

Neck 17.5 16.75

Chest 48.5 45

Waist 44.5 42

Arm R 14 14

Arm L 13.5 13.5

Leg R 22 22

Leg L 24 22.5

Total Lost 8.25 in

I am surprised that my left leg has reduced in size rather then the right increasing but I guess that must mean that it had a bit more flab than muscle compared to the right!