Days 22-27

BAD! BAD! BAD!

Bad blogger!

My gut feeling when I see apparently abandoned diet blogs is that something's gone very wrong - I always assume that they've gone off-piste they're now down in the Happy Valley of the Biscuit Tin.

Nothing could be further from the truth here. I've just had a very busy week at work, which has meant I've neglected my blog. I missed one workout this week, but I've stayed true to the diet. It doesn't feel like a diet anymore. It's just what I eat.

The end is nigh. I think Wednesday is our last day on Dax's 30lb in 30 days challenge, but frankly I've lost count, and in any event, it doesn't finish for me on Day 30. I'll still be here Day 31, melting away.

Day 31 is, however, my chance to start reintroducing foods off the 'banned' list: theoretically I could reintroduce sugar, milk, wine, cheese, bread, pasta, pork pies, coffee, tea. All the stuff I thought I'd really miss. Looking at that list, I probably won't reintroduce anything. Not to start with, anyway. I have so far to go on my weightloss, my journey's only really beginning, so I don't want to throw a spanner in the works by getting re-addicted to sugar, or something. The odd treat here and there, though. That'd be nice.

I will keep going with the workouts - maybe not three a day, but two slightly longer ones, morning and evening. I want something challenging but sustainable after the end of August when I get really busy at work.

Weight today is 248lbs, which is a total loss of 22lbs so far. 78lbs to go!

Day 21

The start of the third week on Dax Moy's 30lbs in 30 days challenge.  Nine days to go!

I can't believe how quickly this has gone, nor how quickly I've lost the weight.

This morning I was down to 251lbs, which means I've lost 19lbs, or just under a pound a day.

People are starting to notice.  I've always joked 'It's like throwing deckchairs off the Titanic' but actually I'm really proud of how much I've lost.  

I've been giving some thought as to what I'll do at the end.  I still have 81lbs to go until my BMI is close to normal, so I can't stop.  Following the diet has been very easy.  We have 1-2 days a week when we don't eat til dinner time, which I've found no problem. I've adjusted to the low carb and higher carb rhythm. I feel in my groove with the food, so I'm going to keep going.  

The workouts - I'm pretty sure I'll reduce this to two slightly longer workouts a day, just to keep it sustainable and make sure I can do them every day.  Keep in the groove.  I'm looking forward to doing other stuff.  Not yet - I still need to get more weight off before I get too ambitious - but I'd love to take up running to keep my weight under control when I get there.

Life definitely has changed.  Not only has my attitude changed, but my actions have changed too.  Today, getting a biscuit (cookie) for my other half, I went to our 'carb cupboard'. It has all our cereals, rice, pasta, biscuits, cake, sweeties and other goodies. I realised in getting the biscuit that I hadn't been into that cupboard since the challenge started, and, more to the point, I hadn't missed any of it.  Nor did I want anything in there.  

If you had told me four weeks ago that I could have my hand on a packet of custard creams without eating half of them, I would have laughed in your face.

Day 19 and 20

Saturday.  A bit of a meh day.  Weather was terrible.  The high spot was taking the dog for a walk.

Weight today is the same as yesterday, 253, but my workout results have been through the roof.

I'm starting to really notice my new shape.  

Sunday.  Another meh day.  Down to 252. 

Day 18

I can't believe I'm on Day 18 already.  Over halfway there.  Well, more to the point, halfway to the end of the 30lbs in 30 days programme with Dax.  

Down another 2lbs today, which means I've lost 17lbs in total, which I'm absolutely thrilled about.

Losing weight means getting it all right - exercise, sleep, food, water.  And commitment.  So often in the past I've just focused on one thing - usually either diet or exercise - but now I'm doing it all at the same time, it's working!  I feel like I've really cracked it this time.  

Even the water isn't the pain  I thought it would be.  I have six litres a day to drink (1 litre per 50lbs of bodyweight).  Three short workouts a day means that I down a litre before during and after each workout, and I space out three other litres throughout the day.  It's never been a chore.  

As far as the food is concerned, I don't think I've ever eaten healthier.  Tonight was roast chicken with a huge portion of cabbage and green beans.   Historically, you could have added a pile of potatoes and a lake of gravy.  And I didn't miss either of those tonight.  Come to think of it, I don't miss tea and I don't miss coffee.  I don't miss milk or bread or cheese.  Or even wine.  Or chocolate.  Or butter.  And I don't fancy any of them, and I haven't since Day 1.  My sweet tooth may have been vanquished.  

When I come to the end of the strict bit of the diet, I'm not sure what I'll introduce back first.  Originally I thought it might be bread, but I'm not sure about that now.  

Sleep.  Back in the old days (about three weeks ago) I used to have about five hours of broken sleep:  I used to go to bed and toss and turn for an hour or so, then I used to wake up worrying about stuff two or three times a night.  Usually, I'd wake up when the birds started singing, so in mid-June I would have woken up at about 4.30am.  

Now, I go out like a light, and I get about 8-9 unbroken hours sleep every night.  I'd say I sleep like a baby, but of course they don't really sleep too well.   

The exercise works well for me because it's short and there's no messing around.  I cancelled my gym membership about two months ago, because I hadn't been for a year.  I suppose I could say 'I cancelled my gym membership and lost 17lbs'.  These workouts fit in with my day, one in the morning, one in the evening when I get in from work and one after dinner.  

Bish. Bash. Bosh.

Days 12-17

Wow, catch up time!  

Well, life got in the way.  Not of the diet, but in the way of my ability to get enough time to blog.

So I had a lovely long weekend up with my parents.  In the run up to the weekend I was worried that the disruption to my routine would throw me off, that I'd slip, or fall off the wagon.  As it turned out, it wasn't a problem.  I packed my dumbbells and did my workouts in the garage.  And the diet worked out fine, too.

So now I'm finally back in my old routine.  The workouts are going fine.  Some I like, some I don't, but they all get done. Each day I seem able to do more of everything, and that improvement keeps me in the game.  The result is,  I want to do the workouts.  It's becoming addictive.

And the diet, I think, has completely broken me of some terrible eating habits.   And, nearly three weeks in, I'm still finding it really easy to stick to. 

The weight's still there, of course.  255lbs this morning, so no change for the past 5 days or so.  Still not worried.  Jogging down the stairs at the tube the other evening, my trousers nearly fell down.  

 

Day 11

Tired tired tired. Busy day today. Very busy day tomorrow. So no time for chit chat today, children.

My weight has dropped another pound to 254.5 which makes it 15.5 lbs lost since Day 1.

My shape is starting to noticeably change. The hard slab of belly fat has diminished and softened, and I appear to have something called 'a waist'. I've lost 5" around my waist. My trousers are baggier and my tshirts have more room in them.

And now, to bed.

Day 10

Ten days down. How's it going?  

Well, I'm now 255.5lbs, which means I've lost 14.5lbs.  

Eleven days ago I was struggling with broken sleep. I'm now sleeping like a baby.  

I don't go 'hurrup' any more when I get up out of my chair, nor 'humph' when I sit down.

Everything fits.

I'm eating better than I ever have.

As I was rolling around in fruit like a madwoman yesterday (those on the programme will understand) I was thinking about following the rules.  

Sometimes I follow rules because I have to because there's criminal penalties, and sometimes I follow the rules (whatever they may be) because I'm paid to do that, or because I want to. It's the third one that causes trouble. How do I keep my word to myself?How do I follow my own rules? They're actually the ones I break the most.

I have roughly another 90lbs to lose to get to a close to healthy weight. That's going to take some time - I've made an excellent start, but I'm in for the long haul. I've just decided that if this way gets me there the quickest, safest way, then a few days without fruit is worth the price.  So I'm following the rules.

I wouldn't do this if Dax's programme was 'two-shakes-and-a-small-meal' and starvation. It's not - there's tons and tons and tons of healthy, filling food we can still eat. And don't get me wrong, I'd much rather have fruit and porridge and fruit in my life, but if not having them gets me where I want to go, then I'll wait, do what I'm told and wait for the results to come my way...

I've also been reading about success. One of my favourite quotes of all time is Winston Churchill: 'Success is bounding from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiam'.

Bounding.

What a wonderful way to spend a life. It's not always the goals. Sometimes it's the gaps too.