Fighting The Flab

Well this post is late, and for that I make no excuses.
I cant believe a week has passed already and its weigh in day today. I am nervous for a couple of reasons 1) not had the healthiest diet this week and 2) I have to go to a different group.
Now, don't get me wrong, I have not cheated on this diet, not once this week, which when you consider I am out and about and working 15 hours a day at the moment, is pretty amazing! I have been grabbing bits from tescos when I need them and doing my best to eat healthy. My main diet is fruit, with a meal of rice and chicken breasts during the shift. I have eaten out twice in a week once was a jacket potato, salad and baked beans (YAY go me, I live dangerously) and the last meal was noodles with, yip, you guessed it, chicken!
The second reason I am a bit nervous is going to a new group, now don't get me wrong I haven't moved or changed, I just cant get back to the normal group the fantastic 4 attends on Tuesday, so I have found one near where I was working. Even when it came to weighing in I wasn't sure I would do it.
I turned up, parked the van, took a deep breath and walked in.... nothing happened. I walked over to the desk and paid my weekly "I'm fat so I have to pay to attend tax" where the lady introduced herself and made small talk for about a minute. Went and weighed in, the lady there said well done and then I walked out. No drama, no fuss, no pointing and laughing. To be honest this group seemed a bit younger than our normal group and the counsellor didn't once mention her condition. If I am still working near hear next week I will probably go to this group again, I might even stay to group session as well, time permitting.
So, how did it go? Well I lost 7.5 lbs this week (3.4Kg) which i thought was quite good, but I missed my 10% body mass award by 3lbs.... so next week I will smash that one out as well! Go ME!
So lets recap briefly, starting weight 30St 8lbs (194.14Kg) 4 weeks dieting..... weigh in at 27st 11.5lbs a loss of 2st 10.5lbs (38.5lbs or 17.46Kg) not bad going really! Although I would like to claim this success as mine, it is truly dependant upon the support team I have in Kerry (without whom non of this would be happening), Dan and Kellie, as well as everyone else. So thanks everyone!

The rest of the fantastic 4 also lost this week!! Go F4!! Bringing our weekly total to 14.5lbs!! Another week down and another stone gone between us!
Our total weight loss to date is 79lbs!!! (35.83Kg or 5 Stone 9 lbs) that's half an adult human being! (normal size, not my size lol). In 4 weeks? See we truly are the Fantastic 4!! Keep it up peeps.

Here is to a leaner fitter summer!

OK, so many of you following this will be aware that it started as a blog to discuss weight loss and how I was doing and how the world was doing (kinda). Well lets start with the world.... Its gone nuts... Totally, stark raving bonkers. I am all for healthy eating for children, in fact, I have been an advocate for it for years with my work with the magic plate. However, the news that I have heard over the past couple of days has made me shiver. There is now a diet book out there for children, and by this, I mean for children! The book is aimed at 6- 12 year olds! Especially girls! Now forgive me if I am wrong,but this kind of book should be banned, I have to say I have not read the book yet, but have read several synopsis. Apparently it is about a 'pudgy' girl who loses weight and becomes the schools soccer star, becoming more self confident etc. Surely what girls don't need at age 6 is a publication telling them that fat will fail and thin will succeed? Also studies have shown that this is the age when most girls develop eating disorders? Is it just me or is it totally nuts? I deliberately have not named the book as I do not want to encourage sales of it....

OK lets move on to the slightly more awkward subject of myself. OK. So as you are all aware my life has changed. I went from training 24 hours a week and eating sensibly to moving, changing jobs, injuring my back and eating everything that I came across, just like the hungry caterpillar for the past year.. Well this has resulted in a slight yo yo, and by slight I mean like Pompeii had a slight disaster when the volcano erupted. So actually I mean quite huge! At my heaviest I was 36 stone, this was well published (even by national papers) and then I dropped down to 19 stone (also published by papers) well, now I have had a year of complete and utter breakdown (well diet at least, I am quite happy with the rest of my life) I have now soared to 28 stone again! This I am not happy about. I thought at 26 stone I wasn't happy and that would trigger me to lose weight again, and for a brief time I started training again, however, a lack of funds stopped my gym membership and  I fell of the wagon again and again. So here I am.... at 28 stone and very unhappy with that, so will I change it? can I do it again? I really don't know, but something has to change and change massively and soon, I am not going back to 36 stone mark, I don't think my body could manage it now either as it is already hurting when I move, and my back is worse than it was when I hurt it 2 years ago... so change is a coming, and nothing is as uncomfortable as change.

These are my best top 10 tips for anyone trying to lose weight.... please feel free to read them and pass them on... of course a link back is always helpful :o)

Tried and tested out on ourselves and people we have helped. I hope they can help you on your journey to being fitter, healthier and indeed slimmer, if that is what you desire.

1: Drink plenty of water.
This is by far the most important tip on any diet plan, and it is good for you as well. Nearly everyone I know (who is dieting) who has upped their water intake, has decreased there calorie intake! Simple. It has become quite common knowledge now that people can confuse hunger with thirst; the knock on effect from this is that you can end up eating calories you really don’t need.
"If you don't like plain water, try adding citrus or a splash of juice, or brew infused teas like mango or peach, which have lots of flavor but no calories," says Cynthia Sass, R.D. a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

CAUTIONARY NOTE! Check the labels as many of these have calories in them!

The Video below is a first attempt. It was recorded at The Vitality Show 2009 in Earls Court Hall 2. Its one of the first pieces I have ever had to do and was nerve racking!!! However, it could be worse. In it I discuss how The Diet Plate works and my weight loss.



Many thanks to Developmedia (Ian and Kevin) for there very valuable time and assistance in shooting this film and putting it together.

Hello all, what an exciting week so far!!!!

Firstly the weekend, I took part in the WKA English open. I made it to the semi finals and finished 3rd. I got a Bronze medal and picked for the England squad!!! Wahoo!!!



Then on Tuesday, I had a researcher from the BBC spend some time doing a camera test with me for a program they are doing on weight loss, they thought my story was great and I am waiting to hear if I made it into the program and if so when I have to go and do it for real!!!

Have lapsed on the diet these last few days, all the excitment and the tiredness, has done my me in, I think tis due to the adrenaline, loads of it on Sunday, as you fight and wait and fight and wait, then with the BBC again, I didnt think it was that bad till afterwards when I noticed my hands shaking lol...

I loved it...

Anyhow, will keep you informed as I know more...

OK folks, here goes.... as you know (if you read this blog) I lost a massive amount of weight then lost something, maybe I did plateau or maybe I lost drive and vision... either way, although the weight isn't piling on I am now struggling again, so its decision time... I have decided this, it is time to get back on The Diet Plate.

This week sees me starting to build up to training again, and I cant wait. I need the focus and drive and determination it gives me to centre myself. I have a fight in February for charity (15Th) and I need to be at a certain weight to compete. This weight is 4 stone 1 lb from where I am now... so its time to dig out The Diet Plate again, and start putting in the hard slogs at training to shift this weight, as quickly as possible really... although crashing weight isn't a good idea, the sooner I hit the weigh in mark the sooner I can concentrate on regaining muscle and energy levels.

So whats my weight? 22 stone 1 lb (139.8 kg) or 309lbs.

I am sad at being here, OK so its a long long way from where I started, but I have been lighter as well....

I will be back.....

Mondays are great days aren't they? They just happily fit in between the weekend and the week... they take every ones hatred, and yet they hate no one, you can never avoid them and they always seem terrible, yet they are never as bad as we expect them to be.... I think I love Mondays...
Mondays for me is also weigh in day... this morning I weighed in at 293lbs... a loss of 3 lbs since last week..... this is great news :0) (Although I was hoping for 4lbs). Still it just means I have to work a bit harder....
Training this week should consist of...
Tuesday Freestyle martial arts lesson 1hour
Wednesday Fight training Steve Primrose 1 hour
Thursday Steve Primrose 1 hour Freestyle 1 hour
Friday Running 2 hours.

I am away this Saturday and Sunday, going to see friends in Essex, so I do not suppose I will train as hard as I would like, but I do intend to do some running whilst I am away, just for fitness and stress relief. I always feel 'off' now if I do not train.

On a slightly different note, could people please click the following link and register? Its to vote for funding for Lymm rugby club. This is to enable them to buy more land and develop the club further... It only takes a minute and I would appreciate it greatly...

http://www.joinourteam.com/index/mailafriendresponse?token=f17189477663b818b917a867a21f0afc

Thanks to all that vote....

Well I must be off now.... have a great day....

Hello one and all..... So I said I was going to get back on my diet and I didn't.... I know I know.... However, today is the day!!! Have weighed myself, so not good as I am back up to 21 stone 10 or 304lbs..... that's so not good..... and I have lost a lot of muscle mass as well due to the inability to train.

Today is Thursday, its morning (approx 9am) and I am sat here in the office dieing for a cigarette.... has it only been 2/3 days? I feel better for not smoking, apart from the cough and sore throat which I am told will get better within a couple of months... The cravings are not too bad, but my temper has become shorter, much shorter..... so please bare with me if I rant, rave, threaten and generally act like an idiot....
So shoot me down... I am quite proud of my weight loss, it has been a long hard slog, self discipline, and self control have played huge parts, even self deprivation (OK a bit melodramatic, but that's how it feels). So can you imagine how I feel when I see someone of 70 stone losing half of it, because of surgery? Now don't get me wrong I am all for helping everyone, and for people becoming the best they can be. However for most people to get to that size they eat on average 16k+ calories a day, now to put that amount of calories into your body you have to train your body to take it, pretty much like an athlete trains to get fit, but in reverse. So as much as I feel sorry for them, I also feel they have to take some responsibility for there own actions..... Also someone has to 'enable' them to get to that size, normally a close personal friend/partner or family member. Why is this? Its simple, once a person gets too big to move and is bed ridden, then someone has to a)look after them and clean them and b) bring them food!!! So who is at fault? well its two fold, firstly it is the person for getting that big (yes I know genetics, environment, depression, money etc play a part) and they have to accept some responsibility. Secondly, it is the fault of the enabler, because as soon as they are bed ridden if you only bought them tuna or fresh food or no food, they would have to a) move to get it, meaning they would burn up calories, or b) go hungry meaning they would lose weight. Yes I know this sounds severe but its a fact. Yes it may sound like torture, but then what diet isn't?
Anyhow, that's enough ranting for now.... its now 9:30 and i have to go training at Evade. See you all laters....

Stay Safe