Sunday Week 26

Hi everyone,

I have just updated my photos, this difference is now becoming less apparent from 4 weeks ago I have lost about one and a half stone yet the pictures look very similar. Just look at the difference though that 6 months makes on this amazing diet I find myself just looking at the photos in disbelief that I have achieved this. It feels like I am not looking at "me" when I see my latest photos, I am a big bloke! not that skinnier fella with bones protruding!

I am very proud of myself though.

Thank you Lesley for your comments glad to hear you have done so well, keep at it and you will be at the finishing line in no time at all, I am glad my motivation inspired you enough not to cheat this weekend, well done! feel free to email if you have any questions or queries.

Just thought I would post a picture of our families new addition "Alfie" the Springer Spaniel

Thursday Week 26, Months!!

Wow another week has passed by and that takes me to 26 weeks of this diet, yes half a year!! It has certainly flown by, one minute it was the end of January now we are at the kids summer holidays (if you can call it summer with all this torrential rain around the country)

I have had a good week this week weight wise losing 7lb taking me ever nearer to my target. I now have a BMI of 27.5 only 2.5 above a healthy weight!!
I have been really busy this week since we have a new addition to the family!!! yes we have a puppy, an 8 week old English Springer Spaniel and he is taking loads of my time.

My wife had a terrible week on the scales she showed a 1lb weight gain!! she has not cheated one bit, she has only had 2 bars all week however her water consumption has not been as good as it could be and looking at Icemooses post in the minimins forum http://www.minimins.com/cambridge-diet-forum/19842-why-drink-water-vlcd.html
it is clear to see why this may be the case. Her body has gone into water retention mode since it is getting very little other sustenance
I have been drinking loads of water and do not feel at all hungry though the nearer I get to target the more tempting food becomes!
I feel really good about myself and keep looking at clothes that now fit! I continue to get people amazed at how i look, just this week I had a man look at me and say "I know the face" he could not believe it was me another person has again this week asked if I have had my haircut! It's amazing that they can see a difference but do not know what the difference is. I am obviously quite happy to tell them since I am so proud of my loss.
Off now to give the pup some breakfast (I have a week off work now) but I will be back one day over the weekend to update my latest photo so please do pop back.

Thursday Week 25 18 stone lost between us!

Well that's another week flown by......

Only managed to lose 3lb this week!! could it be the extra mix-a-mousse that I had this week? Who knows. I have managed to consume plenty of water and still have either a peanut or cranberry bar daily with the remainder made up of tomato soup or chocolate tetra shake.

My body is now obviously needing less calories on a daily basis to survive since it is much smaller than the previous me! I don't mind as long as I can average a stone a month for the last bit of this journey then I will be happy.
My wife had a better week losing 5lb which she is pleased about, She deserved a better week after last weeks 1lb loss, she has however forfeited all bars, water flavouring and mix-a-mousse and is now surviving on just chocolate tetra and tomato soup. She is happy to continue on this basis so long as it works, losing a single pound did not help with her motivation.
The good news is that my wife has now lost an amazing 7 stone so between us today we had lost an amazing 18 stone exactly when we had our weigh in at lunchtime today.

So what else has happened this week? well I continue to get people telling me to stop and "you have lost too much now" etc however one new starter in our office agreed that I look just fine, this proves the point that it is just because people knew me as big Al and are just comparing the new small Al to the old image they have in their heads.

On Friday evening last week we had the school summer fair & BBQ, I traditionally carry out the role of BBQ chef, I continued to do the same role this year, cooking over 500 burgers and jumbo sausages it smelt wonderful. Not a single bit of this food passed my lips, this was quite a change in tradition for me as I would normally have eaten plenty of them not forgetting a good thick helping of cheese on top! Not to mention the copious amounts of wine that would normally have been drunk at the same time as cooking!

I have this week prepared a menu for my 8 weeks of food re-introduction (based on the yellow CD book) Never has half a chicken breast and a spoon of cabbage seemed so tempting. I used the guidelines in the book and bits taken from the forums to create a "tasty" varied menu for the 8 week period as I intend following it strictly to avoid initial weight gain. The reason for doing a menu is that I wish to be prepared for my future, I did not want to get to the start of my next phase and suddenly have to start thinking "what shall I eat tonight?" I am now fully prepared and will just need to ensure all the ingredients are available each week. Similarly I have now decided to follow Weight Watchers points system once I am out in the real world eating what I choose to eat. I like the idea that no food is forbidden it is just moderation and portion control, something I have had issue with in my previous life!
I have been around my kitchen cupboards with my points calculator working out what I can have and how much of a particular item is X points its been fun and I am looking forward to it.

I hope to be back and post soon,

Thursday Week 24 ooops a whole week since last posting

Hi everyone, well if anyone is still reading this after I have neglected to write anything for a whole week!! sorry, I have been very busy
I have been taking photos at unearthly hours like 4.50am sunrise shots for a project at my camera club, Its been school sports day, doesn't sound much except being on the PTA I had to organise run and bank for a refreshment stall with a healthy snack theme (went down like a lead balloon with school kids)
Its the Schools biggest annual event tomorrow, the summer fair & BBQ (fingers crossed for the weather) I have been buying bits, paying out money to others, sorting out floats. Then to top it all being a school governor I have had a lengthy meeting, also another shorter meeting with the Head on Sunday, Yes a Sunday and the Head was in the school, the reason for this... Ofsted had announced that they would be inspecting the school yesterday and today and I was asked to represent the board of governors in a meeting with the inspectors... nerves!! oh boy I had no idea what to expect, oh and not forgetting fitting in family life and a day job as well!! See I told you I have been busy.....

Now on to me and my diet!! I had the day off today to see those inspectors this morning so went for a lunchtime weigh in with my counsellor. Yippee another 6lb lost, I am getting towards my target now, 2 stone 11lb to go!! This may sound a lot of weight to some, many a person would only just be starting a diet if they were this heavy, but for me I have come such a long way 25 stone 8lb down to 14 stone 11lb is a personal WOW that I am so proud of, therefore 2 stone 11lb seems only a little bit to go in my eyes.

I have seen more people this week that I have not seen for many months and their jaw dropping expression painted a thousand words, they were all amazed at the new Alan, meanwhile those that see me regularly keep (annoyingly) telling me that I need to stop and I have lost enough now. This is clearly not true and I fully intend to continue. One person who has not seen me for months and months even thought that I had got cancer!!! very thin and a shaved head must be the reason!

I feel on top of the world, I am not feeling any problems with being on this very strict diet and love it, I recommend this plan to anyone who is committed to wanting to lose weight, though I do feel that you really do need to want to lose weight in your own mind.
I am still regularly drinking 10 pints of water a day and the more I drink the more I feel I need.
Off now to count more money for the summer fair!! hopefully it will not be a week until my next post however feel free to email me with the link on the right if you have any questions. Thank you to everyone who has sent me comments / messages of congratulations I hope that I continue to inspire others.
ooh nearly forgot, my counsellor asked today if we would be interested in appearing in the local paper as a story of the pair of us (Me and my wife) and on a down side my wife only lost 1lb this week, she feels like she has been in and out of ketosis this week even though she ditched the orange bars and has been having alternate day cranberry flavour. She is planning a week now without bars at all in an attempt to stay firmly in ketosis. I will let you know how she gets on.
really am going now....

Thursday week 23 Weigh in results

Just a quick update, been for a lunchtime weigh in today since I have to go out tonight! Anyway I have lost 4lb this week which has helped me to achieve another milestone, I am now classed as overweight with a BMI below 30 and I am no longer "OBESE" which is something I am very very pleased about!
More good news... my wife has gone back into ketosis after dropping water flavouring and orange bars and has replaced the orange bars with peanut bars only eaten on alternate days (they also have less carbs in them) so with being back in ketosis and a poor 3 weeks previously she managed to lose 8lb this week, and she is very pleased!!

must dash back to work..