13 Stone 4lb lost in 32 weeks, now slimmer of the year 2007 runner up

Thursday, 27 September 2007

Week 35 end of 3rd maintenance week

13 stone 8lb at my weigh in tonight which is the same as last week
This week has been a good one on the 1000 plan which includes 3 meals a day and 2 CD products. I have had another week of maintaining a constant weight which I am most pleased with, especially as this week was the first introduction of carbohydrates.
I do not have any desire to lose any more weight but do wish to maintain and certainly not start increasing my now slender 32" waist.
If I stay within a healthy BMI and the same clothes then I will be very chuffed!!
I have been eating more vegetables / salad than "officially" allowed on the plan but that is as far as I have deviated from it.

I will be having another week this week on the 1000 plan before stepping up again to the next level!!
I am really surprised at how much I am enjoying eating some breakfast. I have never been a breakfast person however having started having 2 shredded wheat each day with a splash of skimmed milk it really sets me up for the day ahead. albeit I cant eat it until about 0930 at work (cant face eating before that time!!)

Our slimmer of the year application has been submitted to CD headquarters (I have lost 13 stone and my wife has lost 8 stone) and we await with our fingers crossed.

Hope everyone is well, I keep up with all the forum posts and blogs, best wishes to everyone who is still on their journey, Its so worth it!!! do it!!!

Wednesday, 26 September 2007

Fat Nation

Just found the article below and thought it was fitting to post it on my blog!

I am having a good week so far, enjoying eating some limited amounts of carbs, and having a salad at lunchtime is just divine. I have also been having some shredded wheat for my breakfast, I take this to work and eat it about 0930 as I can't do breakfast too early. Upto now I have only usually had breakfast at the weekend however it is really quite nice to have something in the morning that keep you feeling pleasantly full until "salad time"
I am off to a wedding at the weekend where I do not intend to have any alcohol however I do intend eating the wedding breakfast.
I will pop back tomorrow with an update after my official weigh in.


News article

Scotland is the second fattest nation

An alarming new study has revealed that Scotland is the second fattest nation in the developed world, behind America.
More than a quarter of the Scottish population is obese, at 25.5 per cent, compared to 32.2 per cent in America, and just 8.3 per cent in Norway. England comes fourth in the table at 22.5 per cent.
Scottish children are suffering an alarmingly high rate of obesity, according to the figures released by the Scottish Public Health Observatory. And women are also particularly at risk, since they are most likely to develop serious health problems from being obese.

Women are 13 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, four times more likely to suffer high blood pressure, three times more likely to develop cancer of the colon and 30 per cent more likely to suffer a stroke.
Obese men are five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and about twice as likely to develop osteoarthritis.
Heavily overweight people are 18 per cent more likely to need hospital treatment than those of normal weight in Scotland, with obesity costing the NHS £171 million in 2001 (the most recent year for which the figures are available). And in 2003, 500,000 cases of high blood pressure, 50,000 cases of coronary heart disease and 900 of cases of cancer, mostly of the colon, were caused by obesity in Scotland.
The Scottish Executive has launched plans to try and tackle the problem of childhood obesity by removing sweets and fizzy drinks from schools, serving less deep-fried food and more oily fish. It believes that by targeting children, it can make a difference for the future.

Percentage of obese members of the population around the world
United States: 32.2
Scotland: 25.5
Mexico: 24.2
England: 22.5
Canada: 22.4
Greece: 21.9

Thursday, 20 September 2007

Week 34, end of 2 weeks of maintenance

Well this week has seen a very slight improvement.
I have this week dropped just one pound!! however one pound down is a pound in the right direction!! I have this week had my second week of maintenance following the 790 plan + a few extra vegetables with my one meal each day.
I am pleased though that my weight seems to have stabilised albeit I had a little jump in weight last week I am assured by my CDC that it is inevitable that my glycogen has started to refill and "not to panic!!" It is then with some relief that I have this week dropped a pound. I was very worried last week that this was the start of a problematic time with my weight going to be going back on week after week and getting out of control. I have remained positive a focused whilst thoroughly enjoying my food along with my 3 CD shakes / bar each day.
Tomorrow I step up to the 1000 plan whereby I drop a CD shake but gain a salad for lunch and a small breakfast.The evening meal is very similar to the last fortnight but with the addition of a small amount of carbs (Rice / Pasta or potato) I am very excited about this next phase of returning to normality and hope for a neutral effect on my weight. I will be happy if I do not drop down to 12 stone exactly, I only picked 12 stone to allow for a window of fluctuation. If my weight stays in the "healthy" band ie below 12 stone 11 lb then I will be chuffed. I also do not want to gain any size in my clothes. I am now quite happy wearing my 32" trousers and do not want to grow!! Therefore I will be happy to stay at this point as I move through the maintenance steps.
I will return next week with an update on how things have progressed after a week with 3 meals and carbs!! oooooh some lovely real food!!
I love the new chocolate orange flavour shake, I make this in to a mousse and have it for my desert / supper..... off now to eat tonight's!!!

Thursday, 13 September 2007

Week 33 a Minor Blip!!!

Hi All,

Well this was my first week of eating, and very strange it has felt!!

you will see from my charts that I have in fact shown a 5lb weight gain this week which sounds horrendous I know. Well I am an eternal optimist and am putting it down to one major factor.... I had just had my meal, yes just 30 mins before weigh in I ate 275g of Quorn with vegetables and a CD bar for desert. ( I had to do it, straight after weigh in I had to attend a school governors meeting)
I have started off this week by going straight onto the 790 plan and intend to follow this for 2 weeks minimum, now I know there has been lots of debate on the forums about being BMI 25 + 1 stone and you should be on a minimum of the 1000 plan and the CD book says one thing yet Cambridge now say something different, well I have decided to plump for starting with 790 to allow my body to balance then move on up the steps for a week or 2 minimum on each (as per the yellow book)
The 790 plan seems like so much food after months without anything!! I have however managed it all without any problem and my 3 CD products each day too. I have been having a few more veg than the 3 tablespoons mentioned in the book, so whilst not cheating I have bent the rules a little (had the correct veg just a few more). Some may say well it serves you right then to show a weight increase!! Well I know that at the moment my weight still fluctuates by as much as 7lb during the course of the day, which is a tremendous amount and on top of this my body must be grasping hold of this food for dear life after fasting for so long!!
I am happy still as I am within the healthy BMI category and that is what I based my target of 12 stone upon, 12 stone plus a 10lb "window" Now I only need a good poo and that will drop a few pound!! If I get on the scales first thing tomorrow I can guarantee they will say 12 stone 3lb as this has been par for the last few days. It will be better to look next Thursday at a like for like comparison when I go for my weigh in again after eating my evening meal, rather than trying to compare this week with last when I had not consumed a morsel!! I intend to stick on 790 for a bit longer if the trend does not move downwards, I am however consuming far less calories than my body needs to function so it inevitably has to start balancing once the glycogen store refills and weight starts coming off again.
Do I sound like I am trying to convince myself??? I think I am just putting a brave face on in light of a shit result of a weeks weigh in!! It is disappointing to see a gain I know but I will keep my chin up. I have not been eating any "naughties" just a bit more veg than that specified and only the one meal a day as per the book!!

It has been nice though sitting down again as a family and eating a somewhat normal meal. I have had Quorn, chicken, turkey, cottage cheese & Tuna this week (not all at once of course!!) with various different vegetables and even used some bullion mix on my "Sunday lunch" as gravy. I had turkey breast steaks with broccoli and cauliflower and the gravy and I loved it!! Cottage cheese with a salad was not quite as appetising and has since been scrubbed off the menu for this week replaced by a nice hot chicken breast with courgettes!! far tastier.

I have also been doing plenty of dog walking, its getting darker and colder in the mornings now, 5am is now pitch black!! I have been wearing a weight watchers pedometer and easily racked up 2 "activity points" from my morning walk and general daytime mooching about so I must be doing something right!!

I went for my trial light aircraft flight at the weekend, It was fantastic, yes I took the controls for 1/2 hour whilst flying over Colchester even looking down on my own home on what was a glorious day weather wise. It was great to do something that would not have been possible before when I was overweight (16 stone weight limit). I have however given up on the idea of flying lessons as they say to get your pilots licence allow 60 hours of tuition and at £150 per hour, you can do the maths to see that its not a "cheap" hobby!! I did really enjoy my 1/2 hour trial though and am most grateful to my wife for the present.

So here's to another week on 790 and hopefully a better result on the scales next week, I am still very very committed and motivated and know that this week is only a minor blip that will even out... its got to on 790 calories!!!

I'll be back with an update next week, feel free to email me if you have any questions, Best wishes to you all
Alan
email thebigdiet@hotmail.co.uk

Thursday, 6 September 2007

Week 32 Last night of Sole Source

Hi Everyone,
well I am down from cloud 9 this week, I haven't come down with any kind of bump or anything like that, its just after such an achievement last week this week seems mundane.

I have however lost another 4lb this week taking me down to 12 stone 4lb and below my target of 12 and a half stone before I start to re-introduce food. So tomorrow is the big day when I step onto the maintenance stages, I intend having cod fillet and courgettes both steamed with some herbs and lemon or vinegar to taste.
I am excited about starting to eat some food but at the same time I feel very apprehensive about gaining weight. I hope I don't gain anything or I will be a bit disappointed. I am aware that as my glycogen refills I may gain some then balance out and hopefully drop a bit as I go through the stages. I intend following the maintenance to the letter for the required amount of time. I have a full 8 week menu written out ready to go for every single day during this next phase of my weight management plan. I will keep you informed on how I get on.

I have a flying lesson this weekend, this was a birthday present from my lovely wife back in May however I did not want to book it whilst I was overweight, I was scared of not fitting behind the controls or being told I was too heavy for the 2 seater plane. I don't think I will be having this problem on Saturday. I am getting really excited about going up and the weather is due to be OK at the last forecast I saw. I hope to take a couple of photos whilst up there however I am supposed to be flying the thing so this may not be the allowed!!

I have been doing plenty of dog walking this week averaging 2 hours per day over 2 walks the first of which I take at 5am before I get ready for my day job.

So I am signing off now on what is my last night on Sole Source, This diet has done a tremendous job for me and I am very excited about my future.
I will be back next Thursday with an update on my first week of maintenance.
Good luck to all newbies and all those continuing on their journey, good luck everyone, stick at it, my results speak wonders for how this diet can work if you are determined!!

Thursday, 30 August 2007

Week 31 Triple milestone achieved

Wow Wow Wow......



Just got back from seeing my CDC and I am sooooo happy I have done it!!!!!!

yes I have today hit three milestones all in one go....



I have this week had my "official weigh in" after a 2 week break by my CDC for her holiday, you may recall that I have been keeping a track of my weight on my own scales well today surpassed all expectations



I lost another 5lb taking my weight down to 12 Stone 8 lb.
Why is this a triple milestone, well let me tell you I can hardly type fast enough for my excitement.
1) I am now less than half the weight I was when I started

2) I have now lost exactly 13 stone in exactly 7 months!!!!

3) I am now classed as healthy, with a BMI of 24.5, for the first time ever I have hit the healthy target.

I don't think I have ever been healthy, I was always the fat kid, now look!!!!

I have posted some new photos taken yesterday, They do show me in clothes as they were taken to submit with my slimmer of the year nomination form. I can do some more showing my wrinkly skin belly if people would rather I continued the same theme as all those previous photos.

I am now on cloud 9, Yippee

I will be starting maintenance next week and am so looking forward to a healthy future.

Its been another whirlwind week, back to work after my hols.
Sorry cant write anymore I have to dash off to inform the people who read the forums.....

oh I am so excited...........

Thursday, 23 August 2007

Week 30 Weigh in results

Just jumped on my scales for my week 30 weigh in......... 4lb lost this week!!! (I must stress that this week and last weeks reading have been taken on my scales as my CDC is on holiday, my scales are usually +/- 1lb to what my CDC's usually show)

Wow I am now under the 13 stone mark!! just look at my little car in my ticker at the top of the page, its about to fall off the end!! I now have a BMI of 25.2 so very nearly healthy

I cannot believe I have lost 12 stone 9lb in such a short period of time.
This week has been a bit tough at times, I have been on leave from work, though not actually away on a holiday (could not bare going anywhere and not eating a morsel)
It always seems harder to drink the required amount of water when at home, probably because I have been busy doing things, its not always easy to drink the water. Don't get me wrong I have always drunk at least 10 pints each day, however this has sometimes consisted of up to 4 pints in one hour then nothing for several hours (I know this is wrong but I had to be practical! One of the places we have been this week is Legoland, well it started with a 3 hour motorway journey (should have been one and a half if no hold ups!!) How could I keep drinking and peeing whilst on the M25, then once in Legoland we had to queue for rides for anything between 45 min and 1 1/4 hours, again I could hardly reserve a spot in a zig-zag queue whilst I just nipped off to the WC could I !!!! Anyway I am happy to show a 4lb loss this week and hope this is reflected in my "official" weigh in with my CDC next week. I intend starting maintenance when I reach 12 stone 7lb and hope to lose the remaing 7lb on the maintenance steps (fingers crossed).
Back to the subject of Legoland.... well it was fantastic getting on all those rides, rides that previously I would not have fitted (adrenaline junkie here) It was a great feeling. I still really want to spend a couple of days at Alton Towers staying in the water park hotel and riding all the great roller coasters without feeling ashamed to swim at the hotel and being further embarrassed by being moved off a ride because the safety bars will not close!! For anyone who has not experienced this embarrassment it is difficult to tell you how it feels, you just sit on the ride at the head of the queue with 100's of people looking on and one attendant calls over another (already enough to cause people to glare over) when the second attendant arrives they both push, pull, squash and even kneel on the safety bar in an attempt to close it. "Its no good sir you will have to get off, sorry" you then exit the ride with your tail between your legs, by this time the whole of the other riders are looking on with anger as this has delayed the start of their enjoyment. You feel like you want the ground to open up (would need a bloody big cavern) and swallow you up. That experience happened to me twice and was enough to stop me going back to a theme park. .... I cant wait to go back!! maybe even Florida!! I wish....

I have been out regularly this week walking my pooch, come rain or shine (mostly rain this summer!!) I am really enjoying the exercise.
Today I have been on the second part of my course with free lunch again, aww this time it was huge baguettes with lovely fillings, kettle chips and double chocolate muffins!! I left the others to get on and eat whilst I drank a pint of water in the car park and phoned my wife to see how her day was going. Incidentally she lost 3lb this week according to our scales.
My wife is going to stop sole source at the same time as me, she will not have got as quite as low as she wanted but will have lost just over 8 stone and be wearing size 14 so is quite content to stop. She may stick on the 1000 plan stage when we go through the maintenance steps if that works for her so at least she can join me and the rest of the family for 3 meals a day whilst still losing the odd pound.
We have been doing loads of menu planning this week using the weight watchers points system to score a healthy 4 week rotating menu to use long term after I finish all the maintenance steps reintroducing food.
My wife cant believe that I can sit looking at recipe books for hours and be writing menus, yet not want to eat, it drives her mad just talking about food (she is suffering a bit at the moment with hunger pangs) I really enjoy it,
I want to be as in control of my future as I am now, I am very motivated to keep this weight off and very very focused at my goal. I have even modified a spreadsheet I found to calculate my daily points and chart my food diary using excel so I can keep on track and monitor my future!!

I am feeling so great being a slimmer man, I really want to stay this way... I have loved this journey and feel that I have learnt so much along the way
Best wishes to all fellow dieters either on their journey or just considering embarking on the Cambridge Diet.... Do it this diet is amazing!!!

I hope to appear in the CD magazine one day and have told Kerensa (CD PR lady)that I will happily "pose" for some photos / tell my story,if they would like me too of course!! I am hoping that I can be a real inspiration to many people in the future.
Best Wishes
Alan