So what next?

Over three weeks now since the marathon and I've done pretty much nothing, save for 2/3 runs. Motivation is pretty low and all I want to do is lounge about and eat :( I've probably put on around 7kg since my low a few months back, with about half that being in the last few weeks. I really need to turn that around, so I'm starting to log my weight daily again (111.7kg this morning).

My other goal is to get back into the pool at lunch-times. My gear has been sitting in the car for over a week now, but between being busy at work and the aforementioned motivational issues, I haven't taken a dip.

I might also try and get a 10km or maybe even a half in before the new year, but only if it's extremely convienient. I still haven't officially broken the 10km hour mark (one of my goals at the start of the year), so it'd be nice to get that in the bag to finish off the year.

All green

Despite my best efforts over the last few days, my PhysicsDiet 30-day chart is all green for the first time in ages (?ever?). Here's the link for posterity if I go into the red on the latest charts.

Was pretty surprised with my weigh-in this morning - 105.5kg, only up 0.5kg from Friday (and I ate a lot of trash yesterday \ over the weekend). So far I've lost 2.61kg this month - will do a end of month summary later in the week.

Weight update

This is a mid-month update, which is basically just cause it's being going so well over the last while I figured I may as well shout about it! As you can see from the graphs on the right hand side, everythings been in the green since the 25th June where my moving average tipped the scales at 109.1kg (actual 109.5kg). This morning (19th July) my weighin brought the moving average down to 107.7kg (actual 105.7kg), an overall loss of 2.4kg (actual 3.8kg).

Needless to say I'm pretty chuffed at that! One of the lads who hadn't seen me in around three months also thought I'd lost a lot of weight! To celebrate, I went out to this evening with a Nando's dinner (large chips + coleslaw) and desert this evening was a full tube of pringles and some dip! I could have held off the desert and I'm certainly not proud of it! Oh yeah, while I'm confessing, had two (yes two) cinnamon buns with my tea :(

Just want to write down what I think the weight loss is down to:

1. Training: the first week of my marathon training plan started on the 23rd of June - hardly coincidence. I think the mix of the high intensity intervals and tempo runs with the slower longer runs at the weekend may have shook my body out of it's state of equilibrum.
   
2. Diet: I've started being a (tiny) bit more planned with what I'm eating, especially during the week. Breakfast normally consists of 2 weetabix with milk + a portion of fruit, lunch is typically a small roll with meat, cheese and coleslaw, tea (around 5pm) is the same and dinner is usually a portion of pasta with some chicken. It's a little boring, but it seems to work. Of particular not is what I have for lunch \ tea - prior to this I'd have just had the two rolls at lunch. Splitting it into two seems to keep me full for longer if that makes sense.
3. On a roll: I'm looking forward to getting up in the mornings these days to see what I'm weighing in at - seeing the line on the right hand side continue to go down is an awesome motivator (when it's going down). Once you build up a bit of momentum, then it seems easier to keep it up.
   
4. Cravings \ willpower: For some reason (I've mentioned it before as well) I seem to have gone off all the junk food I used to eat (with the exception of ice-cream). If I go into a shop, for some reason I seem to find it easier to avoid chocolate (or crisps) at the moment - I've no idea whats brought that on, but long may it last. Even today when buying the pringles, I could have still put them down - it was the boredom that was the over-riding issue.
5. Fear: Probably links in with #3, but if the training (especially the long runs) are teaching me anything, is that the marathon distance is to be feared and respected. Every pound or kilo that I can drop will hopefully make the distance easier.

So hopefully it keeps going as it has been - keep a close eye on the chart on the RHS and be sure to poke me if I'm falling back into the red.

Weight update

Once again, haven't had one of these in a while, so it's probably time to 'fess up.

01/07/2009: 108.88kg
03/06/2009: 108.99kg
01/05/2009: 108.86kg
01/04/2009: 108.80kg
03/03/2009: 108.61kg
02/02/2009: 108.26kg
31/12/2008: 108.45kg
01/12/2008: 111.20kg

As posted before, I just can't seem to get a handle on my weight this year. At least it's consistent which is a not quite a negative point. Food wise, while I'm not religious about what I'm eating, my pattern is generally good during the week and lapsing at the weekend! But this is no different than last year while I was losing weight.

There's definitely excess calories creeping in - I can't deny that (and the weight graph \ figures don't lie). My activity levels have probably been more or less constant, but I'm hoping that the current marathon plan I'm following helps me focus on both food and exercise.

One things for sure though - any weight loss between now and the marathon will make the event (slightly) easier. When I think back to a rucksack I was bringing on holidays that weighed in at 16kg's, which was around the amount I'd lost at the time, it really hits home how difficult it is carrying around extra weight, even if you don't notice it at the time.

Weight Update

Haven't posted a weight update for a while, probably because I knew it'd be bad news. Well, I guess it's time to face the music and own up. I should probably do this on Friday (first of the month) but I'm going to get it over with now.

28/04/2009: 108.81kg
01/04/2009: 108.80kg
03/03/2009: 108.61kg
02/02/2009: 108.26kg
31/12/2008: 108.45kg
01/12/2008: 111.20kg

So what's the reasoning? I don't know - I certainly slacked a fair bit after Christmas, when the weather was bad and I couldn't get out running. I havn't been particularly looking after what I've been eating, which hasn't really helped either. I'm going to have a big push in May and hopefully we'll start seeing some results.

Weight update

31/12/08: 108.45kg
30/01/09: 108.52kg
03/03/09: 108.61kg
01/04/09: 108.8kg

The above is not going in the right direction.

1st December Weigh In

02/01: 115.64kg
01/02: 113.79kg
03/03: 114.04kg
01/04: 114.39kg
01/05: 112.37kg
03/06: 110.13kg
01/07: 108.34kg
01/08: 105.01kg
01/09: 104.17kg
01/10: 104.77kg
12/11: 104.35kg
01/12: 103.12kg

All good, but I'm a bit worried about the scales accuracy :) More about that in a post sometime in the next few days.

12th Nov Weigh In

02/01: 115.64kg
01/02: 113.79kg
03/03: 114.04kg
01/04: 114.39kg
01/05: 112.37kg
03/06: 110.13kg
01/07: 108.34kg
01/08: 105.01kg
01/09: 104.17kg
01/10: 104.87kg
12/11: 104.35kg

Half a kg reduction, which considering that I've been on holidays for two weeks isn't too bad. I'm still a bit disappointed though, as I had been down to 103.5kg at one point. Oh well.

I haven't really been looking after what I've been eating since getting back from Cuba...mainly because the food was pretty poor over there and I'd made up a list of things I wanted when I got back to the UK.

1st Sept Weigh In

02/01: 115.64kg
01/02: 113.79kg
03/03: 114.04kg
01/04: 114.39kg
01/05: 112.37kg
03/06: 110.13kg
01/07: 108.34kg
01/08: 105.01kg
01/09: 104.17kg

Still heading in the right direction...I had dipped under 104kg before the weekend, but as you can probably see from the weight charts (on the right), I had a big weigh in today.

Weight Milestone: 105kg

Crossed the 105kg barrier today, with my average weight coming in at 104.99kg. My actual weigh-in was 103.9kg.

Very happy with this, but will focus on 104kg instead of the "massive" 100kg goal, which still seems unachievable, despite my weight-loss to this point. One day (or kg) at a time though.

Ausut 1st Weigh-in

Bumper month, losing over 3kg. Delighted :)

02/01: 115.64kg
01/02: 113.79kg
03/03: 114.04kg
01/04: 114.39kg
01/05: 112.37kg
03/06: 110.13kg
01/07: 108.34kg
01/08: 105.02kg

Jeez, your 6/7ths of the man you used to be...

Weigh in today meant that I'd passed the 108kg average mark for the first time since I started keeping track (Jan 06). Bit of a milestone, considering I weighed in (on average) at (just over) 126kg at my heaviest, back around April 2007.

So far, the loss has been eighteen kilo's, or one seventh of 126kg. Don't know why I noticed that (as opposed to one eighth\one ninth\etc), but just feel its worth mentioning. Its been a long sixteen months, not all smooth, but I'm delighted with the progress so far. I definitely notice the difference, especially in the fat suit department (its still there, but no-where near as big).

In the overall scheme of things, I guess I'm about half way to where I want to be. I'd love to hit around 90kg, which I think is a good place to aim for. For the last few years, the lightest I've been is just over 100kg, and I definitely still had some to lose, so 90kg at the moment seems about right. It would still put me over the 25 BMI (85kg!!), but it still a damn sight better than my max of 37. (I don't particularly put too much belief into BMI, at least on an individual basis).

Obviously, the next goal is 107kg, and we'll take it from there :)

July 1st Weigh-in

Still going in the right direction. Slow and steady Really happy last night when I came across an old belt and could fasten it one extra notch comfortably, while two notches was possible but a bit more of a squeeze.

02/01: 115.64kg
01/02: 113.79kg
03/03: 114.04kg
01/04: 114.39kg
01/05: 112.37kg
03/06: 110.13kg
01/07: 108.34kg

Weight milestone

I crossed the 110kg mark on Friday which I'm quite happy about (based on my moving average weight). I haven't weighed myself on a different weighing scales in a while, but would be interested to see what the scales in the gym has to say for itself these days.

Weight Update: May 2008

Going in the right direction again, though I'm a bit worried about the accuracy of the scales!

03/06: 110.13kg
01/05: 112.37kg
01/04: 114.39kg
03/03: 114.04kg
01/02: 113.79kg
02/01: 115.64kg

Weight update

I've had two pretty decent weeks on the weight loss front, losing 0.76kg in that period. However, a bit of a bad start to this week already, where I'm after putting back on 0.17kg over the last two days!

Not going too bad on the exercise front either. Jogged down to the gym tonight, done some rowing and cycling, followed by a bit of swimming and had a brisk walk back. Didn't really eat the best stuff today, but hopefully I've broke even with the calories today.