Category: <span>My Story</span>

Two Stone Loss, Taster Night, and Man of the Yeartwo stones and man of the year
Published Thu, 18th Aug 2016

Two Stone Loss, Taster Night, and Man of the Year

Yesterday was a pretty epic night for me in my Slimming World class.

Two Stone Loss

I was delighted to achieve my two stone loss. This comes just 7 weeks after starting at Slimming World, which is pretty rapid progress! In fact, it’s an average loss of 4 pounds per week!

I am really pleased to be doing so well, and to know that it’s ‘working’. However, I realise that I’m not going to be able to keep up such a blistering pace as I go forward from here. If I can lose an average of 2 pounds per week for the next stone I think I’ll be doing well.

Taster Night

Taster Nights are those when everyone in class is invited to bring in food – sweet or savoury items – that they have cooked, and (like the name suggests) we all get to taste them. People can also share their recipes with the rest of class, and get some inspiration for things to try at home.

I decided to join in and cooked some Bombay Bhajis and Raita following a recipe from the SW website. I couldn’t find any Bombay Spice Mix in the supermarket, and so I used the Garam Masala spice mix instead, which gives a milder flavour. You could add extra curry powder and spices if you prefer more of a kick!

Anyway, they seemed to go down well with the class, and loads of people were asking about the recipe.

Man of the Year

The reason we were having a Taster Night at class was because we were also voting for the Man of the Year and Woman of the Year awards. These aren’t the national competitions that get reported in the press, which tend to feature people that have lost 10 stones – these are to pick the people within the class that have inspired you.

The nominations took place last week, and from within the three men that attend the class (stiff competition, eh?), two of us were nominated. The nominees were then invited to tell the class a little about why they come, and what they get from Slimming World, and then the class vote for the winner.

And I won!

I got a certificate, a rather fetching red tie with “Man of the Year” written on it, a sticker for my book, and a lovely gift that was hand-made by my consultant.

I was also very humbled and grateful for all the people who voted for me. I’ve not been coming to the class for very long, and so I was pretty surprised to even be eligible to be nominated.

My Story Slimming World

Man of the Year Progress Taster Night

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How a daily walk is helping boost my weight lossalfie the dog
Published Fri, 12th Aug 2016

How a daily walk is helping boost my weight loss

You can lose weight with Slimming World by following the Food Optimising food plan on its own. However if you add in a bit of exercise – or as they call it, Body Magic – it can really boost your results!

By nature I’m a bit of a lazy oaf! I’m quite happy to plonk myself down on the sofa in front of the TV and not move for the rest of the day – save for the odd visit to the toilet or fridge. In fact, it has been known for me to come home from work on a Friday night, and not set foot outside the house until Monday morning, having just sat on my fat arse for the entire weekend!

I’m not a fan of exercise, and I don’t possess the gene that some others have that drives them to remain active throughout the day. But I’m not a moron, and I do understand that a bit of activity is good for me. It helps me feel bright and alert, and also burns a few calories off my body in the process.

The only problem is that I quickly lose interest in doing exercise. I may start with good intentions, but within a matter of weeks I’ve found excuses not to do it. For example, I joined a gym a couple of years ago, and even engaged the services of a personal trainer to put together a training programme for me. And at the beginning it all went well. I would stop in to the gym 2 or 3 times a week and do a full hour of cardio and weight training. However, after a while my enthusiasm started to wane, and I would find excuses not to go. And then I managed to injure both my knees, and that was the perfect to excuse to stop training for a while. And inevitably that ‘while’ ended up lasting for ever!

So in order to make sure I do some exercise and – most importantly – stick with it, is to build that exercise into my daily routine.

One great way is to commute to work by bike. I used to cycle to work every day – come rain or shine – about 7km each way. And by making cycling my means to transport, I built-in around 50 minutes of moderate exercise into my daily routine. And invariably my commute time was quicker than if I would have driven!

Unfortunately, I’ve not been working for the last few months, and so the cycling has fallen by the wayside. But instead, something else has happened to build some activity into my daily routine.

We got a dog!

Here’s a photo of the little fella. He’s called Alfie.

Alfie the dog

We rescued him from the pound about 10 weeks ago, and he’d definitely part of the family.

Having a dog means that you need to walk the dog, and so my daily routine now includes a 40-60 minute walk with the dog. And while he gets his daily exercise, I get mine too. Okay, so I’m not at the level where I’m training to run a marathon, but I am walking between 5 and 10 km every day.

I may not be breaking a sweat, but I can feel real benefits from getting out and about. My leg muscles are certainly getting much stronger, which must come from having to carry the rest of me around. I feel much more alert and positive after completing a walk. And I also find that a weight loss is easier to achieve during the week.

Walking a dog may not be for you – particularly if you don’t own a dog! But here are my top tips for including exercise in your day:

  • Pick an exercise that you can build into your daily routine. You’re much more likely to stick with it.
  • Pick an exercise that you enjoy. If you hate doing something then you’re eventually going to find excuses not to do it – a bit like me and going to the gym!
  • Pick an exercise target that’s achievable. Start small – even if it’s a 5 minute walk down the street, and the build up gradually. If you set yourself too tough a goal, you might get disheartened and give up.
  • Get outside. I find that walking on a treadmill or cycling on an exercise bike incredibly boring. But by getting outside you can explore your local area, and even meet interesting people. Every day when I walk the dog I seem to strike up a conversation with someone, and I’m not normally an outgoing person. And the weather isn’t often as bad as you think it is.
  • Find something that you can measure. Whether it’s a count of laps in the pool, the distance you cycle, or the time spent walking. It can often be a good motivational tool to measure what you do, and track your improvement over time. I have a Fitbit to help keep track of my steps, and I find that I challenge myself to get in 10,000 steps in a day (about 8km).

My Story Slimming World Walking

Alfie The Dog Body Magic Cycling Exercise Walking

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The things I do before my weigh-inno money 2070384
Published Mon, 1st Aug 2016

The things I do before my weigh-in

The week comes around quickly, and before I know it I’m faced with the prospect of another weigh-in.

The scales at home show that I’ve lost a couple of pounds, but the scales in class – which seem to be possessed by a very mean-spirited devil – always seem to show a different weight, and mostly not in my favour!

I can’t stand the thought of that warm but pitiable smile from the person operating the scales, when they tell me in hushed tones that (yet again) I’ve maintained or even put on a few pounds. I can’t stand the thought of the consultant joyously announcing to the class my TOTAL weight loss – which, as everyone knows, is code for “he’s been pigging out again”!

So, to make sure I definitely get a loss – any loss – in class, I put myself through a punishing series of trials, to shave off a few ounces from my body before going to class:

  • I will always have a pee and a poo before class. I don’t want anything from this morning’s breakfast to be still in my system!
  • I will stop drinking at lunchtime, because any liquids after that will not clear my system before the class. The up-shot of this is that I’m nearly faint with dehydration by the time I step on the scales, but at least I can look forward to a lovely cup of tea (in a disposable cardboard cup) afterwards.
  • I will assess the weight of my clothes, and discard any heavy ones. The consultant is very much against people stripping off completely for their weigh-in – she thinks it will traumatise people and put off new joiners from staying. So, on the basis that I need to wear something, I need the clothes to be light. Last week at home I weighed myself twice – once with my shirt on, and once without – and I was a whole pound lighter without the shirt. I must have really heavy clothes!
  • I will empty my pockets of keys, wallet, mobile phone, loose change, old bus tickets, pocket lint, and anything else that’s in there. I’ll also divest myself of a belt – as long as my trousers fit well enough not to fall down during class.
  • I will walk or cycle to class, because it’s never too late to fit in a bit of body magic. And of course, I can sweat a bit more fluid out of me!
  • And lastly, I will kick off my shoes. But then again everyone does that!

Of course, I fully realise that if I did all this every week, not only would it cease to have any benefit, but it would be really bad for me. I’m sure deliberately dehydrating myself is not something that would be encouraged,

So at the end of the day, I would need to lose some actual weight from my body to see a loss on the scales. And that, I guess, involves following the bloody plan.

My Story Slimming World

Being Silly Desperate Measures Weigh In

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After one week of food optimisingcalendar 660670 1920
Published Wed, 6th Jul 2016

After one week of food optimising

The first week is usually a good one.

You dive into the Slimming World healthy eating plan – or “Food Optimising” as they call it – and you follow all the rules, and at your first weigh-in, you get some good results.

My first weigh-in saw me lose 7 pounds, and so I got my half-stone award staight away.

Obviously not everyone can lose half a stone in a week, but when you start at such a big weight as me, its easy to lose quite quickly at the start.

The most radical change for me has been cutting out all the between-meals treats that I was eating. Gone are the bags of sweets, bars of chocolate, and family-sized bags of crisps. And instead, I’m now snacking on raw carrots and grapes.

I’ve also noticed that I’m now properly hungry at meal times. Before, I was eating so much between meals that I wasn’t actually hungry when it came to lunch or dinner – but I was still eating my meals as well!

Now I’m actually hungry at meal times, and as such I find that I’m enjoying those meals all the more.

I’m also enjoying helping my wife out with the batch cooking. So much so that the freezer is now groaning with multiple portions of chilli con carne and chicken curry – all free meals, of course!

My Story Slimming World

Progress Snacks

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Starting again at Slimming Worldroad 1668916 1920
Published Wed, 29th Jun 2016

Starting again at Slimming World

So here I am, starting Slimming World for the second time in my life.

I did it once before, about two years ago, along with my wife. We went along faithfully every week to class for six months, and during that time I managed to lose just over 4 stone in weight. So I know that Slimming World works. But unfortunately life seemed to get in the way, and we stopped going.

I got seriously ill, and healthy eating didn’t seem to be the biggest priority in life. Indeed, my doctors kept telling me not to worry about my weight, and instead concentrate on my treatment and getting better. So I took that as a license to go crazy and eat all of the wrong foods. And wouldn’t you know it, all of the weight went back on, and a few pounds more!

I was sat at home all day, and it was very easy to stuff my face with chocolate, sweets and crisps. I knew it wasn’t healthy eating, but I could blame the steroids given to me as part of my treatment for giving me the munchies.

So I end up at the point that I now weigh 24 stones, and all my 3XL shirts are straining at the seams. I’ve finished my treatment, and (here’s hoping) I have been cured from my illness. And so it’s time to do something about my weight.

I know all about healthy eating. I’ve been on countless diets over the years. However most diets leave me feeling hungry for most of the time. But Slimming World is different. You can eat as much as you want, as long as you’re eating healthily. And so I’m signing up to start again.

My first goal is to try and get 4 stone off by the end of the year. After that we’ll see how we go.

My Story Slimming World

Healthy Eating Illness Weight

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