A bit of a hiatus.

I'm still here, and I haven't given up. In fact I've lost a wee bit more since the last entry. I'll explain my absence first though.

As some of you may know, I've been aiming to become a music teacher. I'm nearly finished my higher English course at college and I had applied to do a post-graduate teaching course at university, to start at the end of summer this year. I was offered an interview and audition for this, so a lot of my time was invested in practicing (particularly piano) to try and get good enough in such a short space of time.

Alas, this year it wasn't to be. But at least I have an idea of the benchmark for next year!

What also hampered me was my gym membership expiring at the end of February. I wasn't able to afford to renew it thanks to being unemployed. But the good news now is that I've got myself a job back where I worked a couple of years ago: in Glasgow University's leisure facility. I've managed to get in the gym and restart the cardio training and the extra walking up and down stairs during the shifts is also helping me out.

So, last time we spoke, I was at a total loss of 2st 7lbs (15.8kg or 35lbs).

As of Wednesday this week, I'm now at a total of 2st 10.5lbs (17.4kg or 38.5lbs) meaning I now weigh in at 16st 3.5lbs (103.2kg or 227.5lbs). So, I need to lose 1.5lbs to reach the 40lbs lost mark, and I need to lose another 4lbs to get below 16st.

I feel like I've had a really good week so far, and if I can keep it up until my next weigh in on Thursday, hopefully I can get at least one of those milestones.

I'll report back on Thursday!

Some clothing progress

4 weeks or so in now and another 2lbs off this week means that I've lost 9.5lbs in that 4 weeks (I put on half an pound last week but we'll not dwell on that) for a total loss of 2st 7lbs / 15.8kg / 35lbs.

Chloe and I went for dinner with a couple of friends of ours in Dundee last week, and I decided to try on a shirt that Chloe bought me last summer. The tag was still on it because the last time I tried it, it wouldn't even fasten. Well didn't I just go and wear that damn shirt for going to dinner?! I was so happy! I've been wearing the same 2 shirts for the past year now on special occasions because they were the only ones that fit me. Now I have at least one more and I've yet to try on some of the other under-used items hanging up in my wardrobe. What's more is that I put a belt on with my jeans and I've moved up to a new belt hole. I'm seeing progress again and I like it.

The main goal (clothing-wise) for me this year is to fit into a Saville Row shirt that I bought about a year ago. Again, it was no where near fastening when I bought it but I refused to return it. I tried it on be other day and it buttoned up...

However I was one deep breath away from hulking my way out of that sucker and breaking some windows with the subsequent bullet-button effect. 

Anyway, I'm just back from a Saturday morning mile run, which I'm managing to do a bit quicker each time (did an 11 minute mile today) and I can't wait to get back onto the scales next Thursday to see if I can get any closer to that elusive 3st / 19kg / 42lbs mark.

Into week 3

My apologies for the gap in posting. It's been a bit of a busy week!

I kept up my gym commitments last week. I even managed to get back on the treadmill (albeit with my foot plastered up where it blistered) and completed 2.km in under 19 minutes! Again, I know that's not terribly quick in grand scheme of long distance running, however when my initial target is a sub-40 minute 5km, I feel like I'm doing pretty well!

I also got weighed on Thursday night and lost 4.5lbs! So that's a total of 8lbs in 2 weeks! I'm delighted with the progress that's being made with this programme!

Total weight loss (from heaviest):

2st 5.5lbs / 15.2kg / 33.5lbs

I'm aiming for another 3lbs off this week, however, I'm getting weighed on Saturday morning instead of Thursday night due to another commitment this Thursday.

I'll make sure I update the blog on time this time around. 😀

Week 1 weigh in and a running injury.

My first week of this new plan is now complete, and I've lost 3.5lbs! Which bring my total weight loss (from my heaviest weight) to 2st 1lb (13kg or 29lbs). All-in-all I'm pretty happy. Hopefully I can get the same, if not more off next week. I'm hoping that my body has just been getting used to the cardio work this week and the weight loss effects will have a nice boost from now on.

On a more painful note, I ran just over 2km on the treadmill yesterday morning before having to stop (I was aiming for 2.5km) due to a rather nasty stinging sensation on my right foot instep. See the picture below for reference. It's about an inch and a half long blister. Ouchies. So I'm off the running for a couple of days. Today was a rest day, with it being the day of my weigh in, but I'll be back in the gym tomorrow for 6.30am again only this time I'll be on the bike. Hopefully I can get back to running by the weekend but it all just depends on how quickly this blister heals!

I'm still going!

Yes! It's been nearly 5 days and I'm still keeping this up! So many times I've been determined to do a programme like this and I've given it my all on day one, half effort on day 2 and it's gone entirely by the third day.

I was in the gym again just after 6.30am this morning (accompanied this time by my beautiful fiancée, Chloë!) and managed 2km on the treadmill at a pace of 7.5km/h which means 8 mins per km. Now, when I did ParkRun at Strathclyde Loch, my best 5km time was 40.19 which is slow for a 5k obviously, but that's going to be my target for the next time I do a ParkRun: sub-40 minutes.

In addition to this exercise, Chloë and I have been indulging in Slimming World meals which has resulted in some excellent low fat meals so far. We had spinach, chicken and tomato curry on Satirday night with some boiled rice, homemade onion bhajis and homemade vegetable pakora made with curried mash potato. See pics attached for this one. And last night (Sunday) we had a tomato and vegetable pasta with chunks of reduced fat sausage meat throughout. This was Chloë's work, no recipe, so credit where credit's due! On tonight's menu we have smoked gammon steaks with a selection of veggies on the side and new potatoes. 

Over halfway to my next weigh in! I can't weight (sorry) to see the results. Hopefully all this hard work will have paid off and it'll encourage me to get working even harder next week.

So here's the pics from our Saturday curry.

The pain has arrived...

As expected, after yesterday's run (first in a long time) as well as 50 reps on an ab/core workout machine (thanks mum) I'm feeling very sore and stiff today. 

Although it didn't stop me hitting the gym this morning (possibly because I wasn't in anywhere near as much pain at 6.30am as I am now!) as I managed to smash out 1 mile or 1.6km on the treadmill without stopping.

Not sure how abs and core will go this afternoon, if at all. I might have to give the abs a rest today and maybe do some arm, back and shoulders stuff from home instead. 

As far as tomorrow will go, I'm going to give running a rest and jump on an exercise bike instead. I intend to get a movie or documentary going on the iPad and just cycle through it. All in all, I'm feeling pretty good after these couple of days. Feeling very optimistic about being able to carry on with this lifestyle!

First weigh-in (of the blog)

Ok, so at the moment I weigh 17st 2.5lbs (109kg or 240.5lbs).

I was around 16st 8.5lbs or 232lbs before Christmas and New Year, but I pigged out and I don't really care because I don't believe in dieting over that period of time! Fat Jamie was well and truly on the go for the last 2 weeks.

Regardless, I'm going to take this current weight and start again from there. So going from my heaviest ever weight (19st / 120.5kg / 266lbs), I've currently lost 1st 11.5lbs / 11.5kg / 25.5lbs.

To give you an idea of what I looked like at that weight, he's a picture of me Andy mum on my 21st birthday in 2010. I hate to look at this picture, yet it gives me a level of comfort and assurance as to how far I've already come.