1 down, 2 to go!

Yesterday was my third weigh-in. And... I lost 6lbs! So, in the space of 3 weeks I've lost a stone! I'm terrified I'll have some kind of weight rebound next week as it all just seemed too easy. Also, we all know the mantra about healthy weight-loss being 1-2lbs per week. But don't get me wrong, I really am delighted. So, I'm now 13st3 and I'm aiming for 11st. So, in 2st3lb I'll review and decide if I need/want to lose any more.

Another.. interesting side effect of my new regime is that I've suddenly become a lightweight when it comes to alcohol. I had my fortnightly drink on Saturday (as planned in my last blog) and it all got a bit messy. I didn't drink any more than I normally would, and was drunk before we even left the house. Even worse, I was throwing up by 10pm. I rested up for a bit and did end up making it out, but did no more drinking that night! I just wasn't prepared for the changes in my body, and I'll know to take things a bit slower next fortnight.

I've managed to secure a couple of good gym deals on groupon, so I'm all gymmed up until the end of March. I'm hoping to go at least twice a week, and at the minute my best friends are the cross-trainer, bike and treadmill. I intend to run/jog the 5k Race For Life this summer and I'm starting by doing a little basic "interval training". I'm not a natural born runner, so I was really pleased with myself when I managed to do 11 minutes of brisk walking for one minute, then jogging for one minute. I am aware of the benefits of weight/resistance training, and will probably introduce this at some stage, but truth be told I don't really know where to start, and the weight room at the gym can be at bit intimidating for a beginner.

I'm going to start setting myself weekly goals, so here are 3 for this week;
1. To try a new fruit/vegetable. This is something set by my weight-loss group, and I'm dreading it. I'm really not good at trying new things..
2. To manage 15mins of interval training, as described above
3. To start taking some supplements religiously, namely, a multivit, a green tea capsule, a probiotic and a silica supplement (to improve my hair)
I'll check in with these goals next week, and then set some more - any suggestions gratefully received!

Til next time! x

Well, I had my second weigh-in on Wednesday this week. And, in 2 weeks... I've lost 8lbs! I'm really pleased, as no matter how hard you've worked there's always that sneaking suspicion that you might not have lost anything! Having said that, I really have worked hard to shift that weight, so I'm relieved I've seen some results. I've made big (but sustainable) changes to my diet and I've started to exercise too; here's what I'm doing;

* Counting Calories, not obsessively, but I've been limiting myself to around 1300kcal per day
* Upping my Protein Intake with shakes, bars, and loads of chicken
* Limiting Carbs, at least later in the day
* Eating More Often, typically 6 small meal/snacks each day
* Drinking More Water and no Coke!
* Finding Healthier Alternatives, so that I don't feel at all deprived
* Cutting Out the Takeaways, although I am allowing myself a Chinese every other Friday
* Keeping my Alcohol Intake Down, but on the weekends I don't have my takeaway, I do have a boozy Saturday night out, so once a fortnight
* I've Got 10 Day Passes for LA Fitness, I went twice this week and am attempting a bit of basic interval training

So all in all I'm pretty pleased my new "regime" is yielding results, but at the same time I don't feel like I'm on a "diet" as such, so I'm pretty sure I can sustain it! We'll see...

Time for an update!

So, I haven't blogged since New Year, but I promise you I have been making (some) progress!

First of all, I ended up not starting my new regime on New Years Day like I planned, the reason being I signed up to a local slimming class beginning on Wed 4th, so I decided to start afresh then. My reasons for joining the class were much the same as my reasons for writing this blog; I want an audience to prove myself to. Going to the class and knowing I am going to be weighed and measured each week will definitely give me the drive to succeed. At least thats the plan. The other reason I signed up was that they offer a cash prize to the three people who have the highest percentage weight-loss over 12 weeks. Now, call me greedy, but that definitely appealed to me. And I believe I can win.

I had a fair idea of what weight I was, so I didn't get too much of a shock when I was weighed, but of course it's never a nice feeling to be weighed by someone else. So, (drumroll please!) my starting weight on 4th Jan was 14st 3.5lb, about 4st heavier than I'd like to be. That means I have a BMI of 32, placing me in the obese weight range. The good news is that when I was measured, I discovered I have an exact hourglass figure, my bust measurement being the same as my hips. Given all of this, my first goal has to be to get my BMI under 30, and into the "overweight" range.

I also had a one-to-one with the lady who runs the class, which was great. We spoke about my diet and lifestyle, and she measured my body-fat (which was horrendous). Then she tried to sell me some stuff, namely protein bars and powder, herbal tea, and a multi-vitamin. Actually, she did a great job of selling it to me, but as my job is in a health food shop I made my excuses to her and used my staff discount to buy it at work instead. Cheeky I know. My shopping bag contained soya protein powder, green tea capsules and a few other healthy treats.

So, my weight-loss journey has begun. I have my starting measurements and I've set my first goal. My diet has improved dramatically, so I'm looking forward to my second weigh-in tomorrow. 

Wish me luck!