Friday 22nd September - Week 5Friday
15th September - Week 4
Another tricky week. I've tried hard with food choices, honestly, but stress, lack of preparation and long hours have impacted me and my mindset.
I started this process in such a positive place, now my mind has slipped back to the negative. I want to do it, but my head is telling me I can't do it. Excuse making has come back into my thinking and there has been no exercise other than walking lots (but whizzing around school, rather than for mindful and health purposes).
The only positive is that I have had a very minor weight change of 100g down (don't ask me how).
A long way to go still. We go again next week.
Friday 8th September - Week 3
Well, this week didn't go to plan again! A 55 hour working week to Friday meant that no exercise was done. It has also been ridiculously hot!
I have tried very hard to not make bad food choices, they just still seem to happen. My main meals have been fine, it is the snacking in between (like grabbing an ice cream, or a slither of cake). I know that I am an emotional eater, but also a mindless eater. I graze, eat anything that is put out and do not know when to stop. This is my hardest habit to break.
My new target for next week is to try and be more mindful when I eat. I need to make conscious decisions about what I am eating and why. It isn't about cutting everything out, it is about making sensible choices. I also need to make time to ride the bike!
My weight this week was up 0.3kg. Not a lot, pretty much maintained, but I have a long way to go down so better get my head in the game!
Friday 1st September 2023 - Week 2
This is a hard one to write. I toyed with the idea of lying to cover up my difficult weeks, but what is the point of sharing my journey if I am not honest.
All the positivity of last week has disappeared. Poor eating habits and excuses have come back with a vengeance. A chocolate here, a biscuit there, a poor dinner choice leads to another, which leads to giving up on the week. I know this all or nothing way of living is not healthy and is something I need to break. However, ingrained habits are there and always seem to want to creep back.
I know I'm an emotional eater. Anxiety has been high this week which has led to me falling to my crutch. A psychologist would love to get into my brain and work out what is going on.
Next week has to be better. I have to plan more. I have to focus on healthy choices. I have to resist temptation and be more mindful with my choices.
Exercise wise, only a couple of sessions in the Peloton, including a 1 hour HIIT and Hills class which was tough. I have also made sure I walk a lot more and have averaged 14500 steps a day.
On a positive note, I maintained the weight loss from the week before, so I have a base to work from.
Friday 25th August 2023 - Week 1
Well, I have now completed week 1. This week I have focussed on trying to form healthier habits, including more exercise and making better food choices. I haven't been following a diet as such, just trying to be more mindful with my eating and trying to cut out empty calories (e.g. alcohol, chocolates, crisps). So far I have done OK - had a few of blips such as a couple of biscuits on Monday, and a burger and chips at a family visit to Legoland - but on the whole it has been positive.
Exercise has been great this week. Five Peloton classes with a total of 54.36 miles and 3,194 Kcal. This has been really pleasing for me as I have definitely felt the enjoyment of exercise again and hopefully I beginning to habit form.
I want to give a shout out to the amazing Ed Roundtables Tribe. After my first blog, a group of 20 of us set up our own DM group to chat all things getting healthy. It has been so uplifting to have other people being on this journey with me and we are all supporting each other.
This week's figures are:
Starting Weight - 130.5KG
Weight this week - 125.7
Change - 4.8KG
I am very pleased with this. I know a lot will be water loss this week, but it is nice to see the weight heading in the right direction!
The first blog!
Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows that I have struggled with my weight, leading to anxiety, body dysmorphia and an ongoing battle. I have decided to finally sort myself out and I have to stick to this one. There are a number of reasons really, but over the past few years the following has happened:
- I've grown from Large clothing to XXL which is embarrassing. I've gone from 36 inch waist to 40 inch.
- My wedding ring doesn't fit my finger and I have had to take it off!
- I have children. Going swimming is embarrassing and anxiety inducing. Playing with them has become quite hard work.
- I used to be fit and could run miles for fun. I would struggle to complete 1km at the moment!
Last year I applied for the 2023 Manchester Marathon in the hope it would inspire me to get fit. I tried, I really did try, but didn't give myself enough time so overtrained and injured myself. I have deferred my place for the 2024 event and I have to do it this time.
I am aiming to use the time between now and Christmas to lose weight and build base fitness using the Peloton Bike and strength classes with some running built in. I really need to lose a lot of weight before Manchester, which will make running easier and hopefully be able to run 10km by Christmas. This should allow me to build up my running programme post Christmas to get me in a position to complete the marathon. That's the aim anyway!
So how am I going to do this?
Consistency with training. I've got to stop making excuses and actually train hard.
Make changes in my eating. I want to make small consistent changes first, cutting out chocolate and crisps, eat more fresh fruit and veg, drink more water. I need to control portion size too - I tend to overeat.
Cut out alcohol between now and Christmas and see if I actually can stop drinking completely.
Use this blog for accountability. I will post short weekly updates with my progress. By sharing my journey, I feel I will hold myself to greater account and hopefully you lovely lot will encourage me, but also help keep me on track.
So what are my starting numbers? This is the hardest bit for me, I don't like admitting how heavy I have become, but here goes... 130.5kg. I would really like to get back down to 95kg, so I have a long way to go!
My plan for this week is to start new routines, so will use the Peloton 4 times, cut out alcohol and make choose healthier options.
I will update you on my progress every Friday.
Wish me luck!