Week 254

1.6lb gain.

Now that's not bad at all!

Ok, complete blow outs on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but on the week running up, I was pretty good.

However, experience has shown that the biggest weight gain is often in the week following Christmas, as resolve has been weakened, sugar levels are now all over the place, and the house is still stuffed full of goodies you couldn't bring yourself to throw away.

The intention is to try and be back on track this week, with only the occasional minor treat - something nice with the coffee type of thing - but really try and keep off the excess until New Year's Day. Blow out on that day only, and be back on track by Jan 2nd.

If we can do it, this will be a major step forward from the annual problem of feeling it's not worth trying to contain anything until after new year. But if we can keep the weight gain to only 2 or 3 pounds, then that is considerably better than putting on 8 to 10 or more.

Hope you all had a great Christmas. Wishing you all the very best for the new year and decade :)


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 9.2lb - 191.2lbs
Body fat: 26.1%
Total Weight Loss: 83.8lbs

Week 253

No change.

I was hoping I might have got a bit lower, but at least I haven't gained yet.

So, now it's time to face the big one - the toughest time of the year for anyone with a seething, writhing, mass of food "issues"

The strategy is to try and contain the worst of it to Christmas Day and Boxing Day, then be vigilant for the rest of the week.

And of course, Damage Limitation plays it's part across the whole period.

If you're new to the idea of Damage Limitation, then do read this post I did in a guest spot on MizFit's site last year: http://mizfitonline.com/2008/12/26/damage-limitation/

Wishing you all the very best this Feastmas


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 7.6lb - 189.6lbs
Body fat: 26.5%
Total Weight Loss: 85.4lbs

Week 252

1.2lb loss!

So, one more week left to try and get a faultless 7 day run before the mother of all temptations leaps out, throws me about, slaps me around, beats me up then forces all sorts of sweet, creamy, calorie-rich things down my throat, which I will be powerless to resist.

And for anyone who's interested, I've put a weight tracker at the bottom of the page which shows my progress and lapses over the past 4 years (scroll right down)


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 7.6lb - 189.6lbs
Body fat: 26.9%
Total Weight Loss: 85.4lbs

Week 251

2.2lb loss!

Well that happily cancels out the gains of the past couple of weeks. Being completely on track since we got back from our wee break seems to have paid off. Our "treats" managed to stay contained within the weekend away and we didn't struggle to fall back into the routine when we got back.

In fact I'm left with a nett profit and am now at the lowest I've been since I started back on the way down again, and am around the same weight I was back in June (when I was still on the way back up).


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 8.8lb - 190.8lbs
Body fat: 27%
Total Weight Loss: 84.2lbs

Week 250

1lb gain

Only to be expected really. Maggie and I had 2 nights away on our own. Without kids. 2 nights. Consecutively. First time we've had that in about 12 years. So it was a bit difficult not to have meals out and a slice of something tasty with a coffee in a cafe...

Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 11lb - 193lbs
Body fat: 26.9%
Total Weight Loss: 82lbs

Week 249

0.6lb gain.

I have absolutely no idea why. I've been completely on track this past week. I was getting all ready to write a smug self-congratulatory blog post, but I've gained.

I can only hope it's a random blip.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 10lb - 192lbs
Body fat: 27%
Total Weight Loss: 83lbs

Week 248

2.2lb loss!

Another full week on track and it's clearly paying dividends. I feel a bit suspicious of this amount of weight loss, but if I combine it with the 0.4lbs of last week and take an average of 1.3lbs per week over the past fortnight, then that makes much more sense.

This past couple of months has seen the first real sustained drive for nearly 2 years and it's working.

What I'm hoping is to have built up enough momentum so Feastmas doesn't derail everything


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 9.4lb - 191.4lbs
Body fat: 27%
Total Weight Loss: 83.6lbs

Week 247

0.4lb loss

For what has been a near perfect week, I was hoping for a slightly larger loss. But, a loss is a loss, and I'd have been really pissed off if I'd gained, so I'm content :)


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 11.6lb - 193.6lbs
Body fat: 27.4%
Total Weight Loss: 81.4lbs

Week 246

1.4lb loss!

Well, I'm more than happy with that - it takes me down below  my pre-holiday, pre-birthday weight from 3 weeks ago.

There have been a couple of times when I've had a few extras, and I feared they might have cancelled out any weightloss this week, but on both occasions I was pretty restrained and they were by no means complete blow-outs.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 12lb - 194lbs
Body fat: 27.1%
Total Weight Loss: 81lbs

Week 245

1lb gain.

The past 2 weeks has included a week on holiday and my birthday celebrations. Both of these things could have gone so much more out of control than they did, so actually I feel quite happy to have not gained more.

More importantly, I don't feel it's thrown things back into disarray and I still feel we'll be on track this week with only a Halloween party on Saturday to be concerned about.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 13.4lb - 195.4lbs
Body fat: 27.5%
Total Weight Loss: 79.6lbs

Week 243

1lb loss!

That's 3 weeks I've been on track now, and I've lost weight each time. And considering the CFS means my activity levels are very low indeed, this is no mean feat.

I've just checked back through the posts and I'm astonished to discover the last time I lost weight 3 weeks in a row was in fact Jan/Feb last year.

Next week I won't be posting as we're away for a few days, and then on the Sunday after we come back it's my birthday, so I can't imagine I'll be posting a loss in a fortnight's time. However I'm not planning on any extended blow-outs.



Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 12.4lb - 194.4lbs
Body fat: 27.9%
Total Weight Loss: 80.6lbs

Week 242

0.6lb loss.

I'm actually slightly disappointed with that after a near faultless week, however at least it's in the right direction.

And more importantly, that's 2 weeks now of being on track - including 2 weekends, which are always the trickiest times.

Experience has shown that after 3 weeks it generally gets a bit easier as the habits of healthy eating patterns become established


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 13.4lb - 195.4lbs
Body fat: 27.9%
Total Weight Loss: 79.6lbs

Week 241

1.6lb loss.

Surprisingly, a near faultless week.

Last Monday was our 14th wedding anniversary and the blow-out was big, but we've been on track ever since, even getting through the weekend without a blip for the first time in quite a while. I'm hoping this might be the turn of the tide


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 14st - 196lbs
Body fat: 27.8%
Total Weight Loss: 79lbs

Week 240

2.4lb gain.

Read Ties over on my main blog and it might give you an idea of the emotional pressure of the last several weeks.

Damage limitation is all I've been able to do for quite some time now


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 14st 1.6lbs - 197.6lbs
Body fat: 29%
Total Weight Loss: 77.4lbs

Week 239

1lb loss

Not really analysing at the moment, just recording the weight. Too much else happening to life

Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 13lb - 195lbs
Body fat: 27.9%
Total Weight Loss: 80lbs

Week 238

2.4lb gain

I have now returned to 14 stone - a place I haven't been since early April 2006.

I would weep, but there are other things I am weeping harder for these days. And the emotional distress never made weight control easier.

I'd decided that if I hit this mark again I would return to wearing 36" waist jeans.

On the one hand it's an obvious sign of defeat, but damn, they're so much more comfortable than the 34s



Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 14st - 196lbs
Body fat: 27.8%
Total Weight Loss: 79lbs

Week 237

0.4lb loss

Although I had a really good week, I had a really bad weekend. We had a party/gathering where Maggie produced things like New York Baked Cheesecake, Chocolate Torte and Chocolate Fudge Brownies.

I never stood a chance


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 11.6lb - 193.6lbs
Body fat: 27.8%
Total Weight Loss: 81.4lbs

Week 236

1.4lb loss

I think this just confirms the illness last week threw my weight out for whatever reason.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 12lb - 194lbs
Body fat: 27.9%
Total Weight Loss: 81lbs

Week 235

1.2lb gain.

I've got a really stinking cold - my head hurts, my eyes are sore, I can't breathe properly so am sleeping really poorly. I don't actually care about my weight at the moment


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 13.4lb - 195.4lbs
Body fat: 27.3%
Total Weight Loss: 79.6lbs

Week 234

1.6lb loss

Still here. Still alive. Still hoping this is the start of the turn around.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 12.2lb - 194.2lbs
Body fat: 27.9%
Total Weight Loss: 80.8lbs

Week 233

4lb gain???

But it's not even Christmas!

I'm turning off the comments for this post - I want neither sympathy nor ridicule thank you.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 13.8lb - 195.8lbs
Body fat: 27.9%
Total Weight Loss: 79.2lbs

Week 232

0.6lb loss

Well, that's a bit of a relief, especially as things did go a bit overboard with Maggie's birthday. However, for the first time in a while I had a complete weekend under control and that's certainly helped.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 9.8lb - 191.8lbs
Body fat: 27.9%
Total Weight Loss: 83.2lbs

Week 231

2lb gain

The healthy eating taketh it away and the unhealthy eating giveth it back :(

And it's Maggie's birthday today so I can't envisage a great loss next week...

Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 10.4lb - 192.4lbs
Body fat: 27%
Total Weight Loss: 82.6lbs

Week 230

2lb loss!

Phew! Am I relieved about that!


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 8.4lb - 190.4lbs
Body fat: 27.5%
Total Weight Loss: 84.6lbs

Week 229

1.6lb gain

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Heaviest for over 3 years.

*head in hands*


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 10.4lb - 192.4lbs
Body fat: 27%
Total Weight Loss: 82.6lbs

Week 228

0.2lb loss.

What went on last week, came off this week. Not bad considering the extremely over-catered BBQ I went to over the weekend and stuffed myself stupid at.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 8.8lb - 190.8lbs
Body fat: 26.9%
Total Weight Loss: 84.2lbs

Week 227

0.2lb gain.

I can live with that after Rogan's Birthday and Father's Day.

I don't think there's anything on the immediate horizon to scupper plans so with luck I should be back on a downward trend next week.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 9lb - 191lbs
Body fat: 27.2%
Total Weight Loss: 84lbs

Week 226

0.6lb loss.

That's fine. Heading back after the previous weekend away. However, it's my son's birthday tomorrow and Father's Day this coming Sunday, so I don't hold put much hope for a repeat next week.

Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 8.8lb - 190.8lbs
Body fat: 27%
Total Weight Loss: 84.2lbs

Week 225

2lb gain.

I shouldn't be surprised, and frankly, I don't care much. I've had the most fabulous weekend away with Maggie, and that was by far and away the most important thing.

At this moment in time, Life is Good :)


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 9.4lb - 191.4lbs
Body fat: 26.9%
Total Weight Loss: 83.6lbs

Week 224

0.6lb loss?

Extra bit of ice-cream, scones, even slices of cheesecake. I should have put on weight this week. Just as I thought I should have last week.

My only explanation is my metabolism has speeded up a bit.

Or maybe the warmer weather is heating the blood and I'm more reptialian than I realised...


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 7.4lb - 189.4lbs
Body fat: 27.1%
Total Weight Loss: 85.6lbs

Week 223

0.4lb loss

Surprising! This past week had my son, Rogan, baking all week to sell cakes, cookies, scones and various tray-bakes at Castle Douglas food Town Day. So there have been snacks aplenty. I was sure I'd put on a pound, maybe two.

My only guess is my metabolism must have speeded up a bit. Certainly I've not felt cold this week in the way I usually do.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 8lb - 190lbs
Body fat: 26.5%
Total Weight Loss: 85lbs

Week 222

0.6lb gain.

Overeating is a side effect, not the cause.

The world feels like a lot of the colour has been desaturated for a long time now.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 8.4lb - 190.4lbs
Body fat: 26.9%
Total Weight Loss: 84.6lbs

Week 221

1.6lb gain

Oh Nuts!

I shouldn't be that surprised - it's not been a good week. It didn't help that we were invited round to a friend's place for huge helpings of an incredibly tasty dinner.

And there's been a few too many extras this week - treats with a cup of coffee etc.

Let's hope this week is better


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 7.8lb - 189.8lbs
Body fat: 26.5%
Total Weight Loss: 85.2lbs

Week 220

0.4lb gain.

Not much happening. Still bouncing about in the same figures.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 6.2lb - 188.2lbs
Body fat: 26.4%
Total Weight Loss: 86.8lbs

Week 219

1.2lb loss!

That's good. Of course it's good. But I'm finding real difficulty in getting enthusiastic.

My weight has varied between 13st 5lbs (187) and 13st 8.8lbs (190.8) since the New Year.

All the trials, all the strains, all the fights, all the chewing my arm off instead of giving in to cravings, all the good weeks followed by an uncontrolable blow out, and I'm staying more or less in the same place.

All these epic personal battles, just to maintain.

Morale is low today.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 5.6lb - 187.6lbs
Body fat: 26.5%
Total Weight Loss: 88.4lbs

Week 218

1lb gain.

nothing more to say

Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 6.8lb - 188.8lbs
Body fat: 26.4%
Total Weight Loss: 86.2lbs

Week 217

0.8lb gain.

Considering this includes 2 a week and 2 weekends away, where it was far more difficult to control the food intake, I'm rather pleased with such a minimal gain.

Of course we've had treats and junk food while away, but I've also tried to be conscious of not losing it completely either.

Damage limitation appears to have paid off :)


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 5.8lb - 187.8lbs
Body fat: 26.4%
Total Weight Loss: 87.2lbs

Week 215

1.8lb loss!

After so little movement, or movement in the wrong direction over the past several weeks, a loss of this size is a welcome relief.

I've been completely on track all week, with the exception of an ice cream yesterday, so I do feel pleased with myself.

Won't be posting next week as I'm away on a road trip with my son down to Devon. I can't imagine my eating is going to be completely healthy for the 8 days we're away, so it'll be a damage limitation strategy.

Will post again in a fortnight


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 5lb - 187lbs
Body fat: 26.4%
Total Weight Loss: 88lbs

Week 214

0.2lb gain

Almost forgot to post


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 6.8lb - 188.8lbs
Body fat: 25.9%
Total Weight Loss: 86.2lbs

Week 213

0.6lb loss

Well, a loss at least. However, as I was pretty much on track this week it means last week couldn't have been the abberation I thought it was.

There are times when it feels I haven't a clue what I'm doing any more.

Still, I'll keep plodding on until I remember


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 6.6lb - 188.6lbs
Body fat: 25.9%
Total Weight Loss: 86.4lbs

Week 212

0.8lb gain?

$%^&(*£&!!!!

And yet I had a near flawless week. I'm desperately hoping this is just an abberation and next week will show it.

I nearly didn't post. It's one day late (I always post my weight on a Monday). But I know it's all far too easy not to post on days you're disappointed, and that way lies out of control spirals.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 7.2lb - 189.2lbs
Body fat: 26.9%
Total Weight Loss: 85.8lbs

Week 211

1lb loss!

At least that piece of cheesecake wasn't devestating then :)

2 weeks loss in a row. Hopefully I can make it 3 by next week


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 6.4lb - 188.4lbs
Body fat: 26.5%
Total Weight Loss: 86.6lbs

Week 210

1.4lb loss!

Probably a bigger loss than I was expecting, but then last week was a bigger gain than I was expecting, so this helps even it out. I guess all the weeping helped...

Something I forgot to mention last week in my despair at that weight gain, is it's 4 years since we began the healthy eating approach to life.

At my lightest, about 18 months ago, I was down to 172.2lbs - about 103lbs less than my original starting weight.

Since then I've regained about 17lbs.

It feels like it's been a long time since I managed several consecutive weeks of being on track.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 7.4lb - 189.4lbs
Body fat: 25.9%
Total Weight Loss: 85.6lbs

Week 209

2.4lb gain???

It's a conspiracy, I tell you! They're out to get me. Sure it was my daughter's birthday at the weekend, but 2.4lbs???

Maybe I'll lose it by weeping...


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 8.8lb - 190.8lbs
Body fat: 26%
Total Weight Loss: 84.2lbs

Week 208

Same as last week.

Hanging on by my fingernails...





...is that a bit of chocolate under that one?


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 6.4lb - 188.4lbs
Body fat: 26.5%
Total Weight Loss: 86.6lbs

Week 207

1.4lb loss!

Thank **** for that.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 6.4lb - 188.4lbs
Body fat: 26.5%
Total Weight Loss: 86.6lbs

Week 206

1lb gain.

Still going in the wrong direction.

I have excuses. They don't change the figures though. Unfortunately the scales don't listen to mitigating circumstances.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 7.8lb - 189.8lbs
Body fat: 27%
Total Weight Loss: 85.2lbs

Week 205

1.2lb gain.

Bollocks.

I thougt last week was just a bit too good to be true. I guess it must have been an abberation. Pah.


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 6.8lb - 188.8lbs
Body fat: 27%
Total Weight Loss: 86.2lbs

Week 204

1.6lb loss!

WooHoo! On the way back down!

Mind you, if I'm honest, this amount of loss came as something of a surprise. While this week has certainly been better than the last 3, it was still a long way from perfect and I wasn't expecting anything more than staying even.

However, I'm not complaining :)


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 5.6lb - 187.6lbs
Body fat: 25.9%
Total Weight Loss: 87.4lbs

Week 203

2.6lb gain.

Mixed feelings. On the one hand, this pushes me over 13 and half stone, which is the highest I've been since my journey down started back up again.

However, it also means my total gain over Feastmas was only 6.2lbs. In previous years it's been over 8lbs, so the damage was limited. I know, without any doubt, that it could have been considerably worse.

Hopefully now we can get back on track properly.

Best wishes and Happy New Year to everyone :)


Starting Weight: 19st 9lb - 275lbs
Current Weight: 13st 7.2lb - 189.2lbs
Body fat: 26.9%
Total Weight Loss: 85.8lbs