Sarahs Weightloss Blog

Hi Everyone,

OK, it’s official, I’ve been talking on and off about my training for the half marathon, knowing that I could back out if I wanted to, but no more – I’ve paid the entry fee which I can’t get back no matter what, and so now officially HAVE to do the race!  It’s silly, but I feel really nervous now.  Actually perhaps not so silly, but rather smart considering the length of the course, here’s the map . . . 

Excuse me for a moment . . . AAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!

I’ve mostly been training on the treadmill, so you don’t realise the distance you cover, but basically from this map you a running all over nottingham . . . and back again.  The course is 13.1 miles.  If I manage to maintain my pace (6 miles/hr) through the whole thing I’ll finish in 2 hrs 11 minutes, but I have entered as expecting to finish in 2 1/2 hrs, considering that I won’t be on a treadmill :S and, er, there are some hills involved *eeeek*.

So, I’ve got 6 weeks till the race and thus 5 weeks of training left.  The longest I have so far run is 9 miles on the treadmill at 6 miles per hour all the way with a 10% incline.  That was over a week ago and I haven’t been able to do it again – it really finished me off.  Now I really need someone to kick me up the bum to get me to do a long run outdoors – maybe half the course to start with.

Wish me luck :S

Till next time

Hi Everyone,

I realised that I haven’t posted any pics for a while now.  But I recently had to go clothes shopping, as when I put my keys in the smallest pair of trousers I owned, they literally were falling down!  So I hit the sales – I went into bravissimo and got a dress and top in a UK size 8, and a pair of jane norman jeans in a UK size 12 (which I will need to get a belt for). The photo on the front page of this blog was taken only a few months into my lifestyle changes, when I was still a UK size 16-18, over 6 months ago in fact!  So I thought – ‘about time for some new ‘after’ pics perhaps!’  

So the before pics (even before the out of date picture covering this blog), UK size 22, 108kgs, BMI 40.2 (morbidly obese):

This was taken at my husbands birthday party two years ago. I actually put on more weight after this photo was taken - see photo below. . .

My weight literally ballooning out of control

I literally could hardly turn over in bed I was so heavy, and walking from the sofa to the fridge broke a sweat! I did NO exercise and ate WHATEVER I wanted, when I wanted it in MASSIVE PORTIONS. I mean MASSIVE!

And here are the ‘after’ pics (from a few weeks ago), UK size 8-12 (depends on where I shop – how confusing!), 66.5kgs, BMI 25.3:

Me a few weeks ago. Top is a UK size 10 and the jeans a UK size 12, for which I will need to get a belt to keep up!

Me a few weeks ago in a UK size 10 - I bought it a few months ago and didn't wear it since it was too tight, I tried it on a few weeks ago and it has a little too much room, but still fits nicely I haven't got any of the pics in the new size 8 stuff to hand from the same store - you'll have to take my word for it

So to sum up: in little over a year I have lost 41.5kgs/6 stone 7.5 pounds/91.5 pounds and reduced my BMI from ‘morbidly obese’ to just a little over what is considered a healthy or ideal weight (I would need to lose another 1.5 kgs to bring it into the top of the healthy range).  With my training for the half marathon in September of this year my weight is slowly falling at a much slower pace, as I am happy with my weight and body now.

I have no patience with fad or crash diets.  I don’t like milkshakes, and I like to have a few takeaways every now and again thank you very much!  I haven’t followed any particular diet or plan other than some good old fashioned common sense – i.e. eating less, eating more healthily and exercising.  want to know the secret weight loss secret no ones talking about? Well here it is . . . 

MORE ENERGY BURNT THAN CONSUMED = WEIGHTLOSS

If you follow the above formula sensibly, eating enough to sustain you and exercising enough to feel exertion but not hurt you, then you will get steady, achievable, quick and sustainable weightloss.

It really is that simple.  If I, the couch potato can do it, seriously, really anyone can.

Good luck fellow losers

Till next time

Hi Everyone!

You know what they say that maintaining your weight is sometimes harder than losing it? Well, they’re not wrong!  I feel like I’m trying to balancing on a really small point, sometimes my balance shifts and its easy to fall off, but I’m trying desperately to keep my balance.  Here are some tips I have found have helped me with maintaining my weight:

1. Be Realistic! How many celebs do we hear have managed to go down to a (UK) size 8 or 4 (US size 0), who 6 months later are even larger than when they started? A LOT is the answer. Why? Because they haven’t found a weight they can maintain. As soon as they are off the fad diet and stressful exercise regime then completely lose their balance and fall straight back into their old habits and their old trousers.  You need to get down to a size were you can maintain your eating plan and exercise, even when you encounter stress or obstacles in your personal or work life.  So rule 1 – be realistic with you eating, exercise and weightloss goals.  The more realistic these are, the more in control you will be, and the less likely you will lose your balance and fall off the wagon.

2. Don’t Panic! Weight fluctuates.  You won’t be able to stay exactly the same weight, all the time.  You need to choose a weight to try and not go over, but you will end up hovering around this weight.  For example I have been trying to stay around 68.5kgs.  I have fluctuated between 67kgs and 71 kgs.  As time has gone on, I am staying closer to 67-68.5kgs, so I’m getting better.  The trick is to nip any gain in the bud.  If you rise to 1kg about your target, be stricter with eating and exercise for the next week to bring it back down to target.  It’s easier to do this and stay in control, than put it all back on and have the lose the whole lot again. Just don’t be disheartened and give up if you put on a few pounds in the first week of your maintenance program.  

3. ‘I’m in Control’: Keep weighing and measuring.  Check your calories against exercise.  As time goes on, you won’t have to do this as much.  Now I check my calories against exercise a few times a week to make sure I am not eating too little or too much, but I always weigh and measure weekly.  I find this helps me be in control and keep an eye on my weight, without being too strict now I’m off the stricter diet, which is more convenient for me to keep up.

4. Common Sense:  The idea isn’t to follow a set of rules for a time and then ditch those rules and revert back to old ways as soon as you’re done.  The idea is to make lasting changes and lasting changes take time.  Even when you decide to maintain rather than lose, you must know that your journey isn’t over.  You learnt what to do to lose weight, now you must learn what to do to maintain it.  Eventually you will train yourself about the amount and types of foods you can and can’t eat and how active you must stay in order to keep to your chosen weight.  This takes time – be patient.

Hope this helps all you fellow losers out there

Good Luck!

Till next time

Hi Everyone!

I’m out of running training as I have been getting pain in my knees.  Instead I’m cycling, going on the cross trainer and doing weight and abs training in replacement of running most of the time.  This change in routine is actually doing me a lot of good, I feel like I’m getting leaner and more toned (and my trousers are getting baggier y the day) but the scales are steady.  

Hopefully in a few weeks time I’ll be able to start running again, and will be able to start where I left off, and be ready in time for September.

Fingers crossed!

Till next time