Socks well and truly pulled up.

After my last post, I decided that I would stop weighing in, partly because it would probably just upset me and flip some non existent switch in my head that made me say screw it, I don't care about gaining weight and also because I don't want to know if I've gone over the 14 stone mark, since I worked hard to get to that point.

So I decided that I would take a week off measuring what I'm eating and just get back into it, on the following Monday, starting afresh, then weirdly on my day off, I suddenly had the urge to do something a bit healthier, Susan had the idea that we could go to Washington (North East England, the original Washington fact fans) so off we went, to pick up some things Lee needed for his work experience week with the army, when we decided that, we should walk home, so off went, walking and chatting. When we got home Susan had to take Sophie to nursery and I decided to go to the gym, I did a bit of cardio, a few weights and swam a mile, I also decided to get back to properly recording what I was eating on both mfp and the bodybugg site.

It made me realise that, setting a specific day when you're going to start eating properly and exercising more, is counter productive, since you'll justify some chocolate or takeaway binge, with the idea, that you're new healthier eating plan and exercise regime will make those calories simply disappear and they won't have counted in the first place, it also made me realise thaat there really is no time like the present, to make those changes and act on them.

I read on Twitter that someone else was at the same point I was, that they'd slacked with their resolutions and hadn't exercised and eaten badly, which made me feel a little better that I'd done this. So here's to getting over this I say small blip, when it was more like a huge bad choices hill and getting over it, took longer than it should have, I can see why people end up quitting eating well and go back to their old habits, its far easier to eat any old crap, than pick carefully and be mindful of what's going in your mouth.

So, I sit here finishing this post having exercised in some form for the last four days, I also ate a huge piece of cream cake with my evening meal, so I guess it all evens out, so onto next week and my Monday weigh in, where I'm hoping that I'll not be over the 14 stone mark, though if I am, I'll take it in my stride and get back to proper exercise and eating less rubbish.

And that's when it all started going wrong.

I had a blog post written that I decided I would hold off publishing until July so I could have a six month roundup of my thoughts on how my resolutions had held up and how I was doing fitness wise, well, since I first put fingers to keyboard on the post and the first day of the seventh month, it all went to hell in a handcart.

My diet is utter dog shit at the moment, I'm trying to avoid eating badly and get more sleep, exercise more and continue to lose the weight I've gained over the last few decades but I seem to be almost deliberately sabotaging myself, I was really happy that I hadn't had anything with alcohol in it for almost six months, I had some in the cupboard that was left over from Christmas, well after I started my new job, I felt like I would have 2 cans in celebration of actually having a job with decent hours, allowing me the luxury of actually having money, instead of basically pocket change.

Now I'm not blaming the new job for this, that would be a stupid thing to do, since the job doesn't force me to eat the things I do, or drink alcohol and stay up till 6am singing songs and drinking, it doesn't keep me awake and cause me to feel too tired to get my arse to the gym, or my fitness classes, my job does none of these things, its just a place I go to earn a living, serving people with things.

The blame is entirely my own, which is why, I've not lost anymore weight since I reached 13st 11lbs (193lbs) in fact, my weight has gone back up, then down and back up again, at my last weigh in, I was 13st 12lbs which I was pleased about, as I've not gone over the 14st mark yet. I keep saying I'll knuckle down and get things back on track and I really mean to but since I'm sitting here writing this post at 3am having drank I'm guessing something with caffeine in it, I'm not feeling particularly tired right now, I guess I'm also lucky that my job has me on shifts that start at 4pm, which would give me enough time to get to the gym, or pool for a bit of exercise.

So, I yet again have made yet another promise to myself, that I will get off my arse and get down to the gym for my fitness classes, stop eating all kinds of unhealthy foods and get back on the no alcohol bandwagon, since it seems I'm drinking a large amount of calories whenever I do have a drink, it isn't just a couple, its much more, like the 2 bottles of weight watchers wine, then the 35cl of rum and full sugar irn bru. 

I just need to get back to it with no I'll just have one last thing then the diet starts tomorrow style fanfare and just start the day eating much better and actually do some exercise and stop staying up so late, hopefully the next time I write about how my journey is going, this will be a slightly large blip but simply that, a blip.

I hope no one thinks this is some form of self pitying whine, all oh woah is me and not my fault type of post, its just me being honest with myself and I guess the rest of the world/people I know, so please don't think of it as that. So I'm going to publish this post, step away from the computer and get my self to bed and push myself off to boxercise in the morning, since I'm hoping to test the bodybugg and see just what I burn with the class.

Who's the guy that's a hit with all the scales, that's right Wildheart Baby

So I'm finally free of 3 stone or 42lbs as the people over the water like to say, this is quite literally a great weight that's been lifted from me, I no longer carry the equivalent of

• a 15-foot canoe
• a 3-year-old child
• an average human leg
• a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
• five gallons of water

 Thanks to things that weigh 40 pounds

I look a damn sight better, I'm eating a whole lot better and more importantly I've stopped eating as much as I used to, so I'm no longer having a large bowl of cereal and then having another one, as the first tasted so nice. I'm exercising a whole lot more and at times annoyed at myself for getting out of shape, through bad habits and just not caring about my health.I think my ultimate goal is to have myself a flat stomach, since I've never had one of those and it would be nice to finally have one, I still have a little way to go, since I still have a tiny spare tire. I've already had people say I've lost more than enough weight but not for me, I haven't, I'm doing this properly, no starvation diets, no ridiculous ideas of how little I should weigh.

I think part of the problem with the last time was sustaining an injury whilst walking Alfie after a long 12 hour shift on my feet almost the entire time. He pulled me forwards as I chatted to my mother on the phone and my left heel struck the ground and I suddenly felt an huge pain and an inability to actually walk on it. I let it heal for about a week or so, I was able to walk in it but as soon as I tried training, the pain flared up and I ended up, lightly limping home. I did compete in the race I was training for but that was the last I ran, sadly my healthier eating regime seemed to also disappear soon after this. Occasionally I would get still get the pain, which I knew meant until it healed fully I wouldn't be able to train anymore.

I've not felt the pain in quite some time, which leads me to think that the injury is finally fully healed and losing the extra weight can only help matters. I guess that I should have been more careful, that you can get an injury from the simplest thing, which is one of the reasons I'm going to get someone to check my form to ensure that I'm lifting the heavier barbell weights correctly, as I don't really want to put my back out, as I'm approaching middle age, that would be an injury I probably wouldn't recover fully from.

Although I'm enjoying writing the blog posts, I should really be writing other stuff as well, otherwise it'll seem like I've become a bit weight loss/fitness obsessed.