I have been naughty and weighing myself every day. I’ve got to stop, but I think I’m needing reassurance that the program is still working. As such, I can report that I am now 14 stone 13.6 lb (209.6 lb, 95.3 Kg, BMI 33.0) and just under 19 lb to go before the first major milestone – that is not being “technically” obese any more.

I feel all self conscious writing this now, since I have discovered that there are at least a couple of people out there that are actually reading this. Hi there!

Below you can see how I was in 1998 after my first successful diet, and how I was just before starting this “program”. I don’t feel that great publishing this latest picture, but when I have lost all the weight again it will feel good comparing them – I hope!

1998

December 2004

I am still following the rules quite well, but have only listened to the CD a couple of times in the past week. I think I ought to try harder as it would be a shame to fall off the wagon. I am starting to think this could be something long running, since I find that following the rules is becoming subconscious, and I am not feeling inconvenienced in any way by doing so. The only time that I “stray” is when I have one of my favorite dishes, and then I want to finish the meal because it is just so enjoyable.

I am feeling lighter on my feet, more comfortable in my clothes, more full of energy and looking forward to the next few months. With most diets I have attempted to follow recently the first few points would apply, but the last one of looking forward to the following few months would probably not. I would be getting bored and frustrated with my food by now, and this is certainly not the case.

Alan and I went swimming again this week and I managed the same distance as last time. Due to overcrowding of the medium speed lane, we moved to the fast lane (which wasn’t that fast) – this was a mistake as I suffered from extreme exhaustion shortly after stopping. I had to lie down on a bench in the changing room while I recovered. I’ll endeavor not to push so hard next week.

Oh, and the chocs are still in the drawer.

First the raw numbers – 15stone 1.5lb (211.5lb or 96kg), this is a BMI of 33.3. So, only 21lb before I’m not obese any more!

This means I’ve lost 5 pounds in two weeks without even really trying, without feeling hungry all the time, without a rigorous exercise program. I suppose that isn’t a bad result! The real proof will be seeing if this continues.

Now, how well have I been following the “rules”? Not so well towards the end of last week. It all started on a business trip to Manchester. We finished our meeting at lunch time and I was getting quite hungry, but my colleague wanted to make a good headway into our return journey of 4 hours before stopping to eat. By this time I was ravenous and was getting a headache, which I put down to being so hungry. Despite my best efforts, I ate the whole thick cut sandwich. The knock ons from this continued for the next couple of days as I was getting hungry quite quickly and eating whole meals. I also stopped listening to the CD, not finding time to lie down for it.

I managed to get down the the swimming pool yesterday, and managed 20 lengths or 500 meters. This was mostly front crawl and boy, do I ache! But, it felt good to get physical again. I will be going once a week for the next few weeks to get back into the swing of it, and then upping the frequency a bit.

Now, I’ve been getting back into the routine and starting to follow the guidelines more closely again. It is still proving easy to follow, and just the tiniest amount of will-power is required to stop eating when satisfied. This is most difficult when eating things such as the delicous chicken fajitas Alison cooked the other night!

Oh, one other bit of good news – I am now able to get comfortably into my 36” jeans again, which is the sort of reward that makes it worth doing! Other goals waiting for me are the ability to wear my wedding ring again and my other suits that have been sitting the wardrobe.

Another thing – the chocie snacks in the office drawer are still untouched! Miracle.

OK, nearly another year, another failed diet and another stone to deal with. I am now 15 stone 6.6lb or 216.6lb – this is a BMI of 34, which is appalling, but I suppose at least I’m not “extremely obese”, merely obese. If you look at my weight loss history I fit the classic description of a serial dieter, as illustrated in Paul McKenna’s new book “I Can Make You Thin”

I haven’t been able to stay on any diet I’ve tried recently for more than a few weeks. I am finding that I obsess about food and within a few days would do anything to eat a “forbidden food” and thus fall off the wagon extremely easily. This has been so disappointing that for nearly a year I have resisted all attempts to get me on another diet

Anyhow, listening to the radio last night I heard Paul McKenna talking about his new book. He certainly said the right things to get me to go and but his book, mainly by describing my situation exactly and saying his approach deals with problems like mine. I got my hands on a copy on Saturday and felt a bit silly handing it over to the waif like girl in the bookshop (hoping that she didn’t think of me as a sad fat guy trying any old mumbo jumbo).

The book is quite thin and light on content for the cover price, and it can be fairly repetitive with a noticeable chunk being success stories, so I was not particularly impressed. But, on reading he seemed to be making very valid and appealing points.

The accompanying CD has been shunted straight onto the iPod and the first time I listened to it I felt a right lemon. When Paul’s voice started deepening I had a fit of the giggles and thought “What the hell am I doing!”

It was time to be surprised again, though. Yesterday, I didn’t really feel like breakfast, only ate half my lunch time sandwich and only ate half my dinner – although later in the evening I nibbled a piece of Alison’s wonderful ginger bread and a couple of After Eights. This morning I am still not hungry.

I do have a couple of reservations though. I am finding myself thinking about food a lot, and wondering when I will next feel hungry and worrying if I’ll have access to food when that happens. Also, I am worried about family meal times, since Paul recommends that meal times are not strictly adhered to.