Weigh-in 43

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs) 
Last week's weight: 118.8 kg (261.9lbs)

Current weight: 117.8 kg (259.7lbs) 

Loss this week: 1 kg (2.2 lbs) 

Overall loss: 61.0 kg (134.5 lbs) 

Start BMI: 56.4  

Last week's BMI: 37.5

Current BMI: 37.2

Well, it's good to lose a solid kilogram this week after  a couple of weeks losing just a few fractions of a kg. October has not been my best month, with just 3 kg lost over the past four weeks. I really should start getting used to this kind of loss, though. As I get smaller, the weekly losses should get smaller too - and I've known this will happen all along. On the bright side, my lower belly has toned up a bit. I think my skin was taking some time to recover from the weight loss.

Still, not a lot of people on a weight loss journey can say they lost even 3 kg in a month, so I really must count my blessings. I still think I can get under 110 kg by 2014 and I still think I'll hit the 150 lb loss mark before Christmas. It does feel really good to be down past the midpoint of class II obesity on the BMI scale. Being in the 250 lbs range is really pleasing too.

Weigh-in 42 : Goooooaaaaallllll*

*for 2013

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs) 

Last week's weight: 119.5 kg (263.5lbs)

Current weight: 118.8 kg (261.9lbs) 

Loss this week: 0.7 kg (1.5 lbs) 

Overall loss: 60.0 kg (132.3 lbs) 

Start BMI: 56.4  

Last week's BMI: 37.7

Current BMI: 37.5

Well I dreamt big and I followed through. I think I have achieved something I feel is quite remarkable over the past 10 months. At the beginning of this journey, I thought it would be a massive struggle. And it was for a while, but losing all this weight has been so much more easier than I ever thought it could be. And I haven't been doing anything out of the ordinary. Cutting the crap, increasing my consumption of vegetables and fruit and being a little more active.

So what happens now?

My journey is not yet over. I'm going to try and lose another 10 kg by the end of the year. I'd be happy with 8 and that will bring my total loss to 150 lbs under the old imperial weights and measures.  I'll reassess after that. But for now I'm going to allow myself a moment of joy and exhilaration. I feel like a mountaineer who has battled his way, step by unsteady step, up a steep incline. I have emerged from the cloud layer and I can see the peak before me.

Weigh-in 41

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs) 

Last week's weight: 119.8 kg (264.1lbs)

Current weight: 119.5 kg (263.5lbs) 

Loss this week: 0.3 kg (0.6 lbs) 

Overall loss: 59.3 kg (130.7 lbs) 

Start BMI: 56.4  

Last week's BMI: 37.8

Current BMI: 37.7

300 grams. That's all I lost this week. Frustrating since I can just reach out and touch that 60 kg mark. Like Elsa reaching out to the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Naturally I am disappointed. This week I was hoping to reach my goal for the year, but there's plenty of time to do that. I can't explain why the loss is so slight, either. I haven't consumed anything that would be off-plan - unless 10 mls of cough medicine each night is particularly calorific. Still, I'm not the first dieter to be greeted with disappointment at the scales, I won't be the last. 

So what must I do? Well, this week a lot of my spare time will be absorbed in study for an exam I have next Saturday. Likely at the expense of exercise. So maintenance would be acceptable and I'd be very pleased with anything more than half a kilo beyond that. I still think I can hit a 60 kg loss by the end of the month. 700 grams until I set a new goal. I hope I reach it this time next week.

Weigh-in 40

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs) 

Last week's weight: 120.8 kg (266.3 lbs)

Current weight: 119.8 kg (264.1lbs) 

Loss this week: 1 kg (2.2 lbs) 

Overall loss: 59 kg (130.1 lbs) 

Start BMI: 56.4  

Last week's BMI: 38.1

Current BMI: 37.8

I was sick this week. I still am a little bit. So I have had multiple packets of cough drops and Lemsip and honey drinks and I haven't been very active. And yet I have still lost 1 kg. I'm glad I didn't use being crook as an excuse for over-indulging. And now I find myself 1 kg from the target I set at the start of the year. This is extremely satisfying, but it is a dangerous time too. I mustn't be tempted into thinking I've done enough. There's another 35 kg to go. But it is very pleasing to come this far relatively quickly. 

I bought an XXL shirt and shorts yesterday, and they fit rather nicely. I think I'm at the point of being able to buy stuff in regular stores. There's a lot of stuff I need to send to the charity store now too. 

My progress to date

There's still much to be done. I'm not happy to take off my shirt and expose my shar-pei abdomen to the world. I still have man boobs and my lower belly looks like a deflated balloon. For all that, I'm much happier in my current state than I was nine months ago. When I reach goal, I may consider a tummy tuck. 

Weigh-in 39

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs) 

Last week's weight: 122.5 kg (270.1 lbs)

Current weight: 120.8 kg (266.3 lbs) 

Loss this week: 1.7 kg (3.7 lbs) 

Overall loss: 58 kg (127.9 lbs) 

Start BMI: 56.4  

Last week's BMI: 38.7

Current BMI: 38.1

Well here I am just 2 kg away from the target I set myself to achieve in 2013. It should take two or three weeks to meet it, but this makes me very happy. So what happens then? Well, after I hit 118.8 kg, I think I can start focusing on my final goal - another 35 kg away. I think 83.8 kg sounds like a good number to me. It is my hope that I can chip away at the first 10 kg chunk by the end of the year (I think 12 kg over the next three months is entirely achievable). 

Whatever happens, once again I'm going to break my weight loss down into phases. With milestones at 108.8 kg, 98.8 kg, 88.8 kg and at 83.8 kg. It is also my intention to start some strength training. 

I expect the pace of weight loss is going to get slower over the next year - as indeed it has already. But if I manage to maintain a 2.5 kg - 3 kg loss per month, my journey should be at its completion by Christmas next year. 

Weigh-in 38

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs) 

Last week's weight: 123.8 kg (272.9 lbs)

Current weight: 122.5 kg (270.1 lbs) 

Loss this week: 1.3 kg (2.9 lbs) 

Overall loss: 56.3 kg (124.1 lbs) 

Start BMI: 56.4  

Last week's BMI: 39.1

Current BMI: 38.7

My apologies for the missing scale-shot. I've misplaced my camera. I did take the photo this morning, so when I find it I will amend this post. 

It does feel really good to be just 3.7 kg away from the goal I set myself. October looks like it will be a good month.

My walks this weekend were a little longer than usual. I made my way up North East Valley and through the Botanical Gardens. Normally that's where I turn around and head back, but this time I carried on up through Castle Street to the university campus before turning back. This turned a 45 minute walk into a 75 minute one. Quite pleasant too. 

I must confess I did eat off-plan this evening when I went to a restaurant to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday. There were lots of compliments from people who hadn't seen me in ages, but I indulged and had a beer with my steak and quite a rich self-saucing chocolate pudding. I'm not going to beat myself up about it. It was celebratory food and a treat. It might slow things down a little bit this week, but I have plenty of time to recover. 

Operation: Banana Split

I've been doing some calculations. When I started my journey, my basal metabolic rate - my caloric requirement to maintain a steady state - was 2,736 calories per day. It now stands at 2,186 calories per day. So it is now significantly harder to maintain a reasonable deficit. To that end, I have made a couple of changes.

First of all, as of today I am no longer having a banana with breakfast. I didn't seem to miss it this morning and anyway, 3 bananas a day was probably way too much. That's 105 calories per day. Secondly, I have changed the brand of wrap I have with my lunch, resulting in another 81 calories. That's around 1200 caloires a week. If 1 pound = 3,500 calories, that's about 160 grams of fat lost per week - after metrification. At least in theory. Hopefully it will work.Every little bit counts.

Weigh-in 37

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs) 
Last week's weight: 124.8 kg (275.1 lbs) 
Current weight: 123.8 kg (272.9 lbs) 
Loss this week: 1.0 kg (2.2 lbs) 
Overall loss: 55 kg (121.3 lbs) 
Start BMI: 56.4  
Last week's BMI: 39.4 

Current BMI: 39.1

Another successful week, with a good solid 1 kg lost. I'm now into the final five kg of my goal for 2013. I'm pretty certain that I'll hit 118.8 kg by the end of October - six weeks from now. After that I will be working on getting below 110 kg by the end of the year. 

If I can make it down to that point, it means I'll only be around 25 kg away from my ultimate goal of 80-85 kg. I mustn't get ahead of myself, but I'm expecting that last 25 kg to take longer than any other 25 kg chunk in my journey. But visually, each kilogram lost at that point will have a much greater impact, thanks to the "paper towel theory" of weight loss. It's a good day. I want there to be more good days.

Weigh-in 36

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 125.7 kg (277.1 lbs)
Current weight: 124.8 kg (275.1 lbs)

Loss this week: 0.9 kg (2 lbs)

Overall loss: 54 kg (119.1 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4

Last week's BMI: 39.7

Current BMI: 39.4

I think my body took a little bit of a breather this week. Given that I lost 3.7 kg in the past fortnight, another 0.9 kg brings it to an amazing 4.6 kg lost in three weeks. So I think I'm still making a really good pace.

In fact, with just 6 kg to go until I hit 60 kg, I'm 90 percent towards my goal for 2013. Which is just great. So I'm on track to hit that in mid-to-late October. After that, I'm harboring a hope that I'll be under 110 kg by the end of the year. That would be truly amazing.  In addition to the amazing stuff I've already achieved.

Life is good.

Edit: I've used the term "amazing" three times in this post. Maybe wordsmithery is not my forte.

Weigh-in 35

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)

Last week's weight: 127.5 kg (281.1 lbs)

Current weight: 125.7 kg (277.1 lbs)
Loss this week: 1.8 kg (4 lbs)

Overall loss: 53.1 kg (117.1 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4

Last week's BMI: 40.1

Current BMI: 39.7

 

Another extraordinary loss this week of 1.8 kg, which takes me out of class III obesity (BMI of 40+) and into class II (BMI 35-39.9). I took the week off this week, and mostly fine weather allowed me the opportunity to take longer walks than I have been able to at work during lunchtime. With Spring now upon us, the days are getting longer and I'll be more comfortable about putting an evening walk into my regimen. I just feel so empowered about where things are going. Perhaps by the end of the year I'll find myself below 110 kg. Fingers crossed.

Weigh-in 34

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)

Last week's weight: 129.4 kg (285.3 lbs)

Current weight: 127.5 kg (281.1 lbs)
Loss this week: 1.9 kg (4.22 lbs)

Overall loss: 51.3 kg (113.1 lbs)

Start BMI: 56.4

Last week's BMI: 40.8

Current BMI: 40.1

Well, that happened a little quicker than expected. I hit it out of the park with a 1.9 kg loss this week, which brings me down to 127.5 kg. I have now passed the 50 kg mark. This makes me incredibly happy and the goals I set for August are now achieved. I am a single kilo away from going under a BMI of 40 and into the Class II obesity range. Compared to the 16.3 BMI points I have lost to date, the next 5 points should be a doddle.

In terms of the non-scale victories, fashion-wise things are starting to change for me. I can now fit 112 cm pants, which are much more readily available - and cheaper - than the size of pants I've been wearing, well, since forever. I'm not quite at the point where I can be assured I fit something in every shop, but the Warehouse and Ezybuy offer clothes in my size. I bought a few short sleeved button-down 3XL shirts the other day at the Warehouse. $10 each. It feels so much better to wear clothes that aren't billowing out.

It is looking more and more certain that my 60 kg goal for the year will be met around Halloween. So what happens after that? Healthy BMI kicks in at 78 kg, but I'm going to try initially for a final target of 85 kg and see how i feel at that point. So that will be another 33 kilograms. I'd like to start doing some strength training as I start on my final push. That should help with my metabolism. And my looks. All this stuff is in the future, though, it's better to focus on my more immediate goals:

BMI<40
Get under 125 kg
Hit the 55 kg mark.

Weigh-in 33

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)

Last week's weight: 130.3 kg (287.3 lbs)

Current weight: 129.4 kg (285.3 lbs)

Loss this week: 0.9 kg (2 lbs)

Overall loss: 49.4 kg (108.9 lbs)

Start BMI: 56.4

Last week's BMI: 41.1

Current BMI: 40.8

 

There's always a little self doubt when the week's loss sinks under 1 kg. Is this the new normal? Is my weight loss slowing down? The answer is, I don't know. I need more data. 900 grams is perfectly acceptable, I guess. But I'm starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. And I sure as anything don't want to plateau before I make it into the sunlight.

 

That said, I am very happy to reach the 120s. And it is still August. Hopefully I'll lose at least 600 grams this week and hit the 50 kg mark by the end of the month. I also found this week that I can fit reasonably comfortably into 112 cm jeans. They are still just a little tight in the leg. There is enough give in them, and I think they are comfortable enough, though. I also tried on an XXL shirt from Threadless that I bought a couple of years ago. It didn't fit me then, but I'm pleased to say it does now.

I haven't posted any profile pics in months. Here I am now in the jeans and t-shirt.

Weigh-in 32

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)

Last week's weight: 131.4 kg (289.7 lbs)

Current weight: 130.3 kg (287.3 lbs)

Loss this week: 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs)

Overall loss: 48.5 kg (106.9 lbs)

Start BMI: 56.4

Last week's BMI: 41.5

Current BMI: 41.1

 

So I'm continuing to make progress quite nicely. A 1.1 kg loss was about what I expected and so long as I don't hit another slowdown in my weight loss (like the 300 gram loss one week last month), I should hit the 120s next Sunday. Which would be very pleasing. All other things being equal, I should reach the 50 kg milestone by the end of the month. Then I'm looking forward to charging through the 120s to reach my goal for 2013. It'll be much easier to get more active as the weather warms up. But I mustn't let myself rest on my laurels.

My sister and my mother both think the jeans I bought about a month and a half ago are too baggy. There are worse problems to have.

Weigh-in 31

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)

Last week's weight: 132.8 kg (292.8 lbs)

Current weight: 131.4 kg (289.7 lbs)

Loss this week: 1.4 kg (3.1 lbs)

Overall loss: 47.4 kg (104.5 lbs)

Start BMI: 56.4

Last week's BMI: 41.9

Current BMI: 41.5

Okay, so 1.4 kg is an entirely reasonable loss this week. I've had worse. It's still a little better than the 1 percent loss per week I'm hoping to maintain, so in that respect it's all good. It's just that I can't wait for all this effort to be over. I'm not contemplating quitting, I've come too far for that. It's just that it can be discouraging that I've got such a long way to go. Still, it's a week or two and I'll be in the 120s and it's nice that I'm out of the 290 pound range already. I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep. 

Weigh-in 30

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)

Last week's weight: 134.3 kg (296.1 lbs)

Current weight: 132.8 kg (292.8 lbs)

Loss this week: 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs)

Overall loss: 46 kg (101.4 lbs)

Start BMI: 56.4

Last week's BMI: 42.4

Current BMI: 41.9

 

So many milestones have converged this week. The biggest and most important is that I have now completed Phase III of my 2013 goal to lose 60 kg. Indeed, I now only have 14 kg left to lose to get to my goal for the year (of course if I do, I'll just start on my 2014 goal early). 14 kilos in five months? I'm pretty sure I can do that.

 

Secondly, going over the hundred pound mark is a big deal. As I explained last week, the forums I frequent are mainly American, and they think in pounds. Being able to say I've lost over 100 lbs makes me very proud of myself.

 

Thirdly, I have now lost over 25 percent of my start weight. I don't know what my final, ideal weight will be. If I stick to the BMI definition of normal, it should be at most 79 kg. I don't think that's realistic, especially as I will want to build some muscle mass. I think a target in the 80-90 kg range would be better. And if that's the case, then a 50% reduction on starting weight is desirable and so I'm halfway to goal.

 

Anyway, despite the minor setback I had when I visited Wellington, July has been a productive month. On the first of the month I weighed 138.6 kg, so I have lost 5.8 kg in the past four weeks. I think that was a little out of the ordinary given the giant 2.3 kg loss I had in the week ending 7 July, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

I just have two goals for August:

 

- Get into the 120s

- Reach a total loss of 50 kg 

Right now, I'm 6.3 kg away from moving out of Class III obesity and into Class II. I don't think that will happen by my last August weigh-in on the 25th. But hopefully in early September I'll get there.

Weigh-in 29

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)

Last week's weight: 136.0 kg (299.8 lbs)

Current weight: 134.3 kg (296.1 lbs)

Loss this week: 1.7 kg (3.7 lbs)

Overall loss: 44.5 kg (98.1 lbs)

Start BMI: 56.4

Last week's BMI: 42.9

Current BMI: 42.4

A welcome return to form this week, after stalling a bit last week. The numbers pretty much tell the story. I'm half a kilo away from completing phase III. I'm actually 200 grams away from registering a loss of 25% of my starting weight, and I'm 1.9 lbs (860 grams) away from reaching the 100 lbs mark. 

And I'm still in class 3 obesity. A testament to how big I was. My BMI will creep under 40 when I reach 126.5 kg, which I think will happen in September. At my current pace, I'm hoping to reach my 2013 goal of a 60 kg loss by mid-late November. Then I can start my final 2014 push towards a weight of 85 kg a little earlier than planned. That makes me happy. 

Weigh-in 28

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 136.3 kg (300.5 lbs)
Current weight: 136.0 kg (299.8 lbs)
Loss this week: 0.3 kg (0.7 lbs)
Overall loss: 42.8 kg (94.4 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4
Last week's BMI: 43
Current BMI: 42.9

A very small loss this week. And I know exactly why.

I was in Wellington from Monday until Thursday and while I tried to keep a lid on over-eating, I lost control of what I consumed. I was at a conference that had catered morning tea and lunch. In the evenings I went out to dinner with old friends, enjoying things like pizza, curry, lattes and alcohol.

On the plus side, I did do a lot of walking. And I'm extremely happy to be out of the >300 lb range. But I was raised on the metric system, so I guess it doesn't resonate as strongly with me as it does for people on the American forums I frequent.

When I returned to Dunedin, I was registering a small weight gain. Fortunately I have reversed that over the past two days, but it's a pity I had to lose most of a week's progress over this. I don't regret catching up with people, but I don't intend to make a habit out of how I approached food over the past week.

Can I lose another 2.2 kg and complete phase 3 by the end of the month? Or even another 400 g beyond that to hit the 100 lb mark? We'll see. It really is amazing to have those sorts of goals in my sights.

Weigh-in 27

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 138.6 kg (305.6 lbs)
Current weight: 136.3 kg (300.5lbs)
Loss this week: 2.3 kg (5.1 lbs)
Overall loss: 42.5 kg (93.7 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4
Last week's BMI: 43.7
Current BMI: 43

Wow. I mean seriously, wow. I haven't had a loss over 2kg since February. These weeks are few and far between. I'm savouring this moment. So what have I done differently? Not much. I went for two lunchtime walks this week, following the same route as usual. I have been fighting a cold for the past 5 days, though. I suspect that's where my body has been using the extra energy. I wouldn't recommend illness as a weight loss strategy, but it's nice that there's a silver lining.

There's a challenge in the week ahead. I'm flying to Wellington tomorrow, coming back home on Thursday. So I'll be trying to eat healthily while away from home. This is going to be difficult.

Weigh-in 26

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 139.7 kg (308 lbs)
Current weight: 138.6 kg (305.6 lbs)
Loss this week: 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs)
Overall loss: 40.2 kg (88.6 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4
Last week's BMI: 44.1
Current BMI: 43.7

I had not expected when I started this journey that I would reach this point so quickly. I thought a 60 kg target was a bold one which I might only barely achieve within the year. But here I am at 6 months, two thirds of my way to achieving that goal. I'm confident I can achieve the next 20 kg in the next 6 months. Probably less than that. But for now I'm going to continue focusing on more immediate goals. In July, I want to achieve the following:

• Get below 300 lbs
• Complete Phase III
• Achieve the 100 lbs milestone

I'm feeling really good about this. I look a great deal different than I used to. I have more energy too, now no longer carrying around the equivalent of a bag of cement.

Weigh-in 25

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 141.5 kg (312 lbs)
Current weight: 139.7 kg (308 lbs)
Loss this week: 1.8 kg (4 lbs)
Overall loss: 39.1 kg (86.2 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4
Last week's BMI: 44.7
Current BMI: 44.1

This is very, very, very pleasing. A 1.8 kg drop bucks a pattern my weight loss has been following in that for the first time for the third week in a row, I've lost more than the previous week. My guess is my body has been burning extra energy to stay warm during this awful winter weather New Zealand has been suffering over the past week. The six month mark is coming up next Sunday. Can I eke out a 900 gram loss or better to get to a 40 kg loss? I really hope so. That would mean that I would be two thirds of my way towards my goal for 2013. I've already got a goal in mind for 2014. It would be nice to start working on that this year. 

A peculiar metric: my birth weight was 8 lb 9 oz, or 3.88 kg. I have now lost the equivalent of 10 newborn baby Petes.

Weigh-in 24

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 142.8 kg (314.8 lbs)
Current weight: 141.5 kg (312 lbs)
Loss this week: 1.3 kg (2.9 lbs)
Overall loss: 37.3 kg (82.2 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4
Last week's BMI: 45.1
Current BMI: 44.7

Believe or not, this is absolutely splendid. My BMI has dropped below 45, so I am now no longer a super obese man, just a morbidly obese one. Now by the sounds of things, that doesn't sound so fantastic, but this is indicative of tangible, real progress in my weight loss. I must confess I hoped to be at 141.3 or better, so I would be halfway through Phase III, but I shall achieve that next week.

I think this is a particularly good result given I went out to dinner on Sunday night last week to celebrate my sister's birthday. I even had some dessert - cheesecake. Part of the way I'm approaching food now is to treat celebratory food as it was originally intended: as part of celebrations, not daily life.

There are two more weigh-ins this month and I'm confident that I'll reach the 130s by July. I'm doing far better than I expected for 5 1/2 months into this journey.

Weigh-in 22 and 23

Weigh-in 22

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 144.6 kg (318.8 lbs)
Current weight: 144 kg (317.5 lbs)
Loss this week: 0.6 kg (1.3 lbs)
Overall loss: 34.8 kg (76.7 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4
Last week's BMI: 45.6
Current BMI: 45.4

Okay, I've been slacking with the blog posts, but I haven't been slacking with the diet. I've made some good progress, although week 21 was, once again, a week where there was a bit of a trough in my weight loss. Expected, but disappointing.

Weigh-in 23

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 144 kg (317.5 lbs)
Current weight: 142.8 kg (314.8 lbs)
Loss this week: 1.2 kg (2.7 lbs)
Overall loss: 36 kg (79.4 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4
Last week's BMI: 45.4
Current BMI: 45.1

A reasonable loss this week and a pretty good milestone too, actually. I have now lost 20% of my start weight. There's a clutch of milestones coming up, of which this is the first. My BMI should, very soon, drop under 45. That will move me from a status of super obesity to morbid obesity. Which still doesn't sound very good, but it's a hell of an improvement on where I've been. Secondly, I'm only a few weeks away from the six month mark in this journey, and I'm pretty pleased about that. I have been resilient and that is paying off. I'm also maybe a month and a half away from the 100 lb milestone. I know I'm a metric kind of guy, but it will be good to hit the ton in that respect.

I'm harbouring a hope that I'll be in the 130s by July.

Weigh-in 21

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 146.5 kg (323 lbs)
Current weight: 144.6 kg (318.8 lbs)
Loss this week: 1.9 kg (4.2 lbs)
Overall loss: 34.2 kg (75.4 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4
Last week's BMI: 46.2
Current BMI: 45.6

Well this happened a little faster than expected. I was hoping to be down to 145 kg by the end of the month, but I've made it past that with a few days to spare.
Hopefully I'll be into the 130s by the end of June.

Weigh-in 20

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 148.4 kg (327.2 lbs)
Current weight: 146.5 kg (323 lbs)
Loss this week: 1.9 kg (4.2 lbs)
Overall loss: 32.3 kg (71.2 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4
Last week's BMI: 46.8
Current BMI: 46.2

Yes, I need to trim my toenails.

This is more like it. A 1.9 kg loss this week. Not only that, but my BMI has now reduced by over 10 points. I think I can safely call that a milestone, or at least a mini-goal met. I really want to hit 145 or less by the end of the month. I think one-and-a-half kilos is achievable in the next eleven days. Which would mean I would only have to lose 3.75 kg a month for the rest of the year to meet my 60 kg target.

Also, I'm pretty pleased with sticking with this for 20 weeks. I have truly been amazed at the kinds of changes I've enjoyed in the past four and a half months. I've had to buy new jeans (125 cm waists, I'm still shopping at fat men's outlets), but they are a much needed visible sign of my progress. Onwards and downwards.

Weigh-in 19

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 148.8 kg (328 lbs)
Current weight: 148.4 kg (327.2 lbs)
Loss this week: 0.4 kg (0.8 lbs)
Overall loss: 30.4 kg (67 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4
Last week's BMI: 47
Current BMI: 46.8

So I got on the scales yesterday morning and was satisfied with the reading it returned of 147.6 kg. A 1.2 kg drop since Sunday. "Okay", I thought, "perhaps I can shave another 100 or 200 grams off that for tomorrow". I had my aunt's 60th birthday to go to last night where I allowed myself  one 330 ml bottle of beer, 2 cans of diet sprite, 5 cashews, a small piece of baguette with 5 grams of cheese and a rice cracker with some pesto. I could have suffered quite a lack of discipline last night, but I didn't. I was complimented on my progress.

I avoided the cakes, the savories and all the other party food. And when I got on my scales this morning for my official weekly weigh-in, it was a shock that they had rocketed up to read 148.4 kg. I stepped off and on again and the same result came in. So that's my official result for the week. My lowest loss yet. 400 grams. How could I gain nearly a kilo in 24 hours? The mysteries of my body can be frustrating. Hopefully I'll bounce back next Sunday, but this is a curious and vexing result nonetheless.
 

Weigh-in 18 : special edition

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 150.6 kg (332 lbs)
Current weight: 148.8 kg (328 lbs)
Loss this week: 1.8 kg (4 lbs)
Overall loss: 30 kg (66.2 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4
Last week's BMI: 47.5
Current BMI: 47


This is absolutely fantastic. I have made it to the end of Phase 2, and a lot faster than I expected. It took me 18 weeks to lose 30 kg and I am just so confident about what the future holds.

 Already, I have met two of the goals I wanted to achieve this month - getting into the 140s and ending Phase 2.

It means so much to be at the halfway point in what I want to achieve this year. OK, I still am seriously obese, but it took me years to get to 178.8 kg. Clawing so much back in just a few months - 18 weeks - is incredible. My only regret is not starting this journey earlier, but that's a common lament for people like me. There's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.

In the mornings I go into the shower and I examine my rolls of fat. I perform a mental countdown, thinking "okay, it's not that far to 145 and from there to 140" and so on and so on. I imagine how it feels to step on the scales and see those numbers. It felt so good to see that number today. I want more.

Weigh-in 17

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 151.7 kg (334.4 lbs)
Current weight: 150.6 kg (332 lbs)
Loss this week: 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs)
Overall loss: 28.2 kg (62.1 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4
Last week's BMI: 47.9
Current BMI: 47.5

Another 1.1 kilograms off this week. Overall it's been a not-too-bad month. On my last weigh-in of March, I was 155.9 kg, so a 5.3 kg loss in a month is entirely reasonable. I really am hoping to break below the 150 kg mark next week, though. But I'm probably due for another less than stellar week. I've been looking at my rate of loss and there seems to be a bit of a pattern:

So you can see that I enjoy relatively good weight loss for a couple of weeks and then not quite so good a loss, and then I recover. But you can see the bottom of each trough is getting lower and lower. So based on that pattern, I would be really happy next week if I got a 0.7 kg loss or better. Although it is my definite preference to continue enjoying losses over 1 kg.

Anyway, here's what I hope to achieve over the coming month:

Get into the 140s

End phase II/Start phase III

Be down a full 10 points in my BMI since my start weight

Hit 145 kg.

Weigh-in 16

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 153.7 kg (338.9 lbs)
Current weight: 151.7 kg (334.4 lbs)
Loss this week: 2 kg (4.4 lbs)
Overall loss: 27.1 kg (59.7 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4
Last week's BMI: 48.5
Current BMI: 47.9

Outstanding. Last week I was moaning and groaning about losing just half a kilo. This week I have lost four times that amount. This is such a fillip to my confidence and attitude. Everything had been so hum-drum and I felt I was approaching my weight in a workmanlike way. Maybe, just maybe, in one week I'll say goodbye to the 150s. It'll probably take two, but it's in my sights. Also I'm 2.9 kilograms away from the completion of Phase II by hitting a 30 kg loss at 148.8. I can feel it, it is so close. 

Weigh in 15

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 154.2 kg (340 lbs)
Current weight: 153.7 kg (338.9 lbs)
Loss this week: 0.5 kg (1.1 lbs)
Overall loss: 25.1 kg (55.3 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4
Last week's BMI: 48.7
Current BMI: 48.5

I know I should be happy. I've been declaring milestones every couple of weeks, but to achieve 25 kg is quite a big deal. But achieving a half kilo loss this week is a bit of a disappointment. And I know why. I've lost focus this week and been undisciplined. It started last Sunday when my parents visited and my mother left half a dozen pikelets here. I scoffed those down. There was also the iced bun I had on Monday. It was weakness and I knew it was weakness as I bought the damned thing. By Thursday I was posting a weight gain. Fortunately I clawed back those gains, but it's an inauspicious way to make it to this mark.

I must redouble my vigilance in this regard.

That said, there is one other milestone. My body fat has crept down to 49.8%. I am now more man than fat.

Weigh in 14

Another week, another weigh-in

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 155.9 kg (343.7 lbs)
Current weight: 154.2 kg (340 lbs)
Loss this week: 1.7 kg (3.7 lbs)
Overall loss: 24.6 kg (54.2 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4
Last week's BMI: 49.2
Current BMI: 48.7

So I'm inching closer to the 25 kg milestone. I'm hoping I'll reach it next week.


 

Weigh in 13

...aka The one where I haven't blogged all week.

I can assure you that even though it's Easter, I have not fallen off the wagon. I did allow myself one tiny Easter egg yesterday, but aside from that no chocolate has passed my lips. I did, however, return to form on the scales this morning.

Start weight: 178.8 kg (394.2 lbs)
Last week's weight: 157.4 kg (347 lbs)
Current weight: 155.9 kg (343.7 lbs)
Loss this week: 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs)
Overall loss: 22.9 kg (50.5 lbs)
Start BMI: 56.4
Last week's BMI: 49.7
Current BMI: 49.2







So that means I have broken through the 50 pound milestone. Which is amazing and cause for some celebration. Not only that, I am more than halfway through Phase II, with 7.1 kg to go to reach 30 kilograms and 2.1 kg to reach the 25 kg milestone.

Success builds on success.

My first weigh in of the month, on the third, I was 161.8 kg. That means I have lost 5.9 kg this month. This is particularly pleasing since last week returned results below 1 kg. 

It's now a quarter of the way through the year. Perseverance pays off.