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.