Was a skinny whippet 78kg.

Then new job and neglected my health.

Last August 125kg diabetes/dizzy and high blood pressure. Doc said take tablets fatty.
BMI said 30+ = fatso.

Instead went on diet and training since September 2014.

Now 91kg but still long way to go to 78kg.

34kg gone and 13kg to go.

Donated my fat clothes to charity.

Spent £600 on new clothes, look healthy and no more diabetes or blood pressure.
(Size 34 waist again 6ft2.)

Waiting till May before squeezing into my old race kit from Uni days.

New hectic job but eating salad instead of junk sandwiches from supermarket.

Also noticed women flirting with me again instead of running away. People treat you so differently when you’re slim again!

If I can lose lard anyone can.

Oh and don’t get fat in the first place.

Stay positive 🙂

Is impressed, 34kg is a lot

Thanks but putting the weight on was pretty stupid of me.

Just don’t want others to do it or if someone wants to lose weight then just do it. You’ll feel better/healthy and look great in slim fitting suits lol.

Noticed my wife wanting more special hugs again 😳

That’s impressive.
You’ve already got to a healthy weight for your height at 91kg. Is 78kg actually healthy and will the women want to flirt with you if you look gaunt?
I’m 6′ 3″ and look gaunt at below 88kg but we are all different

I was 78kg with a six pack looked slim but my arms looked weedy. So you’re probably right Cheers_drive.

Maybe I’ll evaluate at 85kg?

Well done! I have gone up and down, but mostly up, since moving to the UK. I used to be 72kgs, but am now 92kgs. Waaay too heavy for me. My problem is that I find food addictive: the more I eat, the more I want to eat.

Any pointers? Other than the old ‘Eat less, move more’ that is.

Have a look at what you are actually eating. I’ve found cutting right back on carbs keeps me fuller for longer so I eat less overall. Just shifted 8 pounds in 4 weeks by this strategy.

One easy thing, if you don’t already, is eating a simple breakfast.

Gets the metabolism going and means you’ll be in burn mode not store mode.

All technical terms.

Frankenstein that’s a lot of weight you have lost.

What sort of training have you been doing ?

I find porridge in the morning helps. Start well and you stay on the right eating path.

One easy thing, if you don’t already, is eating a simple breakfast.

Gets the metabolism going and means you’ll be in burn mode not store mode.

All technical terms.

Have you read up on Intermittent Fasting? It can take 3-4 days before the body starts to “store”, I think.

Is 78kg actually healthy

Yes, 78Kg is actually healthy.

At 5’8″ just shy of 18st was way too heavy. Doctors agreed, said I had Type II Diabetes. Cut out the bread and chocolate based snacks, and started actively working on shedding the excess. That was, what, three years ago. Spin class up to 4 times a week. Now down to 14st 8lb but still 2 stone overweight, and kind of stuck there. The diabetes has gone though so I suppose that’s one positive.
One day I may even get back on a mountain bike. Provided mrs_d’s cancer is fixed and she doesn’t have to worry about me breaking myself on top of all that

Hi Renton This worked for me but not everyone will agree or work well for them:
I’ll keep the science away but here’s what I’ve done with myself and clients:

Stay away from wheat and dairy.

Eat oats for breakfast no milk.
Stay away from carbs that sugars.
Multivitamin.

1800-2000 kcal per day.

Green tea and protein.
Drink more water (9 glasses a day).

Sprint training = 10 min warm up, sprint for 30-60 seconds rest 2 mins then repeat 6-8 times. 3 x a week. Don’t do this if you have health problems or have been inactive. Go slow for 6-8 weeks then when your doctor thinks you’re ok to sprint. You want 80-90% intensity but be careful. 8 secs will be a start.

Weights on upper body on non sprint days.
Change workouts eg 3 weeks later back to slow long distance. Run or bike or row.
Once a week a heavy deadlift. Be careful start slow and light.
Stretch after workouts.

Eat smaller but more frequent.
Don’t starve.
Protein straight after working out.
Keep active.
60-80g protein for my goal weight/height.
Soup.
More veg and fruit.
More sleep 7-8 hrs except right now :/

Reward treat on Saturday night but I stopped that.

Have small achievable goals and one huge goal.

Dress well. Keep self esteem up.

Weigh yourself every day at the same time.
Don’t dwell on it.

Keep an accurate food diary. Weigh/know your diet.

Accept it’s a long term thing not overnight.

Buy tighter clothing.

Laugh more. Get more sun.
Stay away from negativity.

Keep a record.

Don’t food shop when hungry. Eat before hunger strikes. Get out of the house.

Get weight and Bp measured before you start.

Simular kind of story but the other way.

Was 120kg, massivly overweight.

Started cycling to work, more endurance stuff and got to 15st in 2 years, no diet change.

Started a new job working nights in July 13 and was a quite trim. Cycling near 200 miles a week on the Alpine 160.

Slowly the after work rides and “ah drive to work” happened.

Now in Jan 15 I weigh near 18.5st. No confidence, always last wheezing on the climbs etc.

I am due to change back to the day shift now to try and help more of a constant and balanced diet as due to nights I never had a set diet and found it hard not to think “ah my evening at 6am, lets have a curry/shepards pie etc”.

Hopefully the weight will change in the comin months but to be honest I just want to get fitter for biking again and the motivation to go out will kick in and the weight go.

This time last year I got a real scare when I jumped on the scales for the first time in a few years, weighed in at 19st 2lbs. Was just the scare i needed though, triggered a lifestyle change, I have meat and eggs for breakfast, have changed from procesed meat and cheese sandwiches to homemade soups for lunch.

It’s working too, as of this morning I’m down to 15st 6lbs and still going.

When I started working in London in 2008 I was just over twelve stone. I had a few problems with my feet (collapsed arches) and medication I was taking that pushed my blood pressure up so I found exercise very hard (and painful) work. I spent more time on my bike, but I found myself simply slowing down and doing less.

I’ve a new job closer to home at a place with a well maintained gym. There’s no Subway or Eat around the corner so I’m having a bowl of soup at lunchtime and am gymming three times a week. It’s very early days, but my cardio fitness is returning and I’m noticing that my clothes are baggier.

I had a shock yesterday morning when I pulled my 36″ jeans on and they slid right back down again.

Have a read of Jack Clarkson’s story – at 12 years old he was almost 15 stone, but was racing in the cyclocross world cup at the weekend 🙂

Beat me to it Mike.
Jack’s story is amazing. He was the top British Under23 finisher at the weekend.

Fair play to that lad !!

Some great positive stories

PJM1974 – it’s a great feeling when your trousers fall down – from weightloss and not in public lol.

MrPhil – get back on your healthy regime!

Interesting about Jack Clarkson, wonder of slow fat burners make better endurance athletes?

I few years of bad living and depression ended up with me diabetic, 122kgs and seriously unhealthy and unhappy.

Got my life back in line but struggled with the weight, tried a few things medication, trainers, funny diets that promised you can eat as much as you like as long as you don’t eat fat / carbs / sugar or whatever- in the end I startrd using MyFitnessPal app – good old fashioned calories in, calories out – dropped 14kgs since autumn. Within a few weeks I’d adjusted to the reduction in calories (1750 a day) so it’s normal now rather a ‘diet’.

Aiming for 99kgs

Some great stories here guys – well done on the weight losses, none of that is easy.

Just to add that Jack Clarkson is also a great guy – just don’t try keeping up with him uphill!

I remember someone saying that 50% of the England cyclocross live within 5 miles of each other- Calderdale is a great (hilly) training ground!

Good stuff Frankenstein. And everyone else.

I was in quite a bit of a rut (understatement) about eight years ago. I was 16.5 st, was told that I would need to continue taking medication to control my high blood pressure for the rest of my life.

I decided to change. I lost 3st in 3 months. One stone per month. I was very disciplined with my diet and upped the bike miles. A bit of success is good motivation to take it further but I surprised myself with how fast I lost weight and got fit. I was soon off the medication too.

It’s very good guide you’ve written there Frankenstein. The positivity stuff is very important. I guess everyone finds their own angle for that. Finding that it was easier to ride over more hills made me want to explore more, get more ambitious and that certainly hasn’t stopped. In that respect I’ve surprised myself more each year since the weight loss.

That’s pretty impressive weight change in both directions. You managed to put on and now hopefully lose 47kg, I only weigh 54 kg all in!

Me!

At my worst I was ~250lbs 4 years ago. Got off my arse and got down to 167lbs at my lowest a couple of years ago. Sitting at 194lbs post xmas but working back down to 180lbs where I feel comfortable and sustainable

A wee pic of the transformation!

6ft2 38″ waist 16st in 2012

Now 13st 5 34″ waist need to get under 12st to be happy

Just are less & healthily & moved more

5ft9 here, and gradually eased up to 110kg 10 years or so ago. Combination of happy marriage with lots of evenings in, evenings out etc. Stressful job with little opportunity (or motivation) to exercise.

Health scare about 10 years ago – sudden palsy affected my arm and face, but disappeared before the ambulance arrived. Wife extremely worried.

Bought a bike, cut out the crisps and chocolate (mostly) and dropped 5 stone in about 2-3 years. Still around 76kg, and much happier.

Have kept a pair of the size 42 waist trousers just to keep me motivated.

It’s great to read other people’s challenges and successes 🙂

Q.
Anyone tried pumpkin soup as an alternative to a large meal?

Ok it’s a marnite affair of love it or hate it.

Can be naturally sweet, filling but very very low calories/Kj per bowl. I had this 3 times a week as a main meal plus a protein shake.

Since coming back from Oz, I can’t find any decent shops in the U.K. for pumpkin soup?!

Japanese fed prisoners on the River Kwai with pumpkin soup and they became skinny from hardship.

Nowhere near as much here but saw pictures of me on holiday last summer and I was looking a bit blubbery. Moaned to my wife who bought me a gym membership for my birthday. Went for the first time in mid-September and weighed 76kg at 5’8”. Now I’m 70kg and just wore an old bike top to the gym this morning that I got 7 years ago and it fits again. And I need to punch a new hole in my belt and I have had it since before I bloated so I seem to be at a weight akin to 15-odd years ago.

BTW – I just do 3 x 60 min spinning sessions and a few weights each week.