Friday Weigh in - The Starting Weight

So here it is, my starting weight -  14st 7, or 203 lbs.

Some stats;

Age: 44

Height: 5ft 4

Weight: 14st 7

I still can't quite believe how I've allowed myself to get to this point, when I was first married at the ripe age of 20, I was 8 st 7, that means I've put on 6 stones,

 that's  the weight of a little person!

I'm the first to admit that 8st 7 was a tad on the thin side, I soon settled in between 9st and 9st 7, I stayed this way for 10 years.

Then I had my first child, gained the correct amount and lost the weight down to 9st 7, I did do this by following weight watchers.

Then I had a couple of miscarriages, which to be honest really messed with my head. The whole way it was handled by my local hospital didn't help.

I was now wavering between 9st 7 and 10 stone.

Finally I caught pregnant again, but also lost my mum who was 54 suddenly. I just ate through out the pregnancy,  and delivered a beautiful baby. All was fine, but then a year later all the emotions that I'd held together after losing mum, and the previous miscarriages,

 just proved too much, I had a break down.

Medication followed, and then the weight started to pile on, I can't blame it all on medication - I began to comfort eat, anything that came my way. Whereas in my early 20's I could eat pretty much anything I liked and not  really gain weight, suddenly the weight was piling on.

I fell pregnant with my third child in my late 30's at 11st 7, weight gained ensued, although I did manage to get down to just below 11st after I gave birth.

It has been a battle ever since and I seem to have put on a stone a year,

 leading to today's weigh in of 14st 7.

Over time I have been to various weight classes, weight waters, slimming world, I'd lost half a stone and somehow lose incentive, I also lost lots of money.

One of my favourite diets was low carbing, it was the first time I lost weight without feeling hungry, the creamy sauces over chicken I just loved.

I managed better than I though without, potatoes, bread, pasta and rice, but in the long term when your family likes all those things it becomes hard to stick to.

So now yet again a different diet, no expensive classes,

 yes I have bought the books, 

but I could quite easily have not bought the books, as with the internet and trusty google, there is plenty of information to find out about the diet.

It will be interesting to see can I manage it, and will it be the ONE...

Taking my measurements...

I thought I'd take my measurements along the way...

• Under Bust - 101cm - 39 3/4 inch
• Waist  - 103cm - 40 1/2 inch
• Naval (belly button) 118cm - 46 1/2 inch
• Hips - 119 cm - 46 3/4 inch
• R Calf - 42 cm - 16 1/2 inch
• R Top Arm  - 37cm - 14 1/2 inch

Yes it's confirmed, I'm apple - shaped

I will measure either every 2 weeks, or 4 weekly, I've not yet decided. 

Intermittent Fasting, 5:2 Fast Diet...

I'm setting up this blog to record my efforts as I start the 5:2 day diet.  

I have read about 'fasting' diets before, don't be mislead by the word fasting, it's not about just drinking fluids, rather  in this case on the 5:2 diet, it's having food amounting to 500-600 calories on the fasting day. 500 cals for women, 600 cals for men. 

Initially I came across Intermittent Fasting (IF), by friends who were doing the  

  alternate day diet and were doing very well on it. This was probably back at the beginning of 2012, so I bought the book The Alternate-Day Diet

                                                              

     The above book made so much sense, it explained the science behind how it works. My friends  had great success with it, both losing a couple of stones each. The idea is that you eat normally one day, then 'fast' the next. Every other day was just too much for me to deal with at the time, although I liked the idea in principle. What intrigued me most was the health benefits, that come from a IF diet. At the time I was into low carbbing, which although the type of food suits me, long term it was difficult,

Last year the BBC on their Horizon series, had a program called Eat, Fast and Live longer where presenter Michael Mosley did the 5:2 diet, this is an ARTICLE talking about it.

Again I was very interested in what it had to say, and the science behind it, I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to do anything about it. I've flirted with Slimming World, but again, I get bored watching my food every day. So I have just invested in Michael Mosley's book, and I'm hoping to inspire myself, again the health benefits are a bonus to this type of diet.

                                                        

At the same time I bought on kindle, The 5:2 Diet Book by Kate Harrison, who inspired by the Horizon program, went on the diet, and the book tells about how she got on with it.

                                                        

I feel ready to tackle this, and the resulting new books has spurred me on the do it.

I will post my thoughts on how well, or not I accomplish this new way of eating, will it be achievable,  will just eating a restricted diet on 2 days really help me lose weight, well time as they say will tell...

Some before photos...

Every time I see these photos of myself, I wonder how did I get that big???
I'm 14st 7lbs, or 203lbs, or 92.1kg for the metric lovers.

A very flattering side view!!!

Might as well have the back view as well, some lovely rolls of fat gathering under my top - oh dear!

My BMI - Very Overwight

I have a BMI of 34.5!
Below is a screen shot of what the British Heart Foundation class as my bmi and scarily they have got my body shape right too.

You can check your own bmi with them *here*

is your body shape as they predict?

 I actually think in real life my belly sticks out slightly more...

If you notice, they recommend for my height which is 5ft 4,
  a weight between 7st 10lb (108lbs) and 10st 9lb (149lbs).

personally I think for me somewhere between 9st (126lbs) and 10st (140lbs) would be great.
I'm not setting myself an actual target, although I think hitting 10st would be great, but each 7 pounds I 'll hopefully lose will be a bonus and be healthier than I am already.

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The body shapes of the ladies above are as follows starting with the lady on the left,
14st 7lbs, 10st 9lbs, 9st 7lb and 7st 10lb.


I have to say that the 3rd lady at 9st 7lb is a shape I'd like to get back to.


Doing this has been a helpful exercise for me psychologically.
perhaps it would help others too.