3 Days to go
Here we go… only three more days until the final of Leeds Largest Loser. I cannot believe how fast it has gone. The ten weeks seem to have just merged in to one long week. On the plus side I am now over four stone lighter than I was at the beginning and I feel much better. My whole confidence has taken a new turn in life..
Yesterday was a day for shopping…clothes shopping to be precise. Now this is not something that would rank highly in my choices. Cameras and electrical equipment are much more sought after in Mark Winterbourne’s world let me tell you. A Canon 5DMkIII is much more appealing than a funny coloured t-shirt with an alligator on its left tit. That is for certain.
Moving on, we visited a place where clothes have never fit me…GEORGE (often known as Asda). Now we have mentioned Asda before in this blog, do you remember? I do, it involved a Chocolate Muffin. A Muffin that was to come back and haunt me. This time it wasnt about putting stuff in it was about putting stuff on.
After pacing around the aisles we came across various shirts that my lovely wife insisted would now fit me …. easily. She was right too. They did fit me. I was totally and utterly gob smacked. I was blown away. They didn’t just fit me, they fit me easily too. This was great…it was similar to the wardrobe issue a couple of weeks ago where I had a whole new wardrobe just by throwing things away and digging out things that didn’t fit.
It just backed up any doubts I had about losing weight. Lorena, my trainer, shouted at me in the reception last week saying that my clothes were all too big and I had to buy some new ones. Anyway, I have done. They are in the bag and all ready for Friday evening at the big closing ceremony.
What do I expect? Well, we all want to win. There is no clear winner at present and as we havent seen the results from the competing gymnasium we are really taking a stab in the dark.I would love to be crowned Leeds Largest Loser but I think I will fall short of the target. I look back at the weeks where I thought I had tried my best but only lost 5 or 6lb. I think I could have done a little bit more but no matter which way I look at this I have changed my life and I feel so much better.
It’s not just about winning, it’s about making a difference for me. I am the one at the end of the competition that has to move forward and carry on with the regime. I was watching last years winner Mark training in the gym yesterday. Over the last couple of weeks I have managed to grab a quick conversation with him about the competition. He talked about positivity and attitude and I really believe I have that frame of mind. The right frame of mind to carry on with this after the event.
So, until weigh in day on Friday. Thank you for reading.
Week 9
Okay, two quick posts in succession. Its allowed ! Its my blog huh.
Seriously though, things have really stepped up in the Leeds Largest Loser and we are all becoming very competitive. I knew the 5lb loss last week wasnt good enough and this week with none of us knowing who is leading we are all going out for the last stretch.
My weight loss on Thursdays weigh in was 8lb which when you look at that from another angle thats over half a stone. I worked hard this last week and I have tried to double up on the exercise regime at either end of the day.
The benefits of this paid off with an 8lb loss this week. I am moving in the right direction but more importantly I feel great. My attitude to whole “LLL” has been positive from way before the start. I knew that I had to make a lifestyle change and my mindset was in the right place. From January the 1st I have refrained from using the D word…. You know, the D word? D..I…E..T ssshhh. Its not a diet its a lifestyle change.
So, as I type this, my ideas of getting out this afternoon to complete my second work out of the day are dashed as the rain tumbles down over Leeds. I know, you shouldnt let the weather put you off but sometimes there are other things that can be done.
Fridays sees the final day of the challenge. I personally think its very close, none of us know who is leading, who is likely to win. I stated before that its not the quantity of weight but the percentage of your starting weight that you lose. This will make it very interesting.
Thanks for reading, and again, I apologise for the lack of posts
Week 8
I suppose I have a valid excuse. For not updating my blog that is. I have been so snowed under with training and more training that I literally havent had the time or energy. If it comes to last thing at night I am just too tired and if it’s during the day I am either pre-occupied or in the gym
Things have been going great despite been a little disappointed with a 5.5lb loss in week eight. It is, however, my aim to put things right in the next seven days. The run up to the end of week nine will hopefully prove that I can still maintain the weight loss.
As for food, things havent really changed. I am trying so hard to continue with the 800 calories a day. The regime…..now that makes it sound like a sentence in prison doesn’t it? I will start again, the regime continues…. One apple, One banana for breakfast with no deviation. Lunch varies but only meat with vegetables and a restricted portion size. Tea, is just that…Soup, homemade by Elaine and not with fifty-seven varieties.
The main thing here is that its working, the combination of hard work and changing my lifestyle along with eating the right foods is making me lose weight.
Sincere apologies for the lack of updates, lots of things happening and very little time.
The week that was…..
Ive found it harder and harder to find time to post on “Where is my skeleton”. By the way I am getting closer and closer to finding it, my skeleton that is. There hasnt been much to talk about over the last couple of weeks, not that I imagined there would be. As a team we are all pushing hard and it looks great as we all would like to win.
Going back to the posting issue. I have had so little spare time with my days split between taking photographs, editing photographs, building a website, and training. Oh I forgot to add sleeping to that list too didnt I? As for television; whats a television?
Sorry there is nothing more to say really. My morale is back up and I am gearing up for the run to the finish in two weeks.
Thanks for reading
The Run In
I have not had the time to post over the last few days. Seriously, my time has been either spent setting up markwinterbourne.com my photography business or at the gym working out. The diet hasnt slipped to be honest. I have managed to stick to what I was told. I would be lying if I said there hasnt been any minor hiccups but we are not talking anything serious or major weight threatening.
My focus is now on the longer goal. I am 4 stone lighter than I was at the start and much healthier. I have noticed many changes in my daily routine, not changes that I have implemented directly but changes that are a consequence of losing weight. Getting around is much easier, I actually feel tired on a night and seem to sleep better. I feel full on less food and my clothes no longer cling to me like a lycra clad cyclist. In fact they have become too baggy and like I said a week or so ago, I have resorted to digging up old clothes destined for the bin.
So, for the next two weeks and three days the regime continues and I will work just as hard. It has become harder to push myself and in turn the weight loss has slowed down considerably. Then again I always expected it would. I was told by so many people after the first couple of weeks that the biggest impact would be at the start. They were right, it was. I just continued for a little longer thats all.
I have noticed the exercise regime getting much easier, this is obviously due to my increased fitness. In turn Lorena has started to push me to a new level, a level that I never ever thought I would be at. I am happy with what I have achieved so far, its just a case of squeezing the last few drops out of the tank before the end of this particular part of the journey.
The journey is a lifetime change because there is not a chance in hell that I will be revisiting the old “me”
Thanks for reading. Sorry for the lack of posts…. like I said, Ive been a busy person.
Posting Abstinence …The week that was….
I’ve not had a lot of time over the last few days and the blog has taken a back seat. Having said that there hasn’t been much to report anyway. The days have gone by, the diet has been maintained and the weight is coming off. When I setup the blog I never imagined for one minute that anyone would read it let alone follow it. It appears I am a bad judge of my own position. They have !
So today is Friday and as I approach the weekend I know that the two days off from the gym will not be an escape from the hard work. It still has to be done as we approach the last few weeks of the competition. Things appear pretty tight at Team Cookridge with the trainers and staff at Sue Ryder keeping everything under wraps regarding the leaders. One thing that has been brought to our attention though is a gentle reminder that it is not the weight loss in lbs and ounces that counts; it’s the percentage of body weight lost. This gives a fair chance to everyone in the event, large or small.
Check out the way it works here with an example :-
Person A
Starting Weight = 100 kilos
Total Loss = 15 kilos
Total Percentage lost = 15%
Person B
Starting Weight = 150 kilos
Total Loss = 20 kilos
Total Percentage lost = 13.3%
I am sure you get the idea…..
That is all for now…. back soon
Weigh In – Week 6
The end of the week came with a bang. What a bang too ! I hard worked tremendously hard all week. I had broken away from my usual routine to try some new things on a one to one basis with my trainer. My diet remained the same throughout besides my little slip earlier in the week.
Now, before you start thinking like I did….Dont ! One small chocolate muffin will not destroy the rest of my life. For some reason, something I cannot put my finger on I shed only 1lb this week. Yes, I know it was only going to last so long but it was still a shock.
All the hard work seemed pointless, everything I had pushed myself to breaking point for seemed a waste of time. So much so that I didn’t have the will power to even post on my blog. Yesterday I did a double and trained morning and evening to try get myself back in the saddle. Prior to this, knowing the weekend was so close actually made things far worse and if it hadnt been for the fact that I had a spinning class to attend to on Friday evening then I wouldnt have gone at all. That “muffin” experience will haunt me for the rest of my days. I am not going to dwell on it now, its happened. Get over it Marcus !
Saturday morning however, I feel positive and back in the frame of mind I should be at the start of week seven of Leeds Largest Loser. There was always going to be a low point in the ten weeks, be it from sheer tiredness or a slip in the willpower department. Either way, I am back.
Finally, thank you to all of my kind sponsors. As I type the total raised for Sue Ryder Wheatfields is £1211.13 (incl.Gift Aid)
Thanks for reading.
Consider the company you are in…
Fish & Chip Friday came early at Winterbourne Towers this week. Thursday to be precise. Picture this… I am sat munching away at my tuna salad whilst the present Mrs W and her lovely mother sit tucking in to fish & chips… no biggie I hear you say. Well all was going well until the words “these chips dont taste as good at the moment” ….. TRY MY LETTUCE !!! (yummy….not)
Rant over
Healthy Day…52
After my early start this morning I stuck to my usual breakfast of a Banana and an Apple. Followed by a day taking photographs my usual routine would have been an “express lunch” for example a McD’s or a snack attack. This would incorporate chocolate in some variety which is loaded with sugar and would cause me no end of problems.
So, like a good person I had a chicken salad (illustrated above).
Why wouldn’t I? #LeedsLargestLoser2014
Where is my skeleton? 