Parp! That’s the sound of me honking the Chubby Checker Charabanc’s horn as it rolls into town. (It might also be the human exhaust pipe sounds being made by onboard Afterworders who’ve dramatically upped the fruit, veg, and fibre elements of their diet, but we’ll gloss over that).
Some of you signed up last week and vowed to blubber down/muscle up/exercise more/or just be a bit healthier.
So how did your first week go?
http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a493/drakeygirl1/Chubby%20Checker%20Bus_zps6frori4q.jpg
drakeygirl says
We need some music, obviously. How about this? Our spiritual leader Chubby Checker does ‘The Pony’, a prancy pre-cursor of Gangnam Style…
drakeygirl says
I’ll go first:
EXERCISE – Stuck to my plan to move about more: five swims, five gos on the exercise bike, and at least 10,000 steps a day. Result: those little exercise endorphins have been zinging about and making me feel good.
FOOD – Steered clear of bread but eaten better breakfasts and lunches. Result: I haven’t been hungry late at night.
DRINK – Dry January continues, and I’m not missing the booze yet. But it has only been just over a week… Result: clearer head, generally feeling perkier.
SPIN, SPIN, SPIN THE SCALES OF JUSTICE, SEE HOW FAST THE BASTARD TURNS – I’ve lost 6lbs*. In your face, flab!
*This is actually a silly amount in one week – a healthy weight loss is one or two pounds. However, it is important to note that after Christmas/New Year my body consisted almost entirely of mince pies and cointreau, so results may have been skewed.
TIP – Tried ‘temptation bundling’. It’s a fancy term for putting together a pleasure with something less appealing. No, drinking whilst at work is not allowed. In my case, it’s allowing myself a Netflix boxset fix but ONLY watching when I’m cycling on my exercise bike.
Over to you lot…
Lodestone of Wrongness says
Six pounds for me too but like Drakeygirl it was all too easy after the year-end excesses. No booze which is hard each evening around 630pm. Still getting over a near-fatal case of man-flu so absolutely no exercise apart from an hour-long stagger along the beach yesterday (which felt like I was scaling The Matterhorn).
Eating no carbs – cauliflower mash anyone?
drakeygirl says
Well done, sir. I suspect this week’s poundage shedding will be the most dramatic for quite a few of us!
RubyBlue says
You two have done really well- 6lbs is bloody good, post-Christmas or not.
EXERCISE: managed all my daily exercise, although I’m slightly under the weather. Just finished today’s sesh and lifted a tiny bit heavier so I’m a little pleased.
EATING: A lot more veggies, although the rest of my house are not really appreciative of this *parp*
I never weigh myself but the mirror suggests I’m a couple of pounds down- not my intention but I’ll take it.
drakeygirl says
Nice work. I’m beginning to think ‘parp!’ may be our collective call sign.
JustB says
Insanely enough, I lost 10lbs. Met up with a new PT (my own personal regimental sergeant major is the only way I stay on the exercise wagon) and learned a lot about when to eat, so I’ve been trying to front-load my eating a bit and also religiously food-tracking and keeping it down to 1800 calories a day (which is perfectly doable for me).
My only rules are to try and eat more than half my calories by lunchtime so they actually get burned, and to avoid booze, refined sugar and cheese like the plague. Oh and to drink plenty of water (but not crazy amounts).
So, a good start but I’m conscious that this kind of loss in a week might result in a rebound next week. Hope not though.
drakeygirl says
You’re a freak, Bob. A freakin’ freak. And I thought my 6lbs was freakish! I think we’ve both proved, beyond doubt, what greedy bastards we were over the holidays.
Thanks for joining up, and you lucky, lucky man, you get a 7lbs rosette after just one week. Well done.
But, y’know, slow down…
drakeygirl says
http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a493/drakeygirl1/Chubby%20Checker%207%20Rosette_zpsjyfvxc97.jpg
Beezer says
I WANT ONE!
drakeygirl says
And you’ll get one, Beezer, dear chap. I’ll even make you a special one – there’s an incentive for you.
JustB says
Ha! Yay! A rosette!
There is literally no chance of me not slowing down. If I manage any loss at all next week I’ll be amazed.
tinysuns says
I lost 3lbs, which takes me back to where I was in early November – so Christmas has now been cancelled out.
Got there through smaller portions, logging everything religiously and switching lunchtime sandwiches, for soup or salad. I kept my calories to 1700 per day. No real progress on the exercise front yet but I’m starting back at yoga tomorrow and can’t wait.
I’d be surprised if I got a result like this again, but it’s a good incentive to keep going.
drakeygirl says
Well done, alittlebittiniersuns. Sounds like we’ve got a similar plan about lunches.
Harry Tufnell says
I don’t weigh myself at home so I’m not sure of the week result, I saw my nutritionalist last Friday and I’d lost 8 pounds since 14th December, a combination of sticking to my diet, albeit with 4 days off over Christmas, cycling for an hour every day where it wasn’t pouring it down, and not drinking alcohol for a week.
drakeygirl says
That deserves a rosette.
http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a493/drakeygirl1/Chubby%20Checker%207%20Rosette_zpsjyfvxc97.jpg
Martin S says
Blimey some great results recorded above. Just the 3.5lbs for me, which is ok enough but a long way to go to shift the extra lbs gained over the holiday period.
Still with Dry January thus far and have cut back on nasty carbs heavily. I didn’t move around as much as I should have done and so that’s something for me to consider. Well done to all! It’s good to have you back.
drakeygirl says
Don’t knock it: 3.5lbs is a great result. Some of us bigger losers (if you’ll excuse the expression) will have a different outcome next week, I’m sure.
I’m promoting you to Honorary President, by the way, as it was you who got me thinking about starting Chubby Checkers up again.
Martin S says
An honour indeed, and one I will not take lightly (see what I did there!)
Well done on the six, that’s an awful lot of steps/strokes/spins. Puts my stroll across London Bridge to shame.
Black Celebration says
Despite 4 runs of 5ks since last week, my weight remains at a nice consistent level. Not too worried though, I am enjoying the runs and listening to the Afterword podcasts as I puff and pant.
drakeygirl says
That’s a lot of running! Consistency is good. And the podcast thing is my tip about temptation bundling in action, Mr Celebration.
Beezer says
Haven’t weighed myself, but I know I’ve been a good lad.
I also know I have not/could not have lost anything like 6lbs so shall not start pining for a 7 sticker even though I REALLY WANT ONE.
AOB: I’ve had a go at ab crunches this week. I was shown how to do these properly eons ago when I found myself in a gym dressed in sports gear. What an amazing 12 minutes that was.
Anyway, I can just manage 17 proper ones. I have the ability to do more but am rendered helpless by the catacylsmic fart that these 17 always seem to squeeze out of me.
drakeygirl says
Good lad. Do farts weigh anything?
Beezer says
Not sure. But they are quite brusque. I think they knock time back by a second or so.
Hannah says
No idea about weight lost (I don’t weigh myself) but I’ve been eating a lot more sensibly this week. Haven’t got the exercise plan into gear yet. However have realised that I need to buy some more clothes as all my leggings are now weirdly baggy. Really not a good look.
drakeygirl says
You’ve invented a new hipster fashion: beggings! Or laggings, I’m not sure which. Good work with the sensible eating 🙂
Hannah says
Thanks. Laggings sums it up nicely. Sensible eating: more veg and no second helpings. Working on getting my portion sizes right first time instead of going back for more and more…
paulwright says
Weight 105.4kg, 104.6, 105.0. Within five days, so I think we shall say 105kg and know that natural variability is about .4kg. So no cheers until a 103 on the board.
No booze, but that’s usual. Three gym trips so starting to get in the habit.
GLW away for weekend so I was cooking for the kids – or rather heating up excessive calories.
Not optimistic about next two weeks – hotels with restaurants but no gyms …
drakeygirl says
Well, I’m giving you three cheers for the three gym trips…
chiz says
Didn’t weigh myself last week. Actually I don’t really like to measure success on the meter – you know when you’re losing weight, because you feel better, you see it in your face and waist, and also I tend to do a bit of gym work which transfers weight without removing it.
For me it’s got to be a lifestyle thing rather than a diet. It’s about realising what makes you happy and energised, and what makes you feel like a big remorseful blob. The feeling you get from not overeating and over-drinking far exceeds the pleasure you get if you do. So I am running three times a week, which I always dread but then enjoy, I’m limiting alcohol to Fridays and Saturdays, and I’m cutting out all snacks. It’s not like the weight will fall off but it won’t feel like punishment either.
drakeygirl says
Sounds like a reasonable and sustainable plan. Weighing is not mandatory – and doesn’t suit everyone. But perhaps you can tell us when you are forced to take in the waistband of your underpants, Captain.
chiz says
The pants will remain raggedly half-mast, with the regulation 3-inch bumcrack display, as befits an officer of my bearing
badartdog says
I did more than my 60km on the exercise bike, but forgot to weigh myself before I started! Oh well.
drakeygirl says
I’d suggest guesstimating that you lost 3lb as a reasonable estimate if you were in bad habits before? Get on the scales today and then check in again next week, anyway, if you’re keen to go by numbers. In the meantime, have a special cycling badge:
http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a493/drakeygirl1/meerkat_zpsynbocwtc.jpg
Fifer says
OK, I’m in, “It’s deja vu all over again.” I’m just back from a New Year break and so 1) do I need this and 2) I’ll take today as my starting point. All I need now is to try to remember how I did this last time.
drakeygirl says
Climb aboard the bus, Fifer. We’ve got Bowie on the soundsystem, obviously.
Locust says
Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t join – I didn’t gain anything over Christmas, but this weekend I gained 2 kilos by sitting in front of my new computer trying to download, transfer and convert all kinds of programs and files, while nervously scoffing ridiculous amounts of roasted mixed nuts and toast with lots of butter and jam…
I did however lose a couple of extra kilos leading up to Christmas while making my home look OK for guests to be allowed inside. And I always gain weight on my days off, even if I don’t sit still and scoff things down – but my job burns a lot of calories, thankfully.
So I don’t worry about it.
I haven’t joined because I did lose 10 kilos last year and have kept it off. Sure, I could definitely benefit from losing ten more, but I feel good as it is and to lose those I’d have to change my life in ways I’m not willing to do. I don’t mind being a bit overweight, as long as I feel healthy.
And at the weight I am these days, I do.
But I wish you all the best of luck reaching your goals!
The Good Doctor says
I’ve been Chubby Checking for about 18 months now – I wasn’t bothered about my weight but a lifestyle change was required after a health check revealed high blood pressure and various high risk factors for all sorts of ‘orrible things – but what the Nurse spelled out very clearly that these are reversible – that’s all the encouragement I needed (and sure enough she was right)
So I’ve lost weight, albeit at a glacial pace but I think that’s better for me than trying a crash diet or intense regime – I’ve gone from a 40″ waist to 36″ and lost around 3 stone and still gradually going in the right direction.
At a very basic level I’m avoiding fatty foods, chocolate, sugary drinks, crisps, biscuits, cheese, junk food etc. I hate exercise/sports but I’ve got an exercise bike and I’ve stuck to doing 30 mins on that every night or going for a brisk walk. Podcasts and the BBC RadioPlayer app are invaluable for making that less tedious.
If it helps, here are my Top Tips. These might not work for everyone but for someone who has never really tried to lose weight before – these work for me – they’re not from a diet book they’re just what I’ve learned along the way.
1. If you’re working or going out for the day- take your own food with you and avoid pre-packed sandwiches/meal deals etc and the dreaded office cakes/donuts/biscuits (my office is like a NYPD police stake-out at the best of times)
2. Avoid late night snacks – that was a key part of my downfall and I think that’s one of the things that’s made the most difference.
3. Make bread a treat – I usually have some with my main meal – but get a couple of fresh rolls or a small baguette rather than getting a whole loaf sitting there to be eaten.
4. There are loads of lower fat/lower calorie snacks available now – I like those Nak’d Bars, Marmite rice cakes, popcorn, good old Jaffa cakes – they do the job that used to be filled by a Kit Kat or a bag of McCoys.
5. Warburtons Thins are great for making a sandwich, a winning combination of lower calorie/fat and really delicious.
6. Decide on your treats – You can have some cake, some chocolate, some beer or wine but not both!
7. Eat slowly and enjoy your food.
8. Try a calorie counting app like MyFitnessPal – at least for the first few weeks just to get an idea of what you’re eating – it’s a bit tedious but after a while you get a feel for what you can get away with and you can work it out in your head.
9. Don’t starve yourself or make yourself miserable- you won’t lose weight. Just cut down gradually, take your time and if you’re in it for the long haul you’ll find ways to cut down that work for you.
10. Don’t make your food bland and boring, a bit of Reggae Reggae Sauce works wonders!.
Locust says
Re: “Avoid late night snacks” – that’s how I lost those 10 kilos, by just redestributing the food I was eating to different times of the day.
I get home very late from work and I used to be very hungry and have a big late night snack – if you can call several sandwiches a “snack”.
Then I started to eat those sandwiches together with my (home-cooked and healthy, but the same kind of food as before and the same size portion as before) dinner at work instead, so I wouldn’t be hungry when I got home; just having a small glass of yoghurt to go with my diabetes medicine.
So, same food, same amount, just eaten earlier in the day.
Minus ten , just like that!
drakeygirl says
That’s a really good list, Dr V. And if there was one thing the Chubby Checkers was missing it was a list. We are on the Afterword, after all.
Locust – late night ‘snacking’ was my downfall, too, and something I was just doing out of habit, more than hunger. Thanks for your advice – and inspiration. Just did the conversion thing, and 10 kilos is 22lbs – that’s a great achievement.
chiz says
Ooh, good list. Pre-packed sandwiches are pure evil. It’s incredible they can get so much bad stuff into something as simple as a tuna and sweetcorn sarnie. Tesco’s salad bowls are a scientific marvel too. How can a bunch of leaves and vegetable off-cuts have 600 calories in it? (Also, in the tiniest font size visible to the human eye, they tell you that the salt, sugar and calorie information refers to only half the bowl, like you were planning to put the other half aside for tomorrow.)
Staying away from bread in general is a top tip – I will have to check out these Warburton Thins of which you speak.
niallb says
3.5lbs lost, so happy with that. My wife is doing Weightwatchers online so, in the evenings, I’m just eating the same as she does. When I lost the 2 stone last year, I stopped eating lunch – decent breakfast, but I expend so little energy during the day that I found I didn’t need ‘refuelling’. I’m using the MyFitnessPal app to log all of my calories, which is an app that I find clean and simple and easy to use.
The big change this weekend was no alcohol. Because of my 5am starts, during the week, we only drink on Friday and Saturday, when I’m working. Lately, though, I have been able to work from home on Thursday & Friday, and started to use that as an excuse for a bottle of wine on Thursday nights. That needs to stop. So, we both decided to not drink last weekend – in fact we’ll keep that going until Saturday lunchtime (nice weekend away in Bournemouth, with a lunch at Rick Stein’s new place, in Sandbanks.)
I found the ‘not drinking’ harder than the ‘not eating’. No surprise, I suppose. Anyway, I know how this works, so I’ll see a slow down this week, and next, etc. TBH, 1lb a week will do me. There are 40 weeks until we fly to the States for my Big Birthday, and I want to lose 25lbs by then. I find it so much easier in the summer, anyway, so, this should be a piece of cake, eh?
Battenburg?
drakeygirl says
Good start, niall. And I like the long-term thinking.
On The Fence says
I haven´t weighed myself but after a week of walking, going up and down stairs, some light sit-ups and a reduced diet, plus cutting my alcohol intake in half….I´m feeling lighter.
drakeygirl says
Just making a few small changes really makes a difference to how you feel, doesn’t it?
Lodestone of Wrongness says
I have just published my latest book – “Losing Weight – Eezy Peezy”. Cos you are my brothers & sisters I’ll let you have a sneak preview
Between Easter and New Year’s Day – eat whatever you want (that second pack of Walkers Cheese & Onion is actually all part of the plan); drink whatever you want (that second bottle of wine and that third bottle of beer – no sweat); exercise – none of that discipline stuff, if you have a hangover or there’s a cloud over there that looks distinctly menacing then butter up some more toast and snuggle back in, there’s always tomorrow).
Nine months later, it’s January 1st. Strictly no alcohol and no carbs. Run religiously three times a week and jog up those stairs instead of walking.
It’s a miracle – guaranteed 10lbs loss in two weeks. I did it, so can you!!
Really enjoying great sleeps and no fuzzy head in the morning. This morning’s run through the vineyards with snow on the distant Pyrenees and the mists rising through shafts of golden sunlight was simply magical.
Only downside – I have to admit these two weeks seem to have lasted at least a month. Man, I want some potatoes and just one, just one, glass of wine. But I am stronger than that (I am, amn’t I?)