My Story

Huggles

Well, where do I start.

As a kid I was always overweight, by a couple of stone at least. When I got to secondary school I started to play a lot of basketball and remained fit enough, unfortunately though my diet was appalling and I very very gradually gained more weight. I had the usual Irish family dinners followed by trips to the shop for evening munchies.

The wonderful world of college followed, drink, takeaways, more drinks, getting cosy in relationships, eating, eating eating, no time for exercise. More like not MAKING time for exercise. Anyway my weight ballooned and in and around 2001 I decided enough was enough and I lost 4 stone by starving myself and exercising. I felt great, thought it was the best thing ever. I went to America for my J1 and promptly gained it all (and some more) back again.

After college I went straight into a desk job, started skipping breakfast in favour of "grabbing something later when I am hungry", invariably that something later was usually a sausage roll or a pastry of some sort and my diet staple of a can of coke. Lunches became some sort of white baguette filled with something deep fried and again some more coke. I'd usually have something sweet in the afternoon with coke too, a bar of chocolate of some sort. Dinner time was usually whatever the family were having, homemade chips with something. Most of the time though I would be in later due to work and I would order pizza or chinese, followed by more coke and sweets in the evening.

I had countless moments of coping on and breaking my ass in the gym and trying hard to succeed and eventually, getting bored, giving up and failing (ask G'em!)

I was the poster child for morbid obesity.

In April of this year I managed to throw my back out on Easter saturday morning. I was crippled all weekend only getting to the doctors on the following Tuesday. Needless to say once he sorted the back out we got down to the nitty gritty about my general health, I'd been catching chest infections, colds, eye infections, ear infections, you name it I had it. he threw me up on the scales and I was horrified but not really that surprised to see I was 18 stones 7lbs. He referred me to see an Endocrinologist in Beaumont due to my immune system being sluggish and also diabetes in the family.

I went to see the Endocrinologist a few days later and he organised blood and heart tests.

From that moment on, something in my head clicked. I started to walk into work (3miles) in the mornings and home again in the evenings. I had a complete diet overhaul, I started to eat breakfast at 8.30am, sitting at my desk, shredded wheat with low fat milk and an apple. Lunch is usually something like, tuna and salad, chicken and salad, tomato soup and brown bread or a chicken and salad wrap if I am forced to eat out. Dinner is usually chicken fillet/some form of lean meat with large salad of lettuce leaves, peppers, cucumber, tomatoes and some onions. Occasionally I will have a baked potato too or on busy days were I get in a bit later, I will have an egg meal, usually scrambled eggs on toast or an omelette. Would also drink between 2.5 - 4 litres of water a day. I snack on fruit and nuts.

I was back to see doctor at end of July and unfortunately I was diagnosed as having Type II Diabetes. Fortunately though, my heart is in very good condition and no problems there.

The doctor weighed me and I weighed in at 15 stone 8lbs. He was hugely impressed with my lifestyle change and hopeful that I can carry on and get to my correct weight and we can treat the Diabetes in that way rather than going the medication route. Due to have all bloods redone in October to check for any significant changes in cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

As of today I weigh 15stone 5lbs and am cycling an average of 100km a week and walking an average of 30km a week.

So, I wanted to start this log as a way of showing other people who are where I was that with changes in lifestyle and hard graft YOU CAN do this. Don't go near Lipotrim, Alli, Celebrity Slim etc just get up, stop eating and move.

This is just the beginning for me I hope that by reading my story I can inspire at least one person to change their lives too.

Huggles

Huggles

I had my first diabetic appointment in the Bons today and with diet and exercise I have managed to get blood sugars down from 10 to 4.9, doctor was delighted with me! Really looking forward to seeing if I can do the same with cholesterol levels in October. Cholesterol as of April was 9! Eeeeek!

The dietician was brilliant and she said my diet is pretty much spot on, which is excellent. I am very happy with that (thank you G'em and stickys!)

Weight wise I have stalled on 15 stone 8lbs, the fat is still dropping off me though, the belt moved over another notch today As regards the stall the dietician reckoned I may have gained a bit of muscle from the cycling and recommended that I mix it up with running, walking throughout the week. I can keep my 60km cycles for the weekend though.

It is all good news so just gotta keep thw head down and keep going.

Parsley

You shouldn't be afraid of putting on muscle. As long as you're losing fat, that's what matters, not the number on the weighing scales. Building muscle by doing weights will actually help you lose fat, through burning calories as well as increasing the rate at which your body burns calories at rest. Great work though, keep it up.

Huggles

Hey Parsley,

Thanks for that, I know all about the muscle, no fear here!

The numbers are really only for the Doctors to mull over and track things, I am very happy so far though!

Parsley wrote: »

You shouldn't be afraid of putting on muscle. As long as you're losing fat, that's what matters, not the number on the weighing scales. Building muscle by doing weights will actually help you lose fat, through burning calories as well as increasing the rate at which your body burns calories at rest. Great work though, keep it up.

Parsley

Huggles wrote: »

Hey Parsley,

Thanks for that, I know all about the muscle, no fear here!

The numbers are really only for the Doctors to mull over and track things, I am very happy so far though!

You should be happy, you're doing great! Just keep it up.

TommyKnocker

Hi There

Congratulations on your lifestyle changes and the excellent results.

It might be an idea to see if your doctor can measure your bodyfat % with calliphers and if so, then monitor your bodyfat % along with your weight.

Your body compositon is much beter an indication of your health then the number on a weighing scales.

Good luck for the future.


Best Regards,

M

Huggles

Thanks BB

I might mention it to him next time I see him. Most of the fat I am carrying is in the stomach, most if not all the other spots are well trimmed in now. I know its the last place to go so I am not worried, changes have been monumental thus far so going on that basis good things still to come.

B-Builder wrote: »

Hi There

Congratulations on your lifestyle changes and the excellent results.

It might be an idea to see if your doctor can measure your bodyfat % with calliphers and if so, then monitor your bodyfat % along with your weight.

Your body compositon is much beter an indication of your health then the number on a weighing scales.

Good luck for the future.


Best Regards,

M

Huggles

Ugh, think I need a physio.

I went for 60km cycle on Saturday, all good, a bit sore in the hips on Sunday morning but no big deal. I decided to dig the garden on Sunday and yesterday I woke up with a mangled hamstring. I walked home on it last night and into work this morning and it doesn't feel like it is getting better. I am going to try and see If I can tough it out.

Blood was 4.6 this morning, yay. Due to go on a working lunch today so it should be interesting. it will be the first time I have to put my diabetic education into practice in a restaurant environment. Shouldn't be too hard.

Huggles

The leg is feeling a lot better today, kept moving on it, walking/running to work and back during the week. Seems to have loosened up a good bit. Should be grand for the trip to Enniskerry on the bike on Sunday.

I weight in at 15 stone 4lbs this morning which is cool because I have set 15 stone as the target for the end of August. On track. Yay.

Diet wise things are pretty much spot on, the fasting sugars (morning) are between 4.5 and 6 and the after main meal sugars are between 5.8 and 6.5. I seem to be managing that pretty well so that is a relief.

The working lunch the other day was a success, I ordered a chicken salad and no dessert. My colleagues gorged themselves with burgers and apple pie and were asleep by 3pm haha.

Feeling good.

Huggles

Morning All,

15stone 1lb this morning....1lb away from end of August target

Things are still trucking along fine. Been pretty tough getting to grips with the diabetic diet, purely because of the amount of hidden sugars in things that are supposedly fine. If I have learned anything at all in the past two weeks it is how to read a label correctly!

Fitness wise i have been sticking to my morning and evening walks with a slight rest late last week that spilled into the weekend. Was busy on Saturday and on Sunday I had some work to do. I guess Ikea furniture assembly and sitting room demolition can be considered exercise

Back up on the bike today after a spill a couple of weeks ago that knocked me for six. I thought the cycling fitness would have depleted considerably over the two weeks but thankfully it hasn't, didn't even lose my breath. Will have to take the long way round tonight, the commute is only 2.5k and I really don't feel like I get a proper work out. Funny how collapsing in a sweaty heap can become so addictive!

So according to my weighBot app on iPhone my numbers are as follows

Lost: 3stone 10lbs
Remaining: 2stone 8lbs (though I might actually push hard and aim for 12stone dead)

Proud.

Killme00

Congrats, keep up the great work

TommyKnocker

Hi Huggles

Excellent results. Keep up the good work.


Best Regards,

M

Huggles

Thanks folks

Huggles

Morning,

I decided today I would start trying to learn how to run with a view of trying to participate in a triathlon this time next year. Running has always been my achilles heel, cycling and swimming are fine but running argh! My everest.

So I set out on my usual walk to work this morning, tied my back pack onto my back extra tight and headed off. The pace was much quicker than I normally walk and was sweating after about 5 minutes. I started to run and my breathing was promptly all over the place and I only lasted about a minute before I had to stop and go back to the fast walk, once breathing was back to decent level (after about 30 seconds) I did it again and repeated till I got to the office. A more sweaty mess than normal!

Will see how I get on this evening, I might go to the park for a couple of hours and see how I can progress.

Seriously, how the hell do you run continuously ....anyone?

Killme00

The couch to 5km works well imo

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Huggles

Thanks Killme00, pretty much what I was doing this morning, but more structured.

Killme00 wrote: »

The couch to 5km works well imo

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

TommyKnocker

Hi Huggles

Well done on the run/walk to work. However I am going to recommend taking it slowly. If you are giving yourself a year to get ready for a Tri (very sensible) then you do not need to rush things.

Don't be surprised if tomorrow you have some Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) in your legs having run/walked to work.

Maybe a good idea for starters would be to start off run/walking to work 3 days a week (Mon, Wed &Fri and keep increasing the length of the runs until you are running continuously without walking breaks. Then once you get to this level add in more days slowly and try to increase the length of some runs. Maybe by taking a longer route to work etc


Best Regards,

Michael

Huggles

Hey Michael,

The walk to work is certainly by no means new, I have been doing the walk to and from work for about 3 months now. The only new bit is the bursts of jogging lol

The longer route is a bit tricky as it is a straight 2.5k line from my house to the office. I could take the long way round I guess...

B-Builder wrote: »

Hi Huggles

Well done on the run/walk to work. However I am going to recommend taking it slowly. If you are giving yourself a year to get ready for a Tri (very sensible) then you do not need to rush things.

Don't be surprised if tomorrow you have some Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) in your legs having run/walked to work.

Maybe a good idea for starters would be to start off run/walking to work 3 days a week (Mon, Wed &Fri and keep increasing the length of the runs until you are running continuously without walking breaks. Then once you get to this level add in more days slowly abd try to increase the length of some runs. Maybe by taking a longer route to work etc


Best Regards,

Michael

TommyKnocker

Hi Huggles

Another idea for adding distance to your runs when you are running continuously would be maybe leave the house a few minutes earlier and when you get to your place of work, run past it for say 3 minutes, then turn around and run the 3 minutes back. You have just added a further 6 minutes to you run. Building up this way may be better if there is a big difference in distance between the 2.5k route you are currently doing and the "long way round".

Also instead of running into work, you could run home. When you get home, just throw your backpack inside your hall door and go back out and run for a little longer, ading a little more each time you feel ready.

The main point I am making is not to get carried away at the start and do too much to soon (been there and done that myself, and I understand how hard it is to control the enthusiasm ). When I started off running, the perceived wisdom was not to add more then 10% to your runs at any given time.

I have read that the force that goes through your body when running can be up to three times your body weight, which would mean that your ankels, knees, hips & lower abck will be taking a pounding. Therefore you should make small increments, so that your joints can get used to the extra force and you can hopefully run injury free

From your post this morning I understood that you had only started to run this morning and you mentioned that you were thinking of going to the park tonight for more running. That's why I was advising that you might take it slowly. Of course if you are used to running in the gym etc and this is your first time running outside or running into work, then please ignore what I have said.

Above all listen to your body. This fitness lark should be a marathon not a sprint, so there is really no requirement to push yourself too hard at the beginning.


Best Regards & Enjoy your runs,

Michael

Huggles

Morning all,

15stone 0lbs today! Phew that 1lb was a stubborn bitch!

Exercise could have been more intense I guess but work has been incredibly busy and I have been quite tired in the evenings to even think about getting on the bike. That goes for the weekends too - been using Saturday and Sunday as chill out days but before when I was walking 12times a week by 50mins the weight came off faster. I think I will do that this month combined with kettlebells and see how I get on.

On the other side the fat continues to drop off - I didn't need a belt before this and now I am 4 notches in to my current belt!

I am back to see the diabetic nurse and dietician on the 21st so setting a target of 14stone 7lbs by then.

Huggles

Morning all,

Finally getting a chance to update this. Its been a hellish few weeks work wise plus I have been going through a bit of an annoying plateau period which completely wrecked my head.

I think I have managed to break through the plateau now. I upped the intensity of my walks, I now run a bit as well as using a weighted vest a few times a week. Still doing kettlebells but not as often as I would like. Diet is still pretty much spot on despite a couple of blips where the plateau got on my nerves. Mind over matter though and no more blips.

Currently weigh 14stone 8lbs, down 6lbs since my last update.

I have latest blood tests tomorrow, will be interesting to see what changes have occurred in 6months. My cholesterol was 9 and sugar was 10 in April. Fingers crossed I have made significant changes to those numbers. Wish me luck!