Category: medical

Looking back at 2015

I’ve started to write this on December 30th, sitting on a train in Lincolnshire at 7:30am, on my way to work. It’s still completely dark outside, and half the country is still on holiday. I feel slightly jarred, like the alarm clock went off, but no one else has had to get up.

Feeling disjointed is somewhat appropriate – it aids my reflections on the last 12 months.

Six kilos in six weeks: the final push.

Not well. For some reason, emotionally, I just had a terrible weekend. I decided that a strict diet was not going to improve my mood, so I took off the brakes. I’d like to note that on both days I was still careful with my breakfast calories, avoiding having too big a meal at night, and generally still applied a modicum of self control.

I still, pretty impressively, managed miss my deficit target by 2540kcal in two days. In context? I was aiming to eat just 2400kcal, and I was 2540kcal over that target. More than doubling it. I’m really good at this eating thing, eh?

Six kilos in six weeks: 28 days down

We just spent a week at Center Parcs. Usually, a trip to CP involves us doing a shopping trip where doughnuts, cookies and chocolate feature pretty heavily. I was a bit concerned about this, but actually, the week proved pretty great.

We ate tons of cabbage, broccoli and about a pint of coffee every day, but I managed to stay away from the biscuits!

Overall, based on a basal metabolic requirement of 2400 kcal per day, I’ve averaged a daily deficit of 865kcal, leaving me just over 6000 kcal down for the week…

Six kilos in six weeks: 1 week in

The first question in any diet is: have I fallen off the wagon yet? I’m happy to say no. I have overshot, on one day by 250kcal… …but I’ve also been under it by 137kcal on one day too.

In the last week, based on a basal metabolic requirement of 2400 kcal per day, I’ve averaged a daily deficit of 996kcal, leaving me just a smidge under 7000kcal down for the week…

 

Six kilos in six weeks: finishing what I started.

I’ve been taking a more proactive approach to my health over the last two years. Amongst over achievements, I have:

  • Lost around 16kg (Around 2 stone, 8 lb) – 18% of my entire weight.
  • Dropped my BMI from 28 (Nearly obese) to 23 (Middle of normal).
  • Started running – and competing in a weekly 5K at runwithkick.com.
  • Taken part in my first Triathlon.

Triathlon Chris

Over the past year and a half, I have become steadily more excited about being healthy. Lots of people seems to think that being vegetarian means that you are automatically more healthy: they forget that vegetarians are allowed to consume their body weight in cheese every day.

Since August 2013, I have lost around 18% of my body weight (about 16kg) and have become steadily more enamoured with cycling.