Losing the Flab - My Top 5 Tips

In 2012 I was tipping the scales at just under 20 stone. 

Me in 2012

Throughout my teenage years I always was a bit bigger, always the child that would need their wedding clothes altered to fit. I spent most of my days wearing baggy jeans and loose jumpers to hide my flab, spending most of my evenings sat inside on the internet or watching TV - the idea of exercise was a foreign concept to me. I was under the illusion that one day the weight would just drop off, perhaps it was all just puppy fat. Deep down I knew that this would never happen. I was just tricking myself into thinking it would so that I could carry on with my lazy lifestyle in peace. 

My biggest problem was with food. A lot of people say that they turn to food to mask their emotions and deal with their problems. That wasn't the case for me, I just simply loved eating. I would always want the biggest meals, the most potatoes, more layers of cheese - everything was about quantity and my next meal was always in the back of my mind, no matter how full I was. For a long time I would secret eat, mostly late at night when there was nobody around. I would take myself downstairs and make myself up a midnight snack. This usually consisted of a sandwich, a couple of packets of crisps, a chocolate bar, a bowl of cereal with added sugar, ice cream, biscuits, sponge cake - pretty much anything that I could find in the cupboard that even slightly interested me. I would eat it in one sitting, hiding the evidence at the bottom of the bin. I got bigger and bigger, always in denial and under the illusion that it was fine because I would lose the weigh one day. Thinking back, I'd classify it as an addiction. I just couldn't stop.

The turning point started with my mum. She took me to the gym one day and signed us both up. I hadn't stepped on a scale in years, mainly because I was worried about the number that would come up. We decided to weigh ourselves and that would be our starting point. I hadn't even got on the scales and I was already embarrassed. I got on the scales and the ticket printed out of the side. I knew the number would be big and I had accepted in my head that I would probably be around 16 stone.

I was wrong. 19 stone 13 pounds. Looking at that ticket was probably one of the worst moments of my life, it made everything feel real and I could no longer deny that I had a problem to overcome.

But I overcame it.

After my first half marathon last month

I am now 11 stone 12 pounds and have been pretty much the same for the past couple of years. It took me a year to lose the weight and, although it was hard work, it was the best year of my life. Lots of people ask me how I did it, how I managed to do it so quick and how I managed to keep the flab off. Losing weight is different for everyone so it is hard to say that what I did will work for everyone. There are numerous websites that explain the biology of losing weight, but ignore the psychological problems that come with it. So, as someone who has been through the process, I thought I would share my top 5 tips for how I lost weight. I don't want to talk too much about calories and the right amount of exercise to do because there are numerous other sources for this. My tips are for the problems that people don't talk about so much...

1. Don't be afraid of the first weigh in.

Stepping on the scales for the first time is a scary moment, but one that needs to happen for you to even begin the journey. It was the turning point for me, and without the shock of that number I don't think I would be where I am today. Try not to think of it as a bad thing, look at it as the starting point. You will never be bigger than that number ever again. If you can firmly tell yourself this and believe it, then you are already half way there.

2. Control the food urges, but don't starve.

As a foodie, this was one of my biggest challenges. I worked in a coffee shop so there was never a lack of cake to get my teeth in to. But just tell yourself, NO! The feeling of guilt after eating something bad is always a lot stronger than the pleasure of eating it in the first place. Think about this guilt and try to imagine yourself in bed that night, having not eaten the bit of cake you were offered. It feels good. When you go shopping, don't buy the packet of biscuits that you tell yourself will be eaten throughout the week in moderation. It rarely happens like this. Try and avoid bringing bad foods into your house at all, then the temptation isn't there. Fill your cupboards with vegetables - sugarsnap peas, peppers, carrots, cucumber, lettuce. Graze on this. Cookery books and websites always go on about how much fun you can have with eating healthy, but the reality isn't that ideal. Truthfully, it is boring and it won't give you the same satisfaction as a cream tart, but stick with it and when you start to notice the change in your body you'll be more satisfied than any sugary snack could ever make you.

3. Find a friend for motivation.

This is particularly prominent in terms of exercise. Whether you go to the gym or are doing your own exercise, having someone there to do it with you has so many advantages that it is so helpful in the long run. Firstly, arrange your exercise schedule beforehand. I made a gym partner out of my best friend, Jenna. Actually finding the motivation to go to the gym is the hardest part, once you are in there it is easy. I would arrange to pick Jenna up to combat this. If I decided not to go, then I would be letting her down. This was a big driver in terms of me actually getting off my arse and going, and more importantly, if I was having a down day and wanted to leave early, there was no option for this because I would have to wait around. If you're waiting around in the gym you might as well exercise. Secondly, think of it as a competition. There's nothing more motivating than trying to beat a friend. If she was still running on that treadmill, there was no way that I was stopping before her. Finally, even if you're not the competitive type, it is just generally helpful to have someone to talk to when you're in the gym. When you're sweating from places you never knew you could sweat from, looking like you've just been dragged through a hedge backwards and sprayed with a water cannon at the other side, chances are your friend is too so it is far less embarrassing.

4. Do what suits you.

There are hundreds of diets out there that you can pay to follow. If meeting a group every week and following a strict diet plan is more helpful for you, then that's fine. But I found it much more satisfying doing it on my own and with my own judgement. We all know what is healthy and what isn't. Eating an apple is a much better option than eating a piece of cake and that is just common sense, you don't need someone telling you that. I went through lots of different eating phases during the year but I wouldn't call any of them 'diets' as such. For a while I cut out carbohydrates completely, which I found made me lose weight very quickly at first but then I struggled for a few weeks after, so I changed it up again. Don't be afraid of trying different things. Like I said, you know what is not good for you, so ideally cut this out completely, but everything else you can experiment with to find what suits you. By not following a diet you will feel far less restricted.

5. Track your progress.

Take photos, keep scale readings, write down measurements, even write about it on Facebook - let your friends know how you're doing. Okay, you get those that moan about you showing off the fact you can lose weight, but if you've worked hard for it then you have every right. Don't throw away your old clothes, it is always nice to get back into them and see what you were once wearing. I'm a size 32 waist but I have a few pairs of size 44 waist I would wear when I was at my biggest. If I ever felt down about the whole experience or staring at the chocolate cake in the fridge, I'd get out the jeans and look at my progress. It helps so much to see it visually because it makes it all seem worth it.

The biggest tip of all is just to work damn hard. It really isn't easy but once you've gotten through the first couple of weeks it becomes natural to watch what you eat and make sure you are exercising. Getting over the first hurdle is the hardest part but it really is about perseverance and self belief that you can do it. Visualise yourself at your ideal weight, visualise your friends complimenting you on how well you have done and visualise all of the bragging posts that you are more than entitled to put up on social media, showing off your new self. It really does help you get through the tough moments to think about the future.

Losing weight was the best experience of my life and sometimes I think about getting big again just so I can redo the experience, once you get into the swing of things it really is that much fun.

I hope this post is helpful in some way!

Breaking up with My Degree

I've never been one for commitment. I like to leave my options open and know that there is always something else I can do without having to worry about the consequences. Even something like a phone contract, where I'm tied down for 2 years to a product that I might not want after a few months. It upsets me. It's not that I'm not a loyal person. In my personal life I'm as loyal as you can get. I've been employed since turning a teenager, and in those 8 years I've only changed jobs once, and that was because of starting university. There's definitely a difference between commitment and loyalty, and commitment is what I struggle with.

I don't know if this trait is necessarily bad - it's sometimes nice to know that I can drop whatever I'm doing if something better comes along. However, it is a problem that was particularly prominent when I was choosing my degree. I thought hard about what I wanted to do - long gone were the days where I could choose an array of subjects to cater to all of the things that I enjoyed. I had to settle for one thing. I didn't mind the studying aspect, and was more than excited for having the 'student experience', it was more a case of being scared about deciding my whole life path without having really started life yet. I didn't know what I wanted, so I left my options open and decided upon English. I love writing, reading and the media, and was particularly sold on the fact that English left my options very broad in terms of where I could go after finishing the course.

Well, English, I think it's time we broke up.

It's a strange feeling when you don't enjoy your degree. One half of me doesn't want the course to finish. I love being independent, living amongst so many great friends and obviously the general student life of 8 hour Netflix binging. But then there's the other half that can't wait to finish this final year so that I can start something new. I work hard to get what I want out of life, but it is difficult to put my all into assignments when I'm not passionate about what I am getting out of them.

I started my degree with the idea that I would become a journalist, something I have slowly fallen out of love with. It's a hard industry to get in to, and I don't think I want it enough to actually go through that fight.

Through my experience at my work placement, my job and just the general things that make me tick, I've decided what I want to do with my life. I know what I need to do to get there and the first part of that journey is finishing this degree with the best possible grade that I can.

So I am going to work hard. I'm going to  push away all of my doubts and reservations about carrying on with my course. I'm going to do the best I can. Where my degree has taught me what I don't want to do with life, it's also taught me the importance of making the most of things. Nothing is a waste of time if you make the most of the experience. If I could turn back time to choose another subject, would I? Probably. But had I not made that mistake, would I be in the position I'm in now - confident and excited about what the future holds? Probably not.

So I'm starting this blog back up so that rather than feeling down because I have to write about things I don't particularly enjoy, I can carry on writing about what I do enjoy. My love for writing will never change, even though it isn't what I want to do any more, but I hope that I can carry on with that passion rather than abandoning it when I finish my degree. I want to write about the things I enjoy - Music, TV, Films, Books, Media, Fitness, Food and Life. You will find all of that on here.

And don't worry, not everything I post will be this depressing.

Lewis T