Okay! Soooo last May after a lifetime of neglecting my weight I decided I was going to do something about it. I've always been a big guy but last year I was really starting to feel the weight I was carrying to the point where I'd be tired climbing a flight of stairs or walking anywhere. I decided I would join the gym and try and get fitter. At my first gym weigh in last May I weighed a whopping 27 stone 7lbs! A figure that brought it home to me how much I had neglected my health over the years and also a figure that spurred me on every day.
Since then I've been going to the gym 6 days a week without fail and completely turned my diet around, cutting out alcohol, takeaways, bread, fizzy juice etc. substituting it for veg, chicken and a whole load of healthy alternatives - basically breaking the habit of a lifetime. I also got an up24 wristband that counts my steps in a day which has got me walking everywhere when I'd have taken public transport before.
Once the weight started to come off consistently I set myself a goal of getting down to 15 stone by May 2015 (a year since I started my healthy living) It has been a very tough but rewarding year of my life and I'm absolutely delighted to report I have hit that target a month ahead of schedule! I have lost 12 and a half stone in 11 months and feel like a brand new person. I'm healthier, fitter, stronger, oh and I'm no longer at the mercy of Jacamo when it comes to buying clothes! (Many will know this plight)
I've not really had much time to stop and really think about size of my weight-loss until now and it's really hard to wrap my head round, especially when I don't recognise the guy in pictures from just 11 months ago and beyond. I've transformed into a much more confident and assertive person.
The thing that I'm probably most proud of is that I've been able to lose the amount that I have with my own self discipline. I've not used any slimming classes and haven't had any personal trainers breathing down my neck. I've pushed myself at the gym and I've kept myself honest with what I've been eating. Not that I'm knocking these other methods, they just aren't for me.
But I can't take ALL the credit for my success. A massive assist goes to my amazing fiancée Louise who has helped me every step of the way. Even joining the gym last May to help encourage me get fitter, managing to get to her target weight in the process. If she wasn't at the gym with me she was at home after work making my healthy dinners and for that I can't thank her enough. If you want to know what the love of a good woman does for you just look at my before and after picture!
Heard a quote the other day that made a lot of sense to me after changing my lifestyle "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" I couldn't have put it better myself! Not that I'm skinny now but I am in a much better place.
Who knows, I may go beyond my target weight in the coming weeks and months if I feel I want or need to lose any more but for now I'm just going to kick back, give myself a wee pat on the back and maybe have a sandwich!
Thanks for reading.
Craig
*Don't have a proper full sized before and after photo yet but here is a quick one I've made up.
BMI achieved 
37 Year old guy , 18 stone and it keeps going up
Why won't my weight budge?
New Year, fresh start... again!
