Day 56 : "After."

That's it.  I've done it!

This morning, I paid my 56th visit to the gym in as many days.  I can now proudly say I have been to the gym every single day for 8 weeks.

I've eaten extremely healthily for 8 weeks solid.  Okay, so there was the Hallowe'en of the 8 jelly sweets, the Saturday afternoon of too many nuts, the quiz night chicken coujons, and last Sunday's evening of ginger nut gobbling - but in the context of the last 8 weeks, these were surrounded by weeks on end of fish, salad and fruit.

And I've not touched a drop of alcohol for 8 weeks.  An adulthood best ever for me by far.

And I've made my final weigh-in.  And after 'all or nothing week', I've managed to lose another 3lb, and shave off more body fat in one single week than I have since week 2 (when I still had a lot to lose!)

So now, I can reveal the final results...

Before                                  After

16st 7Ib           Weight         13st 8lb

32.8%           Body Fat        22.8%

33.9%        Muscle Mass     38.1%

Not bad for 8 weeks, eh?

I have to say that, obviously, when I wrote that first blog entry some 60 days ago, whilst still stuffing my face and being sedentary, I really had no idea how this would all turn out.  I hoped I might make a bit of a difference to my weight.  I hoped the embarrassment of posting a before photo would spur me on into making sure there was some sort of notable difference in the after photo.  I hoped that making my commitment public would keep me on track to some degree.  But I really didn't expect the results I've had.  It's made me realise that, if you really put your mind to something, you can achieve anything.

And - sorry, but this is the schmaltzy bit - I really couldn't have done this without the support of those of you reading this, and sending me your messages of encouragement.  But it's true.  I would have fallen off my challenge at times, especially in the earlier weeks, had it not been for knowing that I would be letting myself down in front of lots of people.  I've been gobsmacked to see (from the stats tool on here) that between 35 and 65 people have been reading my blog every day.  I know who some of you are as you've posted comments on Facebook - but thank you to everybody who has followed me on my challenge or posted messages of encouragement (in particular Clare, Alexandra, Victoria and Jacky who I've felt have really been there with me throughout the 8 weeks!), and to my wife and sons who have put up with me disappearing off to the gym every day, and making the house smell of fish.


Different techniques work for different people.  But if you are planning on going on a new year diet, I would encourage you to put it out there.  Tell your friends what you're planning to do, and tell your family.  It's worked for me.  And the "all-or-nothing" approach may, again, not work for everybody... but for me it's been life changing.  After years of falling off healthy eating kicks and exercise regimes, the results I've managed to prove to myself are possible in a short space of time have encouraged me to continue.  I now think if I can do this in 8 weeks, what could I do in 8 months?  I genuinely believe I have changed my lifestyle for good... I hope...

I've been thinking about what I may do tomorrow.  Take an evening off from the gym and lay in bed instead?  Have a curry, or a Chinese?  Nope.  I think I fancy an apple and banana for breakfast, and then some mackerel salad.  With, of course, my Monday night chest workout.

Although I am heading off now for a big Christmas Dinner!

It's been a blast.  Thanks again to you all.  I'm just going to leave you with my week-by-week results and 'evolution of modern man' photos!


Week          0             1             2              3              4            5             6              7           8

Body Fat  32.8%      29.4%      27.4%       26.7%      25.6%    25.5%      24.3%     24.5%    22.8%

Muscle     33.9%      35.2%      35.8%       36.2%      36.6%    36.7%      37.4%     37.2%    38.1%

Weight     16st 7lb   15st 7lb   14st 11lb   14st 9lb    14st 6lb  14st 3lb   13st 13lb  13st 11lb  13st 8lb

THE END

Day 55 : "Injury on the Final Strait"

What a strange feeling.  This is the last evening in which I'll be sitting down to write my blog.  I'm not going to know what to do with myself in the evenings next week. (I sincerely hope I won't be substituting blog with pie.)

I'm actually struggling a bit with typing right now.  No, not because I'm crying.  Rather because, on the penultimate day of my challenge, I've only gone and managed to have my first fish-related accident.  I was opening a tin of tuna to make my dinner tonight, when I sliced the tip of my left forefinger on the lid. There was lots of blood, and now I have a plaster on my finger.  Its making me a clumsy typist.  I knew all that fish wouldn't be good for me.


Today I did a really heavy legs workout at the gym, after spending a couple of hours putting up the outside Christmas tree and outside lights.  I now ache so bad that I'm getting up out of chairs like I've pooped myself.  Talking of which - that's now been 6 days.  The longest yet, and a little worrying, although I do feel fine.  (Apart from the aching legs, of course.)

I also spent an hour or so visiting my friends Clare & Martin this afternoon.  They were drinking cider whilst I drank coffee.  And I barely even noticed.  Result!


So, for the very last time... here's my full daily menu:

- Breakfast:  An apple;
- Lunch:  A tin of tuna;
- Post-workout snack:  A tin of mackerel;
- Dinner:  Some pan fried tuna, tomato, peas and spices.  Plus a banana.


So, what does tomorrow hold in store?  Well, I'll be paying the 56th of my self-set 56 visits to the gym early-ish in the morning, for the final workout of my challenge.  I'll then be coming home and asking my wife to take my 'after' photos, and doing my final weigh-in.  Then I'll be writing my 56th and final blog, posting my results and the after photos - along with each of the last 7 Sundays'  'during' photos as well.  This has to all be done by noon, as I'm off out for an early Christmas lunch with some relatives... so watch this space tomorrow morning!


For the final time., I suppose... Good night!!

"Don't worry, it wasn't that bad."

Day 54 : "Distracted by Christmas"

Well, after 54 days of my challenge, with just 2 to go, I almost forgot for the first time to write a blog entry!  Hence this one not being posted until almost 11pm.

I came in from the gym, ate lots of fish, had a shower and then read my two youngest sons a bedtime story.  Then I came downstairs, at which point I would normally write my blog.  But my wife had got the Christmas decorations out of the garage, so overcome with festive excitement I've been putting the tree and decorations up... and suddenly, thankfully, just remembered I have to write... I'd have been distraught if I'd woken up tomorrow morning realising I'd broken my chain of daily posting so close to the end!

Thankfully, I haven't forgotten about any of other aspects of my challenge today.  I've eaten purely healthy food - despite Friday treats floating around the office I was working from today - and made it to the gym for my 54th workout in as many days.  Back, stomach and 30 minutes on the cross trainer. I didn't manage to get fully into my Terminator mode tonight, but it wasn't as lame a half hour as Wednesday evening.  I put it down to the fact that I was there relatively early, but the back is quite a large muscle group so I was pretty fatigued after working those bad boys.

My diet today has consisted of:

- Breakfast:  A banana (no fish in the house!);
- Lunch:  A mackerel salad;
- Dinner:  A tin of mackerel, a tin of tuna, two pickled eggs, a beetroot and an apple.  Yes, yes, I'd been fish shopping.

Only two days to go.  Eek!

Day 53 : "Basil and peanut butter"

For lunch today, I ate a pack of basil that I spotted in Tesco when buying my mackerel.  I don't think I've eaten a whole pack of raw herbs in one sitting before, but it was jolly tasty.


I got on the cross trainer again tonight (it's all or nothing week, so no wimping out by sitting on the exercise bike!)  To my surprise, I managed to find Terminator Mode again tonight, and hit 561 calories... another 'PB' by 3 calories.  Mind you, I went like the bloody clappers in what is billed by the cross trainer as the '2 minute cool down' - I was like Lee Evans on speed, there was sweat flying everywhere.  But it was like training a totally different body and a different set of lungs to last night, when I just couldn't muster the energy to go at full throttle.  My Sherlock Holmes mind spent the 30 minutes trying to work out what was so different, again.  Maybe it was the fact that I made it there earlier in the evening than yesterday, or maybe it was the fact that I'd 'only' done a triceps and stomach workout beforehand.  Maybe my body just needed to take it slightly easier yesterday evening, following the previous two, and tonight it had 'recuperated'.  Maybe it was the pumping hard house they were playing in the gym tonight.  Maybe it was the basil.


Tomorrow will be my last post-work, evening workout of my challenge.  Weird feeling.  I can barely remember a time now that I didn't come in from work, get changed, and go out again to the gym.  I have this alien thought lingering in the back of my mind telling me that on Monday I don't have to do that.  But I think I'll feel guilty if I don't.  We'll see.  One thing's for sure, and that is that it will be weird getting back in from the gym on Monday evening - if I do go - and not sitting down to write a blog entry.  Although it wasn't part of my self-committed 'posted challenge' to write a blog entry every single day of my challenge, that is what I've ended up doing - and I think I'm going to miss it.


Anyway, my diet today has consisted of:

- Breakfast:  A tin of tuna;
- Lunch:  A tin of mackerel and a pack of basil;
- Dinner:  A tin of tuna, a beetroot and a banana.  And a handful of nuts & seeds.  And a spoonful of peanut butter.  (I found to my woe when I got in from the gym that there was but one tin of fish left in the house, and I've got used to eating two fish portions in the evening over the last couple of weeks to try and burn more fat / pack on more muscle.  And there were no eggs in the fridge.  So I went on a slightly-desperate protein hunt.  I felt a bit like an alcoholic searching the house for anything with alcohol content.  Thankfully, I came across the nuts and peanut butter before the Kitekat.)

Day 52 : "Sherlock Holmes"

Well, I had a good shoulders and stomach workout at the gym tonight, but I'm afraid I was less Terminator by the time I got on the cross trainer and more C-3PO.  Same mode, same level - but I only managed a very average 503 calories in my 30 minutes tonight, after last night's 558.  I'm not sure whether it's because the last two nights have knackered me out, or because I didn't have a pre-workout snack tonight, or because I was quite a bit later getting to the gym tonight, or because my preceding shoulder workout is more physically tiring than the chest and biceps workouts of the previous two evenings.  Or a combination of those.  But it's intrigued me.  So I'm now determined to find out by noting how energised I feel at different times, with different eating methods, etc.  Then I can hone myself into working in Terminator mode as often as possible.

I've always loved a bit of self-analysis, but it makes a refreshing change for it to be physical rather than psychological.


My diet today has consisted of:

- Breakfast: A tin of tuna;
- Lunch: A tin of mackerel and an apple;
- Dinner:  A tuna salad and a banana.

52 days gone... can't believe there's really only 4 to go!!!

Day 51 : "I'll be back"

I had the afternoon of work today as went, with my mum, to watch my 7 year old son in his school nativity play... awwwww.  (The character he played was "Angel Foghorn Fred" which, for anyone who knows my George, was a superb piece of casting.)  It was quite nice to get a few comments from some fellow parents who I hadn't seen for a while as to how much slimmer I was looking.  Afterwards, the school served coffee with mince pies.  As mouthwateringly tempting as it was to eat it, I managed to hand the mince pie to my mum.  I barely sobbed.

So I've had an earlier visit to the gym than usual today.  After thinking that maybe my increased vigour last night was down to having a bit more fuel inside me from eating too much on Sunday evening, I ate a can of fish before I went to the gym in the hope that it would give me a bit more energy.  Like last night I'm really not sure whether it was a physical or psychological effect, but for the second day in a row I entered Terminator Mode.  Not only did I do a lot of heavy bicep exercises, but after doing my stomach exercises I returned to the dumbbells and did a few more curls for good luck.  And then I hit another 'PB' on the cross trainer, burning 558 calories (following on from last night's 552).  I really do feel like I have somehow hit another level this week.


My diet today has consisted of:

- Breakfast:  A tin of tuna (yes, I've decided to go for protein when I get up now as well.)
- Lunch:  Two packets of Biltong!  (Lunch on the go, driving back from Bristol.)
- Pre-gym snack:  A tin of mackerel;
- Dinner:  A tin of tuna, a few chillis, a beetroot and a banana.

"Listen and understand. That Terminator is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. But it is partial to a bit of mackerel."

Day 50 : "Being Human"

This challenge has been hard at times.  But at other times, I've found it pretty easy.  Almost too easy.  I've amazed myself by my seeming dedication and pure willpower.  I've fooled myself into thinking that I can keep up this lifestyle for good, and this is the new me.  End of.

I say 'fooled', as yesterday evening I realised that the future is still going to be a long, hard road if I'm to avoid slipping back into the old me and putting the weight back on.

So, I ate the roast dinner with verve.  It was delicious, but I felt no guilt: even when eating the roast potatoes and - God, forbid - a small Yorkshire pudding, as it was treat night.  And in the grand scheme of things, with all the dieting and exercise, that bit of fat would barely touch the sides.

Then my wife offered me some cherry pie and custard.

That's when I had a small inner battle with myself. I'd previously decided that roast dinner = 'fine', dessert = 'bad'.  But then, I thought, what the heck.  I have to get used to eating more normally but with 'portion control' once I finish my challenge, and that will include the occasional dessert.  So I said okay, just a small piece.  Thankfully, being supportive of my challenge (after all, who wants a fat husband?) my wife did give me a very small piece of pie, with a few dribbles of custard (which she'd made from powder with skimmed milk).  I was grateful for this tiny portion, as it was so delicious that had she put half the pie in a dish for me soaked in a gallon of custard, I'd have done the lot.  So I ate my modicum of pie and custard with only a modicum of guilt.

However, it didn't stop there.

It was like, after being shut away in jail for the last few weeks, the little red devil who used to sit on my shoulder realised that I'd half-opened the cell door.  So, capitalising on my sudden urge for more sugar, he pushed the blinkin' door wide open and escaped, skipping and whooping with glee, Hell-bent on mischief-making.  The little bastard.

Yes, before I knew it, I'd raided the biscuit tin.  I had a Nice biscuit and a ginger nut.  And then, despite trying to resist, went back for more.  In total, I think I ate about eight or nine biscuits.  I couldn't stop myself.  In the end, I managed to shut that evil little demon back up again, but only because I was racked with guilt.  And, to be fair, pretty full.  (Although I could have eaten more.)

Yes, there you have it.  Laid bare, there is my Monday night confessional.

I ATE PIE AND BISCUITS.

And, whilst in isolation a few biscuits at the end of another week of hardcore dieting and gym-going is maybe not too bad, it was a stark warning that I'm still going to need every piece of willpower available at the end of my challenge if I'm to avoid turning from Eddie Little back into Eddie Large.

At work today, I accepted the offer of two Quality Streets.  But, like last week, that was more to prove to myself that I can savour the occasional small treat, without... well, raiding the biscuit tin.


Today, I've been well aware of the fact that this is my final week.  And after last night's affair with the seductive biscuit tin, I'm determined to finish with a bang, not a fizzle.  Call me vain, but I'm also aware that in 6 days time I've got my 'After' photo being taken, and I want to look as fit as possible for it.  So I decided tonight, that this week it really is all or nothing.  I'm going to avoid any further indulgences.  And I'm going to work harder at the gym than ever before.

Tonight I hit my 'half-century': 50 visits to the gym in 50 days.  It's only a number, but it feels great. So with my mantra to do even more this week, I did an even-harder-than-usual chest workout, lifting heavier weights than before and doing more sets.  After some stomach exercises, I hit the cross trainer for 30 minutes.  Now, I'm not sure if it was (a) my determination to work harder than ever this week, or (b) some extra stored calories from last night's ginger nut extravaganza... but I was a machine.  For 30 minutes, I cross trained like the Terminator.  I usually burn between 495 and 525 calories on the cross trainer - depending on how fatigued I'm feeling after my weights session - with a personal best of 532 which I think I noted on here back in week 2 / week 3 sometime.  But tonight - bearing in mind I'd done a big chest workout - in my new found Terminator Zone, I burnt 552 calories. It went somewhere towards easing the guilt I'd accumulated last night.

Yes, this week is all or nothing week.  I'm going out with a bang.


My diet today has consisted of:

- Breakfast:  An apple and a banana;
- Mid-morning snack:  Two 'occasional' chocolates;
- Lunch:  Two tins of mackerel;
- Dinner:  A tin of tuna, a tin of mackerel, a few chillis, a beetroot and a banana.

Anyway, please excuse the long post this evening.  I feel like I've just had an attack of literary diarrhoea.  I obviously had a lot to get of my chest.  But if you're still with me... thanks for reading, and good night!