Day 7 : "First weekly weigh-in -- the results"

So I'm one week in.

I've barely eaten any fat - apart from the good stuff in fish - and kept my carbs to a minimum.  I've lived almost exclusively on fruit, salad and fish (I had a banana and some tuna for breakfast today - not together - and a salmon salad for lunch), along with the occasional handful of nuts and seeds, and the odd egg with my salads.  I've sniffed some fudge (and, this afternoon, some ice cream) but have so far managed to avoid putting any in my mouth.

I've avoided any alcohol, despite going to three pubs (and sniffing lager).

I've re-joined the gym and been there every day, spending a total of 3 hours weight-training and 3 hours doing cardio work (including a half-hour on the cross trainer this morning).  Even my aches have aches right now.

It's felt like a long, hard week at times.  In fact, there has been the odd occasion when I may well have eaten something unhealthy, or skipped the gym - if it wasn't for knowing that some of my friends are reading this daily confessional, so I'd look like a bit of a twat if I slipped up this early in.

However, this afternoon, I've realised just how much it's been worth the hard work - and just how much this 8 weeks has the potential to positively improve my health and fitness.

Yes, below are the results of my first Sunday afternoon weigh-in.  And - although I was sure I'd lost some weight - I have to say I am quite staggered myself by just how much.


                         Last week                This week

Body Fat            32.8%                      29.4%

Muscle Mass      33.9%                      35.2%

Weight               16st 7lb                    15st 7lb


Yes, I've only gone and lost a stone in a week!

Now I appreciate that last Sunday my stomach had a fair bit of food in it, so some of this weight loss is from now having a relatively empty stomach, rather than it all being loss of fat.  But, even so and even knowing that weight comes off fairly quickly at first, I'd secretly been hoping to lose about half a stone this week.  So when I got on the scales just now and saw I'd lost an entire stone, I nearly fell off them again!

I have to say I'm also pleased to see an immediate difference between the percentage of muscle in my body compared to the percentage of fat, especially when last week there was barely a gap between the two - going from a 1.1% difference to a 5.8% difference.

Well, this has spurred me on no end to continue for the next seven weeks.  It's going to get harder, I'm sure, but - especially with your continuing support and, quite frankly, the threat of humiliation if I don't do it - I reckon I can keep it up.

Now I'm going to go and have a glass of wine and a pasty to celebrate.

(Only joking!)

7 days gone... just 49 to go...