Good evening all, I'm finally classing this as a success so here's my story! Please have a read, i'm not so good with words but i'll give it my best. If it helps one person it's worth writing down.
I had been overweight from about 10/11 years old when I quit rugby and put a bit of weight on. I was fat throughout secondary school, without being horrendously overweight.
I started to pile the weight on at around 16/17 years old when all the nights out & kebabs became a regular occurances. I Quickly reached the 19 stone mark.
I started going to the gym and playing 5 aside football with my mates to shed the pounds as we had booked a lads holiday and it would have been nice to be in reasonable shape for it! I got down to about 17 stone, still fat, but feeling better and stronger by the day.
On returning from the two week lads holiday, the first 5 aside sesh was a grueller and I hurt my knee. It took too many professionals far too long to diagnose a torn cartilage in my right knee, which put me out of exercise for about 14 months in all. I had my operation but didn't do the rehab properly, and used my knee as a reason not to exercise.
Instead of trying to lose some weight before playing again, I started playing 6 aside and tore the cartilage in my left knee this time. Gutted. I haven't played football since.
On the 18th January 2010 I weighed 21st 2lbs. I had only weighed myself because I had been out at a friends birthday at the weekend and was the only one sweating - all night. Embarrasing!
I lost a stone in the following month, getting down to just over 20 stone. I stayed around 20 stone all the way through to the end of 2010.
Here's why I didn't lose any more weight that year. Diets and exercise didn't work. They didn't work because of one reason - I DIDN'T MAKE THEM WORK. I firmly believe you are the only thing stopping yourself from being who you want to be.
I made a promise to a friend at christmas last year that I would lose 4 stone in 2011 and make it down to 16 stone by this christmas.
I lost a stone in January, down to 19 stone then the football team I follow started doing really well and I started following them home and away drinking every weekend. More excuses to not exercise.
The season finished unsuccessfully for my team in May and I still weighed 19 stone.
This is when I made the most important promise of them all, the promise to myself. Literally! one night when I got in very drunk I told myself that this was it. This was the big one. I will weigh 16 stone by christmas and nothing can stop me. NOT EVEN ME.
I woke up the following day and it all clicked in my brain, almost like some kind of epiphany - the reason i'm not losing weight is because of ME. I'm making these poor decisions many times per day. Because deep down I know what foods are good for me, I know what foods are bad for me and I know that all exercise is good for you and that the longer and more intense you do the exercise, the more weight you'll lose.
This is they key for me - It's 90% mental. You have to beat yourself up everyday. (by yourself I mean the side of you that wants that little bit extra on the plate, or that little bit less exercise, the guy/gal inside you who tells you to have a day off, you know him/her all too well right?!)
Every chocolate you are offered, every extra helping you have, every time you knock 5 minutes off the exercise or do 3/4 less reps - they all count. It's the bad side of you that is telling you to stop.
As soon as I knew and understood this it became easier and easier NOT to do what the bad side of you is telling you to do. You HAVE to take that thought and do the exact opposite.
You feel like doing 5 minutes less on the exercise bike? DO 5 MINUTES MORE. That's 10 mintues longer than the bad side of you wanted to do!
You feel like having a chocolate bar or extra helping? DON'T DO IT, YOU'VE EATEN ENOUGH, 5 PRESS UPS. You've just smashed the bad side of you, he/she is stunned!
The other thing - don't be embarrassed when doing exercise. What's that about? Who gives two shiny **** what people think of you while you're walking/running around sweating looking all out of shape?
You're getting fit for YOU, not for anyone else. Just think, you're getting fitter and fitter everyday. You're looking better and better every day. It's about you!
As I write this it's the 22nd December 2011. I weigh 15stone 0lbs. I have beaten the bad side of me up so much that he damn nearly doesn't exist. He's feeble. I smile everytime I look in the mirror, not only because i've exceeded the expectations that I laid down for myself, but because I can take the bad side of me's thoughts and absolutely smash them to pieces. I laugh at them.
The guy who woke up on the 30th May 2011 is the strongest person I know mentally. It's me. The real me.
My confidence in any situation has at the very least trebled. I can go on nights out now and be the centre of attention. Instead of being the one turning nights out down because I feel horrible.
Plus i've got a brilliant story to tell about how I lost all the weight.
4 stone 2 lbs in 7 months, 5 stone 2 lbs in a year, 6 stone 2lbs since my top weight.
Ain't no stopping us now!
I've still got some work to do to get incredibily fit, and I will have done that by June 2012. Because I can, and YOU can. You just have to be able to mentally beat yourself EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY. EVERY LITTLE DECISION COUNTS!
Life is an absolute joy. You DO only get one shot at it, so why not be at your ultimate happiest whilst doing it?
TAKE CONTROL! I did, and now I'm unstoppable.
and Yes, I am always this positive! How could I not be?!
I sound like a mental case don't I!
Any questions, please ask.
