Week 6

Well this week has been a low activity week and the results reflect this. This week I have had no changes in weight or fat/mass shifts.
Now some people at this point would be disheartened and put off continuing but... this is great news! :)

WHY I hear you ask (with an inquisitive expression I suspect)?

The reason for no change is that I have hit equilibrium!
What energy is going in (calories) is equal to what is being used by my body. Now I have a platform to work from.

So to lose further fat I have 2 options:
1 – Decrease my energy input (Eat less calorific food value).
2 – Increase my output (use more energy)

Now at this point in time, I am enjoying what I am eating and do not feel hungry or crave any “poor quality” foods. So I don’t want to change this aspect but activity level has been negligible and exercise = none.

So from week 6 (now) until week 12, I will increase my activity levels and start a “low to moderate” exercise regime. To burn fat, we want to use low intensity/long duration exercise. I need to get my body to switch from it’s main fuel source (what I eat) to using the vast reserve recourse (my body fat). Now do remember that 1g of body fat contains 9 calories (more than twice that of 1g of carbohydrates).

Now that my body has adjusted to the new nutrition programme, from next week due to the increase in activity, we should see more significant changes ;)

Negatives:
I have none to report this week although the sweating has stopped.

Positives:
None to report.

Results:
I have taken my measurements and they are now available for you to view by either clicking on the link “Adrian’s Latest Results,” which can be found on the right pane under Related Websites or go to http://www.focuscoaching.org.uk/Results.pdf.

Weight loss = 0lbs
New Weight = 271.0lbs
Body Fat = 36.3%

Week 5

Well this week has been a less active week than usual. More of a case of stepping out of my home, straight in to the car and then out of the car into the homes of my clients and then sitting.
So it was not a huge surprise to me to see that stepping on the scales revealed no weight loss this week :(.
However, what is a nice surprise is to see that I have again lost Fat and gained Lean Mass! :)

For me this is very significant compared to when I lost weight previously as I am sure that muscle mass was lost in the process of a low fat only diet. This is proving that the ideal nutritional programme should consist of what is required by your body to maintain its needs. In my case, at this point I need a Low fat, Medium carbs & High protein plan and the results are proving this to be the case. Next week will be my 6 week marker and 2nd photo shoot... blog on next week to see the results.

Negatives:
I have none to report this week although the sweating has continued.

Positives:
I am still not hungry and craving for food at all. I feel very well in myself and am enjoying not having to think about food or when and how to eat (due to the convenience of the products I am using).

Results:
I have taken my measurements and they are now available for you to view by either clicking on the link “Adrian’s Latest Results,” which can be found on the right pane under Related Websites or go to http://www.focuscoaching.org.uk/Results.pdf.

Weight loss = 0lbs
New Weight = 271.0lbs
Body Fat = 36.3%

Week 4

Firstly, Thank You for your kind emails but please post your comments to share with other viewers.

This week has proven my previous expectations with regards to gain and lose. I had eaten out on three occasions last week and only once this week and yet... no significant changes. Obviously to prove my hypothesis of a weekly lag in food to mouth processing, we need to see a greater loss next week. But as promised I am being open and honest with you all.

This is the 4 week marker and overall I am very happy with this programme. I have lost 11lbs in 4 weeks but it is Clearly possible to lose a full stone in that time (and with minimal effort)!
To lose just over an inch on the waist is more significant as clearly clothing sizes are going to reduce. It is also great to see my BMI drop by 1 point.

Note: I haven’t started to use any exercise yet.


Negatives:
I have none to report this week although the sweating has continued.

Positives:
I am certainly not hungry and craving for food at all. I feel very well in myself and am enjoying not having to think about food or when and how to eat (due to the convenience of the products I am using).

Results:
I have taken my measurements and they are now available for you to view by either clicking on the link “Adrian’s Latest Results,” which can be found on the right pane under Related Websites or go to http://www.focuscoaching.org.uk/Results.pdf

Weight loss = 1lbs
New Weight = 271.0lbs
Body Fat = 36.5%

I want to Join Adrian with my own Summer Challenge (Click here) 

Week 3

Firstly I have points I want to clarify before I give you this week’s account on the new programme.

1.    Does Size Matter?
I was discussing female clothing sizes and figures with a talented contour fashion design student today. Following our discussion, I wanted to stress that plus sizes are not a reason to lose weight! The larger fuller figure is very attractive and sexy! Nigella Lawson was voted the UK figure that most women would desire (and most men to be honest). To me losing weight is more about healthy living and not purely body image.

The fashion market have pushed for "skinny" (not the same as slim), which is as detrimental to your health and well being as being morbidly obese. The health and fitness industry is not promoting size zero to 10 only. The size issue is a problem in the eyes of the fashion industry and the narrow minded designers that don't care about making the "normal" women feel bad about themselves and their shape. Equally this will push some women away from fashion and possibly towards comfort eating (due to not conforming to what media portray to be a healthy attractive figure).

My motives are to get healthier and fitter with an increase in energy levels. I know that my fat levels are too high and hence, they are going to come off in the process but if you look at my latest results, you will see that weight loss is steady due to a loss in fat but also a lean gain (muscle).
Healthy big is attractive, unhealthy big is a 1st class ticket to your grave. But each to their own!

2.    Are you using a Gym?

I was asked if I am exercising and the answer is no!
At this point, I don’t want to overload my body (especially the heart). Once I have lost a full stone I will gradually increase my physical output but at a sensible and reasonable pace. I will note any exercise on this blog.

Now for week 3...

Well I will be honest I have been out for 3 meals this week with friends and I have chose sensibly but not allowed myself not to eat some of my favourites. In the past when I lost weight, I observed that sometimes the impact of eating less healthily would not reveal it’s self until the following week but we will soon see :).

Negatives:
The only negative that I have experienced, is sweating profusely with little exertion. Now I should state that this is a positive negative (I know, contradiction) but that implies my body is focusing on burning fat. I went for a walk through my town, on a very cold day, in only my T-shirt (as I felt warm). When I looked at my refection in a window, there was steam literally coming off my body... I know, hot stuff!! ;o) lol

Positives:
Energy levels still increasing and I have lost more fat (significantly) this week (see the results). I was told by three people (including my dad) that I had a better complexion and looked healthier.

Results:
I have taken my measurements and they are now available for you to view by either clicking on the link “Adrian’s Latest Results,” which can be found on the right pane under Related Websites or go to http://www.focuscoaching.org.uk/Results.pdf.

Weight loss = 4lbs
New Weight = 272.0lbs
Body Fat = 36.5%

Week 2

This week has been much better than the previous with regards to not needing the toilet frequently (which would indicate my body has adjusted) I also feel the additional Fibre & Herb supplement had improved this process.

I think I may also be experiencing some of the new benefits of having the correct amount of nutrients per day being delivered to my body at constant points throughout the day. I know that I have never really achieved that for a whole week of my life... EVER! :)

Negatives:
I have no markable issues that I observed. All of the ones from the previous week are gone.

Positives:
I have felt a slight spring in my step this week and have found that my belt has had to be pulled a little tighter too. My energy levels have been more stable and I have felt notably less tired.
The additional nutrients of the Formula 1 & 2 may also be responsible for the 2 comments I received this week regarding to my complexion (they said I looked well). The other interesting observation has been a slight elevation in my sex drive (which is usually very low)... I will monitor this one more closely for the next few weeks lol ;)

Results:
I have taken my measurements and will compile a report that I will get on-line to be viewed and tracked by you, the great public.

Weight loss = 2.5lbs
New Weight = 276.0lbs
Body Fat = 37.0%

End of Week 1

Well I will have to say that I have not found it too difficult to transition from my older eating habits into the new one. This now consists of two meal replacement shakes (Formula 1) and in my case, one “colourful meal” and three snack breaks. I have not felt hungry at all but If I am honest, I have added additional milk to the shakes to make them a little more substantial (I am over 6ft tall and 20ish stones/280lbs).

Negatives:
1 - So far the negatives are that for the first 2 days I needed to urinate more frequently than usual but I am also drinking more fluids (including 2 litres of water). The first night I had very poor sleep due to needing to visit the toilet every 2 hours. The second night I had to visit 3 times in the night but the following days were fine.

2 – Again the first 2 days I was glad to be able to access a toilet due to needing to go for the “other” more than usual. This would also be due to the additional fluids but also the additional protein but again that subsided to a more regular pattern by day three. I am just glad I started on the weekend.

3 – I did feel very tired and drained most of the week but that could be due to the lack of sleep and my body transitioning into the new healthier routine.

Positives:
It was very convenient to fit in with my busy lifestyle but more importantly... I did not feel hungry (even though I still had the odd craving for some food nasties). I felt content throughout the day.

Results:
I have taken my measurements and will compile a report that I will get online to be viewed and tracked by you the great public.

Weight loss = 3.5lbs
New Weight = 278.5lbs
Body Fat = 37.4%

Day One

Today I have started a new nutritional programme using the well known brand of Herbalife. Many will have heard of it (possibly due to some bad individuals in the 90's trying to sell Herbalife as a pyramid selling business scheme), but not necessarily for the quality of the products or have tried it. Herbalife have changed their business model to ensure that the 90's sales cowboys have faded away into the sunset... never to be seen again!

I wanted to find a product range that would be convenient to fit in around my Coaching clients (including myself), with busy unsociable working patterns.
The Herbalife products meet with my scientific requirements (with great scrutiny from me) and hence I am trialling the product before I recommend or supply to my coaching clients.

Now to ensure that this is an honest account of my experience and progress, I have had a professional photo-shoot with the talented Paul Hurst (www.paulhurstphotography.co.uk). We will be cataloguing my progress by taking a shot every 6 weeks. This will show the physical changes that take place due to the new plan. But this is also to compare to the photos of when I lost weight in the past (See the "My Story" section -top of page).

That time I lost weight on a low fat diet but with it, I believe I also lost some lean mass. As this nutrition plan is both low fat and low carbs, I have no doubt about weight loss (body fat) but as this is protein intense, I think I will see a very different loss profile. We can but wait and see!!

So... here goes! (stick with me).

STARTING STATISTICS:


Start Weight = 276.0lbs (20st 2lbs)
Body Fat = 37.9%
Lean Mass = 58.2%


BMI: 36.9
Waist: 124.5 cm
Neck: 44.5 cm