Shannan Weight Loss Challenge - Week 3

Weigh in day.. i've lost meself 1kg!

Ohh yeah, fat guy high five!

I'm 82kgs now, I'm feeling like I have a bit more health back.

..AND..

I had a strong craving for a packet of chips down the shopping aisles today..

I walked out without buying anyway!

YEAH!!  ...boohooo... YEAH!!

*sob*  I do miss my packets of chips.  Looking at one of those Vegie Chips alternatives or Health Shop snacks, but they're ultra expensive.

Anyway, the Shannan Weight Loss Challenge has definitely changed my way of eating for the better.  Even if I walk away from the process not reaching my 75kgs goal, I'll still take with me a better idea of what is Ok to eat and what isn't.

Who would have thought a meat pie or pastie for breakfast isn't a good idea?  Wonders will never cease.

But seriously, lots learnt and still more to learn.

Let's talk a bit more about my experience with the Shannan Ponton site.  Overall, the big plus is the community.

You can get weight loss tips anywhere on the net, but you can't get the community that the Biggest Loser gets.  I'm not sure of the exact number of people doing the challenge, but on the Week 1 catch-up with Shannan, there was over 100 subscribers online at the same time just having a chat.  Brilliant.

There's an online Food Diary where you can select the foods you've eaten, keeping track of your calories and all that jazz. I have a few problems updating my Diary, with a few food items missing mainly due to my purchase of South Australian goods.  Be good to mention Balfours in the list of foods, but the whole idea is to not eat that sort of thing anyway.

My main issue is my Exercise Plan keeps changing to a lower one. I've sort of been fitting in my own version of exercise, but I'd like to see that issue fixed as I noticed it's happened to a few others.  Not hard for me to change to the Challenge Exercise Plan, but still a bit of a bug.

I also would like more options that doesn't involve fitness equipment.  I don't have all of the items, but I would like to participate better when I do follow the exercises.  I'm not talking about a Stepper or Treadmill, it's just the odd Fitness Rubber Band thing that comes in as a requirement.

Overall though, if you are looking for that extra push to change at least your eating habits, I recommend the challenge.  It's already changed my habits so it could work for you.

Still a bunch of weeks left for me to go though!  Lets see how close I can get to 75kgs!!

How's your weight loss going?

- tork

ps. hot tip, substituting weights for fat baby boys kills two birds with one stone.  Exercising & playing!

Shannan Weight Loss Challenge - Week 2

*sigh*

Week 2 of the Shannan Weight Loss Challenge.  I've slipped.

Yeah I was good.  I am eating 100% better than I have for a long time.  Focaccia sandwiches or rolls have replaced where burgers or curries once where at lunch time.  Dinner is leaner and more pork involved, which is a better meat, right?

But, I've gained 1 kg.  I'm now 84kgs.  I weighed myself Friday morning and I was 82kgs.  That was a kilo down!

But the dreaded, nasty weekend is where I've slipped up. Kid's birthday parties!! Too many with snags, spring rolls, cream puffs, cakes.. ohh man.  I forgot that I can't do that sort of thing.

It's my fault, I can't blame kids birthday parties.  I thought, if I sweat a bit more I should be fine.

Lesson learnt.  I'm embarrassed enough to not let it happen again.  Am I tough enough to not let it happen again?  I dunno.

I still blame my wife for buying that packet of chips that magically appeared in the cupboard to taunt me.

Damn you devil woman!!!!

I still think she has a hidden agenda to lose more weight than me :-)

I need to sweat more and follow Shannan's exercise tips, they are really helpful.

Here's goodbye to snags, cream puffs and spring rolls.  Cake though.. life is too short to pass on the birthday cake.  It will have to fit into the calorie counting haha!

- tork

Shannan Weight Loss Challenge - Week 1

Well, I am week one down in my weight loss challenge over at Shannan Ponton's 8 Week Challenge.  I am happy to say I've lost some weight!

Before I started the challenge I was 87kgs.  I lost 2kgs on my own, getting ready for the 8 week challenge and started at 85kgs at Day one.  Now, after one week I lost another 2kgs!

I am now 83kgs and feeling really good.  I kept a daily diary of all my days.  Here's what I wrote:

Day 1 - Hark! It's day one (fyi people should use the word hark more often).

Had a pretty good day and did try to look after myself, but the wife bought me lunch already for my day.  Pretty much the usual, a meat pie & a pastie.  Pastie went bye bye early morn and had the pie for lunch.  With my purse strings tightened from emergency surgery with my dog, couldn't afford to buy a second meal for today, so something I need to remind the wife about.

Cravings kicked in for a can of coke though.  It's just way too easy to access for me.  Twittered it though and Shannan said 'Get the diet one mate'.  Got a boiled lolly instead. High five!

Might've caved later in the day though for a Coke Zero, but it's the first day, so don't judge me :-)


Day 2 - Ok, perhaps not the best breakfast.  Well, no breakfast at all apart from a coffee.  I shouldn't do that, but I'm using the excuse "I just don't have the time".  So I should do something about that in future.  Baked beans & toast wouldn't take that long in the momring, so I should do better and get used to doing better.

For lunch though, holy crap I had me a salad.  Can't remember the last time I did that.  Wasn't too bad either, a Tuna and Tabouleh salad.  Sure, the taboueh could have been fresher, but it only cost me $2.45 which is wicked.  Got the shakes on a bit though, I can feel the hungry coming on again soon!

I also did this new thing called exercsie!  Filled in a social team and worked my guts out.  I now have a blister on my foot the size of a melon.  I call him Norman.


Day 3 - The wife bought me pie & pastie again for food today.  She's trying to look after me, but they're not the best meals.  Again, because I can't throw money/food down the drain, I'm munging away on them today.  Taste good though!

A mate took me down the local take away.  Couldn't help myself and I bought a crumbed sausage.  Tsk tsk tsk.  This keeping track of eating is hard. I thought about not adding it into my diary, but I hope the embarrassment helps me to not do it again.


Day 4 - I think my wife doesn't want me to lose weight, that I might get hit on like back in my young days (yeah right that used to happen).  She's bought me a pastie for lunch again, but at least she's also picked up a can of Tuna.  She's being really helpful and doing well on her own weight loss, but she's evil and tempting me with the bad hehehehe!


Day 5 - Was fantastic for brekky & lunch.  Ate well, exercised and just fought the cravings.  Come dinner though, a meal with the in-laws was Chinese take-away.  I couldn't offend and say no, so I just did my best and got what I thought would be ok.  There really isn't much to choose from at a Chinese take-away restaurant, so I just when for anything that wasn't battered.  Chicken Satay & a bit of fried rice.  Entering into the challenge diary i'm amazed at the 1000 calories it says!  Man.. sometimes you just have to take a hit every now and then.


Day 6 - Weekends are usually terrible.  Going out, eating bad, bored eating going on.  But I was really good if you ignore my bad breakfast and a tiny lunch.  Bacon, eggs, sausages, baked beans.. ohh, beautiful.  Filled me up for the day with just an apple for lunch.  Was all I felt like.  Haven't been following the exercise guidelines, but I have been fitting in what I can.  Playing til I sweat with the little boy is all I've done unfortunately.  So long as I match the recommended exercise time, it will hopefully be beneficial on the weigh in day!



So, looking forward to eating better and exercising better.  I have been eating so much better than I have, but I can do much much better still.  Looking forward to chatting with Shannan and team to kick my butt into action.

How has your weight loss gone this week?  Or have you attacked your scales with an axe?  :-)

- tork