January 18, 2010
Week Twelve
And the final result is in! I’m 10 stone 12! Yes! Yes! Yes! The lightest I have ever weighed in my adult life. Did a photoshoot yesterday and the size 12 clothes were too big for me – so I think I may even be a 10. Sorry if I sound smug but ….. Yippee!!!!! Who-hoo!! Hooray!!!! Yay!!! YES!!!!
I just feel so healthy. It’s brilliant. I did a fitness test yesterday and I’m 20% fitter than I was at the start. I can run for longer, faster, and my body is just healthier, more efficient and better inside and out. I lost a whopping FIVE KILOS of fat!!! That’s huge! I’m trying to work out where it all was before. I think it was on my bottom.
I’ve lost 2 inches round my chest, two inches from the waist and three inches round my bottom. So I am no longer a pear.
Okay, so I still have the odd wobbly bit – I’ll never be Kate Moss. But I’m off on my hols tomorrow and I’m off to buy a bikini now and I shall wear it on the beach with pride. (Usually I have to walk up and down it for hours trying to find someone fatter than me to lie next to)
And if you’re dieting good luck to you, And please remember, I’ve had the odd slip, I’d have the odd blips, I’ve had weeks when that damn dial on the scales hasn’t moved one millimetre and I’ve been utterly hacked off. All my results are here for you to see so you can see it hasn’t been all plain sailing for me and I’ve struggled at times. But in the end, anything you’re doing is going to help, you’re going to feel better, you’re going to get healthier, you’re setting yourself up to reach your goal in a healthy way. So keep going. Get that body back. We’re all here to help you and we’re all willing you on to make it. You can do it.
Sharon xx
January 4, 2010
Okay Christmas. Now Christmas is not about dieting is it?
I’m not going to sit here and tell you I ate only lettuce, because personally I enjoyed my turkey and stuffing. And don’t worry. No-one’s going to have expected you to be well behaved and sip water at the office Christmas party. At our place we counted it as a great success if you didn’t wake up the next day in a skip. Okay so a Christmas Fact: You will probably have put on about 6lb over Christmas. Do not panic. You are normal. We can sort that in the now starting a fresh New Year.
You gain weight instantly as soon as you drink more than a couple of units of alcohol because of all the water retention. At Celebrity Fit Club we used to go off on a drinking bender the night after the weigh in, and I’d put on about 4lb overnight. But I knew that all I had to do was stop drinking, and after about four days, it will all drop off again. So don’t panic if your scales have suddenly shot up. You can’t diet all your life – you need a break sometimes or you go mad. We can deal with getting it all off again now Christmas is over.
Here’s some little tricks of the trade that I found helpful over the party season that can be helpful all year round:
- I hit the gym before a big night out. Let’s face it – you’re not going to do it the morning after so get it in now. At work we’ve started doing office runs at lunchtime – jogging around the Thames. It will put a glow on your face to get you looking hot to trot before a party – and it’s a nice chance to catch up with all the office gossip too.
- If you know you are going to a party with only drinks then take some food to work with you and eat before you go out. Slow burning stuff like brown rice, or rye bread that will help soak everything up. This will stop you getting ravenously hungry and going home via the kebab shop. A lined stomach may also stop you trying to cop off with your boss although I can’t promise that.
- Lots of celebs have started taking hip flasks to parties so they can keep an eye on how much and what they’re drinking. They take out a pre-measured amount of their favorite drink and sip that throughout the night. I got this tip off Cleo Rocos who takes a hip flask of 100% agave tequila everywhere and drinks just that and glasses of water. Quite often the only drink on offer at parties is a cheap warm white wine which leaves you with a splitting hangover – especially when you lose count of how many you’ve had.
- Stock up the fridge at home the night before a bender. If the fridge is empty you’re far more likely to just call out for a pizza or grab a takeaway as you won’t want to face the supermarket on a hangover. I pre-mix a glass of carrot , ginger and orange juice the night before I go out, and make myself a breakfast, so there’s something waiting for me as I crawl to the kitchen on my knees in the morning.
- On Christmas Day itself like most, I ate and did whatever I wanted. Look, there are occasions like this that you’ll find all year round. Don’t worry about it. Take your Appesat. Go for a run in the morning, or take the dogs for a long walk if it helps you to escape the madness of all the relatives being round, but don’t beat yourself up if you end up consuming a million calories and not moving an inch. Enjoy it. As long as you make sure you set yourself a timescale for all this stuff.
- And now you must throw out all the crisps, chocs, biscuits, pastries, booze and get back on the healthy programe again. Personally, as I feel guilty throwing things away, I am arranging to go and visit friends and neighbours I hadn’t seen for ages and take all the booze and uneaten boxes of biscuits with me as a “gift” so they end up on their shelves rather than mine….
We all come back after Christmas slightly bigger in the bottom, but if you set a deadline for the debauchery it’ll all come off again.
December 16, 2009
Week eleven
Got in touch with some friends at Calvin Klein who have kindly lent me some
designer beach wear for the shoot in Jan. The stuff is really nice – bikinis with a little tiny see through minidress over the top so it will really show off the figure.They’ve also lent some tight black tops – which I can team with a black pencil skirt to really show the difference and that way we can show it’s 2 dress sizes too.
My figure is never going to be model-like but I think that, with kind lighting, I can at least not make people recoil and women will perhaps relate, post-Christmas, to the idea that in 3 months you can be back to beach ready. And if your bum is over a metre – as mine was – then we can help!
Weight 11 stone 1lb
December 9, 2009
Week Ten
I’m now down within five pounds of my target weight with three weeks to go on the programme. I’ve felt utterly frustrated this week as the dial didn’t move a bit on the scales – but again we measured the fat content of the body and that’s dropping week by week so I’m on the right track.
My body is shrinking week by week and I’m getting a better shape too. I’ve noticed I’ve changed my eating habits when I go out too. This week I ordered a fish dish for the first time, ever, in a restaurant. Normally I go for great big steaks and potatoes and feel I’ve been cheated unless I get a huge, heavy meal. But as I’ve learned to have smaller portions I find I can appreciate, lighter, fresher dishes, and not feel hungry. I’ve bought new clothes ready for my holidays – and they’re all a size 12 with room to spare. That’s two dress sizes down on two months ago. Still not bought the bikini yet though. For the next three weeks I’m going to really ramp up exercise and see if I can hit my target in time for the beach.
Weight 73.5 kilos
November 30, 2009
Week Nine
Bit disappointed today as the weight hasn’t dropped as much as I’d have liked. Ate healthily all week, didn’t cheat and really worked hard in the gym and spin classes. But trainer Guiseppe explained that this shouldn’t be a worry. We’re still building muscle up in the body to make it work more efficiently – the good work put in now will mean the weight will come off later. Appesat is a three month programme and you’ll see definite results in that time. He also said to perhaps not weigh myself each week as weight fluctuates so much – and go for once a month instead. Not sure I can manage that – I hop on the scales twice a day!
But anyway – don’t get down if you don’t see the dial dropping every week. My fat content is dropping week by week and that’s what counts. Guiseppe reckons I’ve lost a couple of large bottles worth of fat so far. Ulgh. I think it’s manly come off my bottom – I can now get into an old pair of jeans I last wore six years ago. My stomach’s looking flatter – and although I’ve still got lumps and bumps I can see some muscle emerging from underneath the lard. I bumped into an old friend this week who hasn’t seen me for three months and she instan
tly noticed the weight loss. So I’m feeling good! I’ve still got a month to go on the programme, and Guiseppe promises me that in these last stages I’ll really see the results kicking in.
TOP TIP
Try growing your own herbs. I’ve some oregano, rosemary and basil on the go in a window pot and they look fab – plus you can throw the herbs in soups and on meat instead of salt. It saves a fortune on the packets of fresh stuff too. And I can pretend I am a green fingered domestic goddess when actually they’re really hard to kill and just need a bit of water every now and again.
RECIPE TIP
Instead of crisps, make apple crisps. Thinly slice a cored apple, scatter them on a baking tray and cook until golden. Have them with a cuppa in the afternoon instead of those naughty little choc bars.
November 23, 2009
Week Eight
Oh there was me slagging off Kerry Katona last week for weight gain – and I fell off the wagon myself this week. Went out for a light salad with Cleo Rocos which turned into a 13 hour lunch, and, involved, in no particular order, Jason Gardiner, Duncan from Blue, and the British Army before we finally got into a cab at 2am. Weighed myself before leaving for lunch, and on arrival back home to find out I’d put on half a stone during the day. “That’s impressive,” texted back Cleo as I sent the information over. Booze and water retention. And oven chips. We decided.
Still, back on the regime with a vengence, and although the scales don’t look brilliant, my trainer carried out a fat ratio analysis on me this week – and I’ve dropped from 26% fat to 23.9% since I started. That’s on the “good” scale of fat ratios. And about equal to the chips we had at midnight.
November 16, 2009
Week Seven
My back is sorted now – so it’s back to the exercise plan with a vengeance. The product and diet advice will work on their own, but for long term results combine it with the tips in th
e exercise DVD. My weight’s gone up a lb this week – but it’s all been muscle as I’ve started back at the gym again. Remember, muscle burns calories, so even if it feels like my weight isn’t dropping; the fat content in my body IS dropping week by week. And that means smaller knickers which is what we want! So don’t give up if that scales dial doesn’t move. As long as you’re doing everything it’ll all come together. After a couple of weeks building muscle, we’re going to switch programmes and really burn off that fat as we go into the final push. Tried on my jeans and they’re loose. Hurrah! I had a right muffin top in them 2 months ago.
TOP TIP: Exercise first thing in the morning. It gets it out the way and you then don’t have to worry about it. Plus you can spend the day feeling smug and boasting to your colleagues! Even a brisk walk counts.
RECIPE TIP: Grill salmon and serve with raw spinach on rye bread for breakfast. I have it twice a week – it’s a great healthy start and it keeps me full for hours!
November 9, 2009
Week Six
Another three lb dropped this week – who-hoo! Am still crocked – but I’m still losing weight. Have been watching portions – a helping of protein like fish or chicken is only supposed to be as big as the palm of your hand. I’ve been eating loads of different fish and seafood this week too. My fridge looks like it’s got the entire cast of Finding Nemo in it!
The results are great. My skin looks clearer than it has for ages and my stomach is flatter. I’ve been able to dig out those clothes that every girl has in the back of her wardrobe – the ‘oops I’ve grown too fat for that but can’t bear to throw it away’ collection. They fit!
The weeks I spent doing the exercise programme have paid off. Now listen carefully because there’s a science bit coming up here – if you build up muscle your body will work much more efficiently at burning calories. We’ve been measuring my body’s muscle content each week and it’s really increased – so even though I can’t exercise at the moment, the muscle I’ve built means that my body is able to carry on processing food and I’ve carrying on losing weight.
To put it simply – if you hit the gym and do some weight work then you’ll be able to wolf down the odd cream cake or roast potato and still lose weight. And when you hit your target weight you will be able to maintain it easily – rather than yo-yoing like I’ve done in the past.
TOP TIP
Each week, make a batch of healthy stews and freeze in individual portions in food bags. Take a bag from the freezer in the morning – it’ll defrost by lunch and you can microwave it up at work. Or have a homemade gorgeous dinner ready in 3 minutes after you get home from work.
RECIPE TIP
Wrap a piece of cod in foil, throw in thyme, lemon juice and grated rind, and a dash of water, then seal it up and throw in the oven for 25 mins until it flakes easily. Do this with any fish – although women should only have two portions of oily fish a week.
November 2, 2009
Week Five
A gardening session ended in disaster this week – have done my back in and have been in agony. Can barely walk and osteopath says I’m not to exercise for a couple of weeks. This is a blow as Appesat works best when combined with the exercises outlined on the DVD. But using just the diet tips alone I still lost 2lb! Am under 12 stone now – yoo hoo!
And people are st
arting to notice. In fact the Loose Women girls gave me a wolf whistle in the staff canteen this week as I arrived in lycra shorts for a post-run morning coffee (pre-gardening incident) Am really missing the gym though. Got myself into a routine of an hour’s exercise at the start of each day, and whilst it’s a pain getting up at 6.30am so I can fit work in, I was really starting to feel energised and strong as a result. I swear I could even see some abs starting to poke through the lard. Can’t wait to get back to it all.
Anyway, the good news is that before doing my back in I planted a few vegetables in the back garden. So hopefully they’ll all come through soon and the pain will be worth it.
October 26, 2009
Week Four
I put on a pound. Argh! Blind panic, and couldn’t figure it out as I’d been playing by the rules and 
did my full gym programme. But trainer Giuseppe has a set of scales which can measure fat and muscle and turns out the weight I’ve put on this week is lean mass (muscle). This, he says, is good, as it means I’m building a stronger body, which will burn calories more efficiently and give me a better body shape. So the moral of the scales is – don’t give up if your weight fluctuates – stick to the programme and your body will be changing for the better and the weight loss will come. A better indication is your body measurements – and I’ve noticed that clothes are getting much looser on me.
People at work have started to comment on the weight loss now too – and I just notice that my clothes are hanging much better. I wouldn’t say I was bikini ready just yet though – things round the bottom area are definitely still lumpy and bumpy. I do have a lot more energy though – my skin is clearer and people tell me I look well.
TOP TIP:
I crave dark chocolate – so I bought myself a box of miniature one-square bars. Then, if I desperately want some – I can have just a tiny taste without wolfing down my normal family-sized bar.
RECIPE:
Mix your own smoothie using berries, melon, pineapple and soya yoghurt with a teaspoon of linseeds added. If you freeze the berries first then whizz in a blender with the yoghurt it’s a great, healthy, alternative to ice cream.
Sharon
Sharon' s 12 week diet blog 