Well I'm pretty bloody pleased with myself and I don't care who I bore rigid telling about it.
You get married, after a while the novelty wears off and life gets comfortable, gradually the waistlines might start to expand but neither of you are out to impress any longer and you don't really notice or couldn't care.
Fast forward a few years and you might get the occasional comment of âyou're drinking too muchâ and âyou could do with losing a bit of weightâ, to which a braver man might reply âpot, kettle, have you looked in a mirror lately?â
And then you return to home brewing.
The trouble with homebrew, cost ceases to be an issue and when you've got some stocks laid down it becomes far too easy to get home, grab a beer or open a bottle of wine, and later get another couple of beers or finish that bottle of wine. Every night.
Three and a half years of that, my trousers wouldn't stay up because my waist was bigger than my hips, my shirts were overhanging and I couldn't see my own feet.
Then some photos were uploaded from the Hot Break, and I thought âOMG, it really is time I did something about thatâ.
I took a month completely off the booze. I'm drinking again now but only about a third of my previous alcohol intake. I've completely cut out biscuits, crisps and peanuts. I've cut out 3 mugs of coffee a day and am drinking âno added sugarâ cordials with fizzy bottled water instead (coffee, semi-skimmed milk, 2 sugars = 75 calories, x3 = 225, + biscuits = 400).
I've cut right down on bread, apart from at weekends, and the same with cheese. Two rounds of toast or crumpets oozing butter have been replaced by slow-release porridge or granola for breakfast. My main meals haven't changed significantly, although pies and pasties are restricted. Pizza or Chinese or chip shop - no more than once a fortnight.
The Monday after the Hot Break I weighed in at 15st 6lbs, and have been charting my weight every week. This morning the scales said 12st 13.5lbs. I can't remember the last time I was 12 stone anything. I'm aiming for 12:7, which is about what I was 22 years ago when I got married, then the wife can watch out because I'm going out on the pull.*
So come on guys, I've read from a few of you that you could also do with shedding a few pounds, if I can do it I'm damn sure you can too.
Photos lifted from the Hot Break topic (and I'm still trying to work out why the Admins decided to insult all the Mods with a presentation pack of Wychwood beers):
And this is now, **** self-timer photo from rubbish mobile phone, but you should get the idea.
* That last bit might be wishful thinking.
You get married, after a while the novelty wears off and life gets comfortable, gradually the waistlines might start to expand but neither of you are out to impress any longer and you don't really notice or couldn't care.
Fast forward a few years and you might get the occasional comment of âyou're drinking too muchâ and âyou could do with losing a bit of weightâ, to which a braver man might reply âpot, kettle, have you looked in a mirror lately?â
And then you return to home brewing.
The trouble with homebrew, cost ceases to be an issue and when you've got some stocks laid down it becomes far too easy to get home, grab a beer or open a bottle of wine, and later get another couple of beers or finish that bottle of wine. Every night.
Three and a half years of that, my trousers wouldn't stay up because my waist was bigger than my hips, my shirts were overhanging and I couldn't see my own feet.
Then some photos were uploaded from the Hot Break, and I thought âOMG, it really is time I did something about thatâ.
I took a month completely off the booze. I'm drinking again now but only about a third of my previous alcohol intake. I've completely cut out biscuits, crisps and peanuts. I've cut out 3 mugs of coffee a day and am drinking âno added sugarâ cordials with fizzy bottled water instead (coffee, semi-skimmed milk, 2 sugars = 75 calories, x3 = 225, + biscuits = 400).
I've cut right down on bread, apart from at weekends, and the same with cheese. Two rounds of toast or crumpets oozing butter have been replaced by slow-release porridge or granola for breakfast. My main meals haven't changed significantly, although pies and pasties are restricted. Pizza or Chinese or chip shop - no more than once a fortnight.
The Monday after the Hot Break I weighed in at 15st 6lbs, and have been charting my weight every week. This morning the scales said 12st 13.5lbs. I can't remember the last time I was 12 stone anything. I'm aiming for 12:7, which is about what I was 22 years ago when I got married, then the wife can watch out because I'm going out on the pull.*
So come on guys, I've read from a few of you that you could also do with shedding a few pounds, if I can do it I'm damn sure you can too.
Photos lifted from the Hot Break topic (and I'm still trying to work out why the Admins decided to insult all the Mods with a presentation pack of Wychwood beers):
And this is now, **** self-timer photo from rubbish mobile phone, but you should get the idea.
* That last bit might be wishful thinking.