…and for 3 good reasons.
1) I ripped my jeans outside playing football at lunch time at work (the kind of rip that doesn’t get unripped) so I needed some new jeans. I went to Asda, and fitted into a pair of size 38″ - a 2″ drop from the pair I ripped. When I started this weight loss, I was a 44″. That’s 6″ so far. It gave me a real boost.
2) I decided to start calorie counting. This isn’t going to be a scientific method of weight loss mind, just a rough guide for myself to monitor what is going in and what is getting burned off. It’s quite enlightening to see just how quickly a very basic diet adds up to 2000 calories.
3) When I was trying on my jeans, I saw my legs in the mirror. Now don’t get me wrong, they weren’t the legs of Alberto Contador staring back at me, but there is the makings of some definition in the upper leg. In particular, the muscle which I believe is called the Vastus Medialis (anoyone know for sure?) muscle is starting to take the shape of a cyclist’s!
These 3 things combined gave me the little boost I needed and wanted, and things seem to be back on track now. I’ve written a list, which I have called the “Yes List”, of foods which I am allowed. From these foods will come the mainstay of my diet:
Meats / Fish
Skinless chicken breasts
Turkey fillets
Salmon fillets
Tuna fillets
Rainbow trout
Cod fillets (not in breadcrumbs or batter)
Cereals and Breads
Wholemeal seeded bread
Wholemeal pitta
Brown Rice
Wholemeal pasta
Cous Cous
Granola Bar
Porridge
Bran Flakes
All Bran
Fruit and Veg
Baked beans
Brocoli
Fresh Tomatoes
Onions
Cauliflower
Peas
Sweetcorn
Bananas
Apples
Pears
Jacket Potatoes
Nuts
Flax seeds
Brazil Nuts
Drinks
Green Tea
Black Tea
Juice
Fresh OJ
Water
Even better news is that the Christmas weight is coming off - this morning I weighed 18 stone 7.6, just under a lb over my pre-Christmas low. This means I am now 3.6lbs off a loss of 4 stone. In addition to this, I am now up to 60 mile weeks - at least 30 on a Sunday, 10 on a Tuesday and 20 on a Thursday. My fat burning zone, typically 130bpm - 150bpm is harder to attain, requiring me to train at 20+ mph on the static training to achieve it, whereas before it could easily be attained at 16-17mph. Realistically, none of these figures actually mean anything other than for me to ensure I am within the fat burning zone, as the main aim is still to burn fat.
It’s been a good week, and I am looking forward to 2 rest days before pushing on to 36 miles on Sunday.