Simon's Lock Down Weight Loss

Simon, Age 55, Height 5'11"

	Weight
Start	13 stone 13 lb
Current	11 stone 4lb
Simon's's Lost	2 stone 9lb
Time Taken	5 months

A bit about me...

OK, best start by saying that, at 55, I had attained a weight of 13 stone 13 pounds.

Saying “attained” sounds like I deserved a gold star - I did not. I simply drifted into eating an almost continuous stream of sugar-rich, processed and fatty foods... Both at home, and whilst out on the road visiting clients.

"Had I been presented with a gold star, I would have removed the foil wrapper and eaten that too."

Although embarrassing to admit, the “five food groups” for me were McDonalds, Burger King, Dominos, KFC and Kebabs.

 

How my weight affected me...

I confused the symptoms of weight gain with aging. The insidious role of crisps, sweets and burgers were largely ignored.

"Over three or four years, it became a struggle putting my socks on and tying up my shoelaces."

Over five years, my shirt collar size grew from 15.25” to 17.5”.

"This introduced me to the unsettling and unpleasant symptoms of sleep apnoea."

My waist size grew from 32” to 38” which, in turn, introduced me to bad posture and the inability to get comfortable when sitting on hard surfaces.

These new impediments came with an entirely new wardrobe of ever-larger shirts, jeans and suits.

 

My wake-up call...

Then came COVID-19, lockdown and a wake-up call from my wife, Julia (WLR username “Mazarine”). Julia had just started serious calorie counting using WLR and was religiously sticking to a limit of 1,100 calories per pay.

"Her concerns regarding my weight were expressed through a wide range of vividly imagined scenarios resulting in my untimely demise."

The upshot of her argument was that we should support each other and lose weight together. A week later I signed up to WLR and started calorie counting too.

 

My weight loss journey...

For someone who has never done calorie counting before, it has been a truly revelatory experience...

"...discovering just how many calories there are in a single Bourbon biscuit or even a Twiglet."

I was keen to share these new insights with anyone who would listen, including my business partners; one a woman and lifelong calorie counter, the other a man, a bodybuilder, and a previous Mr Universe title holder.

Apparently, I’m the only person for which these extraordinary insights are an interesting novelty.

My colleagues soon started firing random numbers at me as I approached… 45, 67, 133 in anticipation of my next calorie revelation. My wider family stopped inviting me over. The toughest part of being on a diet was discovering that I had become a diet bore.

From the outset, Julia and I chose to make these lifestyle changes permanent.

 

Fitting in fitness...

We supported our calorie counting activities with daily walks. We are lucky to live on the Greensands Ridge, and so have easy access to walks in beautiful woodland.

We have walked every day and our maximum range before exhaustion has increased from 800 yards to 10 miles.

 

My weight loss results...

The outcomes are best expressed in numbers…

"It has taken 5 months. No meal replacement drinks or food supplements. No “psychological” therapies. No gym membership."

Since the beginning of lockdown, I’ve lost 2 stones and 8 pounds, simply by calorie planning and counting using WLR and being mindful of what I eat.

My wardrobe has been purged of outsized clothes and I have purchased clothes in sizes last worn 18 years ago.

My waist size is restored to a svelte 32” once more.

My resting heart rate has fallen from 74 to 58 bpm (as reported by a new Polar Ignite smartwatch).

I no longer eat sugar - full stop - nor do I miss it.

"My chances of becoming diabetic have gone from “Near Certain” to “Near Impossible”."

I can tie my shoelaces without needing to sit back and pant afterwards.

All of this in just 5 months.

 

Reaching my weight loss target...

I’m now in the second month of maintaining at 1,980 calories per day. It’s alarming just how much you need to eat to maintain your weight if you eat healthily.

That has been the key for me. No processed food or sweets and no junk food. In compensation, it seems that I can snack on as much fruit as I like, without any weight consequences.

I start each day with a bowl porridge and drink fewer caffeine laden drinks – I’m down to two per day.

Most importantly, I no longer mention calories in day-to-day conversations and my family seem pleased to see me again.

 

How wlr helped...

A big thank you to WLR.

"It would have been impossible for either of us without calorie counting, diet analytics, progress monitoring and exercise recording."

The WLR community-driven approach to sourcing and sharing information worked for us.

Julia has previously tried every method under the sun to try to lose weight. WLR has worked for her. I’ve never tried anything else, so I can’t comment on the alternatives.

WLR worked first time for me.

 

Finally...

My biggest thank you, as ever, goes to Julia. Without her encouragement and support, I would still be blaming my age and “low furniture” for my daily struggles.