Steven's Weight Loss Success

Steven, Age 44, Height 5ft 9.5in

Start Weight	15st 6.5lbs
Current Weight	11st 10lbs
Goal Weight	11st 10lbs
Weight Lost	3st 10.5lbs
Working to Rate of Loss	1½lbs per week

Tell us a little about your lifestyle

I live with my partner Carol and 2 cats (Patch and Leon) in Stirling.

I work as a service engineer for an IT Company, looking after storage solutions for major banks, insurance company’s etc.

As a result I often have to work strange hours as part of an on-call rota. Carol works in our local cinema and also works shifts in the evenings and weekends.

Other than it being relatively sedentary (I spend a lot of the working day driving), the job can’t really be blamed for my weight pre-WLR.

What diets (if any) have you tried in the past?

My first attempt at losing weight in my early 20’s was simply a low calorie diet that I did on my own.

I was pretty clueless and although I did shift the weight I found it incredibly hard and of course when I was “finished” I ended up putting it all back on and more.

I’ve dieted off and on ever since and once shifted an enormous 5 stone on a low carb diet.

"The problem is always what to do once you stop “being on a diet”?"

I’m fortunate in that once I make up my mind to diet I can usually stick to it until I get results I’m happy with. The hard thing for me is making the decision that I need to lose the weight.

It’s like a switch in my mind that gets flicked and I become totally focussed.

Often I will start a diet and get nowhere because the switch hasn’t gone off in my mind.

"However, the diets I’ve tried have never been sustainable and there’s always a point where it stops and I go back to my old habits."

Although I’ve lost the weight I’ve learned nothing.

Tell us how your weight has affected your lifestyle/mood/stopped you doing things/other people’s reaction/perception to you etc?

The main problem with my weight has been health related.

Nothing serious, but I always seemed to have chronic indigestion and acid reflux especially at night. I would often go to bed chewing a couple of indigestion tablets.

I’m also told I used to be a terrible snorer, which thankfully has all but disappeared now!

What has been your main motivation to lose weight?

During the winter of 08/09 I lost about a stone in weight, but I was becoming concerned that my weight loss efforts never seemed to involve exercise.

I was also becoming frustrated that I would waste my weekends in front of the TV when Carol was working.

"I decided that buying a bike would be the way to kill two birds with one stone (losing weight through exercise and getting out and exploring and enjoying the countryside at the same time)."

Sadly it didn’t work out that way, as now that I felt I was exercising I didn’t keep quite so close an eye on all the cake and ice cream I was eating. I would kid myself I was refuelling! Of course the weight went back up!

However, I got hooked on the cycling. I started going cycling with people I’d met on a cycling forum and who organised social rides once a month.

They were great fun but I soon realised I would always seem to be going backwards up a hill compared to them.

One of those cyclists was WLR Member Sam (Eldudino) who had at that time lost about 4 stones with WLR. He was convinced that the weight loss was a major contributor to his ability to get up hills with greater ease than I was demonstrating.

"It was after one particularly hilly ride with Sam last October that the switch got flicked in my head and I joined WLR."

It’s quite ironic that I initially I started cycling to help with weight loss, but I ended up losing weight to help my cycling!

Which tools and resources do you use regularly on WLR? Which tools do you find invaluable?

Obviously the logging of everything I’ve eaten and all the exercise I’ve done is the key.

"Seeing everything in black and white on my screen has made it so easy for me."

The Goals and Results page is also key because it’s where you see the progress you are making.

I’m also a forum junky and have found those invaluable too. There are some fantastic members on WLR who are so knowledgeable and great at giving advice and motivation. 

Why do you think WLR has helped you lose weight where other diets have failed?

I honestly believe it’s because I’ve not been on a diet, I’ve been re-educated. WLR doesn’t tell you what to eat, doesn’t have food plans you must follow.

"It’s been up to me to decide what to eat, but WLR gives me the resources to determine if that has been a good food choice or not."

It’s educated (more accurately re-educated) me on what is a sensible portion size that doesn’t take me over my calorie allowance yet still stops me from feeling hungry.

It’s therefore not something that will “end.” I now have a better understanding on daily calorie allowances and the types of food that will help me stay within that allowance and yet keep me satisfied too.

Have you struggled at points in your weight loss journey??  Experienced a weight loss plateau?? What has kept you motivated?

For the most part I’ve not had any major struggles or plateaus (sorry to those who are reading this and have struggled, but I’ve found this the easiest weight loss I’ve ever achieved).

I have however, set myself some cycling goals which I’m sure has been a major contributor to keeping my fitness and therefore weight loss goals well focussed.

Since losing weight can you give some examples of how your life has changed??

I no longer suffer from the indigestion issues that I had previously and I’ve been told my snoring has greatly improved.

The main thing has been how much my cycling has improved. I can now climb hills with ease that used to beat me before and I now actively seek out more and more challenging climbs.

I’ve completed several 100km bike rides (both Sportive and Audax rides), and have signed up for 100 mile rides later in the year and aim to work my way up to the 300km “Snow Roads” Audax ride next May.

"Of course there’s also the self confidence you get when weight is no longer an issue and you no longer have to hide the belly under extremely large t-shirts!"

Walking around town or into a pub with 30” jeans and a slim fitting t-shirt feels great!

Exercise routines adopted?

Cycling is my main passion, but I also joined our local gym and have become a regular at their “RPM” Spinning classes.

These have been a great way to improve my cardio abilities and earn calories when weather and work mean I can’t get out on the bike.

What do you love about your body now?

Simply the fact that clothes fit me much better and I’m not using clothes to hide the bumps and lumps that were embarrassing before. I also like the fact that I don’t look like I have the mumps!

BMI Before	BMI After
31.5	24.3

Do you want to include anything else that you feel is relevant and supportive and would help others?  Tips to share???

When I started WLR I was riding a steel framed cyclocross bike weighing 11.5kg. I started at 15st 6.5lbs (98.2kg), today I weighed in at 11st 10lb (74.4kg).

This is a total weight loss of 23.8kg, which is TWICE the weight of my old bike! Can you imagine strapping 2 bikes onto your back then trying to cycle up a hill? Madness!

Anyway, that's me at my goal weight! I'm so incredibly pleased, but the hard work starts today (maintenance!).