Run Fat Boy

Jan 6th, 2023: Measurements

Weigh in for today’s post is 117.8 kg, that’s -0.2 from yesterday. Each time i weight in at the moment i am waiting for the pause in weight drop, the little and often approach to weight loss is a good thing for me, but i know there will be points where the weight will not move and will stay static for a period OR increase slightly OR a lot!

With the last statement being true, it’s important to keep in mind that measuring weight is just one factor, and there will be times when weight does not drop but other factors will show some positive change. This may well be small and incremental change but its change nonetheless.

I went and purchased a body measuring tape from amazon. Its small little device and loops around parts of the body to allow you to self-measure.

I wanted to capture all my essential measurements. Within the DDP Yoga Now app there is a way to capture and log your essential measurements. This is something i will have to revisit bi-weekly just to see how things are changing, and i expect it to be a little here and a little there, no huge changes.

My biggest issue is my waistline, i have over extended love handles, always been a problem for me. Weight seems to just develop there quickly and knocks my shape. My legs and arms have always stayed pretty slender and consistent.

The core work from DDP Yoga and hopefully the good eating will help to address some of that issue, but i still think once i am under 100 kg i will have an issue that i need to address. Not sure if that’s clinical or not but its something that i am very aware off and conscious off and always have been.

I am happy that i ticked off another DDP Yoga today, Its a 13 week program but i am adding additional items in on the rest days to keep myself stretched from the walking. And i followed this off with another strength class on the Peloton Guide.

I am also still doing a good walk each day on the treadmill desk, today was just over 20k but a solid 10 miles. I am sure every single step adds up, BUT i need to keep myself flexible. When the leg injuries and feet injuries come, and they will come from excessive walking, i need to ensure i am in a good situation for recovery.

I ended doing a 45 min sauna in the MiHigh sauna blanket. On my first attempt of the blanket i was worried that it was not effective, as i didn’t sweat. However this time with the heat at the top level and laying in it for 45 mins finally got me to that hot sweaty place! And i hope some of the benefits that come from sitting in a sauna and heating the body up.

Calories ln/Out

I am still working to a calorie controlled diet, i will need to start doing some analysis of the food i am eating at the weekend and ways i can optimize myself. The main bit is keeping under 2187 calories per day, and i only consumed 1747 today.

I think a vast amount of what i will do will stay the same, but isn’t that the point? consistency, consistency, consistency?

I keep thinking to myself if i can do this for at least 90 days and stay consistent the behaviors then the benefits will come!

Thanks for checking in!

Jan 5th, 2023: The long Wednesday

Firstly, let’s talk about weight as of Wednesday 4th Jan…. 118 kg that’s down 0.6 kg.

I am always cautious about weight as my weight fluctuates so much. I am talking kgs at a time. Although it’s going down i always worry about it having a spike in the next few days.

I generally try to weigh in first thing in the morning, normally straight after my morning bio break to ensure i have consistent baseline!

Wednesdays for me are brutal. Like really brutal, and they have been for some time. My work functions heavily in a US focus, and thus each Wednesday typically between 9pm – 12am i end up on a series of calls after my typical working day.

Now let me be clear, i love what i do, and i love my job, and i have no issues with late-night calls. The risk with Wednesday is that i don’t find time to do my exercise routines. I generally workout around 9pm or 10pm (basically when the kids go to bed), but that goes out of the window due to the calls.

The side effect on Wednesdays is that i try and walk extra miles.

Let’s break down my Wednesday, i typically work from 9am-5pm although today i had a call with my boss that wrapped up at 18:45. Within this window I was able to just focus and walk at the same time, lots to catch up from the holiday season. I spent a little time before chatting to my boss, to do Yoga and a quick test drive on a new purchase, a MiHigh Sauna blanket. I have been spending a fair bit of time on YouTube and the web looking at Saunas and the overall health benefits from them.

I was expecting to be a hot sweaty wreck after the sauna blanket, but that certainly was NOT the case, i was warm, but not hot, i didn’t get a sweat on, and i had the blanket at the highest level. I will have to see how this progresses over the next month. My habit i want to achieve here is a 4-6 times a week in the sauna blanket. I hope that this reduces risks on a whole series of things as well as aid recovery.

I will do a deeper review on this as the month progresses to share my thoughts.

When i finished I went back out to chat to my boss, then have dinner, and then do a quick 10 min strength peloton class before heading back out to work.

My treadmill desk continues to be a life saver for me, it keeps me moving, while the DDP Yoga continues to keep me stretching and making sure i develop flexibility.

Today was a 28k step day and 14 miles.

One of the hard things with walking so much is both friction on the thighs (chub rub as i lovingly call it) and blisters on the feet. I need to ensure i wear both socks and leggings when walking.

I am really happy with the consistency so far with Peloton, I ended up using the Peloton Guide and weights again. I want to see if i can continue to hit my daily streak.

My calories continued staying consistent. I dont feel rough or dizzy from what i am eating or drinking, and feeling good. My Calories today mind you was pretty low. I would say its the lowest this week (ignore the 12/31 results as i did not maintain everything i ate or drank on new years eve)

However due to all the activities today, Walking, DDP Yoga, Peloton, Sauna, my net calories were lower. Again, i don’t feel bad, i feel fine but it’s something for me to monitor and be aware off. Although myfitnesspal does not seem to capture my steps from Garmin connect to adjust.

According to Garmin connect which syncs from myfitnesspal and has all my data. I am in a calorie deficit, and that’s key for me. It’s a long way still to go.

Anyway, as i sit here at 01:22 on the 5th of January after my long wednesday, i think i should go to bed and chill out before my morning starts!

Thanks for listening

Jan 4th, 2023: Micro Goals

I have this major goal to get under 100 kg. That the master plan, but to achieve that its hard thinking about the long journey ahead. To help me keep focused and to keep encouragement i am going to break things down to 5 kg goals.

Goal 1: 115 kg
Goal 2: 110 kg
Goal 3: 105 kg
Goal 4: 99 kg

Ideally i would like to go beyond this and not only help improve my weight but maybe get a bit closer to what withings and others think my ideal weight should be. The NHS recommends i be something between 56.7 kg and 76.6 kg using the BMI calculator | Check your BMI – NHS | Your BMI result (www.nhs.uk).

So even if i get into the double digits, i will still be 15 kg away from what the NHS recommends! Thats scary! but i think i will be happy in the 90’s for now.

My weight as of the 3rd January was 118.6 k, that’s -0.1 from yesterday.

Its a long way from my first goal and i know it does not take long to change my weight upwards vs downwards. That slow progress is also important as it will help me keep it off long term.

Yesterday was also a big day in getting back to work, my normality. Work for me is always a blessing, i am fortunate to work for a great company, i do a job i love and am passionate about, and it has afforded many blessings for my family. However, i have an addictive personality and so i can get consumed in the work i perform which takes away from my physical health.

One of my blessings from my work is that i typically work from home, perhaps around 95% these days since the pandemic. I used to travel a lot, if i could really emphasize a lot it would still be an understatement. Working at home gives me a chance to work from my desk in my man shed. Back in 2016 i invested in a Lifespan Fitness TR5000 which really helped me in 2017 alongside DDP Yoga.

This is my current desk setup for home working. I basically work from start to finish walking with a few breaks in the day or when i am drinking a hot drink.

It’s been a super productive day back into the walking routine. I got over 11 miles under my belt and over 23k steps. This is a key contributor to supporting a healthy weight loss, but it needs to be supported by the yoga as i get super tight in the legs as time progresses.

Garmin Connect Steps Details end of 3rd Jan 2023

This evening i played with a new gadget, a Peloton Guide. This arrived today with 3 sets of dumbbells and a yoga matt. I wanted to get more into strength/resistance training. Tonight was my first play with it and its not to bad at all! Still a long way to go, and as long as it keeps me motivated thats whats key!

The food was balanced again today. I need to at some point in the next week take all my body measurements as i think thats another important element to track on this journey. i have not done that as yet.

The one thing i am happy about is my incorporation back of salads. I use to love eating salads, and it gave me so much joy doing so and i need to regain that consistent love of eating great plant based products with some good proteins in it.

My consumed and net calories still look good. Especially with the 2 Peloton classes and 1 DDP Yoga. They are not long classes that i am doing, but i am just trying to build up motivation and commitment to achieve more.

So onwards we go to that first goal. 115 kg is what i need to hit and achieve, slow and steady, and totally accountable.

Thanks for listening

Jan 3rd, 2023: Adrian Mole

My son is reading/listening to a book series, Adrian Mole. It’s basically the life of a boy from the age of 13 onwards, his diary and memoirs. And one of the thing Adrian Mole seems to do is constantly measure his penis length. Clearly i won’t be doing that but i feel i should start with a regular or somewhat daily check in on weight.

118.7 kg down 1kg

One of the tools I will be using over this journey is my Withings Body Cardio Scales. I have to give a huge bit of kudos to this tool, it keeps me truly accountable as when i step on them the information is logged and updated to the cloud. Over the years i also bought the blood pressure and temp monitor.

Over the last two days i have tried to start as i mean to go on, little and often as a wise friend once said to me.

Eating: I have folded my intermittent fasting into myfitnesspal, i am currently still doing my 12pm-8pm. I have also kept my calorie intake in control and net calories (calories in vs out) under. Drank water vs fizzy drinks, and been mindful in what i am consuming.

One thing i intend to do with myfitnesspal is analysis of the foods i am eating over time. I am sure there will be items i need to cut or adjust.

Exercise: DDP Yoga is well underway, and two sessions done. With peloton i have done a mindfulness and strength session. I recently purchased the Peloton guide and some weights, so i have the intention to do more weight-based activities as that will have greater resistance and hopefully a higher calorie burn.

Tomorrow brings me back to the ground with a bump, I need to start my focus again on my job. My household is also either starting to also go back to work or the kids are starting to fold back into school. So life will play a big role now. The days i expect to be busy, i expect to walk, i expect to eat correctly, and the evenings around 9-10pm will likely be when i start an exercise activity. Last year i had the intention of doing some peloton cycling for lunch, but i think this year will be completely full on and that expectation may be hard to follow through on. The main thing is to keep walking and eating correctly.

I want to talk about small micro goals tomorrow, i remember in 2017 when i lost my massive weight loss, i set micro goals. And i need to really zone in on that.

Will check in again tomorrow

Jan 2nd, 2023: Accountability

One of the hardest things I find is trying to keep myself active and holding myself to account. Losing weight for me was not about rules, but more around changing underlying behaviors and beliefs.

To do this I end up getting an addictive personality to a set of fundamental systems that change the way I think and adapt what I do to fit that framework. These principals will hold me to account, and i need to be accountable for at least 3 months to ensure i build the correct behaviors!

In my world I use a set of beliefs and structures, for example;

I need to perform some physical activities per day that make me sweat or challenge me – This could be yoga, sauna, walking, cycling, swimming, but something
I need to control my calories I consume – This could be via intermittent fasting, calorie intake being constricted, a high plant-based diet, just something to restrict my consumption
I need to program my mind to make the right choices vs the easy choices – This could be as simple as rejecting an offer for a drink or food.

Physical Activities

There will be several activities I will be active with;

DDP Yoga – My username here is zarbie if you use the platform. My goal initially for the beginning of this year is to run with the “Intermediate 2” program and get through that twice will adding a few extra sessions. I have officially kicked into this now
Walking – One of the key activities I do is walking, I do this while I work on my treadmill desk. I try to average anything between 10k to 20k steps per day and log that on my Garmin Fenix 6x
Sauna – I have just invested in one of these infrared sauna blankets. It’s one by MiHigh. The research demonstrates that saunas are good for weight loss but more importantly other body functions such as high blood pressure for which i have identified in myself. I want to try and do this 4-6 times a week (bearing energy costs!)
Peloton – I have a peloton bike, in fact i originally shifted away from DDP Yoga to the bike as i loved cycling and wanted to get stronger on my cardio. However, this time i want to balance the cycling with the many other peloton classes, strength and weights classes are necessary for me. Again, if you want to connect with me on peloton my username is JustinZarb
Cycling – I do love cycling, but my flexibility has gotten a bit tight over the last few years and I need to fix that. Before the pandemic I used to cycle back and forth to the office, it was c12 miles each way. However, life not going into the office has caused that to be taken away. I need to consider how i address that. I will log all of this either to Garmin or Strava.
Swimming – This is a long shot, but i would like to get more into swimming. It was a great form of exercise, but it requires a gym membership which i am not overly keen to waste money on given i have other items.

Calories In

This is probably the hardest area! My diet! I have just gone off the rails from what i consume. So i need to establish some good practices and it will take time for me to get my behaviors in place

Intermittent Fasting – I am going to look to only eat for 8 hours of a day. In my earlier life i hardly ever ate breakfast, so i am going to try and only eat from 12pm – 8pm.
MyFitnessPal – I am going to try and limit myself to 2187 calories per day, this may have to be reduced further. Again, you can follow me here
Carbonated Drinks – I really need to cut this, coke zero is just a weak spot for me, i need to drink more green teas and water
Protein Drinks – I am going to try out some of the meal support methods such as Huel and Manual.co , they have high protein drinks to help with hunger and not snack on the wrong things.
Plant Based – I use to have a really high plant-based diet back in 2017, and this has gone astray, too many vices such as chocolates and sweets from the kids getting consumed and need to restrict or remove them all together. My mindset works a bit binary, i am either fully In (not eating rubbish) or not, i can’t just allow a few small treats else I just go off the rails.

These are just some of the things I am thinking of controls for me to keep me focused! I need to get under 100kg! It’s just been too many years and I need to get to that goal!

Jan 1st allowed me to complete my first DDP Yoga course, I am at 164,436 points with DDP Yoga and by the end of the year i want to get to 265k points!

Next update tomorrow

Jan 1st, 2023: A new beginning

Back in 2016 i had the intention of writing a blog and sharing my journey of weight loss. It started with good intentions, but like weight loss it failed after two simple posts. My weight in 2016 continued to increase till i hit the highest weight i had ever been at Christmas while feeling shamed by people. I ended. up hitting the end of that year at 145kg, you won’t see that on the chart as I jumped off the scales to prevent it being logged.

Over Christmas 2016, I watched a documentary called The Resurrection of Jake the Snake (2015) – IMDb. This one film saved my life in 2017. I discovered DDP YOGA Official Web Site – DDP Yoga and went on a journey of losing weight.

2017 was revolutionary for me, I went from 145kg to 108.4kg. It gave me a way of life I never thought I would ever achieve again. And subsequently over the years my weight stayed consistent, in April 2020 I almost hit my goal of getting under 100kg but only achieved 101.9kg.

There after March 2020, i did not continue my DDP Yoga, i had injuries and other items constantly coming up, the pandemic was in full flow and I have 2 children that needed my support, work became hard, and productivity increased despite all the support the organization gave to try and give people balance. I also changed some of my approaches, I assumed my walking desk and peloton bike which I purchased during my weight transformations would be enough for me, sadly that’s not the case!

Net net my weight started to trickle back on, and that has been the story of weight gain in my life. The weight gain had some difficulties thereafter that point, but as you can see in the chart below, my weight has slowly developed and increased back up towards 120kg.

Today I am 119.7kg and this time I want to document something I never thought I would ever achieve.

So a new year, new mindset, trying to remove the distractions and focus on my health again.

Just to be clear, I have kept moving over this period, I kept walking on my treadmill desk, I kept going out cycling, I kept doing the peloton, but all of it was a little inconsistent compared to what I achieved in 2017.

But I think the massive thing I did badly this year, is I let my eating and the mindset I created around eating get away from me. And that’s what I need to get back this year.

This will be my journal/diary for my progress in 2023.

I have made a bet with a friend who also wants to lose weight on my street. We weighed in yesterday, but I am already a few lbs up.

My goal is to finally see only two digits on the scale in KG. I want to be under 100kg, I want to feel healthy, and more than anything I need my mental health restored as I feel low from the burden of weight on my shoulders, it will never show to my external world, but inside of me I feel it.

Feel free to follow my journey, I have a long way to go, a few encouraging words are also nice, and I will share more each day.

My biggest issues

1. I keep eating (and often its the wrong stuff)

2. I am not active enough

The last 24 hours is a great example of both 1 and 2.

With point 1 my family and I and our two friends went to a restaurant called zero degrees last night, its a good place, good food, we have pretty much the same stuff every time, but its too much stuff.

Last night was a spadini, bbq chicken salad, calamari’s for starters and then we both had pizzas.

The evidence of the empty starter plates….

Then this morning i had to wake up and be out of the house by 5.15am to catch a flight to Manchester at 8.05.

I felt awful from the night before, my stomach was in a spin which led me to just a terrible terrible start to the day. Firstly i sat on the toilet forever, then had to have a wash, got uber ordered, which then got stuck in traffic, got to the airport at 7.31 tried to go through security , but guess what security stops at 7.30am for my flight {face palm}, had to then pay £40 out of my pocket to change flight for one at 10. Then i get through check in, went to the BA lounge and had the squits again, thankfully BA lounges have showers (so i was happy there) but what a poor start of the day.

This leads me on to point 2.

so far today i have sat on a toilet, had a shower, sat in an uber, walked through security at Heathrow, then had a shower, now i am waiting for my flight at 10 so will be sitting down for another 2/3 hours. Then I will take a flight sitting down, get of flight and get a taxi , go to a meeting and sit down, go get another taxi where i will almost miss my flight again, fly back to London, get an uber home and then spend what short time i have with my wife (sat down) before she falls asleep.

You may get a sense that i am sat down a bit too much….. and that’s the point! “so do I”!

Still sitting at 139.2kg but will expect that to go up slightly by the end of the day! On a good note I did just have a bowl of bran flakes and banana…. thats a good choice bowl of food!

A Start

A start is a start, you have to come from somewhere to finish in a race. For me my start is at the back of the queue. I am the heaviest i have ever been in life. I look back at my younger years thinking where did it go.

I use to play a lot of sports and would be the person in the gym laughing at the bigger folks.

I am 139.2kb …. That’s huge! 21.9 stone! This is the heaviest i have ever been in my life.

It all just went on over a number of years, 1kg here 1kg there, a little loss, then a lot more on.

I am feeling awful at the moment, my heart pounds, my waist hurts.
I am going to use this to document my journey. Lots of nasty photos of myself and the steps that i will use to resolve this mess i got myself into.

My biggest concern is time! will this take me years? months?

So what’s my all up goal…. 95kg or 15 stone! That’s the aim!