Hopefully I'm not breaking any confidentiality rules by posting these questions and my answers, but I have spent the better part of tonight filling in this online questionaire on the Slimming World website, and there is a very good chance that "My Story" / Answers probably won't even get published on the site, and there is no way I openly, honestly and emotionally answered all those questions over that many hours, that I was simply going to click submit, for it all to dissapear into the netherworld (Slimming World Online incoming submissions department) along with 6 million other similar questionaires!
So I have copy pasted the lot of it and am about to spam it onto my blog! Sorry, but it's my blog and I'll spam if I want to! :) Hope you enjoy it! :)
PS. Sorry for any embarrassment caused by my open and honest answers. "No animals were harmed during the answering of this questionaire."
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How did you hear about Slimming World? (If you were a part of Slimming World on Referral please let us know)
My wife Karen had done well on slimming world, but I could never get into the meals she was eating (Red and Green). Then my Doctor refered me to you and I was happy to find out about Extra Easy! :)
Have you ever tried any other weight loss methods? If so, which ones and why do you think they did not work compared to Slimming World?
As a teen I tried a bit of Weight Watchers and hated it … for life!
I dabbled with fit for life about 8 years ago but that was awful!
I tried calorie counting and 3 days a week gym about 6 years ago which helped a bit, but lacked longevity.
I tried Slimming World Original days (without actually attending group) with my wife about 2 years ago, but I found it hard to eat so little carbs and it cost too much to have decent amounts of meat to have enough to eat.
Last year i tried forever living, and I lost 2 stone in 2 weeks, then nothing for the next 1.5 months! Also the cost was high!
I tried following the heart foundation guidelines, but without the regular weekly "Image Therapy" I lost focus easily.
Extra Easy and I are a match made in heaven! Loving it, Loving it, Loving it!
How long have you been overweight? At what point in your life did you start putting on weight?
I've always been "chubby" but as a child and teenager I played a lot of sport and was always active. In my late teens I played ridiculous amounts of sport (Rugby and Volleyball) and dropped to about 12 stone in the army.
At 23 and about 16 stone, life changed drastically. I got married, quit all my sport and started working…behind a desk! Earning money was great and it got spent lavishly on unhealthy food!
I spent the next 15 years swelling like a hot air balloon through poor diet, fatty foods, tons of bread and fast food, a sedentary job and computer games for a hobby!
What was the final straw that made you join Slimming World?
In January, my 72 year old father who had his first heart attack at 36 and a triple bypass at 60 something (and more?), was hospitalised with pneumonia. I desperately wanted to fly to South Africa to see him, but had a rash on my left leg that I couldn't explain, and both legs were very swelled with water retention. So bad, I actually felt the stress on my skin as it felt like it was stretching to its limit. Fear of thrombosis or even a DVT during the long haul flight to SA convinced me to first seek medical advice. As expected my leg problems were weight related, and the doctor advised I DONT get on a plane till I had lost some weight!
I'd say the fear of never seeing my dad, who himself can't travel to the UK due to health, was pretty much the last straw for me!
How have you adjusted to your weight loss? Is there anything you can do now that you have not been able to do for years?
Early on in my weight loss, a friend succeeded where my SW Consultant couldn't and convinced me to start exercising. Walking as little as 200 yards a day! Back then, I couldn't do the 1 km round trip walking my kids to school without breaking into a sweat and suffering back pains. with my friend and Body Magic guidance we increased the intensity slowly but surely…with brief reckless increases when I felt I had more to give. Eventually the exercise addiction kicked in and I increased to 5 to 8 mile walks! Then I tried some running and got a tendon/muscle injury, then the same troublesome leg. After various people suggesting (most vigorously by from my cycle crazy boss) I try cycling till the injury healed. That was life changing. In January I wouldn't have even given a second thought to getting on a bike, nevermind doing a couple miles on one! Now after 7.5 months of SW and about 4 months of intense exercise (and platinum Body Magic) later, I'm running a 5 km route once a week and almost weekly improving on my best time (currently 37min 22sec), cycling 80 to 100 km a week, again almost weekly improving on my Average Speed, and 2 weeks ago did 40 km at a cyclothon, and 2 days ago 65 km at a cyclothon! It's safe to say I'm adjusting well to my weight loss and that those are things I have not been able to do in years! Oh, and of course, I can walk my kids to school without any trouble too! :)
Now you have lost your weight, what is your main ambition in life? Have you got any new hobbies or interests?
Well I've not yet lost all my weight, only 60% of the way done, but I already have a number of new hobbies. Cycling for 1, and Running another. But my absolute favourite "FUN" exercise is about 2 or 3 hours of trail riding on my mountain bike in the Sherwood forests! Absolutely Love it!
I've set a few goals for next year that I want to achieve. I'd like to do a 100km cycling event and I'd like to run a Marathon. I know I have a fair amount of weight still to lose, and a lot of training still to do before either are possible, but I know I'm on the right track, and I know I can get fit enough for both. There is a long winter ahead where I don't intend to let up in the slightest on continuing to train and increase the intensity of that training, so that I'm ready to achieve both those goals next year! After that, I'll find something else to train for. One thing I know for sure is forget the Fat…..I never want to get UNFIT again!
What do you like best about Food Optimising? Do you prefer the Extra Easy, Original or Green choice?
I'm Extra Easy all the way! It literally is SOOO Easy! Most days I go a little light on the carbs, but I try get good amounts of fibre in every day. A little carbs with every meal. I steer clear of Bread 99% of the time but love my rice, potato and pasta. I eat my fair share of Chicken breasts, and may single handedly be responsible for the price increases and shortages in my local supermarkets! Sorry :) Choosing Low Fat, No Fat, No Sugar is No trouble! Lot's of fruit and veg super frees to compliment my free foods. Nothing to it! :)
What was a typical day's eating before you began Food Optimising (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks etc)?
Breakfast: avoided breakfast like the Plague! The 2 or 3 times a month that I actually had breakfast was 4 slices of toast, fatty eggs, fatty friend tomatoes and onions and sometimes a pack of fatty bacon. But I really most days didn't bother eating before midday.
Lunch: Bread bread and more bread. I could have eaten bread sandwiches. If I had a salad which I have always liked, it was eaten with bread. sometimes egg sandwiches, Chicken sandwiches, big curry baguettes, but 99% of the time, lunch included Bread!
Dinner: Generally a home cooked something. Various pastas, roasted meats, steak eggs and chips, pizza, lots of pizza. Home made Burgers were a favourite once a week. Slow cook casseroles.
Snacks: CRISPS! 3 or 4 bags at a time. A tube of Pringles in a single session. Big bag of kettle fried crisps possibly with dip for a single snack. Big bags of Doritoes! And toffees! Thorntons toffees. I loved them! Chocolates now and again and the odd hard boiled sweet binge.
What is a typical day's eating now (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks etc)?
I have 2 breakfasts now.
Breakfast 1 (before exercise): A Hi-Fi bar. Every day. I say, its not safe to cycle or run without having had your Hi-Fi bar first!
Breakfast 2 (after exercise): Melon, Banana and 1 "exotic" fruit (strawberries, mango or pineapple. Orange if none of those are available) with a fat free Activia/Muller-light. On a weekend I may mix it up a bit and have frylight eggs, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and beans, some lean bacon if we have some. But thats rare.
Lunch: Salads. Chicken salad, Tuna Salad, Egg Salad, new potato salad, just a green salad. Sometimes a salad Pita bread. Sometimes a Pasta and Sauce. Sometimes a Batchelors Rice. Sometimes Frylight Egg, Tomato, Onion, Mushrooms and Beans.
Dinner: Very varied SW Recipes. Some favourites are pretty much all the curries! :) Beef Stir-fry, Steak Peppercorn sauce SW Chips Salad and Egg, Pizza topped Chicken, Chicken Stir-fry, Chicken Rice and Veg, Bacon Pasta.
Snacks: Fruit most of the time. Piece of cheese if none will make it into the meals. Triangle Cheeseys. Mugshots. FatFree Yog. Boiled Eggs are great for snacks!
Do you eat out regularly whilst losing weight? How have you managed this?
Well I wouldn't say I eat out regularly, but maybe once or twice a month. Some months a few more other months not at all. If I'm at a restaurant, I choose something that has lean meat..normally something grilled with salad or potato. I tend to save all my Syns for the day so that I can eat without too much concern for "Am I going over my Syns with the Chips?" If I do have a meal I consider to be very Syn heavy and over my day's allowance, I simple cut back on my Syns completely the rest of the week and sometimes the next.
Did you do any form of exercise before losing weight? Has it changed since joining Slimming World?
None at all. I work from home on my PC, 3, 4 or 5 days a week depending on the week, and my hobby was computer games, on my PC. There were weeks I never left the house till Sunday to go to Church! I truly am a different person now. I'm out the house, walking, running or cycling 6 days of the week, except maybe a rest week I may skip a day or 2's exercise to give my body a chance to repair the muscle. Some days I'm out doing 2 lots of exercise. I call those my "Fat Triathlon" days (Cycle, Run/Walk and finish it with a bath)!
What made you choose Slimming World? How did you feel about joining? Were you frightened/embarrassed? What do you think now?
My wife Karen had some success with Slimming World. Also a friend of ours had done well. But it was the doctors recommendation that actual got me to go.
I felt a little out of place at first, shy guy who knows nothing about whats going on, or what a taster evening is.
I was embarrassed by my size for sure. When I started with my group, I was by far the largest person there. In fact I may still be! But I have met some amazing supportive and inspirational people in both he groups I've attended. Lesley Fox inspired me from day 1! She was so motivated, focused and positive. Her amazing success losing 4.5 stone helped me believe it was possible for me to do the same…and I have! Thank You Lesley! My newest consultant is so genuine in her concern and interest in how IM doing. She re-motivated and focused me when I was starting to lose focus. Thank you Jeanette!
Now I love going. In 32 weeks I haven't missed a week. I went away on holiday to Devon and looked up the closest group to me and weighed in there. This week I missed weigh in because I was in Kent at a Cyclothon, that didn't stop me, I tracked down a Friday Morning group near me and weighed in there! NOTHING, will stop me from weighing in each week! I think I have stayed for every image therapy too! I think they great! I love being accountable to the group for what my weight has done this week. I also love to offer help and advice, hints and tips to anyone struggling or new. Pay it forward!
Were you discouraged at any time? If so, why and how did you cope?
I don't want to say the wrong things, but my last group seemed to have a lot of people that were unmotivated, lacked focus and almost seemed uninterested in losing weight. It was not only a curious situation to me, but it also began to take strain on my own motivation! A change in work situations and a friend's friend starting a group nearby gave me the opportunity to change groups. The new consultant, Jeanette was awesome, and she helped revitalise my enthusiasm.
As far as my own "coping" is concerned, the plan is engrained in me now…And I just throw myself into exercise to keep me focused and motivated. The more exercise I do, the more I want to eat healthy and the more weight I lose, which week on week, keeps my focused. It's all about the LOSSES! :)
What do you enjoy the most about your Slimming World group?
Currently, Above all Else, I love my Consultant! Jeanette is so genuine and caring, and amazing at asking the right questions to drag valuable information out of the members, so that she can best advise them on what to correct and improve. I always feel she sometimes enjoys the fact we have lost more than we do!
I also like the fact our group is fairly small at the moment, and that everyone seems motivated and focused.
Oh and Jeanettes Raffles are the BEST collection of veg EVER! I always buy 2 lots of tickets!
How has your Consultant helped or supported you?
I think I've answered this question already, but don't mind saying t again! Jeanette is awesome. I got home from a group the other day and was so inspired by our meeting and Jeanettes care and interest in our group that I HAD to send her a message on Facebook, thanking her for all her time and energy she puts into our meetings! She is so genuinely interested in helping us lose weight! She has impressed me since the first day i joined her group, and can't wait to do her proud by getting to target with a massive 14 or 15 stone loss, motivated, inspired, encouraged and enjoyed for at least half of the journey (probably the hardest part of the journey) by her! She irradiated about 2 months of laborious weight loss in the space of a week! Thank you Jeanette!
What do you like best about Image Therapy? How has it inspired or motivated you along your journey?
I like the fact I'm held accountable, good or bad, for my weight loss that week.
I like that I can share any great achievements I have had.
I like that I can share any low points I've had and that I can get some positive feedback to help overcome those low points.
I also like being able to help other people with suggestions to over come problems and cravings that I had to and still do experience.
I like getting good meal ideas!
Did being overweight affect your health in any way? If yes, how has your health improved since losing weight?
As mentioned this started with my legs being in bad shape. A "Rash"/Infection on my left leg, and both legs being very swollen all the time.
The obvious card issues of being 29 stone were a problem, but nothing imminently life threatening that I knew of at the time.
And obviously my fitness was at an all time low. Every day tasks (without going into detail) were difficult and required huge amounts of effort. I was in a very very bad and dark place with very little hope of improvement after many failed attempts at dieting!
Now:
The "Rash"/Infection is gone! Only scar tissue remains!
My legs are not swollen.
My muscles are strong and healthy.
Blood circulation appears to not only be better, but GOOD!
Blood pressure is healthy and I can get a resting heart rate of 65!
Every day tasks are simple and require little effort!
Life is bright and cheerful and Happy!
What difficulties in day to day life have you now been able to overcome?
Walking my kids to school is a doddle! It's not even a warm up. I never used to go do any shopping, and although my wife still does most of the shopping due to me working all day, I don't mind and often find reasons to go to the supermarket, or even better the Sports or clothing store. Cooking a dinner now and again…I used to get back pain if I tried. Now it's no problem. Washing the dishes…back pain before…now no problem.
Something as simple as tying my shoe laces! I used to buy slip ons to avoid it! Now I tie them without any trouble!
Have you received any publicity whilst or since losing weight? If yes, please give details.
Other than me still continuing my blog and Facebook posts to keep the "Big Brother Effect" in play…not really.
My first 5 km race I ran, my wife got chatting to the organisers when they were waiting for me to come in, and told them a bit about what I had done. I think I had lost 5 stone at the time. As I came running in to the finish line, I heard the announcer talking about it and I got a big round of applause! That felt pretty cool!
Family details - marital status, number of children, ages etc. How do they feel now about your weight loss? Have any of them lost weight?
Married for 15 years this year.
4 children: 13, 10, 9 and 3 years old.
My Eldest keeps showing all his friends my certificates on the fridge and asking there weight to see if I have lost more than they weigh! hehe He loves the fact I now take him Mountain biking Saturdays.
My daughter (youngest) tells me I'm not fat, but Im a bit chubby in the belly!
My youngest son thinks its amazing that I have lost 1 and a half of his weight.
My Middle son who also goes mountain biking sometimes has brought me to tears at least once with his enthusiasm about his new "skinny daddy" and I'm not even skinny yet!
My wife is "warming" to the fact that after 15 years of nagging me to do something, I'm eventually losing weight! ;) She loves the fact she can give me a proper hug again. She has also been very very supportive, buying the food I need, sometimes cooking a separate SW meal for me and keeping the crisps out and the fruit draw stocked!
I love them all and other than my health problems the other main motivation to stick to this has been my family!
Have you had support from your family or friends whilst Food Optimising? For example did you have to cook yourself separate meals, or did the whole family or friends Food Optimise with you?
Shhhh don't tell the kids, but they sometimes eat SW meals without knowing! :) 99% of the time my wife Karen eats my SW meals with me. My father in law says he always enjoys a SW meal when he eats with us. And all except my middle son has warmed to our new healthier Chicken meals on a Sunday.
Most of my friends and colleagues at work are very supportive of me and help by keeping a Big Brother eye on me, but 1 of the best experiences of support from a friend though, was a week ago, showing up at his house on a Saturday morning to watch the rugby with a couple friends and I had prepared myself to count some Syns for a Bacon Bap during the game, only to be surprised by a beautiful SW Full English! Thank you Darryl!
Is there anything that you can now do as a family that previously you were unable to do? For example, run around with the children, go on holiday.
2 years ago we went to Bideford bay, and we parked at a Hotel and the rest of the family went for a walk down the beach and across the rocks while dad sat in the car waiting for them. This last July we went back to that same beach a number of times, and dad never waited in the car this year! I was out no the rocks, through the big hole in the big eroded rock.
Saturday's have become mountain bike days, the most recent bank holiday Monday turned into a family picnic in Sherwood forest. Normally not only would dad have opted out of the picnic, but there was certainly no way dad would be the 1 dragging the boys out on their bikes for a quick ride on the trail!
Yeah you could say there have been some changes! :P
What’s your occupation? Has your weight ever affected your occupation in terms of your promotional prospects or general work relationships? If so, how?
I'm a Telecoms Engineer. Sadly not 1 of the outdoorsy, up a pole, cabling Telecoms Engineers either. I do all my work from a PC/Laptop. There is the odd occasion to visit the datacenter and do some server moves/installs, I have been able to help the other engineer more than I would have before, but there isn't all that much call for physical ability at work.
That being said, I get a lot of positive, encouraging comments from EVERYONE at work! I can't go into the office these days without someone saying something. They all praise me practically daily! It gets a bit much sometimes, but I guess it must be weird for them to see such drastic change, and it will take time for them to get used to the new me…especially since I'm still losing and my body shape is still adjusting!
The CEO and MD are obviously delighted that I have made such a drastic change to my health. I'm a valued employee of the company, and they are glad I've taken measures to get myself fit and healthy! They both enjoy cycling, so my new found addiction to cycling fits in well. :)
What did workmates/colleagues think about you joining Slimming World? What do they think now?
Of course they were all encouraging and hopeful for me right from the start. As they have been in the passed when I tried other diets. I don't think any of them HONESTLY expected this time to be any different and they are all very impressed. It's gone beyond the employees of my company now. Just today 1 of our customers was telling me he has shown his over weight accountant who is trying to lose weight himself, my blog. His accountants reply was "Inspirational!!!" or something to that effect. Another of our customers, inspired by my success is deciding if he wants to go to Slimming World or not, but in the mean time has looked up what information he can about it, and started following my Body Magic example. It feels good to be having that kind of effect on people, but at the same time, I enjoy the additional pressure I feel each time someone tells me how I have inspired them to get more active (Most of them thinner than me). There's no turning back now….far too many people to disappoint! :)
Detail any incident which could be of interest to the press which relates to before you lost the weight or since you have lost the weight. This could be an amusing story or an embarrassing experience.
WOW…hmmm…some of this was done before while attempting to answer the previous answers. Each suggestion below can be embellished on, or all the stories together telling in different ways the full effect the change has made on my life.
The contrasting family holidays of 2009 and 2011, Where in 2009 I waited int he car while the kids walked and played no the beach and rocks, then in 2011 at the same beach I was able to join in is a special 1 to me. Or the Forest picnic and mountain biking in contrast to previously simply not even going to the picnic and instead staying home to play a computer game. These tell the story of how this change has effected my family relationships.
Or the massive difference of in January not being able to even get on a bike to September riding 65 km in a day in a Cyclothon.
Id love to be able to tell the story of how this journey which started which a health problem preventing me from flying to South Africa to see my poorly Father, has seen me reverse that problem and I've been to see him. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to save for my flight yet.
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