On The Eighth Day Of Christmas….

On the Eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…
Eight Maids a Milking, Seven Swans a Swimming, Six Geese a Laying, Five Gold Rings, Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear tree.

Well good morning world and thanks for tuning it to another year here on Planet Magnet…!

Happy New Year to you all!

Cor blimey, I reckon there are a few thick heads out there this morning…. 😉

I think that by now you will be rueing your decision to have that last glass of wine or beer and making a New Years resolution that involves something crazy like giving up drinking for good…. “Oh never again…” or words to that effect…. 😉

I for one have not actually made any real resolutions apart from promising myself that I will make more of an effort to continue with my writing and progressing my life in the direction that I really wish and need for it to go.

I think I can honestly say that if this year is half as good as last year I will not have many complaints because last year was a great year that has been and gone so quickly it appeared to have passed in the blink of an eye. Thinking about it, it is completely amazing that I have had time to record any of it at all, let alone write about it each day and share my thoughts and fears, hopes and dreams with you all.

All I can see coming this year is that my future really is bright. My life is finally out of the doldrums that I am starting to make sense of so much of it and I am sure that it is down to one man and his talent for pushing for me to have my Vertical Gastric Sleeve surgery and that is Bruno Sgromo. He has enabled me to take charge of my life and take things forward to such a degree that I never thought possible. He helped me take the plunge for a totally new way of life and in doing so insured that now I use my gym membership and don’t simply have it as a passing New Years resolution fad.
So what do I have in store for you today? Well I figured a trip down memory lane might be in order as I review the past year in pictures.
I hope it isn’t too tedious for you guys to witness and I hope you might even enjoy some of it, especially a little treat I have for you at the very end…..

Well the site was started on or around the 7th of January of last year.

I really was in need of a diet and this is what I was looking like in my football shirt when it all started….

Mind you, there were some nicer ones of me wearing “normal” clothing…

At Home With The Author

And back to the blog….
I thought it would simply be a case of sharing how I got to where I was at that point in the world. I believe I started it all off with a “what I want to achieve with the blog” first page where I talked about my past and my hopes for the future. In ‘I’m Fairly Sure My Leg Shouldn’t Look Like That’ I explained the fact the Bariatric journey started with a nasty leg break. This story then developed to tell you about how I managed to get looked at for my Weight Loss Surgery, what my hopes and dreams were, how I was going to get there and the fact that the TV and Radio were interested enough to follow my progress.

Since then I have been on the Radio and the TV several times:

BBC_3

This is something that I honestly hope will come calling again in the future and much more frequently than this last year. It would be nice to think that maybe there could be a new career waiting in the wings…

Click BBC to follow the link…

And because of this I decided that I could possibly start my own daily Video Log. With the best laid plans I set out to do this with as much effort as I put into the daily blogging but unfortunately I kind of let myself down and after a short while and some definite improvement, it kind of fell by the wayside, but it has still been an important part of my journey so do take some time to click on the picture to follow the link….

bigstock-Clapper-board-film-reel-and-f-45132883

And my own You Tube Channel. What am I like! A never ending string of things to talk about? No. I soon got bored with this little lot….!

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So things were moving ahead. I had undergone my surgery and now I had to learn how to eat again. I had to understand that I needed only much smaller portion, that I had to have a much more whole food approach to my cooking and that I MUST be more aware of every mouthful counting.
This I think I have managed and managed quite well as I launched into my Tasty Tuesday recipe section, bringing you various delights such as Thai Hot Prawn and Noodle Salad, Spicy Chicken and Mozzarella Pizza, Shiitake Sweet and Spicy Beef Stew, Egg, Cottage Cheese and Ham Mini Muffins, Piri Piri Chicken, Roast Chicken, right the way through to the introduction of things I thought I would NEVER eat such as Broccoli or Cauliflower with my latest recipe of Beef Olives…!

And all the while I was getting slimmer…

Even if it didn’t look like it was showing….!

I started at the gym and started to work out with a trainer, I felt my fitness increase with each pound that came off, I felt my life improve with each session that I accomplished. But most of all, I realised that I really did like exercising and after a while started to take it to new levels.

And added in some good walks that were local at first, heading much more farther afield as each walk took place until I was regularly seen heading off to the Ridgeway for a good stomp of up to 14 or so miles…

And I kept getting slimmer….

So I changed up my training and added the new style of training in to the mix. TRX and Kettle Bells were the way forward and so started to get used more and more in my gym routine.

Along the way there were some amazing walks,a great new adventure in the shape of my new Mountain Bike, some great days out and some wonderful new meals to be eaten. Eventually all of the “out” caught up with me and I decided that enough was enough and that there would be no more alcohol. This is a rule I have stuck to for several weeks now and to be honest, I didn’t miss it over Christmas so I can honestly say that I might well be half way through the battle of kicking it to the curb completely. Time will tell but I imagine it will be a long while before I indulge again.

Future Past & Present signpost in the sky

All the while, I got slimmer….

Until one day I started to be photographed in normal clothes and felt it was okay for me to go out into public wearing a shirt and tie and not look like my head was going to explode…

Which was quite nice when I was sat with my Niece or with a snake around my neck or best of all, with the sister car to my favourite car of all time (2VEV – an Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato as driven by the incomparable Jim Clark – see below)
img07

As ever, the one thing in life that is certain (along with death and taxes) is that time forged ahead and we neared the end of a very busy year that saw me losing a total of over eight stone in weight and slimming down to a very reasonable 16 stone and 13lbs. This may still sound like a great deal and my weight may have plateaued for a while but I know my body is changing shape and I am getting healthier so to be back in a weight bracket that starts with 16 stone makes me very happy.

So finally we reach the end of this whistle stop tour where I lost weight, became much fitter and much, much more confident. I learnt to cook things I thought I never would, I have started to eat vegetables I thought I would never see on my plate and I have started to feel like I am getting my life back together. Last week we took some more photo’s and as ever the football shirt ones are up first although I get the feeling that this measurement system will be coming to an end at the one year surgery anniversary (quite incredible to think that this is only a matter of just over ten weeks until the date) as I am fast becoming too small for it…!

And now the final picture of last year is here. I hope you like it everybody….

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I reckon one day my princess will come.

Don’t you?

Anyway, Happy New Year everyone and I hope 2016 brings you all the great things I KNOW it will be bringing me.

‘Till tomorrow,

Stay out of the fridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

51 thoughts on “On The Eighth Day Of Christmas….”

  1. Osyth says:
    Reply

    It’s moving and inspiring and all the things a great story should be. The girl is out there …. you just have to meet. And I am sure it will be a story all of it’s own with the happiest of endings. Here’s to you, my friend and your happy ending 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  2. New Journey says:
    Reply

    Can you hear my wolf whistle…..you will make a fine Prince to a beautiful princess one day soon….I called my husband my prince the other day and he said….excuse me I am the King….LOL anyway great overview of your year long path….its been quit a year for you….congratulations on a job well done….I am soooo happy that I found your blog and met you this last year….your a wonderful person and your encouragement and advise has helped me get on with my weight loss….thank you for that….I wish you the very best for the new year….I know there will be wonderful things happening in your world in the up coming months…and years……thank you for wanting to be my blogging friend and one day Cameron we will meet, and shake hands….Happy New Year you fine looking Scotsman!!!! Any women would be happy to have you for eye candy on her arm……XXXXXkat

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Blair (The Shameful Sheep) says:
    Reply

    Wow. Amazing transformation. 2015 seemed like a kickass year for you. Your last picture of 2015 is quite handsome. (don’t tell my husband I said that. shh) I’m actually surprised you don’t have a princess already. From what I’ve seen here – you have a great sense of humor/personality. But, really… if you can’t find one there, all you have to do is come the US. You have the kryptonite for American women – a British accent. lol

    Liked by 1 person

    • Worlds Biggest Fridge Magnet says:
      Reply

      Well thank you and your secret is safe with me…!
      Very kind to say that you are surprised I don’t have a princess already, I could not comment lest I be accused of narcissism 😉
      One day it will happen and if not I shall get myself over to the place where my mellifluous voice is sure to have them fainting in the aisles….!

      Liked by 1 person

  8. jncthedc says:
    Reply

    You appear to be a completely different person. It’s not just the weight loss; it’s the way you stand and a look about you. You seem more confident and genuinely happy. Just plain marvelous.

    Liked by 1 person

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