Hi all, and welcome back!

After the plateau of last week I can report that I have lost 1 pound this week to get me back on track!

As I have said before, it is a perfectly natural thing for your body to put a halt to the losing of weight and create a plateau in order to carry out essential repairs and maintain your physical wellbeing...

It is at times like these when many people who are "trying" to change their lifestyles faulter and say "why do I bother!"

Not me though as I have continued to stick with the program and work hard at my training. As a result I am everyday getting stronger, fitter, lighter and faster... and more toned!

In 11 and a half weeks I am taking part in the Great Manchester Run to raise funds for Wythenshawe FM which is a local community radio station that helps local people to move on with their lives by providing them with training and support to help them get back into work!

This is helping to keep me focussed by giving me two extra goals... to raise as much cash for the cause as I can... and to complete the 10 kilometre (6.2 mile) course in under 45 minutes!

And of course this makes it all the more important to make sure that I continue to feed my body properly and not deprive myself of the essential nutrients which I need.

I will keep you updated, see you next week!

Cheers
Andy

I've been at this for 15 weeks now and I have been doing really well with both my fitness and the weight loss, and the training is still going well!

But this week I have to report that I have not lost any weight at all! I have it seems hit one of those weight plateaux which I have mentioned in previous enties to my blog.

This is nothing to be concerned about though as it is a natural thing to happen from time to time as your body decides that enough is enough for a little while and it steadies the ship and makes important repairs!

The training is though as I said still going well and in fact I have this week increased my output.

I am still running and cycling to and from the office but now, instead of coming straght home at the end of my working day I take a detour!

I am still doing the same distances going to work but on my way home I am now running for seven and a half miles and cycling 10 miles.

I have also introduced some static exercises to help tone and strenghten my upper body and core muscles.

The Great Manchester Run is now just 12 weeks away and I am determined to be ready to compete!

See you all next week.

Andy :0)

Hello again everyone, another week and another 2 of my excess pounds dropped off! As every week passes I am more encouraged to progress further and make this life change of mine permanent!

I have now lost 1 stone and 8 pounds (22 pounds) and more and more people are noticing the change in me.

The best thing is though the massive improvement in my physical fitness... tonight on my run home from work (5 miles remember) I beat my personal best time by 1 minute and 10 seconds making my new PB 36 minutes  44 seconds!

Things are looking good for my forthcoming participation in the Great Manchester Run which will take place on the 16th May this year! The run is a huge event which involves both serious competitive runners and fun runners alike, but while I am taking part to raise money for charity I am also setting myself a serious goal!

It is my intention to complete the 10 kilometre course in under 45 minutes, and I have just under 13 weeks to make sure that I am in the peak of physical fitness to achieve my goal!

The great thing about this is that because I am focussing mainly on my health and fitness and not just on weight loss I can make sure that I eat properly and not get sucked into any ridiculous or faddy diets.

It is really important to remember that whilst you are getting plenty of meaningful exercise you have to make sure that you are feeding your body with all the fuel it needs to repair and maintain itself, otherwise you will do more harm than good!

How are you doing with your life changes, let me know by leaving a comment below this post.

Cheers all, and see you next week.

Andy :0)

Wecome everybody to week 13 of my journey to full physical health and fitness, and the good news just keeps on geting better!

I have dropped another 2 pounds this week meaning that I now weigh in at 12 stones and 5 pounds (173 pounds or 76.8kg), and it's a great feeling to be so much light with much less stress on my lower joints!

Remember I am not doing this with the use of any "special" or "faddy" diets, but I am eating healthily and getting lots of worthwhile exercise in the form of running and cycling.

It is worth taking note that in the large majority of cases this is the best method of getting your weight under control, and unless you have a medical condition which prevents you from getting up and working it off then it will definitely worth your while to do it!

You don't have to go running or cycling like I do as there are lots of different ways of getting meaningful exercise such as going for regular walks, swimming, energetic team sports or going to your local gymnasium.

The important thing is that you work your major muscle groups and your heart and lungs, and I recommend that you get a good hour of exercise at least 4 times a week!

As an example, Michael Phelps in his build up to the Olympics Games had a daily calorie intake of around 10000 Kcal per day and yet there wasn't an ounce of fat on him when he put that swimming costume on!

Another great example of this is the boxer Ricky Hatton. When he is ready to step into the ring there is not a scrap of fat on him, but after the fight is over he stops training he puts a lot of weight on because he continues with the same calorific input!

There's food for thought, see you next week!
Andy

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Welcome back everyone, nearly 3 months have gone by since I began this particular part of my personal journey and it is still going really well.

At week 12 I can report that I have lost another 2 pounds making a total reduction of 1 stone and 4 pounds (18 pounds or 8kg) and at 12 stone 7pounds (175 pounds or 77.7 kg) I am not just feeling the benefits but apparently showing them too!

I have noticed that since losing a few inches from my waist line I am actually standing straighter, walking taller and my posture is improving massively... as a result I am suffering much less back ache, which is fantastic!

This morning a colleague at work commented on the difference she has seen in me since I started on this journey of mine and it was a really nice thing to hear... and a great boost to the motivation too!

I have been really positive about my body changes anyway but it is always nice to hear it from someone else as it helps to affirm everything that you already know!

It is a fantastic feeling to be getting fitter and stronger and it is spurring me on to work really hard and get as fit as I can, especially as I have entered the Great Manchester Run in May!

I am doing it to help raise money for Wythenshawe FM which is the community radio station where I have my radio show.

Wythenshawe FM is a charitable organisation which provides free training and support to people in South Manchester who are trying to get back into work and get their lives moving in the right direction, which is why I am involved with them!

Check out my show on Saturday afternoons from 4 til 6 (UK time)

Cheers all, and see you next week!
Andy

I'ts week 11 and I'm buzzing because I lost another 2 pounds making a total loss of 1 stone and 2 pounds (16 pounds)!

I now weigh in at a much healthier 12 stones and 9 pounds (177 pounds or 78.6kg), and the good news just keeps coming as I am really encouraged by the difference I see in my shape from week to week!

I mentioned last week that the time had come to alter my exercise schedule as the snow and ice had disappeared and I was becoming far to "comfortable" with what I was doing!

So on Monday of last week I put the new plan into action. It is good to vary your exercise from time to time as it prevents boredom and helps to keep your motivation going as it enables to set new "mini goals".

I am now exercising as follows:

Monday - I cycle to work (approx 5 miles) and then at the end of the working day I run home.
Tuesday - I run to work and cycle home.
Wednesday - as per Monday.
Thursday - rest day
Friday - as per Tuesday.
Saturday and Sunday - rest days!

Remember I always carry out 15 to 20 minutes before and after every exercise session and these are no different!

The great thing about exercising this way is that it is enabling me to get around 90 minutes of exercise (including warm up and down) whilst building it into my normal day which frees up more time in the evenings for the other things which I like to do.

I'm feeling great and looking much healthier too!

See you next week.
Andy

Hi all, welcome to week 10 of my personal journey and it is all good news!

The snow and ice have cleared and I am able at last to step my training back up and that is music to my ears.

This week I can announce that I have lost another 2 pounds which brings my weight to 12 stones and 11 pounds (179 pounds or 79.5 kg), and I am really beginning to feel the benefits of that reduction!

My clothes are more comfortable and less restricted (especially my trousers), and my energy levels are much better!

The party season is well and truly over now so we can all really get stuck into sorting ourselves out, and that is exactly what I am doing!

This morning I rode my bike (mountain bike) to work for the first time in ages (5 miles) and I loved it... and at the end of the day I left the bike behind and I ran home (complete with backpack).

I also this weekend entered myself for the 2010 Great Manchester Run to help raise money for charity, which is a great way of helping to keep the motivation going to keep getting myself fitter!

I was looking at a photograph which my wife took of me on our last holiday (which was when I really began to notice my excess weight!) and I said to myself that I will never allow myself to get that heavy or unfit again!

How are you doing on your journey? Feel free to let me know by leaving a comment!

Cheers
Andy

P.s. Watch out for my new radio which will air for the first time this weekend on WFM 97.2 and online at www.wfmradio.org

Hi all, and welcome to week 9 of my personal journey and I am very happy to announce that I have lost another pound!

I now weigh in at 12 stones and 13 pounds (181 pounds or 80.3 kg) which is 12 pounds lighter than when I started this journey.

I am still not able to going running again just yet as the snow and ice are still laying thick on the ground making it far too slippery!

I am however continuing with the walking, and I am also now adding in some static exercises to help with the toning and strengthening of my upper body muscles.

Also Alison (my wife) is further indulging my love of food by seeking out new recipes which we haven't tried before, and I am loving that!

This week we have had "Somerset Chicken" and also home-made "Potato & Leek Soup" with home-made "Soda Bread", both of which are absolutely delicious recipes!

I am really loving this journey that I am on as it is helping me feel so much better in myself day by day, and I am getting a great deal of pleasure from proving to you all that you don't need to spend lots of money on expensive equipment or gym memberships, or go on any faddy diets to lose weight and gett fit!

You can do the same, just get up off your backside and get regular, worthwhile exercise!

See you next week

Andy

Hi all, and Happy New Year!

How are you all coping with your New Year's "Resolutions"?

What is it that you have decided to do this time, and are you managing to stick with it?

It is now the end of week 8 of my personal journey and for the second week in a row I have maintained my weight!

This is due to the fact that we are currrently being gripped by arctic conditions which have made it neccessary to make adjustments to my exercise regime for the second consequetive week!

It is treacherously slippery out there in all that snow and ice which is making it far too dangerous for me to go out running or even cycling as I was hoping to do this week!

I have therefore been out walking for exercise, so unfortunately I am no lighter than I was but at least I haven't put any weight on!

I am really looking forward to seeing a break in the weather so that I can resume my pounding of the streets as I much prefer to work my body hard so that I can improve my fitness levels as well as lose the excess weight!

Helpful hint for the week... If you are dispensing with an unhealthy habit such as cigarettes, or if you are altering your eating habits to to lose weight don't use negative terms such as "quit", "give up", or "diet" as these automatic enter the idea that you are depriving yourself of something into your subconscious!

When making important life changes we need to chose our language very carefully as it can have a huge impact on our ability to succeed!

If you want to know more please do get in touch!

See you next week.

Merry Christmas everybody!

Welcome to week 7 of my journey, and although I haven't lost any weight this week I am very pleased to say that I haven't put any on either!

The reason for my weight plateau is that this week I relaxed my exercise regime a little and there are a couple of reasons for this.

The first is that as it is Christmas, I decided that I would make the most of the holiday period and give my body a little bit of rest.

The second reason is that we have had some really wintery weather here and as a result of all the snow and sub zero temperatures it has become far to slippery and dangerous to go running!

I haven't been slacking off completely though, as I have been out and about for the odd long walk instead.

This said, I am really happy that I have been able to balance my energy input and output and maintain my weight as we turn toward the New Year.

January 1st 2010 is a very special date, as it not only brings in the New Year but also the New Decade with it.

It is a great time to take stock and re-evaluate your life, and then to set your goals for the coming year(s).

Where do you see yourself in a year's, 5 year's, or 10 year's time?

More importantly what are you prepared to do to achieve your goals?

Come and talk to me about it, I have the skills and the experience to be able to help you realise your dreams!

See you soon.

Hi all, and welcome to week 6 of my personal journey to health and fitness. I can proudly announce that yet again I have lost another pound in weight!

I am really pleased with the way things are going so far, especially as I have had to make some adjustments to my training schedule along the way and the fact that we are right in the middle of the Christmas party season!

I am now a much more healthy 13 stones (182 pounds or 80.8 kg), and getting so much stronger each week.

The other fantastic side effect of this that I am finding that I am sleeping more soundly and also experiencing greater levels of concentration right through the day!

Special meals included in this weeks cullinary delights were my 4th work related Christmas dinner consisting of carrot and corriander soup, beef wellington, and profiteroles (on Friday), and a three course Mexican treat whilst visiting my children this weekend in Scotland of stonebaked flatbread with cheese, chille con carne, and boca negra (Saturday evening).

I even had a full Scottish breakfast on Sunday morning, proving once again that good exercise is the most important factor in losing weight and getting healthy.

Join me again next week for my first post Christmas report.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Andy

Week 5

Hi all and welcome to week 5 of my personal journey to full health and fitness, and what a week it's been!

First of all I'd like to say... I've lost another pound in weight! This is especially great news as it has been a week of alterations in my training to accommodate the first indulgencies of the Christmas party season!

Instead of going for a run on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as usual I altered my plan and went out running on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday because I was celebrating on Thursday and Friday.

Making these changes allowed me to still have my 3 runs and also have some fun and games (and great food & drink) with friends.

On Thursday I had a full 3 course Christmas turkey dinner complete with Christmas pudding and mince pies, and on Friday I had a wonderful "chippy dinner" consisting of steak & kidney pudding, mushy peas, chips and gravy before going off to the pub for a fantastic night out and a "few" beers!

Over the rest of the weekend my meals included beef stew on Saturday and a delicious roast lamb dinner on Sunday, and don't forget I do eat regular breakfasts and lunches too (I refer back to previous posts).

I now weigh in at 13 stones and 1 pound (183 pound or 81.3 kg), which is a whole 10 pounds (4 kg) lighter than when I started out on my journey 5 weeks ago!

But much more importantly I am feeling so much fitter and stronger as each week goes by!

See you next week

Andy

Week 4

Hi everyone, I am very proud to announce that I have lost 4 pounds this week! That makes a grand total of 9 pounds and over the 4 weeks so far makes an average of 2.25 pounds per week, which is taking me steadily toward my overall goal.

You may have noticed that I have lost a little bit more weight this week than in the previous 3 weeks, and this is not because I am eating less (I would never do that as I really love my food) but because I have increased my exercise levels!

I am still going for a 30 minute walk every weekday lunchtime, but as I have become “comfortable” on my 5 mile run (Monday, Wednesday & Friday) I decided it was time to increase this to 6 miles.

As I have been saying all along, this is not just about losing weight but is also about getting myself as physically fit and healthy as I possibly can and this means that every so often I need to push my boundaries .

My dietary plan has remained very similar to the previous weeks, which is great because it means I can carry on my love affair with food!

As you will know from my previous posts I have certain staple (but very tasty) meals during the weekdays but at the weekend my wife and I love to indulge our passion for cooking really tasty (but still healthy) food.

This weekend we had such delights as “chicken stuffed with boursin cheese and wrapped in bacon” (Friday evening), “steak & Guinness pie and chips” (Saturday evening pub meal), “roast beef dinner with roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding” (Sunday evening).

We also had a few of our favourite tipples over the weekend too, but we didn’t over do it!

Don’t forget you are welcome to leave a comment or ask a question via the link below.

See you next week!

Week 3

It is with great pride and pleasure that I announce that this week I have lost another pound in weight!  That makes 5 pounds in total, which is great because it means that as I progress I am losing the weight in a very steady and controlled manner.

Last Monday (23rd November 2009) I was as follows...

• 6 foot tall and weighing in at 13 stones and 7 pounds (189 pounds or 84.5 kilos for those working in other currencies).
• Ideal weight - 11 stones 7 pounds (161 pounds or 73 kilos)
• This means that I was 2 stones (28 pounds or 12.5 kilos) overweight!

I now weigh in at 13 stones and 6 pounds, but much more importantly I am getting much fitter and stronger!

For the last 3 weeks I have been going for a lunch time walk (30 minutes each time) at least 5 times per week, and on 3 days each week going for a 5 mile run/jog. For the next couple of weeks I will be increasing my exercise regime as the most important thing to me is my physical health and fitness!

You will have noticed by now that I am not depriving myself of food or drink in anyway. It is really important that when you start to exercise regularly you should feed your body properly to make sure that it can function properly and repair itself following periods of exercise.

There are certain dishes which I eat on a regular basis during the early and middle part of the week, but at the weekend my wife and I do love to mix it up a bit and indulge our love of food!

This weekend for example we had such fantastic meals as “Steak & Stilton” and a Sunday roast pork dinner complete with lovely crackling! We also enjoy a drink or two over the weekend and I am partial to a few pints of Guinness and a glass or two of white wine.

I hope that my journey is already demonstrating to you that if you wish to get fit and lose weight you don’t have to spend huge amounts of money on gym memberships, equipment or personal trainers... and also that it is not necessary to put yourself onto a “special” or faddy diet!

Simply by getting off your sofa you can set your goals, take action and get yourself to where you want to be!

Hi all, it’s the end of week two and the beginning of week three of my personal journey.

So here we go...

Last Monday (16th November 2009) I was as follows...

• 6 foot tall and weighing in at 13 stones and 9 pounds (191 pounds or 86.5 kilos for those working in other currencies).
• Ideal weight - 11 stones 7 pounds (161 pounds or 73 kilos)
• This means that I was 2 stones 2 pounds (30 pounds or 13.5 kilos) overweight!

Tonight I am very proud to announce that I am 2 pounds lighter than I was this time last week and 4 pounds lighter than when I began my journey 2 weeks ago! Remember this is not just about weight loss, but is also about getting fitter and healthier and I am already starting to feel the physical benefits!

The exercise I have completed this week is very similar to the previous week but with one very important difference and it is a valuable lesson to learn:

• On six of the last seven days I have taken a brisk 30 minute lunchtime walk (not on Saturday).
• On two of the last seven evenings I have gone for a 5 mile run/jog (Monday, and Wednesday, but on Friday I went for my run first thing in the morning).
• Before each run I had a good 15 to 20 minute stretching session.
• At the end of each run I walked around the block for 15 minutes (warm down) and finished with a 15 to 20 minute stretching session.

The reason I went for my Friday run first thing in the morning is because I had been invited out to dinner by some very close friends. It would have been very difficult to get home from work and have my run before getting to the restaurant in time so I re-arranged my day in order to make sure I got my exercise!

The lesson number one this week to be learned therefore is “time is a commodity which, with practise can be moved around to suit your needs!”

My dietary activities have also been very similar to last week but not identical:

• Breakfast - healthy (unsweetened) cereal, or fruit or a combination of the two.
• Lunch - healthy homemade sandwiches made with wholemeal seeded bread and fillings such as ham, beef, cheese, chicken, mustard, and pickle (various combinations)
• Dinner (evening meal) - such tasty and healthy meals as "chicken with garlic, onion and pepper rice", "Andy's special omelettes", "Cheesy beans on toast", a 3 course Italian meal out, shepherd’s pie, and a lovely Sunday roast lamb dinner!
• Drinks - 3 mugs of decaffeinated coffee every morning, 1.5 litres of bottled water every day, and a few of my favourite tipples at the weekend!

Again as you can see I have not exactly been starving myself which brings me to lesson two for this week “whilst getting into a new good routine, don’t make it too rigid as a good degree of flexibility will help you to stay on track!”

Remember, if you are interested in any of the recipes, if you would like to leave a comment about my journey or an update on your own progress you can do so by clicking the button at the bottom of the page.

You can also subscribe to my RSS feed and receive my blog updates to your inbox via the link in the bottom left of the page.

See you next week, and good success to you all.

Hi all, and welcome to the first full weekly update of my personal journey.

I am doing this for a couple of very good reasons:

• The first is that I have a genuine desire to improve my physical well being.
• The second is to hopefully inspire some of you to take action to improve your own lifestyles by leading by example!
• The third is to prove my worth as a life coach... there are many coaches out there who will quite happily talk to you about things that you should be doing to improve your life... but ask yourself what they doing to inspire you? I practice what I preach and I can prove it!

Before I get into how it has been going over the last seven days I would like to give a few tips to those who are planning on keeping me company by going their very own journey back to full health and fitness!

• If you haven't exercised for a while or you have any pre-existing health problems, please consult your doctor first as we wouldn't want to aggravate anything would we!
• For the first couple of weeks exercise well within your physical limits to make sure you get the new (good) routine embedded. Once you have a solid foundation... build on it!
• It is really important to properly warm up and warm down before and after your exercise to avoid pulling or tearing muscles!
• Healthy eating isn't just about the types of food we eat, it is also about the portion sizes. Take time with your food and listen to your stomach, and when it tells you that it is full... STOP!
• Drink plenty of water... at least 2 litres per day (in various forms).
• Don't drink alcohol on a school night... there's no need to become tee-total but it is best to leave it to the weekend and make it a treat rather than a staple part of your diet!
• Dipose of the caffeine and other stimulants such as nicotene... these artificially raise the heart rate giving you a false feeling of energy... my personal view is that all our energy should come from within and not from external sources (I will give more help with getting caffeine or nicotene free if anyone wants it).

So here we go...

Last Monday (9th November 2009) I began my personal journey...

My starting point:

• 6 foot tall and weighing in at 13 stones and 11 pounds (193 pounds or 87.5 kilos for those working in other currencies).
• Ideal weight - 11 stones 7 pounds (161 pounds or 73 kilos)
• This means that I was 2 stones 4 pounds (32 pounds or 14.5 kilos) overweight!

Tonight I am very proud to announce that I am 2 pounds lighter and even more importantly I am already feeling better about myself! Remember this is not just about weight loss, but is also about getting fitter and healthier!

The exercise I have completed this week is as follows:

• On six of the last seven days I have taken a brisk 30 minute lunchtime walk (not on Saturday).
• On three of the last seven evenings I have gone for a 5 mile run/jog (Monday, Wednesday, Friday for around 55 minutes).
• Before each run I had a good 15 to 20 minute stretching session.
• At the end of each run I walked around the block for 15 minutes (warm down) and finished with a 15 to 20 minute stretching session.

In conjunction with the exercise I have been eating good healthy homemade food such as:

• Breakfast - healthy (unsweetened) cereal, or fruit or a combination of the two.
• Lunch - healthy homemade sandwiches made with wholemeal seeded bread and fillings such as ham, beef, cheese, chicken, mustard, and pickle (various combinations)
• Dinner (evening meal) - such tasty and healthy meals as "chicken with garlic, onion and pepper rice", "Andy's special ommelettes", "spaghetti americano", "minty lamb steaks", "rump steak", and a lovely Sunday roast beef dinner!
• Drinks - 3 mugs of decaffeinated coffee every morning, 1.5 litres of bottled water every day, and a few of my favourite tipples at the weekend!

So you can see that I have not exactly been starving myself of the tasty things in life, it more of gaining the right balance of energy in and energy used... and getting rid of the junk and pre-processed foods!

If you are interested in any of the recipes, if you would like to leave a comment about my journey or an update on your own progress you can do so by clicking the button at the bottom of the page.

You can also subscribe to my RSS feed and receive my blog updates to your inbox via the link in the bottom left of the page.

See you next week, and good success to you all.

Hi all, I am half way through the first week of my personal journey to full health and fitness and I am really glad that you are joining me!

On the evening of Monday 16th November I will be uploading the first full update of my blog including news of how much weight I have lost, how I am feeling in myself, the food I have been eating, and also the amount and type of exercise I have been getting!

If you want more detailed information about anything including recipes from my dietary changes feel free to e-mail me: andy@coach-4-life.com and I will furnish you with the information.

And don't forget that you can let me and other followers know how you are getting on with your personal jouney by contributing to the discussion topic on my forum page

I look forward to sharing our mutual experiences!