The Once And For All 26 Week Plan

Yup folks we’ve been here before. The diet to end all diets. The birth of a new me. The simplest eating plans. The starvation plans. The deprivation plans. The sensible sustainable lifestyle changes. The change one thing…Need I go on?

As with most monumental decisions it starts with Lesley. Her plan of plans started in January and lasted for 10 weeks in which she lost 2 stone. Then she fell off the wagon but hasn’t put anything back on. Her idea is that she needs to dedicate 26 weeks, that’s half a year, to getting where she wants to be. Once she’s there she will be able to maintain it.

Wonderful idea, me thinks. So off I trot and get the calendar. 26 weeks last Friday will be Morgan’s 4th birthday. Perfect timing. When I told my Mum I was pregnant with Morgan she was mortified “You’ll be the oldest and fattest Mum at the school gates and he’ll get teased relentlessly.” Well there’s nothing I can do about the oldest bit.

I’m pretty hacked off in most areas of my life at the moment. All I seem to do is train, go to work, act as taxi service to the kids, waste a couple of hours or so on the computer, watch whatever’s on the telly at 9pm, consume far too much alcohol and fall asleep in the chair.

What don’t I like about that life? Pretty much all of it except spending time with the kids, training and work (I actually love my job – just not impressed with the pay).

So how do I make it change? I thought triathlon training was the magic cure and it was for a while when the pounds were dropping off, when I wasn’t drinking and when I was getting quality and quantity of sleep. So let’s start there.

I Lynne Evans do solemnly declare that I will dedicate the next 26 weeks of my life to getting me where I want to be:

1. I will not drink alcohol
2. I will drink 2l of water a day
3. I will exercise for 6 hours a week (including core exercises)
4. I will get my 5 a day
5. I will banish take aways, chips, pastry and pizza
6. I will stop wasting time on the computer especially Tri Talk and Facebook
7. I will keep on top of my self-employed work
8. I will plan quality time with the kids
9. I will plan quality time with Mark
10. I will have quality time for ME

So there you go.

Well the weight loss plan… Don’t want to do it on a wing and a prayer but don’t want to be too regimented either.

The action plan for this week was wheat free, snack free, alcohol free and generally healthy eating. Done quite well until I had this flash of “Oh my God!” I’ve been having fruit and fibre for breakfast which contains….wheat. Water has been filling me up and then yesterday we get the “boil your tap water” warning. Wouldn’t really be a problem but as every where’s sold out of bottled water and I don’t really want to give Morgan boiled water for his juice I’ve had to do without.

Not done any training this week as my hip’s still a bit sore after doing Chirk on Sunday. The rest won’t do me any harm at all as long as I train consistently from tomorrow. Got in touch with Lance “the ironman” tonight who’s agreed to give me swimming lessons Saturday morning.

Went to the Doctors last night. He’s sending me to Audiology for a hearing test. He thinks I may have thrush in my oesophagus (antibiotics in January) so I’ve got anti fungal tablets and gastro resistant tablets. He also gave me a prescription for Tramadol so I can cope with back pain.

So back to the 26 week plan – 3lb a week = 78lbs = 5stone 8lbs. Starting weight of 15stone 10 WILL see me at 11stone for Morgan’s Birthday even allowing for a tiny blip.

WATCH THIS SPACE.