Diet Day +58 (BMI 27.40, 22lbs lost overall)

The rate of loss slowed to almost nothing over the last two weeks. Not because the diet doesn't work but because its very easy to plateau by overeating certain things such as peanuts (my big weakness). Basically if I don't feel hungry chances I'm not actually losing much weight, to lose more than 2lbs a week it seems I need to actually feel like I'm losing weight and that seems to mean feeling hungry (not all the time of course). As I have felt pretty full for the last few weeks it seems I need to start to reduce calorie intake or food amounts to keep the pace of weightloss as before.

Diet Day +47 (BMI 27.69, 20lbs lost overall)

1 lb more lost and I have lost 10% of my original starting weight.

Diet Day +45 (BMI 27.83, -19 lbs lost overall)

I have finally dipped below 14st. Getting nearer to my 10% loss point which is normally where most people who are obese aim to get initially. I am slightly off track now to achieve my goal of a BMI of around 26 by the end of the first week of March. I reckon at the current rate I'll be at around a BMI of 27 or 13st 7lbs.

This chart shows my weight loss as my BMI since I began on 5th Jan. Overall my weight loss has been 17lbs. The red line is my BMI, note the spikes, this is after the weekend! The upper black line is the trend and the lower black line is my goal, which is based on losing 3.5lbs per week. As you can see I have pretty much lost weight and mass in line with my goal and I am at the current rate to finish just above the target. However I fully understand the cause and effect of coming off the diet so it is really will power that can improve the rate of loss and help me to reach the target. On a longer term trend which is to get down to a BMI of around 22 by July 1st 2009 I am well below my target line and very much on course, the loss rate for this long term target is a more manageable 2.5lbs per week which I comfortably beat at the moment.

Diet Day +31 (BMI 28.12, 17 pounds lost overall)

Another 2lbs lost. Just sitting on 14st 0lbs, tantilisingly close to being 13st something for the first time in years.

A small but predictable problem is that my suits are starting to look too big. I feel like a teenager wearing his dads suit! Too early to contemplate buying new ones but a real indication that the weight loss is genuine, and not just "water"...

Diet Day +30 (BMI 28.41, 15 pounds lost overall)

Another 1lb lost taking the total loss to 1st 1lb (15lbs). Still a way to go before I've lost 10% of my starting weight which is my next milestone at 21lbs lost but I'm getting there.

My target is to get to a BMI of 26.11 by the first week of March. Plotting my BMI scores since I began the diet in Jan shows I am just about on course for my target although I hit a plateau recently. Thankfully weight loss has started again, it has slowed down somewhat since I started but I have a hunch it may speed up slightly. What most people don't realise with dieting is that it isn't a smooth curve of weight loss, its jagged, since your body's energy requirements vary as well as your diet. Of course if you did exactly the same exercise everyday and ate the same thing you might well see a smoother line in decreasing weight but in the real world that's not possible.

Once I hit a BMI of 26.11 I then begin the 2nd phase of my diet which is to go down to a BMI around 24, which is under the overweight limit of 25.

Long term I'd like to get to 22.5 which is where I was in my 20's. Of course in those days I was going to the gym 4 days a week and cycling 50-60 miles a week to work and back, so to get to that level I'll have to start some form of proper exercise programme. My thinking is that once I get to a BMI of around 25 I'll feel psychologically able to do exercise, at the moment I still feel a little self conscious due to "wobbly" bits and carry all this extra weight around is knackering!

Diet Day +29 (BMI 28.55, 14 pounds lost overall)

Had a slow week, a bit up and down. The odd pint of lager, peanuts, the usual stuff, I am acutely aware of how the slightest variation from the diet results in weight gain or a halt in weight loss. Since yesterday I have followed closely the diet principles and was delighted to find that this morning I weighed 14st 3lbs, exactly 1 stone lost since I started the diet on the 5th Jan. My plan was to lose 2 stones or 28lbs in 2 months, I am bang on course with the halfway point being tomorrow.

A key aspect to this dieting succeeding is not eating snacks. My big downfall is peanuts. Although relatively high in protein and low in carbohydrate in large volumes they pack a calorie and carb punch, just the kind of thing I do not need. Nuts are permissable on the diet but only in small quantities, since they are very moreish I intend just to avoid them altogether.

Beer is another problem. Finding the carbohydrate and calorie content of the various commercial lagers is a nightmare. It seems a pint of lager is around 200 cals and 17-20 grammes of carbohydrate, Guinness (my fave) is 18g of carbs and 200+ cals. As I am trying to keep daily intake to 20g of carbs and 1,200 cals having just 1 pint of either lager or Guinness results in me going way over my allowances added to my food intake. Not having carbs in food is crazy and unappetising and cutting calories to have more beer is nuts so I'll just have to stay off the beer until I hit my ideal weight, then I can manage my weight as I am now beginning to understand the cause and effect of what you eat and drink.