Look To The Future Now, it's only just begun.....

With Noddy Holder's dulcet tones ringing in my ears, it is time to bid you all a Merry Christmas.
Not so long ago I would don a Santa suit and give presents out at the village hall, no padding required. Well I could still don the red suit, but thankfully no one has asked me to this year.

I'm right at the back

Having come off the drops for Christmas I have noticed a few cravings returning, mostly for crisps... I see Pringles have brought out a festive Christmas flavoured potato snack.... God they're like crack cocaine... So I have so far avoided them. However I have gained a half pound this week. I've done so by reintroducing carbs to my diet, however I'm being sensible and my blood sugars are very good. Mrs Dim has lost a pound, I hate her, I want to smash her face in.... calm down Len... calm down... You do not advocate violence... especially not to loved ones... "Cranky? Moi?" "Think happy thoughts" Lidl and Aldi are doing cheap veg. All the Brussel sprouts you can eat..... I confess there may have been a few side-effects to coming off of the drops.

Seriously it's not been too bad this week, though when you mentally tell yourself you can have that Mr Kipling Christmas Slice, you will have that Mr Kipling Christmas Slice... or two.

25.3g of Sugar... No wonder Santa is fat.

I do therefore have a slight fear that on January the second I will hit the scales and the screams will be heard from outer space. When you diet, everyone can hear you scream.

So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all... Check back around the second and I'll be blogging and back on the diet again.

Some early good news...  The Slenderiiz UK website is now up... so if you want to try the drops or vitamins and supplements yourself, that's where you can get them.

http://www.slenderiiz-uk.com/

Thank you all for your support.

I hope Santa brings you everything you wish for.

Best

Fatboydim

Weight

17st 9 (and a half) lbs

Three Kings and a Picture of Vorders

Week four. One month. Seven hundred and twenty hours. Forty three thousand and two hundred odd minutes of food deprivation.... I mean dieting. Those of you who can channel your inner Carol Vorderman will realise that the sums above don't quite add up. That's because I'm two days late on the blog this week.

Yes this really is Countdown Carol

It's been a busy enough week for me as I've been doing some filming, writing and editing. It's appropriate that the Irish Film Board are choosing this time of year to run the Catalyst project, whereby three lucky filmmakers will be given €350,000 to make their films. The three winners are like the three wise men Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar, chasing a star and hoping to find a miracle at the end of it. of course these days Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar are a firm of solicitors working out of Stoke Newington. So the added energy and brain-juicery that seems to be a bi-product of this diet seems to be serving me well. Though if brain-juicery is the best I can come up with maybe I don't stand a chance of being one of the chosen.

Anyhow... Below are two photographs. The first was taken four weeks ago on day one of the diet.

Day 1

Day 30

The second photograph was taken today. Now neither photograph is a work of photographic genius, I have made no effort to glam-up other than I actually got dressed this morning, but I think there is a noticeable difference. Admittedly photo 1 is taken with a DSLR and photo 2 is taken with a phone... one is landscape and one is portrait... But in fairness my face was so fat you could only get it all in using landscape mode. 

Here's a Countdown sum for you:

18  13   17  9  18  4

and your target is

247

Now you'll have to time yourself for thirty seconds while you try to work it out... Get a friend to do the music for you... It goes.... ner, ner.. ner ,ner .. ner, ner - ner, ner.. ner ,ner .. ner, ner der, der.. der, der... dodo derder... boom!

Here's the solution: 18st 13lbs is what I started out as. 17st 9lbs is what I weigh today. 18lbs is my weight loss in four weeks.  247lbs is how much I weigh in poundage.

That's two of these:

Now cute as babies are... carrying around two of them in bodyweight is not fun. 

The fact is, that I have surprised myself. Not because I've lost weight, that's bound to happen if you stick to a diet, but because I have not wavered at all. Seriously, I have found it relatively easy in the last four weeks to not have cakes, chocolate, pastry, potatoes, bread, sugar, ice cream, Bombay mix, wine, nachos, rice or pasta. I have, as confessed had a few pints, but only because I was at a social function. I have to put the lack of hunger pangs down to the drops... I have to... I've never lasted more than three days on a diet before and I've always been hungry. Tell someone that they can't have a thing and they want it even more.... That hasn't happened... It has to be the drops. 

Now as I have said before on this blog, I'm not a salesman... I'm not selling anything... but my sister is bankrolling this little experiment because she herself has been stunned by the results, and is looking to bring Slenderiiz to the UK and Ireland. So anyone who's interested I will post up details as I believe their website will be open soon.

I promised my sister I would do this for at least one month and I am delighted with the results. Now, with Christmas around the corner I am going to start to phase carbohydrates back into my diet. I'm going to eat well this Christmas and have a few treats. So officially i am coming off of the diet until 2nd January 2014. Then I will pick up the challenge again... Hopefully having maintained my weight. So I will still blog over the next few weeks but I will officially come off the drops tomorrow... That way I will see what happens between now and Christmas to my appetite.

Ironically I have also been on the vitamins and minerals... those ran out two days ago... after a month with no coughs and spluters I have immediately got a sore throat and a cold. Of course that's probably coincidence... but it's a lot harder to assess the impact of taking vitamins and minerals. I guess if you are a person who takes those kind of things anyway then they're great... but for my own part I cannot at this moment in time vouch for their effects. all i can say is that my sister feels a lot healthier taking them. So again it's a caveat... but as I am no longer taking the vitamins and minerals I will see how I move forward without them.

So keep posted... More to come... and details of the Slenderiiz UK website will be up soon.

For now...

Fatboydim

Weight 17st 9lbs

Fishing For Compliments

I have a nemesis. Yes an enemy within the camp... She sleeps with me every night, gazing upon ample flesh with a recurring nightmare of  Hans Solo being swallowed whole by Jabba The Hutt. She gazes upon me with a mixture of love, fear and suspicion... yes it's Mrs Dim. Ask any poker players out thgere who have had the pleasure or otherwise of sitting at a table with the two of us and they will tell you how ruthlessly efficient she is at dispatching her husband... Well she's only gone and done it again. I was delighted this week to have lost three pounds bringing my weight loss to a total of 13lbs in three weeks. However the enemy... as she shall from henceforth be known... lost four pounds this week... bringing her total weight loss to 12.5lbs. (I shouldn't mix imperial and decimal... but I'm just so damned annoyed.)  How??? How did she do it? She's been eating yoghurts... an occasional biscuit, bread and cheese. Admittedly in mouse sized portions... but still. Whereas I've been good... very good... although... well ... (I'll whisper this bit) I was at the Irish Film Board's Catalyst Project this weekend. Networking events are notoriously social... pints were consumed. Over the whole weekend I had a total of five, but i did calorie count them in and missed out on a dinner and lunch respectively. What was great at the event however were how many compliments I got, about how well I looked and that I had obviously lost weight. Honestly I was not fishing for compliments either. I also got a buzz from having to place another notch in my trouser belt... otherwise my pants would fall down. So there is definite progress. (For our American friends I am using the word trouser and pants interchangeably - though in usual parlance in the UK and Ireland pants are worn under trousers - hence underpants. Pants is also used as a term of disapproval as in: "Have you seen Downton Abbey?" - "Yes it's pants."

The Cast of Downton Abbey - Not really pants, but many of them are wearing pants. A thoroughly miserable looking bunch though.

I guess it all goes to show how different we all are, that different body types will lose weight at different rates. I am still amazing myself daily that I haven't craved a cake, a chocolate or a bag of crisps. 2nd confession... at the hotel there was a small bowl of peanuts and crisps.... I did eat a handful of the crisps. (For our American friends the word crisps is the same as chips, but chips in the UK are French Fries, though if you ask for French Fries you won't get chips. Got it?) In three weeks I can honestly say I have not felt hungry once. Yet I am sticking to a 1250 Calorie diet.

Now someone who is fishing for compliments is my sister Dee. She sent me these photographs this week.

Eleven weeks apart two photographs of my sister.

She's wearing the same clothes in both photographs, the difference in the "color of her pants" or the "colour of her trousers" is down to the quality of the camera and tungsten light as opposed to ultra-violet light. That what the Slenderiize programme (program for the yanks) has done for her in eleven short weeks. She is now approaching three months on the diet and her total weight loss is 40lbs to date.

So as I head in to week four I'm going to try experimenting with my drugs... by which I mean my prescribed pharmaceuticals to control my diabetes. My blood sugar levels have been great... so it is possible that I am now taking too many tablets and that I should therefore start to cut down. This may prompt a greater weight loss next week. Mrs Dim has found that she has reduced her insulin shots from 80mg per day to around 45mg (I think it's mg might be ml - but whatever she is taking almost half of what she was taking.) Now I'm only on tablets, but I'm willing to give it a go. I can't advise anyone else try this... as I'm not a doctor, but I have written lots of episodes of Casualty and Holby City - in fact give me a wire coat hanger, a biro and a penknife and I could perform an emergency tracheotomy right now. - Seriously, however... any diabetics out there should consult their GP first before undertaking any diet. My GP is from Kerry... so he doesn't care too much - Sure go ahead.

That's it for now... I'll try to get another video up, but you know yourselves what it's like this time of year.

until next week

Fatboydim - getting slim

weight: 18st 0lbs

Fatboydim 0 Mrs Dim 4

Week two and things have changed considerably. After the euphoria of a very good first week yesterday's weigh in was a huge disappointment for me. I have stayed at 18st 3lbs while Mrs Dim has lost a further four pounds, in fact four and a half pounds. Making her total loss eight and a half pounds and mine ten. Bizarrely it seems that the reason I have not lost weight this week is because I am not eating enough. "Really!!!??? Four Chop Lenny is not eating enough?" Yes... that is Dr Dee's diagnoses. More vegetables she says... "I'm going to sprout bloody feelers soon." and more fats she says. The fats help grease the tubes apparently. Two hundred and fifty of my allotted twelve hundred and fifty calories can be good fats. I'm using cold pressed rapeseed oil (Canola to the Americans.) I've been using a lot less. It could also be that my body is going into starvation mode at the moment and storing fats.

Dr Dee

(not a real doctor)

Well whatever the reason I'm annoyed that Mrs Dim has done much better than me this week, yet she has eaten more and had carbs. (Though I did have one slice of wholemeal toast on thursday and one slice on saturday.) So this week my aim is to once again stay completely off of the carbs... eat more green vegetables than I have been, and eat a little more of the good fats. The one thing I really have to say is that I do not feel hungry at all, and that I have not had any cravings. This comes as a real shock to me... I've never been on a proper diet before... I have no idea how my body usually reacts to getting less calories. My blood sugar levels have once again been excellent, though occasionally have made me feel "Jittery" so I'll eat a couple of walnuts or almonds or an apple to help regulate that feeling. Regulating the ole bowels is still an issue, but hopefully will resolve itself this week.

Whilst I could view this week as a set back, the reality is I don't, I knew week two would be more difficult, but I've got used to the regimen and I am adapting my habits. I'm out walking more, and I feel physically more able. I'm also sleeping better. However if I start sprouting feelers... Dr Dee will be in trouble.

I should point out Dr Dee is my sister... and whilst not a real Dr she is now the font of all knowledge when it comes to diets... She should be, she has been on so many. For example I never knew that Vegetables count as carbs too, that leeks have more carbs than lettuce for example.  She's visiting us at the moment and looks great. 

So that's me week 2.

18st 3lbs

Fatboydim 

I'm a Celebrity v Fatboydim

Yes it's that time of year again when "Celebrities" enter the jungle to moan and groan about eating rice, beans and camel toes. There is an obvious joke in there about eating camel toes, but I am not going to be the one to make it. Food is always an issue in IACGMOOH. Crocodile I assume is much like Alligator, which I've eaten before, Ostrich steaks are lovely, and I've even had a bit of skippy as well... I'll pass on the brains and turkey balls... This year I genuinely feel the pain of the Jungle contestants... Why? Not because I'm starving like they are... not because I'm obsessed by food, as they are... (Though I guess I am a bit) Not because I look better in a bikini than Matthew Wright ( I have bigger Moobs) But because of the constant Iceland Adverts in between. There's something wrong with me when I'm looking at those adverts and thinking Yum! Cherry chocolates and a pastry ring stuffed with minced beef, fish fingers with chips and mushy peas.... I've not shopped in Iceland for at least twenty years. (Mainly because I live in Ireland... but hey... That would kill the joke) ... And here's why.....

Kerry Katona advocate for Iceland - Before.

and after.

Ok I'm being facetious, but it's been a tough week. In fairness I was fine until Thursday, then driving back from Galway I had an urge to eat... The hunger was upon me. Not bad I suppose... 11 days into a diet and my first real hunger pangs. Once I got home I shovelled a handfull of wallnuts into my gob , and a thin slice of good ham. However I still felt hungry. That night dinner was a stir fry, lean pork, courgette, beansprouts, onion and peppers. i was still hungry. A few more wallnuts and an apple and I was finally sated. However I couldn't resist hitting the bathroom scales. BIG mistake... They always say you should never weigh yourself more than once a week... and they (Whoever they are ... self appointed a**holes) are right. I was weighing in four pounds heavier than Monday. What the... ? ? How many calories are there in a wallnut? Equally despite doubling my dose of Restoriix... which is supposed to detox and cleanse you... I hadn't been to the "Dunny" for two days. Oh the drama!

Then Friday came.... 

A Micky Flanagan moment.

Yes... dear readers... It happened then... the Restoriix gave me a seismic bowel movement. A tidal wave of do do did did flood the bowl. Not once, not twice, but thrice. OMG as the youth of today might say, did I feel better after that. So ignoring my advice to not weigh myself more than once a week I got on the scales this morning to see that I weigh 18st dead. I'm wondering if I should phone the Guinness book of records... However... Mrs Dim has also had a tough week. Being insulin dependent she did discuss her situation with a dietician at our pharmacists. The ever so helpfull O'Donnell's in Westport... They really are great. It seems that the problem for diabetics is that we should have carbs in some form each day. The aforementioned, bread, rice pasta... However wholewheat varieties and in very small portions. Perhaps it was the Restoriix, or perhaps it was the reintroduction of carbs into the diet, but on Friday I had a late breakfast, with one slice of dry wholemeal toast...  So was it the fibre that moved me, or the Restoriix? Well I think we have to give this one to the Restoriix as the gap between the carbs and the caboose was only around forty minutes... and my digestive system does not run that fast... However I do feel so much better by re-introducing a small amount of carbohydrates to my diet... and so does Mrs Dim. The carbs have really steadied her glucose levels as they were dipping too low... and mine have been steady all week.Now officially weigh in is Monday morning... so the above weights are unofficial, but should I remain 18st dead that's a loss of 13lbs in two weeks. We shall see.

Meanwhile .... I'm fifty one years old and still can't tie my shoe laces... any room for me in the jungle?

Fatboydim

In the words of Nina Simone.... "I'm Feeling Good."

Yes it's one week down.... ugdhnu to go!

So how much have I lost?...... How much has Mrs Dim lost? All will be revealed...

First here's a picture of a plate of food.

Chicken Fajitas with Lettuce, Courgette and Puy Lentils.

What I learned from Friday's dinner is that you shove Puy Lentil's up your.... Well in fairness they were bought in a packet that you microwaved, and I should know better. They were supposed to be tomato and basil flavour. However I think they tasted more like puke, and believe I could do a better job with lentils... So maybe that's a task I shall undertake later this week. My thanks to my friend Sarah - Lou for suggesting grated cauliflower as a rice substitute, I shall try that later this week. The fajita's themselves were lovely, dusted in Cajun spices and a sprinkle of cumin and chilli. Fried in a spit of coconut oil, which despite being a calorie monster is - according to the boffins at Ariix - full of good fats. That's why the onions have a nice glaze on them. 

Now here's another plate of food.

Granola with Strawberries and Raspberries

This has been breakfast twice this week. Lizi's Granola with unsweetened Soy milk and fresh strawberries and raspberries added. Yes you read that right... Soy milk... Fatboydim is consuming faddy foods... and kind of enjoying it. This particular brand of breakfast cereal is incredibly delicious, above is a 40g serving.

The weekend was a little bit boring with no football, international friendlies don't do it for me... oh ok ok ... I'll get to the point.... I know you all want to know... So how much have I lost?

 I started the week at 18st 13lbs... Today I weigh in at 18st 3lbs - That's a loss of 10lbs in one week.

Compare to Mrs Dim who has struggled a little, but I must stress that she is insulin dependent and on a new hormone treatment for diabetes which makes weight loss more difficult. It would be indelicate of me to give you her weight... so I will just say Mrs Dim lost 4lbs this week. Which is still excellent. 

So without the drops, but with the caveats mentioned above, we have been eating the same food yet there is a 5lbs difference in weight loss. It's imperfect science of course as I'm male and only on tablets for my diabetes. Both of us have experienced the benefit of solidly low sugar levels in our blood this past week.

As I stated at the start of this blog, I have never sustained a diet before, usually I'm like Jesus Christ in reverse... I give up and die on the third day... Seven days in I feel fine, I don't feel hungry, I have not had cravings, I have eaten some unusual foods for me... But you know what... If I can do it then anyone can.

Keep following.

Best

Fatboydim

18st 3lbs

I'm in Trouble Already

From my sister that is... So some errors and omissions to deal with. Apparently I called the drops Slender-"Lix" and apparently they are called Slender-"Riix"  So the best way to remember this is to not think of Obelix:

Obelix - Big, Fat Gaul.

But to think of Asterix:

Asterix - Annoying Little Gaul.

So it's Slenderiix. 

Slenderiix - Not to be confused with Gauls at all.

I also said it was three months my sister has been on the diet... It's actually only Nine weeks... So what I should have said is that she is in her third month dieting. 

So how have I been getting on... My poo isn't as loose as I expected. Yes it's time for Gillian McKeith to make an appearance:

Gillian McKeith poo expert. Though some just think poo.

In fact everything seems fine. I'm not that hungry, haven't had cravings, and in fact sometimes feel quite full. Now it is a very different story for Mrs Dim. She's really struggling, she's had a sneaky cereal bar today for example and she now hates my sister and me... for well everything. So what's making the difference... Is it the drops? Or is it the fact that I'm making a public fool of myself via this blog and my videos.... Number two is on it's way... Video I mean... Not toilets. It could be either, as public humiliation is a good motivational tool for the dieters armoury. However I genuinely have not been hungry, and would have to entertain the possibility that the difference between my situation and my wifes is that I am taking the drops and she isn't. (After all I'm humiliating her through this blog too)

Todays Breakfast was: Turkey Rashers, Scrambled egg (mixed with water) Mushrooms and tomatoes. Todays lunch was Falafel. Tonight I'm cooking a Turkey curry. I have to say I do miss rice though.

So the second video is uploading to YouTube as we speak... A link to it will be placed here as soon as it is ready.... And here it is....

Day 5 down.... but not out.

Fatboydim