Weight Loss

I left for my holidays in June. Off to Crete we went, as we do every year, it is our favourite place in the world. We have been going for about the last 10 years and fallen in love with the place and the people. We have many friends there and our closest are Costos and Thalia. They and their family are wonderful hard working people who love life and each other. We have much in common and fortunately for us their English is far better than our Greek!
Costos has a straight forward manner and as he only sees me twice a year, immediately notices any changes. 
Now I have been getting steadily fatter for some years, I am fit but like so many middle age men am a to round in the middle. I am well aware of it and naturally believe I can do something about it and anyway it is not "too bad"! One can always fool oneself! As I have previously mentioned, my wife Wendy is a Fitness Consultant and an expert of weight loss but of course familiarity means I take little notice of her expertise because I always know better!
Back to Costos. After our initial greetings and the pleasantries of seeing each other again, Costos looked at me and said "Paul you are too round". It is strange what triggers a shift in attitude and a change in your life but this single comment did it for me! (Costos would be the first to admit that he is a little too round himself!!)
Upon my return (early July), I was determined to shed weight. a few statistics, Height just under 5' 7", weight at the time 105 kilos, age 59. I set no targets, my only aim was to eat better and take more exercise. Our eating habits were not terrible, we do not eat a lot of crap and we both exercise regularly. However, we did drink wine a couple of evenings a week and I partook of too many pieces of toast and peanut butter and a few other "in between" snacks.
Today, I am a few weeks older and I am no taller but I now weigh 95.1 kilos!
How did I do it? Simple and as anyone who knows me or my writings, simple is my watchword, I eat less and more healthy and exercised more. Of course it is a little more scientific than that but essentially thats what happened. 
Lets put some "meat on the bones", if you will pardon the phrase. Wendy and I have never held much enthusiasm for supplements, especially branded store bought products. We were cynical. With the intention of increasing our business activities to provide weight coaching and expand Wendy's existing Personal Training, she suggested that we try a supplement protein drink! We ordered and upon receiving the tub and eagerly tried some (vanilla flavour), although we mix it with fruit, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, peaches and other varieties. It is delicious! More importantly it does take the place of a meal ! We have one for breakfast or lunch and then eat accordingly around that choice. I have cut out the toast and peanut butter, although I still have toast now and then. Lots of salad, we love salad anyway, so it's not difficult. With things like bolognese and chilli, we have cut out the spaghetti and rice, instead we serve it on a bed of spinach. No alcohol. It takes a little effort and we do think about what we are going to consume but that is part of the fun and it is fun if it works and you get the results. I exercise about five days a week not necessarily in a gym, as my previous blog describes, I like cycling.

I am continuing to shed the weight, I obviously look slimmer both in the body and the face. I feel great, healthy, fitter and I have a sense of achievement, that I have not felt for a long time! My brain has re-trained itself and expects less food. Do not think however, that i do not have days when I get hungry or want to snack and I still do on the odd day but we are only human, so I don't beat myself up over it. I know now I have discipline of mind and stomach.
Now I am lucky, why, because I am have great willpower, once my mind is made up. I suspect most of us do, it is the trigger, push, encouragement, need or which ever motivation you require to get started that counts.

So thank you Costos and we cannot wait to hear wht he has to say when we return in October?