It wasn’t all plain sailing: one day, Alison caught me eating fish and chips at the pub. The difference was that I only ate about a third of my usual portion because I simply wasn’t hungry. For someone who spent years treating a large packet of crisps as an acceptable dinner, that was a big change.
I lost 9lb in the first week, although I knew that not all of that would have been fat. I became more conscious of maintaining my muscle mass, so I bought a pedal exerciser that let me cycle while watching television – it was surprisingly addictive and I found myself keen to keep pedalling even once my programme had finished. Weirdly, even though I’m eating less, I have far more energy than I had previously.
Weight at end of week one: 13st 10lb
Week twoAlison
This week was a reminder that real life doesn’t stop just because you’re trying to lose weight. Between the grandchildren, caring for my mum and the relentless heatwave, hitting my usual 7,500-step target became unrealistic, so I lowered it to 6,500.
Because Steve and I were now eating significantly less, I started to worry that we weren’t getting enough protein and fibre. My lack of appetite was becoming something of a mental block – I didn’t necessarily feel like eating, but I knew my body still needed the nourishment. I’ve seen people become weak and malnourished while using weight-loss jabs, and I’m determined that won’t happen to us, especially as we’re getting older.
Fortunately, we can ask questions and track our food on a coaching app, which tells us whether we are doing well or if we should be adding more protein, fibre or carbohydrates to our meals. Now, I’m optimising our meals to be as nutritious as possible – often adding nuts and seeds to Greek yogurt or an extra portion of veg with dinner.
The initial drop in weight slowed down and I lost just 2lb. It’s a useful reminder that this isn’t going to be a quick fix.
Weight at end of week two: 11st 1lb
Steve
I used to be such a regular at my local Indian takeaway that they named a curry after me – the “Steve Special”. When Alison wasn’t cooking, I’d usually end up there or at the local chippy. Two weeks into taking the tablets, I haven’t visited either once. Instead, I noticed my cravings changing and found myself eager to go shopping with Alison and help her stock up on fish, chicken, vegetables and fruit.
I lost another 2lb this week and, for the first time in years, I can comfortably wear T-shirts that used to stretch tightly across my stomach.
Weight at end of week two: 13st 8lb
Week threeAlison
At the weekend, Steve and I attended our niece’s wedding. It was a wonderful day, but it was also our first real test. We had already been honest with our loved ones about taking the tablets, so we didn’t feel awkward about hiding it, but how would we cope when we couldn’t control our portions and were surrounded by wine and wedding cake?