The Story so far…
So, here I am writing a blog, and telling my story.
I’ve pondered on writing one for some time, but it was the request of my trainers, Andy and Rosie, that I should write one and share it on their website that has made it finally happen.
On the one hand, they know I don’t need much excuse to talk, and on the other, what an excellent way to keep me going and motivated.
So, here I am.
I’m not entirely sure how this blog will take shape, but it will be definitely more than what my meals were (although, I’m sure I will at some point. And pictures! Everyone loves to see a picture of someone else’s dinner, right?)
I’m not going to bore you with my whole life story, but I have had food issues of one kind or another for most of my life.
Here are some bullet points.
I am forty four years old. Married for eleven years. Have a daughter who is seven years old.
When I was a small child I was a fussy eater (like many) and I was also incredibly slow to eat meals. My mother used to say that I didn’t eat enough to fill a sparrow.
I was very active and sporty in primary school. Running club, tennis club, and was in both the football and cricket team.
I then went to secondary school where the sports teachers were complete bastards (I will swear from time to time, sorry). Now I loved football, but this was a rugby school, and the sports teachers said that football was a ‘poofs’ game! Their words. Sickened me then as it sickens me now. As it turns out, I wasn’t bad at rugby, but I needed to be as far away from those teachers as I could. So I showed no interest in it and then I could go play football on another field where they were not interested. Those two P.E. teachers destroyed every bit of love I had for sport and fitness for many years to come.
Can’t forgive on that one.
At aged twelve, puberty kicked in and I developed an appetite. I also lost someone very close to me. Being a teenager and suffering from grief was not a good combo!
Through the teenage years I had a bit of puppy fat, not much, but for some reason that gave people (Boys at school and some family) to say I was getting fat, which I really wasn’t. This was a trend that seemed to carry on into adult life. I remember being mocked because I’d told someone I was 13 stone. The fact I was 21 years old and 6 feet tall wasn’t factored in for some reason!
Because of a combination of all these factors, self esteem and confidence became low.
Over the years I’ve done some physically demanding jobs which helped keep the weight in check, but I had become an emotional eater, and a binge eater. Neither of which I realised until many years later.
I met my wife and I was content, but that is when I really started to put on weight! We both like to eat, but because of the nature of my wife’s job, she would come home later in the evening, so I would cook the meals. Not a problem, I like to cook. The problem was I would cook too much. It would be between eight and nine O’clock at night and we would be sat there eating these great big meals I had cooked.
As each year went by I’d gain more weight, hate what I saw in the mirror or photos, and secretly binge eat!
It was after the birth of my daughter in 2010, well, actually a couple of years after her birth, that I started to get my act together. After one morning getting on the scales and 20st 2lb was staring back at me enough was enough!
I got a diet plan started and started some exercise. Just going for long walks to start with. Then I invested in a kettlebell and workout dvd. The weight started to come off. The walking turned into jogging. Another, heavier, kettlebell was bought and I was getting fit! I signed up for 5k runs, 10k runs and then an obstacle 10k run. This was when I was first introduced to my trainer Rosie who helped me prep for the 10k obstacle. A couple of weeks before it I sprained my ankle badly whilst training, but with some rest and care I did my 10k obstacle run and then a week later another 10k run. I felt brilliant, and had achieved goals that a year before hand I wouldn’t have dreamed of doing.
And then, it all stopped. In hindsight as soon as I’d finished those races I should have signed up for the next challenge. But I didn’t. I rested on my laurels. I told myself I’m fit now, but old habits crept back. Old ways of thinking took hold again. I stopped exercising completely. I started putting on weight again. Four years passed.
It was then at the end of 2016 (a year ago) that the scales were saying 19st. That number was creeping further up and up. This is when Rosie reappeared in my life. My wife had kept in contact with her (It was through my wife I had met her) and just before Christmas I had an opportunity to attend a couple of taster classes that she and Andy where running. I said I would go.
I can still feel the dread and shame I was feeling an hour before the class. Thinking of every excuse I could think of to get out of it. Luckily, there was another voice in my head that was basically telling me to ‘shut up! You’re going.’ And I did.
Doing the class, I thought I was going to die. I was so unfit now. But others in the group were very supportive, and I did it. And that was my first experience of Strive Fitness (Rosie and Andy’s business).
It wasn’t until February 2017 that I started attending Strive classes on a weekly basis, and those first few weeks would ruin me for the rest of the day! But I kept going back. I kept thinking of excuses not to do the class, but I kept on at it and didn’t listen to that doubting voice. I now find as I’m walking to the class there is no voice. Improvement!
In April I then started to cut back on my carb intake and over the next few months I lost a couple of stone in weight. I was getting fitter again. I was getting some muscle definition in my arms (yes, I am vain and will spend time looking at my muscles in the mirror, but I’m also proud of my achievement so far).
Then I started a strength building class with Andy in late Sept/early Oct, and rediscovered that I like to lift weights. And hey, a bit more definition on the arms!!
So, what are my goals? Now at the start of the year it was just to lose weight, but now it’s to lose weight, get fitter and get more lean and toned. I am signed up for another 10k obstacle run in April 2018. But, I realise that my goals are still a bit vague. I need to get them precise in my head. I need to work out a solid destination (or several?).
I’m hoping this blog will help with that. Actually, bugger that! I’m done with hope. I’m going to MAKE these goals through this blog!!
Now, if you’ve got this far, I want to point out that most of above is detailing the road to my weight gain, but that is not all of my life. There have been lots of fun and fabulous times throughout my life, but I have had, and still have, demons in my head that I battle. I am not afraid, nor ashamed, to talk about this, and you will hear me talk of them again. Some of those demons may even be familiar to you?
Anyway, that is all for now. I’m looking forward to seeing where this blog goes and, I hope you will come along with me. And in a future post I’ll explain what Thor’s Guns is all about.
Until next time,
Iain
You can also find me on Instagram -
@iain_m_transformation
You can find Strive Fitness at -
Facebook - strivefit11
Instagram- @strivefit11
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