This weeks weigh in and progress with my hip

Weighed in my regular class and much to my annoyance was up 0.5lb despite a good week foodwise so made the decision to scrap the pescatarian lifestyle and going back to eating poultry and have the odd steak as a treat but one thing I will do is stick to the same principles of the Slimming World way as it works for me, I may be up 5.5lb in 2 weeks but I know doing Slimming World works for me and if it ain't broke don't fix and if I ever decide to change (2 hopes of that, no hope and bob hope) I will decide plus I like the comoraderie of being in a Slimming World class and I made plenty of friends through this.

Last Friday I was in Cappagh Hospital regarding my hip and the good news is, I'm now deemed an urgent case but it will be May 2015 when I go under the knife as Cappagh doesn't have enough money to carry out 4 surgeries a day and there is a long list of people waiting for joint replacement surgery, the photo shows the x-ray of my hip, on the right side you'll see a U shape, this is the cartilage and on the left side you'll see just a solid pic of bones rubbing together, this means the cartilage has completely gone which is why I struggle with pain, it will get worse before I get better and at the meantime I aim to carry on with my lifestyle and lose as much weight as possible with Slimming World, seek intensive pain management and also see a counsellor regarding on dealing not only pain but learn to cope socially again because recently i'm struggling to socialise because of the pain, some will say since I've gone teetotal I've not been the same but that ain't true.

Gutted my regular Bokwa class has been cancelled as I found out last night so need to find a different one that suits me but aim to be at the gym a couple of days this week

Have an A1 week everyone

The Week So Far and false advertising

After the disappointment of the cake and sugar induced 5lb gain it was time to really knuckle down and stop fucking around as I've worked so hard to lose 8st only to be a complete pig at the wedding fair, I am human after all but if I am gonna beat food addiction I need to get my self discipline back so what I have done is I went back to basics and limit my carb intake this week(I did have a baked potato, beans and scotch bonnet cheese and salad for dinner today), even did a pescatarian and carb free version of lasagne using courgette (zucchini for you Americans) as the layer and made the red sauce using cod, haddock and salmon as the fish mixed up with chopped tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, onions and a clove of garlic and used fat free fromage frais and 3 mini babybel lights for the topping and it was absolutely delicious, into my 4th week meat free and i'm now craving a juicy steak but I need to stay strong in order to 1. Prolong my hip and 2. Stick to the principles of being a pescatarian. At a wedding tomorrow and will make smart choices and a good thing I don't drink alcohol these days

Tomorrow is a huge day regarding my hip as I'm in Cappagh Hospital again and I should get a better idea on how much longer I have to wait to get a new hip, if its the pre-op appointment I will have a new hip before xmas but being realistic I doubt it will be the pre-op, I could also be told I may have fibromyalgia too and i'm already prepared for life with this as I've been talking to sufferers about dealing with this bastard condition and also been looking up the internet. I will post a blog tomorrow with the outcome. Did do an awesome Bokwa session last night and I really enjoy it, not only i'm getting a workout in but I'm meeting new people too.

The main topic of this blog is FALSE ADVERTISING, on my way to Bokwa last night and got on the 15 bus from Clare Hall to Hawkins St in the city centre and I see an advert by McDonald's saying 'SERIOUS MAN FOOD' in promoting 3 limited edition burgers which would be on average 800-1000 calories of artery clogging madness but serious man food they can fuck right off with that bullshit as 1. I wouldn't feed this shit to my dad's dog or any dog and 2. Everything is so processed its unreal. Now you can see why obesity rates in the UK and Ireland are at an all time high and its gonna get worse unless we take the Bull by its horns and take control of what we put in our bodies, even for a food addict like me I wasn't attracted to eat McDonald's as I actually worked in UK head office when I was 17 and see the way it's cooked that put me off and I hardly ate that shit since. Burger King did a similar TV commercial 8 years ago where a man walked out on a date with a girl eating a salad at a restaurant to go into a Burger King to get a whopper then screamed 'I AM MAN' and that sends a message that it's ok to go into a burger joint instead of eating properly and these companies are actually commiting corporate genocide as heart and weight related deaths have sky rocketed in the past 20 years and I could have been another statistic if I didn't take control of my health.

On a positive note, I am very grateful for the support i'm getting through this blog and even the criticism because it will help me become a better person, I set up this blog to give an honest account on my struggles and I will continue to do it the way I want it to be.

Have an A1 weekend everyone

This week's weigh in

Weighed in my regular class yesterday with a carefree attitude not worrying if I had a tiny gain or a loss and then came crashing down with a huge shock with a 5lb gain YES I gained 5lb, was upset but I didn't actually show it but when I thought about it, after the weekend I thoroughly deserve the gain, was at a wedding fair at the Royal Dublin Showgrounds the Sunday just gone and it was a food addicts worst nightmare as there was cake stalls offering samples ranging from chocolate biscuit cake, red velvet cake, brownies etc and I nibbled and nibbled, even Energie Fitness Clubs offered gluten free banana cake with a generous dollop of quark, not only that the majority of stalls had sweets and chocolates there and thinking that over, it's easy to consume 5000 calories during the event itself and that's on top of my main meals during the day. It's a harsh reality and in future wedding fairs I have to learn to say no to cake and be more prepared.

Back to basics this week right up to Friday evening where I'll be going to the evening part of my cousin's wedding and will be back in the gym this week too.

Have an A1 week everyone

The week so far and the power of documovies

Left the GAA club on Monday with determination to back up the 2.5lb loss and all things are going well so far, also did a Bokwa session with Jenny on Wednesday and that went well too, had a setback regarding my hip late Thursday evening but I carried on as normal instead of feeling down as I have done recently, changing the way I eat is helping too and i'm not taking as much meds too and this is exactly what I want, goes to show you can fight osteoarthritis in every day foods and not become a pharmaceutical junkie. Only 6 days until the appointment in Cappagh regarding my hip which will give me more info of when I get a replacement.

The main topic on this blog DOCUMOVIES

Me and Jenny watched one last night on recommendation from my friend Tanya who also a Slimming World consultant called Hungry for Change and this is a serious eye opener, the book i'm currently reading on treating arthritis drug free and this documovie highlighted the dangers of sugar and MSG'S(monosodium glutamine otherwise known as SALT) in every day food and liking both those to taking cocaine or heroin but sugar and MSG'S are more lethal and is legal while cocaine and heroin is illegal along with cigarettes and alcohol are age restricted, you can call it fucked up or call this corporate genocide as companies like McDonald's, Kraft, Coca Cola and other bigwig bully boys preying on normal people who then become food addicts, this movie also had Joe Cross who starred and directed the Documovie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead who went to the extreme of going on a juicing diet, to me it's ok if youre going on a stictly vegan diet but I couldn't do that because I need a complete balance of healthy protein, clean carbs and healthy fats found in almonds and cashews to maintain a healthy lifestyle plus I love my fish and dairy products to do a stictly vegan diet, will I ever go back to eating meat? Never say never but will avoid beef and pork if I do go back to being a carnivore.

I'll end the blog on a positive note, off to a wedding fair in Dublin tomorrow and off for another celebratory meal courtesy of Jenny's workmates in Crabby Jo's in Howth(seafood restaurant)

Have an A1 weekend everyone

This week's weigh in, Katie Hopkins and treating osteoarthritis the drug free way

Back to a regular routine of weighing in on a Monday afternoon and my hard work paid off with a 2.5lb loss and on this part of the journey it's a monster loss and I'm now 3lb from getting my 8.5st award back and once I get that back I can really focus on the challenge I set myself of trying to get my 10st award by Xmas, learning to appreciate the pescatarian lifestyle getting in plenty of seafood in and I'm not even missing meat and I was a total carnivore before, will mention more near the end of the blog.

The past few days trending on Twitter and been plastered in the scum newspaper was this stuck up snobby no good bitch Katie Hopkins spouting her vile views on obesity and has been working with car crash TV channel TLC to pile on 4st just to prove that obese/overweight people are nothing but lazy bums, who the fuck this vile cunt think she is? Obesity shouldn't be laughed at or used for entertainment purposes especially when there is good people struggling to combat food addiction and obesity, a lot of this has huge psychological effects too as some do not have the courage to overcome such a bastard condition, I think Miss Hopkins should actually watch shows like Obese: a year to save my life and see the struggles and pain these people go through, I have my struggles too and this is why I called Miss Hopkins a narrow minded stuck up cunt on Twitter and I don't regret a single thing, I apologise for the use of the c word if it offends but at the same time her narrow minded views offend me and certain words are appropriate for scum like her.

10 days from now I'll be in Cappagh Hospital for my 2nd appointment regarding my badly damaged hip and I've been doing a lot of homework on how to treat OA without the need for medication which is why I became a pescatarian, recently purchased a book in the shop my fiance works in called 'Treating Arthritis the Drug-Free Way' which was written by an Osteoarthritis sufferer all her life and I was shocked that the everyday Western diet was causing this, pork(an absolute killer with arthritis),beef and refined carbohydrates were making my condition worse and not realising it. I'm determined to beat this and not rely on pain meds mainly more for better mental health and improving my lifestyle in general. 

Have an A1 week

The week so far, the stigma attached to men going to weight loss groups and goals for September

Back from London after a few days catching up with family and mates and even got to see the greatest football team on earth and the Pride of North London qualify again for the world's premier club competition, foodwise its going ok, not missing meat at all so far but this can easily change, getting in plenty of fish which I like anyway and even making vegetarian versions of my favourite dishes, my protein coming from fish, nuts and whey protein and i'll be sticking with this. The weekend will be as normal as possible and come into weigh in with a much needed loss to give my morale a boost.

Being addicted to food and being a yoyo dieter all my adult life I've been going to weight watchers a few times and most recently the past 3 years slimming world most of the classes I was the only man in group and the reason why? A lot of men sees weight loss groups as women only and I don't agree at all, I joined a weight watchers group in Dublin in 2009 and this leader had a men only class as he recognised that some men felt uncomfortable sharing their stories with women, at the end of the day overweight men need help too and in recent time Slimming World has invested a lot of time encouraging overweight men to lose weight on their plan and it's working but I still hear and see every day the stigma attached to men going to weight loss groups, I was slagged off last year behind my back with an idiot saying 'I'm sick of Mick's weight loss stories and that only women and queers go to s.w and if he was a real man he'd be having a few pints with the lads and banging hookers afterwards' and that fuelled me to ram those childish thoughts down their narrow minded throats the best way possible and it was to carry on doing what has won my life back. My consultant's brother who is also a s.w consultant has quite a lot of guys going to him and the same with my one, I'm even hearing stories especially through my followers on instagram that they met their boyfriend in slimming world so 'only women and queers go to s.w?' Those pricks are not even worth the steam of my piss and FUCK THEM, I like hearing stories of men who actually find love in weight loss groups, it helps them and inspire others also. So any man who needs to lose weight, it's socially acceptable to get help through these classes it's the 21st century after all and obesity levels in the UK and Ireland are at an all time high.

I'll end this as August is coming to a close and when I set my goals I didn't put pressure on myself on the scales and I still lost 3.5lb this month and i'm good with that and will continue with that attitude in September and stick with the pescatarian diet and not even a juicy medium rare steak will tempt me

Have an A1 weekend everyone

This weeks weigh in

Normally weigh in at my regular class in Athy but I'm currently back home in North London for a few days and rather waste a holiday I chose to stick to plan and weigh in at a class in Enfield like I always do when I'm in London, a tiny setback with a 1lb gain but there is a positive outcome to this, a complete change in the way I eat can take time to kick in and I've only been a pescatarian for 5 days.

Did have a setback regarding my bastard hip last night and struggled to get a proper nights sleep because of it, the 2nd Cappagh Hospital appointment can't come soon enough, hoping its the pre-op but it could also be a normal clinic visit, either way at least I'll know where I stand.

I'll sign off for now, did my bit for charity today as I dunked myself in cold water in aid of the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association