Hi there everyone. I'm Simon, or Simes to my friends.
I am 50 years old and I live in Nottingham with my wife Marie - we've been married 28 years this year and I am about to take early retirement. I've worked in "computing" for 30 years since I left University in 1980 and I am ready for a change (I'll come back to that).
I've got 3 great children - all grown up and living under their own steam (for the most part) but all still close by in Nottingham which is great. Daniel, the youngest was 22 in April - Kim, will be 25 in 10 days time and Andrew will be 27 in July.
Kim and her partner Marc have three gorgeous children Hollie 6, Bethany 5 and Ethan 2 (just 2 days ago).
Marie and I have a dog too, she's 13 and is called Crackers which just about sums her up.
A change I said. My weight is top priority for change. It has always been my lowest priority and since I got married I have increased in weight by 12 stone (at my worst in December 2009). I've dropped over a stone since then. I've had some serious health problems in the past year and was in hospital with a major asthma attack and heart issues over New Year. A long overdue kick in the backside. My mobility is severely impacted - I have to use an electric scooter to get around and an electric wheelchair at work.
I've been referred by my GP for weight loss surgery - but it scares me to be honest. And besides - when i went to the hospital they sent me away saying "lose some weight, come back in 3 months and if you have lost some weight we'll put you on the 6 month waiting list".
They didn't say how much weight. But then I got to thinking - so nothing is going to happen until the end of 2010 with the hospital and I was speaking to a friend I used to work with on Facebook (he'd seen my posts about the hospital etc.) and he told me that he had lost almost 9 stone in 18 months on Slimming World. So I figured I had nothing to lose but weight (*groan* I know, bad joke).
So my theory is, now that I am on slimming world and I have already lost 9 pounds in 3 weeks then when I got for my next hospital appointment in early July I will definitely have lost some weight. Hopefully, close to 2 stone by then and they'll put me on the list, but if I can keep up an average of 2 pounds per week then I will achieve my first target which is to get down to 25 stone or better by 31st December 2010. Which should be right around the time they offer me a date for surgery - my thinking is that if I can lose that much weight on SW why would I put myself under the knife? And if I can end up 2010 5 stone lighter than the start - why can't I achieve similar in 2011, or even a bit better, because I should be more mobile then and able to get some exercise in. My goal is to get to 18 stone by the end of 2011.
Even for a 6 footer like me, 18 stone is still regarded as Obese - but heck, let me get there first and then I will worry about the next steps.
OK that's my story and my introduction - I hope it is suitable.
Any advice, guidance, questions etc. will be most welcome and much appreciated.
Thank you, Simon.
I am 50 years old and I live in Nottingham with my wife Marie - we've been married 28 years this year and I am about to take early retirement. I've worked in "computing" for 30 years since I left University in 1980 and I am ready for a change (I'll come back to that).
I've got 3 great children - all grown up and living under their own steam (for the most part) but all still close by in Nottingham which is great. Daniel, the youngest was 22 in April - Kim, will be 25 in 10 days time and Andrew will be 27 in July.
Kim and her partner Marc have three gorgeous children Hollie 6, Bethany 5 and Ethan 2 (just 2 days ago).
Marie and I have a dog too, she's 13 and is called Crackers which just about sums her up.
A change I said. My weight is top priority for change. It has always been my lowest priority and since I got married I have increased in weight by 12 stone (at my worst in December 2009). I've dropped over a stone since then. I've had some serious health problems in the past year and was in hospital with a major asthma attack and heart issues over New Year. A long overdue kick in the backside. My mobility is severely impacted - I have to use an electric scooter to get around and an electric wheelchair at work.
I've been referred by my GP for weight loss surgery - but it scares me to be honest. And besides - when i went to the hospital they sent me away saying "lose some weight, come back in 3 months and if you have lost some weight we'll put you on the 6 month waiting list".
They didn't say how much weight. But then I got to thinking - so nothing is going to happen until the end of 2010 with the hospital and I was speaking to a friend I used to work with on Facebook (he'd seen my posts about the hospital etc.) and he told me that he had lost almost 9 stone in 18 months on Slimming World. So I figured I had nothing to lose but weight (*groan* I know, bad joke).
So my theory is, now that I am on slimming world and I have already lost 9 pounds in 3 weeks then when I got for my next hospital appointment in early July I will definitely have lost some weight. Hopefully, close to 2 stone by then and they'll put me on the list, but if I can keep up an average of 2 pounds per week then I will achieve my first target which is to get down to 25 stone or better by 31st December 2010. Which should be right around the time they offer me a date for surgery - my thinking is that if I can lose that much weight on SW why would I put myself under the knife? And if I can end up 2010 5 stone lighter than the start - why can't I achieve similar in 2011, or even a bit better, because I should be more mobile then and able to get some exercise in. My goal is to get to 18 stone by the end of 2011.
Even for a 6 footer like me, 18 stone is still regarded as Obese - but heck, let me get there first and then I will worry about the next steps.
OK that's my story and my introduction - I hope it is suitable.
Any advice, guidance, questions etc. will be most welcome and much appreciated.
Thank you, Simon.
to Minimins !
